Whether you are a die-hard tube-amp guy who just needs a compact, versatile pedalboard, or a guitarist about to embark on your first big, no-amp, in-ear-monitor tour, the Line...

Whether you are a die-hard tube-amp guy who just needs a compact, versatile pedalboard, or a guitarist about to embark on your first big, no-amp, in-ear-monitor tour, the Line 6 Helix LT offers the advantages of a digital effects and amp modeler with the all-access convenience of its analog counterparts.

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Line 6’s Helix amp and effects modeler instantly became one of the go-to devices for a subset of players who eschew amps onstage in favor of emulations. It joined Fractal’s Axe-FX II and the Kemper Profiler as a solution for guitarists who need to access a wide variety of sounds without hauling around a humongous pedalboard, or racks with drawers of pedals, amps, and amp switchers. But, as attractive as Helix LT is (and it is gorgeous), if you are playing in bar bands rather than with Katy Perry, you might find the $1,499 tariff a bit steep. Recognizing this, Line 6 has unveiled the LT version, which streets at $999.

The number of available sounds and sound quality are exactly the same as the more expensive version. The economizing is restricted to a simpler (still gorgeous) interface, which replaces individual screens under each switch with one large, color LCD (the same LCD found on Helix) that lays out the entire signal chain. The I/O section is stripped down, but still offers multiple effects loops, MIDI, Variax compatibility, external control of other effects and amplifiers, and more. And having fewer ins and outs allows Helix LT to have more compact dimensions, which is good news for fly dates. As streamlined as it is, Helix LT still has too many options and goodies to enumerate here, so I will just pinpoint what I think makes it and its big brother special.

One of the main drawbacks of multi-effects is that you

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