The Line 6 support of regular FREE updates, that add massive quality flexibility to this unit, also greatly increases the value. Great vid as always. Thanks!
Hx stomp is absolutely incredible. Best interface of all them imo, sounds great, loads of tweakability, and they’ve added so much over time (dual ir was a gigantic more recent change). I’ll admit, I’m looking to go over to the fractal stuff but if you’re looking for a gig rig, late night practice, or just to get into modelling, HX stomp is the way to go, you won’t be disappointed.
Yup! I love how I can pack my entire rig into one carrying solution (Mono Vertigo and Tick). Most days I don't need the full power of the Helix, this little guy will do!
I am late to the party, however, I am going to be putting the HX Stomp into the HX Effects, so the HX Effects is the brain of the operation. I will be using the MIDI capability from the Stomp to the HX Efects, as so I can make my sounds as I play in a cover band, and the pairing should be really good. I will be going ampless as well, as I will be using the Seymour Duncan Power Stage 200 as my amp, and using a 4x12 cab to have some stage volume and sound. Looking forward to getting my tones together, and posting on my YT channel as well.
Never too late! I have a feeling Helix is everlasting to everlasting (a bit like Kemper which is now 15 years old?). Yeah man the MIDI implementation of the Helix products is top notch, even beginners who don’t know much programming can get into it easily. Nice power amp and cab option! I’d love to hear the rig come together!
The HX Stomp is a brilliant piece of gear. I will say though, that for me to truly get out of it what it offers I need to commit to it more. If I approach it ad-hoc 'every now and then' I am finding I get lost in trying to relearn how to get around it. Not that it is hard to manage the basic settings, but it is a barrier of entry for me a bit - not as plug and play as my other more 'modular/dedicated' gear. But, it is already worth it to me for my Godin Nylon string. Fantastic sound! So I basically right now just have 3-presets. 2 for the nylon, and one for a Lincoln Brester patch where I did a 'proof of concept setup' just using the Stomp and running into my MODX keyboard audio in as a simple one-man rig (Let the Praises Ring). Worked well and a testament to it's utility.
Michael Thompson, one of my favourite musicians, uses 2 patches on his Eventide H3000 for the past 30 years, so you're in good company! I found that my analog experience with live amps and real gear really helped speed up my tweaking and tone crafting decisions on modelling tech. As long as I know what kind of amp/cab/mic they're trying to model, that informs me of the tweaking approach and the general combination of effects that will sound good together.
Can confirm that Fractal products give you a great experience right out of the box! But I have a Stomp for smaller gigs, mono and such. Used it all in one for Good Friday and it did not disappoint
There was a time lugging around a 4U rack (or larger) was ok, but now with my ageing back, I cannot stress how important it is to use a small form factor unit.
I'm presently using a POD GO for the praise band and my secular gig with a trio playing mostly places with a very small setup space. Nobody is using stage amps in either situation. The praise band is seven musicians and four vocalists all who either are or were full time musicians. My trio is keyboards, guitar, acoustic guitar vocals and a track for drums. I'm thinking seriously of changing the POD GO for the HX Stomp as I am getting the idea that there will be a noticeable improvement in sound and options. Any comments/opinions would be most welcome.
Hi Paul! I think...why not both? 😂 They are built differently, with the POD Go being focused on providing great guitar tone quickly. But I think with your trio setup, a HX Stomp might be a good choice since you use tracks for drums. I use the HX Stomp as a tracks rig with my worship team. On the DAW, I can route the tracks independently of the guitar signal as there is a stereo send out of the side of the HX Stomp (using USB 3/4 as the output destination on the DAW). POD Go can't do this.
@@AllAboutWorshipGuitar Thank you for the information. It seems like I will be calling my Sweetwater guy for an HX Stomp. I will keep the POD GO as well especially as I’ve purchased a good number of patches for it.
The thing with the Stomp is that, especially after all the updates, it packs a lot more than it should. The only unit I believe has a similar price and quality sounds is the Boss equivalent, but the interface is atrocious compared to the Helix one. The FM3 is superior, but the price difference voids the comparison. So unless Line6 comes up with a successor selling for around the same price, I think the Stomp is still a worthy unit to have. Hell maybe even after that considering how capable it is and how the prices will drop to ridiculous levels, especially on the used market
Once you're in the Line 6 ecosystem, they set such a high benchmark for UI and UX, huh! I can't get past the monochrome Boss screen that looks like my calculator!
People are still buying Kempers, an axe fx standard still fetches more than a new stomp. Tech has slowed. I'd say we haven't made any dramatic advancements since the helix hardware dropped. Marginal advancements at best.
Yes I agree, considering musicians stick to their favourite tones for years at a go (Michael Thompson still uses an Eventide H3000, 30 years on). Perhaps it's also partially our fault as the consumer. I'm old enough to remember attempts at innovation (the Moog guitar comes to mind) but they're too far off-base from "traditional and analog".
Like the tones you hear? Check out my Bethel-ish Pack here: www.buymeacoffee.com/jcguitar/e/33709
The Line 6 support of regular FREE updates, that add massive quality flexibility to this unit, also greatly increases the value.
Great vid as always. Thanks!
