The Line 6 Helix Tour Grade Guitar Processor reaches far beyond anything you’ve ever experienced. It can be a great addition to your rig, a streamlined controller for your existing system, or an incredible-sounding guitar interface for recording in the studio — it can even replace your entire effects setup! Equipped with Line 6’s new HX modeling engine, Helix will let you hear brand-new models of modern and vintage amps, cabs, mics, and effects — all designed to sound and feel just like the originals. And your rig-integration options are limitless, with Helix’s astoundingly comprehensive I/O and routing capabilities. Line 6 has long been at the forefront of the modeling revolution, and Helix is the professional guitar processor Line 6 was destined to create.

Power to spare

Line 6 spearheaded the modeling revolution years ago. Now they are stepping into the future with Helix. At the core of the Helix is Line 6’s new dual DSP HX modeling engine. Representing a giant leap forward in guitar technology, the HX engine reproduces every minute detail that goes into a great amplifier. Every single detail has been taken into account, down to an amplifier’s power supply ripple and tube sag, ensuring you receive an ultra-realistic playing feel and experience. The classic bloom and compression of some amps and the powerful punch of others are all faithfully accounted for. Plus, you can also load custom impulse responses to personalize your tone.

Up and running in no time

Before Helix, powerful amp and effects modeling came with a significant learning curve. But even with a massive amount of routing, recording, and editing power under the hood, Helix’s touch-sensitive footswitches let you actually edit your whole sound with your feet, without even having to stop playing. And the large 6.2″ LCD display rids the system of all the menu surfing, while giving as much control as the deepest editing software. It’s so intuitive to navigate that Line 6 claims you’ll have 90% of Helix mastered within a five-minute glance at the full-color Helix quick-start guide; and we’re not just talking tone editing. Design your rig at the speed of thought.

Give Helix the control

Already have a beloved guitar rig that you’ve spent years getting just right? Perfect! Helix also makes a robust controller for your rig. Offering one of the most in-depth routing I/Os on any guitar processor, it allows you to easily create a hardware/software hybrid setup integrating your other pedals, your channel-switching tube amplifier, your rack equipment, and even other instruments. And you do it all through Helix’s four stereo effects loops. You can send multiple wet and dry signals to different sources, place the loops in various locations in your signal chain, swap between your amp and modeled sounds, switch channels on your external amps, and so much more, at the press of a footswitch. You can even take control of your band’s MIDI rig with up to six separate MIDI commands at patch recall.

Changes with the tap of the toe

If there’s one thing our guitar players know, it’s that guitarists love stompbox pedals. While menu and software editing can offer great tones and control, we’re naturally inclined to want to step on a footswitch and hear the tone we’re looking for. Line 6 understands that, which is why Helix eschews all of the deep and confusing editing that plagues many other pro-level products, for a simple-to-use 12-footswitch interface that gives you all the sound and parameter tweaking you’ll ever need. And each switch carries a customizable LCD scribble strip for assigning names to your controls. Now you don’t even have to stop playing to get comprehensive control of your whole rig.

Tour-grade durability

Since gear takes such a beating on the road, every single component in the Line 6 Helix was chosen to be able to stand up to the punishment a professional guitarist will put it through. Helix combats the abuse with roadworthy footswitches and a bulletproof housing. From the side panels to the extruded top, the solid-aluminum construction won’t bend or break. It will let you concentrate on your performance, not your gear. Even the expression pedal is made from the same aluminum. So if you’re a gigging musician who needs a tour-grade multi-effects unit that can keep up with you, make sure to give Helix an audition.

Helix answers your guitar gear needs

It almost doesn’t matter what amp or effect you’re looking for. Since Helix can be used as a standard amp modeler, a streamlined controller for your rig, a guitar interface, or your entire rig by itself, it has everything you need to suite almost any scenario. Line 6’s new HX modeling engine gives you all the sounds they’re known for, completely redesigned to be amazingly accurate. And your rig-integration options are limitless with Helix’s comprehensive I/O. Helix is Line 6’s most advanced processor yet, and it could easily become the most valuable tool in your sonic arsenal!

What Line 6 Says…

Helix^® Floor and Helix Rack are the flagship guitar processors of the Helix family, offering incredible power, flexibility, and control. HX Modeling uses dual-DSP processing to deliver the nuanced character that exists in the original classics, giving you natural bloom, compression, modulation, and honk on some models, as well as intense gain and breakup in others. Not only do HX Models sound and feel real, Helix Floor and Helix Rack processors are comprehensive master controllers for your guitar system, with extensive I/O that provides unprecedented flexibility for studio and stage. Touch-sensitive footswitches, customizable scribble strips, and a large color LCD make the user experience faster and more efficient.

Feels and sounds like analog gear

When it comes to authentic sound and feel, Helix Floor and Helix Rack guitar processors represent a giant leap forward in modeling technology. Dual-DSPs provide massive power to accurately recreate the sonic characteristics and full dynamic response of classic and modern amplifiers and effects.

A new approach to speaker cabinet modeling

Helix HX Hybrid cabs represent a new approach to the speaker cabinet capture process. They provide the same resolution and low-end accuracy as a 2048-point or higher Impulse Response, while only using roughly the same amount of DSP power as a 1024-point IR. A choice of 16 different microphones and 23 recording distances provides additional sonic flexibility and real-time dynamic control. Helix Floor and Helix Rack processors also let you load custom impulse responses, allowing you to personalize your rig even further.

