I'm really impressed with the variety of tones I'm able to get from this unit. It's big - but it's a whole pedalboard and amp in one piece of gear, so some size is warranted. It feels really sturdy - I never feel like the volume pedal or stomp switches will break. I edit all the tones with the PC app and they sound fabulous. The variety of included pedal and amp blocks, and the million ways you can chain them together and edit them, lets you get to a wide variety of tones easily. This device cured my pedal-buying addiction and has given me the ability to get the sound I want without spending a ton of money on individual pieces.

Despite the fact the new Helix Stadium being awesome, the new Agoura models sound great, the Helix Floor is still a great option! It is built to last, sounds great, and offers a lot of controls flexibility. The effects are the same as Stadium (so far), and considering this is half the price it is a great deal IMAO ... unless the Stadium "showcase" is what you need or are looking for!

I got this to replace my Vetta I got in 2002 that died. I am really happy with this, there are a few things that bug me, but compared to my kemper, this is worlds easier to operate. I don't really care for the wah, the pedal is very stiff. I just added my Morley Tremonti wah.

I had a Helix LT for years then downsized to an HX Stomp XL, thinking I would use it more out. I didn't. But I did learn to trim down my patches and manage the extras with midi. That said, the Helix Floor is bigger and much easier to use in studio. Midi is still a big plus, but not needed to control the Powercab+ - Line6 Link takes care of that.
I rarely max out DSP on the Helix, but I do love the scribble strips and the extra switches. Also useful is the more flexible footswitch configuration that comes with the full size unit. I encourage you to download the manual and check out all the ways you can set this unit up. In Bank Mode, I like using the bottom row for Presets and the top for Snapshots. In Stomp Mode, I have 10 footswitches available to control effects.
I use the Command Window in HX Edit to set up Hotkeys to control YouTube playback for song learning. With 5 footswitches on the front row I can control Pause/Play, Fast FWD 10 or Fast Reverse 10 seconds, and playback speed faster/slower - and my fingers never leave the guitar.
This is truly a great piece of gear that's been proven durable. Even now with the new Helix Stadium released, Line6 continues to update the Helix with new effects and amps. It is NOT outdated and likely won't be for years to come. While the new Helix Stadium is certain to be as good or better in many ways, this is enough for me (for now).

Line6 helix is a great product it was that or the quad cortex im glad i went with helix jeff from Sweetwater was a big help with this purchase product came very quickly alot of features

Enough has been written about the Helix. It is a top-notch tool. I'm a photographer and it reminds me of Photoshop, an all-encompassing, highly sophisticated and powerful image editing software program. And like Photoshop, the Helix offers ultimate control of so many parameters, if there's a problem with your sound, it's you, not this thing. What could be better? I'm glad you asked. I must add my voice to the chorus that praises Sweetwater's customer service. In the interest of brevity, I'll spare you the details, but for a minute, I was in danger of falling through the cracks with a warranty repair issue until my brand new Sales Engineer swooped in and almost instantly did more than solve my problem with a level of service I might expect if I were a high profile artist, influencer or big dollar account, and even though I'm none of those things, I just got treated like one by Caleb Priest at Sweetwater.

Perfect reliability and free upgrades!

I have owned this for 10 years. Of course it's nothing like my Magnatone "live in the room" but this is great for recording and a nearly unlimited choice of gear for experiments and practically a warehouse full of vintage pedals. Great way to try all of that stuff. So good I pre ordered the Stadium XL. Amazing engineering. It has never failed. As an audio interface it doubles for so much gear (inputs, switching, outputs, plugins. It is an insane value and a home studio essential. Hint: Start clean and ease into gain. Always record a dry track and re-amp.

HELIX is a very well designed multi-effects processor with lots of extra features. I purchased the HELIX with the Worship bundle, which really helped get me going. There is allot of support for the HELIX Floor, including Sweetwater. I believe I saved money going this direction verses building a pedal board, now if I want to try a new pedal it's easy to add it to my HELIX setting chain and tweak away. I watched a few of the YouTube videos which helped me get an understanding on creating my own sound and settings. The HELIX Floor had been going strong for 10 Years.

Outstanding floor unit that does everything I wanted it to do. Special and huge thank you to John McWhirter who went above and beyond to help me get the color I wanted. I will be a Sweetwater customer for life!

It's great. It really is amazing. After two decades of using various pedalboards, I finally made the switch to a multi-effects processor — and the Helix absolutely blew me away. It's easily one of the best pieces of gear I've owned since the early 2000s. Sonically, it's brilliant. The amp and cab modeling, effects, routing options, and flexibility are second to none. Whether I'm recording or playing live (this doesn't happen that often these days, unfortunately), it delivers consistently great tone. That is, unlike pedalboards, always predictable and does not depend on amp setup at various venues. It also looks less scary than a regular pedalboard to TSA employees, which is also a plus.

But it's not perfect.

The unit is fiendishly heavy — not ideal if you're moving it around often (consider getting a case with wheels tbh). And while the hardware is impressive, the software used to edit patches is another story. The UI/UX feels stuck in the early 2010s: clunky, unintuitive, and frustrating. My bandmate and I did a head-to-head comparison — me on the Helix, him on the Headrush Core — and the difference was night and day. The Headrush interface is like 10 times more user-friendly.

Still, despite its bulk and outdated software, the Helix won me over with its sound quality and versatility. I miss the tactile chaos of a traditional pedalboard sometimes, but not enough to go back.

For now, this is home.

In 2025 I wanted a digital modeling amp that sounded great, was built very well, and was flexible. The Helix has been around for a long time. Once version 3.5 firmware came out, their quality of amp, cabs and IR's improved to be competitive with the competition. The stock sounds are only ok and are a good starting point. Remove the hum on the amp setup, you can audition several different microphones to see which sound you like the best. You can also adjust the distance and position of the mic. Having a expression pedal that has a digital readout allows you to know how open the volume pedal is at. Scribble strips allow you to have on guess work on what button to push. The Snapshots allows you to create up to 6 different changes to a preset, like clean, crunch, crunch hard, solo, ambience, clean with chorus and you will see all of them on your scribble strips. No need to use up multiple presets. The editing software is easy to use and the multiple amps and cabs sound really good. The effects sound great, it is a very solid unit that should hold up for many years. Newer units are smaller with no expression pedal or scribble strips making it harder on stage to see everything you need. I don't care about a touch screen that some of the newer units have. This unit sounds fantastic.

First, this is a great modeler. It can do a lot!!!! It is pretty easy to use for newbies and had plenty of options for more advanced users. It sounds great. However, the expression pedal is basically useless. In addition to being poorly designed/executed (it squeaks like crazy and does random stuff, like go up when you want to go down, visa versa, cuts randomly. I did not
Get much support from Sweetwater on this (they say it will magically go away or add lube to it). It is brand new with these issues so I can rate more than 3. I am stuck with it now because I am a couple of days passed the return policy. Had I known I would have gone with Quad Cortex, more expensive but I suspect it is better built. I guess I will see what Line 6 has to say.

I realize I'm late to the Helix party, but I have been doing research on lots of things before dropping the cash on a very expensive unit. I can definitely say it was worth the money. I've been using it regularly, and the tones I can achieve are so much better than my previous solution. There is so much flexibility with this unit, and I would say that it can work no matter your situation. If you are a lone acoustic player, you can make this work beautifully and add a few flourishes to your sound. If you play in a full band, you can have the rig of your dreams at your feet in a relatively easy to carry package. I love it!

This unit sounds better by far than anything I've purchased before.

It has so many beautiful clean presets, and awesome distorted sounds as well.

the layout seems perfect. I love the solid movement of the expression pedal.

This has met 99% my needs for a midsized church that mostly does contemporary Christian music.
The steady stream of updates from line 6 makes this a no brainer, interface is easy enough once you learn it, even better on PC.

I've had this unit 10 years now. One of the few pieces of equipment that I have no regrets spending the money on.
Line 6 is fantastic in continued support for their product. To this day I'm still getting great updates,and the user community is top notch. If you're looking for a specific tone, you can usually get extremely close, if not dead on.
The only complaint I have is the same I've had for all line 6 products I've had.the USB connection could be more stable. Don't know that I could trust depending on that connection in a live situation.

Former tube amp snob here, like many others. But no more! I bought the full-blown Helix floor a month ago and it's gonna be a GOOD while before I get another "real" amp because this thing has value coming out of it's ears. Let me also be the first to say this to anyone on the fence--for one, do not base your opinion of this on the stock presets you've heard. Second, The Helix is NOT about getting an "amp in the room" experience. Its about crafting a MIC'ED sound. With that said, trying to capture an "amp in the room" sound is rather pointless anyways, considering all the tones we listen to are mic'ed up and processed in some way or another. They are never raw in the true sense, guaranteed.

Admittedly, the learning curve on the Helix is significant, and you may struggle with it some before you get the tones you're after. It took me over 2 weeks to really figure out what I was doing. But that is because the idea of the Helix was for accuracy of the modeling, warts and all, regarding the gear. Initially, you might get frustrated with the cab/mic section, common among new Helix users. A lot of guys would default to IRs for a quick fix, but let me tell you: you DO NOT need them to get this thing to have the depth and "air" that you would find in a good IR. The Helix can do all that, you just have to take your time learning how to really dial it all in using all the different EQs, dual cab/mic, the hi/low cut on the cabs and developing what your ears need to hear with the different mic selections. Not every cab sounds good with a 57 on axis, cap to cone, but with some creative EQ'ing and mic positioning, you can make it work to your liking, just as it would be in the studio. That's the point of the Helix--EXPERIMENT! Every move you make on the Helix is a cumulative effort and it takes time to get the hang of it, so be patient and you will be rewarded. You'll be tossing your IRs to the side (save for cabs that aren't on the Helix to begin with, such as Soldano and Diezel 412s)

Realism--it's all there. If you're struggling, you have many tools to help you. You have variable impedance, different inputs depending on whether you're using passive or active pickups, sag, bias, as well as a trick I recently learned: using the LA compressor in between the amp and cab blocks. Works especially well if your clean to mid gain crunch tones feel a bit dull or stiff. It gives you that greasy quality that is associated with a lot of tube amps. You have all the tools inside the Helix to do whatever the heck you want. Don't be shy about using them.

The fx span far and wide and I doubt you'll really have GAS for another pedal ever again. And besides, whatever is missing, you may end up seeing it (or something similar) in some future firmware update. The Helix has a lot of life in it regardless of it being a nearly 10 year old piece of kit and the updates keep coming.

If I have any critiques...I'd love to see Helix do a Bogner Ecstasy and Diezel Herbert model due to their uniqueness, a Soldano 412 (not the new one, the older one with the Eminence speakers) as well as make some of the synths track better. They seem to straddle a weird line between almost polyphonic, but not quite. Another feature I'd like to see: NAM model loading! Other than that, this thing is probably the first piece of gear I've ever owned that I can say is 5 stars with full confidence. I've owned a lot of expensive tube heads and 4x12 cabs, all were fantastic, but there was always some missing feature I needed or I'd need a pedal to get that last 5% out of it. I got sick of running myself in circles and spending many thousands of dollars (literally) when I could've had this thing a long time ago and saved myself the trouble. Plus mic'ing a guitar cab in an apartment USUALLY is an effort in futility because you never get the right amount of isolation needed to get a clean recording and still keep the amp quiet enough to not anger the neighbors. I tried for 4 years to make it work and realized it was time to let it go. Direct or bust, for me. Thing is, I don't feel like I made any compromise. I feel like I finally came to where I should've been a long time ago.

I got on here because I needed the invoice for when I purchased the Helix floor. The purchase date was in June 2019. I have used this pedal a minimum of twice a week and it looks just as good as the day it arrived. Using the Gator case made for it is a big help in keeping it in good shape. I am still discovering uses and there are always new patches available and easy to install through Helix Edit software. This is a great investment and I would encourage anyone who plays electric or acoustic guitar to forgo all the chains of pedal boards and get everything all in one. The software provided makes it so simple to get your settings the way you need them.

Went in skeptical. Didn't want it to sound good. Wanted to be able to say that I tried and only tubes would work for me. I was so so so so wrong. Thanks Line 6 and to the good folks at Sweetwater. PS- If you are going to buy this you should eventually invest in a great monitor. The Atomic CLR us fabulous. Heard Mission Gemini is great too (haven't tried one but that is the consensus). That way you will get the most out of this unit. The amp and cab models are designed to work with a neutral platform (an FRFR speaker system). If you run a Greenback 4 x 12 amp/cab combo in the Helix but you are plugging this in to an amp with a V30 4 x 12 things might get weird...

Great customer service for a CC (grandmother) who knows nothing about music equipment. Andy was so helpful and went over & beyond to ensure the correct equipment was purchased. Andy offered support during and after the purchase. Thank you so much! Everything was perfect for her special day!!! Much thanks & many blessings to Andy at Sweetwater!

Have had many Line 6 products and multi-effects processors. This Line 6 Helix blows them all away. At first it seemed daunting to work with, but after a couple hours working with it now I can quickly make edits and set up new patches. The functionality alone makes it feel like absolute pro level gear, and the sound is clean. Huge upgrade over the Pod Go. At first glance, it would appear they have almost the same amps, effects, etc, there's far more routing chain possibilities that provide massive tonal options.

Read it before buying.
After watching several YT reviews I finally decided that the HELIX would be the best device for me. It would be durable and it has vocal effects also.
I work on cruise ships and I need something that it's durable and doesn't give me problems during my contract because ship musicians doesn't have the chance to send a device for maintenance. The ship docks early in the morning and sails again in the afternoon, there's no way I can work without the device by sending it for repair for several days.
I bought the 1st HELIX on 05/30/2023 and a few months later (while I was onboard) it started to fail the screen right on top of the TAP Tempo switch. I reached out the SW help and they were amazing helping me to return the defective unit and getting a new one, because of my impossibility of sending it for warranty repair.

Now, 2nd HELIX is giving me headaches because the switcher #7 and the TAP tempo (AGAIN!) are failing. The unit has just a few months of use.
I'm that kind of person who really takes care of its gear, which makes this even more disappointing.

Another thing about HELIX: if you use a pitch FX to change your guitar's tuning (1/2 step down for ex.) it's gonna sound like when you don't have enough DSP and it's distorts the sound very bad, unless you only play single notes. No matter if you put only one single FX in the chain, It stills sounds like the device processor can't handle a simple pitch change.
In general you can get a really good guitar sound emulation, but these problems need to be considered before buying one for you.
LINE 6 needs to improve the HELIX.
Thanks Sweetwater for your great support, as always.

This HELIX Floor is an extremely versatile and powerful modeling system that replaces all your stomp boxes. The most surprising thing about it is that as powerful as it is it is quite easy to master its main capabilities. The convenience of every stomp box, amp, and cabinet you'll ever want in a single system without all those interconnecting cables and power supply lines is a significant draw for the HELIX. However the Snapshot feature is a capability that your bank of stomp boxes doesn't have. With Snapshot a guitarist can instantly change the parameters of any/all the components of a single patch using the foot switches.

One of my friends dads uses this in his setup at home, I don't know about live, but the sounds and patches that come out of this thing are amazing, he can dial in China Grove by The Doobie Brothers and it sounds just like it, I would highly recommend this for anyone wanting to 1) mess around with sounds, 2)Do original stuff, or 3) play spot-on covers of famous songs.

I went to Sweetwater to check out the Line 6 HX Effects to add/ adapt to my stomp box pedalboard using my Humboldt Simplifier as my amp, which I loved. But we coudln't get it hooked up right or something, meanwhile the Helix got brought up. Now I had done research on all the Line 6 options for about a year but hadn't test drove any of it until that day and MAN- I was sold instantly. I got the Worship bundle and couldn't be happier with the free training and preset downloads. The sounds you can create are seemingly endless and I have just barely scratched the surface. I've had it about a month now and have edited presets, created snapshots of those presets (for intro, verse, chorus etc. for example), downloaded new presets and imported them to user setlists without much help. So many things this is good for, I highly recommend this product! And as always thanks to my customer rep David Hess for your knowledge and awesomeness!!

I bought this on 9/7/2018, about 5 1/2 years ago. I don't want to sound overly dramatic, but it has changed my life. I'm getting older and I have some chronic breathing issues. I still have my tube amps but it was getting nearly impossible for me to carry them around. I had owned a modeler like this before (different brand) a long time ago, but it just didn't sound like an amp. After a while, I just quit playing. Then I bought the Helix. Now, my amp is pushed underneath my grand piano and I just strap my Helix on my back. It has allowed me to go back to playing and it sounds fantastic.

There is a slight bit of a learning curve, but there are tons of YouTube videos and articles everywhere on how to do things. I'm 63 years old. If I can figure it out, you can too. You can also download presets from Line 6's Custom Tone shop online for free. These helped me get ideas on how to do things, but I tend to enjoy making my own presets.

I play in a cover band (a few original songs) and we play mostly 80's rock with a few older rock tunes and a few new country songs. To date, there isn't a sound that I needed that I couldn't get out of the Helix. Twin guitar solos, acoustic sounds, etc. I even simulate a jaw harp on one song.

The one project I have in the back of my mind is to integrate my old talkbox into the Helix. I'm pretty sure there's a way to do it...I just haven't tried it yet. I'm dragging my feet to see if Line 6 releases a talkbox effect in a new update. Which brings up another point. I've bought many pieces of gear that cost as much or more than the Helix. If I was lucky, I may have gotten one update after the purchase and then the unit was replaced by a newer model and the company forgot about my model. (I'm a keyboard player too. Ring any bells keyboard players?) I've lost track of how many updates there have been for the Helix. Not just bug updates. New features, new effects, new amps. Totally worth the money! Thanks, Line 6. And thanks, Sweetwater.

One final note. To be fair, I've had one small problem with the Helix since owning it. One footswitch started sticking. You would tap it once and it would internally trigger again. So, in effect, you would select, then de-select the option you wanted. We do a lot of outdoor gigs in the summer and I'm sure some dirt has gotten into it. Anyhow, I found a video on YouTube on how to repair this problem by yourself. No parts required. I did the repair myself, just a simple cleaning. Fixed the problem and I haven't had it happen again.

Learning curve but once you have it down it is powerful and sounds great. I have used this at venues with thousands of people And it has held up great. The knobs get a little loose over time and it has a few other small downsides like delay between patch switching unless you give up half the processing power. The reverbs and delays are not top of the line but they get the job done. Modulation, distortion, cab/amp simulation is amazing.

Didn't really appeaciate It until I perchaced the power cab plus now I can get that pure sound that I have been looking for from each amp pedal or speaker easy to use a lot of fun developing my sound

The helix sounds amazing! It has all the tones and more than I will ever need. Best part is now I can spend money on guitars instead of constantly buying pedals

This is the best!! The Helix is so easy to navigate and use! There is also a great Helx community to tap into!! Glad I invested in it; it is well worth price! Lei is the best sales person!! Always a pleasure to purchase from Sweetwater!!

As a band we play over 120 shows a year and have been for more than 20 years. Since it came out, the Helix has been at the core of our live guitar and even bass sounds. Why carry amps and monitors when all you need is a helix and some decent in-ear monitors! Be honest, if you're already using in-ear monitors, you'll never know if it's an amp model or a real amp and a mic. Simplify your rig and focus on the gig!

I was looking to upgrade from my POD Go and had an eye on the LT. But my sales engineer, Chris McCown, recommended I step up to the Helix Floor. He gave me a number of reasons why, from his own experience, but the scribble strips alone are worth the price of admission. No more weird bouncy-boomerangy sounds when switching from one effect/patch/snapshot to the next, either, like I got with the POD Go. Hurray for that extra processing power!

I'm especially pleased with my fancy-schmancy new Helix Floor because I'm confident I got an incredible tool I'm not likely to outgrow. Thanks, Chris, for all the advice and support!

Thought this would be great for playing at church but it's not great. They call this an amp modeler but I've never owned an amp with "sag and hum and bias and xbias and all the other little adjustments no one has ever heard of before. I have a little 1 watt blackstar tube amp with all the typical knobs (drive, volume, tone) and it takes me 10 seconds to get a great tone, not so with the helix. I'm kinda stuck with it so I'll make do. My dad always told me "keep it simple stupid".

I'm currently playing bass for an originals artist in Texas. I have some patches I made and I'm absolutely loving the versatility of this unit. I also play guitar and have been using it in my home studio as well. There's plenty of information on the MANY features of this unit both on the Line 6 page as well as the Facebook page. There's also tons of free patches available and quite a few for sale as well. There's no shortage of help available if you want to build your own patches as well

it makes life so much easier.

A massive learning curve to first understand the DAW software then the GUI Native interface. The manuals (after installation they are very helpful) are somewhat helpful for installation of Native but once you grind that out, between hours of practice and wor, the complete collection of feature and functionality will begin to become intuitive. At least from my experience. That said the functionality of the floor model and its application are truly all-one-needs. I love the products plug-ins and its ability to be a complete box for all the different genres of music I play from metal to gospel it is a complete sound scape processor. Happy I went with it and happy with the support I received from Matt Z. he is truly the best sales engineer! God bless!

If you're on the fence, just jump straight in.

I now have both a Kemper Stage and this Line 6 Helix. Each has things that are GREAT about them, but those things are not available in the other piece of gear. The Helix has a GREAT way of seeing what each footswitch in each patch will do, the Kemper? Well, I have a printed out 'cheat sheet' that I keep on the floor next to the rig to remember what effects I have lined up for each amp rig. No biggie, but again, the Line 6 TOTALLY wins in that category.

The guitar tones in the Helix are really, really good, but there's just SUCH a bigger sea of even better tones in the Kemper.

Lastly, the one thing that totally bugs me about the Helix is the fact that if you switch from one patch to another, you will clearly notice a dropout of sound for a moment. Is anyone in the audience gonna notice it? Probably not. But it's really irritating that you pay $ for something and it can't do a simple thing like NOT have that sonic drop-out. The KEMPER doesn't have a drop out, so......

Anyway, just my quick 2-cents. :)

But, another major plus for the Helix is the built-in expression pedal. Yeah, it takes up more real estate, but because it's sill less real estate than having a separate expression pedal having to sit next to a Kemper.

The Line 6 from Helix is a real power punch to the industry. I find myself playing my Charvel guitar a lot more because I just click a button and I've found my sound. I love the loop option for quickly making my own songs and I love how Garage Band works seamlessly with the Line 6 to add drums, bass, keyboards or whatever you need. It's a great product and well worth the money. Also, Sweetwater shipped it quickly and packaged it well. Absolutely no complaints.

Absolutely fantastic product. With Helix, you can create any signal chain you could possibly imagine, edit them on the fly, share with other Helix users, and more. It's absolutely perfect for gigging. I can run both electric and acoustic guitars through this one device, and it eliminates the need for any other (unreliable) pedal devices. With the XLR output, I don't even need a DI box. The amp and effects libraries are comprehensive, and Line 6 keeps adding new models for free in their updates. If you are bringing in money with your guitar playing, this is well worth the investment. With only a few exceptions, you may never need another pedal again.

It took me a while to even consider using anything other than analog pedals and really good tube amps!
I play Electric, Acoustic, Mandolin, Banjo from Bluegrass to Blues, Old Country, Gospel, Rock to all the modern stuff. So this is why I like it! I have presets for all of the instruments I use, and also for the different types of music I'll be playing for that show. I've used it in floor monitors,in-ears, also with a powered cab; all do great! Nothing sounds as good as a good mic on a good acoustic or a good mic on a tube amp!! If you're tired of hauling around a big load of gear, If you play other instruments, or if you're 57 and still playing a good bit, I would say try one. I keep mine fairly simple much like a pedal board, so I'm not constantly switching something on or off. I use my guitar volume control just like I would with my tube amps.
I show up with a small cab and a Helix back pack and whatever instruments I need for the gig! I've used mine for jams,churches, big shows, and little ones. Get yourself one at Christmas. You'll have the winter months to figure it out before this gigs get going and the grass needs mowing!

I have used the helix for nearly 5 years and out of the blue it started flashing and filled my apartment with the smell of burning rubber. I did not damage it in any way and had used it without issue for a long time, but now out of the blue it started burning inside and no longer turning on. This seems very dangerous, if I hadn't been home this could have caused a fire and it is still making noises so I'm not convinced there isn't a fire in it currently. I still have no idea what happened, but I am definitely avoiding Line 6 from now on because I definitely didn't do anything to cause this.

Sound is wonderful, after you figure out all of the little details like eq, compression, in/out levels, etc.
Not for the faint of heart or if you are not willing to put in many hours to learn this thing.
I love it for home recording use.
I would not use this in a live environment under any circumstances, although some people do.
Just too difficult for me to control and understand everything about it, even after 6 years of owning it.
It's almost too much.

exactly what Ive been looking for .. set up so well it takes the complication to a minimal point .. awesome sound .

And while your at it, get two for twice as much fun.

I haven't been in the market for a new pedal for quite some time, however, I was overdue. I went back and forth on the price because I have never spent that much for a multi-effects pedal. I couldn't be happier with the Line 6 Helix. The sound and the processing power to accommodate multiple effects was 'next level'.

I was very much captivated by the worship bundle as I play guitar for a few worship teams I am part of. There was some software and additional information I needed (that was not part of the sale) that seemed a little confusing but after a couple calls with Joey from the Sweetwater team, he was patient and helped me to figure out how to access the worship presets, training , and the Helix Native plugins.

I couldn't be happier with this purchase. No buyers remorse whatsoever. This product has been amazingly designed with convenience and and a professional sound in mind.

I want to commend the Sweetwater support team. I have bought a couple products from Sweetwater and they sales associates follow through from order to delivery. When I did have questions, I was able to quickly resolve my issues as the support team always got back to me within an hour.

I highly recommend this product and this is definitely a legit site for getting quality gear on the internet.

Best,
jam

I am a lead guitar player for our church. I have used the Kemper stage for the last several years, and it is a great unit that sounds amazing. BUT...at least for players like me in the worship setting that are not PRO players, but good players that want a great sound and don't want to create all their sounds from scratch, I found the Kemper to be a bit limiting. It has a much smaller user base, and because of that it is harder to find patches online from creators. They are out there, but not nearly as plentiful. Where as there are TONS of people creating amazing patches and IR's for the Helix all the time. It's a massive market, and therefore it is incredibly easy to buy a Helix, buy one or two all encompassing pedal board like patches, and boom, you have a great sound without tons of tweaking.

I think this comes down to the usability and limitations of the two units, and the Helix is simply easier to use and has fewer limitations.

After using it for the last 3 weeks, I have just found that with the right presets / IR's it sounds as good if not better than the Kemper unit, but is simply easier to use and more intuitive overall. I love it.

I'll be selling my Kemper setup and sticking with the Helix.

I use my Helix every single day I am at home.

Every single day.

The more you understand it the more you'll love it. It will take years of fascination. I have had mine for more than 3 years and I just keep learning on it.

The possibilities are endless.

I am a Tube amp purist, and in my 42 years playing I have always hated digital platforms. But. Wow!!! What an extremely awesome tool. Keeping in mind all of the stages I play are "silent". My tube amp was always in an Iso cab backstage.
Not only does it faithfully recreate the sound and feel of all these iconic, legendary mic'd amps. But also gives the ability to switch (mid song) from a super clean Amp to a raunchy amp. Last Sunday I played 4 songs through 4 different amps each one sounding as phenomenal as the last. Each tempo was already set for my delay pedal but one I tapped in. I think my drummer sped up. I love that with the touch of a foot switch I can turn on and off multiple pedals at the same time. With delay tempo set for each song of the set. The only thing I miss is the smell of tubes cooking.
Also my sales associate was Eric. He was super helpful and professional.

This a great unit. Love that I plug in just about any instrument and have the patches i built ready to go.

