Testing the HX Stomp | Part One : Pedals

A non-sponsored review, seeing how well the HX Stomp can replace existing pedals for use in front of tube amps. Mostly focusing on basic reverbs, tremolo, and overdrive functions, the core stuff most players need every day.
Other tests including amp modeling will be done in the future.
I built the two overdrive pedals (Zendrive and Klon) using PCBs I bought from AionFX:
aionfx.com
Very good boards with very good instructions, and they sell full kits for very good prices.
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These are things I get asked about a lot :
Amp Tech Gear Used :
Hakko FX-951 soldering station
Weller SPG 80L soldering iron (chassis work)
Rigol DS1054Z digital oscilloscope
Thsinde 18B+ digital multimeters
Kester 60/40 solder
Techspray #4 No-Clean Desoldering Braid
Below are things that make this channel possible that people don’t usually think about. If any of these companies want to send me new and wonderful toys, I’m open to that. I can’t take free stuff when it comes to the amps I review, etc, but for the stuff below, bribe away!
Microphones/Audio Equipment :
Guitar Amps : Royer R-10 Hot Rod and/or Shure SM57 (noted in videos)
Voiceover Bench : sE Audio sE8 (small diaphragm condenser)
Voiceover Streaming : Shure SM57 with shockmount and windscreen
Voiceover Mic Arms : Elgato Wave Mic arms
Guitar Mic Stand : Gator Frameworks short weighted base stand with boom
Mic Cables and Guitar Cables : Mogami/Neutrik
Mic pre : MOTU M2
DAW : Logic Pro II on MacBook Pro 16 running Sonoma 14.5
Plugins : No effects other than level matching/normalization unless a recording
specifically has reverb etc added in post (rare, various Waves plugins)
Monitors : Yamaha HS7s
Monitor Stands : Gator Frameworks Desktop Clamp-On Stands
Monitor Isolation Mounts : IsoAcoustics Iso-Puck Minis
Headphones : Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (main)
Headphones : Sony MDR-7506 (alternate)
Video Equipment :
Camera : Sony ZVE-10 with SmallRig Cage (main)
Lens : Sigma f2.8 18-50mm (main)
Lens : Sony ZVE10 kit lens (rarely used)
B Camera : Apple iPhone 13 Pro (rarely used)
Tripod : SmallRig 71” with SmallRig Fluid Video Head
Streaming Mount : Elgato Master Mount S with SmallRig Ballhead
Bench Light : SmallRig RC 120D
Bench Light Diffusor : SmallRig Lantern Softbox
Bench C-Stands (light and overhead camera) : Neewer Pro SS Heavy Duty
Streaming Light : SmallRig RC 120B
Streaming Diffusor : SmallRig Parabolic Softbox
Streaming Light Mount : SmallRig 148CM Wall Mount Boom with Triangle Base
Various Other Lights : Neewer LED Panels with Neewer Softboxes
Video Software :
Davinci Resolve 19
Phantom LUTs
Paul Leeming LUTs
Adobe Illustrator 28
Adobe Photoshop 25
Ecamm Live (streaming software)

[@GaryDGuitar]

HX Stomp user. Replaced my entire pedalboard. If I'm not direct, I plug into a clean Orange Terror Stamp to a cab. Sounds great. Super light portable rig.

[@ubmastering]

I've been using the HX Stomp for a while now. Love it. Compact and more than enough options to get the job done.

[@TheStephensjoshua]

Damn, that 70's plate reverb setting sounds remakable. Thanks for the demo. I know I can trust your audio results which is refreshing.

[@imacmadman22]

I like how you kept this simple, a few effects, low gain and not flashy or complex. Your videos are some of the most useful and to-the-point on YT. Like you, I've had a fair share of old gear pass through my hands over the years both analog and digital, some of it I should have kept (Blackface VB Champ, Blackface Bassman, Gibson guitars, etc, etc...) Be that as it may, I am a fan of the HX Stomp, I've had mine for three years and firmware updates have improved it tremendously. Time-based effects are fantastic, the amps vary, some are better than others, for sure.

[@thereaper987]

Great video, Lyle. I always assumed you were an "analog only" guy. So it's good to have your opinion on digital equipment as well. At least for us that trust you for your objectivity.

[@michaelnc4450]

Thanks for all your posts... and your Comment Form ;) Have a great day!😎👍

[@robinr.2233]

My big, fancy, high-buck (and heavy) pedal board has been collecting dust for the past 18 months. The HX Stomp XL gets it done every week these days.

