By now, most Line 6 Helix users will be more than aware that the latest 3.1 firmware has just dropped. It arrived a few days ago, on 15 April, and already, players are commenting on how much better the Helix units now sound.
Helix 3.1 firmware
The latest Line 6 Helix firmware 3.1 update adds a new Mandarin Rocker amp model based on an Orange Rockerverb 100 MKIII and five new effects for you to add to your virtual rigs.
New Effects
First up is the Ratatouille Dist, which is based on a 1984 ProCo RAT distortion/overdrive/fuzz pedal. Then we have four new Line 6 original effects: Retro Reel, based on an analogue tape machine, plus the Dynamic Hall and Hot Springs effects. Finally, the new Euclidean Delay, based on Euclidean algorithms to create multi-tap patterns by setting the length of the pattern and the number of taps.
We also got new updates for how the Tuner now reacts with effects trails, plus programmable footswitches for the HX Stomp and HX Stomp XL, which brings them up to speed with the rest of the Helix family.
Line 6 has also added some new control parameters for many of the effects introduced in the previous 3.00 firmware update.
Higher Oversampling
But what is interesting is the new higher oversampling update.
The Helix Floor, Helix Rack/Control, Helix LT, Helix Native, HX Effects, HX Stomp, and HX Stomp XL now all benefit from much higher fidelity, with fewer aliasing artefacts and much smoother decay trails, thanks to increased oversampling with the 3.1 firmware update. All the amps and effects models have been optimised to accommodate these improvements without increasing the DSP required to generate your virtual components.
The new software will walk you through the entire procedure, including updating HX Edit 3.01 to 3.10 and backing everything up to your computer. You must first update the Helix Edit to 3.10. I’ve put the link to the new update at the bottom of this article so you can grab it there.
Everything you need to know about the new Helix 3.1 update
Below are some great demo videos created by John Nathan Cordy, which give you everything you need to know about the new Helix 3.1 update. If you are into the Helix, John’s YouTube channel is necessary.
John will be creating some new articles for GearBomb.com over the coming months, as he is a master of modelling and knows his stuff. You can check out his Helix firmware 3.1 demos below, they are well worth a watch as he covers pretty much all you need know about the new system.
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