Posts by AlienSexGod

Quote from DonPetersen

there is no censorship here, all we do is trying to keep the tone of posts above a certain (although somewhat subjective) level and to protect our members from verbal abuse.

best
Don

Excuse me Don but I can't PM you, any user or click on their profile to see what other posts or background they may have. When I click I get "Kemper Profiler User Forum» Access denied. You’re not authorized to view this page."

Am I restricted somehow because I am outrageous?

Quote from Monkey_Man

LOL that's funny, Phil - 7 edits and you ended up with "Never mind."

Obviously the exchange has proved frustrating for you; I do empathise and have reduced detailed explorations of various subjects to similar 2 or 3-word sentences in the past. Perhaps, once things have distilled in your mind a little you'll be able to find the appropriate words in due course. Been there. I feel ya.

Thank you for your kind words, BTW; I meant what I said, ASG. Hopefully anyone looking to buy your unit won't see this thread!

Yeah that's hilarious. 10 then 7 edits!
Why he would be frustrated with me is beyond me ... hence my questioning of his allegiance to Line 6. My review was designed to SAVE frustration of others and is the only honest Helix review out there... the rest are from retailers or people that played for 30 mins or so in a store/tradeshow demo stunned like a deer by the bright lights, visual and physical sexiness with amp sounds clouded by effects or newbs like that Chad guy who admitted e's only been playing guitar 5 years, never did a paid gig and never owned a good sounding valve amp in his life. Who knows Phil's previous experience ... he hasn't shared it and I am not allows to look at his previous posts!

I must have been a bad boy however since I am no longer allowed to PM anyone ... not even a moderator!?
Someone send a hot girl to spank me please!

Cheers ASG!

Quote from Monkey_Man

Thank you for the review, ASG. Much appreciated, especially your frankness.

Hey Monkey you are cool! I spent to time to share the unadulterated truth free of hype but now one guy thinks I am"crap" and I can't PM anyone here WTF.

Quote from Nikos

@PhilUK84

The forum member ASG did the first first-hand review of the Helix here for this blog.The fact that he seemed "very enthusiastic" about the Helix before he bought it makes this review at least somehow worthy in my eyes.If he says that it sounds not good I guess we should take this as his honest opinion;

Thanks for the support Niko. My intentions are always good. I only criticise when I can point out a better direction for us to improve.

Quote from PhilUK84

All you've done is say you don't like it. Jagged, rough. These words don't relate to sound, it's a subjective and undefined description to something that you feel. I've played it and I liked it, I'm telling people to make their own mind up and not base their judgement on what you, or I say.

Go and look at nearly every Youtube video about it, and every thread, it's being reviewed well by nearly everyone who plays it. It's undeniable.

A Line 6 dealer? What are you talking about? Why don't you stop making threads with stupid titles like this one, see if you can change your lame username and stop talking crap all the time.

Phil I see you edited this post TEN times in TWO hours so God knows what unreasonable abuse it contained before you edited it? As it stands I find it unreasonable, nonfactual and obnoxious. If you don't like my username that's fine but please lay off the judgmental and baseless name calling thanks! "stop talking crap all the time." IN FACT it's you looking in a mirror because I didn't talk crap once yet you say I did which is crap! I gave an extensive hands on insight into aspects of the unit that clearly you don't have the perception to hear. You like it? If you have do not have an allegiance to Line 6 why do you appeal to forum users and TELL them to go out and try one? Why would you care?

Also playing for an hour or so at a demo or a trade show its easy to get caught up in the WoW factor, all the snazzy lights, cool UI and wanting it to be great compared to owning it, spending hours with it in a studio, tearing it down into its bits and listening in detail as I have done. Why do you see the need to attack me and make out my review and experience is invalid and "crap"? Seriously?

As for the initial title of this thread if you bother to read what I wrote the purpose was posing the question of possible unfair censorship and I have accepted and thanked the official explanation that there was NOT unfair censorship. Furthermore clearly I started out here and in another thread very enthusiastic about the Helix so I actually do not have an unreasonable bias if you are attacking me on that basis.

