Line 6 HX Effects / Helix Reverbs vs our favorite reverb pedals (Strymon BigSky & Boss RV-6)
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- We compare the new Line 6 Helix and HX Effects Reverbs to their favorite reverb pedals (Strymon BigSky and Boss RV-6). We play through all 5 of the new reverbs from Line 6.
It's important to remember that Line 6 did not model these reverbs against the ones we compared them to from Strymon and Boss. They are just the ones we thought they sounded most like. The line 6 verbs will not sound exactly the same (nor should they). We also found that the HX reverbs could not get as 'wet' as the Boss and Strymon verbs - on many of the HX verbs, we had the mix set well above 50% and the level maxed at +6.
You could, however, stack multiple reverbs in the HX effects or Helix to get a very complex reverb sound that would easily sound as big as those from Strymon or Boss (and this is not something you could do with those pedals).
Guitar we used: MJT VTL (Thinline tele with Porter pickups)
Amp: Kemper Profiling Amp using the Ace Sonic Pope profile from Tone Junkies
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Thanks for watching! It's important to remember that Line 6 did not model these reverbs against the ones we compared them to from Strymon and Boss. They are just the ones we thought they sounded most like. The line 6 verbs will not sound exactly the same (nor should they). We also found that the HX reverbs could not get as 'wet' as the Boss and Strymon verbs - on many of the HX verbs, we had the mix set well above 50% and the level maxed at +6.
You could, however, stack multiple reverbs in the HX effects or Helix to get a very complex reverb sound that would easily sound as big as those from Strymon or Boss (and this is not something you could do with those pedals).
Worship Tutorials would you know if I can get the same sounds from the Helix LT and can I bypass all modeling cabinets microphone placement from the Helix HT and just use the effects from the Helix HT? I guess I want The Best of Both Worlds and save me some money. Thank you for your help
Can you guys share the patches for these configurations?
Can you please compare the Big sky and Flamma FS02.
The main difference that Im hearing is just that the Helix is basically mixed quieter than the other pedals in a lot of the examples...
This
Exactly hard to compare when the mix is that low , good observation 👍🏻 for the price point I love playing thru my pod GO and I love the ambient textures I can get
@@gubbyg6567 Hi. Could you make a demo of your Pod Go. Thanks! God Bless you.
Definitely yes. Besides the crowd we play to hardly cares or even knows which reverb we use. Go with your budget
The Ganymede is my favorite Helix reverb. The way the trailing ends pitch up in the end is just magical. It's all you could ask of a reverb sound.
Best shimmer is currently Digitech Polara. It's got so much diffused air added that it's just as smooth as can be. The setting is called Halo.
Sky sounds better- I want a multi effects for everything so I’m going with helix !
I just got a used HX Effects for less than the cost of a Big Sky. I can get close to the Big Sky yet still have all of the modulation and delay effects as well. Many of which are just as good as the real deal. The Overdrives in the HX leave a lot to be desired, but OD is hard to model. I think it's best to use HX Effects in the effects loop if you have one.
I know that this video is a little outdated, but the new strymon bigsky mx allows you to stack or run reverbs in parallel. In my opinion it is necessary to if you have a bigsky, (even the 2016 version) since it gets super wet way before it reaches 50% on the mix. But this makes sense; after all, the hx has more than just reverb so some compromises were made. Keep up the good work guys! Your vids help out a lot!
Great video. Haven't missed the BigSky or my other reverbs at all since I got the first 2.5 beta a few weeks ago.
Thanks Alex! Your video on these verbs got me excited, and hearing them in person - they don’t disappoint.
Personally I would find no reason to invest in a dedicated reverb pedal at this point.
Alex.Guitars can I have your BigSky then?😅😂 (partially serious haha)
You could also midi up a big sky or eventide if you want to keep the favorite Reverb and then get the flexibility of the HX effects, you could also put big sky and h9 in a stereo loop to have anywhere in mix per preset.
