Helix Rack displayed on a stage with blue stage lighting

HELIX RACK

Rack-Mountable Amp & Effects Processor

Helix® Rack leverages dual-SHARC® processing and HX® Modeling to deliver the authentic sound and feel of analog amps and effects, and its player-friendly interface sets the standard for ease of use. Helix Rack features extensive analog and digital I/O, including wordclock for syncing to studio gear. The optional Helix Control foot controller adds capacitive-touch footswitches and customizable scribble strips.

Explore Features

  • AUTHENTIC TONE
  • HX CABS/IMPULSE RESPONSES
  • COMPONENT MODELING
  • BEHAVIORAL MODELING
  • INTERACTION
  • FOUR STEREO SIGNAL PATHS
  • SNAPSHOTS
  • COMMAND CENTER
  • SMART CONTROL
  • SCRIBBLE STRIPS
  • HX EDIT
  • POWERCAB
  • EXPRESSION PEDAL OPTIONS
  • HELIX NATIVE
  • VARIAX CONTROL
Helix Rack in road case on floor with Helix Control & Mission Engineering Line 6 expression pedal.

CLICK TO EXPLORE HELIX RACK

Front of Helix Rack

Power Switch

Just in case you ever stop playing for more than a few hours.

Guitar In

Connect your primary instrument here. The variable input impedance and a selectable pad are digitally controlled.

Save

Press to rename or save changes made to the preset. Press twice to quick save.

Menu

Press to go deeper into Helix Rack. You'll find Command Center, Global EQ, Global Settings, and other menus.

Preset

Turn to select presets. Press to open the Setlist view, where you can access up to 1,024 preset locations.

Home

If you ever get lost press this button to return to the Home screen. Press again to toggle between traditional Signal Flow view (shown) and Performance view.

Amp

Press to quickly jump to the tone stack parameters (Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble, etc.) of any Amp+Cab, Amp, or Preamp models in the current preset. If your preset has more than one of these types of block, press multiple times to cycle through all tone stacks.

Main Display

This large color LCD is your window into the power of Helix Rack. Most functions may be selected and edited without any menu diving.

Bypass

Press to turn the selected block on and off.

Action

Press to open the Action panel for the selected block or screen. From the Home screen, the Action panel lets you move, copy, paste, and clear blocks. Other screens may have unique Action panels. For example, the Global Settings Action panel lets you reset all global settings at once.

Joystick

Move the joystick to navigate the main display. On the Home screen, move the joystick to select a block. Press Action and move the joystick to move the selected block. Turn the joystick to change the selected block’s model. Press the joystick to open the Model List.

Page

If the selected block or item has more than one page of parameters, the center inspector line will display a thin colored scroll bar. Press < Page or Page > to view more parameters.

Volume

Turn to control the main output volume.

Phones

Turn to control the headphone volume (PHONES output).

Knobs 1-6

Turn one of the six knobs below the main display to adjust the value of the parameter above it. Press the knob to reset the parameter value. If a rectangular button appears above a knob, press that knob to engage its function. Press and hold the knob to quickly jump to the Controller Assign page for that parameter.

Tap/Tuner

Press two or more times to tap in the BPM (beats per minute) of any tempo-based effects such as delay or modulation. Press and hold for one second to open the Tuner.

Phones Out

Connect stereo headphones here and use the Phones knob to adjust the volume.

  • Power Switch
  • Guitar In
  • Save
  • Menu
  • Preset
  • Home
  • Amp
  • Main Display
  • Bypass
  • Action
  • Joystick
  • Page
  • Volume
  • Phones
  • Knobs 1-6
  • Tap/Tuner
  • Phones Out
Back of Helix Rack

Aux In

Connect a secondary guitar or bass with active pickups here.

Mic In

Connect a microphone here to process vocals or record to your computer via USB. This XLR jack provides switchable 48V phantom power for microphones that require it (condensers and some ribbons). A variable low-cut filter is also provided.

Sends/Returns 1-4"

These 1/4" inputs and outputs can be used as standard effects loops for inserting pedals and other external devices into your signal chain, or as additional inputs and outputs for connecting keyboards, drum machines, mixers, and other gear. Helix Rack can process up to four musicians/instruments simultaneously (in stereo), with discrete inputs and outputs.

Ground Lift Switch

Press to eliminate hum and buzzing due to ground loops.

XLR Outs

Use XLR cables to connect to gear with balanced inputs, such as PA mixers, powered FRFR or PA speakers, and professional studio gear. When connecting in mono use only the Left/Mono XLR jack.

1/4" Outs

Use unbalanced (TS) 1/4" cables to connect to your amplifier, FRFR speaker(s), studio monitors, or other playback system. When using a single amp or speaker, connect only the Left/Mono 1/4" jack.

Guitar Thru (Buffered)

The signal received at the Guitar In input on the front panel passes directly to this output without A/D/A conversion.

AC In

Connect Helix Rack to a grounded AC power outlet.

