Dave Hunter: The Big Buzz – Origins of the Fuzz Box & Tips on Getting Fuzzy

Hunter recaps fuzz history, provides user insights, and spotlights vintage and modern fuzz pedals modeled in Helix that you can explore yourself.

Jeff Schroeder: Ambient Sounds Pt. 2 – Attack of the Synths

Schroeder shares three period-correct synth-based Helix presets inspired by Adrian Belew and other early guitar synth pioneers. Free download!

Eric Klein: At Least Half of Your Modeler’s Sound Is Determined by Your Playback System

The Helix mastermind details the pros and cons of seven popular playback options and explains why your choice is critical to your tone.

Tom Salta: Mental Fitness for Creatives

The celebrated AAA game, film, and TV composer shares his strategies for enhancing creativity and personal well-being.

Peter Hook—Revisiting Joy Division and Factory Records

Barry Cleveland interviews the legendary bassist in celebration of Record Store Day—plus Hooky shares his HX Effects touring preset for free!

Dr. Molly Miller: Four of My Favorite Contemporary Women Guitarists

Model Citizens spotlights Arianna Powell, Carmen Vandenberg, Emily Elbert, and Madison Cunningham in celebration of Women’s History Month.

Dave Hunter: Tone in a Box Part 2 – Tone Tweaking Via Speaker Swapping

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.

Dave Hunter: Tone in a Box Part 1 – Tone Tweaking Via Cab Swapping

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.”

Jas Obrecht: Jeff Beck the Fusion Years, Part 2 – Keep Your Ears Wide Open or Music Will Pass You By

Beck’s Wired and There and Back albums further broadened the horizon for future instrumental guitarists such as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.

Jeff Schroeder: Ambient Sounds Pt. 1 – “Frippertronics”

The Smashing Pumpkins guitarist offers insights into ambient guitar playing and shares his “Frippertronics” Helix presets. Free Download!

Jas Obrecht: How Jimi Learned to Play Guitar Pt. 3 – Becoming “The Most Compulsive Player Ever”

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!

Jas Obrecht: How Jimi Learned to Play Guitar Pt. 2 – Seattle Bands, Betty Jean, and The Blues

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!

Jas Obrecht: How Jimi Learned to Play Guitar Pt. 1 – Earliest Music, First Guitars

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!

Carol Hatzinger – From Recording Revolutionary to Senior Director

For Women’s History Month we spotlight our Senior Director of Project Management, who helped engineer the ADAT recorder—changing everything!

Jas Obrecht: Lonnie Johnson – The Most Influential Blues Guitarist Ever

Veteran author and journalist Jas Obrecht spotlights the seminal yet often overlooked jazz and blues virtuoso in our celebration of Black History Month.

Dave Hunter: Unsung British Guitar Amps from the Golden Age of Rock

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.

Barry Cleveland: How Joe Meek Turned the Recording World Upside Down

Is the mad genius behind the global hit “Telstar” and responsible for many recording “firsts” the most influential record producer and engineer ever?

Dave Hunter: Output Tube Types – Setting the Foundation of Your Tone

Learn why output tubes are an essential factor when it comes to tone, even when you’re choosing and dialing in amplifier models.

Chad Boston’s “Family Style” Approach to Nerd Nirvana

Michael Molenda and group co-founder Chad Boston discuss the astonishing success of the ever-expanding Helix Family Facebook Group.

Jeff Schroeder on Sonic Inspiration and His Multi-Modulation Helix Preset (Free Download)

The Smashing Pumpkins and Night Dreamer guitarist shares musical ideas inspired by his super-vibey post-punk-style preset—with audio examples.

Paul Freudenberg: Every Day Is Record Store Day When Your Record Label Releases Vinyl

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.

Julian Ward: The Three Simple Principles That Helped Me Enjoy Recording at Home

How the lockdown led to identifying and overcoming obstacles—while simultaneously cultivating peace of mind.

Michael Molenda: No Love From the Multitudes? Maybe Your Marketing Sucks

If your current marketing approach isn’t delivering, your career-building strategies and tactics may be relics of the past.

Bill Kelliher – The Mastodon Guitarist Riffs on Helix and Heaviness (and bestows a free preset)

The past master of mammoth riffs initiates Barry Cleveland into the dark art of conjuring monster Helix tones.

Dr. Molly Miller: Pioneering Women of The Guitar

Dr. Molly Miller spotlights Memphis Minnie, Maybelle Carter, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe in this celebration of Women’s History Month.

Rock, Race, and History: A Conversation with Vernon Reid

Joe Gore and the renowned guitarist discuss the racially fraught history of rock music and spotlight black guitarists that haven’t received their due.

Dan Boul: My Helix Native Lockdown Revelation

After rediscovering Helix Native, the tube amp guru upped his home recording game, then convinced industry pros of the plugin’s powers.

Barry Cleveland: How Les Paul Created His Extraordinary New Sound

Barry Cleveland details the singular techniques behind the visionary guitarist and inventor’s revolutionary recordings.

Jeff Schroeder: When I Dream of Amps …

The Smashing Pumpkins and Night Dreamer guitarist shares four of his “dream” multi-channel amp and effects Helix presets.

Allan Holdsworth’s Baby – The Story of the Yamaha UD-Stomp Delay Pedal

The legendary Allan Holdsworth (1946-2017) explains how he replaced vast arrays of rack delays with the Yamaha pedal he codesigned.

The Man Behind the Modelers – Eric Klein Talks Helix 3.0 with Joe Gore

Helix mastermind Eric Klein discusses Helix 3.0 highlights and personal favorites with veteran journalist, guitarist, and fellow Helix geek Joe Gore.

Michael Molenda: Five Ways to Massacre Your Mix

Michael Molenda reveals five ways to ensure your home recordings fail, while also providing pointers for avoiding all-too-common pitfalls.

Jon Herrera: What Is Re-Amping and Why Should You Care?

Bassist and recording engineer Jonathan Herrera expounds the nearly limitless tone-crafting power of re-amping.

Jeff Schroeder Shares His Helix Shoegaze Tones

Jeff Schroeder (Smashing Pumpkins, Night Dreamer) offers a shoegaze guitar tone primer with audio examples and downloadable Helix presets.

Julian Ward: Why I’ll Never Go Back to Using Tube Amps Live

Stalwart tube-amp enthusiast Julian Ward experienced an irreversible paradigm shift after combining his Helix Rack with a Powercab 112 Plus.

Dan Boul: You’ve Never Actually Heard That Amp

Having trouble sounding like the guitarists on your favorite records? Tube amp guru Dan Boul explains why.

Video: Tom Salta on Scoring Games With Helix Native

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.

Joe Gore: The Secret Power of Helix Snapshots

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.

Dan Boul: Crossing the Digital Divide – You Don’t Have to Choose

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.

Jude Gold: Living In Stereo

Ace guitarist Jude Gold goes wide on non-mono guitar sounds, the virtues of performing in stereo, and his favorite stereo strategies.