I have an h9 and want an HX and planning on doing this approach.
Also with HX effects, you can add more blocks of effects to really craft a unique delay. Love all the sounds and I don’t think you can go wrong nowadays with Reverb pedals
I use the plateau setting for my swells, with a plus 7(a 5th) and a plus 12 shimmer, with the shimmer set to less than 20% it's usually like 17, it's subtle it sounds huge, it gives that spacy kind of cloud sound!
Great video. I love the simplicity of running everything through the Helix Floor, but felt the Strymon pedals were so much better that they showed a weak spot in the Helix system. Hopefully they 2.5 firmware patch will roll out for all systems soon.
You gotta try the GFI specular tempas. Amazing reverbs and delays, small footprint, easy to use.
i have a question, do you connect direct to interface or direct to Amp and then procces the signal to interface? the sound is amazing :D
You guys have a lovely manner, great demo. Thank you.
Wow that Rv6 sounds awesome
Tasteful playing that reveals the characters of all the reverbs (HX algos could use a bit more brilliance overall), and insightful comments/dialogue - first video I've seen of yours, but looking forward to your next HX Effects comparison discussion.
The Bigsky is just more musical. The HxStomp takes a degree in tweaking to get to the goods. I won’t argue there’s good stuff there with The Hx but I like spending time playing more than tweaking. The Bigsky is hard to make sound bad, the Hx can sound great but it’s not nearly as easy IMO
Why didn't u use the Octo reverb on the legacy file, it sounds more like a shimmer than the plateaux
wow some really great tones. And really really really nice playing. Also very inspiring.
Hey Brian It's crazy hard to see your settings for each of the new reverbs from line 6. Any chance you'd share those specs on a list when you have some free time? Thanks again for this video cheers!
The reason why the big sky and rv6 are “clearer/more articulate “ is that there is no ad/da conversation on the unaffected guitar signal, that remains analog with the reverb blended in parallel. The nuance and clarity of the Guitar remains analog until it hits the kemper. With the hx the entire signal goes digital and while It creates an image of the original signal, it will always be an mathematical approximation. So what’s hitting the kemper is what the helix thinks your guitar sounds like, not what it actually sounds like with the other two.
That's the best description yet of why my ears hear muddy and washed out coming through the Line 6... thank you !!!
but wasn't the guitar running through the Helix with a compression block enabled for the whole demo? I agree the big sky wins because of the dry signal clarity it maintains at high mix settings, but i don't think that's the reason in this demo...
@@tmuka You're absolutely right. Nothing to do with the conversion. This video shows the choices made by the manufacturers, not the limitations of the technology.
9:36 fight for shimmer equality
Thanks you helped me decide on the big sky I'm currently using the vintage holy Grail
BigSky is hard to beat. Strymon knows what they’re doing. If you want the best of the best, the BigSky is a great option.
that is the best reverb pedal i ever had , if you lack in money you may try the Neunaber Wet wich offer some of the features of Strymon and the same quality
the big sky sounds a little bitter fuller than the one on the HX, but like ya'll said, they are pretty dang close.
On the other side of it, I would say that the Ganymede on the HX sounds better than the Boss RV (kind of surprised me).
Overall, considering that the HX effects has so much other stuff in it that sounds so good, and the Strymon is pretty pricey (currently 479 on Sweetwater) I'd go with the HX in a heartbeat (already have actually... ordered one from Sweetwater Wednesday)
The big difference me is the high end. With the Boss and Line 6, I’d feel the need to tame those metallic highs and strident character. With the Strymon, you can leave it bright and it still sounds pleasing and beautiful. The darker you set them, the more the differences disappear.
Yeah, but in each case the HX has less high end than the Big Sky. Are you referring to this vid or your own experience with the HX? I see the disclaimer as the first comment, but I wish they had tried to dial the HX settings in more to match the BS. For example the HX has way less modulation/ mix
Such a crap defence of an overpriced pedal. Use an eq if you want to change your high end.
