Don't want to fork out for a Helix? Check out these alternatives...

[Al Krow]

• 108 digital amp models, 164 effects, 43 optional factory cab sims and a fully featured IR loader.
• There’s also the Synth Engine, a new tri-voice polyphonic synthesis module with options for wave form, pitch, filters and arpeggiators - with no special pickup or guitar modifications required.
• The Preamp Live’s Tone Capture offers three different modes: Amp Mode, to capture real-life amps; Guitar Mode, which models EQ characteristics; and Cab Mode, for sampling speaker cabs and creating IR files.
• Mooer is also promising 10 customisable footswitch controls, programmable stereo effects loop, 30-minute looper with storable loop sessions, external device switching, direct USB audio and much, much more, apparently.

It does look amazing. Now just need to find out what they're going to be selling for!

....and then there is also the The Hotone Ampero which @eude mentions below later in the thread, which will be retailing for around £350

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Al Krow
Thread tags updated to reflect B3N discussion.

[danbowskill]

I wonder how much dedicated bass models and effects it will have? As they don't seem to have much for us in a lot of their other ranges

Edited January 19, 2019 by danbowskill

[Al Krow]

10 minutes ago, danbowskill said:

I wonder how much dedicated bass models and effects it will have? As they don't seem to have much for us in a lot of their other ranges

That's a very fair point. It would seem an obvious tweak for them to make, particularly as Zoom and Helix have cottoned on that bass players might be interested in bass multi fx too!

But I'm guessing (hoping?) that this won't entirely have escaped Mooer's attention.

[songofthewind]

Very interesting. We watch and wait..

[Owen]

I had clocked that as well. If it can capture amp tones properly I will be fighting quite hard to not get one. 

[Woodinblack]

I am guessing it is a direct copy of something: 

https://www.gearnews.com/electro-harmonix-wins-copyright-piracy-case-against-mooer/

 

[mybass]

More illegal copying from China then.?....I was in contact with Shure Microphones about the SM58 mic a few years ago...(I had unwittingly purchased a fake but got my money back) and they told me the SM58 was the most 'copied' mic out there and that Shure had regularly contacted Chinese authorities to raid factories and shut them down. 

[Woodinblack]

Yep more copying, but in some ways they have theirselves to blame. If you are are having your products assembled in china as it is cheaper, there is a pretty good chance that they are going to be copying it, you know that. And if they are the people making it, their copies are going to be as good as yours.

This is a guess, I don't know where the EHX pedals are made but would be impressed if they were actually made in America.

China will do what every country did. Aggressively copy everything until all of a sudden you are making better stuff than other people, and then start getting really serious about IP protection. 

[Mudpup]

50 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Yep more copying, but in some ways they have theirselves to blame. If you are are having your products assembled in china as it is cheaper, there is a pretty good chance that they are going to be copying it, you know that. And if they are the people making it, their copies are going to be as good as yours.

This is a guess, I don't know where the EHX pedals are made but would be impressed if they were actually made in America.

China will do what every country did. Aggressively copy everything until all of a sudden you are making better stuff than other people, and then start getting really serious about IP protection. 

We had some stuff made in China and there were 2 cost prices quoted. One was for a guaranteed no copies item and the other cheaper one was for a production line that was a "bit nearer to the back door of the factory"

[Skybone]

Looks interesting. We shall see how things pan out.

[BigRedX]

On 19/01/2019 at 13:58, danbowskill said:

I wonder how much dedicated bass models and effects it will have? As they don't seem to have much for us in a lot of their other ranges

IME you don't actually need any bass-dedicated models or effects. 

On my Helix only 2 of my 30 or so patches use a bass amp model (and those are used for the drive/distortion effect). The rest either use "guitar" amps or no amp model at all and just EQ and distortion modules.

And as I've said before I'm not keen on multi-effects that don't have a built-in PSU. They are not professional pieces of equipment IMO.

[eude]

There's another one on the block too.

The Hotone Ampero >> http://www.hotoneaudio.com/news/297.html

I'm moving on my pedals with a view to getting a good, but affordable multi-effects. Some kind of Helix would be lovely, but there's no chance I'd find one for under £300, which is my ceiling for this.
Both of these "tributes" to the Helix have got my attention, I appreciate you don't need bass specific effects, but some bass amp sims would be nice. No mention that I can see of them anywhere...

I agree with @BigRedX though, an external PSU makes them a bit less pro, more bedroom use. I won't be using mine live for some time, but a bit of future proofing can't hurt.
What out there has an internal PSU?

Eude

[BigRedX]

4 minutes ago, eude said:

I agree with @BigRedX though, an external PSU makes them a bit less pro, more bedroom use. I won't be using mine live for some time, but a bit of future proofing can't hurt.
What out there has an internal PSU?

Eude

Helix Floor, and AFAIK all the rack mounted Line6 devices.

[Leonard Smalls]

I put up a thread a few weeks back asking if anyone had tried the Mooer...

It's £299 in my local music shop - when I have a spare moment I'll go and have a go. Not sure how well it'd work for me though; my current sound-of-choice has 3 mixed FX loops - 1. a 3Leaf envelope filter going into a Darkglass microtubes into a Digitech Bass Whammy, 2. a DOD envelope filter, 3 a Fwonk Beta envelope filter going into a Boss bass synth. I'd be surprised if I could get that same Bootsy-on-keyboards-that still-sounds-like-a-Wal sound out of any of 'em.

