Greg Edwards69

Interesting point of issue. Erik Arko's video mentioned right at the end: "It will get Bluetooth eventually - they're stuff implementing stuff..." Does this mean the hardware is Bluetooth ready - the specs on the Darklass produce page don't mention Bluetooth at all.

It's a shame Sennheiser have discontinued the IE 400 Pro's. So grab them whilst you can. I'm not sure what they have succeeded them with either. I wanted to get a replacement right earpiece, as mine fell apart months ago when I changed the tips. I must have pulled it wrong, and the capsule came out of the shell. While I managed to glue it back together, I didn't align it quite right, and it's never felt the same. Individual replacements were available previously, but I finally got around to ordering one this week, but it seems you can't get them anymore.

That's good to hear. I find the default settings on many Helix blocks, even the bass-specific blocks, less than ideal for bass. I assume the default Anagram block settings are more useful "out of the box."

Nice to see it comes with a case!

This might help as far as what effect and amp blocks it has. I don't think it's a complete list, though. I hope in time the Anagram will be added as demo in the app so prospective owners can see what it can do before buying.

I don't know enough about Darkglass' products, especially their digital devices, to make an informed comment, but as a totally new platform, one would hope they will work on developing and supporting it well. That said, on paper, it appears to be capable of doing everything my Helix LT does, but in a more compact form factor, which is very welcome. I have considered downsizing to an HX Stomp previously, but I would struggle with the limited block count for some specific situations.

IIRC, Line 6 said they planned for the Helix platform to last around 10 years before being succeeded by the next generation. Since then, they have been great with firmware updates and have added some fantastic features and models. I'm quite grateful for that sort of roadmap, as I don't want to have to replace my hardware every other year to get new features. Quite a brave move for a hardware company. And let's not forget, the prices of new units are the same as they were 10 years ago. That 10-year estimate expires this year, so I expect to see something new from them soon. I suspect they have not been sitting on their laurels and will have a few exciting things for Helix 2.0.

Im thinking along similar lines. I tend not t be an early adopter and wait for things to mature a bit more. That said, for a v1 device and firmware, this seems pretty mature as it is. I’m still enjoying my helix LT and will continue to for the time being, but it is a bigger device than I’d ideally like, however.

At The Cricketers in Westcliff on Easter Sunday. Our "long-awaited" debut at this venue. I've wanted to get in here for a while - it's one of the good ones on the local circuit. Someone who used to work at another local pub where we play approached us to play at this venue as "he knew what we can do" and convinced his boss to book us. It turns out we didn't disappoint! It was a little quieter than I had hoped for, but Easter Sunday evening is an odd one. But the people there were up for a proper party and stayed till the end. The chap who booked us told us his boss was very happy. He also said he's looking at putting on a cover band event at their music venue next door that they also run (locals will know this as the former "Club Riga" venue bar - which was quite a popular venue for originals and tribute bands. I even saw Michael Schenker and Blaze Bailey play in there several years ago). Anyway, he said they've just got it up and running again and want to put on a cover bands event with the best bands in the area and has invited us to join the roster... which is nice. A couple of other people involved in local bands told us they really enjoyed our set and performance, too. I was very happy with our performance considering we were a man down (guitarist on holiday), which meant the other guitarist wasn't able to double on keys, which restricted our set choice a little. We also had a dep drummer as our usual drummer was watching West End show with his family and wouldn't have made it back in time to set up. He actually showed up to watch halfway through the evening, so we dragged him up for a song. As such, me and the sole guitarist had to work a little harder and creatively. I got to use my "Eliminate the guitarist" Helix preset for a few songs, which blends in an octave-up driven guitar tone as well as power chords with my standard bass tone. Sounded great to my ears, and filled a hole during a couple of solos.

I really, really wish Line 6 would implement this on the Helix. It would be such a time saver.

To play devil's advocate... There are plenty of people toting traditional stomp box pedal boards that are of similar value to a higher-end multi-fx. Heck, just a Cali 76 compressor is £299. One could easily assemble a small board of 5 pedals worth £1k. Pedal boards can fail, too. And potentially harder to diagnose during a gig - is it a power connector, PSU outlet, dodgy patch cable, or malfunctioning pedal? If you daisy chain pedals and/or power from something like a 1-spot, a bad connection can be incredibly frustrating. A switcher and multi-out PSU can help in case of failure, but it adds expense. Heck, my brother's GigRig G3 switcher cost more than my Helix. Regardless of whether you use a multi-FX or analogue pedal board, you would do well to have a backup solution so the audience doesn't have to wait for you to diagnose the problem. But I totally understand apathy to menu diving and multi-purpose physical user interfaces. It's not for everyone. One of my guitarists doesn't know how to edit presets on his Helix without a computer attached - and he's a mainframe IT engineer! But that said, once it's dialled in, you shouldn't have to tweak it at gigs.

I wonder if the return can be used for another input like you can on the HX Stomp (and bigger Helix devices), say for two instruments, or basses with two outputs such as "Rick-o-Sound" or my Yamaha Attitude?

Damn you. I don’t need one, I don’t need one, I don’t need one …

We had a good night at the Cow & Telescope in Southend on Friday evening. It was a bit of a rush getting home from work, scoffing a quick dinner and out again, but we had more time than we realised to set up at a relaxed pace and soundcheck. As usual in this venue, it seemed a bit too quiet on there when we setting up, but by the time we kick off at 9.30 we had a decent crowd of regulars and a steady stream of arrivals whilst we played. I made a couple of mistakes - including completely blanking halfway through the "Time is running out" riff. I put it down to not feeling 100% due to an iffy stomach I've had for a few days. I managed to blag my way through it and remembered it by the second or third time round. I noticed a couple of guys pointing and watching me intently during "Runaway Baby". I'm unsure if they were impressed or spotted errors in my playing! 😄. Another patron came up to me when we had finished and said it was so refreshing to see a band actually move around and put on a show, rather than just standing stock still and looking at our guitars and feet. A couple of our usual mob (including my wife and brother, who are not afraid to offer constructive criticism) said the set list was great too, with a few songs we hadn't played in years thrown in. We try to avoid too much repetition - for ourselves as much as anything! But it all seemed to flow nicely and kept people up dancing until the obligatory encores were finished with. So yes, all in all a good night. The next one is The Cricketers in nearby Westcliff on Easter Sunday. Out first time at this venue, and one we've wanted to get into for a while. We'll be a couple of members down (one of the guitarists, and using a dep drummer), but I'm sure it'll be fine.

I think I'm just generally unfit. It doesn't help having a desk job (although I do use a standing desk when I feel like it). I tend to wear a back support belt when loading in/out and setting up/breaking down, which does help. I noticed when we were busier on the run up to Christmas, I felt much better physically by the last one - my body had obviously gotten used to it. It's always tougher when we haven't gigged for a little while.