HX STOMP - User Reviews

Started by admin, October 09, 2018, 09:26:09 AM

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admin

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Line-6/HX-Stomp-Multi-Effects-Processor-Pedal.gc

Reviewed by 2 customersSort by:
5
Versatility is in the eye of the beholder
Submitted 1 day ago

By Betty's Eddy

From Chico, CA

the previous reviewer, while he loved the unit, lamented its lack of live versatility. I disagree. Picture a world in which you already have a big, fat 1/2 stack and foot-pedal live rig, with a modern, high gain, mid-switchable tube amp (v3, JVM, H+K, Laney, Engle, et cetera), and you are foot switching with midi. This little unit at x.x ounces becomes a huge-sounding replacement for your 160lbs of amp and cabinet, without any fear of blowing tubes, and never having to carry more than a pedal board, and WITHOUT paying $1500.00 for a Helix. It actually integrates seamlessly with my own live pedal board, which includes analog out front effects, including talkbox, wah, phase 90, micro flanger , a dd3 delay out front for repeat effects and a tube screamer. Add that pedal cost up, already invested. Instead of 'channel switching now, I use my 4 button Randall Midi footswitch to switch patches between Helix HX programs for Lead, Rhythm, Clean, and boosted clean, with effects-loop effects like delay, chorus and reverb on each model from within the Helix. It is, in essence, a 175lb weight loss and portability bargain. Instead of paying $1500.00 for a solution that replaces ALL of my investment, I cut out almost 200 pounds at less than half the price, without making my current outboard effects investments useless. It is a win-win for already-invested live musicians, on top of all its other features.



---



Too much buckks!
Submitted 5 days ago

By Geno

From Florida

This will sell for studio players, but not for gig players! Has great sounds, but they are too hard to get to on the fly at a gig! You marketing people sometimes have your head up your bottom,You don't know jack about real musicians that use this stuff everyday on the job, Good luck selling this one!

hsuru4u

is elantric going to actually get this unit?I am surprised as he didnt like the helix at all and i thought this was just the same but in a cheaper package?

Elantric

#2
Quote from: hsuru4u on October 09, 2018, 10:46:35 AM
is elantric going to actually get this unit?I am surprised as he didnt like the helix at all and i thought this was just the same but in a cheaper package?

Ive never played through the HX Stomp - yet!

I have already posted over a year ago  - the Helix Firmware is the most improved on any guitar DSP amplifier platform (i.e. it sounds much better today, compared to what I heard upon initial release back  in 2015 )

When reading reviews - ALWAYS look at the date, and determine which revision  firmware was installed in the unit under review. 

Yes - I thought the Helix sounded  "cold and brittle" - back in October 2015 on firmware 1.00

But ever since firmware 2.00 and newer)  - Helix can now keep up with the top DSP Amp Modelers
And at gig volume today - its now splitting hairs on which is the best sounding DSP Modeling rig
https://www.facebook.com/groups/647483512018911/permalink/1522262567874330/
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=24252.msg177331#msg177331


Yes - my HX Stomp arrives tomorrow - for its size &  features it suits a specific need

Kevin M

I wish it was just a touch less expensive, but it looks like it packs quite a punch for such a small footprint. I think this my be my Christmas present to myself this year!

hsuru4u

#4

got it..I HEAR the helix will be getting a whole new overhaul gui that will be in firmware as well soon.I look forward to all these units-i just wish someone would really comeout and definately show why 1 unit rules over another but it seems many people(here andd on the gear page) seem to just buy them All and say they all are great and so similar.: i can see this when you have the ability to have them all at the same time and keep them all to play with.

I too had the helix at 1.0 and returned it years ago. I know alot has improved via firmware and thats also great.

From my brief use of the helix and HR i would say hands down the hr gui/touchscreen really shines as well as the looper. The effects have a ways to go though and i like the gt1000 effects and the newish amps in the gt1000 but never liked rolands gui system much.