@@benjamincs1 EQ after the verb? What if I like the high end of the tone sans verb and then don't when the verb is on? What if you're switching guitars a lot during a set and one is a Tele? That natural top end decay that the Big Sky has has a reason. And it's not an overpriced pedal. The chips it uses to get such a good sound are not cheap. Its a similar chip to the one that ran the entire first generation AxeFX and the ones that UAD uses for their hardware emulation.
Thank you guys for this comparison video! Really insightful.
Seems like both the Big Sky and the Boss had more modulation dialed in than the HX... What I'd really like to know is if it can do a convincing organic spring reverb, which is really what I am searching for. If it can, then it will be convenient to have reverb, delay and amp switching/stereo out in one unit like this. I'll still use my over drive and boosts pedals though. Love that MJT thinline, btw.
Difference to me seem like the low pass filters are different and the mix is lower on the hx. Big sky just seems a tad brighter
The same way I use my Zoom CDR, I think comparing reverb model to reverb model, sure it could lean unfavourably. However you can craft elaborate chains that trumps any other single pedal (e.g. I crafted a Bladerunner sound on a cheap Zoom on my channel). The Helix with parallel chains would be insane in soundscaping.
Great video guys. Thank you. Does the Strymon have a connection for an expression pedal? What I really like about LINE6 (I have an M9 and considering upgrading) is that you can get total control of effects with an expression pedal. For me, this is a must have as I have become used to having that capability. I like the sound of the Strymon in this video but not so much that I would choose it over the LINE6 if it doesn't have an expression pedal capability.
Troy Diaz It has 2 outs for expression pedals!
Hey! This video made the Line6 Soundbytes email! Nice job guys!
This thing sounds amazing. Great demo - definitely putting this on my to-buy list.
In 2019, do you guys think the Big Sky has finally been dethroned by the Ventris? Dual DSP, way smaller, cheaper, but the tone is obvious still subjective.
I hope somebody sees this. This video is quite old but what are the chords he is playing from 6:30 until 7:00? They sound so beautiful.
D with the sus... E... A... Key of A?
Great video!
in a service environment its not gonna make a difference which one you use. i still use the HD500X and it still to me is much better than most other stuff i have used
The Big Sky makes the Helix sick!!
Imma buy the HX effects for drives and mods then keep my Echosystem and BigSky after it.
Drives, Mods, IR. Dang, this HX effects have it all
Guys hope you can make presets for the mercury x and lvx as well.
The helix verbs sound quieter and maybe not as full because of that. Can you turn the volume up on the reverbs without starting to become full wet?
How do you get the tails to last longer? I sold all 3 of my 500 series boss pedals for an he stomp and the reverbs and delays leave me missing my boss stuff.
I’ve been on the fence about replacing my existing pedalboard with a Helix mainly because I love the sounds and tones from my current pedals. However, I’m tired of the tap dancing. I started looking into adding a switcher and midi controller to my board, but after pricing everything out, adding a RJM or Morningstar would cost just as much as a Helix. What do you guys suggest I do?
Just get the Helix. Use the editor on the computer. 1000% easier for 10% less of the tones.
Hey guys! I need help, a friend of mine is offering me his zoom g3xn, my current rig is sansamp flyrig 5, sansamp tri ac and boss blues driver. Im looking at line 6 m9 used but he offered me his zoom, should i pull the trigger on zoom or should i get the m9 or earn money to get sa hx stomp? Thanks in advance!
So for a slightly larger pedal, I get wayyy more effects for about the same price used as the strymon?
Agreed. Granted there are some subtle better nuances, but the HX Effects embraces such a wide variety of separates. I really enjoy mine and wish to mention that the HX Effects patches from Worship Tutorials are well worth the modest price, saving a lot of learning curve and setup time. Great presentation, Brad and Brian!