[@michaelkent3222]

Appreciate your expertise! Thank you very much for taking the time to make this video.

[@danielkongmusic]

Glad to see more demonstrations of the hx stuff for everyday, subtle stuff that isn't overly effected. I think that everyone running a couple overdrives + the old m9 should strongly consider switching over to the HX Stomp XL. People will never be convinced for overdrives, but analog gain + the Stomp XL makes for a fantastic rig.

[@SonovaBish]

I tested the SD-1, Tube Screamer, and OCD. They're basically the same. I use real fuzz and effects which aren't modelled alongside a HX Effects.

[@PaulDeMaio]

Very happy to have stumbled across your channel! Great stuff.... much love from the @omegaampworks crew. 🤘

[@GooberNumber9]

I’m a pedal snob but I got myself an HX Stomp XL for a three month ensemble situation for complicity and reliability, fully expecting to sell it afterwards. I’ve kept it. When recording with plenty of time I like the real pedals because of a very slight benefit in sound and the actual knobs and true responses of the real thing, but for anything live or where I need to get things done fast, the HX Stomp does the job with really great sound that only I know isn’t the real thing.

[@BCarpenter2314]

Tried wrapping my mind around using an HX Stomp to do everything from amp sim to cab sim to effects, and I just couldn't handle the option paralysis. I enjoyed the concept of having many effects on one box though. So I revisited the Line 6 products and got an HX One. I have it after my overdrive pedals for all the modulation effects I could ever want. After it, I still have my normal delay and reverb pedals.

[@PsionicAudio]

Option paralysis is a very real thing.

[@thehaughtcorner]

@@PsionicAudio That's really something worthy of a video itself. It has really hurt my playing and enjoyment of various pieces of equipment at times, because there are so many ways to go that it seems impossible to navigate. It's not unlike getting a new PC that's loaded with software, or trying to learn Photoshop without a manual. I swear there are amps that other people can make sound far better than I can with the same equipment. The thought of going through every control pot step-by-step and maybe making a grid to "find" the right sound seems the only way out sometimes, but being that analytical and sterile sort of defeats the idea of rock, eh?

[@PsionicAudio]

Welcome to my brain.

[@phantom_spaceman]

I find the amp modelling and drive for guitar to be fine. It's okay and convenient for recording quick demos. Where I get the most use out of mine is tracking bass. I love that I can use 2 drives in parallel or effectively put a clean blend on any drive. The amp models for bass are alright too and much better for my prolonged survival than cranking an SVT at home to record.

[@incubism]

The King of Pedals. With the King of Amps.

[@BillySoundFarm]

Writing the text on the preset for the thumbnail and even in the video body, that was super cute and smart.

[@tonya4157]

I'm glad you're doing this. I've been giving a lot of thought to going this direction myself and seeing/hearing someone use it that i can believe is a big deal.

[@BlackReaperMetal]

I run a KHDK Ghoulr Jr. overdirve into an AMT SS-11B tube preamp into an HX Stomp. I love the consistency I get show to show from the digital IRs and effects, without losing the dynamics from the analog preamp.

[@mattfeedback]

Cool video Lyle & a great review - the HX Stomp is a real Swiss army knife for FX - I've used the amp modelling before but don't use it any more after getting a Friedman IR-X which I really love.

[@Skyne_E_Vader]

Finally an honest and well thought out review!

[@midtownunited9316]

Fantastic comparisons! I've used an HX Effects for basic effects for years. It simplifies things and is astounding value for money. The Heliosphere delay is fun when you're feeling an Unforgettable Fire moment.

[@ivanrosemusic]

The hat was the best part, tones pretty good too ❤

[@PsionicAudio]

My white hair was blowing out the camera. ;) My rain hat was a quick fix.

[@zoomzoom3950]

I owned a Helix LT when it was first released, and sold it. I got a HX-Effects not long after it was released; I still use it in 4CM with my tube amps that have an effects loop, or in front of my tube amps that don't. Where it works great is with my channel switching amps; I change the patch on the HX-Effects and it changes the amp channel...best of both worlds IMO. Unless you really need a specific pedal/effect, the HX-FX has plenty of effects for me.

