The Line 6 Helix is one of the world's most popular guitar processors — and like all great gear, it rewards players who match their modal choices to the amp voicing. Here's how to get the most out of every Helix preset.
The Helix's Fender clean models have beautiful top-end clarity that makes Lydian and Major Pentatonic shimmer. Add a touch of reverb and chorus and play Lydian arpeggios — this is one of the finest clean guitar tones achievable.
The British crunch models in the Helix were designed for the minor pentatonic vocabulary of classic British rock. Add a Minotaur or Heir Apparent drive block in front and play Dorian — that's the sweet spot of these models.
Mesa-voiced high gain rewards natural minor (Aeolian) for rhythmic work and Phrygian for leads that cut through the mid-scooped character. Tool, Metallica, and countless others built careers on this combination.
The Helix's acoustic simulator sounds best with natural modal choices — Ionian for strumming and Mixolydian for fingerpicked lead lines. Add a hall reverb for an expressive acoustic-style tone from your electric guitar.
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