Each has its pro/cons and i guess when you can get all of them you dont really care which is "better" because they have their strengths and weakness in diff areas. I just dont want to invest in all of them as its overkill for my needs. But When i feel something wow's me(hasnt happened in a while in gear) i will likely jump in. I guess what i am using now even though its considered older tech(except my pt100) still wows me enough to keep it around for my minimal needs.

The axefx3 seems to tick off most boxes for me  in amps and effects areas except i would like it in a floormodel ala ax? with a better gui and headphone out and usb audio.

admin

#5
Quote from: hsuru4u on October 09, 2018, 02:41:38 PM
got it..I HEAR the helix will be getting a whole new overhaul gui that will be in firmware as well soon.I look forward to all these units-i just wish someone would really comeout and definately show why 1 unit rules over another but it seems many people(here andd on the gear page) seem to just buy them All and say they all are great and so similar.: i can see this when you have the ability to have them all at the same time and keep them all to play with.

These days - I dont think there is "one DSP Modeler rules them all" - suggest seek the unit with the features and functionality that suits the way you work
https://audiogeek11.com/2018/09/11/the-battle-of-the-guitar-multi-effects-and-amp-modellers/

thats why we talk about ALL available DSP Guitar Amp products here


HeadRush
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=19875.0

Fractal AX8
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=13704.0

Fractal AX-FX III
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=22613.0


GT-1000
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?board=264.0


Kemper
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?board=272.0


Helix
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?board=199.0


carlb

I could see minimalist's travel rig. Take the stomp, a headless guitar, power supply, in-ear monitor, and chords guitar and PA.

Fly anywhere, ready for recording or playing into the mains.
ES Les Paul, internal Roland GK
Boss SY-1000, Valeton Coral Amp pedal
Morningstar MC8 & MC6
QSC CP8 powered speaker

admin

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/27298780/

leftty wrote>

So I got mine today and have had a few hours to mess with it and here is a small review.

PROS: the Helix sounds are in this thing for sure, having had a Helix the sounds are the same
Getting around was easy similar to Helix with some small changes but overall good
The 6 blocks were just fine for a simple setup, comp, OD, amp&cab, mod, delay and reverb.

CONS: the edit does not work as of yet and this is a big bummer. Line6 has a habit of forgetting the little things IMO. Yeah I hear an update will be out soon but could have and should have been done before the HX stomp release.

There does not seem to be folders for presets as the Helix has but maybe it will with edit


Overall great product and a keeper for me or someone looking for a small simple version of the actual Helix

admin

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/27299199/

rayman147wrote>

Oh man... Nirvana. My LT is indispensable but it's just too much fun with the HX Stomp. My fave patch, Kinky Boost (0 gain, bright/boost switches on) > Minotaur > Cartographer (low-mid drive settings on both channels) > Trem > Cosmos Echo > Ganymede just fits perfect and sounds AMAZING. FS1 kicks in the Minotaur and FS2 pops in the term & delay. Took me less than 3 minutes to dial in out of the box. Surprising how huge it sounds going direct into the Fender Champ 20 on clean settings for office noodling and song creation. THANK YOU L6 crew for all ya do... spectacular tools for making music.



admin

Chad Boston
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1730763273911707/?tn-str=*F






Quote
Are you powering the HX Stomp with that Mission device?

Chad wrote = No - using the stock 9VDC @ 3Amps supply

admin

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/27301332/

mabrooks wrote>
I got mine in yesterday. I already have Native so I've been building some 6 block patches while waiting for the Stomp to arrive.

Build quality is impressive, seemingly VERY robust. User interface is quite good. I purposefully ignored the cheat sheet just to see if I could figure stuff out on my own. About 80% of things worked exactly the way I guessed it would, while 15% worked with my second guess. The other 5%, I guess I'll be a nerd and crack open the manual.

