Dave Hunter: The Big Buzz – Origins of the Fuzz Box & Tips on Getting Fuzzy
Jan 16, 2024 Education, Gear History, Gear Tutorials, Helix Amp & Effects Processor, Thought Leadership
Hunter recaps fuzz history, provides user insights, and spotlights vintage and modern fuzz pedals modeled in Helix that you can explore yourself.
Tags: Big Muff Pi, Effects Pedals, Fuzz Face, Fuzz Tone, Fuzzbox, Guitar Effects, guitar pedal, Jeff Beck, jimi hendrix, Jimmy Page, Line 6 Helix, Mick Ronson, Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, rolling stones, stompbox, the kinks, Tone Bender
Jeff Schroeder: Ambient Sounds Pt. 2 – Attack of the Synths
Nov 2, 2023 Artists, Education, Gear History, Gear Tutorials, Helix Amp & Effects Processor, HX Stomp & Stomp XL, Line 6 Artists, Recording, Thought Leadership
Schroeder shares three period-correct synth-based Helix presets inspired by Adrian Belew and other early guitar synth pioneers. Free download!
Tags: adrian belew, ambient guitar, Andy Summers, Guitar Effects, guitar synth, guitar synthesizer, Line 6 Helix, robert fripp, Roland GR-300, Roland GR-700
Eric Klein: At Least Half of Your Modeler’s Sound Is Determined by Your Playback System
Sep 15, 2023 Education, Gear Tutorials, Live Performance, Recording, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized
The Helix mastermind details the pros and cons of seven popular playback options and explains why your choice is critical to your tone.
Tags: cabinet IRs, FRFR, full range flat response, guitar amps, impulse responses, in-ear monitors, Line 6 Helix, Line 6 Powercab, Marshall JCM800, studio monitor speakers
Tom Salta: Mental Fitness for Creatives
Jul 24, 2023 Artists, Education, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized
The celebrated AAA game, film, and TV composer shares his strategies for enhancing creativity and personal well-being.
Tags: anxiety, de-clutter, depression, email clutter, Marie Kondo, Matt Walker, meditation, mental health, nutrition science, physical exercise, relaxation, sleep science, TED talk
Peter Hook—Revisiting Joy Division and Factory Records
Apr 21, 2023 Artists, Education, Gear History, Line 6 Artists, Recording, Thought Leadership
Barry Cleveland interviews the legendary bassist in celebration of Record Store Day—plus Hooky shares his HX Effects touring preset for free!
Tags: 24 hour party people, bernard sumner, cabaret voltaire, Durutti Column, ian curtis, Line 6 Helix, Line 6 HX Effects, new order, phil spector, post punk, tamla motown, unknown pleasures, yamaha bb bass
Dr. Molly Miller: Four of My Favorite Contemporary Women Guitarists
Mar 11, 2023 Artists, Education, Thought Leadership
Model Citizens spotlights Arianna Powell, Carmen Vandenberg, Emily Elbert, and Madison Cunningham in celebration of Women’s History Month.
Tags: Arianna Powell, Black Eyed Peas, Bones UK, Carmen Vandenberg, Emily Elbert, female guitarists, guitar player, guitar tone, Jacob Collier, Leon Bridges, Lorde, Madison Cunningham, Olivia Rodrigo, Sara Bareilles, smashing pumpkins, women's history month
Dave Hunter: Tone in a Box Part 2 – Tone Tweaking Via Speaker Swapping
Feb 4, 2023 Education, Gear History, Gear Tutorials, Helix Amp & Effects Processor, Thought Leadership
Take a deep dive into the history of guitar speakers and explore how speaker swapping—physically or virtually—can reveal a treasure trove of tones.