I like it & its' not so crazy!

I can assure you when you spend ages building and repairing them you want to get your own back.

i have fond memories of when I was a young luthier of going "guitar bowling" at the luthiers Christmas drinks party at John Carruther's workshop in Venice CA.

We would get out guitars that would cost more to repair than they were worth when repaired. Line them up against a brick wall and whilst holding a beer in your left hand you would grab and old Marshall amp at the guitars and seek to get a StriKe!

Haha good therapy ! Get your own back!

John had to leave the area because he couldn't stand the sound of guitars breaking!

Quote from DamianGreda

What this has to do with MIDI implementation? You can control every parameter in fx sections with sysex or CC messages. So if you have good programmable MIDI controller you can control this parameters with expression pedal via your MIDI pedalboard.

The expresion pedal ports in KPA is a different thing.

OK Thanks for the clarification.
I have an original Lake Butler Midi Mitigator and whilst being ancient it pretty much does everything. Crazy the Kemper remote and box don't support such expression!

Quote from timo

What are you missing with the MIDI implementation?

In the feature request here in the forum there is a request for things like effects control via Expression pedal that apparently is not implemented yet and some things like this? Is this incorrect?

Quote from DamianGreda

KPA has very complex midi implementation - allmost every parameter can be controlled via MIDI - just some things are undocumented.

In the feature request here in the forum there is a request for things like effects control via Expression pedal that apparently is not implemented yet and some things like this? Is this incorrect?

Quote from Nikos

ASG

I am sad to hear this.You seemed verys enthusiastic about the Helix.I dont want to sound like a "smartass" but L6 had never a good rock sound neither did their FX ever came close to professional standards.

They said a complete 5 year rewrite from the ground up and Yamaha have been big investors in Line 6 for more than a year now. Based on this two facts I expected some radical change but sadly it sounds like a Line 6 product.... not a valve amp. The price point is in semi-pro land ... Axe is coming out at the same price point next month, albeit with one amp and cab but I would take a single good sounding amp over ten crap ones anyway and FA are supporting the whole huge fractal library with the AX 8

Quote from PhilUK84

Nah. A new product is a new product. It's been reviewed well across the board. You can't lose anything from trying one when you go into a store. I try and keep an open mind.

It actually hasn't been reviewed well across the board ... it has been demo'd well by Paul Hindmarsh and Sean and the rest are suck up "reviews" by sellers like Andertons and that Chad guy on youtube and Line 6 forums, who whilst he might be a nice guy is clearly a beginner guitarist and never done a pro gig in his life.

The fact I had a hardon for a Helix, and bought, it shows I really wanted it to be great!
I am even reticent to be slagging it off because I probably need to sell it but the fact remains when you listen to the amps on their own they sound pretty crap.

I have been using GREAT valve amps for decades I had one of the first Boogie Mark iiB's and then bought a brand new Mk IIC when it came out. Even thought that is supposedly the most renowned Boogie ever I took it straight back to the store. The IIB owned it hard in terms of tonal body, character & harmonic richness, it was slightly flawed ... pop in the channel switching etc. but a great sound with no EQ or effects. The reason I say this is there are a lot of guys that don't even know what a good valve overdrive is. Witness countless youtube demos buy stores playing guitars and pedals through PRS amps with the most crap buzzy OD I have ever heard and they and all the readers/listeners think it's great! Matchless ... we I am open to hearing a great one but never have yet! OK on clean but OD or crunch? Yuck.

I have heard a Kemper profile a valve amp ... basically without EQ or tweaking it sounded basically the same ... with the same resolution detail. the fact the Kemper has an EQ slot and you may want to EQ it is irrelevant to the basic amp sound..... think blowing up a font in Photoshop if you will ..... the edges get jagged right ... this is a Line 6 model.... with the Kemper profile its still smooth because there is higher resolution and detail there. Is the Line 6 the same font? does it have the same character? Yeah. It has a similar shape, but if you listen closer it's ugly or jagged.