Lots of people have seemingly speculated on whether would fit or not in the Helix lineup and after having my hands on it, it absolutely does. If you're a Floor or LT power user, the Stomp (by design) will be frustratingly simple to you. The form factor means you will be scrolling more, using less buttons, changing parameters differently, and the limit of 6 blocks will probably drive you mad; at first. As a backup rig, a grab and go rig, etc. it makes total sense for Floor/LT users and it may very well be worth it to a lot of them.

For people who are really kind of stretching to use the Floor/LT (putting 3 overdrives and 3 types of delays in a patch just to fill up available blocks), then this plus a midi controller may make total sense. Yes, you're price is getting into used LT range, but the form factor is reduced by something like 70% from the big brother units without sacrificing sounds anywhere. Just make more simple patches with one version of OD, Delay, etc. and change presets/snaps a bit more.

Where this will absolutely kill it in the market is the "silent" 90%+ of guitarists who aren't the type of people (like us) on TGP/facebook arguing about modeler processors, round to round trip latency, input impedance etc. The musicians who use just a few effects to play country/classic rock/hard rock/acoustic/songwriter type gigs in small bars/clubs/parties.

Line 6 has really done well rounding out the product lineup, because now it is PLAUSIBLE that every guitarist (willing to spend decent money on their rig) should consider at least ONE of the L6 Helix family products. The stomp fills a big void, which I didn't even see at first.
Report

admin

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/27299930/

mbenigni wrote>

So I meant to hold out for a while, but my wife actually pulled the trigger. :)



hsuru4u

#12
I know none are a bad choice and many seen to have the basics and then some. Its just a hard decision what to get if any at this time. I guess $$ wise i would rather wait to find a helix lt used or headrush used then spend $600+ on a stomp or gig thing.

I think cliff and fractal are ripe to take the whole market with a new ax unit that has headphone out/usb audio and maybe a touchscreen/way better gui. I would maybe pay more for this overall as i feel the fractal modeling is better then the helix and headrush as are the effects in the unit at least when i tried the axe3 it was amazing in comparison but Dont want a rack.

admin

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/27305710/

bsd512 wrote>
Mine arrived today. I know I'm not Line 6's exact market for this since I'm already a Helix owner and already sold on modelers. I recreated one of my favorite presets in the Stomp and I'm totally impressed!! No, a couple of my wish-list items were not included, but it was close enough so I got it. It will work great for me.

And so small ... This is a brilliant product - considering their entire HX ecosystem from Helix, Helix LT, Native, HX Effects, and now HX Stomp - all compatible to the highest degree that makes sense. By themselves they are all great products. When considered together - the product line is a tour-de-force of modeling and marketing genius. Line 6 is taking over the world.

I did some Stomp vs Helix testing and am completely satisfied.



Elantric

#14
Just got my HX Stomp

Its small and will serve as a good utility / swiss army box

Is it a replacement for my Kemper? uh No

Using headphones alone, was 50% underwhelmed by the stock factory patches hit & miss and subsequent "return of the dreaded 2005 POD HD fizzies" when HX Stomp is feeding Headphones . Before I reach for the Radley Harmonic convergence box, I eventually realized that many of these factory HX Stomp patches are designed as "FX Only" - (internal Amp Modeling = Off) - intended for use when feeding a genuine guitar amp (doh!)

Using Beyer Dynamic DT880 250 ohm headphones, I found the HX Stomp Headphone Output on the just acceptable output level - had to leave the HX Stomp Output knob on Max the whole time for all patches - and still wished for a bit more level to drive my cans. ( get a Samson QH4)
http://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/processors/qh4/qh4/

Retest with ATH-M50X headphones worked much better
Still testing the USB Class compliance and power requirements - should have more data this weekend

but its an interesting tool.

short of the weak headphone output ( might work better with lower impedance ATH-M50X cans) - looking forward to the HX Edit 2.70 and 2.70 firmware

And REALLY wish future versions of HX Edit had an "offline" mode or "demo Mode" - so I could explore all the HX Stomp's FX routing options and make screen captures for documenting strategies and re-arrange patch setlists - when I'm away from the actual hardware ( which is 90% of my day) like I already do with my Boss gear using Boss Tone Studio ;)

And how about creating an official IOS/Android Helix Edit / HX Edit- using the
Yamaha Wireless MD-BT01 5-PIN DIN MIDI Adapter?
 