Tags: Alnico Blue, Altec Lansing, Celestion Greenback, Celestion speakers, Fender Bassman, guitar speakers, James B Lansing, Jensen speakers, Line 6 Helix, Marshall stack, vox ac30
Dave Hunter: Tone in a Box Part 1 – Tone Tweaking Via Cab Swapping
Dec 21, 2022 Education, Gear History, Gear Tutorials, Helix Amp & Effects Processor, Thought Leadership
Learn all about speaker cabs and how they affect your tone—then explore the new cabs and cab parameter options in Helix 3.50 “The Cab Update.”
Tags: Fender Bassman, fender deluxe, Fender Tweed, fender twin, guitar amplifiers, guitar speakers, guitar tone, Helix 3.50 Update, Hiwatt, Line 6 Helix, Marshall 4x12, Roland Jazz Chorus, Sunn, vox ac30
Jas Obrecht: Jeff Beck the Fusion Years, Part 2 – Keep Your Ears Wide Open or Music Will Pass You By
Nov 17, 2022 Artists, Education, Gear History, Recording, Thought Leadership
Beck’s Wired and There and Back albums further broadened the horizon for future instrumental guitarists such as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.
Tags: Fender Stratocaster, fusion guitarists, fusion music, George Martin, Gibson Les Paul, Jan Hammer, led zeppelin, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Marshall amp, Minimoog, progressive rock, rock guitar, rock guitarists, Sunn
Jeff Schroeder: Ambient Sounds Pt. 1 – “Frippertronics”
Aug 25, 2022 Artists, Education, Gear History, Gear Tutorials, Line 6 Artists, Thought Leadership
The Smashing Pumpkins guitarist offers insights into ambient guitar playing and shares his “Frippertronics” Helix presets. Free Download!
Tags: ambient guitar, Brian Eno, Chords of Orion, Effects Pedals, Guitar Effects, helix floor, king crimson, Line 6 Helix, Line 6 HX Stomp, live looping, robert fripp, smashing pumpkins, tape loops
Jas Obrecht: How Jimi Learned to Play Guitar Pt. 3 – Becoming “The Most Compulsive Player Ever”
Aug 1, 2022 Artists, Education, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized
Jimi Hendrix took the world by storm, but where did he come from? We trace the iconic guitarist’s origins in this epic three-part series!
Tags: Albert king, b.b. king, Band of Gypsys, chuck berry, electric ladyland, Howlin’ Wolf, jimi hendrix experience, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Mike Bloomfield, muddy waters, Voodoo Chile
Jas Obrecht: How Jimi Learned to Play Guitar Pt. 2 – Seattle Bands, Betty Jean, and The Blues
Jun 30, 2022 Artists, Education, Thought Leadership
Jimi Hendrix took the world by storm, but where did he come from? We trace the iconic guitarist’s origins in this epic three-part series!
Tags: Albert king, bb king, Bob Dylan, chuck berry, jimi hendrix experience, John Mayall, John McLaughlin, little richard, muddy waters, Supro guitar
Jas Obrecht: How Jimi Learned to Play Guitar Pt. 1 – Earliest Music, First Guitars
Jun 1, 2022 Artists, Education, Thought Leadership
Jimi Hendrix took the world by storm, but where did he come from? We trace the iconic guitarist’s origins in this epic three-part series!
Tags: Albert king, bb king, chuck berry, earl king, electric ladyland, Elvis Presley, fender telecaster, jimi hendrix experience, little richard, muddy waters, noel Redding
Carol Hatzinger – From Recording Revolutionary to Senior Director
Mar 22, 2022 Education, Gear History, Thought Leadership
For Women’s History Month we spotlight our Senior Director of Project Management, who helped engineer the ADAT recorder—changing everything!
Tags: Alesis ADAT, Alesis BRC, audio engineering, digital recording, Fostex, home recording, line 6, Line 6 AxSys 212, Line 6 HX Stomp, Line 6 POD, Oberheim, women's history month
Jas Obrecht: Lonnie Johnson – The Most Influential Blues Guitarist Ever
Feb 22, 2022 Artists, Education, Thought Leadership
Veteran author and journalist Jas Obrecht spotlights the seminal yet often overlooked jazz and blues virtuoso in our celebration of Black History Month.
