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Line 6 Helix Amp Models

Line 6 Helix Amp Models

14 min read26. September 201518 comments
Guitar Pro 8 - Black Friday sale

This is a list of all amp models in Line 6 Helix. The right column shows the real amps they are based on.

Guitar Amps

ModelBased on
WhoWatt 100Hiwatt® DR-103 Brill
Soup ProSupro® S6616
Stone Age 185Gibson® EH-185
Tweed Blues NrmFender® Bassman® (normal channel)
Tweed Blues BrtFender® Bassman® (bright channel)
US Small TweedFender® Champ
US Deluxe NrmFender® Deluxe Reverb® (normal channel)
US Deluxe VibFender® Deluxe Reverb® (vibrato channel)
US Double NrmFender® Twin Reverb® (normal channel)
US Double VibFender® Twin Reverb® (vibrato channel)
Mail Order TwinSilvertone® 1484
Divided Duo÷13 JRT 9/15
Interstate ZedDr Z® Route 66
Jazz Rivet 120Roland® JC-120 Jazz Chorus
Essex A-15Vox® AC-15
Essex A-30Vox® AC-30 with top boost
A-30 Fawn NrmVox® AC-30 Fawn (normal channel)
A-30 Fawn BrtVox® AC-30 Fawn (bright channel)
Mandarin 80Orange™ OR80
Brit J-45 NrmMarshall® JTM-45 (normal channel)
Brit J-45 BrtMarshall® JTM-45 (bright channel)
Brit Plexi NrmMarshall® Super Lead 100 (normal channel)
Brit Plexi BrtMarshall® Super Lead 100 (bright channel)
Brit Plexi JumpMarshall® Super Lead 100 (jumped)
Brit P-75 NrmPark® 75 (normal channel)
Brit P-75 BrtPark® 75 (bright channel)
Brit 2204Marshall® JCM-800
German MahadevaBogner® Shiva®
German UbersonicBogner® Überschall®
Cali RectifireMESA/Boogie® Dual Rectifier®
ANGL MeteorENGL® Fireball 100
Solo Lead CleanSoldano® SLO-100 (clean channel)
Solo Lead CrunchSoldano® SLO-100 (crunch channel)
Solo Lead ODSoldano® SLO-100 (overdrive channel)
PV PanamaPeavey® 5150®
Line 6 ElektrikLine 6 Original
Line 6 DoomLine 6 Original
Line 6 EpicLine 6 Original
Added with firmware 1.06
Matchstick Ch1Channel 1 of the Matchless TM DC30
Matchstick Ch2Channel 2 of the Matchless TM DC30
Matchstick JumpJumping Channels 1 and 2 of the Matchless TM DC30
Added with firmware 2.0
Cali IV Rhythm 1Rhythm I channel of the MESA/Boogie® Mk IV
Cali IV Rhythm 2Rhythm II channel of the MESA/Boogie® Mk IV
Cali IV LeadLead channel of the MESA/Boogie® Mk IV
Line 6 2204 ModLine 6 Original based on a hot-rodded Marshall® JCM® 800
Line 6 FatalityLine 6 Original
Added with firmware 2.10
Archetype CleanClean channel of the Paul Reed Smith® Archon®
Archetype LeadLead channel of the Paul Reed Smith® Archon®
Line 6 LitigatorLine 6 Original inspired by boutique mid-gain amps
Added with firmware 2.20
Line 6 BadonkLine 6 Original inspired by the original high gain Big Bottom model
Added with firmware 2.30
Voltage QueenVictoria® Electro King
Derailed IngridTrainwreck Circuits® Express
Brit Trem NrmNormal channel of the Marshall® Plexi Tremolo 50
Brit Trem BrtBright channel of the Marshall® Plexi Tremolo 50
Brit Trem JumpNormal and bright channel (jumped) of the Marshall® Plexi Tremolo 50
CartographerBen Adrian Cartographer
Added with firmware 2.50
Cali Texas Ch2Drive channel of the MESA/Boogie® Lonestar (Ch1 coming later)
Placater DirtyBE/HBE channel of the Friedman BE-100 (Clean channel coming later)
Added with firmware 2.60
Cali Texas Ch1Clean channel of the MESA/Boogie® Lonestar
Placater CleanClean channel of the Friedman BE-100
Added with firmware 2.80
Fullerton NrmClassic 1953 Fender® 5C3 Tweed Deluxe (normal channel)
Fullerton BrtClassic 1953 Fender® 5C3 Tweed Deluxe (bright channel)
Fullerton JumpClassic 1953 Fender® 5C3 Tweed Deluxe (jumped channels)
Grammatico NrmModern 2016 Grammatico LaGrange (normal channel)
Grammatico BrtModern 2016 Grammatico LaGrange (bright channel)
Grammatico JumpModern 2016 Grammatico LaGrange (jumped channels)
Revv Gen RedRed (gain 2) channel of the Revv® Generator 120
Added with firmware 2.90
Revv Gen PurplePurple (Gain 1) channel of the Revv® Generator 120
Added with firmware 3.00
US PrincessFender® Princeton Reverb
Das Benzin MegaMega channel of the Diezel VH4
Das Benzin LeadLead channel of the Diezel VH4
Added with firmware 3.10
Mandarin RockerOrange® Rockerverb 100 MKIII (Dirty Channel)
Added with firmware 3.15
Line 6 VentouxLine 6 Original
Added with firmware 3.50
MOO)))N T NrmNormal channel of the Sunn Model T
MOO)))N T BrtBright channel of the Sunn Model T
MOO)))N T JumpNormal and bright channels jumped in the Sunn Model T
Description of the Moon model
“The Moon model is based on a 1974, silver knob Sunn Model T amplifier. This is the early version with the more traditional tone stack. Though it has been repaired over the years, the circuit has every component at stock value. This specific unit has been well used, well maintained, and regularly enveloped in fog.”This amp circuit can best be described as a Fender Tweed Bassman/Marshall JTM45 preamp mated with a very high volume, very flat, ultralinear power amp that uses 6550 tubes. The result of this configuration is a tone with a raw growl that really has a strong punch to the gut. In addition, this configuration takes pedals very well; adding a distortion or booster can turn the amp into a high gain, doom machine.”—Ben Adrian, Sound Design Manager
PV VitriolCrunchCrunch channel of the Peavey Invective (Master boost off).
Peavey designed this 6L6 tube-powered monster in collaboration with Misha Mansoor of Periphery, with the goal of offering no-compromise, high-gain performance and flexibility.
PV Vitriol LeadLead channel of the Peavey Invective (Master boost off)
Added with firmware 3.60
Grammatico GSGGrammatico GSG100
Description of the Grammatico GSG model
“The Grammatico GSG100 is an amp based on the study of legendary amps made around 1980. This model aims to capture all the unique details of this amplifier circuit, many of which are quite different than popular guitar amps from the major companies. The GSG100 is a feature-rich and complicated amp. There are many amazing sounds in the amp; however, the controls allow for such a wide range of adjustment that it’s possible to get unpleasant sounds from it as well. To best use the amp, it really helps to know exactly what each of these features is doing to the guitar signal. Let’s go through the parameters as they are found in the Helix model:” —Ben Adrian, Sound Design Manager

