Line 6 HX Stomp XL Multi-Effects Processor Pedal
Bigger, beefier, and ready to gig! The Line 6 HX Stomp XL combines an amplifier and effects processor with eight performance-ready capacitive-touch switches.
$749.99
- 12 x$62.50
- 8 x$93.75
- No Credit Check6 x$125.00
- No Credit Check4 x$187.50
Overall User Ratings (based on 2 ratings)
Submitted December 3, 2022 by Allan B in tempe, AZ
"Yes, you need this!"
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zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
If you are familiar with Helix, Helix LT, HXFX, or HX Stomp then you already know all about how amazing this line of products are, so I won't get into that. I've had all of the above and this is the perfect match up of size and features for my application. The HXFX was just not very pedalboard friendly even though the Scribble Strips were a Godsend, and there were times when I needed something all in one to go direct to FOH and there are no amp functions in the HXFX. The normal Stomp was fine but limited with the 3 buttons. I tried pairing it with the Morningstar MC6 like a lot of folks do, but I had trouble keeping track of what was on etc because the best I could do was make the MC6 display flash when something was enabled, but it was all the same color and there wasn’t really a focal point for these old eyes to fixate on. The other drawback about the Stomp was you needed ample space around it for MIDI and connections for the effects loop(s). The Stomp XL takes care of most of those drawbacks and for me and I think it’s going to work out very well. It functions very much like the Helix LT so your buttons are color matched to in the information blocks on the display making it easy to navigate quickly. The extra buttons give it another edge over the Stomp because you can now easily use the 6 button looper, and you get an extra snapshot. All the ins/outs are on the back and while it’s wide, it’s no taller than a normal pedal. I have mine sitting on a Metro 24 with my 3 favorite drives in front. I mostly use it as effects only in the loop of my amp and I control my amp channels via MIIDI. I do like that I can just plug a few things in differently and I can have a mini all in one system and go direct to FOH with minimal effort if needed. If you are looking at a small all in one modeling solution or just something to compliment your existing pedalboard, I can’t recommend the Stomp LX highly enough. It’s incredibly powerful and keeps getting better every update. And if you aren’t happy with it the fine folks at zZounds will take it back no questions asked, but I don’t think you’ll need to!
Sound
The sound quality of the Helix line just keeps getting better and better. The most recent update that redid the cabinet options allows a little more DSP to be used on other things, and the update from February 22 FINALLY introduced some very high quality ambient reverbs and other time based goodies. I’m not sure how much more they can squeeze out of this little box, but Line 6 has been doing an amazing job with one or two very useful updates every year.
Features
This thing has way too many features to single out one or two. The one thing I’d like to see is It would be nice if it had contact closures for amp channels over TRS like the HXFX, but I know it wasn’t really intended to be used like that.
Ease of Use
I really like that HX Edit is universal now. So if you are familiar with navigating for one product, the process is the same for all and it’s very easy to get up and running. Using it without software is fairly easy as well. The presets are, well, presets lol and many are just intended to show off the functionality and are not very musical. They are a quick and easy way to get something going though.
Quality
It seems to be a pretty durable build. I’ve had dozens of Line 6 boxes and I’ve never had any issues with build quality.
Value
Modelling technology overall has become nearly indistinguishable from analog gear. Does the Marshall Plexi in the HX sound better than the Plexi in a Quad Cortex or Fractal? Hard to say but the fact is they all sound good. Yes there are some really interesting effects in the QC and the FM3, but at more than twice the price of the Stomp or Stomp XL it is very hard to justify what more they bring to the table. Line 6 has a great product with a proven reputation for continuous updates and improvements and it seems like they are going to squeeze every last bit of power out of these boxes before they move on to Helix 2 or whatever their next flagship will be. I would say for $750 at the time of this writing, it's an incredibly good value.
Manufacturer Support
I’ve owned Line 6 products going back to the Bean and I’ve only had to deal directly with them once and it was a good experience. They have a very useful user forum where most questions have already been answered, and there are many highly qualified folks in there to assist if they haven’t.
The Wow Factor
The appeal is it’s a ½ Helix that you can fit just about anywhere on a board or use on its own, and that is continuously being updated for the better even though the tech is almost 8 years old. Wow!
Musical Background:
Been playing for almost 50 years and still kicking around in local bands
Musical Style:
Rock, prog, CCM
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Submitted May 31, 2022 by a customer from gmail.com
"Get you a hx stomp xl quickly"
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zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I just got the hx stomp xl about 2 months ago and it is killer. The installed presets have a few good ones, but you can get tons of free ones on the line 6 website. My headrush gigboard is now collecting dust in the corner now. I can't quit playing this thing. If you want phenomenal tone, without paying $1500 or more this is it.
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