Expression 1/2/3/Toe Switch

Up to three optional expression pedals and a toe switch can be connected to Helix Rack and assigned to control nearly any parameter or combination of parameters.

Ext Amp ½

Connect a traditional amp using a TS or TRS (1=tip, 2=ring) cable to switch amp channels and/or engage the amp’s reverb, tremolo, or other onboard effect.

CV Out

Connect to the expression pedal input on stompboxes or the CV (Control Voltage) input on vintage pedals or synths.

MIDI In, Out/Thru

Connect Helix Rack to your MIDI gear. Helix Rack sends and receives Program Change, Continuous Controller, and other MIDI messages.

Helix Control

Connect Helix Rack to Helix Control via a CAT-5 (included with Helix Control) or EtherCON cable.

Variax Input

Connecting a Line 6® Variax guitar to this input provides power to the guitar and facilitates remote effects control , instant preset recall, and digital audio transmission. Learn more about Variax here.

Wordclock In

To synchronize the Helix Rack digital outputs to an external wordclock source, connect the external device via a BNC cable. Engage the Terminator switch if Helix Rack is the final device in the wordclock chain.

S/PDIF In/Out

Connect Helix Rack to consumer digital equipment using S/PDIF (75-ohm RCA) cables.

AES/EBU, L6 LINK

L6 LINK provides easy and optimal digital audio connectivity between Helix Rack and Line 6 Powercab Plus active guitar speaker systems. Connect Helix Rack to professional digital equipment using an AES/EBU (110-ohm XLR) cable.

USB

Helix Rack functions as a multi-channel 24-bit/96kHz audio interface for Mac® and PC, with DI, re-amping and MIDI capabilities built in. Helix Rack can also record to an Apple® iPad® (with optional Apple Camera Connection Kit).

  • Aux In
  • Mic In
  • Sends/Returns 1-4"
  • Ground Lift Switch
  • XLR Outs
  • 1/4" Outs
  • Guitar Thru (Buffered)
  • AC In
  • Expression 1/2/3/Toe Switch
  • Ext Amp ½
  • CV Out
  • MIDI In, Out/Thru
  • Helix Control
  • Variax Input
  • Wordclock In
  • S/PDIF In/Out
  • AES/EBU, L6 LINK
  • USB
  • CLICK TO EXPLORE HELIX CONTROL

    Front of Helix Control

    Main Display

    This 20-character LCD displays the current preset number and name. Press and hold Footswitch 12 (TAP) to engage the Tuner display on both Helix Control and Helix Rack.

    Scribble Strips

    The 12 LCD scribble strips display each footswitch's current assignment, and the footswitch LED color and scribble strip label may even be customized. If more than one block or parameter is assigned to a single footswitch, the scribble strip may read “MULTIPLE (X)," where X is the number of assignments.

    Footswitches

    While in Stomp footswitch mode, press a footswitch to toggle its block(s) on and off. Touch a footswitch to select its assigned block or item. Touch it repeatedly to cycle through multiple assigned items. Press and hold the footswitch to assign it to the selected block. Press and hold two footswitches to swap all of their assignments.

    Up/Down Switches

    Press FS1 or FS7 to select the next or previous bank of presets. Press FS1 and FS7 simultaneously to enter Snapshot footswitch mode. Press and hold both FS1 and FS7 to cycle through Bank, Preset, and Snapshot Up/Down.

    Preset Switches

    While in Preset footswitch mode, press a footswitch to select a preset.

    Stomp Switches

    While in Stomp footswitch mode, press a footswitch to toggle its block(s) on and off. Touch a footswitch to select its assigned block or item. Touch it repeatedly to cycle through multiple assigned items. Press and hold the footswitch to assign it to the selected block. Press and hold two footswitches to swap all of their assignments.

    Preset Stomp Switch

    Press FS6 to toggle between Preset and Stomp footswitch modes. Press and hold it to enter Pedal Edit mode, enabling you to edit blocks with your feet.

    Tap/Tuner Switch

    Press two or more times to tap in the BPM (beats per minute) of any tempo-based effects such as delay or modulation. Press and hold for one second to open the Tuner.

    • Main Display
    • Scribble Strips
    • Footswitches
    • Up/Down Switches
    • Preset Switches
    • Stomp Switches
    • Preset Stomp Switch
    • Tap/Tuner Switch
    Back of Helix Control

    Power Switch

    If Helix Control is left switched on, you may switch both on and off with the Power switch on Helix Rack.

    DC In

    For very long cable lengths, use a Line 6 DC-3H adapter (sold separately).

    Host Port

    Connect Helix Control to Helix Rack via a CAT-5 (included with Helix Control) or EtherCON cable.

    USB

    Reserved for potential future use.

    Expression 1/2/3/Toe Switch

    Up to three optional expression pedals and a toe switch can be connected to Helix Rack and assigned to control nearly any parameter or combination of parameters.

    • Power Switch
    • DC In
    • Host Port
    • USB
    • Expression 1/2/3/Toe Switch
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