Opens in a new window
Line 6 Helix Amp and FX Pedal Board
Additional Photos:
Product Videos :
YouTube Video
YouTube Video
![Line 6 Helix [Product Demonstration]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/gEGgxwxrMbk/hqdefault.jpg)
Your Price: $1,999.99 CDN
or from $117 CDN/mo
Helix is a new kind of guitar processor: it's not only a tour-grade multi-effect pedal that sounds and feels authentic. It's so intuitive you already know how to use it and it will let you integrate and control an entire rig of internal and external gear.
- 4 discrete stereo signal paths
- 12 capacitive-sensing footswitches and customizable scribble stripstouch to edit, hold to assign, press to engage
- Hands-free Pedal Edit mode lays out effect parameters across switches and expression pedal
- "Touch and tweak" - when it comes to creating tones, Helix is as fast as you are
- Peruse the full-color Helix cheat sheet for 5 minutes and you'll have 90% of Helix mastered
- Large 6.2 inch 800x480-pixel LCD display
- Extensive I/O for seamless integration with your entire rig - 10 inputs 12 outputs plus 8-in/8-out USB audio interface
- Four stereo FX Loops - integrate favorite pedals
- Up to 3 expression pedals, CV/Expression out, external amp switching and deep MIDI control
- AES/EBU, SPDIF and VDI interfaces
- Industry-leading 123dB of dynamic range on the guitar input, for tremendous depth and ultra-low noise
- 4 discrete stereo signal paths
- 12 capacitive-sensing footswitches and customizable scribble stripstouch to edit, hold to assign, press to engage
- Hands-free Pedal Edit mode lays out effect parameters across switches and expression pedal
- "Touch and tweak" - when it comes to creating tones, Helix is as fast as you are
- Peruse the full-color Helix cheat sheet for 5 minutes and you'll have 90% of Helix mastered
- Large 6.2 inch 800x480-pixel LCD display
- Extensive I/O for seamless integration with your entire rig - 10 inputs 12 outputs plus 8-in/8-out USB audio interface
- Four stereo FX Loops - integrate favorite pedals
- Up to 3 expression pedals, CV/Expression out, external amp switching and deep MIDI control
- AES/EBU, SPDIF and VDI interfaces
- Industry-leading 123dB of dynamic range on the guitar input, for tremendous depth and ultra-low noise
Media
Youtube video product demo
Youtube video product demo
Description: Adrian Emond from Long & McQuade Richmond demonstrates the Line 6 Helix guitar amp and multi-effects pedal board.
Q & A
There are currently no questions for this product.
Reviews
3.145.2.6
Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; [email protected])
Helix 8 of 10 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Calgary Chinook, Alberta
This unit does it all, you can recreate any artist tone or acoustic, classical guitar tones with an electric guitar, absolutely amazing pedal!
I have 25 other boutique pedals that are high end pedals, strymon big sky, korg sdd3000 delay, hughes & kentner rotosphere and many more and honestly I was at the point where I had too many pedals, they all sound great but my signal chain became overwhelming, coupled with the fact that I was looking at switching systems that isolate and power all these pedals and it can get really expensive to design a switching system that can handle all the pedals and create button presets, which led me to going back to having one system that does it all, the the Helix does the trick !
I will still keep my other pedals for specific applications but now I have everything in one unit which simplifies everything,,
The factory presets are OK but not near the potential that the Helix is capable of, so I purchased some online custom patches and wow I am glad I did because they are not expensive, they allow you to see how a professional creates the patches and snapshots so you have a guideline to follow, saving you alot of time figuring the unit out,, the custom presets I purchased online were simple to download and add to the factory presets and they did not disappoint,, I am so glad I purchased the custom patches,,
These patches also come programmed as snapshots, which means one preset becomes all the buttons, where you can switch on effects within one preset or patch and turn on overdrive or other effects for a solo or a bridge or chorus section of a song, click one button and your pedal board is back to presets mode where each button is its own sound,, very handy tool snapshots can be !