[@BradsGuitarGarage]

Digital modellers and multi-FX are so awesome. I have a donated HoTone Ampero One on which I replaced the LCD and it is very versatile, too. Got a similar feature set the the HX stomp, but about half the cost and has the advantage of an expression pedal. A touch-screen would be nice instead of the single push-encoder, though. A real un-intuitive control interface, but the designers and marketers love it as it looks "sexy" for the press photos.

[@sboy1955]

Bought the Helix floor in 2015. Can’t say enough good about it… including Line 6 customer support.

[@blackstratblues]

Re the HX tuner, switch it to strobe mode and see if that responds better. You can also enter in the Peterson offsets if needed (down to 1 cent). But you're right - the Peterson stays on the board!

[@gregparker1012]

My amps gather dust now. The stomp is my practice and recording production tool for everything. I still hear all the amps in the stomp sound like they are derived from 3 amp "generators". Meaning with a bit of tweaking I can pull the exact same sound from a 3rd of the amps in this unit. It only really has 3 amps, just the controls have different ranges, and they are compressed differently. Better than say the Katana which only seems to have 1 amp generator for the money. Can't wait to hear you take on it.

[@JoshRoberts-fo5gq]

One thing for sure.... much fun with all those options

[@incubism]

Try the strobe tuner option on the HXStomp. Super accurate, I use it over the Polytune when I want hyper accuracy.

[@CR0SSJ]

now that's a sweet intro. Thanks for the great video and the little talk to discuss your results

[@fivewattworld]

Loved this!

[@chrisfit]

Digital Vintage delay in the Line 6 is really good. You can adjust just about any parameter. Highly recommend.

[@picksalot1]

I'm very interested to hear your views on the HX Stomp's Effects, Amps, Cabs, etc. by you and your extensive experience and technical background with Analog Amps/gear. I've had an HX Stomp for over 3.5 years. I was having trouble with harsh, fizzy high end frequencies, and was informed by Brian Wampler about 1.5 years ago that most real/analog Guitar Speakers have a high frequency cut at about 5kHz. I then found out that the Line 6 Helix Cabs typically have a High Frequency "Default" cut at 8kHz. A real/analog Celestion Greenback G12M for instance, has a basic "Frequency Range of 75-5,000Hz." With that information in hand, and the somewhat recent major Firmware Update to the Cab Block in the HX Stomp, lowering the High Cut Parameter to match that actual Analog Speaker Frequency Response Specs from the Manufacturers has significantly improved the tone results I now get from my Presets. Looking forward to hearing what you find as short-comings in the HX Stomp. Thanks

[@terrydemol5354]

Great playing and demo! Nice to hear cleaner tones and choice phrasing. WRT amp modelling -> a good test is dial up a fairly high gain sound and then wind the guitar volume way down, amp vol up and listen how it cleans up. I've heard some modelers do some pretty weird stuff at these lower levels, converter lower bits, noise floor modulation - don't know but real amps don't do it.

[@PsionicAudio]

Good suggestion. I do that kind of thing out of habit, but great minds…

[@joshbittner]

I'm a big fan of the Stomp! I have the XL version for a few extra buttons and I'm quite content with it replacing most of my pedals, aside from expression pedals (poly pitch effects eat a ton of DSP on the Stomp/XL, so I just use a Digitech Whammy DT for whammy and drop tuning/capo'ing). I have a pedalboard with side jacks set up for a an effects only 4CM setup with an amp or pre-amp only into a power amp, with an A/B switch for going direct out instead if I'm in a no-amp situation. It's quite handy. And the best part is that the Stomps are a lot cheaper than the Neural DSP or the AxeFx, so I'm less afraid of it getting damaged or stolen at gigs.

[@dweinric]

Peterson mini is awesome, HX is awesome for ‘everything else I don’t have space for a specific pedal’ and more

[@jasonmaltz7040]

Recently found your channel and I really enjoy your videos. I’m a Line 6 Helix and Powercab user. Lately I’ve been considering building an analog board again and buying a Fender tube amp again. You have me reconsidering that idea. Sometimes I feel that the Helix amp models that I run are a bit inconsistent and can sound flubby especially if you run it flat on the Powercab. The onboard IR cabs on the PC actually sons more amp like. It’s the drive pedals on the Helix that I’m not used in love with. Maybe a Stomp with a few analog drive pedals in to the PC is the way to go? Anyways thanks again!

