I can feel the dark side calling. Help
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Full fat Helix could replace that entire board really. If you don't want to commit then you could probably cover most of it on HX Stomp if you don't want to run too many things at once and don't mind set-listing some songs - drives, amps, and polyphonic effects are the processing heavy stuff. If you're using a real amp that cuts out the really heavy blocks.
There's always the option of chucking the MS70s in the loops to free up some extra blocks too.
There's always the option of chucking the MS70s in the loops to free up some extra blocks too.
Honestly, using Helix or Fractal etc for covers gigs is a breeze. The killer feature is snapshots/scenes - changing multiple parameters and effects on a single button click. Hugely useful.
Tot up the cost of your pedals, and add in the loses on anything you’ve bought and sold. Then ask yourself whether a Helix or FM3 would have been:
a) Cheaper
b) More flexible
a) Cheaper
b) More flexible
Then ask whether you could achieve the same result with a VP4.
If you want to stick with a regular amp but figure the Helix environment could cover your pedal needs, an HX FX seems the logical choice as it gives you all of the effects from Helix in a smaller form factor, with more snapshots and switches than an HX Stomp.topdog91 said:So I posted an update in my pedalboard thread in the FX section: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/4039618/#Comment_4039618
Then I realised it might belong here. If anyone can skim the above admittedly long post, I'd be grateful to hear your thoughts. Could the Helix slot in nicely?
You can put your favourite drives in a loop of the HX FX too.
I'm sure the Stomp is cool but with three switches I won't be able to replicate having most of the widely-used pedals switchable all the time. I always have one or more active of the compressor and drives at any given time. The Stomp would give more variety, but I don't think variety is what's driving me.borntohang said:Full fat Helix could replace that entire board really. If you don't want to commit then you could probably cover most of it on HX Stomp if you don't want to run too many things at once and don't mind set-listing some songs - drives, amps, and polyphonic effects are the processing heavy stuff. If you're using a real amp that cuts out the really heavy blocks.
There's always the option of chucking the MS70s in the loops to free up some extra blocks too.
Helix-wise, I guess the main thing for me would be do I like the drives in the Helix, I'm sure the modulations are good enough but as all my dirt comes from pedals, at gig volume I can be a little picky. It's hard to find Helix demos in my kind of situation, most of the online stuff is teh br00tal gainz.
I can see the use, for most of our cover tunes I might switch one or two pedals on and off at once. e.g. Locked Out of Heaven I play the verse with the compressor and when we get to the pre-chorus I add the Tumnus and chorus to fill it out. Not trivial with singing BVs but I'm used to it now. The worst is Daytona, where I have the compressor in the verse then in the pre-chorus the single notes needs to soar so I'm kicking on the Euphoria, delay, reverb, and probably the Spark as well. Then back off for the verse. Then the wah near the end. Etc etc. I'm sure there are other songs where I could benefit from this but it's not a massive attraction; I think I'd have one patch whch looked something like my usual board and play in stomp mode, then use snapshots for different songs.willo said:Honestly, using Helix or Fractal etc for covers gigs is a breeze. The killer feature is snapshots/scenes - changing multiple parameters and effects on a single button click. Hugely useful.
I'm lucky enough in that I'm not rolling in it but cost isn't a main driver, I want to sound good and enjoy it. I think I have a TC Nova and G-System in my lockup; if I sell those and the POD GO that should go most of the way to a full-fat Helix.Roland said:Tot up the cost of your pedals, and add in the loses on anything you’ve bought and sold. Then ask yourself whether a Helix or FM3 would have been:
a) Cheaper
b) More flexible
Roland said:Then ask whether you could achieve the same result with a VP4.
I didn't know the HX Effects nor VP4 existed. If I have a go at this I'll go all in because a) I wouldn't have to take the POD GO to gigs as a backup if my tube amp blew up b) it leaves the door open to experiment with going direct live one day.Beexter said:If you want to stick with a regular amp but figure the Helix environment could cover your pedal needs, an HX FX seems the logical choice as it gives you all of the effects from Helix in a smaller form factor, with more snapshots and switches than an HX Stomp.
You can put your favourite drives in a loop of the HX FX too.
I had an Axe Fx II on my shelf for years for home practice and recording and I barely touched the settings because it sounded so bloody fantastic. My problem is that live the FM9 looks like a git to tweak, and that is something that I do before all gigs because rooms are different.
I start clean, tweak the amp, go through every pedal and make sure it sounds right for the venue, takes five minutes. But if I miss something, it's easy to correct mid-gig. The Helix looks like it's easy to tweak on the fly, the FM9 looks like a mare, the Performance Panel seems like an afterthought; who knows in advance which knobs they might want to tweak? It's a shame because I think the FM9 sounds would be a no-brainer for me, whereas I'm still traumatized by my POD HD500 which never sounded dynamic, so a bit wary of Line 6 overall.
HX Stomp XL with two external foot switches covers everything you need especially since you can program it with a preset for each song and then use snapshots for verse, chorus etc.
