CALABASAS, Calif. April 21, 2020 — Line 6 today released Helix/HX 2.90 as a free firmware update for its Helix Floor, Helix LT, Helix Rack, HX EffectsTM, and HX StompTM guitar processors. Version 1.90 of the Helix Native plug-in is also available as a free upgrade from any previous version.
“Helix/HX 2.90 continues our commitment to pushing the Helix and HX platform forward,” says Eric Klein, Chief Product Design Architect, Line 6. “Now that our new Helix Core architecture is complete (finished with 2.80), we’re able to accomplish things that were impossible when Helix was first released, such as realtime output and gain reduction meters, signal present/clip indicators, and fully customizable stomp assignments. Helix/HX 2.90 also puts the pieces in place for Helix/HX 3.0 and beyond.”
Helix/HX 2.90 includes a new amp, two new cabs, six new effects, and new features:
- Revv Gen Purple, based on* the purple (Gain 1) channel of the Revv Generator 120
- 1x12 Fullerton, based on* the classic 1953 Fender 5C3 Tweed Deluxe
- 1x12 Grammatico, based on* the modern 2016 Grammatico LaGrange
- Alpaca Rouge, inspired by* a modded Way Huge® Red Llama
- Legendary Drive, based on* the Carvin VLD1 Legacy Drive (high-gain channel)
- Xenomorph Fuzz, inspired by* the Subdecay Harmonic Antagonizer
- Rochester Comp, based on* the Ashly CLX-52 and created in conjunction with Billy Sheehan
- Pebble Phaser, based on* the Electro-Harmonix Small Stone phaser
- Dynamic, Line 6 original. This new Split block type lets you dynamically route
signals to Path B, depending on how hard you play
- Output Meters (Helix Floor, Helix Rack, Helix LT)
- Gain Reduction Meters (Helix Floor, Helix Rack, Helix LT)
- Signal Present/Clip Indicators (Helix Floor, Helix Rack/Control, Helix LT, HX
Stomp)
- Improved IR Referencing (Helix Floor, Helix Rack/Control, Helix LT, Helix
Native, HX Effects, HX Stomp) Impulse Response blocks now reference each IR
file by waveform instead of index number
- New Command Center Commands (Helix Floor, Helix Rack/Control, Helix LT,
HX Effects) HX Preset, HX Snapshot, and HXLooper enable customization of
footswitches within Stomp Footswitch Mode
- Shortcut > Model Subcategory (Helix Floor, Helix Rack/Control, Helix LT, HX
Effects, HX Stomp) Quickly navigate model subcategories without having to open the Model List
New Features in Helix Native 1.90 Include:
- A/B Compare A new set of buttons lets you temporarily store all of the Helix Native instance's parameter settings, then tweak any number of parameters and easily compare an A version and a B version before saving.
- IRs can now be dragged directly from the Impulses list onto the signal flow view
- Double-clicking an IR in the Impulses list auto-populates the currently selected IR