[@joeltunnah]

As a bedroom player living in a NYC apartment... the HX Stomp is a godsend. I send it to a Yamaha HS8 studio monitor instead of a guitar amp and cab. It sounds great. For my uses, I'm done with real guitar amps.

[@DP13999]

another thing you sometimes get from the stomp is extra controls. For example, a mix control for a univibe.

[@harleyhexxe9806]

Hi Lyle, it's nice of you to do all this for the people who keep asking how an amp takes pedals, but I believe it's a moot point. For what it's worth, let's just break things down to the basics. If you have a good sounding guitar and a good sounding amp, then you have everything you need for good sound. Any effects you add to that will enhance what you've already got, provided they are decent quality effects. In my humble opinion, if you have a crappy sounding guitar or amp, then no matter how good your effects are, you're just trying to polish a turd. This of course is based on the assumption that your playing technique is good and articulate.

[@PsionicAudio]

Well, I also have a perverse urge to argue with the “pedal platform” concept. So I added a few toys to my sandbox that will let me play my games.

[@pablo963]

Hi Lyle, I'm at 5:00 into the video, went looking for the complaint form just for the LOL, and found out your recommendation of the aionfx kits. I have built a Hot Cake kit from them. I'll try the klon and the zen drive, thanks for the suggestion. Do you think in the future you could do a video on how to put one of these together (I know its ultra basic stuff but would love to know how you do it). Thank you

[@TC2290-wh5cb]

Well, I've replaced all pedals and all amps with a Fractal Axe FX 3, go me. I think we're at a tipping point with digital now, the sound is so good, that any perceived tonal deficiency is outweighed by the pros of slimming down a rig. Weight, reliability, routing, volume (as in not needing to crank to ear splitting volumes), consistency of sound are all wins for digital. What's left for real amps and pedals? Not a lot in comparison, in my opinion.

[@PsionicAudio]

I don’t think any modelers have caught up to great amps yet. And I can’t imagine using one for a punk gig or in a honky tonk dive.

[@TC2290-wh5cb]

@@vinicmag Something like an Axe FX is definitely not for people who are not experienced in amps and effects, I do agree there.

[@murrayguitarpickups9545]

I love the sound of the Excalibur Lyle. I have one on my wish list, I think it will be perfect for church

[@fredfrederici7562]

That box kicks ass

[@GregoryHillSr]

Great video demo one the HX Stomp - I play Jazz/Blues/ Gospel music genre, so a open mind is required - this helps the want reduce pedal foot print. And Thank You for the link to Aion FX I have Silver Tusk (Klon Clone) that I want to build one to experiment.

[@andyhightides]

I hope you put on your bass player pants in a future video. I can no longer carry my V4-B, and would like a DI solution. That tremolo sounds really good, by the way.

[@PsionicAudio]

Bass stuff will be coming up. Thanks.

[@nolarocks]

@andyhightides @psionicaudio Love the Tech 21 stuff. (Sansamp) The DP-3X is fantastic. Super wide range of tones available and very flexible. I recommend it very highly.

[@milanberic9212]

Well done Lyle. Thank you for

[@jonathane40]

Thanks for the great video! Have you by any chance have had the chance to try the Tonex Pedal or Tonex One? I wonder what you would think how it compares to actual amps. Cheers!

[@ToddRichmond]

nice touch using the preset names as a CC track. Reminds me of my apartment dwelling days when people would use...um...."creative" wifi network names. The one thing these demos can't show is how it "feels" which is usually my annoyance with anything doing AD/DA. Just have to do the experiment as you're doing.

[@PsionicAudio]

As far as playing straight though it with just a few time based or modulated effects on, the feel is unchanged. As you’ll find out in a later video, the feel of the overdrives is a little compressed at higher gain settings. But I haven’t tried all the available models yet. The amp models, well, I need more time with them. But initially the EVERYTHING is off with them… Want to make sure it isn’t user error before I say anything definitive about the amp models.

[@ToddRichmond]

@@PsionicAudio I try to treat user error as a feature not a bug. I just call it "creative spark". It's all marketing (and ball bearings) these days. Also props for the 6 Millions Dollar Man reference @ 13:05

[@GaryBertolo]

Um' , the speed at which is a little bit to follow, as the demo of the Line One HX, although it seems to be a very nice pedal!! By the way is the pedal version #1??? Very cool, Lyle.

