Ok, I must confess, i just bought a Helix.
I's a huge step up from 11R in terms of flexibility, usability and possibility to create very experimental sounds.
But is a huge step up soundwise?
The internal cabs of the Helix are better than the ones in the 11R, but what if we use the same IR for both Helix and 11R?
I made two very short samples: same DI (heavy riff with a 7 string Ibanez), same IR (Hesu 2x12 with an I5 as mic), different amps (Archon for Helix and Modern Recto for 11R) to see if they are equally good (I didn't try to tone match).
Here are the samples:
1. 11R
https://www.dropbox.com/s/coblu882wzmblsl/recto%20IR%20less%20gain.mp3?dl=0
2. Helix
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0xbrkurrkgfvqzj/Helix%20Archon.mp3?dl=0

What do you think?

Neither is bad, but to my ears Eleven rack sounds darker with fewer harmonics/presence. Pretty much my assessment when comparing against the AX8.

Ultimatly we are not comparing apples to apples, the technology in Helix/AX8 compared to the Eleven rack is several ticks ahead. It's like comparing an original Quad Core CPU with the current versions...IMHO

Oh and congrats on NGD!!:D

I like the first one better, it sounds more 'raw' and fitting for the piece, like an engine of destruction.. the second clip seems somehow more muted in the highs, less of an edge..

Listening through JBL 305s streaming from the dropbox site FWIW..

Wow, two opposite points of view.
I have to relisten to everything with my trusty headphones tonight but it could be that I cutted the presence too much in the helix clip.
The interesting thing is that 11R is fighting well even against helix: if only avid supported it a little more...

@thanks Rushian for the NGD

Lisened to it on my phone couldn't tell any difference at all course it's just a phone speaker right lol will listen later on big set up in the other room... but I would like to say as far as the helix cabinets there's a lot of options with those cabinets like being able to run two single cab blocks in parallel or even with an IR or 2 IR's also duel cab blocks with two independent cabs on each block.... there are some good YouTube videos out there on tweaking parallel cabinet setups on different paths.
I was using a lot of IR's at first I've had it for a little over a year now actually almost a year-and-a-half and if found that the cabinets in the Helix are actually really nice, sometimes you have too many options if you know what I mean, specially with IR'S and ear burnout....
the archon is my favorite amp by far on the helix it's the first I guess that I have noticed I don't even need a distortion box or anything else to use it as a lead tone it just as a nice smooth lead metal sound whatever you want to call it also the clean Channel version is very nice and sounds really really good

ahahah in the end u did it! what about those lessons u talked about? ;))))))))

helix kinda sounds more organic eve if its darker (maybe some different settings)
but 11r still retain his goodness nontheless

I'm taking lessons too!
Go big or go home.

I agree with you.
If all the effects and the routing flexibility aren't needed, the 11r can still satisfy many players (with an ir loader in the loop if you use high gain sounds).

I've already have my 3 or 4 favourite irs so I'm not overwhelmed with options
I found that the stock cabs are good for clean or not too distorted sounds (for classic rock) but for metal they aren't tight enough for my taste.
I already tried 5150, recto, mark IV (I'm not able to make it sound good! My fault for sure), Engl and Archon fo metal and I liked the archon best, followed by the 5150.
For sololing I always use only the distortion of the amp, because I like dynamics.
For cleans I dig a lot the Hiwatt model, but I need to experiment more.

here is a link to some free IR's.... theres a ton a few Helix presets in there as well, I will send a link to my current fav preset when I get a chance to upload it if you would like to check it out

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/m19ymuuus8qid7d/AACLHcDWpEUZsUF54GLom6Xua?dl=0

Oh the line 6 forum is pretty good for answers you may need...

http://line6.com/support/forum/86-helix/

Thanks man, I will check everything for sure!
I like to check your fav presets too, I need to learn as much as I can,
I'm in the line6 forum as well, what's your nick there?

same as here....
will share some presets soon as get a chance to sit down at my rig...

I ment to share this a wile back but with things with my Dad the last few months its been kinda hectic....

There are a couple presets here and the ones with Capo 1,2,3,4,5,6, at the end are for virtual capo on a Variax (you will need the DVI cable for them to switch the guitar model and tuning on each preset though)so if you don't have one then they will sound the same except that I may have tweaked the main one slightly with out "Capo" at the end... "LoudnCleaner PRS" and is the main one I use right now at church and uses the Archetype amp model the original one before that amp came out was the "Loud n Cleaner" which was derived from a video that had some examples of "patch creation" called "Line 6 Helix Demonstration Part 3 Peter Hanmer" I'll find the link and paste here...



, I fallowed the video exactly and even used the same guitar model of Variax as to emulate the tone as close as possible because to me they were really great tones. It was three separate presets and I made it into one but there was only one fx block that couldn't fit because of running out of memory and I came up with this way of changing paths by eliminating the (old way) I changed paths (with volume blocks and an EXP peddle) to try and recover enough mem to add that block but could not.

After that the preset "evolved" to match what I wanted and then at the inception of the Archetype (PRS) amp model I changed two of the amp models as you will see and made the one I use now.

hope you enjoy them, JIm


https://www.dropbox.com/sh/eyculljb4mt9tzw/AABa0Ek7XMnWcdEDZ-NvtXona?dl=0