Line6 Firehawk FX

[Maude]

I've been using the Line6 X3 Live pedal for years now and in all honesty I'm happy with what I'm getting from it. 

But I've seen a Firehawk FX pedal for sale locally and just wondered if it's an improvement on what I've got now. 

On the face of it it looks to be roughly the same, just with more shiny lights but a smaller screen. I don't connect to a computer so I'm not worried about that side of things but I see the Firehawk is Bluetooth so possibly remote programming on my tablet might be available, which could be cool as saves kneeling down to do it. 

I run my Variax through the X3 and the Firehawk has a Variax socket so that's good. 

The main thing really is whether there is any improvement in the modeling, or is it basically the same 'engine' as the X3 uses but in a prettier package?

Also is £180 about the right price?

Just for reference in case there are different sizes. 

 

 

[Maude]

Ignore me 😁. 

I've just looked into it a bit and it doesn't included the bass amps or anything bass specific, purely aimed at guitarists, unlike most Line6 stuff. While this wouldn't be a deal breaker, it doesn't do dual channel which is a deal breaker. I love the fact you can have a punchy clean channel running alongside an affected channel on the X3, it really helps keeping things cutting through, especially with overdrive/distortion. 

Oh well nevermind. 

[Skybone]

Better off with a HD500x, with the HD Bass pack. Fabulous bit of kit, and very underrated. Been running one for years.

Expect to pay between £200 & £250 for a good one.

[Maude]

28 minutes ago, Skybone said:

Better off with a HD500x, with the HD Bass pack. Fabulous bit of kit, and very underrated. Been running one for years.

Expect to pay between £200 & £250 for a good one.

Can we you can do the programming with the app via Bluetooth with that one? That's the bit that got me interested. 

Programming on the unit is fiddly with the tiny screens and hunched on the floor but it really needs programming at gig volume, not with headphones at home. Using a wireless tablet seems like a great solution. 

[Skybone]

The HD's not Bluetooth, still relies on the good old USB cable into a computer, and then an app there for editing. However, the screen on the HD is bigger, and you can edit patches there, though some things are easier to do on the computer.

Alternatively, get a HX Stomp, all the latest amp/cab & effects models, updated regularly. Still not Bluetooth though.

You could use either a Windows tablet or iPad to edit the patches, but they'll still need the wired connection.

 

[Maude]

The HD 500 looks virtually the same as the X3 I'm using. Same size screen and layout so no gain there. The sounds might be improved but they'd have to be a massive improvement to make the investment worthwhile. 

It was the wireless programming that grabbed me. I've found these things need programming whilst playing with the band, you can fiddle around all you like at home but it won't sound the same at volume with a band. A tablet sat on top of my amp and adjusting on the fly seems great. 

Nevermind, I'll stick with what I've got. 👍

[Skybone]

Before I got the HD, I was using an XT Live (same size as the X3, HD500x, Helix LT), and from the research I did before I got the HD, the X3 still used the XT amp/cab/effects models. It was the "next step" for the POD family, because it integrated the guitar, bass, acoustic and vocal effects to be an "all in one" solution. Maybe they used a different chipset, more memory etc., etc., but the actual modelling software was still from the XT.

The HD was the development of the POD, where they not only upgraded the chipset, but also developed new amp/cab/effect models in Higher Definition.

When I got mine, I still had the XT Live, so after installing the HD Bass pack, I did a "back to back" test of the two, in order to work out which one stayed, which one went. The HD won hands down, it was audibly far better than the XT. Although it has fewer bass amp/cab models, the sound quality was far better, plus it still has all of the connectivity that you'd ever need (including Variax).

When I was looking, I looked into other modellers as well, like the Boss GT10B, but I was underwhelmed by the choices, unless I went for the full fat Helix, which was about 5 times my budget at the time. The HD is well worth a try if you know someone who has one, and who's willing to let you have a shot on it.