I use this daily; teaching, studio work, and gigging. After spending thousands of dollars on individual pedals and rerouting the signal chain (probably twice a year) I decided to simplify my life and got this DSP unit. IT HAS BEEN WELL WORTH IT!

I normally go DI (on stage sound is pumped through a pair of Headrush FRFR 112s) so I don't really take advantage of the amp/cab modeling unless there is a very specific sound I'm being asked to recreate. But the endless possibilities of signal routing and options for effects is unbelievable. I also love the fact that I can plug multiple instruments, deciduate a line in, and have them run under their own signal chain in the same preset. This comes in handy for teaching and songwriting sessions (less clutter and equipment).

The only criticism I have is I wish Line6 would show bassists so more love. I feel they fall short on the amp/cab models. Yes, they have all the standards, but there are a few I wish I had access to like Hartke and Darkglass. Also, the effects fall short for bassists too, specifically in the envelope filters and octaves. I do use the sends & returns to use my MXR Bass Envelope filter and MXR Bass Octave Deluxe, but if they had an option for these to be available in their effects list, I'd have a way smaller pedalboard. Just saying :)

I've had this device for 4 years now. I only have good things to say about it. It can make your tone as simple or as complex as you need. It sounds great out of the box, the updates are fantastic and I feel no need to search for other gear. I use this along with the Orange Pedal Baby solid state power amp and my rig RIPS HAMMER.

I've always been a guitar-straight-into-amp guy, so the thought of a "complex" system like Helix scared me. Until I got one. In ten minutes after opening it I had built a respectable sounding preset without cracking the manual. Off to a good start. I use Helix at home for practice/fun/recording. Use it at church and have found that if I can get it to sound good at home it's going to sound absolutely wonderful through the PA at church. I'm a technology laggard but even I learned to speak it's language with minimal effort. I would highly recommend for someone who plays live, needs serious recording horsepower, and someone who likes to have a wide variety of sounds available. Well worth the cost of entry and I'm very happy to have sprung for the Helix floor w/ scribble strips- I'm sure some people don't care about that but I gotta say I love having them.

I own several rack mount processors, all greater than 10 years old, including TC Electronic, Lexicon and Eventide. While all sound great, I think the Helix sounds every bit as good and is much easier to program. I was able to set up a virtual stomp box set up with compressor, overdrive, distortion, EQ/boost, flange, chorus, reverb and delay all in about 15 minutes.
I haven't had the need to explore the amp and cabinet models thus far as I typically use actual amplifiers (usually Mesa and Fender) when playing live.
The connectivity is outstanding as well with the ability to run through the effects loop or in front of the pre-amp. MIDI functionality is nicely implemented as well. It also has a real 3 prong power cable instead of a wall wart power supply.
I have no complaints thus far.
Online and Youtube reviewers have commented on better sound quality from the Fractal FM-9 or more processing power from the Neural unit, neither issue has been relevant thus far.

I have always played with a standard pedal board, but always wanted to add more delay, reverbs, etc., but it was getting expensive buying all those pedals. I went and saw a friend of mine, playing live and saw he was using a HELIX. I wasn't familiar with the HELIX at that time, so afterwards I asked him what he was using and when I found it was a multi-effects processor, I couldn't believe that he was getting such great tones out of it. So, I began my HELIX research journey and found that this was something I needed. I play multiple instruments for our worship ministry at church and this works perfect for my electric, acoustic, and bass guitars! I have been enjoying playing around with it, building my own patches, dialing in the tones, and downloading pre-made patches! I am super happy with this buy and look forward to eventually learning enough to use it to it's fullest, but overall, it is fairly simple to use! Line 6 nailed it!

I've had this a little over a year now. I lived in an apartment and had a tube amp when I bought it. Obviously tube amps in apartments don't mix, so I got this. It took me very little time to get some great sounds out of it. I was amazed at how good the amp/cab models sound and all the great effects it has. It is literally like having > $20k of gear in foot controller. I know digital gear never appreciates because eventually something better comes along, but I am completely satisfied with the Helix and can't see myself replacing it unless it fails at some point. If your still reading this and on the fence, buy it. You'll be glad you did.

The Line 6 Helix is the best sounding effect unit I've ever owned, and I have had a lot of very high-end gear, both rack-mount and pedals. Learning to do parallel chains, and using the effects loops open up possibilities that are mind-blowing! I have been in jazz bands, americana/country bands, hard rock bands, metal bands, and most recently, a 1970's-style prog rock band - this unit is great for what I am doing now, and would have also been perfect for any of my past musical endeavors.

It is worth pointing out that the Helix has several intelligent harmonizers to choose from, as well as a few VERY nice sounding monophonic synths built in. The synths track extremely well, and the harmonizers sound fantastic - there are modes for whole-tone, harmonic and melodic minor, as well as the standard major and minor, so it would be difficult to find a situation that these harmonizers couldn't handle.

Great fuzzes and distortions by the dozen. (Since REAL fuzz is an integral part of 1970's-style prog rock, I am thrilled with the variety the Helix offers!)

Modulation effects such as chorus, ensemble, flangers, phasers, with an amazing variety of delays and reverbs, and SO much more, make it easy to find the sound you're after.

I was hesitant to go this route for a while. I'm an old school tube amp and pedal guy all the way and thought no way could this hold a candle. But one by one I watched every guitarist in my church band make the switch. After a long frustrating battle of chasing down some white noise issues in my chain I decided to look a little harder at the helix. I hit the bullet and instantly sold every pedal I owned. This thing (while overwhelming at first) is simply amazing and blows my amp and pedal board away. If you are thinking about it just do it. You won't be disappointed.

After building my own presets, I think the Helix is what I was missing in my home studio, Helix native was a great bonus! Very happy

At least in a high gain situation. I can't argue against a good ol' deluxe reverb or Princeton, but even then, the helix has covered. I can't believe how good this sounds. I wasn't concerned with trying to make it sound exactly like my Mark V with all its tube glory. I just wanted some good heavy tones and portability. I did have high hopes that going into a power amp and using my actual cab was going to be the best way to get the "feel" of a amp. Now I can throw the helix and the Seymour Duncan Powerstage 700 in a back pack, guitar in one hand and my 2x12 in the other. Couldn't be happier with this set up!

Big ups and props to Louis Sawyer, my rep, for recommending this. The amount of tones, pedals, amps, is staggering. Sound quality is fantastic. If you are looking for an all in one, this is the product to buy. I do find it is better to run the Helix itself through an XLR to TRS cable direct into your interface, as opposed to using Helix Native. I do have Helix Native, but I believe the sound quality is better running the Helix direct to the interface, if you are recording with it.

I've been listening and watching everyone on YouTube in the last 5 years. They all say, it's a "5 Stars" and it sounds just like a real amp, etc. So, I finally bought mine in August 2021. When I got it a two weeks later, I was so happy and I thought, "I finally bought mine and I can't believe I didn't buy it earlier." bla bla bla...

I connected everything and I even followed everyone's instructions for certain patches (i.e., EVH, Marshall, Mesa Boogie, Fender, etc.). Over the weekend, I had NOT been able to get the sound what I want. I noticed, there's a lacking of type- sound, or character, or "growling" or "meat" of the gain/OD sound, type-mute pick guitar playing, type-rock / power gain chords, etc.... Overall, all these things I just said, are missing/lacking. For an example, if I'm trying to pick up all the sounds in the EQ frequencies, I can hear anything from 32hz - 50hz (low) and 200hz - 25khz mid/highs). Somehow, my Helix does not recognize anything from 55hz - 199hz. To me, these frequencies are the "meat" of the rock (gain) sound. They are missing.

I contacted Sweetwater (Patrick) and I'm returning. I told him, I'm a little disappointed with Helix. For my experience, Helix DOES NOT sound anything I've heard in YouTube. There might be a good chance mine's a lemon(????). I don't know. I'm afraid that I might be doing the same problem twice. Maybe I should had gotten Kemper(?) Lol. So far, my Boss GT-10 / GT-100 is a lot better than Helix. Well, I guess I'm going back to a real amp. My amp might be 50 LB, but at least, I know what I'm dealing with.

When someone talked to me about line 6 Helix Floor.
I was quickly trying it.

This pedal does everything. I play at my church every week and I can't think of anything I would need to complement or replace this. It covers all the bases and has more features than I will ever fully utilize. I would suggest watching a lot of YouTube videos on this before and after purchase though. It is simple to operate but it has so many features, I'm still learning what all it can do.

Used to deal with a really heavy pedalboard that involved the Boss FS-8 and lots of pedals to have a bit of the sound quality this brings now

I play on a local cover band and this just majes every sungle tone u can imagine!
Thanks to Frank at sweetwater for the support!

I had the HX Stomp and was impressed by sounds that I could get from it. The HELIX was a great step up. Line6 has done a great job of doing updates and adding more amps and effects.

Had Helix Floor just over a year now. Simply the best thing I've ever purchased in music, and that includes my guitars. It is so easy to use, sounds so good at any volume, and just does everything. I am a home player and need to play with low volume a lot and this thing is perfect both with studio monitors (I use JBL 308s) and with headphones (Audio Technica ATH-m50x). I play loud when I can and the Helix and JBL's do a great job. I just ordered a PowerCab Plus 112 and that's why I am on and writing a review after a year. I keep my Helix hooked to my PC by USB and Helix Edit is just the easiest to use modeling program. I can custom build presets in just a few minutes. My wife was watching Supernatural the other night and I heard the Kansas song opening "Carry on My Wayward Son" and I just had to learn to play it. Preset built and dialed in within about 10 minutes. My Fender blackface Princeton 65 PRRI gets touched maybe once a month now whereas I play through the Helix every single day. Can't recommend any higher. Oh, and I know $ extra for the scribble strips over the LT is a lot, but I friggen love them!

Kurt and his team did a great job setting us up with the Helix. The pedal sounds great and has unlimited flexibility so that you can make the sound your own. We took it out of the box, and with a few presets that were included, were up and running at our church. Instead of having stage volume problems or micing difficulties that can come with using a real amp, we had something that was easy to use and sounded phenomenal in the mix.

The best I've ever used. I have a complete pedal board and could not get the sound that I wanted particularly that as everyone knows each guitar don't sound the same. To match what I want I will have to have a pedal board for each one. With the Helix I can create each patch based on each guitar and style. It is truly wonderful.

First of, Thank you Tad Shaffer for being an awesome Sweetwater(SE) and taking care of business..

As for the Helix, its all I ever use for the weekend gigs for the past 5 years, going straight to FOH then IEM or Wedges depending on the venue.

I no longer carry 75 pound tube amp, done with the 50 pound pedalboards, and definitely no amp cab mic to knock over, and mess up mic placement on the speaker. And most of all, a happy soundman that doesn't have to deal with stage volume on my side! and the big plus, when dialed in right at band dynamics, there's very little EQ that FOH does, he/she just turns me up, so I get the same as FOH to my IEM or wedges.

If your a top 40 guitar player that plays different genres at local clubs/bar, as well as play at different churches, This Helix floor or the LT is a must have, highly recommend it..

AMAZING, feel so blessed just to be able to aquire this Line 6, SUPERB! The Screen is even bigger than my cell phone!

The Helix is a monster. There is a learning curve to getting your "perfect sound," but the system is easy to learn and tinker with. Definitely use the Helix app on your computer to edit in real time as you play. You'll still have to tweak your sounds once you take the Helix live, but at the end of the day the sounds from this device are just quite excellent.

I played on a buddy's Helix just about 7 hrs before writing this..all I can say is wow!...I'm sold...never in my life have I heard an effect processor as clean and big sounding as this...forget about the effects and other gizmos on this thing they are just pluses..I have owned a few over my life time but never really was sold on them and for one reason and one reason only...when you back off your volume on your guitar those old processors would become dull in tone or muddy up so bad...line 6 got it right with these just like a tube amp naturally when you back of your guitars volume even when using gain it will start to clean up..which is essential for the old school classic rock..again I have never heard a processor in my life be able to react to that or imitate that crucial part..the helix does just that....waiting on my tax return for next year and I will be in store for one these..was hoping one day an effects company would get it right..and line 6 sure did..just awesome.

This is absolutely the best Line 6 product I ever purchased! PERIOD!!!!!!

Having owned a plethora of LIne 6 gear and products, I think I'm qualified to give an honest assessment of the Helix.

The bottom line, the sound is very sterile and lacking depth and amp texture. I know people have said that you have to upgrade IR's, but I would think LIne 6 would've taken care of that.

Compared to the Fractal products, it comes up very short in the sound department. However, where it shines is in its wonderful interface and layout. As well as, it's sheer power to configure and control a big rig.

However, I only care about the sound, and this is where the Helix needs major improvements. I don't know how LIne is going to upgrade the product without adding more DSP power to the unit. Oh Well, I can't wait to see a Helix II/Helix Pro..

I have worked with the Helix now for a few months and can tell you this thing is incredible! First of all, the look of it and the interface are gorgeous / genius. The sound is really excellent although the price was a bit hefty for my budget. I have realized however that it was definitely worth it.

The weird thing is I was thinking of returning it after a few days after working with it because although there are some presets that sound good, most didn't due much for me. Before I was going to send it back however, I went back and read the reviews thinking I was sure I had missed something. All of these people were loving this thing and I wasn't even sure I was going to keep it for more than a few days.

Then I read one review that said the presets were OK, but the real power of the unit is creating your own. MAN WAS HE RIGHT! The really amazing, user friendly interface allows you to build you own rigs easily. Once I did that, I was in heaven. I could get the Marshall, VOX (and many other) sounds I always wanted, and with ease. Each day I discover even more new highly useable, incredible sounds from the thing.

I have worked with Roland's VG8 virtual guitar system for years. The Helix is the first system I have experienced which (1) does not require a special pickup and (2) sounds better than the VG8 (which was hard to do). The Helix gives me much more of an in-your-face sound, like your head was in front of the amp. I love that! I had tried other Line 6 units in the past and was not impressed with them. The Helix however is on a whole different level. It is, in a word: AWESOME!

Theres too many 5 stars here. For five stars you need great stellar tone plus great stability and reliabilty. The tones are great but not stellar. Axe wins in that department. As to being reliable and dependable, before they changed to the new pkatform architecture it was more solid, but after changing especially in latest 2.9 and 2.92 updates its buggy as hell and unreliable in a live performance setting.

What is not to love about the Helix from line 6? The tones you can get are fantastic. There are a couple things, for me, that keep it from being perfect.

Things that I like:
I love that you have complete control of the signal chain. Put things where you want at any time. Then, by a single press of a button, you have something completely different in an instant. The tones sound good. The drives and distortion pedals. It's wet affects are great too. (Not Strymon good) but good enough. If it's absolute tone you want, you can get get close to what you're looking for....sometimes thats good enough. For what I do, that's good enough for me. During a live set, it's hard to tell. It just sounds good though. The Interface is easy to use but even easier when hooked up to a computer via USB using the HX Edit app. Super easy to make changes. To assign a function to a foot button is the easiest thing I've ever done. Touch it with your finger and it will ask if that's what you want. Then select. I like how many choices of effects I have. It's a lot. Amps and cabs too. The ability to add IR's is fantastic as well. Really great.

Things that could be better:
DSP. There could be more processing. That's a limitation in hardware though, and not software. Modeling. Modeling is fine....but you're stuck with what you have and cannot expand. A profiler would have been really great, it is what it is though. You can still get very much convincing tones out of this though. Honestly, those are about my only two gripes. DSP and the ability for it to be a profiler. However, Line 6 has constantly updated it's product and gives us new goodies every time.

Things I don't like:
There really isn't any. I use and abuse this thing and it just works every time. No weird glitches or anything, super stable. Perhaps the tuner was an issue but they have updated the tuner. It could use a touch screen if I'm being honest, but not needed. It just feels like it would be a touch screen due to it's great LED screen. Missed opportunity there, but that's just being picky.

Almost perfect, really great product and I recommend if you're trying to make things easier on you or you don't want to fork over 300+ a pedal plus an amp etc.

This pedal is amazing and the snapshot feature is a game changer! I'm still learning how to navigate through customizing the settings but so far it is very user friendly and delivers awesome tones. I've used the pedal for a couple of weeks in live worship and am truly impressed on the tones and clarity. Also a shout out to the Sweetwater team as their customer service throughout the whole buying process has been above and beyond. I will definitely be purchasing more from Sweetwater!

The title says it all. This unit is very user friendly if you take 5 or 10 minutes to read the manual. The sounds were good when I bought it, and the updates have just made it better and better. You can go very in-depth with the details of each patch, or just toss stock effects together for a quick patch. Blank slate to decent tone is usually under 5 minutes, then you can tweak to your heart's content. The hardware all functions perfectly like it did the first day that I opened the box. No major software glitches either. I think I've had to turn it off and on to clear a glitch 2-3 times total over the 4 years that I've had it.
There's not much more to say, but I have absolutely loved this unit, and I would absolutely buy another one if it completely broke down. Side note, SKB makes some wonderful cases and the 3614 case fits it pretty well.

My wife got a Sweetwater credit card last christmas when she ordered me an Ebow. Thank geebus for that :-)

She ordered me a Helix before we both started working from home about 8 weeks ago. I was thrilled. I have to make the payments but still.

I have a L6 DT50 head and DT25 combo i was previously using with an HD500X. This is just light years beyond that. Plus, L6 dropped the 2.9 firmware with a new amp, new cabs and some other goodies earlier this week.

This thing sounds phenominal. I have a JTV59 I've been using with it. The other day i set up a patch with the strat model on 5, the matchless jumped channel, the xotic booster in front and a wuick delay. Man. Blues heaven. This thing lives up to the hype for sure.

I got this with the helix backpack. I'd never pay $... for a pedal bag without seeing it bit this was worth it. It's super high quality with toks of room for other stuff. My 27" Dell laptop fits in it too.

I could have lived with the LT. But this takes the cake. It's certainly on par with Fractal and Kemper.

When it arrived it was on the latest version too. Thanks Sweetwater!

Had to buy more monitors just so i could get the full range of sound that this unit has to offer. JUST AMAZING!

I scoured the internet, trying to figure out which would be the best out of the big 3. Kemper, Axe fx, or Helix? Long story short. I decided to bite the bullet and get the Helix despite a lot of kempers being played around me. As a worship musician it's important to have something to go direct so I could have a silent stage, have a good P&W tone and still be versatile for other gigs, and also just generally have good tone. Took some time at first but then I bought some Ownhammer IR's and I never looked back. The drives sound good, the fx are amazing! and the amps sound proper with the right tweaks. 100% recommend to anyone still trying to figure it out.

I've had the Helix Rack in my studio for several years. Decided to get the floor unit for live on bass and guitar.
The flexibility gives me the ability to get my sound on bass and guitar.

There are few things in life more satisfying as getting the tone in your head with just one piece of gear.

Since I got the Helix floor I was wading in slowly as to not get overwhelmed but once I stumbled on my Mesa Boogie Mark IV amp, I was sold. I have had the Mark IV since 1992 and this is a perfect re-creation. I knew I'd get a lot of neat things to play with, and assumed I would miss my Boogie tone, but holy hell, I'm elated!

The only problem with the Helix is that there are too many possibilities. Fun to work with. Sparks creativity in so many ways.

It will take me a life time to fully explore this pedal. So many amazing options, outstanding sounds and effects, and so easy to learn and use. Thank you to Nick and the sales staff for helping me find more ways to create music and dig deeper into my passion.

I purchased this as an effects rig using four cable method, merging it with a small pedal board for the front end. I also bought it as a secondary controller for the larger rig AND as a fly date rig. Think of it as special sauce plus insurance.

The sounds are exceptional, but for me, the routing and user preset flexibility is outstanding. And for songwriting / producing, it cuts down design and setup time, which pays back huge dividends in time spent active with the guitar. I can't see eliminating amps onstage in the short term - but I am inspired enough to start building out this capability to see where it takes me.

I would buy it all over again.

So why three stars? Line 6 put out a phenomenal product with the helix. That said The stock amp models feel thin and boring compared to the real thing. If you’re willing to put in time tweaking amp and cabinet parameters you can get a really great tone... you kinda need to know what you’re doing and have a basic understanding of how amps work and what creates great tone in the real world. The other option is to buy third party IRs...
I really think they could have step up the game-

Although I love my HELIX, it's unfortunate I have to write that I am now going on my 3rd HELIX unit due to problems with the expression pedal. Here's the story...

The expression pedal on my 1st HELIX began to squeak wildly so I loosened the tension screw on the side of the unit however, for the squeaking to stop I had to loosen the screw so much that the pedal had very little tension/resistance when I used it.

The tension screw for the expression pedal on the 2nd HELIX I had kept coming loose when I used the pedal. I tightened the tension screw a half dozen times so that the pedal was difficult to move while under foot however, after using it for a few minutes it came loose again and had no tension/resistance at all. Hence, the pedal would just flip flop around. By the way, and trust me, I tightened the tension screw enough. Besides, you would not expect it to come lose when using the expression pedal.

I want to point out and make it clear that, through all this disappointment with Line 6 and their HELIX unit, Sweetwater and my Sales Engineer, Alan Carter, have been more than cooperative and willing to replace the defective units.

So, wish me luck! I'm now waiting to receive my 3rd HELIX. I really hope this one is problem free otherwise I may have to throw in the towel next time.

I have talked myself out of buying the Helix Floor 3 different times over the last about 2 yrs. I have had Fender 65 DRRI, 68 CDR, HRD, Princeton 65 Reverb, Blues Jr.
Marshall DSL 40, DSLCR 40 Blackstar HT5R, Studio 10 EL34 and have learned 2 things about tube amps. 1. they don't sound good unless cranked up and 2. 1 watt is way too much for home use. I can say the best amps I ever had were the Blackstar ID260 TVP and the ID30 TVP, which I sold too buy tube amps. I had a Fender Mustang at one time, a Rolland JC40, Orange and Bought the Boss Katana 100 when it first came out, I couldn't get the the software to load on my computer, so returned it, really did sound good. Now back too the Helix, so glad I made the purchase completely blown away. I have had it about 2 weeks with the Power Cab Plus using it in Flat Mode.( Using Helix XLR Digital out to Power Cab Plus) I was so worried it would be so complicated it really isn't, thanks too YouTube, lots of Line 6 support and the Line 6 Community is great, and I had been researching the Helix for about 2 yrs., set up is easy on the computer and with the Helix Edit being a plug in, ease of use on my AirBook and Mac, Using the Helix Native with GarageBand does work for now, using headphones is great too. I have set up patches on my Helix what I call a Vox AC30 with delay, reverb, mid boost, comp. fuzz, noise gate. Deluxe 65 ,68 Tweed Blues, Small Champ and a Plexi and they all sound amazing easy too make adjustments on the Helix, better yet have the Helix up on the computer through USB, one can adjust every parameter of your tone, from the Helix on board screen too I just turned 57, been playing Guitar less than 10 yrs.I play a Strat and Tele. I can honestly say, I will be selling my remaining tube amps and pedals. I grew up on 8 Tracks, albums, cassette tapes cheap stereo's, even the good stereo's didn't sound that good back then, just loud. CD's are on there way out, lets not bring that old stuff back, lets keep moving forward into the digital age and add a freshness too the Classic Rock N' Roll or music of your choice, that we all love. I haven't downloaded any patches or IR's yet, just having fun, you can keep it simple or as complicated as you like. I could see no problem taking this unit anywhere, put it in the handy back pack and away you go, plugging into a PA and using the Power Cab as a monitor or for your main sound. The question everyone wants an answer too. Does it sound like a Tube Amp? No........... THE HELIX SOUNDS WAY BETTER!!!!
And my wife is really happy ,I don't have a room full of amps and blowing our ears out.Thanks again Sweetwater and My Sales Rep. James Shilliday. Amazing service as always

Firstly, anyone even on this site knows that Sweetwater is HANDS DOWN the best retail shopping experience in the world for musical instruments. But why not say it one more time. Thank you, Sweetwater. Truly.

Secondly, as for the Helix: it’s great. Just get one.

What I realized the other day is that the level of quality AND SPEED of the Helix basically unbeatable for me, and here’s why...

Other than the amazing effects (can you say legit sounding spring reverbs, btw?!), you know how the right speaker with the right amp circuit makes such a world of difference, and how, quite often, the speaker paired to the amp isn’t always best for what you want?

Well, it’s one of the many things I love about using the Helix for studio work (I also use the Native plugin, which is super sweet), because I can choose an amp that I love, and then try out multiple cabinets until I come to one that’s hitting the sweet spot for the sound I’m chasing.

It just couldn’t be easier.

And then, you can upload your sounds to/from the plugin/floorboard, and you’ll have them instantly recallable.

My most recent gig, I opted to bypass the amp modeling and just use it as an FX box... this worked like a charm too, and gave me a ton of control, without having to lug around 10 other noisier pedals.

I just really think Helix is a home run. The quality of everything feels SO REAL and dynamic, that I almost can’t even justify owning an amp anymore. I do for aesthetic value and a fun living room piece to plug into now and then, but for me, the days of it’s gotta be a tube amp are officially behind me.

I’ll continue to use tube-based circuits and mics for sure... they’re a lot of fun.

But knowing that the Helix can essentially replace the sound of an entire studio rig that would cost me around 5-6K easily, using way less weight, and demanding zero maintenance: well, it’s a pretty amazing time we’re living in.

To some extent, well designed uses of digital technology like the Helix feels a bit like the democratization of sound quality.

This is a killer floor board that can seriously cover all sounds I need! With all the different amp and effect models I can play all of the songs in any set list with any of my bands and have each song be a different patch and even put the chords on the scribble strips if I have problems remembering them! Great and easy interface that makes it so easy to pull up a few effects and hit the ground running! Amazing buy! Hopefully soon I’ll be able to get the back pack for it and I’ll be set!

Amazing sounds and incredible build quality

Buy this and the Friedman FRFR. Then Enjoy.

I"ve had this for about 2 weeks and I love this thing. It"s fairly easy to use, if you"re a tone snob and have experience with EQ and modulation and everything like that you"ll be right at home. If you"re like me and you just kinda eh turn some knobs, that sounds good. There"s a little bit of a learning curve but I was making tones and didn"t even read the manual. Plus the Helix community shares tones online so if there"s a particular one you"re looking for you can just download it as a preset which is sweet! The only thing nitpick I have with this thing is I would recommend running a separate noise gate if you use or need one, the gate is good but a dedicated gate works a bit better. And as always Sweetwater is still out here putting everyone to shame with their amazing customer service. "If you have the means, I highly suggest picking one up."

Let"s start with Sweetwater first. We"ve worked with them before, but just when I didn"t think their customer service could improve any more, it didn"t. The purchasing process was easy, with financing options and so many ways to pay. Their website is easy to navigate. Within six hours of purchasing I had a call from a Sweetwater rep to talk me through my purchase, ask if I had any questions, and offered other items to me. They. Were. Amazing.

The Helix is a decision you will never regret. Even if you"re a gear head, the way the helix so accurately represents the sounds of the delays, reverbs, amps, etc...it"s unbelievable. The options are seriously limitless. Once you select your presets, navigating between them is stupid simple. Not only that but the ability to bypass pedals on your board you have preset in is amazing. The ability to hook to your computer and keep the computer as a workstation while you"re listening is dynamite.

I can"t say it enough. Buying this board is the best decision I"ve ever made.

For the good stuff, you can read all the other reviews. I'd only add that Variax + Helix is pretty cool. It's the only method I'm currently aware of that will allow your DAW to automate your guitar models and tunings. When a product can do something literally no others can do, that's worth mentioning.

Drawbacks:

Dependency on Windows or Mac -- I'm a Linux guy, so updating my Helix meant lugging it to my parents' house to use their Windows machine. Booo.

Limited processing power for the $ -- Helix gets hung up as you add more models and effects. A similarly priced laptop using plugins can handle much more. I guess you're paying for the hardware and interface when you buy a Helix.