I also purchased 2 Headrush 112 FRFR full response flat response PA speakers, which you need to get the full enjoyment of the Helix because the unit comes with so many different Amp Models, you don’t really want to feed the output if the Helix into a Fender Twin or Marshall or Mesa Boogie amp because you will not get the true sound of the Helix because your Amp will alter the sound whereas a Flat Response Speaker will give you the true sound from the Helix, you can still run a Helix into your guitar amp but the FRFR speaker is the way to go, IMO,, and so all you need is Guitar straight into the Helix and the Helix into your FRFR PA or Console Mixer then out to the PA,, now you just have the guitar and pedal board to deal with.
I am really happy I took the plunge and bought the Helix, it is a solid unit and sounds amazing!! The staff at Long and McQuade Calgary are a great team who are knowledgeable and helpful in every way 👍
Steve J - Calgary, Alberta
Posted by Steve Johnson on Jan 30, 2021
Essential gear 4 of 4 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Winnipeg (Wall St), Manitoba
I've had the helix now for a month and I love it! It's everything I need built into one board. You can mix it any sound you want with all its features. There's tons of efx and amp models to choose from and you can even buy more. There's also a software that let's you access your presets and snapshots. The software can be downloaded at the line 6 website.
Speaking of snapshots, that's my favourite feature on the line 6.
For its price it's well worth it. The only problem I've encountered was the learning curve (mind you I've always been an analog efx guy. It's my first time with multi)
It's gonna sound rough for the first few days unless you know you're way around eqing and setting your parameters but that's really my fault not the helix.
Overall, I recommend buying the helix. I just bring the helix and my guitar to gigs.
Posted by Joshua Espiritu on Nov 2, 2018
Upgraded from HD500X, which I loved. And I've never looked back. 4 of 4 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Kamloops, British Columbia
I've been using Line6 floor processors for nearly a decade, and the Helix is easily their best yet. I loved my HD500, preferred the extra power of the 500x, and was shocked at the difference upgrading to the Helix. Great sounding effects, the ability to use IRs, and lots of processing power to create far more intricate tones than ever before. Combined with a Variax guitar, this is easily the best setup I've ever played with. If something were to happen, I would buy my current rig again.
Sound guys love it, which is particularly nice if playing in a range of venues. No amp, and stereo XLR outputs allow me to plug straight into the sound system, with no extraneous stage volume. IMPORTANT NOTE: turn off the phantom power.
Posted by JR Green on Oct 20, 2018
Great versatility 0 of 2 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Cambridge, Ontario
Where to begin?
So many options. Presets are already enough for almost any style. Heavy duty for travel and gigs. Saving so much cash and space on pedal nightmares. That is probably my favourite feature. Adjustments for levels and the option to use the expression pedal on any effect works big time.
Play any immerse yourself into it.
Posted by Corey on Oct 12, 2018
Helix 3 of 3 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Calgary East, Alberta
This is a must have for guitarist who love to create. Easy to use . Worth every penny.
Posted by Derek Trask on Feb 18, 2018
Line 6 Helix a lot of money but worth it. 6 of 7 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Kanata, Ontario
I have had the Helix for a few months now and yes it is costly but what a dream. I run it through the board sometimes and I have a 50w Atomic which is a great very clean amp. I am never unhappy with the tone I get.
There is a bit of a learning curve just trying to understand how IRs impact the tone and getting use to the interface did not actually take that long.
Finally the Snapshot feature was a very pleasant surprise.
Great pedal, great sound I can't really ask for more and my wife will likely not let me.
Posted by Frank Preston on Jul 11, 2017
Excellent! 4 of 4 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Mississauga, Ontario
This is an excellent piece of gear. If you want to play around with a large variety of sounds without having 10-20 analog pedals, I highly recommend this item. On the other hand, if you've just got 2 or 3 sounds you always use, stick with the analog pedals; it'll be cheaper, you can get your sound, and let's face it there's something cool about analog.
Right now I've got the Helix going straight into my H&K tube amp; I've also played around with the 4-cable method, meaning distortion from the Helix --> amp --> rev/del/mod Helix --> back to the amp. Both methods seem great. I will probably look for some smaller monitor speakers so that I can use the Helix straight into those in stereo, as opposed to going straight to my amp; this way you can take full advantage of the Helix's modeling capabilities. Although using the Helix amp models and going straight into my own amp seems to sound pretty good to me, provided I set my amp to sound roughly neutral (but you get no stereo of course).