You sound like you might be a Line 6 dealer or have some other agenda Phil ... I have none .. in fact I have money invest in a Helix and speaking the truth about it hurts my resale value!

Even though I think it's a waste of time I will persist a little more.... I am downloading Redwirez IR collection as we speak and will convert them into Helix format. Paul Hindmarsh is meant to be emailing me a SYSex dump of his tweaked patches sometime soon... will report back.

If someone wants to tempt me to Kemper with a few insane amp profiles Hit me up via PM or something. I have a mate who had a Kemper but he sold it before I knew he had it ... he complained the sounds were that great! I told him he must have had mediocre profiles. I have a pro mic collection and am sure I could reciprocate with some creamy Boogie profiles. I doubt the Triaxis ones out there have the extra cream of a 395 power amp overdriven in class A mode added to the singing tone.

Quote from paults

Premier Guitar has a brand new traditional strat pickup shoot out, complete with sound clips. (They had a previous one, with other common brands)

For gigs, I like Lace Senors (purists don't like them, but Beck, Clapton, etc. Sounded just fine with them). I've tried EMGs, but they sounded sterile to me (but Gilmour sounds fine with them)

Lace Sensors are rubbish .... Beck and Clapton don't really use those ... Beck actually has custom Suhr pickups in his Fender Strats ... ask his guitar tech.

In regards to EMGs if you get the common SA's they will sound bland on their own because they are basically flat frequency response but a good alternative is the S model ceramic which has an upper mid presence peak that makes them interesting. DG also makes heavy use of an SPC fat control and Expander which flavours them up a lot. I like this setup ... super quiet, super sensitive and great sound IF your guitar sounds good acoustically . If it sounds crap to start with EMGs will accentuate this ... you get more guitar sound with them.

There is now a system to make original single coils virtually silent whilst retaining their tone. Suhr use it in their guitars and used to sell the kit but now the original designer sells it direct for less .... I'll edit later with the details.

I have owned and gigged with an original vintage 63 & 62 Strat and you really can't beat the bell like clarity and character of those pickups. If you can find someone like Slider who can make ones that sound similar that's arguably the best Strat tone ever. None of the noiseless pickups sound close. So with the noiseless system attached to classic 59-63 Strat single coils in the middle and neck position would be the go and I am heading back in that direction.

Quote from Robman

Good Post ASG !

I have a Triaxis , 2:90 and a G-System sitting here unused since I got the Kemper.Great sound , but heavy as hell ! I really like the KPA though with the Remote and the Mission expression pedal. I'm not much of an effects user though ....comp , reverb , bit of delay and some harmonising every now and then does me

I updated my review from a single swear word to clarify what that word really means in more specific terms:

"basically the Helix is a low resolution modeller! The amps, at a casual listen, to the good demos by Paul & Sean sound at first like a good valve amp. Rounded an harmonically rich but particularly on the overdrive sounds on closer listening you will hear many rough digital edges buried amongst the rounded curves in the shape of valve tone. Get a Helix, Strip the effects and EQ away and listen."

I would like to go Kemper but I am late to the party .... it's due for an update , still high price and still lacking some effects, even enough delays and midi implementation.

Quote from DonPetersen

are you serious?
if a thread gets locked or even deleted it is because
a) it went way, way off topic
b) personal attacks

there is no censorship here, all we do is trying to keep the tone of posts above a certain (although somewhat subjective) level and to protect our members from verbal abuse.

if we had other motives, like you suggest, why would we even create a subforum called 'Other Gear'?

best
Don

All cool Don it was a suspicion and bringing it up it ipublically is posing it as a question. I appreciate and believe your clarification.