Downtime between presets -- If you switch presets mid-song, you're going to have a short cut-out. Some will say "make a snapshot" or something like that, but if you want to use your Variax to have different models, separate presets is the only option. Any song with an acoustic intro and electric later will have this problem.

Useless tone library -- Their online tone downloading system is full of garbage tones. You'll have to spend an hour using trial and error to find anything useful. The same is true for basically any model system, open or closed, but still. You'd expect more from the industry leader.

I'm an old guy with limited technology skills. I was convinced to get one of these by the leader of our worship band. (Side note - I did compare to Headrush and other modeling pedals but decided on this because of the Line6 community and support). Within 20 minutes of unboxing, I was flipping through presets and within two hours I was downloading patches. Even though I'm positive I will never be able to use every single feature of this device (kind of like we only use 10% of our brain), I am incredibly happy with what I have learned to do so far. FYI, I have now had it over a week, downloaded the firmware update, and used it with my worship band!! I used the XLR output and went straight to the board. Let's just say the sound guys were also happy with my decision!! If an old amateur like me can use it like this, I'm pretty sure that anyone can use it effectively. I'm even happier with the customer service I received through Sweetwater.

I bought my Helix as soon it was available.
Unfortunately, at the time of purchase, I was not blown away. BUT - I was using it with a guitar amp, and was trying to integrate the two together. Don"t get me wrong, it wasn"t terrible, just not as good as I had hoped for. So, it sat in the closet for a while.
I recently started working with a band that required me to have a LOT of tonal options, so I started working with the Helix again (still using it with a guitar amp).
As I progressed with the tones I was creating (and learning to use the options available), I started to wonder if I really could pull this off without an amp.
The first gig that I did straight into the board from the XLR out was a game changer.
I had to do some sound mods on my part, and after 3 or 4 more gigs, my mind was made up. I"ll never use an amp again. The sound in the front of the house is incredible. I hear my guitar coming from the monitors - in front of me. With the guitar coming from the front, not behind you, you can hear everything on the stage SO much better. And, with the guitar sound coming from the front, it helps to sustain the guitar a bit, and the stage volume is WAY down from what it was with amps behind. The FOH guys LOVE it.
I"ve gotten many compliments on the guitar tones, and many are shocked when I tell that I"m not using an amp.
I"m never going back.

I'm a terminally ill patients have some beautiful guitar equipment before I die.

Helix is a great device but there are some unpleasant frequencies in the sounds and the effects loops are noisy. The Headrush is much easier to use and is much better sonically. It may not have as many choices but the quality is much better. Bit takes half as much time to dial in a preset on the Headrush. Better yet, the Headrush is less expensive that Helix.

I"ve had the Helix for a year and a half now and I can never see myself going back to an amp and pedals. I play modern worship and it has a lot going on as far as effects. The Helix can easily replace your space ship pedal board and stereo amps. The biggest game changer with it is snapshots. You can turn on and off multiple effects and adjust any parameter with the push of 1 button so you can say good by to tap dancing and focus on playing. I do recommend some Ownhammer IRs. While you can get good sounds out of the stock cabs I think you get the most out of the Helix with a quality IR. Don"t waist your time auditioning IRs and go straight for the OH1 file in the quick start folder. It"s very well balanced and will work great for every situation. It"s a blend of a SM57 and Royer 121. This is by far the best music equipment purchase I"ve made and I"m continually blown away everyday with my tone and the possibilities.

Amazing piece of equipment, have been trilled with the purchase!

The Line 6 Helix is a phenomenal piece of gear! Rugged and reliable (I've personally taken it out on the road), great sounds, totally easy to use! Love its compatibility with Helix Native, as well as the HX Editor software, so I don't have to constantly fiddle with knobs! Great selection of amp models for guitar and bass (I play both), great tool for writing and recording in the studio, solid replacement for an amp if you're playing live with a good sound system, or recording direct.

My only complaint (and the reason why I can't, in good conscience, give it a 5-star review) is that it is extremely noisy when used in conjunction with a high-gain tube amp and/or analog pedals. Which is a real shame, because I really wanted to use this to run most of my effects and switching with my good old Mesa Triple Rectifier and a couple of my favorite pedals. No amount of gating could fix the issue. Sadly, it's mostly become a studio toy, and gets occasional live use when I play with certain bands that run Helix/Fractal/Kemper setups live. I wish Line 6 would fix this issue!

I've had the Helix a few weeks now and decided it's time to write a review of it. What can I say that has not already been said? Literally every review that I've read praises this unit. Having hundreds of five star ratings may raise suspicions, but they speak the truth! I needed a floor based unit to provide amps, effects, and be in a sturdy enclosure. The Helix "checked" all of the required boxes I had. Using the Helix is a breeze too, with certain functions that just come together intuitively. For once in my guitar playing career, I can say I'm content with an amp and pedal setup. If only I can get to that point with my guitar and bass.

I've had the Helix for a week, and it is incredible. I've barely scratched the surface of what this thing can do! I would recommend this to any guitarist.

Truly Amazing! I've Been playing for over 30 years and have had pedal boards, live rigs, rack box's stuffed with pre-amps, effects etc. This is like having all of those in one and is surprisingly very easy to learn, so intuitive. I had a Line 6 Pod HD500X before this and it sounded very good if you really worked at tweaking, But I never really got the Professional Live Tone I was looking for from it. I was hesitant to buy this because I thought the Helix was going to be like the Pod HD500X but with more options, boy was I wrong! The sounds you get with this are "SPOT ON" replica's of the best Tube Heads and effects in the world. I am selling all my pedals and other gear. Every Tone you can imagine can be realized with this. I have only had mine for 2 days and I already have most of my Live Tones programed in. If you can, don't even think twice. This is the One device solution I have been waiting for my entire Guitar career. I have been working with Kris Eckman for all my Music Gear from SweetWater this year and last year and I can say that his knowledge of the equipment and his Customer Service is 2nd to none! He takes the time to really listen to you and works with you to get it right! 5 Star! SweetWater is the best place to buy your gear!

I had been mulling over the various modelers such as Kemper, Fractal, Helix, etc. I went with the Helix after hearing it side by side vs. a Kemper and was pleasantly surprised that it sounded just as good if not better. Firstly, I will say that all of these modelers are great pieces of equipment. If you spend the time and tinker with IRs, you can get any tone you want out of any of them. My reason for choosing the Helix was because of the quality of the effects, having my whole rig literally at my feet, and the editing software. After spending a few days playing around on this, I really felt that desire to play guitar on a daily basis return. The flexibility and tone you get out of this saves you tens of thousands of dollars while allowing you to play any type of music you want to. Its worth every penny, I couldn't recommend it more.

First, very important you do not get discouraged especially when trying out the Factory Presets, all but a small handful are actually useable albeit with modifications. Use the Factory presets to see how Presets are built so you have a good framework when creating your own. You would think Line 6 would take the time to create fewer but better factory presets to show how good the unit can sound. Second, give yourself time to learn and explore the effects, amps, cabs ..etc. Head to YouTube and search for Helix (well worth the time)and watch reviews and how-tos'. Download the latest Helix Software and load it on your PC or MAC (critical to insure success and ease of creating your tones, and following along with youtube videos). Helix is very easy to learn all its functions for creating sounds, attaching external pedals and more. I found it highly intuitive and so easy, a cave man can do it. From your PC/Mac you can really harness the power of Helix by pointing and clicking. Once you can navigate your way around, start experimenting with the Helix connected to your PC/MAC building presets. Do Not Waste your money buying presets or worse downloading free ones as for the most part, they may not be the tones your looking for. You can do it yourself and the results will be worth your time. I have tried out Boss, and Headrush units and the Helix is by far the easiest to use and sounds great. I haven't retired my dozen pedals quite yet but I think I can get there. BTW, Acoustic Guitars sound great.

Being a Worship Pastor that leads mostly from guitar, I like to fix my eyes on Jesus and focus on the Holy Spirit without worrying about my tones all the time. Helix allows me to do just that! It is super easy to use and just about the most innovative piece of equipment I've ever owned. Absolutely the greatest piece of gear I've ever invested in! Shout out to Dontae Harris for hooking me up with the sweetest of all gear.

I want to start off by saying that overall, I think the Helix is a great piece of hardware. The sounds are amazing, the routing possibilities are endless, and the user interface is extremely intuitive and easy to use.

That being said, if you have plans to use this as an audio interface at all, I would be wary. After getting the Helix around Thanksgiving, I had noticed that the connection was dropping in and out of my Helix to my laptop. I know my laptop was having some issues with other USB ports, so I figured it had to be a problem with the computer.

I had my older desktop shipped up back to my home, and luckily was able to get enough connectivity to get the 2.71 update added. However, within a day or two, I noticed it kept disconnecting more and more until it was impossible to get it connected to either my desktop or laptop.

I tried many things. I must have bought about 3 different usb ports. I tried different cables. Different OSes (Windows 7 and Windows 10). Different USB slots. Nothing. Finally I gave up and sent it back to Line 6 for service. Luckily they were punctual and within 2 weeks the Helix was back in my hands, and the issues seemed to have completely disappeared for the time being.

Nope. Within a week, it was dropping out of HX Edit again. I've been fighting with the thing for the last 24 hours and it's starting to become extremely exhausting. I'm worried I'll have to send it to support again and go another 2 weeks without my Helix, meaning that in the last 2 months I've owned it, I've only gotten to use it for barely half that time.

It's a shame, I really love this product and think that this is one of the best pieces of gear I've ever purchased. But the connectivity issues are a massive problem, and one that even a trip to the support center didn't fix. And I keep the Helix in my living room where it never moves around or is touched by anyone, so it's not as if I'm constantly gigging and exposing it to the elements.

Maybe I just have bad luck, but a quick google search shows that I'm not the only person with the issue. As great as this unit is, if you have any plans to ever update your firmware, add IRs, or use this as an interface in any way, I would maybe re-think this purchase. I'm starting to genuinely consider selling the Helix and purchasing the Axe FX based on these issues alone, they are so incredibly frustrating. Caveat emptor.

First of all (IMO) it is work art. Just a gorgeous piece of equipment. I have owned and played through many tube amps and effect processors and am extremely impressed with the sound and dynamics of the Helix. It responds well to playing dynamics and volume roll off. The amp models are absolutely amazing. The effects are excellent and if you are a tone head like me and enjoy adjusting settings to get that perfect tone then you will enjoy the helix. I've had it for few weeks now and have spent at least 6 hours a day on it and look forward to playing through it everyday. I absolutely love it.

Bought this for Christmas after selling all my pedals and amp. It sounds amazing and has a plethora of tones and effects. Due to being a Church musician, the great tone and the direct line out was just the ticket. I needed quality with low stage volume due to small room.

At first I could not dial in a decent tone. I'm use to cheaper processors that are a lot easier to use and I can be a little impatient. However after a couple hours I was creating great sounding presets and jamming consistently. Although I feel that it may take some getting use to the helix is an amazingly versatile, precise and tweakable processor that is very enjoyable to use. Although it has a bit of a learning curve once you get the gist of it the possibilities are virtually endless. I LOVE IT.

If you are a working musician, you should have this unit. I hesitated buying this only because I was nervous about putting $... on the floor and many of the places we play (Frat party anyone?). Also, I felt my PODHD500X was doing the job it needed to do. After digging into this unit, I am now addicted to the realism of the new amp models. I'm having a hard time choosing favorites! The new effects, especially the choruses and delays, are SO lush, deep, and rich. Truly the next level in amp modeling. You just might leave your real tube amps at home and start giging with this baby straight to PA!

English directly from P.R.

First to all, I want to thanks so much my sale engineer Fernando Gamaz. I give her 10☆, he explain me everything about this pedal and answer me all kind of question that I have in that moment. Thank you so much Fernando.

This multi-effects pedal it's the BEST and #1 period. Maybe it's a little complicated for the first time but when you play with her and learn some terms you will understand everything. If you have been thinking to buy one do it, you will no regret it believe me.

Spanish Directamente de P.R.

Primero que nada quiero agradecer a mi ingeniero de ventas Fernando Gamaz. Lo recomiendo le doy 10☆, el aclaro todas las dudas que tuve respecto a este pedal de multi-efectos. Me habló de las muchas opciones que tenía disponible y me recomendó los mejores equipos para utilizarlo al máximo.
Muchas gracias Fernando!!

Hablando del Helix, sinceremanete es el Mejor pedal de multifectos hasta el momento te lo digo yo y muchos profesionales. Si aún tienes dudas de comprar unos de estos, hazlo no lo pienses mucho, no te vas a arrepentir. Lo mejor que tienen es la garantía de 2 años y aún compres un equipo de demostración te la honran.
El sistema de la tarjeta de crédito es excelente y el financiamiento sin intereses es aún mejor.

In church music, when you're doing a bunch of "other" peoples songs it's often hard to nail all the sounds of the various amps and effects used. Some will have the Vox sound, some have the Fender sound, yet others will still have something different that if you just had a Vox and/or Fender you just can't get. This has been such a huge help getting that right sound. It's great for electric and good for bass (I don't get into a bunch of effects for bass, but having the compressor and cab mods adds a nice color). You can get some good thicker, heavier sounds as well out of this bad boy., which, I like!

Though there is so much more I can say, in the spirit of keeping this short and sweet, I would highly recommend this product. And get the backpack with it. It's totally worth it. (And so is the Power Cab 112 Plus).

Please allow time, to get used to this unit, I was ready to send it back after a week or two, the deeper I delved in and sought support from users with experience I was blown away< i have several friends that are Fractal owners that are finally willing to say the Helix is a better performing unit. Im glad I stayed with it.

First off,
I gotta give my sales guy Jared props! The guy always answers my crazy amount of questions promptly and his advice has always been spot on!

Now regarding the Helix. HOLY COW!!! As a bit of tone snob this thing with either tweaking or by downloading the right patch... the Matchless DC30 is flat out amazing and makes me sound like I had my rig set up by a audio engineer! Do yourself a favor and order the helix and the backpack ASAP. You won"t regret it!

I was one of the early adopters that pre-ordered the Helix from Sweetwater the first day it was released. It was a great product then that has only gotten considerably better with updates as well as being more familiar with the product. When Line 6 added snapshot capabilities, more effects, and more amp models as time went on, it only went to prove I made the right choice. I've bought IR's from companies like Ownhammer and Redwirez as well as presets from Glenn Delaune. From there I have been easily able to dial in my favorite tones. My favorite amp model is the "Cartographer".

Support from Line 6 and the online community has been awesome. I haven't had to get my unit serviced at all, but I have heard from others that had a good experience with service from Line 6. My Helix has been through hundreds of gigs and practices. I've been using a product from another company as a backup, but I am considering the HX Stomp as a great alternative since it has such a small footprint and can use most of my sounds from the Helix.

Sometimes I play now just to listen to the Helix. Big learning curve for me but worth it. I play at church almost weekly and have for about 4 years now. Bought this in April and love it. I can now walk my whole rig in AND hold my coffee. Tone has never been better. I know, it"s in the fingers. I have always gotten compliments on my sound but now even I love my tone. So many amps, cabs, effects. Highly recommend LRS IRs. Highly recommend Helix. Support is exceptional. Wish I had switched sooner. Perfect solution for running direct.

They should add a extra star to the rating system. People will argue about tones not being as good as a tube amp until the cows come home, but let's face it, if those people can make it through a blind comparison they won't be able to tell in a band situation or a recorded situation. Yes it has tons of great sounding amps to choose from, but my favorite feature is the snapshot feature. Being able to instantly adjust the gain and EQ settings of the amp with a single footswitch is so much better than turning on an overdrive pedal. I love the programmability of the HELIX. It is easier to edit the tones using the Computer Editor, but editing tones on the unit itself is not that difficult. The DSP is much improved over the HD500.

Simply Amazing. My sound is better than it has ever been. I matched it up with a Stagesource speaker and couldn't be happier. For me, there was a learning curve changing from a tube amp/pedal board but so worth the effort. I gig a lot and this set up is so convenient, and frankly, sounds better.

You have watched the videos online and still holding out? Do you visit sweetwater just to look and see what other people are saying about this floor processor before you buy one? I have had mine for 2 years. Here's my take... get it, before these become history. This is an amazing piece of hardware by line 6. It just works! There is quite a learning curve for those who are patient and willing to learn.

Over the last 2 years and several software updates, Helix is still performing in the studio and I am still learning something new...oh yes, 2 years on! I purchased mine back in 2016 when these machines were just making it to the market. I got the carry case for free too. At first, Helix sat in the box for a while through winter, because I did not know what to do with it and I was lazy and did not want to look at it, or learn what it was meant to do and i just wanted to stick to my tried and true pedal board and every time i saw this helix in it's box, I just ignored it and assumed it was nothing more than a giant BigSky reverb pedal so, i thought to keep it as a back up should I ever need it. So it just sat there, brand new in its box until I completely forgot about it . One day while cleaning out my garage, i thought to give helix a try. Assuming it was just a huge BigSky type pedal by line 6, I wanted to try it out for sampling sound then retire it back to the box as a back up. That never happened. Forcing myself to sit and push a few buttons and turn a knob or two, I started to learn and as I did, I began to really like helix...so I learned mostly by watching videos of what others were doing with helix. As I got better with helix, it quickly became clear, that it was time to let my old pedal board retire. So I continued using helix...more and more, helix found a new spot in my studio and followed me on road trips and completely changed everything... my work flow, my music, everything changed from that day on. Now, my old pedal board which was so hard to let go, has sat unused for a very long time and accumulated enough dust and several generations of spiders have made a home on that old pedal board. Helix is some nice hardware people! This awesome floor processor continues to see it's better days roaming the globe, in the studio and at church service in Nairobi. The journey continues...
Thank you line 6!.

What a great tool for the studio! Volume used to be an issue when recording guitars, but with the Helix I can crank a full stack and not have to worry about waking up the wife and neighbors. The effects are solid and are very tweak-able. The amp modeling nails real tube saturation and is responsive to my guitars volume and tone knobs.The volume pedal is very sturdy and doesn't feel like it's going to snap underfoot.

My only gripe about the Helix is that there is no way to monitor the volume output. I had to use Logic to make sure I was at an appropriate volume level so when I showed up at my gig I wasn't blowing out the PA system. Other then that little inconvenience the Helix is an awesome little unit.

Over all I would recommend this to any studio junkie that wants to play loud guitar in the dead of night.

The Helix is unbelievable. Anyone who writes anything else is trolling for other companies, or they are tone deaf! I'm using mine with a Driskill Diablo mq5 with WCR pickups (Godwood and Darkburst) and a mesa boogie heartbreaker. My sound is out of this world! When I switch amp models on the Helix, it sounds like a completely different amp with everyone. Don't only buy this, but buy this from Sweetwater!!! They made the experience super enjoyable, and they are top-notch service.

I"ve been playing for 40 years, mostly rock (now it"s "classic rock"). I"ve owned and still own Marshall"s, Fenders, etc. Getting to old to tote 1/2 stacks and big combos, so I bit the bullet and bought the Helix. I wish I had done this years ago! Chris, as always is the consummate professional making this (and all previous purchases) flawless! If you"re on the fence, just do it.

The helix includes a huge variety of sounds for you. There is likely more than you"ll ever use. It is intuitive to set up and use. It sounds great and I really think you won"t be able to distinguish between this and a mic"d Amp.

My one issue with this device is that it was advertised as being able to control amplifier effects. Upon receiving it and using a TRS cable to connect it to my amplifier"s (deluxe reverb) pedal input I discovered that the helix is not compatible with my beloved amplifier. I requested some help from Line 6 on this and they simply replied that not all amps are compatible. They dont offer a list.

I've spent all of my adult life buying selling and trading amplifiers ranging from Marshalls and Friedman's to Fender's and Dr Z. i've probably gone through more money and more amplifiers than most sane people.
I've had Pods, Rack units, Triaxis rigs, etc... All of them sounded good in their own way.
I've spent 15 years picking on people who use modeling because its not the real thing...
When Fractal released Axe FX II, I knew it sounded good, but didn't get it. I didn't like the sound of the impulses. They always sounded like mixes, not like amplifiers. Stupid me, didn't realize they were supposed to sound like great mixes ready for front of house.
Enter the intrigue of the Helix I/O and the user interface... well well well... armed with the understanding that my presets are going to sound like a mic'd amp (not a speaker cabinet in a room), I bit the bullet and ordered it.
I wasn't blown away at first by the tones I was getting. I was getting tones I thought were too treble heavy and too sharp. once I figured out how to reel that in and get a satisfying sound, I was getting lost in mixes in my band. Frustrating... nearly returned the thing...
Trying again, I put together a sound comprised of a BE100 and a Mesa 412 cabinet Impulse (by ownhammer). Oh my! The sound was much closer to what I wanted the audience to hear.
After a bit of tweaking, I was dialed in and I was cutting through the mix, sounding GREAT.

Thank you Line 6 for making a product that solves the conundrum of multiple great sounds in one box. Its a blessing to have 1 device acting on behalf of countless and carrying its weight the entire time.

What a cool tool this is!
Great for setting up for worship!
Learning it, but taking my time
As always, well taken care of by Matt Alexander and Sweetwater!
Thanks so very much again guys!!!

Wow! What a product!
Again, best service anywhere Sweetwater Sound and Matt Alexander! Always fast, reliable, informative and friendly!
This toy should keep me busy for a long time!
Used at church today with no problems direct to the board!
Just power chord, and guitar cable, done!
Thanks so very much again to Matt and Sweetwater

I"m not an early adaptor, and I have 2 other pedal boards as well. When I first opened the Helix and started using it, I wasn"t super excited about the sounds but they were ok. Then I went to the Custome Tone section and downloaded a few of the files that some of the guys I watch on YouTube had already built and the sound was great. Then I went to Ownhammer and downloaded some impluse responses and I was blown away with the detail and quality of the sound I was getting.
I still have two other pedal boards that I"ll use from time to time, but I sold my large board and one of my amps after I heard the Helix with the professional IRs.
Awesome product and thank you to Spencer for getting this to me so quick!

Something this expensive should sound great right out of the box. I got it, plugged in headphones, played my strat through it and tried all the presets. The sound quality is very poor. The clean sounds are shrill and tinny. The chorus effect is crap. The distortion sounds don't sound anything like tube distortion. It looks great and is really well built. I saw some posts at their website forum that indicated a lot of tweaking has to be done to get this thing to sound decent, but feel that a pedal costing this much should sound great right out of the box.
The tuner is awesome, but I'm not paying this much money for nice looks and a great tuner display. The sound quality would have to also be great but this just sucks. I've never liked Line 6 products and felt they sounded like crap but thought I would try this based on the reviews. I don't understand all the five star reviews because I have a Marshall Code the was much less money and sounds way better than this thing. Very dissapointed had to return it.

Fairly new to playing and have auditioned several amps over the past months- tube, solid state, and hybrids. Never could find exactly what I was looking for- until now.
I'm of the mindset that if it sounds good to me, it is good so I won't get into the whole "real amp" vs modeler debate, I'll just say I love the way the Helix sounds at any volume level. The learning curve for basic usage is very quick, everything is labeled for easy understanding and it doesn't take long to build a basic patch. On the other hand, there are lots of granular controls if you choose to use them, but it's not like you absolutely have to just to have a good tone.
I don't play live or do any recording right now, but this is my opinion of the perfect practice setup. Headphones for low volume and I have a Powercab 112 for "amp in the room" sounds. The price is steep, but I am definitely satisfied with what my investment has provided.

Folks, you won't find anything better than this unit. Everything sounds amazing, including the amp/cab sims. Do the amp sims sound like a real amp? Heck yes they do! They can be customized into whatever you want and like. If you can't get a awesome tone with this unit then you're not trying!

There is a bit of a learning curve with this processor. However it's time well spent because of what you can do with it. I'm using it in the studio and live. I wish I would have purchased this long ago. It's also built like a darn tank. It's not going to bust. Line 6 spared no expense in creating this unit.

It's truly a work of art and a world class unit. If you're considering this unit for your studio or live don't hesitate like I did for a while. Buy it! You will be more than happy with it. I was hesitant due to having other multi-effect units in the past that left a lot to be desired.

This unit doesn't leave you wanting! It's easily the best investment I've made in years! It is big and isn't light but wow is it fantastic! I'm truly blown away by how darn good it sounds! It's great on guitar and bass as well. The convertors sound great and and the unit has a very low noise floor as well as tons of head room. Not something common to effects units like this. Also my favorite thing about it, being a extreme metal guy, are the high gain sounds! Totally killer!

It's not often that I can write a review and not find something to criticize, but this is one of those rare occasions that I can truly say that the people involved in the development of this unit did a flawless job! Hats off to Line 6, Sweetwater, and Clint Bransteter, the best sales rep at Sweetwater! Thank you all!

I borrowed a Helix from my church loved it and bought one for myself from Sweetwater and even bought a Variax to go with it. All I had to do is plug in and turn on. Sweetwater had it all ready to go for me. The Helix is built like a tank, is easy to use and has lots of room to explore and experiment.

With the routing options on this thing, I can get immense quality monitoring with effects for my vocals and guitar (acoustic [LR Baggs Anthem pickup] or electric) while simultaneously routing a clean signal to my DAW for editing. It's a dream come true and I could not be more satisfied. I only need to find a FRFR speaker from practicing since I only have headphones at the moment and I'll be set for life. There is no higher quality sound than this that I could imagine in my head ... and I've only messed with it for about 12 hours total. It can ONLY get better from here on out. If you have the money, you will not have buyers remorse. Negatives that I've found is that I've run out of DSP at times when using lots of EQ's, Compression, effects, ect. In addition, where is the freaking volume level output meter?? It's an almost perfect product. I'm hooked.

Just got the Helix after a couple months of research and waiting for the financial resources. Really happy with it so far. I am a Worship Pastor who, currently, leads from guitar, including electric most of the time. The sounds in the Helix, even the "factory" sounds, are extremely useful right out of the box. This is the first multi-effects pedalboard I have purchased that is not pre-loaded with a bunch of impressive but useless patches, at least for my purposes. The resources available from WorshipTutorials and other others make it so easy using the Helix with pre-designed patches and song specific patches that sound great. For me this is an important time saver. This unit is endlessly configurable and flexible. Also Mark Thompson is an awesome Sweetwater Rep, having done business with him for 18 years.

First one was stolen after two years. About to buy it again. 'Nuff said!

Modeling tech is a modern miracle. I was skeptical at first because I was really only working with basic amp and cab controls, but once I learned how to use the more advanced things like Bias, Sag and Early Reflections, I was hooked. Perfect for recording and live sound (plus your sound guy will thank you!)

In college, I was a hardcore gear traditionalist. I had a 50 watt all-tube head on a 2x12 V30 stack with a mostly analog pedalboard. Don't get me wrong, I had some of the best times of my life gigging this gear with friends, but now I'm on the 8-5. Now, most of the playing I do is alone in my apartment, and the fact is analog equipment just doesn't sound good at low volumes. If you can't crank the master volume to at least 5, you're tubes aren't gonna break up, and your sound is going to be stuffy.

Enter the Line 6 Helix.I was initially very hesitant to purchase this based on my bad experiences with low-quality digital amplifiers, but I've never been so glad to be so wrong. This thing is a monster modeler with an often overlooked but fully-functional audio interface built-in. I run my computer, all of my guitars, and my keyboard all through it into two Yamaha HS7's via balanced XLR and the sound is massive, even at low volumes. The Helix has enabled me to mix my signal directly in with backing tracks without a DAW (which is incredibly fun by the way), create "snapshots" that eliminate the pedal tap-dancing I'm so used to, and engage in a very cool patch community where I've found some of the best sounds my gear has ever made.

If you're thinking about buying the Helix, just do it. It'll more than pay for itself in the amount of fun you will have alone.