[@christophersambuco9414]

Sounds great! Great playing as well

[@dewey7330]

My Keeley caverns is quiet no noise at all. My power supply is a True Tone cs6. I’m running that through my DSL40cr. I’m loving it.

[@PsionicAudio]

Yeah, the Caverns is very quiet. Wish I could say the same about the Halo. I tried the True Tone 12, the Zuma, Cioks, and the latest/greatest Pedal Power. Halo was noisy with all of them.

[@dewey7330]

@@PsionicAudio sorry to hear that about the halo. I like how keeley dates and I’m guessing the guy/guys that worked on the pedal signs the inside. Just an FYI. I took the back off to change position on the dip switches,not to just look around. 😁

[@Pablo-mw8cd]

Nice videos! Been thinking of getting a Stomp to cover my modulation/tuner/drop tune/ weird stuff needs. Would be cool to see you test out the modulation section at some point!

[@PsionicAudio]

Well, I weaned myself off chorus about 20 years ago… You’ll hear mostly vibes and trems on my stuff in future, unless I do some Police or Cure things. But I very rarely want chorus/flange/phaser.

[@joshbittner]

The drop tune / poly pitch effects uses an enormous amount of available DSP on a Stomp/XL (less so on the big Helix units like the LT, Floor, and Rack) Also unless you’re making patches for a set with the tunings pre-planned, it’s annoying to go edit the amount of de-tuning you want on the fly. I’d recommend the Digitech Drop. It’s like the only pedal I didn’t replace on my guitar pedalboard

[@bellinghammond]

Hi, do you have a video showing how to use the helix (I have a stomp xl) with an amp's effects loop? I want the Stomp's 'distortion effects' to go straight into the "front" of the amp but the 'delays and reverbs' to go into the amp's effects loop (no amp modeling desired) (I have a hand-wired Rivera Fender Concert amp w effects loop in back of it. awesome amp)

[@void_snw]

With the tuner, make sure to set it to either fine or strobe, the default mode is pretty bad.

[@TheQShow]

Love this video, what do you think about the different output impedances (especially in drive pedals)? I love my stomp, but I feel this is a key difference in how they interact with pushing the preamp. I believe this variable is omitted when placed in the helix loop? You’re obviously much more informed than I, what do you think?

[@anotheryoutubed]

1:38 Just fyi here, you were adjusting the settings on the third trem, while having the second one on. That's why there was no change in sound. Long time Helix/HX user.

[@PsionicAudio]

Yeah, I know. By the time I realized I was on the wrong block, the loop was ending. Didn’t feel like redoing it, so there it is. My second day with the box. ;)

[@anotheryoutubed]

@@PsionicAudio They take some time getting used to, especially with the condensed layout of the HX series but they're great units!

[@PsionicAudio]

You’ll notice later in the video I didn’t make the same mistake. I try never to make the same mistake twice. Only new and exciting mistakes! Meant to mention it in the talking bits, but I’ve come to hate and fear those capacitive touch switches. Might need to wear gloves since turning the setting to Press doesn’t work…

[@anotheryoutubed]

@@PsionicAudio The switches really are a blessing and a curse for that lol. Never any hate, all love for the content and the information you share with us!

[@n.m.5723]

Can turn off capacitance

[@jbognap]

I'm looking forward to the amp sim episode. Please test them going the effects return of a combo and leave IRs for a separate episode.

[@PsionicAudio]

Use with the FX return of a real amp is very different than going direct. Introduces a lot of variables you have no control of. But it’s a real world scenario a lot of players use with backline, so I’ll look into it once I have a better grasp of the modeling.

[@joshbittner]

@@PsionicAudio yeah I'm a big fan of running the Stomp into the effect returns of a Blackstar Amped 1. I'm happy using it as a portable power amp, despite it being an "amp in a box" solution (but I think the front of the Amped 1 sounds kinda yucky).

[@JoshRoberts-fo5gq]

What a tweed deluxe back there

[@victorbeebe8372]

Mahalo Lyle. Great info waiting part 2

[@douglasdog1]

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the Fender Tone Master Pro. I recently got one and love it! Its no tube amp as far as feel, but close and you do need to dial in the mic sim a bit. I think the Fender amp models sound great and am really impressed how well the unit accepts overdrives. Its super easy to adjust knob settings on pedals and amps. You almost don’t need a manual to run it. I’m a guy who has mostly stayed away from digital, because I didn’t like the sound or learning curve.