Tags: b.b. king, black history month, blues guitar, buddy guy, charlie christian, chuck berry, duke ellington, jazz guitar, louis armstrong, robert johnson, t-bone walker
Dave Hunter: Unsung British Guitar Amps from the Golden Age of Rock
Dec 14, 2021 Education, Gear History, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized
There were more than a few British companies making great guitar amplifiers during the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. We spotlight four of the most important ones.
Tags: British guitar amplifiers, Cream, Fleetwood Mac, Hiwatt amplifiers, Jeff Beck, jimi hendrix, Laney amplifiers, Selmer, Sound City, The Beatles, the who, vintage guitar amps, Watkins amplifiers, WEM amplifiers
Barry Cleveland: How Joe Meek Turned the Recording World Upside Down
Nov 2, 2021 Education, Gear History, Recording, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized
Is the mad genius behind the global hit “Telstar” and responsible for many recording “firsts” the most influential record producer and engineer ever?
Tags: audio engineering, audio production, home recording, home studio, Jimmy Page, record producer, recording engineer, Ritchie Blackmore, spring reverb, tape echo, tape recorder
Dave Hunter: Output Tube Types – Setting the Foundation of Your Tone
Oct 14, 2021 Education, Gear History, Gear Tutorials, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized
Learn why output tubes are an essential factor when it comes to tone, even when you’re choosing and dialing in amplifier models.
Tags: 6550, 6L6GC, 6V6GT, EL34, EL84, electric guitar, Fender amplifiers, guitar tone, jtm45, Marshall amplifiers, power tubes, tube amplifiers, Tube amps, tube tone
Chad Boston’s “Family Style” Approach to Nerd Nirvana
Sep 2, 2021 Thought Leadership
Michael Molenda and group co-founder Chad Boston discuss the astonishing success of the ever-expanding Helix Family Facebook Group.
Tags: amp modelers, facebook, Guitar Effects, guitar player magazine, helix control, helix floor, helix lt, helix rack, HX Stomp, Line 6 Helix, michael molenda
Jeff Schroeder on Sonic Inspiration and His Multi-Modulation Helix Preset (Free Download)
Aug 16, 2021 Artists, Education, Gear Tutorials, Line 6 Artists, Recording, Thought Leadership
The Smashing Pumpkins and Night Dreamer guitarist shares musical ideas inspired by his super-vibey post-punk-style preset—with audio examples.
Tags: Cocteau Twins, Durutti Column, Guitar Effects, guitar tones, John McGeoch, Line 6 Helix, Robin Guthrie, Siousxie and the Banshees, smashing pumpkins, Vini Reilly
Paul Freudenberg: Every Day Is Record Store Day When Your Record Label Releases Vinyl
Jul 15, 2021 Education, Recording, Thought Leadership
Dig vinyl? You’re not alone. This is a tale of one man’s journey back to vinyl and the lifestyle and aesthetic choices that accompanied it.
Tags: gatefold sleeve, music production, record albums, record jackets, record production, record store day, recording studio, turntables, vinyl lps, vinyl records
Julian Ward: The Three Simple Principles That Helped Me Enjoy Recording at Home
May 14, 2021 Education, Recording, Thought Leadership
How the lockdown led to identifying and overcoming obstacles—while simultaneously cultivating peace of mind.
Tags: acoustic guitar, cubase 11, electric guitar, guitar playing, gumption traps, home recording, instagram, live gigs, music recording, social media, software vs hardware
Michael Molenda: No Love From the Multitudes? Maybe Your Marketing Sucks
Apr 30, 2021 Education, Thought Leadership
If your current marketing approach isn’t delivering, your career-building strategies and tactics may be relics of the past.
