LINE 6 HELIX (Floor)

The Helix has been incredible for me. I was an early adopter when it first came out, managing to secure a unit in 2016 (when they were all sold out). I bought it primarily for a number of fly gigs I had coming up. At the time I was using my Marshall JVM with a “traditional” pedalboard that I definitely could not fly with. So, after seeing all the promising videos about the Helix, I took the plunge and got one.

From day one I’ve been very impressed with the sound and feel of the Helix. One thing to note was that this was greatly improved by using 3rd part IRs from the likes of 3SigmaAudio, Own Hammer etc. These seem to add much more dimension and weight to the tones that, I feel, the built in cabs are lacking. Since getting the unit I have gone full digital with my live performance rig running the Helix direct to front of house. I’m not a huge fan of running a rig like this and relying completely on in-ears, but if thats your thing the Helix does it very well. As guitar players are rigs tend to be in constant flux, and that’s been no different with the Helix for me. I’ve gone through several changes but the Helix always stays at the centre of the rig. I’ve done Helix only, Helix plus the Powercab, Helix with a “real” amp, Helix plus pedals…and it’s done great in every one.

As for the actual amp and pedal models, they are a mixed bag. Mostly excellent, although often needing tweaking to get the most out of them. The cabs I have never been a huge fan of. They often sound small and boxy to me, and I much prefer the sound of a good IR, your experience may differ. The drive pedals I think are all very good. The stand outs for me are the Minotaur, Teemah! and Heir Tone Sonereign which I’m still using today. The modulations are another stand out area, often better than the original pedals as they tend to have a mix or dry/wet control. Meaning you can dial in the exact amount of effect you want, not always possible with the “real” pedals. Some of the delays have left me underwhelmed. That’s probably due to me coming to the Helix from my Strymon Timeline. Which, in my opinion, has some of the best delay sounds available.

The build quality of the Helix family is very good. Mostly metal all-round and good quality parts. I have, however, had issues with 2 different models. On my first unit the PSU blew leaving me with a unit that no longer powered. On my second unit the Volume knob has become very loose, to the point where it’s almost falling off, hence my slightly lower score.

Overall the Helix is a killer piece of gear, even though its now getting on for 8 years old.