A couple of contrasting audio examples from Helix Stadium XL to accompany the main review in SOS June 2026, illustrating just a fraction of what this extremely versatile unit can do! I used stock presets as much as possible, with just the odd tweak for personal playing preference.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/line-6-helix-stadium-xl
Example 1
This one uses the 'US Super Black', 'Brit Plexi' and 'Cali 2c+' presets for increasing shades of gain as the track proceeds. The 'clean' melody lines are played with a quite heavily distorting amp setting, just very under-driven by turning down the guitar's volume control. A very 'real amp-like' behaviour for anyone who grew up with non-master volume amps.
The faux 'acoustic guitar' that plays out at the end is an imported acoustic guitar IR of mine with a little bit of LA Studio Comp to level it out a bit.
The thing that sounds like a synth pad is actually one of my original Helix presets that I ported across to Stadium. It uses Adriatic Swell and Trinity Chorus, combined with compression before and after the effects to give a long, keyboard-like sustain, with some synth-like movement within.
The bass is a clean DI, using the' Zero Amp Bass DI' preset.
Example 2
This one is 'Modern Metal' (EV Panama Red) preset all the way. The crunch chords are doubled with 'Revv 120 Red'. There's some micro-pitch shifting on some of the lead lines, plus a bit of Feedbacker and Pitch Wham, especially on the bits that sound more 'synthy'.
Bass in this one is 'Cali Bass', with its 6x10 cab. Perfect for slightly dirty, whilst both deep and articulate at the same time.