Mini Helix - HX Stomp...

[DanEly]

3 minutes ago, dannybuoy said:

You could probably ditch the B7K and X7. The B7K sim is bang on, and you have all the crossover/compression/distortion/Eq capabilities to build an X7-ish effect too (I managed to get quite close to my DP-3X which is in a similar ballpark). Although you are limited to run fewer FX with the Stomp vs the rest of the range!

I think I would have to try the Darkglass sims myself before I start ditching the pedals. The limitations of blocks are what's making more interested in mainly using the amp and cab sims... Who's gone down the IEM route? 

[Higgie]

I’m using a Stomp with IEMs. Although I ditched the full rig setup a little while ago anyway. Using a Backbeat, I do not miss the rig at all!

[DanEly]

1 minute ago, Higgie said:

I’m using a Stomp with IEMs. Although I ditched the full rig setup a little while ago anyway. Using a Backbeat, I do not miss the rig at all!

Maybe I should take the plunge. Did you not miss the weight of having a rig behind you?

[Frank Blank]

26 minutes ago, DanEly said:

Maybe I should take the plunge. Did you not miss the weight of having a rig behind you?

That is outweighed by the weight of loading ones rig in and out of the venue!

[Al Krow]

Nah - you can get an overall lighter weight using 2 x RCA 310As and a BF SC than anything comparably good with IEMs and a PA that can handle bass (you're talking RCF 735As or similar, right?)

And a BF SC by itself plus D class head is less weight than a QSC K12.2.

Where the QSC wins (hands down!) is on cost. 

Edited October 5, 2019 by Al Krow

[Frank Blank]

11 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Nah - you can get an overall lighter weight using 2 x RCA 310As and a BF SC than anything comparably good with IEMs and a PA that can handle bass (you're talking RCF 735As or similar, right?)

And a BF SC by itself plus D class head is less weight than a QSC K12.2.

Where the QSC wins (hands down!) is on cost. 

I’d have no idea really, the butler manhandles my equipment (Matron).

[Al Krow]

10 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

I’d have no idea really, the butler manhandles my equipment (Matron).

In my band I am the butler.

😁

[Frank Blank]

18 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

In my band I am the butler.

😁

I did almost two decades of band butlering, suffice to say never again.

[Al Krow]

6 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

I did almost two decades of band butlering, suffice to say never again.

Really about time you got yourself one of these then 😁

[Higgie]

9 hours ago, DanEly said:

Maybe I should take the plunge. Did you not miss the weight of having a rig behind you?

That’s what the Backbeat is for 😛

[DanEly]

22 minutes ago, Higgie said:

That’s what the Backbeat is for 😛

I'm currently awaiting delivery of a very heavy bass so more weight is a no no at the moment, that and I move around a lot on stage! Less wires the better for me!

[Osiris]

17 hours ago, DanEly said:

I think I would have to try the Darkglass sims myself before I start ditching the pedals. The limitations of blocks are what's making more interested in mainly using the amp and cab sims... Who's gone down the IEM route? 

I've ditched my rig and gone down the IEM route, my rig is now a Stomp and a wireless IEM set up. If you get yourself some capable in ears - the obligatory ZS10's have 4 drivers each side, 2 of which are dedicated for low frequencies - you'll still get the weight of a rig, just at a much more comfortable volume, at least that's been my experience. And even if I say so myself, my rig that it replaced was a very capable set up!

The quality of the models in the Stomp are virtually indistinguishable from whatever they're modelled on, the few models where I've used the physical version are so close I suspect few could tell them apart in a blind test. I've been through my fair share of drive pedals over the years and IMO the Stomp beats many of the analogue pedals that I've tried. No longer do we have to put up with fizzy, thin sounding Sims. The drives have the weight, colour and touch dynamics of the real thing. Add in the ability to use crossovers and clean blends, not just walk th drivers but with everything, and you have an infinitely configurable unit. The amp and cab models are excellent too, I've not had hands on experience with some of the amps that have been modelled but they do sound like a real rig to me. The SVT model has that low end sludge and top clank of the real thing. Last night I gigged using the Cali 400 model, the gain was set so that when playing normally the tone was clean and fat but digging in increased the saturation and gave that chewy, rich, compressed edge that valve amps give when pushed. All this at a volume that doesn't make your ears ring or put your back out when lugging your gear around. 

[DanEly]

@Osiris I've got myself a set of AS10s that I've been using for work (I'm a backline tech) that I recently tried on a short tour with a full stack behind me - Fender 610 and a Mesa 400+. I'm looking at getting myself a set of Cosmic Ears as the KZ's don't have the greatest fit/seal and come loose a fair amount. I did like having the weight behind me though...

I'm very very precious about my tone. I've been an absolute pedal whore over the years. Most of them are drive and synth based. I know the Stomp doesn't have a synth engine, how do the drives play with analogue pedals?

 

[Osiris]

I bought some different tips for my ZS10's, the ones that are cone shaped with 3 different sections, if you know what I mean? They probably have a name but I don't know what it is! I bought a load from eBay for around £3, IIRC, ages ago.

Can't comment on how the Stomp drives play with other pedals as I use mine as a stand alone unit as it does everything I need in one box. I've never really been one to craddock around with boards and loads of pedals. 