All in all, the Helix gives me lots of options, it's easy to use, super fun, and seems quite high quality (although I've only purchased recently so can't comment on it's longevity).
I do have a couple of minor complaints; the first being that there's no rhythm at all, it seems like it can do so much, and then not to have any sort of metronome or basic drum beats seems weird, although I knew this when I purchased it. Secondly, the toe switch on the pedal seems unusually hard to press; which is good in the sense that you won't press it by mistake, but it feels weird to me.
Highly recommended if you're willing to spend a bit more money and want to experiment with a large number of sounds.
Posted by Wayde Johnson on Apr 4, 2017
All I can say is WOW 5 of 5 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Woodstock, Ontario
I have had so many modeling units in the past I lost track. I should also note I am a big fan of my EVH tube amps. But I will admit I was tempted to come back to the digital side for many reasons. The technology certainly has come along nicely. Basically in the current market for higher end modeling units you have 3 choices; Kemper, Fractal and Line 6. Kemper is killer no doubt about it, but easily the most expensive option, and for reasons I can't explain not something that appealed to me. Fractal AX-8 was my other consideration, but no headphone out and no USB recording was the deal breaker. Since I already had a Pod HD500X, and had 10+ years experience with line 6 products I decided on the Helix. I also already own 2 of the Line 6 Stage Source L2T speakers, so again the upgrade to Helix just made sense. Let me just say up front, yes it does sound noticeably better than the HD500X. It takes a lot less tweaking to get a decent tone. One other huge advantage over the HD500X with the Helix is the ability to import cabinet Impulse Responses. I highly recommend 3Sigma Audio IRs. They really bring the Helix to life. Running the Helix into the two L2T speakers via L6 link in stereo is tonal bliss. The renamable scribble strips, and snapshots features are also huge improvements of Pods of the past. Think of snapshots as a built in pedal switcher that allows you to enable/disable multiple effects at once while also changing amp parameters, as well as modify cab or IR settings. Very powerful tool. Yup it costs a lot, but it offers a lot in return. I may not ever need another amp or stompbox ever again. Playing in rehearsal or live it also was more than capable and I would not hesitate to pick the Helix over my EVH for ease of use and transport. I recommend you try it in store and make sure you have a good FRFR speaker option lined up to really hear what the unit is capable of. You won't beleive it isn't really amp I assure you. You may never go back to amp and pedal board again, you have been warned. I have yet to try hooking the Helix up to my EVH amp via 4 cable method, but I would expect it to work just as well if not better than the previous HD500X did.
Posted by Duane on Mar 24, 2017
SWEET 4 of 4 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I've tried it
Closest Store Toronto (Bloor St.), Ontario
This is a killer unit. It is very smooth and articulate. The pre-sets are awesome. This unit is great for studio or gigging. The only problem with this unit is if you run it thru a P/A system it WILL sound very digital.....Thru an amp it sounds killer...just my opinion
Posted by anonymous on Mar 12, 2017
Wow! 8 of 8 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Montréal, Quebec
Après 8 mois d'utilisation. Wow! Épatant. J'ai eu un Mark V, JVM410H, etc. Plus versatile que tout ce que j'ai eu jusqu'à maintenant.
Posted by Stéphane on Nov 25, 2016
So much more than POD; equal to axe fx2, better than Kemper 4 of 4 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
Saw one on the rack. Decided to bite rather than cry later and have to wait for it on order. Firstly, ty L&M for making it easy for me to trade up from my POD HD500X. Had initial concerns about DSP limits (yes even with this one!). BUT, once i learned how to route the signal path to properly use both DSP processors, that concern went away and I haven't run into it again. On sound quality, its head and shoulders above anything Line6 has ever offered and equivalent or better than Kemper and Fractal Axe FX2. This truly is the next latest and greatest. Buy with confidence!