Tags: airpods max, band promotion, clubhouse.com, COVID-19, driverless cars, music marketing, music promotion, music streaming, virtual reality
Bill Kelliher – The Mastodon Guitarist Riffs on Helix and Heaviness (and bestows a free preset)
Apr 15, 2021 Artists, Gear Tutorials, Line 6 Artists, Recording, Thought Leadership
The past master of mammoth riffs initiates Barry Cleveland into the dark art of conjuring monster Helix tones.
Tags: Amp Modeler, brent hinds, david bottrill, Effects Pedals, electric guitar, guitar amps, guitar pedals, guitar technique, guitarist, heavy metal, helix floor, progressive metal, rhythm guitar, rock guitar
Dr. Molly Miller: Pioneering Women of The Guitar
Mar 30, 2021 Artists, Education, Thought Leadership
Dr. Molly Miller spotlights Memphis Minnie, Maybelle Carter, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe in this celebration of Women’s History Month.
Tags: blues guitar, country guitar, country music, maybelle carter, memphis minnie, mother maybelle carter, queen of the country blues, rock and roll, rock guitar, sister rosetta tharpe, the carter family, women guitarists
Rock, Race, and History: A Conversation with Vernon Reid
Feb 26, 2021 Artists, Education, Line 6 Artists, Thought Leadership
Joe Gore and the renowned guitarist discuss the racially fraught history of rock music and spotlight black guitarists that haven’t received their due.
Tags: living colour, r&b, rock and roll, rock guitar, vernon reid
Dan Boul: My Helix Native Lockdown Revelation
Feb 20, 2021 Education, Recording, Thought Leadership
After rediscovering Helix Native, the tube amp guru upped his home recording game, then convinced industry pros of the plugin’s powers.
Tags: 65amps, amp madelers, amp modeling, guitar, guitar plugins, guitar recording, guitar tone, Helix Native, helix plugin, home recording, recording applications, recording software
Barry Cleveland: How Les Paul Created His Extraordinary New Sound
Jan 20, 2021 Artists, Education, Gear History, Gear Tutorials, Recording, Thought Leadership
Barry Cleveland details the singular techniques behind the visionary guitarist and inventor’s revolutionary recordings.
Tags: guitar, home recording, les paul, mary ford, multi-track recording, music production, recording guitar, recording studio, recording techniques, sound-on-sound
Jeff Schroeder: When I Dream of Amps …
Dec 31, 2020 Artists, Education, Gear Tutorials, Line 6 Artists, Thought Leadership
The Smashing Pumpkins and Night Dreamer guitarist shares four of his “dream” multi-channel amp and effects Helix presets.
Tags: billy corgan, Boss Effects, guitar, Guitar Amplifier, guitar pedals, guitarist, Joe Satriani, Line 6 Helix, night dreamer, Roland JC-120, smashing pumpkins, Surfing with the Alien, The Cure
Allan Holdsworth’s Baby – The Story of the Yamaha UD-Stomp Delay Pedal
Dec 16, 2020 Artists, Education, Gear History, Thought Leadership
The legendary Allan Holdsworth (1946-2017) explains how he replaced vast arrays of rack delays with the Yamaha pedal he codesigned.
Tags: Allan Holdsworth, Dan Epstein, Delay Pedals, Digital Delays, Eilon Paz, James Rotodi, Stompbox Book, stompboxes, Yamaha Magic Stomp, Yamaha UD-Stomp
The Man Behind the Modelers – Eric Klein Talks Helix 3.0 with Joe Gore
Nov 27, 2020 Education, Gear Tutorials, Thought Leadership
Helix mastermind Eric Klein discusses Helix 3.0 highlights and personal favorites with veteran journalist, guitarist, and fellow Helix geek Joe Gore.
Tags: Amp Modeler, effects models, Effects Pedals, guitar, helix 3.0, helix multi-effects, Helix Native, HX Stomp, joe gore
Michael Molenda: Five Ways to Massacre Your Mix
Nov 17, 2020 Education, Recording, Thought Leadership
Michael Molenda reveals five ways to ensure your home recordings fail, while also providing pointers for avoiding all-too-common pitfalls.
