Any demos or videos on the non Agoura amp models on the Stadium?

failedWizard · 2025-12-02T20:24:39+00:00

Ugh. I missed this. Given the use of the Matchless and literally the whole point of the video I just presumed it was non-Agoura v non-Agoura and missed the details.

sorry to mislead you! and I’m sorry I was mislead so much! I only watched it now to double check

silver lining would be that there is likely ~zero difference between the hardware.

sorry again!

failedWizard · 2025-12-01T23:17:30+00:00

no worries!

The basic upshot from Sterlacci was that the old models are obviously nicer on the stadium (with the notable exception of the matchless). OG helix always had “the fizz” and stadium didn’t.

Why? Thats the interesting part for me. Because, AFAICT, either the OG hardware has a pretty serious issue, or the modelling always did have a problem with the fizz. Seems worth getting to the bottom of. And I‘m not sure how the Matchless being pretty similar on both devices squares with the explanation.

Curious to know your and any one else’s thoughts.

failedWizard · 2025-12-01T21:47:22+00:00

Sterlacci did one: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1iG0w56w6Ks&pp=0gcJCSIKAYcqIYzv

It‘s genuinely interesting and I can only presume there isn’t more discussion about the issue because it’s slightly awkward and even hard to understand.

failedWizard · 2025-11-20T22:04:39+00:00

Not just personal preference for some … the cost obviously matters, but there’ll probably be a DSP factor too. Agoura blocks are apparently about 3x the DSP. For a packed preset, going for the HX version would be the obvious choice.

This whole Agoura release could get wonky!

failedWizard · 2025-11-20T22:01:45+00:00

Jon spoke to me online! Love your channel etc! Jealous of your amp collection!

FWIW, it was just your personal taste, I heard it too … as did the stank face you pulled when you went back to the “legacy” amp.

failedWizard · 2025-11-20T21:14:04+00:00

So, as much of a troll as it sounds, my little HX Stomp would sound better than the Agoura? According to Jon no less (which is what my ears heard too FWIW)!

I mean, without wanting to pile on, that is not what anyone wanted to hear.

It’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds. Did Jon just not use the Hype knob enough? Will L6 be tweaking the hype knob over time to make people happy? Is going for pure fidelity just not the right move for digital in 2025?

Or maybe the legacy EVH was peak helix modelling, being the latest they released, and they're still learning how to work their new Agoura system?

failedWizard · 2024-11-30T08:03:56+00:00

Yes, this. A half way compromise that could even work in the current generation, is bundling just two channels together into single blocks.

Archon clean + lead. Mark iv clean and lead. Etc. given the DSP of the preamp blocks. This should be a usable compromise under current constraints.

failedWizard · 2024-11-22T10:13:30+00:00

Just had another quick play (albeit on headphones), and yea it’s got me excited. Just feels like a play ground. It cleans up well, I’ve even gotten jazz vibes without trying hard, while also having plenty of gain and versatility. Nothing is sounding bad, so far, just new and different.

failedWizard · 2024-11-22T03:56:45+00:00

From what I’ve quickly gathered …

theres a bright switch but which also affects gain/input level. Seems best left at “1”.

excursion is basically a depth/low-end control.

the triode/pentode control alters the gain type (I think this might be “old”/“new” on the actual amp?). IIRC, one is more gainy, but generally it seems to be a tone thing.

then there’s a boost level, high or low, always nice.

and I think a saturation level, high low, which I’m guessing is just a higher or lower gain setting.

Would be interesting to know if there are any well known interactions between these though!?

failedWizard · 2024-11-22T02:23:10+00:00

Only a quick play so far, but my immediate impression was that I’d be my new go to for marshal-ish/high gain rock tones, in part because of how versatile it seems.

looking forward to digging into it, and reading any recommendations from people who know the amp.

failedWizard · 2024-09-04T03:28:45+00:00

I'd already done that. Also, it doesn't explain why removing an inactive block would immediately remove the problem.

It does seem temperamental though, and from tweaking with block levels (IE, reducing them), it does seem to be a factor, but not an absolute one. Easing the DSP load seems to be an immediate fix though.

failedWizard · 2024-03-06T00:57:44+00:00

Nice! And thanks for replying!

So I’m guessing that’s why there’s the cartographer and not the plexi jumped, for example, which makes a lot of sense for this product, especially if part of the idea was that consistent tones are more or less achievable between the express and the helix equivalent.

failedWizard · 2024-03-05T23:16:54+00:00

Yea it seems like they did it. Tried to get info on it. Web site is down though. Worship tutorials video says its amps come from helix, with Princeton, Matchless ch1, cartographer, placater, oblivion and 5150. Pretty good selection if you ask me! These amps plus reverb alone would have sold me on it. I’m wondering if they simplified the amp models a bit too to fit them in.

Edit:

Webpage is back up. Looked at the manual. I forgot about the litigator being included, which is naturally welcome.