  • Drive—This is the first volume control on the amp. It’s called “drive” on the model to fit the pattern of all the Helix models. On the real amp is says “Volume.”
  • Bass, Mid, Treble—The normal tone controls on the amp (called a tone stack by amp nerds), located between the first and second gain stages in the preamp. These have different ranges than traditional guitar amp tone controls. Also, the whole voicing of the tone stack can be changed with the “Rock/Jazz” switch, which will be explained later.
  • Presence—This is like the presence controls on other guitar amps. It changes the amount of high frequency in the power amp by modifying the EQ filtering in the power amp’s negative feedback loop.
  • Ch Vol—This controls the output level of the amp model. It has no effect on the tone or distortion of the amp model
  • Master—This is the master volume on the front panel of the amp. It is located between the preamp and power amp and can be used to get more or less power amp distortion. This amp is VERY loud, and most players would probably run the master volume on the lower side. If the master volume is cranked, the power amp distortion can be pushed into unpleasant territory. Most players would never crank the master in real life as the actual output would be way too loud for most musical settings.
  • Mid Switch—This switch changes the value of the treble capacitor in the tone stack. When it is off, the amp has more of a scooped sound. When it is on, there is a noticeable upper-mid boost.
  • Jazz/Rock—This switch changes the wiring of the tone stack circuit. It allows for two totally separate tonal voices. Jazz is quieter with a lower center frequency for the mids. Rock is louder with a more traditional mid frequency center. Tone controls rarely translate well between the Jazz and Rock settings. If a good sound is achieved in one mode, it is not guaranteed that the same settings in the opposite mode will still sound pleasing.
  • OD Switch—This turns the two-gain-stage tube overdrive circuit on and off. This circuit is located AFTER the tone controls and Drive knob. When the overdrive is turned on it’s as if a third and fourth gain stage is added to the preamp. Generally, it’s best to set up the base tone of the amp with the Drive and tone controls first, and then adjust the overdrive circuit to work with the desired base tone.
  • OD Drive—This controls the amount of drive or saturation in the overdrive circuit. Since the whole overdrive circuit is after the amp’s regular drive and tone controls, the range of OD Drive knob will change based on those earlier knob settings.
  • OD Level—This controls the output level of the overdrive circuit.
  • Bright—This is a three position switch. The settings are “off” and two different values of bright capacitor. This bright capacitor works with the Drive (volume) knob earlier in the circuit, and is similar to other amps that have bright switches. When the Bright switch is engaged, the effect is more pronounced with lower Drive settings. The bright becomes less effective at higher Drive settings. When the Drive is at 10, the switch is effectively removed from the amp circuit, and changing the switch settings has no audible effect.
  • FET Boost—The GSG100 has a solid state, FET (Field Effect Transistor) boost circuit at the very beginning of the amp circuit. It is akin to placing a FET Boost pedal before the amp. On the physical unit there are two input jacks, but on the model it is placed on a switch and can even be made foot-switchable. The FET Boost has a fixed boost amount of about 7 to 9 dB and also gives a slight EQ change.
  • PAB—This stands for “Preamp Boost.” The PAB works by removing the tone controls from the circuit. Tone controls work by removing frequencies and signal level. Engaging the PAB circuit returns all of this lost signal level, but the side effect is that tone controls no longer work. It truth, the treble knob does work slightly, and the mid switch will change how much lows and mids comes through the circuit. In general, though, the PAB trades tone control functionality for a full blast level between tube gain stages 1 and 2.
  • Sag—This is a control that is added to all the Helix models. Every tube amp has some amount of power supply sag, which feels like compression, squish, and sustain to the player. This control makes the sag amount user-adjustable.
