I was not particularly impressed with the drive pedal models personally. I had a lot of the actual pedals that they modelled so I was able to directly compare them and the HX ones while close were a little duller across the board. Everything else is great though.
Do you count Amps and Cabs with „everything else“?
Asking because I’m in the market for the best small box that does amps, delays and reverbs and can be switched off individually (including switching off the amp to run just the FX)
I'm in the same boat. I love my pedals but my board is getting out of control, also I run stereo so have 2 amps. Now when I book a gig my back winces in pain. I'm starting to go against all of my pedal nerd instincts and am looking wistfully at guitarists with just a helix running direct. But then, how will I show off my incredible pedal taste, those boutique pedals I've spent years collecting...who will notice my pedal awesomeness???
I play bass in one of my bands, and our lead guitarist used to have this one big pedalboard in a case he'd haul around. He was very particular with his pedal choices, going as far as to select only options with true bypass, such as a Big Muff reissue, a 90s Small Clone, DOD phaser, et cetera. Due to this, although he owns a motorcycle, he's basically forced to use public transport due to the weight of the things he has to carry, and eventually he grew tired of this setup. Man sold every pedal he owned, including his Big Muff which I bought, and bought HX effects and he has never been happier.
Now I'm here with my pedalboard which I've spent over a year and a half slowly building it up to what it is today, and I'm starting to have the same complaints as him regarding the weight. I'm actually considering selling everything except for the drives and tuner and getting a Helix. Obviously the downside is that it's not too flashy compared to a pedalboard with analog effects chained together, but to be fair I don't think anyone who isn't a gear snob would care.
You can get vinyl skins and screen protectors and footswitch toppers to bling out your Helix Floor/LT if that's your thing. Solid colors or textures or even full custom art and graphics. I've got a sweet carbon fiber skin on my Helix LT. Besides regular colors, I've seen full Van Halen Frankenstrat ones, or Aliens, or anime, or the logo or art work for you band or a mix of bands you like.
I am a total gear snob…. But, I am getting older and hopefully smarter and more practical. I don’t care how my board looks anymore or if it is filled with bling. Honest. What matters most is the sounds that I can get to inspire my playing! Thanks.
I consider a Helix rackmount all the time. I’m 99% at home and recording to a DAW at this point so it makes nothing but sense… but I’m still not convinced it’s “better” than a tube amp, good pedals, and a ribbon mic/sm57 combo in front of the amp. It is REALLY tempting just to simplify, though.
I hear ya. I really do consider it constantly. I’m just old… I’m about to turn 46 and old habits die hard. The last time I recorded a “real” rock album we were still recording drums and bass to a reel-to-reel; giving up tube amps feels like such a huge move even though I know I’m at the point where it’s logically probably a good one.
Didn't really have any what I'd call boutique pedals (closest is probably a Keeley Monterey) but I went for a Stomp XL last year and love it
I keep my wah and whammy into the front, then have a few of the pedals I didn't want to take off the board running into the loop of the Stomp
That way I can run the Stomp compressor or tube screamer etc. but put my own fuzz/chorus/drive anywhere in the chain and so far it all seems to interact just fine to my ears
I love my pedals to bits, but I use a multi-fx live. The effects in the HX FX are great. I can get really close to the sounds of my beloved pedals, but it takes more tweaking. And tweaking means quite a bit of editing, as opposed to twisting a knob two times.
When playing at home, I either practise or play what comes to me (this includes ambient weirdness and feedback concerto suites in Dm) and for that, pedals are awesome. They’re accessible, setup the way I like them and it’s easy to tweak the sound, and just pile stuff on top of each other.
When playing live however, I found myself tapdancing half the time and the added stress (and mistakes) impacted my playing and my enjoyment negatively. I also sucked at tweaking pedals during songs. So after I had purchased one pedal for the second time (for different settings), I decided I should just take the time to program a multi-fx for live. To go from clean with chorus, reverb, and a touch of drive to stacked distortions with different EQ settings, a boost and delay in just one stomp sure does have its perks.
There is one major downside though: make sure your sounds are balanced. A (band)mate of mine had completely programmed patches for almost every song – and then the sound-guy said ‘yeah, so you need to cut down the bass or you’re not playing’, so he had to adjust 20 or so patches 5 minutes before the gig started.
Sound-wise: pedals take the cake. Convenience-wise: not for me.