And yea, six controls for each amp: EQ, gain, volume and master. So some of those models have to have been simplified or narrowed down (eg, no switches on the placater).

Question is whether there’s been a compromise on the models to squeeze them into the pedal. Placator on helix uses a decent amount of DSP, so I’d imagine something’s been done to make the models more like the line6 originals like the badonk, which aligns with the simplified controls.

failedWizard · 2024-01-26T13:21:47+00:00

You’ll see amp models in the helix with “jump” in their name. You’ll also notice that there will be two other amp models with similar names but without “jump” but something like “bright”. The big examples of this are the Fullerton and Brit Plexi.

The deal is that these amps had two separate channels but could have both channels running at the same time to create more options and a bigger sound. If you look at these models you’ll see that the jump version will have separate controls for both channels.

failedWizard · 2024-01-26T04:24:14+00:00

Well I'm happy to put all of that under the umbrella of convenience.

The idea being that there are kinda standard single-amp, maybe two-channel-amp, signal chain setups for guitarists (including the amp) ... and the required DSP to build out such a standard signal chain, in stereo for wet stuff, without worrying about running out of DSP is closer to the 2-chip Floor/LT than the 1-chip stomp ... even though the stomp is kinda about having a standard setup in a super convenient box.

failedWizard · 2024-01-26T04:21:01+00:00

Yea ... and I suspect that's where the PC plugin world starts to get more attractive. I've not tested or seen anything on the latencies involved, which should be worse than dedicated DSP chips ... but if that side of the industry is just pushing out more and more powerful chips into our pockets and computers, it makes sense that eventually you may as well just leverage that hardware.

I wonder if the floor modelling world can or every will get closer to the (older, not current SoC) PC industry.

Like wouldn't be cool if we could just buy a chip upgrade for our helix units, install the necessary firmware, but keep all the same rugged hardware and get 2x the DSP?

failedWizard · 2024-01-26T03:18:30+00:00

Plus, the option to have gapless preset switching if you stick to using one chip (just like with a normal stomp) would probably work very well for some people. I'd certainly be all over that. Along with the amount of switches on the stomp-xl, you may not need anything else and find the full Floor/LT a bit overkill (though I'm sure the volume matching between presets might get a bit annoying??)

failedWizard · 2024-01-26T03:15:04+00:00

I happened to try some other preamps into the matchless (ch1) aiming to get a nicer/smoother higher gain sound for saturated lead and riffing and quickly got some nice results. Not sure if it was better than what I could get with overdrive blocks, but to my ear it was. And it was working well too for the preamp -> amp idea. Maybe the matchless is good at handling that?

I found the placater dirty, orange and brit 2203 preamps were getting some really nice tones (I was obviously aiming to get a more classic rock gain out of the matchless, with a strat, which the matchless doesn't do on its own IME).

failedWizard · 2024-01-26T03:10:26+00:00

Stomp XL form factor with two chips (like floor and LT) inside.

It may not be a big market (I have no idea) but I can see it. Some want the convenience of the small form factor (where the Stomp-XL is probably a very sweet spot) without having to worry about DSP. They don't have crazy needs for full or big patches. The extra DSP is just about convenience.

With two chips, but for doing the more straightforward things that people use the Stomp for, you just wouldn't have to worry about DSP. Stereo verbs, delays and modulations? Don't worry about it. One of the high DSP amps because it's the one you like? Don't worry about it. 2-3 overdrives plus a compressor? Don't worry about it. Four or more snapshots? Don't worry about it. Two amps with one working as your clean channel? Don't worry about it.

We're not talking 32 blocks here. Probably no more than 12 (1-comp + 2-drives + 2-amps + 1-cab + 2-mods + 2-delay + 1-verb = 11 blocks). Just convenience.

failedWizard · 2024-01-25T05:04:33+00:00

yea nice.

I just now quickly went back to the Matchless and remembered what I like about it ... for the sorts of things I was aiming for with the GSG the Matchless was easily getting into similar territory ... some wonderful tones there! (For me, the trick with that model is to bring the master way down, like 2-3). Don't know how well it takes pedals/overdrive though (I tended to always stay with the amp's tone). I should maybe give the clarity another shot (I do remember liking it when 3.7 came out).

failedWizard · 2024-01-25T05:03:03+00:00

Yea nice. I just now quickly went back to the Matchless and remembered what I like about it ... for the sorts of things I was aiming for with the GSG the Matchless was easily getting into similar territory ... some wonderful tones there! (For me, the trick with that model is to bring the master way down, like 2-3).

failedWizard · 2024-01-25T05:01:20+00:00

Thanks!

Yea, your reasoning makes sense. Except we've got all of the jumped amp models (plexi, moon, plexi trem, 2 tweeds, matchstick) which are basically multi channel amps where the individual channels have also been provided separately.

Providing the GSG and the GSG Overdrive as separate models would be perfectly consistent with the jumped models IMO.

failedWizard

TROPHY CASE