Thank you for the kind words! Oh yes indeed, these free updates continually reinforce commitment from the user base.
Hx stomp is absolutely incredible. Best interface of all them imo, sounds great, loads of tweakability, and they’ve added so much over time (dual ir was a gigantic more recent change). I’ll admit, I’m looking to go over to the fractal stuff but if you’re looking for a gig rig, late night practice, or just to get into modelling, HX stomp is the way to go, you won’t be disappointed.
Yup! I love how I can pack my entire rig into one carrying solution (Mono Vertigo and Tick). Most days I don't need the full power of the Helix, this little guy will do!
I am late to the party, however, I am going to be putting the HX Stomp into the HX Effects, so the HX Effects is the brain of the operation. I will be using the MIDI capability from the Stomp to the HX Efects, as so I can make my sounds as I play in a cover band, and the pairing should be really good. I will be going ampless as well, as I will be using the Seymour Duncan Power Stage 200 as my amp, and using a 4x12 cab to have some stage volume and sound. Looking forward to getting my tones together, and posting on my YT channel as well.
Never too late! I have a feeling Helix is everlasting to everlasting (a bit like Kemper which is now 15 years old?). Yeah man the MIDI implementation of the Helix products is top notch, even beginners who don’t know much programming can get into it easily. Nice power amp and cab option! I’d love to hear the rig come together!
The HX Stomp is a brilliant piece of gear. I will say though, that for me to truly get out of it what it offers I need to commit to it more. If I approach it ad-hoc 'every now and then' I am finding I get lost in trying to relearn how to get around it. Not that it is hard to manage the basic settings, but it is a barrier of entry for me a bit - not as plug and play as my other more 'modular/dedicated' gear. But, it is already worth it to me for my Godin Nylon string. Fantastic sound! So I basically right now just have 3-presets. 2 for the nylon, and one for a Lincoln Brester patch where I did a 'proof of concept setup' just using the Stomp and running into my MODX keyboard audio in as a simple one-man rig (Let the Praises Ring). Worked well and a testament to it's utility.
Michael Thompson, one of my favourite musicians, uses 2 patches on his Eventide H3000 for the past 30 years, so you're in good company! I found that my analog experience with live amps and real gear really helped speed up my tweaking and tone crafting decisions on modelling tech. As long as I know what kind of amp/cab/mic they're trying to model, that informs me of the tweaking approach and the general combination of effects that will sound good together.
Can confirm that Fractal products give you a great experience right out of the box! But I have a Stomp for smaller gigs, mono and such. Used it all in one for Good Friday and it did not disappoint
There was a time lugging around a 4U rack (or larger) was ok, but now with my ageing back, I cannot stress how important it is to use a small form factor unit.
I have the xl and works fine😊
That's the final frontier for me! At this point it feels a bit like an incomplete trading card collection without the XL...
I'm presently using a POD GO for the praise band and my secular gig with a trio playing mostly places with a very small setup space. Nobody is using stage amps in either situation. The praise band is seven musicians and four vocalists all who either are or were full time musicians. My trio is keyboards, guitar, acoustic guitar vocals and a track for drums. I'm thinking seriously of changing the POD GO for the HX Stomp as I am getting the idea that there will be a noticeable improvement in sound and options. Any comments/opinions would be most welcome.
Hi Paul! I think...why not both? 😂 They are built differently, with the POD Go being focused on providing great guitar tone quickly. But I think with your trio setup, a HX Stomp might be a good choice since you use tracks for drums. I use the HX Stomp as a tracks rig with my worship team. On the DAW, I can route the tracks independently of the guitar signal as there is a stereo send out of the side of the HX Stomp (using USB 3/4 as the output destination on the DAW). POD Go can't do this.
@@AllAboutWorshipGuitar Thank you for the information. It seems like I will be calling my Sweetwater guy for an HX Stomp. I will keep the POD GO as well especially as I’ve purchased a good number of patches for it.
Eager to see what line 6 will show on NAMM
Me too! A Helix 2? A POD Go Plus? A HX Stomp Mini just for amps? We can hope!
The thing with the Stomp is that, especially after all the updates, it packs a lot more than it should. The only unit I believe has a similar price and quality sounds is the Boss equivalent, but the interface is atrocious compared to the Helix one. The FM3 is superior, but the price difference voids the comparison. So unless Line6 comes up with a successor selling for around the same price, I think the Stomp is still a worthy unit to have. Hell maybe even after that considering how capable it is and how the prices will drop to ridiculous levels, especially on the used market
Once you're in the Line 6 ecosystem, they set such a high benchmark for UI and UX, huh! I can't get past the monochrome Boss screen that looks like my calculator!
Headrush Prime?
I haven't had the chance to see one in person yet! New gear takes a long time to reach Singapore's shores.
People are still buying Kempers, an axe fx standard still fetches more than a new stomp. Tech has slowed. I'd say we haven't made any dramatic advancements since the helix hardware dropped. Marginal advancements at best.
Yes I agree, considering musicians stick to their favourite tones for years at a go (Michael Thompson still uses an Eventide H3000, 30 years on). Perhaps it's also partially our fault as the consumer. I'm old enough to remember attempts at innovation (the Moog guitar comes to mind) but they're too far off-base from "traditional and analog".