Great vid guys! Will the Pod Go do all of these sounds? I am getting one next week!
All of the other pedals sound better. But for the price and for playing live, for setting up, space and weight = helix. Especially when the price drops. My experience of using the PRS MT 15 = the 4 cable method was very much better and less noisy.
Up to 4:24, the HX Glitz sounds dull and muddy, the Strymon Bloom has much better top end. Not sure if you can change the EQ on the HX, or if you are stuck in the mud... which is it?
I know this comment is late but why not the RV-500?
Hey guys! For some reason when I hit my tap tempo, the delays are not delaying. Would you know why? I have the hx hooked up with other pedals just in case that information helps.
throughout the video you can notice how the guy plays slightly louder when the other pulse the "big sky"
Have u tried running big sky in an effect loop on helix? I’ve thought about trying that not sure how it works on it cause I’m a huge fan of that pedal too, not sure I can give it up
The BigSky has the highest octaves👌
8:49-ish... The Strymon Cloud setting is way more brilliant than the duller, muddier Searchlight of the HX. I'm beginning to think it is not an EQ setting problem, but rather the Line 6 stuff is just dull and muddy sounding compared to single pedals. By the time the signal (evidently) has to bee-bop through that digital circuit board inside the Line 6 unit, it just comes out muddy and less of what you put in... But... I'll keep listening.
The Strymon tails are much more brilliant than the tails of the HX's SEarchlight. There is no comparison. Might be my excellent AKG K240 headphones... they don't lie...
The reason i think big sky sounds good is because it is dedicated only for reverb and Line 6 HX has to control all effects but i think line 6 HX will do the work:)
Jeffrey Arivndhan my thoughts as well!
Agreed!
Just like high end audio... you can buy a turn table, a high end Nakamichi cassette deck, a reel to reel, then a tuner for your radio, then plug it in to a preamp, and have a snazzy power amp... or you can get an all-in one thing called a ghetto blaster... the Line 6 thing is the ghetto blaster... it will never have the sound of single units specifically tweaked to do one thing... that's just the nature of the beast... the proof in the pudding here are the awesome trails and high end sparkle the Strymon has... whereas the HX is muddy and dull... and at our venue the guy with the Helix gets lost in the mix... too much mud
@@jameshendee4489 I'll second this. I even used to use an AxeFX. Gigged it for two years. Wen't back to tube amps and pedals. I couldn't hear myself live. The BigSky, what I personally use, sounds incredible in a mix and on stage where sound is crazy and different from night to night. I only used 3 or 4 patches on it. Worth the money.
Boss rv6 modulation is just unbeatable
Just get both and run the BigSky into the Helix!
It is the Kemper that makes it all sound good . . .
I think the Big Sky sounds a lot better, but for 1/3 the price of the Helix, I'm going Helix every time.
RV500 May be the best thing out there. I have 2 H9s and wish I’d seen the RV and DD and MD first.
How was this wired up? 4 cable method with the BigSky and RV6 into the additional FX loops of the Helix FX?
Hey Jon - we went over the signal chain in the video - Guitar -> HX Effects -> BigSky -> RV6 -> Kemper. We didn't use any effects loops.
Why Worshippers are not talking about Flamma FS02???
6:42-ish, again the HX sounds muddy, and the RV-6 has a much better tail, the RV-6 tail has more high frequencies. So far, to my ears the single pedals have the edge, and the HX is stuck in the mud... is there a fix to the HX mud?
At our church we have a guy who is a master with single pedals, and a guy with the Helix, and the thing I have noticed is that the Helix sounds washed out and gets lost in the mix compared to the brilliance and dynamics of single pedals. I'll keep listening, but my ears aren't convinced.
Sounds like the reverb mix is higher on the Sky + RV-6 than the HX effects. I agree with others that the Sky sounds better, but the HX is still very impressive. For ~$100 more than the Big Sky you get great reverb and so so so much more...
