Recording - December 2017 - 54

REVISITED

Helix LT sounds great running in conjunction with real pedals or a real amp.
Creating presets gives you the power
to insert a send and return anywhere
in your chain. In my setup, I experimented with running my favorite Helix effects
presets, and swapping the digital amp

Helix
Native
Helix Native brings the power of Line
6 HX modeling to your DAW of choice.
It mirrors all of the sounds, presets, and
interface workflow of the hardware units,
all in a plug-in. (macOS 10.10+ or Windows 7 SP1+, 64-bit AAX Native, VST3,
VST2 (Windows), Audio Units (Mac)).
One of the great features of Helix Native
is that it is completely compatible with
Helix hardware; you can transfer tones
created in Native to the hardware, or
vice versa. This makes it easy to ensure
your tone at the gig exactly matches the
tone from your recording session.
It doesn't require much relearning to fluidly navigate the plug-in if you already have
the hardware. One thing that has thrown
me off a few times, though, is in the edit
window. Clicking on an effect in the signal
chain will open the edit window for that effect, which has a scroll bar on the right of
the window to scroll through the various parameters. The only issue is that scrolling with
your mouse wheel edits the setting your cursor is over, rather than scrolling the window
down. Line 6 says this is addressed in the
upcoming version 2.10, which also adds
window resizing.
Tracking straight into the DAW using Helix Native is a breeze. You can either use it
as an insert, or set it up on an Aux track and
print the settings straight onto an audio track
54

RECORDING December 2017

models for a send and return slot where
I used my 65amps Ventura head, paired
with a reactive load box. Remember, do
not run a tube amp straight back into
the Helix without a load box, as it will
damage your equipment! You must
have a load box to soak up the load

to save on CPU down the road. I had to set
my hardware buffer size to 128 samples for
the plug-in to respond normally, but latency
didn't seem to be an issue while tracking.
The system I'm testing with is an iMac loaded with a 2.9 GHz Intel Core i5, 16 GB of
RAM, macOS 10.11, and Universal Audio
Apollo 8P interface, while running Pro Tools
version 12.4. I had several instances of Helix Native open in a mix session, and it ran
without a hitch.
Helix Native really opens up the realm
of possibilities for other creative applications beyond guitar tone. I experimented
with effects on drums and even vocals-I
really like some of the gritty characteristics
on vocal tracks! The lush reverbs and stereo
delays can really open up the sound and
make material sit nicely in the mix.
The plug-in format really changes
the Helix from a guitar modeling platform to a full-on effects suite featuring
compressors, EQ, reverbs, modulation
effects, IRs, remiking, reamping and
more. This aspect definitely makes Helix
Native worth the price of admission,
even for mixing engineers who don't
necessarily need it for tracking guitar!
I've been searching for a solid Leslie
sound for some time, and I think the rotary effects here really nail it.

Final thoughts

Helix LT and Native integrate seamlessly
- from stage to studio, all of the effects are
fully transferable and customizable.
Depending on your ultimate goal as to

from the amplifier and bring your signal
back down to line level before plugging
it in to the Helix. After returning the
signal back into the Helix, use an amp
cab or IR to finish off the chain.
If playing through a cab in the room
isn't an issue, you can also create presets
loaded with digital effects, and use the
outputs to run the signal straight to a real
amp and cab without worrying about a
load box. The stereo reverbs and delays
onboard the Helix sound huge and lush.
I've had great results running the Helix to
a stereo amp setup!

how you see Helix fitting into your workflow, it has the flexibility to play in a variety
of roles. I can see this being extremely
beneficial for musicians who are expected to cover a wide range of genres and
textures in a given session or gig. The LT
is built like a tank, and should be ready
for anything you can throw its way on the
road. The Allure IRs add a nice value for
musicians who love to work with impulse
responses in the studio. For me, the factory
presets take some editing before they're
ready for a session, but if you don't mind
investing some time into building your own
tones and catering the playlists to your
specific rig, you will be able to get the
most out of the Helix, and use it anywhere
from the studio to the stage.
Alex Hawley (alex@recordingmag.com)
is a guitarist and recording engineer at
Coupe Studios in Boulder, CO.

PRICE: Helix LT, $999.99;
Helix Native, $399.99 (discounted
for registered Helix hardware owners)
MORE FROM: Line 6,
www.line6.com

http://www.line6.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - December 2017