[@PsionicAudio]

I tried the Tonemaster Deluxe. Very nice for ultra clean stuff, way too compressed if you dig in. Very expensive one trick pony if it doesn’t do the trick completely right. I don’t get sent things from companies like other channels. I review things I buy or can borrow or that come in from clients, but never the sponsored/free game. So given Fender’s lousy track record of supporting their digital products I have no interest in giving them a dime.

[@douglasdog1]

@@PsionicAudio Understandable. Not sure of the Deluxe, but the unit is quite a different thing. I mainly got it for silent playing as I was running my tube amps through load boxes and IR’s. Seemed like a waste for whats going to be a digitally reproduced sound anyways. But all the effects I was able to offload a bunch that basically paid for the unit, except drives and fuzzes and the favorites. Works great as an effects unit into my tube amps too. The presets and patching/switching is awesome. All the switches are also knobs. They seem to have a dedicated team for it, and service regarding questions has been great so hopefully they stick with it.

[@mostyles328]

Curious what power supply you are using. I gone from a cheap (horrible), to an $100 MXR (decent) to a $300 Voodoo Pedal Power 3 plus... It made a huge diffence the few digital pedals I have. I love Anolog pedals because they don't seem as sensative, but it's hard to avoid a digital in the chain. Would love to hear some more noice floor testingof pedals, modelers, amps for us clean junkies. Great Videol!

[@PsionicAudio]

The noise floor tests (you can find them on the channel) were done with the Strymon Zuma, the PP3, and a Truetone CS12. Also found the same noise levels with a Cioks DC7. It’s a good point, but this is what I do. ;)

[@JoshRoberts-fo5gq]

Dope ass pickin.

[@FURDOG1961]

10:20 Loop for analog/external pedals.

[@areus2go]

Are you thinking about releasing those settings as favorites for folks to download? Really liked some of those sounds and was wondering if you could share the settings somewhere. Or were you rocking things mostly stock on the HX stomp?

[@PsionicAudio]

Well, thanks, but this was really simple stuff. Nothing was activated except the basic trems, verbs, the two ODs, and the dynamic plate on the OD tests. The rest was real amp and real Royer on a real speaker. ;) But if there was some effect sound you really liked I’ll share.

[@areus2go]

I was interested on the Hot Springs, Dhyana and Optical Trem settings you landed on. I have a preset on my hx stomp with a plate reverb, harmonic trem, transistor tampe and a compressor that I use in front of a cheapo chinese tube amp, but your settings sounded more natural, which could very well be due to the amp/mic situation, but still, I wanted to test it out on my rig.

[@harmonicseries6582]

What is you opinion on boss gt1000 core for pedal emulation? I have seen info that it has higher sample rate and lower latency, more powerful dsp than HX Stomp. I’m wondering how much that matters

[@PsionicAudio]

I have no experience with the Boss unit.

[@joebloggs4369]

Great video!

[@dannbrauckmann1545]

Slightly unrelated question, Lyle. I've been thinking of getting a True Bypass Loop Switcher, with something like 7 or so loops. Something simple. Any recommendations? If there were a kit, or a simple list of parts and a tutorial, I wouldn't mind building that (I don't think I need something as complicated as the BYOC Programmable kit, but I'm not sure). Anyway, I've seen some on eBay from a seller called "PerfectCircuit". Have you or has anyone else heard or had any experience with these folks?

[@PsionicAudio]

Sorry, I don’t keep up with that end of things as far as what’s on the market. At its core, it’s a very simple circuit repeated as many times as needed. Only the input jack should be grounded to chassis - all the others must be isolated with a steered ground path throughout. Sends should be grounded out when loops are disengaged. The trick is using pull down resistors to keep switches from popping at the moment of switching. Very easy to darken the sound with multiple pull downs. This applies to switches and to relays. It’s always tricky to get right. Best solution would be optocouplers after a Very Good Buffer but that gets beyond what most people can build.

[@dannbrauckmann1545]

@@PsionicAudio well thanks very much for the tips! Much appreciated!

