anyone using their Helix Stomp as a Delay/Reverb box?

[Doomrider78]

What are the "limitations" of the HX reverbs? They sound fine to me

 

[kdm1218]

What are the "limitations" of the HX reverbs? They sound fine to me

I have learned from these types of threads, if they sound fine to you for what you need them to do, then just move on. It’s all in the ear and preferences of each individual whether that is style of music, willingness to tweak more to get just what you want, complaint about a specific engine type, etc.

Personally my ear is not well tuned enough to matter, apparently. But I make my music and like how it sounds in the end so that’s all I’m concerned with.

 

[metropolis_4]

What are the "limitations" of the HX reverbs? They sound fine to me

Gear rule #1: If it sounds fine to you, then it is fine.

If you don't hear any limitations, then there are no limitations.
If you don't hear any problem with the way it sounds, then there are no problems with the way it sounds.

 

[Doomrider78]

Gear rule #1: If it sounds fine to you, then it is fine.

If you don't hear any limitations, then there are no limitations.
If you don't hear any problem with the way it sounds, then there are no problems with the way it sounds.

OK, I'll rephrase: what are the limitations of the reverbs, as perceived by others?

 

[i8guitar]

Though seriously, if anyone knows of a Y-splitter TRS cable with a right angle on the stereo end, please let me know so I can buy a couple of them.

I have a couple of these EBS cables on my pedalboard - $13.99

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EBSICY30--ebs-icy-30-right-angle-flat-insert-cable-30cm

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

I get it, and the Helix reverbs are fine for that and don't sound like dog-sh1t or something. But it's also okay to admit that everything in your al-in-one-box isnt the pinnacle of it's kind

I totally agree, but the blanket “Helix reverbs are the worst thing ever” which a few here have said is just simply not true. Serviceable? Yes. I’d go beyond that and say that I’ve even dialed in Strymon-esque sounds that are more than just serviceable. I’d call them great. I think what puts people off are the awful default settings for almost every reverb type. You gotta spin the knobs.

 

[Brandon7s]

I have a couple of these EBS cables on my pedalboard - $13.99

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EBSICY30--ebs-icy-30-right-angle-flat-insert-cable-30cm

Oh those look very nice, much appreciated!

 

[metropolis_4]

OK, I'll rephrase: what are the limitations of the reverbs, as perceived by others?

My personal feeling is that they are a bit flat and narrow sounding.

I just ran a test to remind myself. Plugged into my HX Stomp and ran through all the reverbs. They are definitely passable, I mean I could make them work if I had to, but compared to my other reverb options, they just sound more... flat... is the best word I can think of. They don't feel as big, or as deep, and they almost feel to me like they don't have as much definition between different EQ ranges, or maybe they have a narrower EQ range that they replicate?

I don't know, it's hard to define. When I compare to the reverbs in my AxeFX III, the reverbs in the AxeFX (even just on the default settings) just feel bigger, and deeper, and I hear more lows and more highs and more definition across the frequency spectrum. And I hear things I can't get out of the HX reverbs, especially in the Spring reverbs. There's this thing I don't know how to describe that I hear in a good spring reverb that I just can't get out of the Helix spring. I think maybe it's what rockabilly guys call "drip"?

Anyway, when I add reverbs in my AxeFX, they just make everything sound bigger and deeper, and when I add reverbs in my HX Stomp, they don't do that. They just stay kind of flat, but more saturated.

I plugged the HX Stomp into a loop on the AxeFX and did some A/B comparisons. With the AxeFX reverbs I was able to pull one up, and it instantly sounded great. With the HX Stomp, I spent a lot of time tweaking and tweaking and was able to find some good settings, but it took a lot more work, and they still felt flat compared to the AxeFX.

 

[TomBombadil]

Most people probably can’t tell the difference in Helix verbs and the good pedals...but you’ll definitely be able to tell in an AB test. Probably not in a live setting though.

I use the stomp for amps, delay, and reverb. The delays are great. The reverbs need work, but are usable and I continue to use them.

 

[SwirlyMaple]

the reverbs in the AxeFX (even just on the default settings) just feel bigger, and deeper, and I hear more lows and more highs and more definition across the frequency spectrum.

I'm not doubting your preference, but are you aware that most of the Helix reverbs have low and high cuts applied by default? I can't remember for sure on the HX ones, but for the legacy ones it's definitely the case. I'd check but am not near mine right now.

 

[John Mark Painter]

Any blanket statement about “the reverbs” is a bit wierd...they are all different.
Ultimately designed by the same company yes....

I happily sold all my reverb pedals except for Alexanders (which I love) just so I still had a standalone option.