I've owned the older Line 6 modelers and II was not impressed. I got this to replace all my pedals and the wife wanted me to have a headphone jack for when I practice late at night.

This Unit is night and day better than anything I used from line6 in the past. The default tones are a bit lifeless, but it doesn't take long to dial in a sound you like. IR's really make this unit come alive! I use this 70% of the time as a pedal board into my DSL40c which is overkill. Having the option to plug this in and play or hook up to house sounds is awesome.

This will separate you as a guitar player. Line 6 thought of everything to make the most comprehensible and affordable processor on the market. Build your tone from scratch and make micr adjustments to get your perfect tone. If you can afford it you will not regret getting it

Let me start off by saying I"ve never written a review for any music equipment before. But with this, I had to. If you find yourself debating for months about getting this gear like I did because of the price tag, don"t worry. It"s worth every penny. I"ve only had it less than a week, but I"m blown away and I"ve barely scratched the surface of its functionality. I had very high expectations, and the Line 6 Helix easily surpassed them. Right out of the box, it sounded great. I"ve literally only used presets. Some of them are a little wonky, as presets can be, but there"s more than enough, and then some for you to work with before you"ll need to start designing your own tone. And it"s not just through my Les Paul either. It sounds amazing wether you"ve got a Strat, Les Paul, even an entry level guitar sounds as defined, and rich through it. Solid build, a little large, but not much more so than your average pedal board, and extremely intuitive interface. Get it, and you won"t look back.

For reference, I play through a Les Paul, and Fender Rumble 350 bass amp.

The Helix has been an awesome piece of equipment that I've purchased.

i bought this to use with my practicing at home, and gigging in the future. the quality of the unit is spot on, and the sound is all it's cracked up to be and more, IMO. i could honestly use the presets Only, and never need to tweek any of the sound paramaters, at home or any gigs.there are also many open slots available to configure your own sound/pedal effects, too. i did buy some acoustic patches to add to the many effects already equipped with the unit, and all sound stellar. i would recommend this to anyone. expensive, but well worth it

Everything about the helix is incredible. The way it"s made, the sounds, it"s capabilities, the staggering amounts of possibilities. I am still in shock.

I've had my Helix for a few weeks now. I have to say the sounds, the flexibility and the ease of use are just awesome. It's designed to be used in just about any configuration you can think of for guitar or bass or even vocals. If you're on the fence about modeling I highly recommend this product. Line 6 have absolutely delivered. Getting the free case from ordering here at Sweetwater truly made this best purchase I've ever made for guitar.

Over the years I have found myself getting hyped over various audio interfaces or effects processors, only to get them and feel a little disappointed. This is the first time that did not happen for me. I don't really feel the need to look into axe fx anymore for instance, as the helix is covering all ground I needed. After spending time working on patches, I have the best tones I have ever made easily. Being able to load impulse responses onto the helix is really awesome, although the stock cabs are good as well. On top of that, they release updates fairly frequently from what I can tell (for instance last update had new amps and delays, next update sounds like it has new reverbs).

The other aspect of this is dealing with Sweetwater. This was my first purchase through them, and I will absolutely be coming back. Really awesome customer service and a positive experience overall, topped with an amazing product.

I gave up on Line 6 about 10 years ago and bought a number of analog pedals and tube amps. I even built my own pedals for a while too. But something was always missing. The ease of USB editing. Ability to go stereo without carrying two amps. Changing effect routing without rewiring my board.

Yes, you'll get all of those things with a Helix. And now you'll get great tone too. I am impressed with how easy it is to go from a blank patch to a full on rig with solid tone so quickly. This does sound legit even in a large room. Sure it'll take a little tweaking to get what you want, but you have plenty of options, and they all sound very convincing.

One thing I like that Line 6 did this time too is they didn't go overboard with too many models. You get really good models and effects, and you don't get a lot of fluff. You also get a really simple UI that will make using the Helix easy. I had to add a pedal in my chain last weekend (an extra gain stage). I had it in place and was back up and running in literally 1 minute.

After years of pedals and carrying around heavy gear, I've come back to modeling, and I'm definitely happy.

Easy to program and get great sounds quickly. Plenty of amps and effects and controllers, and the amps and effects sound like the original that it was modeled from. Also line 6 keeps updating the Software and usually includes new effects or amps in each update. This works in whatever way you want it to, in front of an amp, direct tO the house or recording board, etc. you won't be disappointed.

I have owned this unit for over a year and have used it in multiple scenarios: with external amps, recording, and in a church setting where I am running in ear monitors (Westone AM 30's AWESOME in-ears).
I was primarily drawn to the Helix because of stage volume issues at my church, and at the start I was only partially impressed with the overall sound. My previous rig included a pedalboard that I had built up over a 3-4 year period and it had about 4k invested in it. I ran that through a Vox Handwired AC15 that I had upgraded the speaker to a British made Alnico blue and all Mercury Magnetics Transformers, etc. so, I was completely happy with my sound (other than the fact that I was making TWO trips to the car any time I had to play anywhere.
So, enter the Helix to the scene. It in many was actually sounds better than my analogue rig that I have dumped so much money into. However, I had to do some adding to the overall setup. I am running my signal to a Xotic sp compressor, then to my Strymon drive, then to my nano Pog, before hitting the Helix input. When I run the signal out of the helix, I enhance it by sending it through an Xotic EP booster and then my Strymon blue sky for a global reverb. Then, that is sent to my Radial JDI direct box to kill the ever-present buzzing that appears when running direct to the board.
This has raised the investment considerably, but it is still less than half of what I had in the other rig.
I also downloaded IR's from tonehammer to reach that final part of the sonic picture that was missing from my other stuff.
I have gotten lots of comments on the sounds that I can achieve with the Helix. It is sooo flexible in how I run it, and I have been pleasantly surprised by the great tones I get from recording direct to my DAW.
I make one trip from the car to the gig / church / jam session and my setup is ridiculously quick.

I’ve been buying and selling pedals for 15 years as a hobby (tone quest?) and I’m starting to get nostalgic about those times since I can’t think of a need to keep my pedalboard now. The price tag for the Helix seemed high at first but compared to the pedals I’ve had on my traditional board: Big Sky, Timeline, Eventide H9 Max, Mobius and Modfactor, this thing is looking like a bargain.

Also, I’ve been (and will remain) a tube amp snob for years, but this thing plugged into a powered PA speaker is pretty darn close to the real thing. The Matchless plug is a great vox like amp and the Twin is very good and about 80lbs lighter ;). I’d been missing a Matchless lightning I sold some time ago, but not anymore.

I currently have a Marshall JVM and Fender Deluxe I’m not using because of this pedal. I have a Boogie that will likely be cast aside too. Take time to tweak this thing and you’ll get close to your favorite amp with the convenience of going direct. This is especially great for worship. I bought the backpack so Sunday mornings are very easy these days.

I've been a big Line 6 guy for a long time. I've had their modelers going back to the original POD. I had the original Variax, and now have a Tyler Variax Les Paul with P-90's that I use all the time. I use the Helix with a pair of 10" Alto powered PA speakers and a little Behringer mixer. I am totally satisfied with this setup. I believe you can find any sound you want in the Helix. ...I think this is a huge bargain. There is so much value in the Helix, it's mind-boggling. I really am having trouble finding anything to criticize about it. Just in terms of the physical build, it's insanely nice, sturdy, well-made, heavy, and just screams durability and road-worthiness. I mean, it seems like something that would cost $5000, it's so nice. The User Interface in a masterpiece of intuitive design. Creating patches could not be easier or more intuitive. But you know all this already. Is it exactly like using a tube amp? No, it's not. There are still some subtle differences. But unless you basically have only 2 or 3 sounds that you always want to use, the Helix is just ridiculously better. I still have some other great tube amps and effects pedals, but I use the Helix much more often. The flexibility and control are practically limitless. It's like having an entire Sweetwater in one tight package. And it just gets better as you learn more about all the parameters you can tweak. TIP: Don't underestimate the microphones - they make a huge difference. I have huge respect for Line 6. They set incredibly high goals for themselves, and deliver 100%. And no, I don't work for them or anything.

Amazing conversion from M13 to Helix. It’s amazing to build Snapshorts to change peddle settings and to name them Verse Chorus Bridge etc. Trails that last in the Snapshot mode is awesome too. Waited 2 yrs to make this decision...I waited too long! Guitar tone now matches my ability.

Amp models in this are certainly good, finding ones that are workable and usable might take you some time and the quest for better speaker IRs goes on and on. It is a rather cool unit, the ability to name and program the switches and whatnot is rather outstanding. Front end effects are what you should expect from a digital mimic of analog, not great, and more copies of somewhat cheesy outdated "classic" pedals, spare me.
Might be the rage and uber thing for many, not for me, I sold mine before I finished paying for it. Went back to pedals and my now beloved AMP1 rig. Modeling is getting really good but Fractal and Kemper for sure are way better than this. Back end effects are good as digital does well in this gender. Modulation, dist and drives, just not my thing, analog is far superior. Can't tell the difference, then this is your baby. Want copies of a half century old amps even with the ability to make them hum, want digital mimics of "classic" cheese pedals, here you go. For the plug and play easy set up player this is your deal. If you want to spend more time programming and finding magical IRs this is your deal. I much prefer my real amp AMP1 rig and my select high end pedals, sure more bulky to deal with but I prefer tone quality to convenience and size. If you really want superior amp modeling go Kemper if you want better effects go Fractal. Line 6 is not my thing and nothing they do will draw me back in again after this one. Many will and do love this thing, go for it. Was not for me.

I have been following the Helix since it was released. The more I saw, the more positively impressed I was. I finally pulled the trigger and purchased one from Sweetwater. (The 48 months no interest is what knocked me off the fence!) To put icing on the cake, Sweetwater also threw in the Helix gig bag and upgraded the firmware before shipping. Very nice touch.
This unit absolutely blows my socks off! The effects, the amps, the cabs, and the ability to use IR's - the Helix is a dream come true. I use mine for home recording and church gigs.
I'm not planning on selling my other pieces of gear, but I must say I almost never use them now. It is as easy to use as any rig with a built in pedalboard controller that can control external devices. Line 6 really came up with a winner in the Helix.
I've only been using it a few weeks, but if it is as robust as I suspect, I'm sure I won't be having any issues with it.
BTW - I'm using it with Tracktion 7 through a Mackie ProFX8v2 mixer and latency is 1ms. (ONE MILLISECOND) I am so impressed with Helix, I can definitely recommend it without reservation.

I bought the Helix back in March and I haven't played an amp since. This is the best $ I've spent on a piece of gear, not exaggerating. The user interface is so easy to use I had a perfectly usable sound within about the first hour of playing. I've owned some of the amps featured in this unit, 5150s and Marshalls, and the tones definitely hold up. The technology has arrived. Being an impulse response host is a great feature as well.

On a side note: Sweetwater's customer service is top notch. I will go out of my way to do business with them. Thank you Sweetwater!

I am a old School Musician and had so much apprehension on buying into the Amp Modeling IR's and Multi-effects Processors like the Helix. To be totally Honest when I decided to purchase, I really felt this was not going to be got me but I went for it anyway. I received the Helix and first off was Amazed at how easily I could Navigate the presets and Tweak my Sounds. I appreciate the idea of being able to buy Presets and IR's to expand my Catalog of Sounds. I am having a tremendous amount of Enjoyment with the Helix. I still have much to learn but it's an Awesome Journey.
Special Thanks to Sweetwater and Aaron my Sales engineer. Aaron to me is more than a Sales Engineer, he is a friend and Advisor whom I have come to Trust Greatly.

This is the best thing that I have purchased to advance my musical career, aside from my first guitar: that pos fender cd 140. Thinking about it makes my fingers hurt. If you buy the helix and you don't love it there's probably something wrong with you. Mike Godlove thank you for all of your previous recommendations and especially this one.

As a professional musician, and owner operator of a music production company, I can say this product delivers. Solid built, great sound, easy to use, portable, easy to customize for use, and an excellent value. Thanks Rob for all your help, as usual you were spot on.

I have owned the Helix for about a year now... I will tell you, I've owned a lot of killer amps, HK, Marshall, new modern, vintage.... I still own quite a few tube amps still, a old 80's tube preamp, tube power amp rig.
I also used a line of Roland GT line modelers from the GT 7 all the way to the GT100, I got some nice tones
out of those, but they never really gave me the true tube tone we all love.

The Line 6 Helix however right out of the box did, the presets were kind of lame, but fiddling around a minute or two I was able to get some nice useable tones. When I dove in deeper I was just amazed at all
the nuanced quirks and magic of a real tube amp where there. I love the way the Helix reacts to your
touch, the amp models are amazing, especially with all the new updates and the snap shot feature when it finally was added was just the most amazing thing. Live, recording, in the bedroom the Helix is second to none.

I've owned a couple other modelers and have even owned a few older Pre Yamaha Line 6 products, they were all ok, with their strengths but they always seemed to have some kind of glaring weakness that bugged me. The Helix till this day is still amazing me! I have still not gotten as deep into the Helix like
some other users, so when I check out the stuff other guys are doing it keeps me inspired and opens
my eyes to some other sounds I can squeeze out of this.

I can safely say I can get just about any sound I have gotten out of my Tube amps and have the flexibility I had with my Midi Rig, with my 100 lbs tube power amp, midi tube preamp and rackmount fx unit...but much lighter and with more than a 128 presets....

You can do amazing things with the Helix, if you are considering purchasing this, don't, this is better than modelers that cost way more, I cannot begin to tell you, when we a/b this with my friends AXE FX, he cringes because he admits the HELIX is real close, and in a lot of instances much better sounding.
I know that will come down to persona preference, however if you give the Helix a try and invest a little time and check out all the resources on line and on the Line6 site, you will find that you can get some
incredible tones and sounds out of this.

There are a few people also selling preset packages that are incredible, this makes it easy for you to
get the tone you want ! Just do a YouTube search, Glenn's presets are very cool, and so are many of the others. Beyond Models of amps, pedals etc... Learning how to incorporate IR's opens up so many more tonal capabilities, you can nail just about any of your favorite guitarists tones.

Before I end this I will tell you the two ways I run my Helix. For Large or out door gigs I run the Helix stereo out to my 100 watt per side Egnater Tube Power amp into 2 2x12 Slant cabs loaded with Old EVM's... Stereo is sweet.. the tube power amp just makes the Helix sound even more heavenly.

The configuration I use the most, for small gigs is my Helix running through 2 Quilter Tone Block 200's, into two Hughes and Kettner 1x12 cabs loaded with Eminence Tone Spotters.... again unreal in stereo... and this is still LOUD and despite the Quilter's not being TUBE, the tone is impeccable... If I have am lazy and don't want to lug around everything I just run the Helix mono into on Tone Block and into one HK speaker cab. Still sounds great.

In the end, I think this is a unit that will provide you with limitless creative inspiration, the whole concept of creating a tone for recording and being able to take it out with you for performance with no compromise is
a concept that is reality with the Line 6 Helix. I have NEVER been happier with a purchase, I normally am one to find myself tiring or gear after awhile, but with the Helix the More I delve in the more inspiration I find.

Thanks to Sean my Sweetwater rep, he was super helpful, Sweetwater is the best !

I've now have owned the Line 6 Helix for almost a year and a half - and it never ceases to amaze me.

I originally bought it to upgrade my Line 6 M13 - something I used with various tube amps in 4 cable method. I figured the Helix would upgrade my effects quality and also give me a solid home recording option when I didn't want to mic up amps. It did just that. The sounds were good to great, but the high gain options were a bit limited. I used it 4CM with a Blackstar, Mesa Mark V, Krankenstein+ --- and it fit the bill great. I then got a JP-2C, and amp I drooled over and loved that I could get rid of my MIDI switcher seeing it's built into the JP-2C - it worked seamlessly and flawlessly with the Helix.

Then the updates came. and came... came. And the Helix got more and more useful and gained some really killer high gain models (Mark IV and Archon). I had ordered two StageSource L3T's - but I was using them for the band, and not just for a guitar rig - I still had the JP-2C.

I fooled with the amp models, and got some good sounding stuff, but nothing to really replace my JP-2C - I didn't sit and endlessly tweak, it was more just quick patches I was throwing together.

Then a few financial disasters hit, and I had to sell some of my guitar inventory. A few really nice guitars, then I was up in the air, do I sell my JP-2C rig, or the StageSource L3T's and Helix. I originally listed the later - but no one was biting. My drummer informed us he was moving 900 miles away - and we had a bunch of songs unfinished. We had a month and I decided to record the band to finish writing some of the songs. Instead of dragging multiple pieces of studio equipment, I asked the drummer to use his electric kit, and I brought over the L3T's, Helix and a Surface Pro tablet/laptop. I hooked everything up inside an hour and had his kit running through the helix midi in and triggering superior drummer - I then took 3 paths for vocals, bass and guitar. And it worked GREAT. My bass player is very finicky and likes organic tones - and I mostly got that for him - he was happy with it, not easy to do. I then dialed in a Mark IV tone and stopped dialing in looking at the dials. I used mesa's old adage: you dial in tone with your ears, not your eyes. I found something more than usable within 10 minutes. It sounded real good in rehearsal, I then quickly mixed and "mastered" in reaper and burned a few of the songs to CD for us to have a blueprint for these songs. I then started listening to it in the car - and I kept thinking "that sounds like a real amp". It felt like a real amp. It responds like a real amp.

Needless to say, I pulled the Helix and Stagesource L3T's off the market and decided I was going to make it work. To be honest - it hasn't been hard once I dedicated some time to it - I had a good set of custom made patches with third party IR's with a lot of flexibility, and I built those base patches over a weekend. I listed the JP-2C setup and it sold. I'll be honest here, I wanted to keep it, because, you know, I love a good tube amp and the JP-2C was the best I ever owned. But now a month into this all-in on Helix and FRFR, and I'm not regretting it. I have a very similar tone now, and a ton more flexibility. I've learned a few things about the FRFR speakers I have to make it sound more organic on the backline, while the FoH is getting the mic'd cabinet models. I still have my band recording patches saved and ready to go at any time - all I need to carry extra with me is a 2lb Surface Tablet if I want to record the band. And while my band plays mostly medium to high gain - I love getting home and exploring all these different tones that some of my favorite artists have been utilizing spanning 5 decades.

It's funny - half the reason I wanted the Helix is because of it's versatility in playing nice with tube amps. Now my tube amps are gone. As a side, this was one of my first major purchases with Sweetwater - and they have been great working with me - I'm a finicky guy myself and they've been great when things haven't worked with me - Brad Thomsen has been an absolute pleasure to buy from. With the Helix - it's been a home run. I'm seriously thinking of buying an LT down the line to have as a backup unit should anything go wrong in a live setting.

If your on the fence - get one and try it. If you want to keep your tube amp and think this would be a good FX unit - it will be. If you want a great audio interface and recording tool - it works for that too. I can't think of a reason (other than price or you have a competing product) a guitarist wouldn't get a unit like this.

typical line 6 product it has a couple of descent presets if your into that kinda stuff but i ask line 6 where are the high gain deep metal tones other than the few presets on the pedal that are name line 6 ? i actually went thru all the pre ams , amps etc and found nothing even close to the rp-1000 when it comes to real deep heavy sound . hey this is just my option i know nothing about metal just a one man band that has been number one in my state several times for a few songs and i actually could not believe how generic this thing was and feel like you guys need to buy a whitechappel cd or a hate breed album before you design another pedal for us metal guys out here that continue to buy you guys products for what reason i don't know your product got blown out by channel 25 on the rp-1000 that says it all research your metal line 6 you guys are not a good co. in my book bc you guys used to be a co. based on affordable music equipment. then put out this pedal that sounds worse than the rp1000 come on do your homework work on deep dark metal 2 thumbs down

I am an older "tube snob". My only experience with a modeler was a Boss GT-5 many years ago and I was not impressed. I decided to try the Helix after taking a trial run with the amplitude rig and seeing that the modeling game has really advanced. When I first got the Helix, I decided to just look at the cheat sheet that came with the unit and dive right in. Within 10 minutes I had a decent sounding tweed bassman and matchless rig set up. After doing this, I tried out some of the factory pre-sets. I'm glad that I did it in this order. Although you can tweak the pre-sets to get your sound, I was not enamored with any of them as they were set up. This unit has really made me rethink how I play my music. I will always keep my favorite Victoria Tweed Bassman, but all of my other tube amps have gone up for sale. If you are at all interested, take the plunge... you will not be disappointed.

This is hands down the best money I've spent on guitar equipment. Sounds amazing, very flexible inputs/outputs. I'll be selling my tube amps and most of my pedals. Considering what you get in terms of flexibility, tone quality, number of amps/cabs/effects... this is very cheap. I play through studio monitors, so it sounds great at any volume (which family and neighbors appreciate).

Meh. I thought it was just ok. Sounds never were as good as I can get out of my individual pedals and amps. Was difficult to edit. Every time I would get a preset I thought sounded decent, if I tried to tweak it at all to make it my own it just went to pure crap. Some people love this thing. Good for them. IMHO, I think it is just ok. It is certainly lighter and more convenient then my pedaltrain pro, but just no where as good as far as sound and control for me. To each his own though.

Big shot out to Aaron Regenold. though at Sweetwater. That guy is the best. He has put up with my pickiness for years now and always takes care of me. Love sweetwater!

I bought the Helix in March 2017. It is now June so I've had it for 3 months and have used it at home, at bar gigs, and outside gigs. Wanted to run it through the ringer before giving a review here to SW.

Well, I can tell you that I am in the process of selling all my pedals (might keep dirt just for sentimental value) and main amps I used to use. The whole point in springing for the Helix was to shrink my footprint (and weight load!) but lose no functionality or quality of sound. Being a modeler (and coming from the RP1000 and GT8 before it), I was skeptical for an "all in one" because amp modeling had just never really been "there" up to this point. The RP1000 had some great effects but modeling was average (generous). I used it via 4cm thru Fender Blues Deluxe RI and it performed admirably but I never liked the dirt in it. GT8 was more of the same but more complicated to figure out.

Well... I was hesitant to drop $1500 on the Helix and had buyer's remorse for a week after because the presets are meh. But presets are always meh, and knowing this, I started researching. After finding some good starting points and an AMAZING Facebook group (Chad Boston's Helix Group - join if you get a Helix!), I gained a better understanding in how the DSP was utilized, etc. But - no bones about it - the Helix is the most intuitive fx box out there. There are Fractal and Kemper fans out there and they are really amazing devices, and in some ways are better, but cannot touch the intuitiveness and live sound tweaking ability of the Helix.

The Helix convinced me at my first gig with it. The sound wasn't too much, too little, or too complicated to get working. No amp, just XLR out to a PA channel, and a 1/4" out to my monitor. I was novice with the Helix at the time and it was still amazing sounding. I was just blown away and smiling like an idiot the whole night. Bring it up to this past Saturday (latest gig) and I've had the opportunity to grow and learn as a Helix user...and man. It is just awesome.

In terms of support, the Helix is the flagship for L6 and as such they are really proactive in the virtual community as far as listening to user complaints/praise...and it shows in the firmware updates. Hell, the aforementioned FB group includes some of the L6 engineers and they are very actively posting in the group! I don't know if I've ever seen anything like it. TC is pretty good too as far as forums (I digress...) but for FB community purposes, this is an intangible asset to have!

There are cons, but to me, they are minimal over the base, core amps and fx, most of which are spot on. However, there is no polyphonic tracking for harmony/whammy and the tuner leaves something to be desired. It works, but there's just something about it that is annoying. Perhaps it is all the digital connections, not sure, but it just takes longer than it shold to tune. These things are small potatoes, as there are numerous other ways to tune and polyphonic synth tracking just isn't that important to me. It tracks single notes really well.

Bonus: if you have a dual voiced guitar you can run piezo in one and mags in another input and get a super rich, full sound. Impulse Responses were foreign to me, but are not complicated and are abundant. They are basically sound/frequency captures of specific amps and/or guitars. 3SigmaAudio Martin acoustic IR's are unbelievable.

My bottom line: I wanted an all in one that sacrificed very little. Up until Helix, I was never convinced. There are so many options and sounds that I am still discovering. If you are coming from another multifx or a pedalboard w a tube amp (my most recent pre-helix setup) and are looking for a consolidated option that gives you a professional, convincing tone, look no further. Line 6 really did an amazing job here. And I was a skeptic until I gave it a shot.

Thanks, as always, to Matt McKible - you are a great guy to work with!

I must be much too old to fully grasp this computer! I kept my Helix a few months and have found that I spend all my time tweaking instead of playing. I never found 'my' tone with the Helix. I am going back to a 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb amp and a Keeley Tone Workstation pedal. Much simpler, and in my ears a much more real sound. An expensive lesson learned.

I've had this thing for about 2 weeks, and I cannot believe all of its capabilities. This thing sounds and feels like the real thing. I have had to do some tweaking and fiddling with presets, as I found the stock sounds good but not always getting to where I wanted. This was similar to other reviews.

The amps are solid and free updates and additions come from time to time. I mostly use impulse responses and have found several free IRs on the forums. The effects are great and you can adjust everything as you would on a normal pedal or rack. The main reason I chose this over the Lite version was massive I/O. This thing can do it all and without compromise. I noted on one of the forums the ability to effectively have 4 separate tracks all being routed in and out of a DAW, incredible. If you're on the fence about this gear, go ahead and take the leap. It is well worth it!

Pros: Great Sound, massive I/O, just about every effect you'd want, sturdy build quality

Cons: None so far

BIG shout out to Brock Andrews, Sweetwater Sales Engineer. He helped me pick this thing over many other software and hardware options. Also, I received a dud (B-Stock to save some money) and Brock worked with Michael McNees, Sweetwater Tech Support Specialist, to get it all handled. Within a few days, I had another unit and was rocking. Can't go wrong with Sweetwater and their team, and it's probably the best customer service experience I have ever encountered.

This unit is basically everything you can hope for. I'm currently using it to play guitar and bass simultaneously through the PA in our band and it's doing a great job! The Input and output configuration possibilities are fantastic and flexible.

More importantly, the modeling is amazing and dynamic. The amps that I'm used to being able to dial into a "on the edge" sound and use pick attack to attain more/less grit is satisfyingly present. Admittedly, it took me a little while to get used to the concept that the tones/presets are designed to sound like a Mic'ed cabinet. when listening through headphones, this exactly the same as naked ears listening to a cabinet in a room. Once you get to know it, it's easy to dial in the appropriate sound as the mic dynamics modeling is also adjustable. Loading IRs gets you some additional flexibility for realism.