[@BradsGuitarGarage]

Awesome video, mate! I love the silent intro, too. It's hard to comment on the opto trem & spring 'verb effects as I often play to the traditional method's idiosyncrasy. I'm yet to find ANY digital simulation of a spring reverb that even attempts to recreated the splatty "quack". You guys know what I'm talking about. There are just too much physics at play, I guess. But if anyone knows of one, let us know! Here's that effect being used for a cinematic special effect on a recently released move which looks like a hell of a lot of fun! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGKwqXuDfLGWaa8

[@martinreid1740]

Very useful video, How much do you want for the flint? or I will trade you a new unused Fluke 87/3 for it. Good meter and defaults to DC. I know you are looking for one.

[@PsionicAudio]

I haven’t looked at the going rates for used V1 Flints yet. When I have a sense of a fair price you can have dibs on it. But I don’t need another meter right now.

[@martinreid1740]

Thanks Lyle, I've sent you an email so you can contact me. Once again I respect your channel for bringing us such useful content.

[@DaveSheremata]

I *I* *I* *I* LIKE it! ;)

[@LeonTodd]

Taaaaaasty licks!

[@Dad-Gad]

HX Stomp sounds better when NOT using cabs and amps imo 👍

[@SonovaBish]

I have the HX FX and the Windows version of Helix called Helix Native. It's very versatile software. I'd rather mic an amp, but it's good to have for effectsnor overdubs.

[@griffsimcox9459]

amazing.... how do you play with just one hand? lol :) oh... a looper :)

[@aaronatwood9298]

I am a bass player who do not use effects in my playing. I play 60's vintage and vintage voiced thunderbird 4 and 5 string basses, and am wireless straight into my 300 watt peavey all tube, 2 channel (clean and dirty) head. I have tried many different varieties, under $600 to try to get a sound i can use for practice or the quick show and be easily portable. They all fall apart for me is in harmonics, those thunderbirds have a lot of upperend content and it gets slurry. The low B on my 5 strings just never comes out right, and the dirty channel on none of them could do what i wanted. Maybe I'm just simple. My backup amp is an old, beat up peavey kilobass. I blend the tube and transistor input to get something good on its clean, use it for country shows or 90's. On guitars, especially the Axe FX and Kemper are absolutely amazing. The line 6 can be made to sound good but it takes a little time to get them dialed. I've never used kemper or axe FX for bass though.

[@kevinfarrellUK]

Lyle, I am old, I have a huge beef with modern stand alone pedals. They can be brilliant creative things, lovely flavours ad infinitum. But, they do too much! How can anyone use them in a live setting AND get the best from them when there a five frikken dials, three blummin three way toggle switches etc etc. ‘oh hang on guys while I bend down and dial in that lovely effect that goes so well with the next song…’ Ok so I need a multi fx unit… oh look I found something I want to do but it won’t do it… 300 stomp boxes later… fugg it I’m going in straight to the amp, sod the pedals…. Two weeks later… I need ‘x’…. End game: I have spent more on music making than I have earned from making music. Sighhh ;))

[@joeltunnah]

"How can anyone use them in a live setting?" I suggest you search KZbin. MANY people are doing just that with Line6 Helix units. And it's actually quite easy to program. Sounds like a you problem.

[@kevinfarrellUK]

@@joeltunnah I am not meaning the multi fx units, I am meaning the one fx unit like say, a delay. So many switches and settings for some really great sounds but with a multitude of function knobs and switches and no presets. ;))

[@richardlynch5632]

😎👍👍

[@GaryBertolo]

Lyle ... cost?

[@joeltunnah]

The HX Stomp regularly goes on sale for $549. So the cost of 2 or 3 typical guitar pedals.

[@chrisfit]

It’s a very good compromised product. I used one for years. It does have a bit of tone suck. The upsides outweigh the downsides in my opinion. The dynamic plate is quite amazing.

[@joeltunnah]

Which audio product, specifically, is not "compromised"?

[@jbognap]

When testing drive pedals, the true test would be not to have the real ones go through A/D and D/A conversion and the input impedance of the HX. Personally, I don't care; for ease of use and parameter flexibility, I prefer to stay in the MFX box.

[@PsionicAudio]

I tested by themselves, in front of the HX, and in the loop of the HX as heard here. Even scoped the HX output with/without the loop engaged with a short cable from Send to Return to verify. No difference in sound or feel, aside from the slightly higher noise floor using the HX. Note: no amp models were used here. And very little of the available DSP as only 1-3 blocks were used in any of these tests. So as the DSP becomes taxed with more effects used, the sound/feel may change. I’ll find out.

[@PsionicAudio]

PS the looped performances were already digital, and I address that in the talking section at the end.