By the way if my tone above is too naughty and suggestive I will edit it but please know as the AlienSexGod persona I am bound to be naughty and risqué by Cosmic decree! Additionally I hate most reviews that sugar coat everything and basically are like paid ads.
Also sorry for the off topic of the AX 8 but I will review that in no BS style when I get my hot little hands on it! For now Felix the Cat is the only "pro" all in one system that isn't vapourware. Sadly it is Flashware hiding some insecurities!

Quote from Robman

You thinking of getting a Helix ASG ?

Yeah mate I have one but probably selling it cuz it's basically a low resolution modeller! The amps, at a casual listen, to the good demos by Paul & Sean sound at first like a good valve amp. Rounded an harmonically rich but particularly on the overdrive sounds on closer listening you will hear many rough digital edges buried amongst the rounded curves in the shape of valve tone. Strip the effects and EQ away and listen.

Sounds like you want an honest review ..... ok here it goes because there is none out there ... everyone who has one wants to believe its great including me but.......

Well lots of things are sexy ...and exactly as I want but turned out the midi implementation and quality of the effects is way less than`I expected so even ditching the digital amp models it's not much of a replacement for a G System even! The models if you listen to them without effects through studio headphones are very disappointing. "5 Years of work" really? What were they doing ....wanking all that time? But then I don't like the Axe much.... they all sound digital fake to me. I am currently using a Triaxis with a Mesa Simulclass 395 power amp, insane creamy power amp class a overdrive even! Had a G System but that is sold now.

Bottomline good controller with great UI LCD and ok effects..... I thought I will use 4 cable method with Triaxis and use the Helix to control it ... and later replace the Triaxis with a Kemper. The amp sounds in the Kemper are believable but the effects are limited and midi expression pedal control etc is shit.has been out for years and still little progress on that. ...The kemper pedal is over priced considering it has limited functionality. Maybe I will still take the dive to Kemperland but maybe I will stay in analog land with some digital outboard?

Then I get tempted again by the Helix's sexy look, LCD pedals etc and I thought maybe I can use the effects but even the chorus can't come close to replacing a TC chorus ... I could cope with a close digital approximation live but I used to use a TC1210. 90% there would be Ok but their chorus is way worse than a 1978 Boss pedal! It's such a shame really the build quality is awesome... the UI is to die for but at the end of the day the sounds are not professional. They are mediocre models of the real thing. If you had never had a real girl maybe you would think one of those Fleshlight things are a happening thang?

Yeah some guys like Paul Hindmarsh and Sean have tweaked specific patches and pulled some good sounds..... but they dont ship with those patches and I havent found them online yet.
But even if I spent ages and made patches like that, then ran it through a tube amp, to make it more alive than a dead cat, at the end of the day it would be a shit sound tweaked to sound decent. I want a great sound that then is tweaked to sound mind blowing .......or why spend the money?

I am sure many guys that never had a decent tube (or is that lube) amp would be happy in Line 6 model land but Kemper guys should look elsewhere. Maybe add an Eventide H9 or two but to me even those sound too digital on the chorus and flanges for example. Maybe I am an analog anal retentive prick I dunno ... I wanted to be happy with Felix the Cat ... its so sexy, but reminds me of my model ex. gf .......looks great but in the end she's so flucking disappointing when the heat is on!

Quote from Gitarrenschlumpf

I own a Liquid Foot LF+ 12+. Why you're asking?

As good or better than RJM you think?
The little Liquid Foot+ JR+ has as much functionality as yours?

Quote from Jimmyno

My friend, you don't have to believe me but just read the FAQ's in Line6 official page

Basically you can send up to 6 different messages while changin preset and just one per switch.
It's just a little more than a midi buddy in terms of midi implementation, seriously.
Not bashing the Helix as a multi Fx, but just telling you what is capable to do as a midi controller.

And i can tell you that Mastermind, Liquid foot and Godious are simply top notch controllers.

In the end, a Fiat is not a Ferrari just because it has an engine and four wheels

A fiat 127 was pretty fast in the day!
Also I have souped up rice rockets to beat Ferraris at the track! Haha
But yeah I am happy to be wrong because then I learnt something!