The lovely @Al Krow uses a Stomp in amidst a huge pedal board so he should be able to answer that for you 😀

[dave_bass5]

Ive finally found a use for the send/return block. Ive not been over the moon with the Stomp’s filters, much prefer my MXR filter, but can’t see the point (for me) of using  that and the Stomp. My thinking was not about two boxes, but more foot switches to hit.
I’m sure it’s all old hat to some, but I hadn’t realised I could leave the filter turned on, and control its on and off using a Stomp foot switch. Brilliant!!!!

Ive learnt a lot today by watching Richie Castenello’s videos all day. Although he uses the full size Helix he has some great tips. 

Love his Band Geeks videos as well. Very talented bunch of musicians. 

[krispn]

The stomp really can do whatever you need it to and for that Line 6 deserve much credit. 

[Higgie]

2 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

Ive finally found a use for the send/return block. Ive not been over the moon with the Stomp’s filters, much prefer my MXR filter, but can’t see the point (for me) of using  that and the Stomp. My thinking was not about two boxes, but more foot switches to hit.
I’m sure it’s all old hat to some, but I hadn’t realised I could leave the filter turned on, and control its on and off using a Stomp foot switch. Brilliant!!!!

Ive learnt a lot today by watching Richie Castenello’s videos all day. Although he uses the full size Helix he has some great tips. 

Love his Band Geeks videos as well. Very talented bunch of musicians. 

This is one of my favourite features. An FX Loop for inserting your other effects, that can be placed anywhere in the signal chain. Like you, I would want to put one of my filters and the Future Impact in it's loop. I just picked up the Morningstar MC6 to use with the Stomp. I'm now envisioning their ML5 in the loop of the stomp, with the filter in one loop, FI in another... The MC6 could switch presets/patches on the Stomp, as well as turning on/off multiple separate pedals at a pre-determined point in your signal chain, but more importantly, that can all change per patch! Lots of possibilities!

[Rik (ESA)]

Hi all, sorry if this is answered elsewhere... 

I currently have the HX stomp, and a smooth audio wireless. I'm looking to add the morningstar midi pedal and a small Di box, and am interested in people's views on both a suitable Di box, ideally under £100, and views on best options to power the whole board? 

Many thanks, 

Rick 

[stoo]

6 minutes ago, Rik (ESA) said:

Hi all, sorry if this is answered elsewhere... 

I currently have the HX stomp, and a smooth audio wireless. I'm looking to add the morningstar midi pedal and a small Di box, and am interested in people's views on both a suitable Di box, ideally under £100, and views on best options to power the whole board? 

Many thanks, 

Rick 

Do you need a DI box? The stomp has a balanced output capability, so you can just use a 1/4" TRS to XLR adaptor...

I have heard of some people thinking a DI box might be necessary to protect against the possibility of any phantom power issues, but I'm not sure how likely it is that it would be an issue?

[Frank Blank]

23 minutes ago, stoo said:

Do you need a DI box? The stomp has a balanced output capability, so you can just use a 1/4" TRS to XLR adaptor...

^^^ This. I do exactly, this ^^^

[Osiris]

31 minutes ago, stoo said:

Do you need a DI box? The stomp has a balanced output capability, so you can just use a 1/4" TRS to XLR adaptor...

I have heard of some people thinking a DI box might be necessary to protect against the possibility of any phantom power issues, but I'm not sure how likely it is that it would be an issue?

 

7 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

^^^ This. I do exactly, this ^^^

With one of these. 

[Frank Blank]

3 minutes ago, Osiris said:

With one of these. 

Indeed, here's mine in fetching pink...

[Rik (ESA)]

Ah fantastic, and does that seem to work well enough, ie no grounding issues etc? Absolute money saver if so, just the power to sort for the rest... 

Thanks everyone! 

[GisserD]

19 hours ago, Higgie said:

This is one of my favourite features. An FX Loop for inserting your other effects, that can be placed anywhere in the signal chain. Like you, I would want to put one of my filters and the Future Impact in it's loop. I just picked up the Morningstar MC6 to use with the Stomp. I'm now envisioning their ML5 in the loop of the stomp, with the filter in one loop, FI in another... The MC6 could switch presets/patches on the Stomp, as well as turning on/off multiple separate pedals at a pre-determined point in your signal chain, but more importantly, that can all change per patch! Lots of possibilities!

I had my FI in a loop once, but soon realised that I put it always at the start of a chain, so removed it and use midi cc to turn it on and off. Saving a loop in the process.

[Al Krow]

5 minutes ago, GisserD said:

I had my FI in a loop once, but soon realised that I put it always at the start of a chain, so removed it and use midi cc to turn it on and off. Saving a loop in the process.

Yup, that's where I've landed also with synths: allowing them to work on the cleanest input signal possible, i.e. at the start of the chain, seems to be optimal. I've ended up putting drive and bitcrush into my Boss SY-1's loop (our FIs unfortunately don't have that option) and left the Stomp at the end of the chain where it can also double up as the DI (as mentioned above).

@Rik (ESA) Lots of decent PSUs to go for. Very much recommend you go for isolated outputs if you can to minimise the risk of pedal hum. I've ended up with an MXR IsoBrick which puts out 2.7Amps through 10 isolated outputs. This powers everything on my main board apart from my Stomp which I'm just using it's own PSU for. I have a Truetone OneSpot CS6 for my smaller board. If you can find something that fits snugly under your board, all the better as this will leave more space for your pedals on top! The OneSpot CS6 and Ciocks DC5 are great for the smaller flat boards; you have more PSU options with the larger angled boards.