Okay so after a year of deliberating over a fractal or a Kemper.. I went into Sweetwater the other night with full intentions of picking up the Kemper profiler.
I've been hesitant because I really don't want to build a rack that I have to carry around buy a bunch of additional expression pedals or anything like that.
I loved the design I'd my HD500X but was not completely satisfied with the tone and thought if I could have this pedal with an Axe fx inside of it., it would be perfect marriage.
So I get to Sweetwater and my first stop I had to look at the helix just because. My friend Brian Lamert recognized me and said hey are you looking at a helix? I laughed then said well right at this moment I am actually looking at a helix, but went on to tell him I came there for a Kemper. He called Don Carr up because he was just working on a sweetwater presentation using the Line 6, and has experience with the kemper as well. Don didn't talk me out the kemper but highly recommended at least checking out the L6 and took me back into his Studio space and played this presentation that he was working on and the tones really spoke for themselves.
I play a heavier style of music than him but I figured if the high-gain amps where is good as what I was hearing... they had my attention.
I got the unit home and started going through the presets which normally sound like garbage.. first thing I noticed was really cool titles that I could relate to like "Shortest straw, Madhouse, Trooper, etc". Whoa. . They sounded good. .and like the artists tones modeled. I found a few clean channels..nice.
I noticed there was an update available already so I downloaded the Line 6 updater and installed that easily I reset the globals as recommended it did in fact sound even better.
I play guitar with the band CREEP
For over 10 years I have toured with my Mesa Boogie dual rectifier and have used my line 6 for gate and wah mainly. I would not compromise the Mesa tone for anything I have had so many good compliments on it. Having said that I am considering either a powered monitor or in ears, and just using this helix. It is THAT good.
My band has opened for Avatar 3 times now and they were using rack mount line 6 X3''s to my surprise and I guarantee NO ONE was complaining about their guitar sound.
If you are considering one I will tell you the same thing the guys at Sweetwater told me.. get one, take it home and try it. You have 30 days to decide.
It took me 2. I'm not taking it back no way.
I've never played with the other units I mentioned but I don't feel like I'm lacking anything and frankly I don't care. I am very happy with this product and it is only going to get better now that line 6 is updating helix regularly.
You do what is right for you.. for me I am glad I did not spend all of the extra money for a few hundred amps I will never use and with the design of this pedal it does everything I need.
Home run Line 6! Thanks to Mark Magnich for your patience and Don Carr, and Brian Lamert. I appreciate all of your help and advice and always feel confident in my purchases at Sweetwater.

I love tube amps and have been using digital effects and MFX for over 15 years... So I'm not resistant to digital but prefer that amp tone to come from my regular amps. I got the Helix because i wanted to move away from stomp boxes for delays, modulation and other effects and possibly use it for up front dirt in front of the amp. I was hopeful but realistic because I've seen a lot of promises in the past from Line6 and others that really didn't deliver.

Having said that, the Helix is fantastic. It is the ULTIMATE MFX unit to use with a good amp. The dirt sims are very good and I've replace my favorite dirt boxes. Delays, modulations ll greta. Love the tremolo, phaser, flange and chorus. The delays are great, especially the tape and memory man sims. But what makes the Helix so special is the routing. There's nothing else out there like it. Easy to set up ... easy to configure ... you can use your favorite stomp boxes if you want and put them ANYWHERE in the FX chain.

About the amp sims. I think they're VERY good. Not quite as good as a cooking tube amp, but very, very close. Fantastic for recording. I use the the AC30 and PRS Archon amp sims into the power section of my amp (Mesa Mark V) and they sound FANTASTIC. I'm blown away by this unit. It's got it all. Pretty much whatever sound you can imagine, you can create with the Helix. It's well built, easy to use, intuitive and built to last. The colored buttons, scribble scripts and screen are a huge plus. Very glad I purchased this and Im writing this 6 weeks after the purchase so well past the first week honeymoon.

I was blown away.!!! The authentic sound of the amps and effects its as if you had over 100+ stompboxes. I am so glad I chose this pedal.!! I really recommend for any guitarist who wants an authentic sound and flexibility to build your identity sound as well.!!!!! Line 6 you have blown me away you have destroyed the competition and also the POD is dead to me now...

I have tried many of the Line6 Multi-Effects units the past (M5, POD, HD500), and none of them could get the tone I NEEDED. They always started with the WOW factor, but eventually disappointed me. The digital harshness would ruin the experience.
But then I got the HELIX! It is amazing! First, the interface is dead simple, and so flexible. You can pretty much do whatever you can imagine with the signal routing.
And the sound is very natural. I have sold all my pedals (with one or two exceptions). No Regrets.
Also, there is a great Helix users group on Facebook where you can get lots of help.

Also, my Sales Engineer Stephen Oppehheimer was extraordinary helpful. I had also purchased a JTV-69 which had a problem. Stephen took care of the exchange immediately.

Sweetwater Rocks!
Helix Rocks!

If you're on the fence about buying one. GET OFF THE FENCE! Buy it. You won't regret it.

I've waited to review this because I really wanted to kick the tires and use this in the real world before giving my 2 cents worth. As a multi instrumentalist, (guitar, violin, mando, etc..) this thing is everything you could want in one box and more. I have created patches for acoustic violin blending my DPA 4099 mic with the input of my baggs pickup that sound amazing. I have created patches for a carbon fiber electric octave violin using Acoustic Cello Impulse Responses that make my chin cello sound jaw droppingly like the real thing. It's definitely the best multi effects processor i have ever tried. it's the bomb. If you are on the fence, don't be! You can get great tone right out out of the box with this thing and you can do even more with it once you dive into Impulse responses. From guitar, bass, mandolin, violin, cello, whatever... this is the one for me.

BLOWN away...i played with boutique pedals for a lot of years, but the Helix change my life. I use the helix for 3 things, and ITS PERFECT;

1) Playing live without my original rig, when i don't have the chance of bringing my head and the 4x12 cab; i play Stereo by the PA (its my second option always, but its amazing how this thing sounds, with good IRs on the chain, it is a really HI FI sound).

2) To control my EVH 5150 iii LBX 2 head (With the amp control switching option, and the 4CM with ALL my effects from the HELIX)

3) To record directly to my Macbook pro, by the USB, nice, fast, neat and easy!!

*) and of course... COME ON... that lights!, screens and EASY switching systems... PLEASE , YOU CANT GO WRONG with the helix.

I have the portability and ALL the possibilities in my hands with this thing, its really a MUST product.

Loving the Helix, the modeling is great, effects are incredible. And the just released a firmware update that actually gave a noticeable improvement in sound quality, just loving it, definitely blown away. I went into this expecting not to like it. I was looking at upgrading from the AxeFx Std. to the AxeFxII and maybe halfway considering a Kemper, but I couldn't ignore all the positive feedback and reviews the helix was getting, and with the price, it would have been stupid not to try it. So glad I did try it!! If I compare it to my experience with the AFX std. it's close in terms of sound quality and I don't think anyone who likes amp/effects modeling would be unhappy with either choice. And I bet it convert a few people as well.

The Helix though is light years ahead in terms of the interface and the software editor that that on the AFX std. and from what I have read it beats the AFXII as well.

The routing possibilities seem endless. I've been had so much fun with stereo setups because of how easy it is to do on the Helix, running different effects on each amp. It was always such a pain before and getting the levels right was tough so I rarely messed with it.

Have a few gripes too;
Some of the heavier overdrive tones and distortions fall a little short. (But are miles ahead of line 6's previous offerings.) They have gotten better with the 2.20 update so I'm confident they will get it worked out.l

From what I've read online it hangs with the Kemper and Fractal Audio AxeFXII, I listened to a few of the 3-way comparison videos out there and all 3 sound incredible.

(NOTE: One 3-way demo video out there actually had the AxeFxII sounding really bad, it was muddy and dull sounding but I suspect the video creator had just run out of the box patches with no tweaking or they had something against Fractal Audio and did it on purpose, so if you see a comparison video out there with the Helix and Kemper sounding way better than the AxeFxII keep that in mind. I think most fair comparisons you see will have little difference in sound quality between the units.)

Maybe it's just the amp I'm using but WOW. I love this thing and will never get rid of it. I last had the POD HD 500 but this thing is a whole new world that you can't get enough. Doubt me??? Try it yourself!

Crisp clean tone. I play off offeeling and this thing does it for me. Dnt get me wrong... nothing can replace a loud speaker, tubes and pedals because that feeling is euphoric.. but when certain applications are needed I'm running to the Helix and not looking back!

First off thanks to Drew Foster my Sweetwater rep who always has great advice and treats me like a friend. He also puts up with my constant questions about gear that's not even out yet Lol. Well after over a year of waiting out the Connor Mcgregor UFC style hype train (I was sure it would die down at some point) I thought people would fall out of love with Helix quickly. Now I am no line 6 hater by any means I have owned a Vetta II $2500.00 was alot of money for a 19 year old + a $400 floorboard, Bogner Spidervalve MKII, Line 6 Pod and many Variax guitars. I got some good tones out of them for the most part & I still play my JTV quite a bit. To be honest it started to get on my nerves that everyone who owns one of these wouldn't shutup about it. So I took the plunge first off if you have only had tube amps this is pretty easy to use but everyone thinks they are a good cook until they meet a chief then they walk away in shame and go back to microwaving hot pockets. I have learned over the years I am a very good guitar player and not as good a perset programmer. So I spent about $100 on 3rd party IR's and custom artist presets from The helix channel, Glenn DeLaune and and few others paid preset makers. I mean think about do you spend $3500 on a Diezel amp and then run it thru a behringer cab? But you won't spend $15 on a preset pack because Helix should come with all the sounds you have in your head preprogramed. Well instead of fiddling with this for hours ( which can be fun ) I plugged in a loaded paid rush preset and IR, plugged in my mp3 player and I could not tell where Alex Lifeson was in the mix because we sounded exactly the same! I couldn't believe it so I loaded a Randy Rhoads Preset and played Dee and Crazy Train without the mp3 backing track and it blew my mind. I have owned many high end custom guitars, handwired tube amps, Marshall, Fender. Lee Jackson, Phaze and many others. I have played many vintage guitars and have had my own studio where I get to play other peoples gear. I have never been this impressed by anything ever in my life. Music is very personal for most people and your memories or great times as a teenager or child are sometimes connected to songs and artists. I remember reading everything I could about Randy Rhoads and playing riffs and leads from crazy train 10,000 or more times. To be able to play thru Helix and sound like I was in the studio with Randy playing thru his gear was "priceless"

I will not bore anyone here concerning the sound and versatility of the unit itself because,there's already 100 plus 5 stars all over the map!

What I do want to express here is the DSP/PC reliability for the long haul due to the issues I was having.
My issue is when the unit itself is left on for longer than 20 min,coming back to play after sound check, no output at all on either XLR outs or Quarter inch L/R jacks. I never use volume pedals or program the volume pedal in the chain at all so its not that, and I always carry a well known good guitar cables all the time for back up so its definetly not cables. it happen on three different venues that I played at. I had to cold reboot the whole unit every time 5 minutes before the gig starts.

Sound wise,versatility,believe the hype for what line6/yamaha design it for,it lives up to it!!!
Anyways,I either got a lemon,which is understandable or its just the beginnings of what to come with so called virtual modeling software for guitar....

I give it a 5 star for the sound but 3 star for reliability...

The Helix sound quality and ease of use is exactly what I wanted. I was using a Marshall DSL 1/2 stack with wampler pedals, when the amp tubes went out during a recording session, that's when I began searching for a replacement multi effects unit. I purchased the Helix after I saw Robbie Calvo raving about it on YouTube. I am so satisfied with the Helix. It's worth the hefty sticker price.

Live like a King with all you've ever searched for and could dream of achieving lying at your feet.

The Helix is build of solid metal. This thing should stand the test of time. You can reprogram all the buttons to read whatever you need them to. You can redesign the layout of the switches. For example have 8 presets, 8 snapshots, 8 pedals, 4 pedals/4 presets (and change the if you want one roll on top or bottom) 4 snapshots/4 presets, 4 snapshots/4 pedals. You have 4 different effects loops built into it! MIDI, XLR, and 1/4 inputs all on this baby all stereo. You can run vocals, bass, or guitar. AND you can run two at once with different settings. Say you want to process vocals with a different input and output than the guitar you can do that plus have the entire signal chain of the processing separate from the guitar effects.

The interface is 100% user friendly. I haven't read the owner's manual once and have been able to do what I needed. Everything is straight forward and then it gets slightly complicated the more you dive into it. You can import new sounds from different amps and install them to the Helix (I haven't looked into the details, but a lot of the Helix community does this). There is a the Command Center which lets you alter things like pedalboard layout like I mention earlier. Global EQ (which is a massive game changer!) can be found in the Command Center as well.

All the effects I've experimented with have been great. You have the built in expression pedal which can be adjusted to rock how you want it to. There's a ton of wah options, volume, and even pitch shifting. You can detune with the pitch shifting as well. For example you could add a whole octave and then adjust the mix level and make you an Octave pedal. I personally am using it to mimic a 7 string in a sense (I play drop C and I have it going down 5 steps making it drop G with the mix at 100%). The wah's are amazing sounding. If you can't find a wah you like then you probably dont like wah. There is a ton of flange sounds on here and the classic Boss Chorus pedal. A few synth sounds (which are very flexible!) for anyone interested. Compressors, EQ's, Noisegates, and Limiters to help shape your sounds. There is a noise gate accessible at the very start of the input signal as well!

You can mix and match amps, pre amps, and cabs. Have two different cabs for 1 amp head, two different rigs entirely and switch between the two with 1 click, change the mic for the cabs, distance, room reverb from the mics, literally any way you want your amp and cab adjusted you can do it on here!

You can change pedals to be momentary or latching (meaning have it activate only while pushed in and turns off on release or toggle on/off). Set for example 3 different pedals to all turn on with one switch! The Helix can do it all. If you're able to afford one I recommend doing so. If you're on the fence about selling your pedals for it, you would definitely be upgrading. I haven't used my old pedal board since receiving my Helix.

Line 6 recently added Snapshots to the Helix which allows you to change the rig slightly. For example you have two different guitars with different pickups. You want a certain sound but your backup guitar just isn't cutting it. You can make a snapshot for your backup to shape the EQ's differently to sound more like the main guitar. You could also use it to do a different tone with the same rig for solos and a volume boost, and even change the delay for a lead tone instead of how the delay acts the rest of the song. You can have 8 different sounds with the same rig all at once without having to completely change the setup.

I use to pack around a 75w combo amp for band practice every night. Now I just throw the Helix in it's backpack with 1 cable for my guitar to the Helix, grab my guitar case, and hit the road. We have a PA system in our practice space and I run directly from the Helix with XRL (Female) into the PA. No more struggle opening doors with all my gear, soar arms or back, and I can actually grab my second guitar now if we need it.

I love the Helix and have zero regrets buying it. If you're in the market for a serious upgrade; looking for a new pedal board, a new amp, new effects, or an interface for a current rig setup. I would highly recommend getting the Helix.

Apparently you can do direct recording with the Helix as well. I haven't tried it yet, but I'll definitely look into it when the time comes to record some new tunes.

I've owned my Helix for a month now and there is so much more I can do that I've not even tried or thought of yet.

I am a old dinosaur, been playing since I was 7 and I am now 50. I am a die hard tube fanatic who has been through tons of modeling gear with less then pleasant results. Other then actually buying a AX by Fractal or a Klemperer which is a different beast, I struggled to create tones that didn't have some sort of digital "tin" sound to them. Hours on end to no avail.

Well, welcome to the Helix! The first modeler I am Gaga over. This thing is amazing and the quality of tones I am getting out of it are simply phenomenal. One doesn't have to search far for quality demo's (see Glenn DeLaune) for instance to hear the awesomeness of the Helix! Two weeks in now and I was sold on this thing the day I plugged it in.

I'm done lugging gear around my body hurts too much and the sacrifice? Honestly, for the first time I say what sacrifice? I play on the worship team at church and this bad boy goes FOH with no tube hiss. No matter how good your cabling is (George L's and Divine Noise) you cannot escape hand-wired vintage tube tone hiss. Noise gates are horrible and I have owned them all.

Do yourself a favor and spend some time with this. I am glad I waited a year for most of the kinks to get worked out. Selling off my board and buying a RK 5 Fly Rig for backup if this thing ever goes down.

First off let me say that I am a 50 year old tone-chasing fanatic who has hated every form of modeling to date. No matter how many hours I would spend I could always hear that digital "tin" sound. I am a die-hard dinosaur who has fought to hang on to his tubes lugging gear around that is killing my body nowadays.

Well, I am hear to officially put this war to rest. The Helix is worth every penny and I am glad I waited a year for most of the kinks to get worked out. This thing simply blows me away with the quality of tones I am getting out of it. Go watch YouTube videos especially Glenn DeLaune who plays his presets he also sells direct through cubase to speakers. Marco Fanton also creates some great patches and the capability of building your own quality stuff is just amazing.

Every time I plug in to this unit it amazes me. I have been running it through my 68'Custom Deluxe Reverb on the Custom (Bassman) side and it sounds amazing with buckers or single coils. I play on the worship team at church as well and the clean tones are sparkling. Direct into board I lose any and all noise issues. Micing out the amp and running my pedal board its hard to contain the tube noise no matter what I do and I am running all George L's on my boards and Divine Noise cables. But I still get that tube noise which is impossible to get rid of without massive sacrifice to other areas.

Any tone junkie on the fence who refuses to give up their tubes, I challenge you. Do yourself a favor and go play with one of these units. If your not amazed I am baffled. Quality created presets with time spent and you can't tell the difference on most stuff if you a-b same setup Helix to tube amp. But hey, if you choose to argue about it still and stomp your feet no worries man you keep dragging all the gear around because at my age it gets old and I have finally found something that gives me what I want and slips right into a bag.

Way to go Line 6/Yamaha. When you have guys on forum boards swapping out their Fractals for this that ought to tell you something.

A huge leap in quality for Line 6. Best modeler by far for bass players, with the latest update adding even more bass amps and great bass pedals like the Darkglass B7! The reverbs aren't quite as good a Fractal's, and the delays aren't as amazing as Kemper's, but the drives and modulations are superior to the competitors. Line 6 product managers are active in forums and accessible for help and support. The only other negative is that the unit is sensitive to phantom power on the XLR Outs so if you feed a board where you cannot individually turn off Phantom Power on the Helix channel then you will want to stick a DI in between to avoid noise. As always Sweetwater is the only internet retailer to trust with my music dollars.

This is my first gear review ever and not for lack of consumer and professional experience but because I have never had a piece new or vintage make me feel like it was worth writing. THIS THING BLEW ME AWAY! It is absolutely amazing. It feels like a real amp, it sounds like a real amp, it feeds back like a real amp. I was left dumb founded. I literally put my 68 Custom PRRI and my vintage '67 Super Reverb up for sale on reverb today. I wont go into a bunch of technical details or anything but coming from someone who has had a ton of tube amps from fender, mesa, Marshall, etc. not to mention all the pedals Vertex, OCD, OKKO, J Rockett, Zvex, etc. This thing is amazing and totally worth the price. I use it through a pair of event studio monitors and am using a Suhr Bella as a clean platform to put it through live and it sounds beautiful. I won't be getting rid of my pedals but I will be using them with the Helix. I can't recommend this product enough.

I have owned many many pedals over my playing years and this is the first one I could actually get to sound like a real guitar amp running through my Bose. I keep telling the Guitar player in the band I play with you need to call Sweetwater and get one of these it can solve all the problems you've been having.
I am truly glad I bought one of these it's Great!

Had it shipped, received in ONE day, software was updated before they shipped it, unboxed, plugged it into my existing JCM head and 4x12 cab, switched to clean on the amp, strummed the Strat and got what I was hoping for right away, no BS. Next, I plugged the XLR out to two channels direct into my rehearsal board, added that to my amp sound and got what I wanted there out of the monitor wedges. My first thought was: no one's going to mind in my band if I left the JCM home, next time. Next, I sent the headphone signal direct to my IEM-receiver and believe it sounded better than ever. All in the 2 hours owning it. Impressive is the least I can say about it. I ran a Taylor 714 CE through it and decided right then that I probably won't need a pre-amp of any sort anymore. Haven't even begun to mess with the USB, spdif or midi yet but it is all there and the digital mixer and FOH guys are gonna love the guitar player again. Easy as pie... It is the Pie!!
Kudos to Sweetwater for great service and two emails after receipt with helpful links.

Only criticism so far is a strong need of a hard shell case and not yet offered. While the unit is solidly built it still is some seriously expensive electronics and glass that I'd worry risking in a soft backpack. Be cautious there!

this thing is awesome. I live in a apartment so a real amp just won't do. I pair this with a Friedman asm. Feels like playing a amp except that the tone is consistent at any volume. Also like how I can play my acoustic and bass with this as well.

The whammy is not bad. It is a very useful effect. But just doesn't track as good as a real whammy.

dont like the echoplex in this at all. It's good as a echo effect but for the echoplex sound and rockabilly tone I like the Dunlop pedals better.

I love my Helix. It's incredibly versatile and man it sounds soooo good! I love having such a consistent tone between the studio and church. The built in amps and cabs sound great, and it's nice to be able to add IRs. The drives sound really nice, and the Helix really does respond like an amp. You can get so complex with the routing, or keep it super simple with a few pedals and an amp. Our worship director immediately bought one after playing mine. He runs a real amp on one channel, and a JCM model through the Helix on the other, and he controls our tracks in Ableton on the Helix! It's a great tool. The bass models are killer too! I'm a very happy camper and do not regret selling my amp and pedals!

I am writing this review from the perspective of an AX8 and 11R owner, products I love and highly endorse, so I will include a few comparisons along the way. First off, the hype about the intuitive layout is all true; the Helix is very straightforward and the controls typically do what I expect them to. Like the 11R, when I turn a knob a clear and obvious change in the tone occurs, no straining to hear the difference. The Helix team did a great job with the noise floor, for the same tone I can reduce the gate's threshold about 10db lower than on the AX8. Of the three, the 11R seems the best built with the Helix and AX8 tying for second place. All are very ruggedly built but if any have a weak point it might end up being the "joy stick" knob of the Helix; only time will tell. The rig control options with the Helix are excellent and it can easily function as the nerve center for all your rig components such as MIDI, pedals, keyboards, rack units, etc.; the flexibility is robust and well thought out. I was able to update the firmware but it took some help from Line6's free tech support; I blame that on their website though, not the Helix. OK, what about the sound; well, it's excellent. I play through a FRFR system and the Helix is capable of exploiting the entire range of human hearing with clarity, punch and warmth. Once again, the 11R gets my top spot for sound but the Helix and the AX8 are tied for a very, very close second. To my ears the 11R sounds more "organic", as opposed to the other two sounding a bit "processed". I don't know about how well the Helix can replicate various amps and cabs because I don't own any, I sculpt my sound from what comes with the package with no regard whatsoever for how it compares to amplifiers and I can honestly say that what I am getting from all three of these units is world class, kick the amps out of the room, sonic ecstasy. The features you see in the videos, such as the scribble strips, all work very well and are easy to assign. The pedal is very smooth and has a good curve with no surprises. The editing software is actually quite simple, yet robust, allowing for easily setting up the Helix for any situation. The screen is sharp and clear; once I got used to the icons I can easily see what's going on while standing over the unit. I haven't yet used this for recording direct to DAW because, well, I have an 11R ... but I intend to try it out soon. It's just good to know that the option is there. I also haven't tried out the microphone option either but once again, it's nice to know it's there if I need it. If you are trying to decide between the AX8 and the Helix I would offer this; the AX8 provides much deeper access to the inner working of the various models than the Helix so you can really dial in your tone exquisitely but the Helix is a much more robust rig controller and provides more handy features like the scribble strips, a built-in expression pedal and a headphone jack. You will not be disappointed with either. If you play multiple instruments, as I do, rig control is important and the Helix is great where the AX8 is adequate. The guitar input seems to work very well set on "auto" and, after trying out different settings, I plan to leave it set on that. The global EQ is much better than I expected so venue changes are easy. The Helix is the real deal, it delivers on the promise and with Yamaha's vast empire behind it I think it will be around in one form or another for a long time so "pull the trigger", get one.

Like Brady, everyone loves to hate multi-effects processors. Well, let the naysayers talk and you can have your musical Super Bowl ring.

I've never heard anyone tell the difference, even side-by-side. Not only is the sound spot on, but the feel of the interactions are there when playing. While they may not have every effect, you can look to see which ones they have already and since it works with every device you can think of, you can add other external effects, amps, multi-effects, pedals, ect...to cover any base you can think of.

The Helix will also be coming out in plug-in format and a rack version already exists. My only complaint (albeit a minor one) is that the output only goes up to 96k rather than 192k. However, for most people 96k is plenty (perhaps only for voice over work, which you wouldn't be using the Helix most likely anyway—except perhaps for mic emulation).

Have owned only a few multi effect units, Vox Tonelab LE, Tc Helicon Voicelive 3, and now Helix! No comparison. Using this unit through a JBL Eon 610, great sounds! No more amp to lug around! I'd have to say if you are using a modeler of any kind an FRFR speaker is the way to go! Helix is about flexibility and versatility! This unit will run my lightshow rig via midi, select patches on my Voicelive unit and allow me to activate steps and harmonies from it's buttons, all at the same time, at the press of a single button! Also a great DAW interface with my Studio One 3 Pro software!

Simple. Easy to use. Sounds AMAZING! I have been a fan of line 6 since the early design of the POD. This unit has simply blown me away and I couldn't be more excited to dive into the Helix. I don't see where Line 6 can go from this. I would highly recommend the Helix!

I was a little skeptical in purchasing a Helix since my past experience with Line 6 products was not all that great. Luckily I have 2 friends that have a Helix that convinced me to make the purchase.

First impression: I was surprised how heavy/sturdy the Helix is. This is a good thing. Be sure to get the Helix backpack case. You won't regret it.

Like most people would do, I checked out the presets to get an idea of what it could do. The presets are OK if you are going into a recording workstation, but if you are using an amp or going direct into a PA or full range speaker you have to just get your feet wet. Everything a player needs is there, but you have to find it.

I did a lot of research online and found helpful information from others that set up the unit in a similar way to what I was wanting. Once I got the hang of the controls, I found them very useful easy to understand.

The tone I'm getting now (going direct), is basically the same tone I was getting from my amp (Orange Crush 120 Stack) before I bought the Helix. I'd say it's even a little better with clearer mids.

I've used it in 2 shows so far and the sound guys asked me about it both times. They were impressed.

Overall, I give a big thumbs up to the Line 6 Helix. My back appreciates not having to haul around large speaker cabinets. :)

I've read the reviews and watched the videos available on the web about the Helix. When I actually received the unit, plugged in my guitar and strummed a chord, all I could say was "wow, this thing sounds amazing!" Line 6 did a phenomenal job with the Helix. Unit navigation and patch creation is well thought out and very intuitive. Everything from touch knob edit screens to snapshots makes this a joy to use for live playing. I've owned a L6 Firehawk, Boss G-100, and an Atomic Amplifire and I choose the Helix over all 3.

Most of the other reviews nailed it...this is truly a five star product. With a minimal understanding of how presets and snapshots work, I had two completely different setlists dialed in for separate bands.

Tip: learn how to set your audio in/outs and global EQ settings first. Once Helix understands what is being plugged in and where the signal is going, it helps the sound quality exponentially. Also, use tone editor for heavy editing. It's a significantly quicker process to create your tones.

As pedals come and go the Helix is here to stay. It's an amazing piece of technology that is "very" user friendly and almost limitless sound capabilities. I love my boss stomp boxes, but it's time to put them away.
Setting up effects couldn't be any easier.
The snapshot cabability works great, but I would rather switch between presets without the dead sound between them.

The Helix is built like tank and looks great when the screen and stomp switches are lit up against the black body. It's the best pedal I've ever purchased. I was wondering why everyone's post is 5 stars on every review I've read. Now I know. Once you plug it in and start playing you will be amazed and playing for hours.

I usually set up my Mesa Boogie rectifier's and cabs for my live shows, but now it's just this and a powered cab. Half the set up time and less cables to run. Running direct in stereo through the xlr outs makes the room sound like you have an army of half stacks behind you. Impressive!

Perfect for my situation. Non-professional musician, plays in church worship band every week, some home recording. So many user preset slots. Something Helix has that others don't...SNAPSHOTS. Worth every penny just for that functionality. For my needs, it has everything. Workflow on the interface is just BRILLIANT! I have since gotten rid of all my other effects/pedals. I can just grab a couple of guitars and the Helix, and I am ready to go.

I just spent a few grand last year on a pedal board and a few new pedals and have a good collection of vintage amps. This piece of gear is my new favorite. It sounds amazing, it's easy to use, and really powerful. It's really usable from stage, I've dialed up and down reverb mix and gain all with my feet. Would highly recommend.