QuoteStormJH1 said: ↑
I was going to ask you about that - were you happy with the results using patches with Cab Sim? I wouldn't expect the FX-only patches going direct would sound very good! But headphone practice/portability is a huge reason I want the HX Stomp.

Using the HX STOMP patches with internal Cab Sim enabled works EXCELLENT !

still learning the "LCD navigation <scrolL> strategy.

. . . and counting the days until release of HX Edit 2.70 - I prefer reviewing my patch settings on a larger screen! (less PILOT ERROR)

sixeight

QuoteAnd how about creating an official IOS/Android Helix Edit / HX Edit- using the
Yamaha Wireless MD-BT01 5-PIN DIN MIDI Adapter?

HX-edit uses a proprietry usb protocol, not MIDI. Midi does support some pc and cc messaging, but no sysex, so the amount of editing through MIDI is very limited.

admin

#16
Quote from: sixeight on October 11, 2018, 12:04:53 PM
HX-edit uses a proprietry usb protocol, not MIDI. Midi does support some pc and cc messaging, but no sysex, so the amount of editing through MIDI is very limited.

in 2018 with the combined talents in Yamaha and Line-6 - Id expect some kind of  wireless editing solution would be possible ( use Wifi / HTML5 / OSC )
https://www.projectbarbq.com/reports/bbq16/bbq16r7.htm


( of course competing gear offers wireless editing - including their own FireHawk And Amplifi 


Line-6 FireHawk and Amplifi have had wireless iPad editors for 3 years now
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/firehawk-remote/id962503739#?platform=ipad




Boss GT-1000



Same with RCF M16
https://www.rcf.it/en_US/products/product-detail/m-18/291173


More
https://www.mixonline.com/technology/ios-applications-console-control-423069

admin

#17
https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/27312832/


DarrellM5 wrote>
So my HX Stomp showed up today and I've had about half an hour to fool with it so far. It sounds great right out of the box and the interface is very intuitive (especially since I'm a Helix owner). My BeatBuddy footswitch does indeed function as footswitches 4 and 5, although it's half the size of the Stomp. I promised to report back about my headphones and the Stomp has no problems pushing my Sennheiser HD280Pros louder than I'm willing to go.

As for a travelling solution, this entire rig (Strandberg Boden 6, gig bag, 18' instrument cable, HD280Pros and HX Stomp) comes in at 11.7 lbs. It's only 10.9 without the headphones. Life is good.

[​IMG]

I'll be experimenting with this thing all weekend so I'll try my best to answer any questions that people have. Now I'm getting ready to try 4 cable method and start playing with MIDI control and expression pedals

admin

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/27315434/
Ringleader42 wrote>

This little thing really is flexible as sh!t with the only major limitations (that I'm experiencing so far) are the block count and the footswitching configurations, just as I had anticipated. But it's awesome and even as a Helix owner I'm super happy to have it. Thanks L6!!!

I've had it running off a battery pack for the past couple hours and so far so good so that's another handy option. Making it so that the effects loops don't use a block will be great and save a block for 4CM. I still would like to see them up the block count to use any block you choose to use but I'm not going to beat that horse anymore because, well, I'd rather be playing.

kslight

Its too bad they didn't put a VDI input on this.   ::)  I understand Line 6 wants to leave some features for the more expensive models but I also would think they would want to pimp the features of their own guitars as well... 

sixeight

#20
Quote from: kslight on October 16, 2018, 02:21:36 PM
Its too bad they didn't put a VDI input on this.   ::)  I understand Line 6 wants to leave some features for the more expensive models but I also would think they would want to pimp the features of their own guitars as well...