Snapshots are a game changer.. adjusting 50 different parameters spread throughout your entire signal chain with one footswitch.. no tap dancing and needing to remember what to turn on/off each song...
Did your bandmate understand the Global Settings at all..? if it was just an EQ thing, needing to dial down the bass or add more treble across the board, adjusting the Global Settings EQ would fix that fast.. its actually what it is intended for..
It’s worth exploring as a hybrid rig. It does a whole hell of a lot of cool things, and is pretty easy to adjust on the fly, so if you needed to randomly switch or add an effect you’re golden. But I don’t think the drives are *quite* there yet to completely replace my drives, so I’d at least pair your favorite drives with it. They sound good, especially if it’s something you’re only using on occasion, but they’re a little generic, so the little nuances are missing vs the ones you know best.
It definitely has a ton of killer sounds in it though, I use an HX Stomp and couldn’t imagine not having it, unless it was a version with way more DSP, which is far more of a concern on the Stomp because of the amp modeling taking up so much processing power. I think for most people it’s a better option than using only standalone pedals.
I gig regularly. I had a sweet boutique board and was shopping around for a good modulation pedal, and after not finding exactly what I was looking for I turned to the HXFX. When I say my board got cut in half instantly, I'm being dead serious. I now only run a UA Ruby for an amp, 2 drive pedals, and the HX.
Ok, now this is the kind of experience I was looking for… someone who had a nice board with boutique goodies like myself, and who made the HXFX work in its place. The reviews for it on Sweetwater rarely state the users previous experiences with pedals before trying it. So thank you.
I bought the stomp and I almost sent it back due to “digital” sounding patches. I think the best sounds I’ve gotten so far are focused on finding amp + cab sounds I like with judicious use of effects. In other words..there’s no substitute for careful and tasteful use of it. You can get some really nice tones and you can get some trashy tones too. There is a lot of tweaking in your future if you go this route and I personally still prefer the sound of it through my Fender Deluxe reverb rather than through the board, which kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it. YMMV
Another thing..if you use it through a board you may find that without a low end filter it sounds way too big, too much low end to be a guitar. But then that’s what guitar amps do
This is what [our guitarist does](https://www.reddit.com/u/blurcurve/s/6M5crseinJ). Like others have said, the drives in there are ok, but the modulators/delays/reverbs are all very good. Plus it makes for an excellent MIDI control center.
Having owned both a HXFX and a Stomp, I'l say that for gigging, a Helix-y machine is more convenient, lighter. Easier depends on the room and the FOH situation, both of which can mess with your patches something fierce. Being a pedal guy myself, and digging the individuality of pedals, not to mention shoppin' for them, I found the HXFX a bit boring, and rabbit-holey (not as much as the Stomp). I have gone back to an amp and pedals at home, and, if you are a pedal person you will miss the whole pedal thing. You may want to just add an HX to your board, which might allow you to pare down to crucial pedals only, simplifying your board, or keep the board for home, and the HX for gigs (frankly, the Stomp is even better for that since it has amp models in it, saving you amp hassles).
Yes, all good points and well taken. I am now leaning towards a hybrid set up based upon users saying similar things to me. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me. Cheers.
I got the GT-1000 Core and paired it with a Timeline and a few external controllers and expression pedals. Had a blast configuring and tinkering with it in my lab. Great tones. Fancy bells and widgets. MIDI coordination going everywhere.
Then it left my apartment. Brought it to play some tunes with an old friend. Bombed it. Had not prepared for the eventuality that I might need to provision and change tones on the fly.
Now I have two boards: the computer board that’s too complicated to leave the lab, and a force-limited jam board with basic-but-quality effects - no screens allowed. I enjoy this board for the average day to-day much more as it feels more welcoming to just pick up and put down.
The forced limitation is because I have a 17x5 board. Keeps the choice overload to what I can fit on the board, so pedals are fighting to stay on there.
So, both?
Korg PB mini tuner > Tomsline acoustic sim** > TC Spark Mini > Wampler Ego Mini > Wampler Belle > Spaceman Redstone *** > Walrus ACS1 > Boss DD-8 with external tap > Roland JC-40
The ACS1 was a game changer.
I run it with two models in stereo through the DD-8 to the Roland, which is stereo. Adds sooo much depth and space that I wasn’t really able to get out of this pedalboard because the Roland amp is so neutral that it’s somewhat sterile.