First off, this thing sounds fantastic and is super easy to use out of the box without reading the manual. It can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be to get the particular sound you are looking for. To me it is on par with the the Kenper/AxeFX units.

It gets 4 stars from me because there are some bugs in the software that need to be worked out. Like for instance, this is a big one for me, the unit will drop its volume to zero without even touching it and it will do it randomly. It has happened live every time I use it. It is a simple fix, just have to rock the volume pedal down and up, but still could be a deal breaker for some. I imagine with all the updates coming out that Line 6 will address this issue at some point, but for now it is what it is. I would rate it 5 stars with the bug fixes.

I would recommend it to replace an amp and pedalboard setup, that's what I did and I don't have to tap dance anymore to get the sounds I need.

Awesome guitar processor, it was updated to the latest software too...thank you sweetwater! Great packaging. I got a free Helix carrying case! Thank you again! There are a whole lot of effects and there is a ton to learn because there are a lot of things you can do with the helix. Really nice for every genre of music. You can also use it with keyboards. I tried Helix with the MiniNova Synth...the two are awesome! Want ambient sounds in church? Helix does it all... nice and fantastic. No need to carry a pedal board again. Bigger than I expected and very well built. Take the time to learn the numerous features of this pedal. It is very well thought out. If you play guitar, keyboard or are a songwriter, the Helix will integrate very well in the studio and live applications. Thank you Sweetwater for the SWEETS!!... awesome packaging, great service. Thank you Marshall for everything you do at Sweetwater, you all do a great job.

I can honestly say this is the single greatest guitar product I've ever purchased (and I've owned the original POD, POD rackmount, HD500 and a slew of analog pedals/amps/rack gear). The user interface and display screens are quite simply genius and everything sounds phenomenal, you can tell that the guys who built this thing have experienced the problems we all face with complex amp/pedal setups. The Helix is a complete game changer, both in usability and sound quality.

This is the first Pedal Board that actually sounds like a tube amp through my Bose system.
I have tried several others but, I can actually make this one sound like my Mesa Boogie Lonestar Special Through my Bose. When playing solo that's a lot less heavy equipment to carry.
I have also ordered the Variax Guitar which is also very impressive.
Sweetwater has always been GREAT to me so if you would like one of these give them a call.

Like many I was nuts over this unit when I got it, took the time to learn how to program it, and invested in better IRs for it. I cannot say it is not a great modeler unit, but after a the newness wore off I began to realize I was not playing much as I used to. I would spend most of my time developing tones, finding the best models and the right IRs for them.
I was noodling all the time often using headphones. Pluck, pluck, ting, ting... I made the mistake once again of selling off many of my better pedals for this unit and once again I found what a mistake that was for like the 3rd time now.
The Helix is a great unit I will not say it is not but it is a tweak monster and it seems to never end.
While the HX modeled delays are all fine and good, the reverbs at least before the pending update are HD POD copies. The front end effects are what they are, they work well to hit the amp into overdrive if you have no other pedals. But seriously digital just does not sound as good as analog when it comes to drive pedals, and some modulation. There may be a time when that gets "close enough" as well. But digital just does not have that feel and response analog affords.
The amp models are great, well, at least a half dozen I was able to use pretty often. What bugs me is this need to copy the old nostalgia of decades instead of something new and pushing the boundaries with the technology. Do we really have to force the state of the art modeling ability to copy and mimic cheese guitar pedals, monophonic tracking, glitch out, passe' pedals and old amps?? If you want a Whammy you would really rather have the crappy glitch out bad tracking of Ver 1 or the new poly Ver 5?
I love pedals and the ability to change and plug in a new one or upgrade is always there. It you want a POD like uber unit that is your whole core sound have at it. If you like to tinker and tweak till your brain hurts you found your grail. Some love the POD and those cheese effects. have at it.

I found a better way to go for me and has me playing w a fire I had lost for some time in noodle tweak land. I sold my Helix, got an Amp1 and Remote1 and that has to be the best decision I have made for my guitar obsession since I switched to the Les Paul. Amazing sounds, a real amp, analog, the use of hand picked select pedals that suit me. I find I did not need a hundred am models and infinite options. I just needed a few or a few channels that dripped tone. There are two paths you can go, there is still time to change the road you're on, all roads lead to the oracle of tone but I only wish I had stopped to think more outside the hype and lore. I have nothing against modeling, just the nostalgia copy syndrome. I have never been happier selling my Helix, with my change over to the BluGuitar Amp1 rig and redoing my pedal board, but to each his own. I left L6 in POD hatred a couple years back, I will never hate the Helix, but man I wished I would have looked at the Amp1 one before I bit that bullet. Just food for thought. BluGuitar for me was a better choice.

I've had the Helix for 3mths now and have tried hard to find something wrong with it, mainly because I have an obsession with buying new gear, but this thing truly does the job. I have had more complements on my guitar tone in the past 3mths than in the past 5yrs. It sounds and feels organic/natural like a quality tube amp. Quite honestly, if you're like me, hearing everything through in-ear monitors you'll never know the difference. It does the job and only weighs 15lbs... can't beat that.

Like many of you reading these reviews, I've owned several modeling products over the years (Bias, Axe, Boss, Digitech, PodHD and a crap load of plugins). It took me about 2 weeks to get my head around the unit. Now, all of my tones are exactly what I need/want. Is Helix the best guitar processor? I don't know and to be honest, I don't care. What I care about is; getting the sound that I hear in my head and the little touches and other sounds from the fingers. For me, Helix seems to do the best job. You can tweak Helix to death, but most of the time you won't want or need to. Just grab an amp, assign a cab and go. I am adding my own IR's now and it adds a nice personal element to my sound, but the on-board IR's are very good. The distortion/overdrive models are darn good too. I own most of the modeled pedals. I use to loop the pedals into my processors. Now I just use Helix. That might be the best endorsement? I was nervous when I bought my Helix, but now you'd have to pry it out of my dead cold hands. Great guitar tool.

Great product in general, the cab models are not that good but 3rd party IRs make up for that. The expression pedal has no manual calibration and it often gets readjusted to larger scope of range (mostly noticeable with pitch whammy). There is no Linux version of the Editor and no Linux driver for the Helix.

Having tried other line 6 products, I must say this is by far the best. I'm blown away by the capabilities and versatility of the Helix and of course by the sounds. Highly recommended to anyone that wants great sounds and a lot of routing options.

I have been an all analog, all tube zealot for most of my guitar playing years, and I especially loathe multi effects floor units. Not anymore. The Helix has converted me. It breathes like a real tube amp. The sounds are multi-dimensional and they sound alive. I have owned mine for over a year and it is still inspiring me. The interface is much easier to use than the POD HD500. It is pricey, and the looper functionality is not as advanced as I would like it to be, but other than that I really have no complaints.

Been using tube amps for 40 years.
Never believed in modelers until I heard the Helix.
Mic up a tube amp. Run it through a bunch of studio effects, then out of a pair of monitors.
That's what the Helix sounds like.
You cannot tell it's not a real amp.
It reacts to the guitar's volume control exactly the way a tube amp would.
The ambient and studio effects alone are worth the price.
Contains models of all the most popular amps, cabinets, and effects.
Highly tweakable.
Incredibly easy to use.
Possibly the best piece of gear I have bought in decades.....maybe ever.

The Helix is the coolest individual unit I've owned over the years. It is totally packed with great features and has some expandability. It is primarily designed for guitar (as in FX-heavy overdrive) but it works well with bass (despite its limited number of factory bass patches) and with keyboards. It can also be used for acoustic guitar, but for serious acoustic work you would need an outboard Aura or something similar.

If modeling is your thing, you will have to either be able to go directly into a power amp (such as the preamp bypass on the back of a guitar head) or PA, or preferably an FRFR system. No matter what you model, it comes down to the response curve of the amp and the nature of the speaker cabinets, which makes a FRFR system ideal for a stage set up. If you're going through a set of big PA speakers, I recommend getting a wireless system so that you can go out into the house to make sure you're getting the same tone that you hear on stage.

It is important to get a good feel for the Helix, and then dial in your own sounds. The factory presets reflect what we see in all the Helix videos from Line 6, Sweetwater, and elsewhere, with the rock patches clearly leaning for the harsher side of things - settings that, for example, emphasize the plinky side of a Strat, or with trebley oversaturation.

True tone-hounds who were born and bred in the tube world will need to twiddle to get what you are looking for. For example, if you want to perfectly dial in a Boogie IIc+ with that clean sound shifting into force-controlled breakup - and without the mud – you have to work at it. If you want that classic Dickie Betts No Way Out Less Paul whiney squeal, you have to work at that as well. It is part of the process.

Another part of the process is the business of impulse responses, which are used to model the cabinets. If you are needing a specific cabinet not on the list you will need to look around for it. Some IRs are free and some you have to pay for. You will also have to mess around with mics and mic placement. On top of this you will need to take playing environment and amplification in to consideration so that you can have ready-to-go presets for various types of clubs, halls, etc.

MIDI is an issue where the Helix could stand some improvement. It is possible, for example, to control the channel selection of outboard MIDI-capable amps and you can send MIDI commands, but one thing you can't do is in the area of MIDI clock in and out. Helix rack supports word clock - essentially the syncing of multiple MIDI devices for speed - but it does not give you to ability to, for example, use time data to control the loop in and out of a Ditto 4x so that it always retriggers on the beat.

Clock in and out has been a baseline MIDI capability for decades. Adding this to a Helix firmware upgrade is a frequently requested change in all sorts of online forums. Line 6 / Yamaha just needs to be willing to do it.

As for its physical characteristics, it is a heavy device and it is meant to stand up to a lot of abuse. An unavoidable point of vulnerability is the glass of its display panels and I find myself wishing there were some sort of glass-protecting steel loop like is used on Line 6's M-series modelers (I've had a guy drop a mic stand with cast metal base on a pedalboard before. He couldn't afford to buy me a new one.) Also, if you are gigging, you will need a proper case for it - one large enough to accommodate outboard control pedal(s) and anything else.

Bottom line - It is a really great device - one that I wish I'd have for the past 20 years — great features, but with a few shortcomings (limited MIDI). If you are willing to spend the bucks for this, make sure you have the amplification and speaker aspect covered. You might end up needing a FRFR system, plus you might need a case or heavy duty padded bag. Also leave some small change left over for third-party IRs.

So I ordered my Helix without actually physically seeing one or playing through one. It arrived, I plugged in my guitar and some HD280 headphones, played around with some presets, then turned it off and put my guitar down. I turned the pedal over and ripped it apart and found no tubes!?!? WTF!?!? (Ok didn't actually take it apart) SOUNDS AND FEELS AMAZING AND JUST LIKE TUBE RIGS!!!! AMAZING AND BLOWN AWAY! GREAT JOB LINE 6! NOW CANNOT WAIT TO GET MY VARIAX JTV 89F!

All the videos and instructions are based on a Step process that give you a certin results; however, try to find or ask for details on why the unit works when you per certin steps - not so much. Yes, if you do step 1 & 2 as stated, you get great sound, let me be clear, great sound IMO. Perhaps if you are an audio engineer or hobbyist it will be just right for you. I personally do not want to spend the next year going to school to learn programming for the helix.

Just received my Helix 2 days ago. Ordered with the Stagesource 2LT FRFR speaker and all I can say is AWESOME! Took me one evening to dial in some great tones. Some of the stock presets are very good and there are some great tones on the Line 6 Custom Tone site. This was a huge leap of faith for me as I have been lugging around amps to gigs for 30 years - not no more! Thanks also to my sales engineer Forrest Powell for his help and support!

This thing is light years beyond the competition.

Pros:
Easy to use. I had it all figured out in a few hours.
Super powerful DSP.
I/O galore. I play a PRS P-24 and run both the piezo and humbuckers at the same time with 2 completely separate processor chains.
I choose to run mono output, but you can run multiple stereo outs.
Built like a brick S#*% House. There is a Youtube review where a guy ripped apart this and the AxeFX and this is way more sturdy.
Snapshots! Lets you change settings with NO audible gap.
Huge display screen. I can see the tuner from across the room.

Cons:
A little pricey.
Large foot print. It doesn't fit in any of my current bags.
Touch capacitve switches can be a little sensitive.

Go to the web site and take the challenge. I couldn't tell what was a tube amp and what was the helix. I no longer drag my Mesa around to gigs.

As a long time user of tube amps(40 years), no one has been more skeptical on modelers than me.
This unit absolutely does everything they claim it does.
Besides being incredibly easy to use, the tones are nothing short of stunning.
It reacts to your guitars volume controls the same way a tube amp does, and does a lot of things no tube amp can do on it's own. It is the best of both worlds: Ease of use, and stunning sound.
Get one, and you can plan on being up all night in a dream world of sonic bliss, and you won't go insane trying to figure out how to use it.
Best piece of gear I have purchased in decades.

I got my Helix last November (2015) and had my fingers crossed that I might like it. It's been a year and I continue to be thrilled. Simply one of the best gear purchases I've made.

Replaced my old pedalboard for use with my amps. Great direct to computer recording. Great direct to PA sounds. Super easy to use, especially given how much stuff it can do.

I've been a pedal and tube amp (Bad Cat) guy for a long time and the Helix has changed all that for me. It took me over a year to pull the trigger to get the Helix but so glad I did. I have now sold all my boutique pedals, amp and pedalboard and NOT going back. The Helix is an incredible piece of gear and easy to use (you will still have a small learning curve). My back is now thanking me when I get to gigs and the soundman loves me because I'm all setup in minutes....BEST guitar decision I've made in year!!! Also a quick shoutout to the staff at Sweetwater...best customer service I've had in a long time!!!

Coming from a POD HD500, I was pretty familiar with the Line 6 "terminology" for amp and effects modeling. But the Helix set my expectations higher and then met them. I am not using FRFR and not using it for recording, so my usage might be different from others', but this thing works great.

That said, I've spent more than a little time digging in the weeds trying to find out which exact parameters will affect what part of my tone. You can adopt an "if it sounds good, it must be right" philosophy, which is pretty much what we all did with amps, but this invites tweaking to the max. So, again, I've found myself off in the weeds, trying to figure things out.

If you are tired of wiring up pedal boards, this is well worth the investment!

AMAZING, it kills my EVH 5150 III and BOGNER, its so easy to use!!. You should get some IR s and you will never look back to your old tube amps (IMHO). The sound is real and flexible. its a MUST.

Line 6 claims they spent years on R&D and making the Helix everything they, and we, wanted. As I stated, that was time well spent. They nailed it. It's everything I was looking for in a multi-fX and then some. I say "looking for" but none of them have REALLY captured my attention previously for a variety of reasons...so for 30-odd years I've been a guitar-to a few effects-to an amp sorta guy. Sure, multi-FX/modelers looked convenient...but were always somehow lacking in the real world. That's changed.

Clean, it's great...breaking up, it's there...crunch, from "classic" distortion to sonic mayhem, covered. It responds quite nicely to a guitar's volume and tone controls. Add in several pedalboards worth of effects...that can be moved, rearranged, and adjusted to your hearts content...well. it's a game changer.

Most of the presets are a pretty good start...and require less tweaking than a pedalboard into an amp...and it instantly recalls all those settings. Yes, it does have a handful of "strange" ambient type presets...but I view those in a "Wow...ok...that gives me an idea" kinda way. All of a sudden it's like soundtrack heaven.

OK, on the surface, it's a bit spendy... But aside from the lengthy R&D that they'll want to recover, they also know they got this one right...and you'll most likely not be purchasing another of this sort for quite some time. I can't imagine what magic they, or anyone else, will need to pull off to surpass it. I, for instance, may very well be done as I'm more than pleased with what this lets me create. (And it's darn near bullet proof.)

I purchased a Variax JTV-69 the same day (both from Sweetwater) and it's an amazing combo. It simply makes me WANT to play! Songs I haven't played for years, stuff I heard only yesterday...the possibilities seem endless. I can go from a classic surf tune (that I've used for years to warm up) on a Strat...to a Stones tune on a neck humbucker Tele...to a Metallica song on a bridge humbucker...to Type O-Negative, to...well, anything I want, just by spending a few minutes setting things up and then stepping on a button. Simple. And I love it.

Like I said, time well spent.

There are just so many good things to say about this unit. There are also some excellent reviews my favorite is Pete Thorn's because in it he explores a bunch of different practical configurations that most folks might what to use. I play live music mostly in settings using IEM's with the stage sound levels set very low or at zero. This has always challenged the quality of the tone I can achieve since I can't get the amp and cabinet at levels that sound right musically. So, I've been using Line 6 gear for a long time to model the real amp (I started with a POD X3 Pro in transit case and floor board, then a POD 500HD and now the Helix). I won't knock the prior gear because it was fine at the time, but now its a whole new ball game with the Helix. I love that the amp models respond so naturally to the input level from the guitar - you can get all that varying tone just like a real tube amp. All the effects are also very authentic and natural. I was also really impressed with the ability to load impulse response models IR's. In the Helix, you can sort of think of IR's as a 1024 or 2048 band EQ that is dialed in to match the response of a speaker, cab and mic combination. This makes an amazing difference to how authentic the tone is reproduced. There are several places to get some free models to try (ownhammer, redwirez, etc.). That said Line 6 did a great job with the speaker cab and mic models so you may be happy without using IR's.

While this unit is very intuitive, there a leaning curve to really explore all the cool stuff it can do, so plan accordingly. Right of the box you will get great tone from the two banks of presets. You'll definitely want to check out Line6's website to get the Helix PC software to build an manage your presets - and the updater to keep the firmware in the Helix up to date. I had to update mine immediately.

The Helix is very well made and is built as well or better than any rig I've seen yet. A Big Thanks to Line 6 on the Helix!!!

Peace

Love it! Period!

My Fractal had an issue the day before we started 6 shows in 2 weeks. Panic, I got this. In less than an hour I had the Helix programmed for all the songs (a very wide variety of tones) and we ran it through the PA. Fantastic. For recording I still like the Fractal, but that's where you are doing some serious esoteric adjustments. I am so happy not to have to lug a rack of gear around. Also, the volume pedal really works. I don't know why these things never seem to have the right weight, sensitivity, resilience, whatever. But this thing is built like a tank, made for tough life on the road. If not through the PA I run this through an Amp1 and an Orange 1x12 and I can be set and peeling the paint off the walls in a minute. Like others in this blog, I've waited for years for Line 6 to do this. Wait was worth it.

will be blown away! I know every body is on the Ownhammer train but....I'm using them side by side and 3 S kills Ownhammer. The Mesa is unreal! and the other are just as good.

I have purchased thousands of $ worth of Line 6 products....hoping for this every time.
This is it. I AM SATISFIED FINALLY! This keeps me getting up out of bed at 3-4 in the morning to play. If I think the sound, I hear it after a little work. IMPULSES MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. Spend $7 on the 3 Sigma Mesa (first on the page). I'm pretty positive you will go back for more...

I will leave the specs to Line 6 but this thing covers everything I ever wanted in a guitar pedal board, with a Killer GUI and switching capabilities that are endless. I also picked up 2 external pedals for complete control. Thank you Line 6, I just wish you would have done this when I was 14 (46 now). This is Bad***!

I've tried multiple multi-effects processors in the 26 years I've been playing bass. I started with one of the very first Boss digital effects pedals back in the 90's. It was horrible. I tried again with the Line 6 bass pod in the 2000's. It was horrible. So I stuck with noisy analog pedals. Why? Because the analog pedals have a subtlety and nuance that was never captured in a digital processor.
I thought I'd give the multi-effects thing again so I recently tried the T.C. Electronic G-System. Better than anything in the past, but still lacked the tone-depth, and nuance of analog gear. Plus it didn't work well on bass and was clearly not meant to be used with a bass. So back to the old analog pedals.
I was discussing my frustration with a guitar-player friend of mine and he said that the Helix is probably the multi-effect I was after. I was skeptical so I went over to his house with my bass, and my favorite pedals. I was blown away! This things is powerful! It sounds great, has the subtlety of analog gear, it's dead quiet, it has a tuner you can see from the other side of the room (AND it tunes a Low B string), and I can loop in my Moogerfooger pedal, and old Russian Big Muff.
I HIGHLY recommend this for bass players. It's not just designed for guitar like most multi-effects processors are. This is a game changer.

Okay... if they let this float, you get to read my updated review. Snapshots??? Holy COW!!!!!!!!!!!!
New amps and effects added since my original review? WOW!!!

If Line 6 keeps adding effects, amps, and features to Helix, it will be unreal!!! It's already unreal!!!

Batting 1000 with this one, Line 6!!! 2.X firmware is incredible!!! I still have a Kemper, but the F-word stuff is long gone (AX8 and Axe FX II XL+). No knock on Kemper and Fractal, but the improvements that keep coming, plus the ease of programming and use.... hands down the best equipment I've owned in a LONG time!!! You still can't go wrong with the Big 3 in modeling, though. Just have to give the edge to Helix now.

Line 6 hit this processor out of the ballpark. I have owned earlier line 6 products had some good results but nothing like the Helix. The sounds wow a lot better from the past great amps, distortions, all effects very nice. The interface interaction super great smooth moving around from creating new presets to adjusting parameters and assigning any to the pedal switches. A very thought out technical process to accommodate the every day and professional musicians. Excellent job line 6 all should be very proud. Keep up the good work. By the way you folks made an old timer feel like a kid again. I Thank you for that. Thanks KC

I was holding out for an Fractal FX-8 ,Ispoke to Paul Allen he mentioned the Helix , I did my research and honestly the videos with guitar players trying Helix for the first time and watching their reactions is what sold me . After receiving it I could not be happier I ran it with an amp,bose headphones and through klipsch (thats a real treat )Im sold .The one thing I will say I'm not crazy about the tuner . If your are running this thing through an guitar amp your missing half the sonic wonder.This unit will let you use a preamp modeler if your using a guitar amp something many competitors products can't do. Buy this thing !

First of all the Helix is a great machine. I should have given it a 5 but I didn't because even though I did a lot of pre-buy investigation, I am a little disappointed. I was hoping to retire some older gear and port over some favorite patches by creating, at least, similar ones in the Helix. So far this has been an abysmal failure! The architecture of the Helix is very different from my two Digitech rack mount units. So for now this is another screw driver in the tool box. I have not given up.....yet.

Helix Rocks!

Yeah, its a lot of money, but I have no buyers remorse what so ever. I mostly use it at my home studio where I have a nice tube amp, but I doubt I ever bother micing it again. It sounds that good, and opens up near infinite reamping opportunities.

I'm a songwriter with rather eclectic tastes. Bluesy tones, hard rock/metal tones, country tones, jazzy tones, I never know what I'm going to need until I start recording, and it's all in there. I've always been willing to sacrifice a little in the name of versatility, this is the first time I feel I don't even have to.

I've used a ton of Line 6 gear, including an HD500, but I never did like that box. I couldn't get any usable tones out of it. Not only does the Helix blow it away in its quality of tone, it is just so easy to use. There are some tricks that might not be obvious, but to get started you don't even need a manual. Just plug it in and start experimenting.

Line 6 has also added many new features and amps/effects since the Helix was released. No complaints there.

I'm just gushing now, so I guess it's time to stop.

Everything good that you've heard about the HELIX is true. Just get one. Your sound guy and worship leader will love you.

The Helix is amazing and such a great tone tool with so many options for setting it up and it's easy to use! I've never been a fan of digital amp modeling until now. What is so amazing about the Helix IMO is the cabinet IR/modeling that Line 6 did with the different mics and eq options, makes the amps sound so realistic and it's the best in ear experience that I've ever had playing live! Let's be real here for a moment, almost every guitar player loves the sound of a cranked up amp, but when are we able to do that, for most of us, it's probably never. The Helix allows you to have your favorite amp cranked up, and it's amazing! I still love a good amp and pedal setup, but i'm pretty much 100% switched over to using the Helix at home and live when I play. It's definitely an item that you want to read the manual, and watch Youtube videos to figure out some tips and tricks, but again, it's super easy to use once you get into it, and how to get the most out of the dual DSP's. I'm totally won over! Thanks...Oh, and did I mention it's my full acoustic rig as well? I made an acoustic patch to run my nice acoustic guitar with LR Baggs pickup and again, I don't even need a direct box anymore... If you are thinking about it, buy it! you won't regret it....

Overall, Line 6 probably created the best amp/effect/cab emulater in the market. Highly recommended unit.

I've had the pod hd500, the pod hd500x, and now the helix. I'm blown away by the sound of the helix. I play at my church for worship and I've got many compliments by the sound guy and other guitarist about it. The sounds are awesome. Also, the distortion models have improved a lot. I did not like the ones in the previous pods at all. It's not that hard to dial in a decent tone either. Whats really cool is I can setup one pedal switch to have all my effects for my ambient swells turn on and off. I dont have to use half of my switches to use 4 or more effects.

I have owned both the pod xt live and pod x3 pedals, and been very happy with line 6. I purchased the Wireless G70 unit, and would consider myself a fan of their work. I like that I can call them with questions, and they support even their old products.

I kept hearing however, from other guitar players that they did not like my tone.... I have been in heated debates about weather or not to buy a tube amp. I have always argued that amps are too heavy, and a pedal should be good enough.

Finally, my theory is correct. The tones are amazing, better, crisper, more distinguished than ever before. Built in looper, lots of new updates and features from line6.

You can use their out of the box tones for reference, and there are TONS of them. In addition you have 5 banks of folders ( of 32 slots ) which you can add your own custom tones. Building tones from scratch are really easy. Go watch a few youtube video's on how they do it, you will be shocked. In addition they recently added this thing called a "snap shot".

Snapshots are... like... imagine your rig with pedals and stuff setup. Well, lets say you want that perfect clean tone, so you turn the gain down on your tube screamer, you disable your wah, and you enable your reverb. BOOM take a picture of it, and save that setting on your board. You can then setup your lead tone, and take another picture. Now.... here is where it gets cool... you can assign that to your board under that presets location. Meaning, instead of just being able to disable the distortion pedal, and do a tap dance to turn on your reverb, you just hit the CLEAN snapshot. Really really useful!

At first reception, the helix took a little getting used to, but after a short time, on the first day, I got some really inspiring tones!! I haven't even scratched the surface, there is obviously a lot this unit can do...definitely an easy interface...intuitive...although I had to watch a video or two to learn how to assign pedals to effects, and to name them,..now that I know, it's easy as pie and fast..with the touch sensitive foot pedals....a very cool feature not found on other processors...and the helix editor works really well...I haven't yet delved into all the amps and cabs, but I have owned every pod since the first bean 20 years ago...this one takes a major leap....my hd500x is awesome,...but this has so much more dynamics and responsiveness,..seems to jump out in the mix better...and just quicker and easier to control...I can't claim to know what all these amps sound like, but I get the feeling they used better amps to model...
the only reason to get half a star off is that,...it's digital,...this is state of the art,..but there are still ways to make it sound like crap....like any real amp out there...so,..one of the presets had what is my pet peave of digital modeling...high end artifacts.With certain tones and effects,..(I think its usually delays and reverbs) in combination with certain amp/cab models,..you get a really awful set of warbling artifacts that would ruin any recording....these have been present since the pod xt,...if you can identify them and avoid settings that bring out this warble,...then all is good...but one preset,.. ":lead of all leads" I think it was called,..had this hideous warble in it....say no to the warble....
But that is really the only negative I can say about it...for the experienced line 6 user, everything is there...usb connectivity, easy patch creating, and way more detailed and responsive amp/cab modeling,..I got a b stock unit,...so for 1199.00 it's...pricey,..but I'm loving it....!!!