PS
I DO hope for a new Spring Verb in future updates that has more controls.
the 63 Spring is a few options short of being exactly what I want.
ive got a thread on here about milking more/different character out of it.

 

[laurabaileysirishcre]

I think the HX reverbs are good to great. Not as good as my Big Sky and not nearly as immediate pleasing to dial in like the Big Sky, a pedal that I think just always sounds great. But They can be dialed in to be very good sounding.

I think the delays are as good as anything out there. Strymon, Boss, SA.

 

[ejecta]

I use one on my modeler board to help take some of the CPU load off the FM3 and works just fine.

I tried using the FM3 in the loop of the Stomp but found it worked best for me with the input on the Stomp set to the return of it’s loop in the loop of the Fractal and send out the output on the Stomp back into the return loop of the Fractal.

So in other words if you want to use it with an amp I’d just using real drives in front of the amp and turn the main input on the Stomp to the return of the loop and not instrument and go out the main out in the Stomp to the return of your amp.

Lastly I’ll ditto a big yawn on the hate around the quality of the effects on the Line 6 stuff... is it exactly like Strymon, Fractal, Eventide, etc? Nope.... but it sounds good in it’s own way.

 

[David M.]

I've been toying with this idea, it's smaller and lighter than a HXFX, i don't need too many presets, but then again i hear the delay/reverb are the worst part of the helix algorithms..

anyone doing this?

The Stomp has to be tweaked to get the best tones out of it. Send the Weekend with it going through all the parameters and if you are patient, you will be surprised by the tones you can coax out of such a small unit.

I used it at Church for a Christmas Concert instead of my pedalboard because space was limited, and I was surprised at fidelity.

I use it most for Traveling as a stand alone with headphones and the reverbs sound impressive to me.

I use short delays so I am indifferent to the delays but it has a nice lush Harmonic Tremolo that I place last in the chain before an Amp model.

Good Luck.

 

[Ozzie31220]

Did it; sold it 2 days later. See also:

Same here. I couldn't stand the verbs, the delays were slightly better. I ended up retuning mine. YMMV.

 

[moehuh]

I've been toying with this idea, it's smaller and lighter than a HXFX, i don't need too many presets, but then again i hear the delay/reverb are the worst part of the helix algorithms..

anyone doing this?

The main reason the HX Stomp starts to become almost omnipresent on guitarist's pedalboards is its sheer infinite flexibility. You can use it as amp, as overdrives, as wah, as modulation, etc. and very well as delay and reverb platform. It's great to have one on the board to cover eventualities instead of buying other pedals.
As many mentioned already, I too like the delays but not so much the reverbs. I think it has a nice spring reverb and the room can work really well too. But the ambient stuff is not to my liking, certainly if you compare it with a Big Sky or Stereo Wet Reverb.
Cool thing about the Stomp is the continuous updates. I'm sure they'll add more reverbs in the future

 

[metropolis_4]

I'm not doubting your preference, but are you aware that most of the Helix reverbs have low and high cuts applied by default? I can't remember for sure on the HX ones, but for the legacy ones it's definitely the case. I'd check but am not near mine right now.

Yes, I’m aware. I spent a lot of time tweaking those when I was dialing the reverbs in. Definitely helps a lot, but there’s still something not quite there.

My feeling on it as it pertains to this thread is that if you’ve got a Helix or HX device that you use for a lot of other things, then the reverbs can be good enough to get by. But, if I was looking for a pedal specifically for reverb it would not be my first choice

 

[kdm1218]

My feeling on it as it pertains to this thread is that if you’ve got a Helix or HX device that you use for a lot of other things, then the reverbs can be good enough to get by. But, if I was looking for a pedal specifically for reverb it would not be my first choice

I think this pretty well sums it up, even being in the “good enough for me” camp.

 

[Boogyin1979]

I have not long had my HX Effects, nor do I have formal qualifications in reverb/delay righteousness ... but I do have to say I agree with you on this. It didn't take me long to find and dial in a reverb and delay that I liked ... to the point where I'm playing and liking, and forgetting about tweaking.

I suppose it's possible that I'm not playing music for which highly specific delay tones/features are total deal makers/breakers. Just looking for a bit of ambience, a tiny bit of always on slap-back and a longer delay to moisten solos.

To the OP, have a listen to the kind of tones that John Nathan Cordy gets on his YouTube channel. He's a big user of HX Stomp, and, to my ear, has some of the best tones I've heard on YouTube ... which almost always feature reverb and delay.

I agree with every you said here and a plus one on the JNC YouTube follow.
The delays and reverbs on helix are just as good to my ears that you are going to find in pedal-land. ST and SA seem to popular but they didn’t do it for me.