Posted by The Scientist on Nov 24, 2016
Helix Floor Unit 7 of 7 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
First off. Ty L&M for the upgrade program that permitted me to trade in my HD500X to get into this Helix without dealing with Craigslist. First impressions: Very high quality construction, gig-worthy unit, excellent display, intuitive control, sound quality is head-and-shoulders above my HD500X (HD500X always sounded a little thin to me even with all the tweaks; Helix is lush, rich, full bodied tone).
I was able to re-create old favorite patches from scratch within hours of exploring the unit. Amp emulators and effects behave exactly like the real-world analog equivalents when playing. (I have some of them and was able to A/B). Pinchies and squeelies are all achievable (presuming of course, if you could already do them before on the equivalent analog gear).
Some surprises: I was still able to reach the DSP limit with some of my homebrew patches. I suppose I'm just addicted to the best of the best effects. But my expectation with this unit boasting double the processing power and 2 discrete DSP processors was that I wouldn't run into this challenge - meh. That being said, its at least equivalent in tone chain effects (8) as the HD500X. And, using less DSP demanding blocks, permits much more creativity and tone crafting. But the quality of sound and ease of use in a live setting is easily better than the best of the POD line; and i'll even say so of BOSS, Digitech, Sansamp, Korg, ZOOM etc. The Helix compares to the Kemper and Fractal (Axe FX2) offerings. and IMO is superior to the Kemper for sound quality, and equivalent to AxeFX2. The Helix outclasses all of them and is at least toe-to-toe with the AxeFX2.
My expectation for the unit is to be able to tone-craft at home, and then jack to the board in the house to deliver the tones I desire. This unit does that. Global setting permit in house tweaking during sound-check and balancing. Very nice when you don't have a lot of time for setup and break-down between sets/acts; and rooms have different active surfaces to contend with.
For the price point, I would like to have had still more processing power and put DSP limits in my past (hence my 4 rating). But truthfully, I'm an effects hog, and even my analog board is fully loaded and crying for footprint. In terms of what I wanted, which is a stand alone portable unit that gives me tone sculptures that faithfully reproduce the recorded tone for songs I play - this unit does deliver. This is a unit that finally, FINALLY, can deliver tones that are dangerously close to the original artists' rigs. Overall, I'm ecstatic with this unit. I was happy with the HD500X. But this is a Ferrari by comparison to a nice Audi. Too many additional features to mention here. Total midi and even control voltage for vintage gear. 4 effect send and return loops. SPDIF, XLR, USB,... If crafting tones ain't your thing, there is lots of support online to get the patches you desire. The interface is also a significant improvement over Podfarm and/or Monkey. I haven't explored how well it works with a rack unit as a slave. But this might be an option if I'm really craving more DSP.
One final comment on controls, The foot pedal is too stiff imo for good heel-toe wah action. Also, it can't be calibrated. But - maybe the external controllers can remedy this (2 additional expression pedals are possible) - and there is nothing to say i can't just put in a send/return to my Clyde Wah. All the buttons can be assigned to the effects or discrete parameters of the effects. Multi-switching also possible. (So i can run a very clean signal, and then punch in all my drive, gates, and gain effects with one toe-switch - Me Likey!).
Bah - quit reading. Go buy one!
If i could make one request, I'd like L&M to get the Line6 rep in to run some users clinics to share/teach tips and tricks for getting the most out of this unit.
Posted by SB on Nov 23, 2016
This thing is amazing 4 of 4 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Toronto (Bloor St.), Ontario
I had owned an Axe Fx in the past and I honestly think this is way better value for the price and the features it has. Not to mention, with the ability to add your own cab impulses, you can get crazy tones that match the higher end units (Axe Fx, Kemper). This is by far line 6's best product to date. Take a chance with this one, you wont regret it.
Posted by A on Sep 10, 2016
I own this and traded for the helix rack unit 3 of 4 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Oshawa, Ontario
This pedal board is tour grade strong! Easy to learn and use.Can be ready to play shows within an hour or two . New updates all the time the newest update 1.06.0 will be coming in a few weeks and more upgrades to come .
Tons of support on the support page for line 6 or on the helix group chat page on Facebook .
You can also make suggestions for updates for this unit @ line6.ideascale.com which is pretty Rad !