So, I bought The Rack Version of this unit strictly to put in my studio rack as, Hopefully, a way to offer more amps and effects than I could possible afford to my customers. lets keep in mind I did this before with a Line 6 Pod HD Pro. The HD Pro got used for one metal record before I sold it due to the fact that even with 3rd part IR's in my DAW I couldn't get rid of the synthetic sound, Not good stuff... And of course I was never going to pay the sticker for an Axe FX and the Kemper is a one trick pony that isn't worth it to me. I had moved on from the Modeling idea and just kept recording real amps. When I heard of the Helix I was of course intrigued Yet hesitant. I finally, after a certain couple actually good Demo videos, took the plunge. It didn't hurt that my Sweetwater Sales engineer had good things to say. Right off the bat it has usable sounds. The internal cabs suck so I use 3rd party IR's. It actually sounds like a mic'd cabinet is in another room. You could shoot this thing out with a real amp and no one would know which was the real amp or which is the model. It responds like a real amp as far as dynamics and feel. My guitarist was blown away on the feel. I will say that the amps are not dead ringers right out of the box. It took me some time to get the JCM to sound like a JCM, but once I experimented and tweaked and tweaked I've got to say I'm 90% there. Close enough to where in a mix you'd never notice. I only gave it 4.5 cause I haven't dove in to it all the way yet and want to see how many amps I can actually tone match. great buy for a studio though!

The navigation and PC editor are great. Even the actual screen and controls on the unit are easy to use. The display is gorgeous!! I knew my way around this thing in a few hours.

Cant say anything about the pedal board part but wanted to express my opinion on the model sounds.

It sucks that some people wont use it just because of the brands history. I say whatever sounds good use! who's gonna know unless you tell!

This offering from Line 6 is top shelf. This is my first piece of Line 6 gear and I am very impressed. This unit is going to be viable for quite some time.

Also thanks to Ed Nystrom my Sweetwater Sales representative and also his assistant Keith Turner for making sure I was taken care of during the ordering and shipping process.

First thing, is I WAS.... ahem was one of the biggest tube snobs around, I still have a bunch of tube amps, they are awesome, sound great, but most are kind of limited in what they can do well. The best rig I had was a rack rig, tube preamp running through a stereo tube power amp and 2 4-12 speaker cabs, wow, it was to die for... still have it but the totally rig probably weighs 350 lbs or so... OUCH... and a pain to set up. well the Helix, is about as close I can come to that, and even perhaps... Better... *GASP*... Oh no..... how can that be???

Honestly out of the box, the presets are OK.. it was enough to show me the potential of the
Helix. I just felt that the presets are a spring board to what you can eventually do with the Helix given time
and some tweaking... boy was I right !

I spent a few hours tweaking a few amp models getting clean, crunch and led sounds for a few different types of songs we do in our set..... wow... and I am not even in real deep yet !
I was able to mimic some of my favorite vintage amps, and get a true tube like sound, that I thought was just hype.

I run the helix stereo through a pair of Quilter Tone Block 200's and tried it through my Egnater stereo tube power amp - Heaven... it responds like a tube amp, sounds like a tube amp..... but its not a tube amp??? what the h****????? even the way you get the inherent overtones, feedback squeals when running your fuzz boxes hot..... unreal !

I do have one complaint, its the fact that I cannot update my firmware with my laptop for some reason, even after updating my drivers and installing the proper editor and updater etc...

bottom line, with eve more tweaking I can see the Helix giving me more than enough flexibility then the full blown rack mount stereo guitar rig I ran back in the 90's. That was up till now my ultimate sound,
This is truly inspiring, I could play for 24 hours straight without sleep, its so fun coming with new sounds, and having access to so many cool pedal models !

Thanks to Sean at Sweetwater, this was one of the best purchases I have made in a long time.I am hoping I can get my Helix updated soon, dying to hear what goodies they added with firmware 2.0

with the release of firmware v2.0, this thing can't be beat. Great job, Line 6!

I'm going to start right off by saying I'm a huge fan of Fractal and Kemper and tube amps. For me this is not about what's "best" but what fits my needs. I went with Helix because in addition to the sound, it has an 8 in 8 out 96K interface, mic pre, allows you to use external pedals, and is as intuitive and elegant as I think it can be. It sounded great when I got it, but Firmware 2.0 was just released and I can't say enough good things about the sound now. It's incredibly focused and the effects are pristine. They also added "snapshots". Anyone familiar with Fractal knows the scene feature is awesome. Now the Helix does it, too. The ability to use 3rd party impulse responses is also a huge plus. If you've been researching this unit you probably keep hearing how intuitive it is to use. All I have to say is that I really had no concept of how intuitive it is until I had it in my possession. It's a joy to use. Now to the best part. I got this thing June 23, 2016 and it's now July 7. I can't tell you how much practicing, recording, and just having fun I've done. This thing really makes me want to play guitar and write songs. Even when I'm practicing, I'm constantly finding myself smiling and making the stank face. Line 6 knocked it out of the park here. If you prefer the competition, then get those, but I can't really see someone being disappointed with the Helix. I'll also add that I've owned many Line 6 products over the years and was always disappointed. I stuck with trying their stuff because I believe in the concept of digital modeling. Line 6 finally delivered on that concept and then some. As always, Sweetwater and my Rep. Joseph Secu were a joy to work with. Get this unit.

I have been using Line 6 products since I got my first guitar in 2008 with a little Spider III 15W amp, a few years later graduating to a Spider IV 150W, and then a few years after that moving up to a POD HD500. I have used these as either practice amps or utilized as my main rig in the praise and worship team at church. I got GOOD at using the POD, my tone was great. Then I got this bad boy. With about 5 minutes I set up a sound that far surpassed my POD's rig using the same basic models.

There are only two problems with this board:
1.) You can't (at least I can't) use XLR out. Phantom power and line/mic levels cause horrible noise that can only be avoided by using a Direct Box and a 1/4" out, easy fix but annoying.
2.) Going in depth to create truly amazing tones requires a little research and a lot of knowledge, and a LOT of tinkering.

Luckily I have a friend who is a producer who suggested some great amp models, cabs, and mics that would give me a good tone. I have had the board about 2 weeks now and spent a solid 3-4 hours working on a base sound that will be the foundation of my set lists. I set it up using the headphones so I will have to see if it will go over well through the house amps. But I ended up building a rig out of a Matchless Jump going through 2 Cali V30 amps with a 57 dynamic and 121 Ribbon it's a very clean setup perfect for worship music, this alone with a little delay and reverb is nothing short of magical. I have 3 gain stages setup which gives it more than enough punch for both playing rhythm and lead. Every note rings out crisp and clear, even with all the stages on (factory default Deluxe Compressor, Timmah! OD set low and Minotaur OD set high). I've still got a bit of tinkering to do, but even with the large amount of time I had to spend trying to figure out all these settings i've never heard, like sag, hum, ripple, bias, and others, I have an amazing rig which rivals the crazy expensive analog rig we have at the church.

So yes it requires a bit of effort to learn your way around the technical aspects of it, and I have to lug around a DI box with my rig, but it is incredibly easy to use and modify everything, I have the software but for the most part I use the Helix itself because it is even easier to use than the computer software. It cost me about a month's salary, but it was worth every penny and every hour spent so far.

First I must say that I never had a company call me back after the sale to see if I am happy.....
hats off to Spencer and Sweetwater, they are the best and the support they have is the best--I've called them for some software that I had a hard time installing and they took care of it with in minutes...
Now to the Helix. I have been a professional musician since 1978 and I never heard anything like this...
I had in my life about 7 of the amps they have and they sound so close that I wish they had this unit back in the day....I have already made some recordings and it sounds---well like nothing I've ever had and talk about easy to use---it blew me away and they did forget about bass players----If you want all the amps at your fingertips don't even think about it----just get it..........................

I was prepared to demo this unit when I bought it and return it if it didn't keep up with my Fractal unit, and I have to say that it at least keeps up in every area of processing tone quality, and is better in a few, let alone the interface is WORLDS better. There are just a few slight annoyances which account for the loss of 1/2 a star. I'm selling my Axe FX because I actually like the Helix better enough.

While it is outstanding, it's not perfect. When running dual tone, I ran out of DSP for the effects pedals I wanted to use, which necessitated a workaround by putting the amp models in the second path and almost all the effects in the first path then running that to Path 2, then splitting path 2 to the stereo outputs - one amp to L and the other amp to R. At this price point, one should NEVER run out of DSP to do pretty much anything you want, within reason (and dual tone plus effects is within reason, especially given that my old Vetta II did all of this without ever batting an eye.) I never had this issue in my Fractal.

Now from an interface standpoint, this is simply the best all-in-one floor processor out there (although it would be nice to have a computer GUI via USB like the PodHD series.) This is clearly designed for live use, though. The ability to touch a pedal switch with my finger and have the parameters fly up on the screen and be immediately adjustable in a live situation makes me not miss most of my old analog style pedals any longer, especially not having to carry (and invest in) a large pedalboard and case with all the wiring headaches that go with that.

Now as for improvements - I'd love to see the ability to save individual pedal presets for scrolling use within a patch (i.e. different saved settings for my delay and reverb pedals that I could recall without changing an entire patch.) That being the case, while the tone sounds "almost" as good as my Timeline and Big Sky pedals, the fact that I can scroll through presets on those pedals without altering the rest of my dialed-in tone makes me want to keep them on my board (which means I'm back to a pedal board...) I'd also like to see a more robust level output from the XLR's. At my first gig out with this, I had to run the 1/4" out into an external DI box to get a reasonable level (i've since found that I can increase the cabinet level out so that the XLR's are almost hot enough, but one shouldn't have to go to +10.0db to do this.) I even adjusted the XLR settings to line level out. Let me tell you - it's NOT line level, which means increasing the noise floor, or using an external DI, which, again, one should not have to do with a unit at this price point. With my Axe FX - those XLR outputs were hot enough, so it can clearly be done. Ironically, when I run the digital out to FOH, it's plenty hot enough - seems like underpowered analog outputs on this hardware.

Even with the relatively minor shortcomings, it's still an outstanding piece of gear, and the tones are STELLAR. I run dual tone with a Fender and a Marshall typically, and not having to carry the actual vintage amps around that I used to carry - PRICELESS, and I don't feel like I've sacrificed hardly any tone quality - certainly not enough to want to carry around the tube amps, and I'm sure no one in the audience is likely to tell the difference buried in the mix of my band. Yes, the tone really is THAT good. The distortion pedals are spot on my old analog pedals (a Klon KTR and an OCD) though I do miss my FullDrive, I have to admit. The delays and reverbs are certainly enough to get by, but I do like my Timeline and BigSky better as I noted for the reasons above - though I think Line 6 could do something about that in a future update. ;)

If you're on the fence as to whether this is better than an HD500X, yes, it's at least 10 times better, at only triple the cost, LOL. Is it better than a Fractal? I think so, mostly given the ability to adjust pedal parameters more easily on the fly without requiring an engineering degree to manipulate. Better than a Kemper? I don't know, I've never owned one, but they seem to have a loyal following for a reason. For me, I'm sticking with the Helix, and hoping Line 6 makes those software upgrades so I can sell off my Strymon pedals and lighten my rig, as well as do something about the lack of available power from the analog outputs. If they could fix just those things, I might just have found the only piece of gear I need anymore!

I've used many of the digital modelers on the market over the years including Line 6's POD series. I currently use the HD500X extensively for live shows. They've been good, but the Helix is way beyond good. It's awesome! You don't need an instruction manual because the user interface is truly intuitive. If I want to do something, I click on what I think makes sense and that's almost always the right control. Incredible! It's super easy to edit patches making tweaking on stage a breeze.

Sound-wise it's impressive! My favorite thing is finally being able to use the volume control on my guitar and have it respond the way a real amp would. It's clear that Line 6 put a lot of thought and effort into the Helix and it shows. Worth every penny IMO. Thinking about selling my other real amps and just using this.

It's absolutely the best processor ever created.The helix rack is awesome!

Having been a Variax user for 10+ years (cover bands and recording), I was waiting for Helix for a long time. I have 2 PODX3 Live boards and they are good, but modeling that is more of a picture than a 'moving picture'.
Well Helix is a full on HD movie running at the highest resolution! It really 'breathes' and unlike other devices I've used that offer this depth and quality, is dead simple to edit.
It's a brilliant UX going on here that allows you to edit-- fully edit -- with your feet. Also Line 6 sweated the small details and note that this is the very best guitar tuner experience you'll ever have.

Just buy one. Now.

I had an Axe-FX II that is also a great amp modeler that has incredible capabilities. I personally prefer the Helix, primarily because the ease of use and it also sounds incredible once you dial it in and get the right cab model's/IR's. I spend more time playing than programming with the Axe-FX, .but with the Helix you are just up and playing. With the Axe-FX you have more amp/FX model parameters that you have access to at this moment in time,.. but for some people it is too much. People like me. I prefer the Helix. For $1500 you get everything you need... and with the Axe-FX it is $2300 plus another $600 for a foot controller, and you still do not have the ease of use when it comes to programming sounds. Either are very good choices, it just depends on what is most important to you. To me, what matter most is the cab models/IR's you use.

I’ve had this unit since the day it came out, and I wanted to wait until it had been part of my workflow for several months before reviewing. So many times you get a piece of gear, and your initial impression is good, but over time you discover the flaws and inconveniences. I’ve had the helix for about 8 months now and it has been on the road, in the studio, and is an absolutely key part of my gear chain now. I’ve reached that point where I actually used it enough to know it intimately enough to review it.

Before I get into the details, the key thing that makes this worth the money is the absolutely brilliant user interface. If you are a guitarist, and familiar with stompbox effects, amplifiers and mics, building a sound on this thing is the easiest thing in the world. Gone are the days of programming with cryptic led’s and deep menus, this thing lets you build a sound with a very visual, easy to understand block diagram, and the level of detail you can simulate is completely over the top.

First off, I’ll address the build quality. This thing is a tank. It’s built out of solid aluminum, and the pedal is about 3/8” thick solid metal. You could hire an elephant to stomp on the thing for you while you perform and I don’t think it would faze it. It’s definitely going to stand up to some serious touring treatment without complaining. It’s also got feedback on top of feedback. No cryptic digging through menus, for the first time, a crazy complex piece of music gear has enough display space to put everything you need in front of you, all at once.

Look, you can watch a bunch of videos on youtube (and you should) to learn about the features of this thing and the ease of use. In fact, I never cracked the manual at all for the first 3 months. I only opened it because I wondered if I missed some feature. I didn’t. I watched several review videos after I bought it while I was waiting for it to arrive, and out of the box had enough knowledge to operate it fully. The interface is that good. The first thing I did was watch a live Eric Clapton video on YouTube, observe what he was using for amp, guitar, mic and effects, and I was able to replicate the sound in about 10 minutes.

The way this works is similar to the software Reason, in that it simulates in software a physical chain of hardware. You basically choose blocks that represent preamps, effects, amps and mics, and put them in visual order. You can watch a video, (or go to an interview with an artist where he talks about the setup) and build that same setup within the helix. It’s not just chaining effects; you can choose amps, cabinets, mics, and even mic placement. The device can also use impulse responses to simulate rooms and all kinds of other stuff. Want to know what it would sound like to play with Van Halen’s rig in the Sistine Chapel? Yeah, you can totally do that.

Basically, you build your sound in the same way as if you had all the hardware, and the room. Blocks can be preamps, amps, eq’s effects, cabinets, etc. You can choose the way it is mic’ed and even the type of mic and distance of the mic. It’s like having a million bucks worth of gear in a sexy black solid metal box.
How does it sound? It’s the best pedal I’ve ever owned, by an order of magnitude. And I’ve had a lot of gear in the last 30 years, and worked with a lot of guitarists and all manner of random gear. It’s legit. Don’t believe me? Check out the zillion videos on YouTube with examples of the sounds. The place where this shines is they nailed the way physical equipment works. Many modelers get close, but miss that thing where you can run right on the edge of distortion, and get that buttery sound that with some attack pushes you into the dirty growl. These guys nailed it. It feels like playing with a real amp and physical effects.

Line 6 also has a pretty active community and a site for sharing patches. The other day, I heard a song, and was pretty intrigued by the sound on the guitar. I watched a video of the band to see what he was using for an instrument (Les Paul) and then went to line 6’s site and searched for the song in the presets archive. Sure enough, grabbing the preset from the archive and plugging in my Les Paul, bam, I’ve got the sound.

Each block you select changes the knobs and buttons on the Helix to become the appropriate adjustments for that block. This is more easily seen by watching a few videos on it, but essentially selecting a block is like directly manipulating a separate stompbox, or amp, etc. It’s remarkably easy to dial in the sound you want, and the power to tweak things is there too.

In summary, I’ve been doing this for 20+ years, and I’ve bought a lot of promises over the years. This is one of the few pieces of gear that I’ve owned that not only completely lived up to, but exceeded expectations. It sounds great, operates simply and gets out of the way of the creative process. I don’t do too many reviews, but I felt like I needed to write something up for this exceptional piece of gear. Kudos, Line 6, color me very impressed.

With Line 6's NEW HELIX. I guess Yahama somehow got involved (known for many things, among their Keyboards) and has been in development with this pedal for 4 years. It is $1500 because it is at an entirely different PRO Level in comparison to past gear.

Everything is MIDI, so every switch and I/O is FULLY Programmable.

This is the first pedal I've seen for THIS LOW PRICE that is at this quality.

Digital is FINALLY surpassing analog. I mix on Live Console's all the time, and Digital has already surpassed Analog in the AV world, but Guitarists are purists sometimes with their analog pedal setups, unless you spend $5000+ on an analog setup with racks controlled by either a MIDI or otherwise controller that's digital.

The Line 6 HELIX is ALL of that and more in one package. And the stock sounds and Amp/FX Modelling is absolutely incredible.

I have used lots of Line 6 products and although their Delay has always been Great, their Drive has traditionally been crap, UNTIL NOW. The Helix's Drive and Modelling is absolutely pristine! A MUST have for any guitarist!

I use this unit along with my Roland GR-55 and a couple favorite pedals, and absolutely love the combination. I was an Axe Fx II owner and loved that unit, but the Helix is much more flexible and powerful when it comes to the amount of control, ease of use, and practicality. I love being able to put my favorite pedals in FX loops so they can be placed anywhere in the signal chain, and I am a huge fan of the fact that they put a microphone input on the unit. This allows me to get any guitar sound I want, any vocal sound I want, and run direct to the mixer for an all-in-one solution. Works great!

I have been a dyed in the wool tube amp and pedal board stop my entire musical career. Weekend warrior type playing some gigs and doing church worship. Every Line 6 product I ever bought I returned or sold as I just didn't find it realistic or user friendly. It just never measured up to my Mesa and Fender amps and my pedals, most notably Strymon. I mention that for comparison purposes. I have some high end gear that sounds great. Enter Line 6 Helix.....after watching the videos, I decided to pull the trigger on modeling for the last time. If this wasn't any good, forget it, I'm done. All I can say is wow....the amps are great, the pedals are great...there's a learning curve, but it's not steep even for an old guy. I can literally walk in with a bag and a guitar and get otherworldly sounds...I can easily replicate delays and verbs ...straight into front of house with tons of routing options...this is the real deal. The custom tone on the Line 6 website has allowed me to just grab some custom patches , tweak them and just have a whole new rig.
Unlike other modelers, I find my self playing and not punching buttons searching for something to get the sounds right. It's pricey, but they have just moved the entire concept of "modeling" to another level! Highly recommended.

This unit is mind blowing! I use it primarily in the context of leading worship at my local church, so it gets used 5-6 times a week between rehearsals and services. I have migrated up to this from POD HD, so I will comment on similarities/differences where applicable. I also will not voice any opinion in regards to amp/pedals integration, in case that's what you're looking for. I would suggest you check out Pete Thorn's Helix review on YouTube for that (really you should check it out, if you're interested in Helix at all).

Here's my signal flow, in case you're curious about that stuff:
Gretsch 5620T-CB > Line 6 G30 Wireless > Helix > FRFR Monitor/XLR-to-PA

Upon unboxing Helix, the first thing I noticed is this thing is STOUT compared to POD-HD (basically 15lb v. 11lb, respectively). Not that higher weight is a guarantee of better quality, but it has to count for something, right? The knobs and buttons are clearly better engineered than the one on POD-HD. Actually, the ultimate reason I made the upgrade is that I had my POD leaned against a wall (sitting on the long side, so it wasn't way up in the air) and accidentally bumped into it. It tipped over onto it's face and busted off some of the control knobs so that I couldn't do any patch editing without plugging it into the computer and using the Edit software (more about that later).

So, having used POD-HD for years and setting up quite a library of song-specific patches, I initially started using Helix by looking at a patch that I had set up in POD-HD and setting up nearly an exact copy of that in Helix. Not that there's anything wrong with that workflow, but it kept me from delving into some of the unique feature of Helix (at least initially). A couple of things that set me up to completely break from POD-HD patch setup are the vastly improved amp models and the ability to use third-party speaker/cabinet impulse responses. I record at home and use in-the-box amp modeling quite often. As a part of that workflow, I use a couple of Ownhammer impulse response libraries that are simply amazing. Needless to say, I was really looking forward to being able to use them in a live context and, boy oh boy, was i not disappointed. Not that there's any problem with the native Helix cab sims, but the combination of Helix amp modeling and Ownhammer speaker/cab IR's is absolutely stunning. I tend toward keeping things as simple as I can and usually favor one amp/cab combination for clean/breakup tones and one amp/cab combination for crunch/overdrive tones. In POD-HD, I gravitated toward the Dr. Z Route 66 amp/cab for low gain and the Soldano SLO (crunch channel)/Hi-Watt cab for mid-gain. In Helix, I am absolutely amazed every time I use the Fender Deluxe through a 2x12 Marshall cab with Celestial Blackbacks and the Marshall Plexi through the same 2x12 cab with Celestial Creambacks. After experimentation with these features, I broke ties completely with what I had setup in POD-HD and never looked back. Take that for what it’s worth; your milage will obviously vary.

So, clearly I don’t use Helix to it’s fullest potential and I regularly use other features from what I’ve mentioned, but the tones and flexibility of the software and user interface are a joy to use and garner many compliments from other musicians. The one thing I miss from POD-HD has nothing to do with anything about Helix itself. I miss the ability to edit patched directly on the computer via Edit software. Currently, the Helix app only allows for naming, moving, copying, and pasting patches, so all patch editing has to be done via the physical Helix UI. I know I previously decried the ability to edit POD-HD in Edit software ONLY, but it is most convenient in my current workflow to be able to edit patches from BOTH Edit software AND physical UI. So, there it is, my one caveat, and it has nothing to do with the unit itself.

It’s certainly a financial investment, but that pales in comparison to the cost you would incur purchasing all the physical amps, cabs, fx, etc. that are available in Helix and that doesn’t even take into account the possible signal routing options. I would HIGHLY recommend this unit to anyone looking to get into an amazing modeler that brings with it exceptional sound quality and utmost flexibility. Cheers!

Our church wanted to have the Elevation Worship, Hillsong, Jesus Culture sound. But, after HOURS and HOURS of research, we realized that the investment in individual pedals would be quite a bit! Generally, I would completely avoid effects processors for an amp/pedal combo. But, this is something altogether different! The sounds are amazing! I can't recommend this box enough!

I have a home recording studio and am a gigging musician. I've been using modelers from Roland, ElevenRack, and line 6 for over 20 years but have always felt they came short of the real thing....until now! The presets need some tweaking like moving the mic closer, lowering the gain, backing off on effects, etc. but the effort is well worth it. My ears are literally in disbelief of the sweet tones I'm hearing. Programming is very logical and assigning foot switches a breeze. Using 3rd part IRs (like OwnHammer) and sharing patches online brings you further into sonic bliss. Lively, responsive, dynamic are descriptors that come to mind.
There are mind boggling routing possibilities such as sending an output to your Amps power section while sending a Mic'd Cab simulation to the PA. Switching between amps within a patch is a great way to utilize presets efficiently. If you're running out of DSP then there is something wrong with the patch design.

Ive been a loyal line 6 user for the last 15 years ive been gigging a vetta 2 and loving it. But Ive been worried the old girl was getting tired. So I figured id give the helix a shot . Mind you I was ever a pod fan and had bought and sold many pod s In different incarnations . THE HELIX IS NO POD!!! I cannot believe how realistic the amps sounded . The tube models seem to breath and you. can get in them and tweak and get the sound in your head out. Or not. For factory presets I think they sound good and are alot of fun. Effects are clear and range from subtle to insane. Being no stranger to line6 (did I mention I run A stagescape mixer as well) it was easy to program and difficult to screw up. Very intuitive and the touch sensitive buttons are way cool. Cant say enough. My only gripe. NO SWAG .NO STICKERS.NO PICKS. NOTHING . seems petty but I bought a tc ditto looper for 100 bucks and got a sticker. I love it . noticeable difference over the vetta. And I constantly hear them together as the other guitar player has a vetta as well. I D BUY THIS OVER AND OVER.

This is the first review I have written after 40 years playing. First and foremost I would like to Thank Jim Watson and Sweetwater for superb customer service...just a pleasure to do business with. Helix, out of the box... do the update. Download the Helix App which contains all the components including the updater in a single download. Make sure your connected to a main USB port and not a secondary port. Found this out the hard way but a quick call to Line 6 Tech Support ( Excellent ) and the upgrade was completed in less than 5 minutes. Set your ins/outs for your application and play. The Helix is a very well thought out piece of equipment. The UI is amazingly simple, built like a tank and yes the tones are there. Spend a little time with the unit because that's all in takes to be rewarded with superb guitar tone.

I've had this for a week now, and I am truly a fan. I have a lot of gear (I equip 2 rehearsal studios, long story). This will let me reduce that collection a lot.

For context, I have the unit set up running through a Yamaha EMX powered mixer with the knobs set to neutral, 15 inch Yamaha Club Series speakers, using the XLR jacks (set hard left and hard right) for stereo and the 1/4 inch out into a centered channel for a center dry. This was easy to configure.

Highlights
1. The user interface is world class. Line6 really nailed it. I was able to complete my first patch, a WDW rig, not a simple, single amp rig, in under 5 minutes. From there a little tweaking (fun) had it dialed in to a great sound in under 15 minutes total.
2. The amp models are really good. I don't know if they sound exactly like the amps they modeled, but they sound good, and they definitely capture the spirit of those amps. "Feel" was very good as well, and the models respond to playing dynamics like you would expect from a good tube amp.
3. The 1.06.5 firmware update. Added Matchless models and a Timmy overdrive pedal model. Great additions.
4. Control Center - I set this up to control a drum machine. It was very easy, and I consider myself a MIDI novice.
5. Templates - Want a specific kind of patch but can't figure out how to do it? Check the templates to see if there is already a starting point for you.

Lowlights
1. If you have an existing HD500/DT amp setup and you expect to replace the HD500 with this unit, it's not quite what you might expect. The integration with the DT through Line6 Link doesn't provide full control of the amp's functions. You can accomplish this with MIDI, but it's not an out of the box feature. I haven't set that up yet, but I intend to give it a try.
2. Some of the factory patches are clearly designed to show extremes of the processing, which makes them useless to me, but this is really a nit.

So, final opinion... Worth every penny and then some. Played through an FRFR setup, this is an amazing good product.

Here's how I feel about it so far.

• Sonically, I have zero complaints.

• It took a little over 2 hours to create the 7 patches that I use.

• It is the first modeler I've owned that didn't have me reaching for some knob to tweak at the first gig I used it on (Saturday 03/05/16) . All the presets I created sounded exactly right. Unlike all the other modelers I've owned that had me periodically reaching down to adjust some damned thing or another for the next few months. The GT-5 and 8 had me goofing around with the controls for the next year, nearly. Not an exaggeration - I mostly only play on weekends.

• It's the first modeler I've owned that really truly nails "on the edge of breakup" sound. Single notes sound clean but sustainy. Playing two notes or more just gives the sound a bit of fur. Not fuzz, not fizz nor buzz but just a warm smooth furriness. This to me, is an epic achievement.
There's an eerie silkiness to the way it sounds that I've never experienced in a modeler before.