[@JoshRoberts-fo5gq]

Is that a blue suede hat?

[@shane011471]

Have no idea if you got this sent for free or if you are paying for it? If you just want the FX alone just pick up the HX FX as it's cheaper and will be everything you need if you wanted to replace your board. Sorry " non-sponsored" so I will assume that you are paying for it. I think just for the FX alone the HX FX has a much better layout and it's something like 50 bucks cheaper (I could be wrong as I have not looked at them in a long time.) I would not bother with the stomp as you can enjoy the real deal as you are surrounded by them every day.

[@PsionicAudio]

I never accept free stuff for reviews. All the reviews on the channel are either amps that came in, things I’ve bought, or things I’ve borrowed out of interest and then returned.

[@PsionicAudio]

As to the modeling stuff, I have hopes for bass use and I wanted to get back into the amp modeling world out of professional interest. Gotta keep a toe in those waters too. If I NEEDED amp modeling I’d be going Fractal, at least at the time of this writing. But an intriguing option would also be the ToneX One. Stick that in the HX loop where desired and the setup would be a lot more powerful for an added $150 or whatever.

[@jbognap]

Yes, the HX effects has all the same effects, without the amp sims. It also has more switches and scribble strips!

[@shane011471]

@@PsionicAudio Fair enough.

[@Sperzel]

@@PsionicAudioTonex is a powerful platform, but beware that their software is a major PITA to navigate.

[@gigifara9312]

i just cant reconcile no analog dry through (i understand why its not implemented in multi fx). it breaks a barrier for me where i just think i might as well use a infinitely programable laptop/interface with a midi controller instead. also i love tactile. another pro for the laptop midi controller route tbh

[@PsionicAudio]

I did a lot of tests in the first hours with this, with the HX in a loop or bypassed, with the HX set to instrument in/out, no pad, 1M input, no blocks loaded. And the result was aside from a very slightly higher noise floor with the HX (regardless of using the noise gate which I tried), the sound and feel were the same, analog or HX. A/D D/A converters have come a long way. But I feel ya.

[@andrewschatz3259]

You can program the Stomp for full analog bypass, or digital bypass and assign it to a pedal or with midi.

[@michaelmoore7975]

Welp, my takeaway from this vid is a never-ending loop of a post impressionist variant interpretation of _Crossroads_ whizzing through my skull. I think I might have to undergo a few treatments of unplugged fireside Steve Winwood on acoustic playing _Can't Find My Way Home._ Close my eyes, hit play...I'm telling you it is a miracle cure for *anything.* Not that the other was bad, but the opposite; it wedged in my synapse deeper than I anticipated. Now, if someone would just help me figure out that damn tuning on Steve's acoustic. Anybody?

[@PsionicAudio]

Well, the tuning on the album original has always sounded like regular Drop D. But I bet DADGAD would work well too.

[@HalHawkins-j8i]

Nice amp in the background…..

[@GaryBertolo]

MXR Phasor

[@johnbriggs3916]

I would suggest that for a PHONE audio is not, in fact, an afterthought 😉

[@PsionicAudio]

For a hundred plus years it absolutely was. Severely band limited, terrible audio quality. And with smart phones, for phone purposes the audio quality only has to be as good as the internal speakers. So the phone portion of the modern phone isn’t the focus.

[@scottdunn2178]

This 58 year old Gen X Boomer would be throwing this thing up against the wall the first five seconds trying to figure out how in the hell to program the damn thing 😅

[@PsionicAudio]

This 53 year old Gen X non Boomer has had no issues, aside from the mistake selecting the right block to adjust in the Tremolo test. It’s a really simple UI.

[@joeltunnah]

If you're 58, you're Gen X dude... not a "Gen X Boomer", whatever that is.

[@kmichaelp4508]

I want to my my money back 😊

[@greblus]

I don't know if it's just me, but it's too good, sterile and not realy authentic. I mean, i love digital preamps and use one everyday, but with analog pedalboard and via fx return of my tube amp.

[@PsionicAudio]

“It’s too good/sterile” - do you mean what I recorded here or are you talking about your own experiences with the HX?

[@greblus]

@@PsionicAudio HX in general. It sounds like a post-produced, ready to go recording. Zen or klone into an amp (i only have clones of these though) or into a good model sounds so different.

[@joeltunnah]

​@greblus no, they don't. That was the whole point of this video. Lol!