By Eric Price
ROAD
TEST Line 6 Firehawk FX Multi-Effects Processor
In the ever-expanding realm of guitar effects , it remains a challenge for any one manufacturer to stand out from the herd , let alone lead the pack ; however , Line 6 has done a pretty good job . The Firehawk FX boasts a fusion of some of Line 6 ’ s more powerful technologies , including amp and effects models from the POD Farm family , the wireless editing interface from their Amplifi series , a coloured lighting scheme from their M series , and as always , their renowned sounds .
Ready for the stage or studio , this solidly built , bent steel chassis pedalboard features 12 high-quality footswitches along with a steel expression pedal . Multi-coloured LED lights surround the switches , making them very easy to see in the dark as well as having dedicated colour codes to help identify their function . There is a set of knobs for handy live editing alongside a large master volume control and a Bluetooth switch with an indicator light for connection to a capable device . It uses a backlit alphanumeric LCD display for patch names and numbers .
Two of the footswitches handle the bank up and down commands ( 16 banks available ) and are used in conjunction with four program switches to access a total of 128 preset programs . There are five assignable footswitches that control different effect blocks . These effects are assigned within a program , creating a stompbox-style emulation , allowing you to turn individual effects on or off as desired , and are colourcoded to reflect their effect class . The final footswitch doubles as the tap tempo / tuner switch .
The robust volume pedal also functions as a wah , which can be engaged by fully pressing the pedal down to the toe position . A quick note here : there is an input jack on the back to add a second expression pedal in case you want to have both wah and volume controls available at once .
The six edit knobs accurately represent real world amp controls with gain , bass , mid , treble , and reverb designations , plus an assignable FX knob . A seventh larger knob does double duty as the master volume or blend control , with the blend function used for adjusting guitar to music playback volume when playing along with a music app .
On the back , from left to right , we first see the above-mentioned second expression pedal jack followed by the guitar input . Next to those we have the stereo effect loop ins and outs followed by a pair of stereo XLR outputs and then a pair of stereo 1 / 4-in outputs . We have a 1 / 4-in . headphone jack , a Variax guitar input for use with a Line 6 Variax guitar , the USB port for the computer connection , and the AC adapter port with power switch .
With over 200 amp and effect models to work with , you will find no shortage of modeled gear to use in recreating the sounds you want . Included in that inventory are 29 HD amplifier models and 25 HD effect models with another 78 POD Farm amp models , 95 POD Farm effects models , and 24 POD Farm amp cabinet models to explore as well .
Although all these models can be tweaked via the knobs on the top of the unit , its considerable editing capabilities become readily accessible when pairing up the Firehawk with an iOS or Android device via the Bluetooth connection and using the free Firehawk Remote App . With a screen to work from , you will have access to handy slide controls for the parameters of the amp , effect , and cabinet models as well as special in-depth functions for the HD models . The signal chain and pedal mapping options also become easier to manage .
Other pluses when using the remote app include unlimited preset storage in the cloud along with access to thousands of tones created by other users . Tones can also be shared via Twitter and Facebook .
When playing back music via an app , the Firehawk software attempts to recognize the song and then searches the cloud database for suitable guitar tones that might be used on that particular tune .
Also with the music playback app , you can send its audio , via the Bluetooth connection , to the Firehawk unit , allowing you to practice along . This is where the master volume , doubling as a blend control , allows you to adjust the mix between your guitar and the music playback .
The USB port allows for connection to a Mac or PC , where you can use the Firehawk as a recording interface , featuring ASIO drivers , or do firmware upgrades when they become available . For example , one cool addition that only became available with the latest firmware upgrade is a singlestep looper for laying down loops to jam along to .
Though the Firehawk may employ a streamlined control interface up top , it doesn ’ t truly reveal the power found under the hood . There are great tones to be had here even right out of the box , and many well-written presets , employing familiar song names to help identify them and get you started . The Firehawk FX may not be as sophisticated as the Helix or POD 500HX , but the trade-off in power is made up for in its ease of use and affordability .
Eric Price can often be found in his studio practicing the ancient and mysterious art of Tu Ning . He can be reached at eric @ gepconsulting . ca .
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