• I owned a couple of the Boss MFX and appreciated the Boss GT-X's flexibility which allowed it to compensate for its rather average innate sound to some degree. You could get very very inventive with it. But that same flexibility was accompanied by an inelegant and needless complexity in its UI. It was a completely aggravating experience trying to create patches on it. Later I got a Fender mustang Floor. I missed that flexibility in the M-Floor but it's sonic superiority allowed me to tolerate its shortcomings. For a while, I was happy because it just naturally sounded so much better than the GTs. Then came the Helix.
For years I loathed the Pods because I found them to be very static and not really responsive to pick attack. Line 6 also seem to have no clue as to what a compressor actually does so I was really taking a chance on the Helix.
The Helix sounds amazing to me and surpasses the GT's flexibility and its truly excellent UI only falters on the more obscure procedures. I blame the really crappy manual mostly but there are some UI things that I think could be a lot simpler.

• Are there things I wish it would do or wish it had? Absolutely. But they're mostly fixable via firmware updates and my list is pretty short.

I rarely write reviews, but I feel compelled to do so on the Helix. I gambled and won. I sold my Marshall stack and pedals based on reviews, and I'm pleased with the outcome. It's true what other reviewers have said about the factory presets, cool, but off a few notches. I was a bit disappointed at first, I was thinking of returning it. I scrolled through all of the presets and didn't find anything that sounded like the two 4x12 cabs and tube amps that I had honed into my tone over the years, But, after a few nights of playing around with it I came up with tones as good or better than what I had. I can record direct via USB, wet stereo and a dry track simultaneously, and the setup is 300 pounds lighter!, A big selling point for me. I love it now, the tones, the effects, the MIDI, even the scribble strips, all first class, and I'm just playing through my Mackie HR824 studio monitors now, it sounds awesome. Now just a couple of L2T speakers and I'm set, for a few months anyway. Line 6 nailed it with the Helix.

Actually the presets are not much you would want to use, they are there to help you figure out what to do with it. Its really a toolkit for people who know what they are doing, and it doesn't take long to figure it out. Kind of a waste of money for noobs, this is really pro kit. Sooo close to the real thing it unless you have a big budget there is NO reason to use a real studio, just from the cabling effort alone. Amazing amp models, and load of effects, love the Solo (Soldano) and Brit (Marshall) models and how you can really create some really credible rigs with it. Did not realize how well this works for recording, piece of cake simplifies the workload amazingly. My main setup switches between a Solo Lead Crunch and Brit 2204 Heads going into a Stereo Pair of the 2x12 Silver Bell and 412 Greenback 25 cabs, then with whatever FX in front and Delays after followed by the LA Studio Comp. Really nice also can record the dry guitar down to reamp later super simple. Although its not quite as wonderful as the real thing its way easier, and recording this quality with actual gear is expensive and difficult in the real world. And in a mix nobody would ever know anyway except for a handful of audio engineer types with silly expensive amps and speaker listening setups. So for me its the ideal kit, also near zero latency when recording, the drivers seem really decent, but I have not really had time to evaluate the quality of the mic pre.

The one thing missing is a serious GUI editor to run on your computer so you don't have to knob twiddle on the floor. (like Fender Fuse) I am hoping they do that.

As far as live work, its all there, except for some really subtle stomp box combos. Seriously thinking of buying a big set of powered speakers and dumping all of my amps.

Unbelievable! I have owned several Line 6 products and always returned to my amps and pedals. But this is a game changer. The ease to create the exact sounds I want is awesome. It takes a little tweaking but the system and layout is so intuitive that your really don't need the manual (but read it as you will accomplish more is shorter time). Over a 1,000 preset storage locations! With just a little practice I got the 40 or so sounds I wanted (but now I want more - but no problem to do it). I just took the 400+ presets, found the ones close to what I need to play live (without an amp) and record, then quickly made the changes to taste. Very, very easy. By the way, this is not an off the shelf item as there are standing orders. My Sweetwater rep nailed the expected ship date. I really appreciate their setting accurate expectations.

Wow - this unit is worth every dollar. Even outputting to my old Marshall VS, it's like falling in love with guitar playing all over again. The unit really feels more like a computer, and not a guitar pedal, but it's so intuitive to use. A lot of the factory banks are pretty cool, but people say the real value of the unit is building your own patches to dial in a sound, and the ability to share patches with others using the online library is really awesome. It's indescribably satisfying when you come across banks with names like "PV Panama" and "For the love of Steve," and before you pluck a note you already have a mental impression of what it should sound like, and then you hear it, and it's pretty darn close. One thing that I noticed is that with my previous multifx pedals, they pretty much neutered all the different tonal characteristics of the guitars I have, but this unit manages to preserve all those personalities. I highly recommend it, if you dig having an infinite combinations of sounds at your disposal.

Carl B., my sales engineer, was great. He called after I placed an order just to run through some details. Even though the unit got delayed a few times (not SW's fault at all), he continued to keep me up to date.

This is the single best and most revolutionary piece of gear I've ever picked up. With updates Line 6 have added new amps, effects and features. The effects list should still be longer in my opinion, but its a very minor gripe. For the most part they give you absolutely everything you need effects wise.

Scribble strips are worth the price of admission alone. Being able to see exactly what is setup on each patch, where it is etc... No other processor is doing this. But I bet we start seeing them in the future! The UI is dirt simple. So simple that a computer editor really isn't necessary in my opinion, but Line 6 are working on one anyways.

Honestly, I do very little tweaking on this unit unless I really put my mind to it. Why? Because it just sounds good.

Any effect, any where, as many as you'd like. Up to 4 amps per patch. No one else does this.

There is no apples to apples comparison for Helix. It currently has the market cornered and is selling like wildfire as it should be. Kudos to Line 6 for shaking the market place up and not resting on what they have done in the past.

Until the next generation of awesome multi fx processors comes along, I'm perfectly happy with this one.

I've been using modelers since Line 6 came out with the Pod XT, and I also own an HD Pro. Nice devices in their way but they never nailed tone for me. I was recently planning to go Old School and start seriously collecting Amps, but saw the Helix and decided to give Line 6 one more chance - I am glad I did!

This unit is all it is advertised as and more - ease of use is ridiculous, and the amp and effect models have an organic feel to them that I have never captured before, even with my analog pedal board - I finally understand and have quickly incorporated use of guitar volume to get the exact amount of drive for the tone I want and it is awesome - one patch can do everything from clean to fully saturated and everything in between, note by note.

Here's another thought that I haven't seen mentioned as much as it deserves - with the patch selection/individual stomp mode, a patch is no longer something you switch to for a given effect at one point in a song. It's now a complete virtual pedal board. Pick a style, choose your amp, add in the pedals appropriate for the songs and you have a complete setup that will work in multiple songs, then rinse and repeat. Make a setup for your favorite guitarist, or figure out your own pedal board, or match different effects and amps to different guitars - I really like working this way.

Line 6 knocked it out of the park!

I was getting really good sounds from my HD500, but it took a long time to get there. I finally learned to be careful about digital clipping between the models in a patch.

That problem is gone in the Helix, and the result is that you can quickly dial in the sound you're looking for.

There may be others that sound as good, but not for this price. The other high-end modelers I know of are not designed as well, and they don't Yamaha-sized resources behind them.

30+ year guitarist. This is the first guitar pedal that I would be comfortable taking from the store directly to the stage with zero tweaking. I scrolled thru some of the factory presets last night as I was playing with some friends and I didn't need to make any tone tweaks whatsoever......very impressed!!!
Thanks to Mike Picotte for outstanding support as usual...☺

Had it up and running within a few minutes using the L6 Link into 2 L2m's for stereo. Actually just using Hosa AES/EBU cables which were cheap and work perfect for those that need to know. I highly recommend the L2m's as i have made many mistakes of not peering amps and speakers correctly in the past only to be disappointed. No Longer! I don't expect complaints from people using the Stage Source speaker system from Line 6.
Yes, i have owned Axe Fx ultra and Axe Fx II, Suhr SE PT100 any many other real tube amps and modelers. If i spent time researching i usually liked them all, but now quite honestly, i had to chuck them all. There is just simply no need for these amps, pedals, cables etc. With this unit i miss nothing. The feel is there. I disagree that there is any shrill but is likely going to be related to guitars and FRFR system etc. My guitars all have different personalities that come through very well.
On the side, i run this USB cable to my mac book into Logic Pro X and play tracks through the Helix to the L2m's and monitor directly. Can play along and record without latency. The recorded sound is exactly what you hear direct from the Helix. Overall, an awesome unit which sounds great, very easy to program and very likely a tough unit to beat for the money. Yes, this is my favorite purchase by far in over 12 years. Peace Out.

I have also owned Kemper and Axe FX 2. All 3 are great. None quite beat a real tube amp in the room (but all can get close!), all excel at giving great results for recordings and offer great varieties of sounds. What I like about Helix is it is VERY easy to use. I can get close to the sound I want without a computer and in minutes. It sounds great through my QSC K10 and records very well directly to interface. Worth the money!

I chase great guitar tone and have all my life. I own an AX-2 which presently is in a rack in my garage. I found it challenging with several hundreds hrs. programming. The simplicity of the helix is key for me and i've had it for 3 days. the only judge is my ear. This product has been made buy people who know and understand guitar and tone. how can line 6 spend 6 years building the helix and sell this product for the price they do. it's the comment to perfection. the effects and amp sounds are top shelf.
I'd like to say Austin moss sales rep has treated me like family for years. Rock on

Ok - I don't usually do reviews but here goes. First off I want to thank Sweetwater for the killer service and communication on the delivery!! It came in last week and WOW!! This thing is amazing. I've been playing guitar for 25 years and I've owned all sorts of analog and digital gear. I buy and sell equipment at an almost embarrassing rate . . . mostly because I'm always searching for the next best thing . . .or chasing the elusive killer tone with the possibility of many sounds without having to tap dance (you know what I mean).

Since I play a lot in a Worship setting these days I need a simple but complex set-up that allows me do do many things (simple in terms of amount of gear - complete because it needs to be very diverse . . oh and id I mention it needs to sound goos). I last had the HD 500X and while it did the job, I was never quite satisfied with the feel and tone. Almost every week I was tweaking my patches and wanting more out of it. The feel wasn't quite right to me.

This thing has surpassed my expectations, which were very high. It's still early but it sounds and FEELS killer. I've only scratched the surface with it but I am so impressed with it's capabilities, it's simple yet complex nature. It's elegant sophistication. It's awesome . . . I will add more as I dive deeper.

I've owned both the Axe FXII and Kemper Profiling Amp. I love the Helix more due to no more external foot pedal and rack to carry around without sacrificing the sound quality/tones/effects. I've had it for a month and a half now and have been through all of the firmware updates. A new one is due today with new amp models and effects models!!! Can't wait!

Make sure you try out Glenn Delaune's patches! They are great and are very cheap for what you get. They make great templates for new patches of your own.

Speaking of patches... I was able to create 3 new presets within an hour that were useable and very complex when I first unboxed the Helix. You really cannot appreciate how simple this thing is to program until you have one in hand. Very intuitive!

The amp models are leaps and bounds better than anything Line 6 has put out before Helix. Very touch sensitive. Volume knob adjustments very much control the distortion/gain like a real tube amp. Effects sound as good as any I've ever used, modeled or external pedal.

Go ahead and jump off that cliff and buy yourself a Helix!!! Can't wait to see the computer editor when it is made available. Looking forward to new models/effects in the future updates!

Great job, Line 6!!!

Yeah. It's really good. I mean, it's fantastic. A big part of that does depend on updating to the latest firmware immediately, getting some good patches on there to start with, and using proper full range flat response speakers or studio monitors. I used the main XLR outs to pair of L2t speakers which I also bought from Sweetwater; and it's otherworldly. Now, I still have my HD500x, and while it's still an awesome unit for $500, the Helix is on a whole other level.

It is the new pinnacle, that EVERY other modeling gear must strive to catch up to. Like a magic baby, newborn, and already more powerful than those much older and more established in the high end amp modeling market.. Good things to come as well, a little birdie has told the forums a new (free) firmware update bring with it a new three-channel amp set of models is coming tomorrow, along with a handful of new FX, to coincide with Winter NAMM 2016.

Ease of use is greatly enhanced over prior offerings; the visual footswitch displays are really what you have been waiting for, for all these many long years. The sheer power of routing, number of effect instances, outboard FX loops, and added expression pedal jack (onboard + two outboard now) and all that in a very, very simple to use and navigate format. Like, wayyyy easier to work with than HD500, in terms of on-unit programming. Yet to be released software editor will just take that up another notch.

For folks (like me) who love their DT25 or DT50 amps, some creative workarounds exist to create amazing wet-dry-wet rigs with FRFR speakers paired with DT amps, using Helix amp models in place of the DT amp and cab models, changes triggered by the MIDI control capabilties of Helix.

They also did some cool things with how you can customize the footswitch configurations; all presets, or more like stompboxes, or toggle between them. You can tell it which you want on bottom row vs top row, for presets vs fx changes; just stellar programing. The tuner is epic, very accurate, and on that large screen, is HUGE, can't miss it, so you will have zero trouble tuning with this thing..

It is already fantastic *as is right now* - some of the early issues were quickly worked out in firmware updates, and the platform is only going to expand - exponentially. Much like Helix, a true musical spiral of goodness.

1. Light years ahead of any floor pedal
2. Sonic realism and clean signal with latest and greatest chip set....
A. The Main Processors - Analog Devices ADSP-21469 SHARC Processors
3. Touch capacitive footswitches......brilliant
4 scribble pad for each footswitch. ...the best idea for live playing...no more tape-sharpie
5. Effects are better than TC Electronics and more sonically matched to the modern guitar
6. IR cab capabilities ....future cool
7. 4 sends. 4 receives all assignable.....what look out Fractal you've been served!
8. More ins and outs on the back for any possible setup
9."phantom powered mic input....
10. Create multiple everything....different signal paths....
11. Huge main User interface
12. I Can see the tuner from 100 ft away
Conclusion:
This Helx is Leaps ahead of the premium sound processors from Fractal and Kemper.
It is easy to believe they spent 6 years developing this Flagship processor
They really designed this with the working guitarist professional in mind and have loaded it with
So many positives....and the sound is beautiful.....I have mine patched to my Mesa head and Orange Th30,
Marshall 40c and Hughes and Kettner 38 all at the same time....using different signal paths....at gigs
It sounds so 3 dimensional and warm, I can't even compare it to anything I've used...including my Kemper
So....get this Helix dream machine and you will sound better than you ever imagined....

Let me start with this, I've never been a fan of Line 6, having always considered there models harsh and unusable.

Despite that fact, the Helix peaked my interest due to its seemingly easy-to-use interface and routing capabilities. I have been using an Eleven Rack for awhile and figured the tone from a brand new product like the Helix couldn't be any worse than what I already had in my possession (especially considering it has a lot of the same development team working on it), so I ordered one.

After I received it, it was immediately clear that this piece of gear is an absolute game changer.

1. It sounds AMAZING! Unlike the Eleven Rack where you need to really work to get a passable tone (and typically need to use external pedals), the Helix sounds fantastic out of the box and effects are versatile and sound phenomenal. For the first time, I won't need to use external pedals. Heck, I can use multiple amps on a single chain, so far instance, I can use a Vox AC30 for my clean channel and a Dual Rectifier for my dirty channel. On top of that, I can toggle them with a single click of a foot pedal.

2. It is ridiculously easy to use. It makes you wonder why this user interface hasn't already been established and used for years. Everything is so fast. The best part is it gets the technical bits out of the way so you can focus on performance. Brilliant!

3. The routing is even better than I originally thought. If you want to, you can plug in multiple instruments and give them all their own signal chain. Seriously, you can control an entire band with a single Helix.

4. The built-in looper should account for $400 on its own. It is easy to use and does a great job.

5. The Helix is extremely versatile and powerful in every sense. And, the fact that it is an 8 in/8 out interface on top of everything else is just crazy to me.

6. It is built like a tank and is sexy as hell.

I've heard that the Kemper is comparable to the Helix sound-wise and the Axe FX is better... but, honestly, the Helix feels so good, so natural, so REAL, I honestly don't think I'm missing anything that either of those could provide. Furthermore, the user interface is so absolutely amazing I'm pretty sure I'd jump ship from them for that reason alone (not to mention the lower cost).

With all that said, the Line 6 Helix is a groundbreaking product. It makes you feel like a musician again and not a technical support person. I cannot be happier with my purchase.

I currently own tube amps from Bogner, Boogie, Fender, Marshall, as well a s a JC-120 and several other coveted amps.

But I now prefer to play the Helix. (FYI, I go *direct* to backline-able QSC K-12s)

Yes, some people legitimately complain that the number of models is still small compared to some previous L6 products, but these models are breathtaking, and L6 will certainly add more. (I am already on my 2nd software update with new toys each time!) I find that the Helix EXAGGERATES the touch sensitivity that makes me love my other amps, and now I often put down my guitar grinning over how great it sounds. After 20+ years of searching for something that works for me... playing both tube amps and all the modelers... I am thrilled with the Helix.

FYI, The UI is mostly simple and intuitive, and they give you plenty of patch space to wrangle tones for playing with multiple bands. BUT, be aware, that you WILL need to get tweaky with the EQ. I find that tweaking Hi/Lo-pass filters is MANDATORY, but that the results are well worth the effort.

Incredible! This "thing" is amazing! Received it yesterday and in minutes you know how to use it. It is so intuitive it has no resemblance to previous Line6 products. The sound is so crisp and realistic that is surpassed my expectations. I've been playing since I was a kid and have gone through many different types of gear... To get this sound you'd probably need to spend several times what Helix costs and it won't be this easy to set up. Guitar sound on tube amps is so so good that in person I could't tell the difference. Hearing it online sounds good but its much much more realistic when you hear it in person. Has an amazing sound and easy to use. I'm still figuring it out but in a few minutes I had it sounding way way way way better than my HD500x and reminded me of the time I had to carry a lot of gear to try to sound close to this. In the words of Darth Vader: "Impressive, most impressive".

I cannot say enough,I have owned just about every one of the major orocessors. For the last 25 years and this is bar none the best. Yes it's easy to use,fast and intuitive, let's not forget the most important point. The amps and effects sound and feel right and with a few of my outboard pedals another level is further added end, if you invest in one piece of guitar gear this year make it this, I spent hours with it since I got it just enjoying majing my own patches that are unique and custom to what I want snd they all are killer,

I received my Helix about a week ago. It has been a Fantastic Experience. Some of the mid breakup amps are to die for. And the delays sound much better, the tape delay sounds lush and smooth, I have so much DSP with the Helix I am able to accomplish 4 Starkly different sounds within the same preset.

Live application is Beautiful. The sounds are So good. It's a joy to play.

I've tried several different multi-effects units/amp simulators from Line 6 as well as other companies previously and was never quite satisfied with the tweakability and overall sounds I got from them. As soon as the Helix was announced, I could tell it was on an entirely different level than all of that. The day mine arrived, I had about 20 minutes to mess with it and create a patch (it only took about 5 minutes) before taking it to a gig. Everyone in the band noticed how great this unit sounds and were geeking out about how cool it looks. I've since created many more patches for just about any situation you can think of from jazz to country to metal. I've used it in the studio as well and can very quickly dial in the tones that the producer asks for. The best part is that I've only just scratched the surface of what Helix can do.

Don't be deterred by the fact that it's a digital modeler. This isn't like any digital pedal you've ever played before. Any serious guitarist needs to check out the Helix; it really is a game changer in the world of amp/effects modeling.

I have been a lead guitarist on a worship team for 8 years now, and have gone through tons of effect pedal boards through those years (Digitech, TC Electronics, Vox Tonelabs, Fender Mustang amps, and yes Line 6 boards (XT live, HD 500) The HD 500 was a huge jump for me when I initially bought it. It took me months to really get a handle on how to intuitively create patches. I have loved its Computer Editor software, and was able to basically create patches that fit very well for each song I played with the team. However, I had some issues with things I thought it lacked, and needed to make the Line 6 products a cut above the rest. 1. No on and off switch. 2. A HORRIBLE SCREEN!!!! to edit patches with on the HD unit itself (very hard to read and nothing like the software editor. 3. DSP limits that were too soon realized. 4. Noise gates that destroyed the tone. 5. Amp models that werent all that current or ear friendly. 6. A ridiculously annoying power adapter. 7. Very hard to read which patch I was using live. Then the Helix came into my hands.....All of my issues were fixed!!!!! Love Love Love!!!! thats just the beginning!!!! I sat down with this unit for 3 hours and managed to import a patch that was perfect!!! i also was able to very quickly determine how add effects and edit scribble strips, move effects around on the switches etc. The funny thing is........ Theres no editor out yet (should be very soon though) I had to do everything on the unit itself. One of the brilliant things is the touch sensitive switches that it has. Just a touch enables or opens up effects for editing. The toggle arm switch is nice to. Did I mention ts real Sexy too!!! each type of effect has a color assigned (but changeable) to it. They light up beautifully, The scribble strips glow like crazy so you can see what the heck you are selecting. The tuner is so big...you could tune it from like 25 yards away. I haven't even gotten past the surface of all its capable of and its possibilities. I had pro musicians play with me this weekend and they said "That thing is amazing!!!!" I dunno.....I give it 5 stars!!! I'm not sure I understand why there is two different versions of this thing. Pedal board model, and the rack / floor switch model, I just know, Ill be spending alot of time learning to make it sing!!!

I own multiple tube amps, a Kemper profiler and a mk I axe fx ii. I picked up helix about a month ago from Sweetwater. It is everything the other reviewers report. It is easy to use. It can replace loads of outboard gear. It is intuitive to program. It sounds amazing. It is comparable in tone to axe fx. The primary thing I would remind people who have not taken the plunge is that helix is a new product. To compare it to a seven or eight year old poor product i.e. Axe fx or Kemper which have been refined throu multiple firmware iterations is unfair and not a great idea. So far we are up to the fourth firmware. Bugs have been worked out and two new effects have been added. There is long term plan for helix and I do expect to continuously improve although it is great already. And no I don't work for line 6.

I've been playing in bands for 30 years, most of that time using tube amps, and this is the first modeller I've used that rivals them. I'm mostly using it for live shows. I play either a PRS Custom 24 or a Gibson Les Paul Standard into the Helix and then straight to a Line 6 L2t FRFR speaker. The UI is genius, setting up sounds and patches is very easy and the sounds are killer. The Phase 90 phaser model for example, sounds EXACTLY like the real deal, as do most of the amps and effects. The Dual-Rect model blew me away-- that amp has a very specific tone and the controls respond just as they should. When I turned up the volume and gain it was so perfect that I half-expected to turn around and see my old Dual-Rect sitting there on it's oversize cab. I've chosen the Peavey 5150 model for my main rhythm sound in the shows I've used it at so far and it easily holds it's own against my band's other guitarist's actual 5150. The sound is organic, with dense harmonic content, just like a good tube amp, and notes decay and feed back just the way you'd expect them to. Unlike most modelers, backing off your guitar's volume gives you a nice mid-gain/clean sound.

I don't have personal experience with either the Fractal or Kemper stuff so I can't compare them but, IMO, it's hard to imagine they sound better than a Helix running into an L2t or L3t. It's also a cool-looking unit and built like the proverbial tank. IMO, Line 6 knocked it out of the park with this unit. It's exactly what I was hoping it would be.

I've been around a while and owned about every variation of guitar rig you can think of. On the traditional side, I've had a Mesa Stiletto, a Fender Twin Reissue, a Bonner Shiva, a Bad Cat Cub II, and a Vox Nighttrain. I've played a zillion pedals and used a custom built looper to control a 3 tier pedal board. I've also owned the digital stuff: Line 6 Flextone, POD XT Live, AxeFX, and most recently POD HD500.

Just got the Helix in last week (thanks to my sales engineer Bob Furlong!). I have never been more satisfied with my tone, both from the sound perspective and from the crafting/building perspective. It's as if Line 6 (and Yamaha) looked at all the stuff from the past and threw out all the roadblocks and bottlenecks that bog down the POD interface. The screens, menus, navigation, I/O..... All of it is geared toward the user experience. It's super intuitive

The best part? It sounds as good or better than the tens of thousands of dollars of equipment I've owned over the years!

You get the best quality sound, and the easiest interface, nicest and toughest hardware... all at a fraction of the price it costs to pursue that tone via any other avenue (ala AxeFX, Kemper... Etc.)

Highly recommended, the best piece if gear I've ever owned bar none.

After hearing the factory programs. I was ready to return. They were shrill sounding. After switching mics, amps and cabinets around it became awesome. Now I have some incredible Nuno like tones that make my fingers fly!. The programming is easy for most. Very intuitive. Options are amazing. It is built like a tank to.
I have owned every amp out there and get end up selling what I don't think is awesome. My faithful GSP2101 now has a serious competitor that is VERY transportable and does impulse responses out of the box!

My sales engineer(Dennis Konicki great customer service!!!) helped me get one on the first round of shipping. Creating patches is simple, it took a few minuets and I was playing through a duel rectifier with any effect imaginable. my first multi-effects unit was a Digitech gsp-21 legend, modeling and digital effects have come a LONG way. The Line 6 Helix is a must have for a tone junkie, as a side note check e-bay if your looking for any traditional pedal effects, all of mine will be on there soon:)

I have been around awhile and yes I have even had the first line 6 product modeling amp. I have owned a lot of line 6 gear from the M13 to the Firehawk, and of course most of the different POD variations. All i can say is it is like night and day between all of those and the HELIX. When i first started playing on some of the clean sounds i could tell right away this piece of gear wasn't just nice packaging and accessories and an easy to use interface, but this baby has a ton of tone. Yes Tone!!! I never played any of the Fractal Audio stuff since i was turned off by the price. However, when line 6 came out with this and i saw the videos and demos i new i needed to take a chance on this. I was totally blown away by the Authenticity of the sounds and of course theres the pedal format which nothing can parallel in the way this was thought out and designed.

I've been using modelers for years. I started with the line 6 Axsys and graduated to the Vetta. More recently my go to unit was the Fractal Axe Fx II. I even have a Kemper. Now the Helix comes along and ups the ante. The helix is not necessarily better sounding than the Axe Fx but I would say it is as good and the interface blows the Axe Fx and Kemper units away. The price and simplicity can't be beat. An Axe Fx II, their floor controller, and expression pedal will cost you over 3K. One can get a Helix for less than half that. I received it on a Friday, programmed it and used it for a gig the next day Saturday. The guys in the band were impressed with all that great stereo sound coming from such a small setup - no rack. I run it through a Mission Engineering Gemini 2x12 powered cab and it sounds awesome! Get it!

I still can't believe how awesome this product is. I play 2 weddings a week with 10 piece bands and I have to say, this holds up sound wise. Any time I've ever brought a modeler out to big gigs, you can always tell once the sound gets big that the sound is thin and modeled. Not with the helix. Really gives you the feel of having seriously great sounding amps at your disposal. Love my helix!

This is definitely worth the wait. Stunning looks,amazing tones, and simple interface.
I got this in and frankly, I can't find myself stepping away from it. It not only steps up to the competition, but it blows them away.

The hype is real. Couldn't be more satisfied.

I have been using a multi effect pedal for awhile. I programed it to our sets. I didn't think anything could get better. I just got my Helix Line 6 today and I'm am blown away. I used their cheat sheet that comes with the unit and have been playing with it all afternoon. I haven't scratched the surface of all it has to offer, but it is fantastic. Easy to use, everything is straight forward, I just downloaded the owner manual from their website. Get on the list you won't be sorry. The sounds, the construction, the looks, the ease of use, it's everything they say and then some.