If you buy this you won't be disappointed have fun Ladies and DjentThallMen
Posted by Johnny Djent on Jan 22, 2016
Big Step Forward 7 of 8 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Edmonton South, Alberta
This is definitely Line 6's attempt to step up and play with the big dogs (Axe FX/KPA) and it was definitely a step in the right direction. Light years ahead of the HD500X and Line 6 seemingly committed to supporting this product (Firmware 1.04 already).
As with any multifx will this sound as good as your high end tube amps and boutique pedals? No, but they aren't that far off and the convenience and ease of use makes this board well worth the moment. By far the is the best UI I have ever come across.
Take the chance, you won't be disappointed.
Posted by Carl on Nov 29, 2015
Rental rates
This product is normally available for rental. Please contact your preferred location for further information.
1 Day from $34.00
1 Week $68.00
1 Month $135.00
Protect your investment with the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty
A warranty can be a very important factor when making a buying decision. Because repairs can be very expensive in terms of parts and labour costs, manufacturers usually only provide one year limited warranties that generally only cover items that malfunction due to a manufacturer’s defect. With an important purchase such as a musical
instrument or piece of studio gear, however, many people want to have the peace of mind in knowing that their investment will be protected should the product no longer be performing at 100%.
Because of this, Long & McQuade provides our customers with a FREE one-year Performance Warranty on most of our products. The Long & McQuade Performance Warranty supplements the manufacturer’s warranty to ensure that our customers receive complete “no hassle” warranty coverage within their first year.
How does the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty differ from most manufacturers' warranties?
- Performance Guarantee: Normal wear and tear is covered, so your product will be performing as well as the day you purchased it for the entire duration of the coverage. Band and Orchestral Performance Warranty does not include replacing pads or cleaning for woodwind instruments, unless deemed necessary by our repair staff. Ultrasonic cleaning for brass instruments will be provided if deemed necessary by our repair staff, but is not routinely offered under the Performance Warranty.
- Product Replacement: If your product cannot be fixed or costs too much to fix, we will replace it with the equivalent model for no additional charge. If this is not possible, a full refund will be provided.
- No Lemon Policy: Your product will be replaced should the same problem occur multiple times.
- Convenient: Easy drop off and pick up of the product at any Long & McQuade location.
- Guitar Setup: Guitars purchased at Long & McQuade come with 1 free setup, to be redeemed within 1 year for new guitars and 90 days for used guitars.
- Loaners Available: A loaner product may be given while the product is being repaired.
- Power Surge Protection: Your product is covered even if damaged from a power surge.
- Accessory Coverage: Any peripheral devices or accessories that come with your product (i.e. foot pedal, case) are also covered.
- Commercial Use Coverage: Music and recording professionals who purchase gear for “heavy-use” commercial purposes will still be covered.
Long & McQuade reserves the right to restrict the purchase of additional years of Performance Warranty. Used products come with a 3-month Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Some products (i.e. computers, software, cymbals and other items) are covered only by the manufacturer‘s warranty. Consumables (i.e. strings, reeds, drum sticks, batteries, tubes, cross faders) are excluded as they are designed to be replaced. Cosmetic Damage, Accidental Damage, or problems caused by Humidity or Temperature Issues are not covered. Speakers damaged by overpowering are generally not covered. Our coverage does not provide compensation for loss of use. As of June 2018 the Performance Warranty is no longer transferable. The warranty is only valid in Canada.
Purchasing additional years of coverage
Some manufacturers provide warranties for longer than 1 year; however, these are usually limited warranties that do not provide the same coverage as the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Customers interested in more complete and convenient (but not necessarily longer) coverage are still able to purchase additional years of the Performance Warranty.
If you are interested in receiving this coverage for longer than one year, you have the option of purchasing additional years of the Performance Warranty. The pricing is as follows:
- NEW products: Starting at 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. Starting at 4% for each additional year.
- USED products: Starting at 4% of the current new selling price to increase the warranty from 3 months to 1 year. Starting at 4% for each additional year.
- GUITARS: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year. $45 maximum. An additional free setup is not included with additional purchased years of Performance Warranty.
- BAND and ORCHESTRAL instruments: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year.
Great Additions
Reserve in Store
| Product | SKU | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| Helix Amp and FX Pedal Board | 444800 |