  • Hum—This is a control that is added to most of the Helix models. Preamp tube heaters in tube amps will leak a little bit of 60 cycle hum into the audio signal. When this hum mixes with the distorted audio signal, a non-musical distortion is created at low levels. To some players, this low-level, non-harmonic distortion adds a bit of realism to the amp model. The best way to put it is that sometimes the model sounds more “wrong” without the hum. However, if you don’t like it, you can just turn it down.
  • Ripple—This is a control that is added to most of the Helix models. Power amp circuits will sometimes let a little bit of rectified 120Hz hum (that the power supply filter caps can’t quite fully remove) into the audio signal. When the power supply is being pushed hard, more of this ripple can get through the audio path. Much like the hum, this provides a bit of non-musical distortion to the power amp at distorted settings. To some people, this sounds like harmonic complexity that is enjoyable and realistic. Other players just don’t like it and turn it off.
  • Bias—This control is in most Helix models. It adjusts the bias of the tubes in the power amp, causing a change in tonality and the distortion characteristic.
  • Bias X—This is the most difficult parameter to describe in Helix models, so hang on. All tube amps need to bias the power amp tubes. This is usually achieved by applying a negative voltage to the input audio signal. (Cathode bias works differently, but that’s a story for a different time.) However, when the power tubes are distorting, free electrons can form around the input grid and cause a shift in the bias voltage. This shift only happens during the moments when distortion is occurring. This shift causes a tonal and texture change much like adjusting the bias control. However, once the tubes leave the distorted state, the free electrons dissipate and the bias returns to normal. Another way to put it (less accurately) is that this is a level/envelope controlled bias shift. This behavior is modeled in all Helix amps, and the Bias X control allows users to control the amount of bias shift that is happening. It is a very subtle change, so please don’t expect high drama from this knob.
Line 6 ElmsleyLine 6 Original
Description of the Line 6 Elmsley model
“The Line 6 Elmsley is a new Line 6 original amplifier that employs a parallel distortion topology that layers distinct saturation characteristics across the lower and upper registers. The Elmsley features a smooth and present bottom end with some exceptional sparkle and definition all through the midrange and above. The result is an amplifier that is dazzling across the full spectrum, and the amplifier deals with pedals in spades.“The other new key feature of The Elmsley’s power amp section is the Negative Feedback (NFB) parameter, where the amount of feedback within the power section’s response can be dialed anywhere from wild and unhinged, tight and punchy, and anything in between. As with many amplifier designs, the presence and depth controls are part of this negative feedback circuit and functions to control the brilliance and resonance of the power amp, respectively. As the NFB param is reduced, the presence and depth controls’ influences are also influenced, and they become effectively deactivated when the NFB knob is at zero. These interactions allow the player to create countless tonal variations to suit their needs.” —Sam Hwang, Sound Designer
Added with firmware 3.70
Line 6 ClarityLine 6 Original
Original Amp Design inspired by classic clean solid-state and tube amps. Lots of clean headroom with just a touch of overdrive at the very end of the Drive knob’s range.
Line 6 AristocratLine 6 Original
Original Amp Design inspired by rare, unobtainable boutique mid-gain black-panel amps. Features aren’t limited by what can be done with analog circuits.
Line 6 CarillonLine 6 Original
Inspired by modern and vintage versions of a popular EL84 driven tube amp with added grit at higher gain settings. We kept the good quirks and eliminated the ugly ones, while also making the tone controls more flexible.
Line 6 VoltageLine 6 Original
Inspired by the classic British “plexi” amp, but with an additional gain stage and more tonal versatility.
Line 6 KineticLine 6 Original
Where all the preamp stages clip at roughly the same time, allowing the amp to go from mostly clean to heavily distorted using the guitar’s volume control.
Line 6 OblivionLine 6 Original
Designed to cover both modern metal and old-school ’80s thrash. We took out a lot of the noise associated with high gain, retaining just enough so that it doesn’t sound sterile or artificial.
Brit 2203Marshall JCM800 2203 (Stock)
TIP: Use snapshots (or a Stomp switch) to change the 2203’s Input parameter between Low and High
PV Vitriol CleanPeavey Invective (Clean Channel)