Awesome video guys!!!
Sounds really great guys. Thanks for posting. What’s the profile on the Kemper?
Thanks! It's the Ace Sonic Pope profile from Tone Junkies
Sooooooooze
I swear he said “welcome to worst tutorials”. Lol
Ha!
I heard that too!
Question: I was going to sell my Hall Of Fame 2, and buy an HX Effects for everything. Does it make sense for me to keep the HOF and use it plugged into the HX?
It would give you more versatility
I re-added an original HOF to my board and I even used it today with a basic plate to stack and add a flavor. I also found that the plate sounds very very good with my Godin Nylon string. So at present it still has life even though I might be picking up a Ventris, Dark Sun, Big Sky or similar...
Hey guys, does the HX effects have a freeze switch for any of its reverbs? Thanks
What brand of pickups are in that telecaster?
Excellent video, thank u so much
These new reverbs from the HX, are they available on the normal Helix as well?
Reinhardt Coetzee not yet. Line 6 says probably next week sometime.
they're available now!
Awesome - Thank you!
I own the Big Sky and would need it surgically removed at this stage. Will always be on my board. HX effects arrived today. Don't think it will replace Strymon when I really want top drawer reverb, but to be fair they cost pretty much the same and you get way more for the HX so will make sense for a lot of folks.
Nice video. Question, why did you guys even have the Kemper in the equation? Couldn't you have gone straight into your audio interface and had one less device potentially coloring the tone?
We needed an amp and we wanted to run it into something besides our Helix. I don’t know if anyone who would run a guitar into HX FX and go straight to the board instead of an amp of some kind.
Thanks!
What about kemper reverbs ?
The bigsky has a little octo reverb i think. i guess i can achieve it if i mixed properly the hx effects.
Any info on your bigsky settings for your reverb tones?
really just used some presets already in the BigSky. I only tweak a small amount.
BIGSKY REMAINS UNTOUCHABLE. =)
Jonathan Farias not really
How's your throat Brian?
You guys are really good.
Can these reverbs be used on the Hx Stomp?
Yes, HX Effects and HX Stomp have the same presets of the Helix
There is an M series shimmer in the legacy folder that is way more shimmery. (particleverb)
Maybe one with overdrives?
Checkout crazy tube circuit white whale, 3 spring reverb box. Impossible to beat
You’re not going to abandon the Helix now that you have the HX?
JamCave Studio noooo. Why not both? :)
Bradford Mitchell Hopefully its both. I have many of the patches this channel provides for the Helix.
No way :). I got the HX FX to make patches primarily. I may actually build a Kemper based rig to create some content on that, but Helix is still my main squeeze.
Worship Tutorials Good to know. I just didn’t want to miss out on all the great tones for these songs. I love my Helix and the Community. Keep up the good work!
4:52 "Grown Ups Come Back"
Searchlight didn't really sound like cloud
I'm not a worshipper, but doesn't the reverb come from the church?
Very good point, full blown Gothic Cathedral has got to be cheaper than the BigSky
Are these firmware 2.6?
No this was right after 2.5 came out
dang its so close that I would not even care not having a big sky
Pod Go same price as this big sky reverb….there’s absolutely no question
The individual pedals sound better,but the Helix is £500 ,and a big sky is over £200,the boss is £100.So it may be better value,but the pedals still sound better.
“Michael, what did I tell you about yuppers?”
Kendall McClay THANK YOU hahahahaha
approved by Jeebus 👍🏻
Do you have presets for the hx effects for these sounds?
You need to switch by ear, not by levels %
Please do this video in stereo someday.
Litte fella loves to hear himself talk..
Big sky is a clear winner in many aspects..
Awsome the big sky is big:)
Ha it is appropriately named :)
I dunno, the strymon is pretty hard to beat. Everytime it clicks on it's just on a different level to my ears
I think the Big Sky sounds much better, it must be because it gets wetter.