I heard in an interview with Eric Klein from Line6 that the VDI port needs a lot of power. Therefore they had to leave it out or both the HX stomp and the power supply would be a lot bigger.

vtgearhead

Quote from: sixeight on October 17, 2018, 12:11:27 AM
I heard in an interview with Eric Klein from Line6 that the VDI port needs a lot of power. Therefore they had to leave it out or both the HX stomp and the power supply would be a lot bigger.

Too bad.  One could imagine an inline box to supply power to the Variax while passing signaling through to the Stomp.  But, at some point one must head off creeping featuritis.

admin

#22
Quote from: vtgearhead on October 17, 2018, 08:46:46 AM
Too bad.  One could imagine an inline box to supply power to the Variax while passing signaling through to the Stomp.  But, at some point one must head off creeping featuritis.

FWIW - many Variax owners forget this device allows remote power of all Variaxs

Line 6 Variax Cabled Power Kit for JTV and Variax Guitars - using a TRS cable
Never worry about your Variax's battery life with the Line 6 Variax Cabled Power Kit. You'll never run out of power at the gig again. The extremely versatile XPS A/B box lets you not only power your Variax, but also acts as a DI and sends you signal to an amp or a mixer. This is perfect for acoustic guitar models that will sound better running through the mixer as opposed to your guitar amp. Add cool flexibility and keep your Variax powered at the same time with the Line 6 Variax Cabled Power Kit.
https://shop.line6.com/accessories/power/jtv-variax-cable-power-kit.html

admin

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/27359885/


Fireproof wrote>
Quick update - here's my little mini rig. I'm not gigging so this is my practice rig (currently in my home office) and is also what I take to friends' houses to jam.

Exactly what I needed. Throw the pedals and cables in my gig bag and grab the QSC and Guitar and I'm good. Btw - this is the new QSC CP8 powered monitor. Sounds awesome for my needs and a lot smaller and lighter than my DXR10. Good stuff

admin

https://www.morningstarfx.com/single-post/2018/10/21/Line-6-HX-Stomp-In-Depth-Review

Review
Line 6 HX Stomp In Depth Review
October 21, 2018

We now have the highly anticipated HX Stomp by Line 6 in our hands, and are really excited to be finally doing this review. For the record, this review is not sponsored and contains our unbiased opinions of the HX Stomp, which we pre-ordered and paid for in full.



This is an in depth review of the HX Stomp's build quality, features, user friendliness and its sounds. By the end of this review, you should be able to decide if the HX Stomp is a worthy investment for your needs. We hope you enjoy it.



UNBOXING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The first thing that struck us was how small the HX Stomp really is. It is about the size of one of Strymon's 3-switch pedals. We really like its footprint, which allows it to be a super compact all-in-one setup, or easily fit on your pedalboard to be part of a bigger rig. We also had the M9 before, but that was still heavy and bulky compared to the HX Stomp. The HX Stomp's sparkly black glitter-painted enclosure is an interesting touch, but may not appeal to everybody. However, it is definitely subtle enough to visually appease most users.


The HX Stomp is small enough to easily join other pedals on a pedalboard



BUILD QUALITY

As with the rest of the Helix line, build quality is very good. Although not quite as good the original Helix, it is a step up from the LT and HX Effects. The full metal enclosure feels very solid and will surely stand up to the beatings of gigging life. The colored LCD screen has deep blacks and good contrast, giving the user a pleasant viewing experience. Its touch-sensitive capacitive foot switches also feel sturdy with no wobble and seem like they will last for a good number of years to come.



CONNECTIONS (I/O)

The HX Stomp has L/R Inputs, L/R Outputs (balanced or unbalanced), L/R Return/Aux In, ¼" Stereo Send (for headphones) and USB Type B (the HX Stomp is also a multichannel high quality 24-bit/96kHz audio interface, we'll touch more on this later). There is a ¼" Expression Pedal Input (with a split Y cable you can connect up to 2 expression pedals) that also allows you to plug in aux switches for additional footswitches.