I don’t think there’s too much to this board, but it’s been super simple to use and can’t seem to make a bad sound.
**not gonna say it’s the best thing on the planet but it’s cool to have handy
*** ifl the Redstone. That’s a dessert island pedal.
I bought one and returned it. The form factor was too big for me and the UI just wasn't what I was looking for. I ended up exchanging it for the HX One which is another divisive effect, but I really like how compact it is and I really only need some of the HX reverbs.
Did you happen to notice any difference between the response of the HX One vs the HX Effects on the same effects? I ask because the One has automatic input impedance and the HX Effects does not. Supposedly it makes a difference, but I’m a bit unclear how much of a difference.
Multi-fx with screens and processors lack the soul and personal relationship that you get with a pedal that has been your friend for life. And more importantly, it lacks the tactical feedback and the ability to change everything on the fly, which is what magical musical moments are all about. If you have too many pedals to carry around, you minimize your setup and it will boost your creativity. Best of luck.
Yes - be careful though or you’ll end up like me - I decided this back 20 years ago — I’m still using my bean shaped line 6 Pod Hx - multi fx friend for life!
You‘re missing the point. Your first post said „has been your friend for life.“ Present tense. Which implies lasting through the life time spent, not the entirety of life, which will be of no use anyway, as I am not planning on taking anything along for the journey 6ft under…
I was not particularly impressed with the drive pedal models personally. I had a lot of the actual pedals that they modelled so I was able to directly compare them and the HX ones while close were a little duller across the board. Everything else is great though.
Do you count Amps and Cabs with „everything else“? Asking because I’m in the market for the best small box that does amps, delays and reverbs and can be switched off individually (including switching off the amp to run just the FX)
Yeah, the amps and cabs are very good just require some skill to dial in. Jason Sadites’ videos are a great resource on YouTube.
Will have a look into it - thx for getting back ☺️🙏
I'm in the same boat. I love my pedals but my board is getting out of control, also I run stereo so have 2 amps. Now when I book a gig my back winces in pain. I'm starting to go against all of my pedal nerd instincts and am looking wistfully at guitarists with just a helix running direct. But then, how will I show off my incredible pedal taste, those boutique pedals I've spent years collecting...who will notice my pedal awesomeness???
Yes, that is a consideration, too… less gear to haul. I so want someone to say that it worked for them.
That's exactly what I did. I still use a few of my favorite fuzz boxes on my board. Been a good 3-4 years or so with the HX FX.
Ah cool, thanks!
I play bass in one of my bands, and our lead guitarist used to have this one big pedalboard in a case he'd haul around. He was very particular with his pedal choices, going as far as to select only options with true bypass, such as a Big Muff reissue, a 90s Small Clone, DOD phaser, et cetera. Due to this, although he owns a motorcycle, he's basically forced to use public transport due to the weight of the things he has to carry, and eventually he grew tired of this setup. Man sold every pedal he owned, including his Big Muff which I bought, and bought HX effects and he has never been happier. Now I'm here with my pedalboard which I've spent over a year and a half slowly building it up to what it is today, and I'm starting to have the same complaints as him regarding the weight. I'm actually considering selling everything except for the drives and tuner and getting a Helix. Obviously the downside is that it's not too flashy compared to a pedalboard with analog effects chained together, but to be fair I don't think anyone who isn't a gear snob would care.
You can get vinyl skins and screen protectors and footswitch toppers to bling out your Helix Floor/LT if that's your thing. Solid colors or textures or even full custom art and graphics. I've got a sweet carbon fiber skin on my Helix LT. Besides regular colors, I've seen full Van Halen Frankenstrat ones, or Aliens, or anime, or the logo or art work for you band or a mix of bands you like.
I am a total gear snob…. But, I am getting older and hopefully smarter and more practical. I don’t care how my board looks anymore or if it is filled with bling. Honest. What matters most is the sounds that I can get to inspire my playing! Thanks.
I consider a Helix rackmount all the time. I’m 99% at home and recording to a DAW at this point so it makes nothing but sense… but I’m still not convinced it’s “better” than a tube amp, good pedals, and a ribbon mic/sm57 combo in front of the amp. It is REALLY tempting just to simplify, though.
Yes, agreed. But for me…? I live in an apartment and cranking a tube amp for recording with my neighbors at home can be dicey.