Bass Amps

ModelBased on
Ampeg B-15NFAmpeg® B-15NF Portaflex®
Ampeg SVT NrmAmpeg® SVT (normal channel)
Ampeg SVT BrtAmpeg® SVT (bright channel)
Cali BassMESA/Boogie® M9 Carbine
Cali 400 Ch1MESA/Boogie® Bass 400+ (channel 1)
Cali 400 Ch2MESA/Boogie® Bass 400+ (channel 2)
G Cougar 800Gallien-Krueger® GK 800RB
Added with firmware 2.20
Woody BlueAcoustic® 360 bass amp
Del Sol 300Sunn® Coliseum 300 bass amp
Busy One Ch1Channel 1 of the Pearce BC-1 bass preamp
Busy One Ch2Channel 2 of the Pearce BC-1 bass preamp
Busy One JumpChannel 1 and 2 (jumped) of the Pearce BC-1 bass preamp
Added with firmware 2.30
Agua 51Aguilar® DB751 bass amp
Added with firmware 2.80
Ampeg SVT-4 PROAmpeg® SVT-4 PRO
Added with firmware 3.60
Agua SledgeAguilar Tone Hammer
Added with firmware 3.70
US Dripman NrmFender Bassman (Silverface)
Mandarin 200Orange AD200 MkIII bass amp

Mic Amps

The microphone amps are located under the Preamp Section (Preamp -> Mic).

ModelBased on
Studio Tube PreLine 6 Original
Tube mic preamp modeled from a Requisite® Y7

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Helix Cabinet Models Helix Effect Models Helix Microphone Models

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