Importantly, 5-pin MIDI IN and OUT are also present on the unit, giving you the ability to recall presets and control effects blocks with an external midi controller. Being so compact, the HX Stomp is inevitably limited in terms of controls. But this can be easily overcome with the multitude of connectivity options available.



We want to talk a little bit more about the L/R Send and Return inputs here. These act as an FX Loop and allow you to insert external pedals between specific blocks in your HX Stomp signal chain. This is powerful as you are not limited to chaining your other pedals with the HX Stomp as a whole, but you can decide where in the HX signal chain you would like to insert your external effects.



KEY FEATURES

The HX Stomp accommodates up to 6 blocks. Blocks are objects that represent various elements in your signal chain. Think of them as individual effects pedals or amp heads/cabs. You can chain up to 6 of them together and save them as a preset. These blocks can be chained in series or parallel routing options. This is a huge advantage and is great for cleaner and more defined reverb/delay tones (you may google to learn the science behind this). You can also blend your guitar's dry/clean signal with the effected signal when running in parallel.



SOUND SETUP

Now we come to the most vital part of the review. If a product doesn't sound good, it doesn't matter how powerful, flexible or user friendly it is, we still would not use it. We ran the HX Stomp through 3 different setups (Studio Monitors, Tube Amp, Digital Amp) to see how it performs in each scenario. Guitar wise, we used a K-Line Truxton telecaster-style guitar (for single coils) and a Deviser Rosetta Vessel (for humbuckers). The HX Stomp handled both single coils and humbuckers well.




The HX Stomp through Adam A7x monitors in our studio



Setup 1: Studio Monitors

Signal Chain: K Line Truxton / Deviser Rosetta Vessel > Line 6 HX Stomp > Mackie Mixer (Flat EQ) > Adam A7x



First, to experience the true and accurate tones of the HX Stomp's amp and cab simulators and not color them with an external amp circuit, we ran it through a pair of Adam A7x studio monitors. Initially we did not set the HX Stomp's outputs to line level and it sounded terrible through the mixer and monitors. So this is something to take note of if you plan to play or record your HX Stomp direct into a mixer or PA, make sure you set the outputs to line level. Once we set the outputs to line level in the Global Settings menu, it sounded infinitely better.



Setup 2: Tube Amp

Signal Chain: K Line Truxton / Deviser Rosetta Vessel > Line 6 HX Stomp > Laney Cub 12



Next, switching the HX Stomps outputs to instrument level, we ran the HX Stomp through one of our favourite sub $400 bedroom tube amplifiers, the Laney Cub 12. It performed well, and did not take away from the nuances and sensitivity you get from a real tube amp. Delays and reverbs sounded warm, while boosts and compressors were able to push the tubes to that sweet point of just breaking up.



Setup 3: Digital Amp

Signal Chain: K Line Truxton / Deviser Rosetta Vessel > Line 6 HX Stomp > Yamaha THR10C



Finally, we tested the HX Stomp through the popular and well-regarded Yamaha THR10C to see how it would fare through an external digital amp modeller. We are happy to report that it sounded great too and did not alter the sound of the THR10C's amp models. We also used the Yamaha's built-in reverb to free up one block on the HX Stomp, and it sounded amazing. Now moving on to the HX Stomp's blocks.



BLOCKS

The HX Stomp comes loaded with with effects and modelling algorithms (called blocks) from the Helix guitar processor and legacy effects from their classic products (eg. DL4 and DM4) and the M-series processors. Blocks are neatly categorised (Distortion, Modulation, Delay, Reverb, Amps, Cabs and so on) and we had no problems browsing and finding what we wanted. We will now review the sound quality of some blocks from each category, going down the line, starting with Distortion.