[Owen]

Is that a GE300 for £299 in you local shop? I cannot find any for sale anywhere.

[eude]

Might be the GE200?

I have heard from a couple of guitards I know through forums that the GE200 works surprisingly well, and they both know their gear, especially pedals!
I wonder how the GE300 will compare...

Eude

[eude]

Well, the HoTon Ampero has been officially announced and it's only £350 on Thomann!
https://www.thomann.de/gb/hotone_ampero.htm?offid=1&affid=84

Bass is featured in the marketing info, which is a nice change >> http://www.hotoneaudio.com/products/Ampero/Ampero/2019/0123/307.html
I like the way it looks like a mix of the full sized Helix and the Helix Stomp. Wonder if it's any good?..

Eude

[Leonard Smalls]

1 hour ago, owen said:

Is that a GE300 for £299 in you local shop

Just checked - it's a 200...

https://www.knightonmusiccentre.com/product/hi-tech-pedals/guitar-fx/mooer/mooer-ge200-guitar-multi-effects-processor/

Could be a lot more tempted by a 300,what with synths and filters...

Edited January 24, 2019 by Leonard Smalls

[Al Krow]

53 minutes ago, eude said:

Well, the HoTon Ampero has been officially announced and it's only £350 on Thomann!
https://www.thomann.de/gb/hotone_ampero.htm?offid=1&affid=84

Bass is featured in the marketing info, which is a nice change >> http://www.hotoneaudio.com/products/Ampero/Ampero/2019/0123/307.html
I like the way it looks like a mix of the full sized Helix and the Helix Stomp. Wonder if it's any good?..

Eude

Good spot Eude! I did see this a couple of days back and meant to mention, but you beat me to it so thanks for adding to the thread, appreciated.

(I've now also included a reference to the hotone in the OP so that we can widen the discussion out). 

[eude]

11 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Good spot Eude! I did see this a couple of days back and meant to mention, but you beat me to it so thanks for adding to the thread, appreciated.

(I've now also included a reference to the hotone in the OP so that we can widen the discussion out). 

No bother mate.
I'm very much in the market for something like this.
I've been on the fence for ages, but I sat down with a bunch of my pedals yesterday for the first time in a VERY long time and ended up just getting frustrated with it how fiddly it all was. I don't use effects a lot, but I used to, so to have options on tap on something compact, user friendly, and well made would be ideal.

I'm keeping Zoom's B3n as a back up plan, but I'm going to hang on and see how these, and potentially others pan out from NAMM.

Our very own @Sibob is over there now, I've rather cheekily asked him to check out the HoTone if he gets time...

Eude

Edited January 24, 2019 by eude

[Owen]

1 hour ago, Leonard Smalls said:

Just checked - it's a 200...

https://www.knightonmusiccentre.com/product/hi-tech-pedals/guitar-fx/mooer/mooer-ge200-guitar-multi-effects-processor/

Could be a lot more tempted by a 300,what with synths and filters...

Thanks, it was exciting while it lasted!

I have been to the Knighton place. It is absolutely insane!

[Leonard Smalls]

1 minute ago, owen said:

I have been to the Knighton place. It is absolutely insane!

Indeed - though less so for bass players...

I bought a very nice Parker bass there a few years ago, but they reckon bass players don't buy as much gear as guitarists. I pointed out that they do, if you've got stuff they want!

Though they've currently got a very nice EBS 660 at about £200 off, plus cabs to match, and a few Phil Jones amps. And for those that like that sort of thing, a Bongo 6er! And I missed out on a lovely Thumb bass by dithering...

[eude]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Good spot Eude! I did see this a couple of days back and meant to mention, but you beat me to it so thanks for adding to the thread, appreciated.

(I've now also included a reference to the hotone in the OP so that we can widen the discussion out). 

I've just received a response from HoTone about just how bass friendly the Ampero is, they said it has a dedicated library of effects and sims just for bass!!!

[HazBeen]

HoTone actually make really good and well built gear. My Xtomp is a great pedal with a good interface, enough bass stuff on it so I can imagine it will be very good. Will it be Helix good? Time will tell. Will it be a solidly built? Time will tell. Will people buy them as they find Helix's "expensive"? Yes.

I am very happy with my LT and am abolutely fine with the cash I spent on it. 

[eude]

3 minutes ago, HazBeen said:

HoTone actually make really good and well built gear. My Xtomp is a great pedal with a good interface, enough bass stuff on it so I can imagine it will be very good. Will it be Helix good? Time will tell. Will it be a solidly built? Time will tell. Will people buy them as they find Helix's "expensive"? Yes.

I am very happy with my LT and am absolutely fine with the cash I spent on it. 

If I had the money, I'd just buy a Helix, but I've gone from selling all my pedals, bar one, to buy a wee Zoom thing to stretching my budget a little in the hope of getting something with a little bit more for less than a real Helix...

If it can match Zoom for sound quality I'll be delighted, and if it has solid build quality even better!

I'm going to hold fire till all the NAMM announcements have been made, but I'm getting pretty close to pulling the trigger now.

Eude