Tags: audio production, garageband, home recording, microphone technique, mixing, music production, recording, sample rates
Jon Herrera: What Is Re-Amping and Why Should You Care?
Oct 5, 2020 Education, Gear Tutorials, Recording, Thought Leadership
Bassist and recording engineer Jonathan Herrera expounds the nearly limitless tone-crafting power of re-amping.
Tags: di box, helix lt, Helix Native, re-amping, reamp, reamping, recording, recording bass, recording guitar, recording studio, recording techniques
Jeff Schroeder Shares His Helix Shoegaze Tones
Sep 21, 2020 Artists, Education, Gear Tutorials, Line 6 Artists, Thought Leadership
Jeff Schroeder (Smashing Pumpkins, Night Dreamer) offers a shoegaze guitar tone primer with audio examples and downloadable Helix presets.
Tags: Brad Laner, Guitar Effects, Helix Guitar Processor, My Bloody Valentine, psychedelic guitar, shoegaze music, smashing pumpkins, Swervedriver
Julian Ward: Why I’ll Never Go Back to Using Tube Amps Live
Jul 14, 2020 Thought Leadership
Stalwart tube-amp enthusiast Julian Ward experienced an irreversible paradigm shift after combining his Helix Rack with a Powercab 112 Plus.
Tags: analog, FRFR, full range flat response, guitar amps, guitarist, Helix Guitar Processor, Line 6 Powercab, live, live music, live sound, Tube amps
Dan Boul: You’ve Never Actually Heard That Amp
Jun 30, 2020 Education, Gear Tutorials, Thought Leadership
Having trouble sounding like the guitarists on your favorite records? Tube amp guru Dan Boul explains why.
Tags: 1959 les paul, 65 Amps, dan boul, guitar amp, guitar tone, la-2a, ln 1176, Marshall amp, mic preamp, microphone, paf pickups, recording, recording studio, vintage guitar amps
Video: Tom Salta on Scoring Games With Helix Native
Apr 8, 2020 Artists, Gear Tutorials, Recording, Thought Leadership
Award-winning composer Tom Salta demonstrates how he uses the Line 6 Helix Native guitar and effects plug-in to create monumental sounds when scoring major video games.
Tags: AAA Games, Effects Plug-Ins, Game Scoring, Ghost Recon, Halo, Helix Native Guitar Plug-In, Red Steel, Tom Clancy, Tom Salta, Video Game Scoring, Virtual Instruments, Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Joe Gore: The Secret Power of Helix Snapshots
Dec 4, 2019 Artists, Education, Gear Tutorials, Recording, Thought Leadership
Snapshots is one of the most powerful, yet underutilized, features in Helix. Joe Gore unveils its secrets, step-by-step, with images, sound clips, and downloadable examples.
Tags: guitar amps, guitar effects pedal, Helix, Helix presets, Helix Snapshots, joe gore, Line 6 Helix, multi-effects processors, signal chains
Dan Boul: Crossing the Digital Divide – You Don’t Have to Choose
Dec 3, 2019 Education, Thought Leadership
Boutique amp builder Dan Boul loves tube amps, yet he’s also a huge proponent of amp modeling. Find out why he’s certain it’s okay to have it both ways.
Tags: 65 Amps, amp modeling, dan boul, digital modeling, Digital Modeling Technology, guitar amps, guitarist, Helix, line 6, modeling amplifiers, Tube amps
Jude Gold: Living In Stereo
Sep 9, 2019 Artists, Education, Thought Leadership
Ace guitarist Jude Gold goes wide on non-mono guitar sounds, the virtues of performing in stereo, and his favorite stereo strategies.
Tags: guitar, guitar amp, guitar effect, guitar player, guitar sound, guitar tones, guitarist, Line 6 Helix, Line 6 HX Stomp