Four things to consider:
1. Cost
2. Sound
3. Functionality.
4. Size
For me, I can't justify the price of an FM9. Helix is too big. HX Stomp isn't enough buttons. So the final choice, and this comes after owning a load of stuff more than once, was between the HX Stomp XL and the HXFX. I settled on this.
I am difficult because stereo was a must. The pedal options in front all work for me (three overdrives and two boosts). The Buffer Boost (impedance control), LPB-3 (good headroom and EQ) and the compressor act as a clean preamp. The HXFX handles reverb, delays, and modulation. For amps at home I hook up to the audio interface and use Tonex SE. If I played elsewhere, I'd drop one pedal and put on a pair of Tonex Ones running the same amps I use as home (JC-120 and Fender Twin). At a pinch, I can also use a Dual IR cab in the HXFX with a splash of Dynamic Ambience.
The end result is that I have a board where I'm actually playing more than rearranging pedals. Using HXEdit with the laptop is very easy and the HXFX is actually pretty easy to program without the computer. I do make it more complex than most people because of the stereo element and splitting things left and right a lot. In the future, I will get a bigger board (Spaceship 60XL) and I want a VP4.
I'd like to avoid a preset for each song if there is an alternative, it sounds very labour-intensive.NickB said:HX Stomp XL with two external foot switches covers everything you need especially since you can program it with a preset for each song and then use snapshots for verse, chorus etc.
Nice but I think somewhat different to what I'm looking for. To your four points:Heartfeltdawn said:
Four things to consider:
1. Cost
2. Sound
3. Functionality.
4. Size
For me, I can't justify the price of an FM9. Helix is too big. HX Stomp isn't enough buttons. So the final choice, and this comes after owning a load of stuff more than once, was between the HX Stomp XL and the HXFX. I settled on this.
I am difficult because stereo was a must. The pedal options in front all work for me (three overdrives and two boosts). The Buffer Boost (impedance control), LPB-3 (good headroom and EQ) and the compressor act as a clean preamp. The HXFX handles reverb, delays, and modulation. For amps at home I hook up to the audio interface and use Tonex SE. If I played elsewhere, I'd drop one pedal and put on a pair of Tonex Ones running the same amps I use as home (JC-120 and Fender Twin). At a pinch, I can also use a Dual IR cab in the HXFX with a splash of Dynamic Ambience.
The end result is that I have a board where I'm actually playing more than rearranging pedals. Using HXEdit with the laptop is very easy and the HXFX is actually pretty easy to program without the computer. I do make it more complex than most people because of the stereo element and splitting things left and right a lot. In the future, I will get a bigger board (Spaceship 60XL) and I want a VP4.
1. Cost. I don't mean to sound like a complete tit but cost isn't really an issue; I gig enough to justify it and as mentioned earlier I could sell the Nova / G-System / POD GO and not have to put much in.
2. Sound. I'm sure the Helix sounds great, at least modulations; I really hope the drives are convincing though, I don't think individual pedals have mojo, it's all electronics but I really love my Wamplers, good sound in a box.
3. Functionality. Both my board and the Helix can probably do the job. The Helix can do much more that I don't need today and may not ever need.
4. Size (and weight). I don't need stereo and that board looks nearly as large as my PT-2 (61 x 31.7 cm), is it? The Helix is slightly smaller (56 x 30) than my board and should be much lighter. It looks like in your image I could swap my four modulation pedals for the HX Effects but all I'd really gain would be variety which isn't really my main aim.
topdog91 said:Nice but I think somewhat different to what I'm looking for. To your four points:
1. Cost. I don't mean to sound like a complete tit but cost isn't really an issue; I gig enough to justify it and as mentioned earlier I could sell the Nova / G-System / POD GO and not have to put much in.
2. Sound. I'm sure the Helix sounds great, at least modulations; I really hope the drives are convincing though, I don't think individual pedals have mojo, it's all electronics but I really love my Wamplers, good sound in a box.
3. Functionality. Both my board and the Helix can probably do the job. The Helix can do much more that I don't need today and may not ever need.
4. Size (and weight). I don't need stereo and that board looks nearly as large as my PT-2 (61 x 31.7 cm), is it? The Helix is slightly smaller (56 x 30) than my board and should be much lighter. It looks like in your image I could swap my four modulation pedals for the HX Effects but all I'd really gain would be variety which isn't really my main aim.
1. No you don't sound like a tit! :)
2. I don't think any modeller totally convinces on the drives. Drive pedals + modeller for the delays etc works best for me.
3. Yay!
4. My board is 450 by 305 so smaller than your PT-2. Helix LT is 5.5kg. Spaceship 40 is 1.25kg, HX Effects is 2.25kg so I'd hazard a guess at my board weighing slightly less than the LT.
Then I realised it might belong here. If anyone can skim the above admittedly long post, I'd be grateful to hear your thoughts. Could the Helix slot in nicely?