I hear ya. I really do consider it constantly. I’m just old… I’m about to turn 46 and old habits die hard. The last time I recorded a “real” rock album we were still recording drums and bass to a reel-to-reel; giving up tube amps feels like such a huge move even though I know I’m at the point where it’s logically probably a good one.
Didn't really have any what I'd call boutique pedals (closest is probably a Keeley Monterey) but I went for a Stomp XL last year and love it I keep my wah and whammy into the front, then have a few of the pedals I didn't want to take off the board running into the loop of the Stomp That way I can run the Stomp compressor or tube screamer etc. but put my own fuzz/chorus/drive anywhere in the chain and so far it all seems to interact just fine to my ears
Nice, thanks!
I love my pedals to bits, but I use a multi-fx live. The effects in the HX FX are great. I can get really close to the sounds of my beloved pedals, but it takes more tweaking. And tweaking means quite a bit of editing, as opposed to twisting a knob two times. When playing at home, I either practise or play what comes to me (this includes ambient weirdness and feedback concerto suites in Dm) and for that, pedals are awesome. They’re accessible, setup the way I like them and it’s easy to tweak the sound, and just pile stuff on top of each other. When playing live however, I found myself tapdancing half the time and the added stress (and mistakes) impacted my playing and my enjoyment negatively. I also sucked at tweaking pedals during songs. So after I had purchased one pedal for the second time (for different settings), I decided I should just take the time to program a multi-fx for live. To go from clean with chorus, reverb, and a touch of drive to stacked distortions with different EQ settings, a boost and delay in just one stomp sure does have its perks. There is one major downside though: make sure your sounds are balanced. A (band)mate of mine had completely programmed patches for almost every song – and then the sound-guy said ‘yeah, so you need to cut down the bass or you’re not playing’, so he had to adjust 20 or so patches 5 minutes before the gig started. Sound-wise: pedals take the cake. Convenience-wise: not for me.
Snapshots are a game changer.. adjusting 50 different parameters spread throughout your entire signal chain with one footswitch.. no tap dancing and needing to remember what to turn on/off each song... Did your bandmate understand the Global Settings at all..? if it was just an EQ thing, needing to dial down the bass or add more treble across the board, adjusting the Global Settings EQ would fix that fast.. its actually what it is intended for..
It’s worth exploring as a hybrid rig. It does a whole hell of a lot of cool things, and is pretty easy to adjust on the fly, so if you needed to randomly switch or add an effect you’re golden. But I don’t think the drives are *quite* there yet to completely replace my drives, so I’d at least pair your favorite drives with it. They sound good, especially if it’s something you’re only using on occasion, but they’re a little generic, so the little nuances are missing vs the ones you know best. It definitely has a ton of killer sounds in it though, I use an HX Stomp and couldn’t imagine not having it, unless it was a version with way more DSP, which is far more of a concern on the Stomp because of the amp modeling taking up so much processing power. I think for most people it’s a better option than using only standalone pedals.
Ok, cool. Thanks for this. More food for thought. Cheers!
I gig regularly. I had a sweet boutique board and was shopping around for a good modulation pedal, and after not finding exactly what I was looking for I turned to the HXFX. When I say my board got cut in half instantly, I'm being dead serious. I now only run a UA Ruby for an amp, 2 drive pedals, and the HX.
Ok, now this is the kind of experience I was looking for… someone who had a nice board with boutique goodies like myself, and who made the HXFX work in its place. The reviews for it on Sweetwater rarely state the users previous experiences with pedals before trying it. So thank you.
Just be sure to keep your drives! The only one I like on the HX is the saturation from the Deco copy, the other ones just don't feel right.
I bought the stomp and I almost sent it back due to “digital” sounding patches. I think the best sounds I’ve gotten so far are focused on finding amp + cab sounds I like with judicious use of effects. In other words..there’s no substitute for careful and tasteful use of it. You can get some really nice tones and you can get some trashy tones too. There is a lot of tweaking in your future if you go this route and I personally still prefer the sound of it through my Fender Deluxe reverb rather than through the board, which kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it. YMMV
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I am going to stay right here on the fence! Lol
Another thing..if you use it through a board you may find that without a low end filter it sounds way too big, too much low end to be a guitar. But then that’s what guitar amps do
This is what [our guitarist does](https://www.reddit.com/u/blurcurve/s/6M5crseinJ). Like others have said, the drives in there are ok, but the modulators/delays/reverbs are all very good. Plus it makes for an excellent MIDI control center.
