Line 6 Helix

review
LINE 6 HELIX
114
Guitarist may 2016
4. In brief, the Helix
offers 41 guitar amp
sims, seven bass
amps, 30 cabs, 16
mics and a total of
80 effects. The out-
of-the-box sounds
are great, while
creating your own
sounds is where the
real fun lies
4
need more expression, there’s provision to
plug in two external pedals.
Sounds
This is a definite step up from the HD series.
Line 6 says its dual-DSP engine provides
enough power to accurately recreate both the
sonics and dynamic feel of amplifiers, with
each stage of a circuit being measured and
matched so each model reacts and interacts
just like the real thing. We found that to be a
pretty accurate assessment of what we feel
and hear, with everything reacting naturally
to playing dynamics and guitar volume.
The modelled amps and effects – some
vintage, some modern, some mainstream,
some esoteric – cover a lot of bases and
feature lots of intricate detail that can be
customised. As ever, while there are plenty of
presets to use out of the box, getting beyond
those and creating your own is where the real
satisfaction resides.
Verdict
A bit of a technological marvel, the Helix
is the most advanced floor processor
we’ve seen, but even with so much in-built
flexibility, it is still easy to use. This is a real
do-it-all unit both live and in the studio, with
comprehensive I/O and routing that will see
it used on its own or as the nerve centre of a
complete system, large or small. Of course,
most of that would count for nothing if the
actual sounds were lacking, but they aren’t:
Line 6 has captured the tonal nuances found
in real amps and made it feel like you’re
playing through the real thing, creating an
extremely practical alternative to other
high-end products at the right price.
LINE 6 HELIX
PRICE: £1,221
ORIGIN: China
TYPE: Amp modeller/multi-effects
pedalboard processor
FEATURES: Tap tempo, tuner, looper,
6.2” 800x480-pixel LCD display
PRESETS: 1,024
MODELS: 41 amps, 7 bass amps,
30 cabs, 16 mics, 80 effects
CONTROLS: Volume, Phones,
1x joystick, 8x ‘soft’ knobs,
7x buttons, 12x footswitches,
ground lift switch, pedal treadle
CONNECTIONS: Standard guitar
input, standard aux input, XLR mic
input, standard Main outputs
(L/Mono, R), XLR Main outputs
(L/Mono, R), standard stereo phones
output, standard Send x4, standard
Return x4, s/pdif digital in, s/pdif
digital out, AES/EBU and L6 Link out,
Variax, MIDI IN, MIDI OUT/THRU,
USB, expression pedal x2,
Ext amp, CV
POWER: Mains power (IEC lead)
DIMENSIONS: 560 (w) x 300 (d)
x 95mm (h)
OPTIONS: Helix Rack, £1,156; Helix
Control (foot controller for rack),
£330; Helix Backpack, £125
Yamaha UK
01908 366700
www.line6.com
PROS Comprehensive connectivity;
great sound and feel; innovative
visual display features
CONS A metal bar close to the
joystick might have been useful to
protect it from clumsy feet
9
The Helix is the
most advanced
fl oor processor
we’ve seen, but
even with so much
in-built fl exibility,
it is still easy to use
GIT406.rev_helix.indd 114 3/16/16 11:52 AM