Quote from Gitarrenschlumpf

It´s NOT the only one. Don´t you know the Liquid Foot? http://www.famcmusic.com/

Yeah I forgot about those... do know know anyone with one?

Quote from Jimmyno

Helix sends one message per switch, even if changing preset can send up to 6 commands.
Please don't put it in the same ballpark of serious midi controller like RJM or FAMC just because it has screens on the switches.

Fair enough if true but the Helix was designed for 4 cable method and to control a bunch of gear so its hard to believe that only one message pre switch. Even so you could make that msssage send another one from a different unit in your midi chain I believe?

Anyway this Kemper & Helix looks cool

Yeah I hear you.

Try hiring a plumber to travel 200 km to a job on Saturday night. He must bring at least 15k of electronic equipment, work from 8 pm to 2 am and receive $150.

On what planet would that happen?

Quote from burningyen

Please add "Expression pedal assignable to any parameter on a rig-by-rig basis" to the list of feature requests.

Fuck Yes!

I am not suggesting the Helix or the Axe FX is or will be as good or better at tube amp sounds than a Kemper. none the less they are competing products.

Quote from Nikos

@alien

Friend,let me be absolutely honest..

The Axe-Fx is the "absolute limit" I am readdy to accept when it comes to "sound".

I think you miss understand me. I am NOT proposing Helix or Axe FX modelling as a solution to GREAT guitar amp sounds. I am proposing the use of great tupe preamps (or a kemper) along with a midi foot controller and effects unit. I am pointing out that the AX8 doesn't fulfil that task..... its' not designed for 4CM.

Quote from Nikos

@alien

The Helix just these days starts to be more than Vaporware.Anyway..

You are wrong on so many counts. Helix is out ... I have one and lots of big names have Line 6 effects on their pedal board Pete Thorn, Bob Bradshaw etc. .... the amps suck compared to a real valve amp or Kemper but so does an Axe in my opinion. The Live foot edit is insanely good as is the build quality and footswitching. The only Midi controller with scribble strips is the RJM mastermind GT which costs more than the Helix AND has zero effects and cabs and no expression pedal! The Helix display is insanely good as is the build quality, scribble strips and some effects are cool. So while I would rarely use the fake amps the rest of the package is great. It won't replace the Triaxis and other pedals but this is the best controller ever made. Later maybe I'll add a Kemper.

P.S. AX8 when it arrives (probably next year?) has the same 2 processors as the Helix but uses only 1 for FX also it does NOT support the 4 Cable Method (FA FX8 & Helix do). Helix you can assign all processing power to effects ( both processors) and drop the modelling.

Quote from Monkey_Man

Well, the MIDI implementation will evolve with each OS update.

I have been watching the updates and sadly Kemper has been slow to even introduce expression pedal implementation that cheap midi devices have had for more than a decade. It really is something holding me and others back from coming on board.

People talking about using an AX8 with a kemper well......

AX8 is currently vapourware in terms of an actual purchase and usage.

Whereas a Helix as a additional effects unit, expression pedal, Midi foot controller with great colour coding AND scribble strips on the pedals is a reality NOW as arguably the best controller for a Kemper. Where the Kemper lacks midi control in certain areas and misses some FX processing power the Helix can cover that.

BOTH Fractal & Helix can't compete with Kemper in terms of organic accurate representation of a great tube amps. Where the Kemper fails for me is Midi implimentation and an over priced crappy pedal.

Why did the "Line 6 Helix - next gen guitarist's wet dream..?" thread get closed?
We aren't allowed to discuss competing products in the "other gear" section?

I suspect that because one user was talking about selling his Kemper to get a Helix that Kemper people couldn't cope with that or the title.

This is crazy in that it's extremely unlikely the Helix will compete with the Kemper in terms of accurate tube guitar tones and response and it's designed to work well with a tube preamp or kemper so surely it could be complimentary. It certainly puts the Kemper remote to shame....