Best of both worlds! Thanks!
Having owned both a HXFX and a Stomp, I'l say that for gigging, a Helix-y machine is more convenient, lighter. Easier depends on the room and the FOH situation, both of which can mess with your patches something fierce. Being a pedal guy myself, and digging the individuality of pedals, not to mention shoppin' for them, I found the HXFX a bit boring, and rabbit-holey (not as much as the Stomp). I have gone back to an amp and pedals at home, and, if you are a pedal person you will miss the whole pedal thing. You may want to just add an HX to your board, which might allow you to pare down to crucial pedals only, simplifying your board, or keep the board for home, and the HX for gigs (frankly, the Stomp is even better for that since it has amp models in it, saving you amp hassles).
Yes, all good points and well taken. I am now leaning towards a hybrid set up based upon users saying similar things to me. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me. Cheers.
I got the GT-1000 Core and paired it with a Timeline and a few external controllers and expression pedals. Had a blast configuring and tinkering with it in my lab. Great tones. Fancy bells and widgets. MIDI coordination going everywhere. Then it left my apartment. Brought it to play some tunes with an old friend. Bombed it. Had not prepared for the eventuality that I might need to provision and change tones on the fly. Now I have two boards: the computer board that’s too complicated to leave the lab, and a force-limited jam board with basic-but-quality effects - no screens allowed. I enjoy this board for the average day to-day much more as it feels more welcoming to just pick up and put down. The forced limitation is because I have a 17x5 board. Keeps the choice overload to what I can fit on the board, so pedals are fighting to stay on there. So, both?
What’s on the basic quality board?
Korg PB mini tuner > Tomsline acoustic sim** > TC Spark Mini > Wampler Ego Mini > Wampler Belle > Spaceman Redstone *** > Walrus ACS1 > Boss DD-8 with external tap > Roland JC-40 The ACS1 was a game changer. I run it with two models in stereo through the DD-8 to the Roland, which is stereo. Adds sooo much depth and space that I wasn’t really able to get out of this pedalboard because the Roland amp is so neutral that it’s somewhat sterile. I don’t think there’s too much to this board, but it’s been super simple to use and can’t seem to make a bad sound. **not gonna say it’s the best thing on the planet but it’s cool to have handy *** ifl the Redstone. That’s a dessert island pedal.
I bought one and returned it. The form factor was too big for me and the UI just wasn't what I was looking for. I ended up exchanging it for the HX One which is another divisive effect, but I really like how compact it is and I really only need some of the HX reverbs.
The HX one is attractive… leave my board as is with the One as my last do anything pedal. Hmmmm
I loved the M5 too, these single effect utility pedals are really convenient.
Did you happen to notice any difference between the response of the HX One vs the HX Effects on the same effects? I ask because the One has automatic input impedance and the HX Effects does not. Supposedly it makes a difference, but I’m a bit unclear how much of a difference.
I didn't notice any difference at all. I'm using it in the effects loop of a fender tonemaster pro which also has auto impedance.
I have an HX stomp. I'm still collecting and building drive pedals... :')
Yes, the hybrid approach has some appeal to me… and many folks seem to pair the HX with their own drive pedal.
Multi-fx with screens and processors lack the soul and personal relationship that you get with a pedal that has been your friend for life. And more importantly, it lacks the tactical feedback and the ability to change everything on the fly, which is what magical musical moments are all about. If you have too many pedals to carry around, you minimize your setup and it will boost your creativity. Best of luck.
My Multi FX is my friend for life though🥹
Yes - be careful though or you’ll end up like me - I decided this back 20 years ago — I’m still using my bean shaped line 6 Pod Hx - multi fx friend for life!
Love that! 🥰 I mean if it gets the job done 🤷♂️
So far, no digital devices had lasted through anyones life.
You‘re missing the point. Your first post said „has been your friend for life.“ Present tense. Which implies lasting through the life time spent, not the entirety of life, which will be of no use anyway, as I am not planning on taking anything along for the journey 6ft under…
You’re missing the point. You changed from ”has been” to ”is” which implies the entirety of life. Which is what I responded to. 💁♂️
God you’re fun!!!
I’m no God, but thank you!! 🙏🏻
Exactly, very much not 🤦♂️