Models that respond like the real thing

With Helix processors, each stage of an amp’s circuitry has been measured and matched back to the original, so that each model reacts and interacts with the player as expected. This level of dynamic circuit detail extends into areas such as power supply ripple, individual tube sag, and control over B+ voltages.

Effects models with unprecedented authenticity

HX Modeling accurately recreates the behavior of even the most idiosyncratic vintage effects by modeling their individual components. The Transtronic process emulates the behavior of virtually any germanium or silicon transistor diode, making it possible to authentically recreate fuzz, distortion, and other pedals once considered too persnickety to convincingly model. The Throbber is a “virtual lightbulb” that mimics the decidedly nonlinear behavior of the small incandescent bulb and four photocells inside the original 1960’s Uni-Vibe pedals that are essential to their unique sound and vibe. And the Bucketier chip and Panda circuit are virtual recreations of the Bucket Brigade (BBD) chips and compander (compression/expansion) circuitry found in many old-school analog delay pedals. Accurately modeling the inherent quirkiness of vintage analog delay pedals at the component level endows HX analog delay effects with all of their lo-fi majesty.

So intuitive you already know how to use it

Massive power traditionally comes with a steep learning curve, but Helix processors are remarkably easy to use. Touch-sensitive footswitches allow you to select an effect block or other item for editing simply by tapping it with your finger. A large 6.2-inch, 800×480-pixel LCD eliminates complex menu-diving and provides the same level of control you might expect from an external editor. Colored LED rings and customizable scribble strips complete the user interface, letting you know what each footswitch is doing at a glance.

Instantaneous editing

Simply touch a footswitch to instantly jump to any block and quickly adjust a parameter or assign controllers. So fast, you can comfortably assign any item to a switch in three seconds.

Footswitch status at a glance

Color-coded LED rings and customizable scribble strips convey footswitch assignments and status at a single glance.

Seamlessly transition between tones

The Snapshots feature enables you to create up to eight variations within a single preset and seamlessly transition between them without experiencing the audio dropouts and disruption of delay and reverb trails that normally occur when switching between DSP-intensive presets. Enable and bypass effects blocks, change amp and effects settings, and much more—all within the same preset.

Complex routing made easy

With four stereo signal paths per preset, the Helix Floor and Helix Rack processors allow you to create complex routing scenarios involving numerous effects and other blocks, connected in countless ways. Routing schemes such as wet/dry/wet and 4-Cable Method are also easily configured.

Continue playing while you edit

Helix processors were designed to make interacting with technology more intuitive. Pedal Edit mode, for example, allows you to edit any amp or effect parameter with your foot, so you don’t have to stop playing while making changes on the fly. Simply select the block you want to edit and its parameters spill across the footswitches. Then select a parameter and adjust its value using the expression pedal.

As easy to use as Helix

Helix Edit software features the same intuitive user interface found on the Helix Floor and Helix Rack processors, so there’s no learning curve. Drag and drop amps, cabs, and effects to build complex signal chains with ease; adjust settings and parameters using dedicated sliders and knobs; customize footswitch labels quickly and efficiently, and much more—all on your computer’s large screen.

Integrate and control external hardware

Helix Floor and Helix Rack processors can serve as the nerve center for your entire studio or live rig by enabling you to easily integrate effects pedals and other hardware into a hybrid setup.

Four effects loops provide limitless flexibility

Connect individual pedals or pedal chains to the four mono or two stereo effects sends and receives to create switchable loops, or assign the effects loops to discrete signal paths to process multiple instruments simultaneously, or split the sends and receives up and use them as freely-assignable inputs and outputs. This unparalleled flexibility allows you to create large integrated systems incorporating both digital and analog I/O.

Complete MIDI integration

When you need to incorporate external devices via MIDI, Helix Floor and Helix Rack processors offer maximum flexibility. In addition to powerful real time MIDI control, they can send up to six separate commands at preset recall, enabling you to, for example, change a preset on a synth, start a sequencer, and turn up a fader on an external digital mixer with a single press of a footswitch. And with their two expression pedal inputs, CV/Expression out, and external amp switching, Helix Floor and Helix Rack processors can serve as the command center for any size rig.

Open up new performance possibilities

Helix Floor and Helix Rack processors feature Variax® guitar control enhancements that enable you to toggle between two guitar models with a footswitch, control Helix amp and effects parameters from the volume and tone knobs on your Variax guitar, set each string’s tuning per preset or snapshot, and much more.

• Dual DSP-powered HX modeling engine
• Over 200 amp, cabs, mic, and effects models
• 6.2″ LCD display
• 12 touch-sensitive footswitches for editing
• 10 inputs, 12 outputs (including 4 effects loops)
• 8-in/8-out USB audio interface
• 3 expression pedal outs
• Mic-level XLR input
• S/PDIF, AES/EBU, and L6 Link digital outputs
• Capacitive touch-sensitive switches for parameter recall
• Assignable RGB LED color rings
• Customizable LCD scribble strips
• Preset or stompbox modes
• Integrated looper
• Solid-aluminum construction
• Tour-grade footswitches

Learn more about Line 6

View more Line 6 at Marshall Music

Why Buy From Marshall Music

At Marshall Music, we’re all passionate and highly experienced musicians that love what we do. Family run and family owned for over 35 years, we stock a huge variety of the very best brands in the world of musical instruments, music technology, professional audio and accessories. At Marshall Music, you’ll get the right advice – exactly what you need to make the best possible purchasing decision. We’ll do all we can to make sure you get the right thing at the right price as efficiently as possible – leaving you with a smile on your face!