As I’m typing this intro, I’m on the flight back
from the 2019 Summer NAMM Show where
once again I was amazed at the depth of the
fellowship that embodies the Helix family. While
Helix is a family of products, the family that I’m
referring is made up of a collaborative ensemble
of musicians unlike any other.
I had the privilege of being one of the beta-
testers for the wildly anticipated 2.8 Helix
firmware update as well as Powercab 212 Plus.
Although most of us are in the video content
creation space, true to the heart and soul of
the Helix family (Powercab included), none of
the typical showbiz cattiness ensued. To the
contrary, we’ve all been giving one another
[WM] While I find myself spending an ever-
ERIC KLEIN
increasing amount of time using Helix Rack,
virtual high-fives in the comments sections
of each another’s videos. Considering how Eric Klein is the lead architect behind Helix. If it Helix Floor shares a common form factor with
incredibly competitive the music industry and does it, he almost undoubtedly dreamed it into the POD HD500/HD500X. As you were crafting
YouTube spaces can be, I was and remain reality. Has he listened to customer input on Line Helix, what were the key features and elements
incredibly impressed. 6’s IdeaScale? Yes, but just like the suggestion you wanted to carry over from the HD500 user
box at church, taking action requires both experience (that players like myself loved), and
skill and commitment. Eric excels in each of what were some of the things you wanted to
these, which is why the Helix experience keeps improve most?
getting better…
[Eric]
We
literally
wanted
to
improve
[WM] Eric, the lineage of products that everything. We knew what we thought worked
connects POD and Helix is a storied one. and didn’t work, and user input from IdeaScale
No one else in the space has released more on our website confirmed those hunches and
products that have been so widely embraced then added more fuel to the fire. Thankfully, the
by such a diverse range of musicians. Although company had enough faith in the team to let us
Without a visionary company filled with great your job is to dream up the future of modeling take our time and do things right. In the end, we
people, none of this would have been possible. technology at Line 6, I'd love to know your kept common terminology like Blocks, Paths,
While there are lots of manufacturers out there thoughts about the ground that products like and Setlists, but if something could sound
on social media, no one has done more to the original POD and HD500 broke? better, be easier to tweak, or more elegant to
Doug Doppler’s Helix 2.8 Firmware Video
nurture their community than Line 6’s Eric Klein
use, we kept pushing forward.
and Frank Ritchotte. The heart and soul people [Eric Klein] The original POD wasn't the first love about Helix is found and echoed in the digital amp modeling product, but it was the first [WM] The amount of attention that the 2.8
hearts and minds of the people behind it. So to be widely embraced by professional studios. Helix firmware update has gotten is kind of
cool! It was on hundreds of charting records, and unprecedented when it comes to the guitar
in some cases, it was used to re-amp poorly playing community. What are your favorite
So, in celebration of the 2.8 firmware release, recorded tracks and kept secret from the things about this update and why?
we wanted to gather some of the influencers guitarists themselves! There are lots of stories in the worship space as well as Eric, Frank, where the band will brag in interviews about [Eric] In the grand scheme of things, 2.8 isn't
and Sam Hwang from Line 6 to share their renting a room full of amps, cabs, and pedals really that big of an update. 2.0 and 2.5 were
perspective on the Helix family. to record an album, only to have the engineer way bigger, at least on paper. Maybe it was
admit to us later, “Dude, it was all POD or our Helix Users Group party at NAMM? We
Amp Farm!” didn’t intend for the keynote address to go all
black turtleneck and blue jeans, but our little
August 2019
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