Line 6 HX Stomp Review (pedal in hand)

The Line 6 HX Stomp is a multi-effects processor offering a lot of the features and sounds from the extended Helix family, all in a small and remarkably versatile stompbox.

Players already familiar with the Helix range will be able to jump right in with the footswitches, menus and color-codes which mirror those of previous products. In the case of the HX Stomp it's in a compact, small-scale format, offering up to eight blocks of effects processing and some fantastic onboard presets.

The HX Stomp can be integrated into your existing pedalboard as an effects stompbox, hooked up to an amp’s effects loop using the four-cable method, or used as a standalone/backup rig by plugging straight into a FOH speaker system with amp and cab emulations.

It can also be used as an audio interface.

An interface with a steep learning curve notwithstanding, its value is solid given that it can replace entire pedalboards and/or entire rigs while likely adding more versatility.

We'll take an in-depth look in our full Line 6 HX Stomp review.

Compare to Other Line 6 Multi-Effects

We've included several other products from Line 6, including the HX Stomp in this table. You can use the compare buttons to look at live pricing and see them side-by-side.

Line 6 HX Stomp Price Guide

Price updated Fri, September 29th, 2023.

Pricing from Sweetwater

Price Alert Tool

Price History

IDEAL FOR: Rig replacement, recording, delay and ambient sounds, amp modeling, styles with a lot of clean tones, and pedalboard consolidation.

Tone Quality

Line 6 was one of the earliest developers of amp modeling and multi-effects gear dating back to the original PODs and the Spider amp series.

Fast forward to the HX Stomp and you have a vastly more powerful and better-sounding box.

There are a ton of effects included and nothing sounds bad.

Bonedo's HX Stomp YouTube Demo

We have a demo in the works, though I'd first recommend checking out Bonedo's demo of the HX Stomp. He always does a fantastic job.

I liked the ambient sounds most, particularly the delays I got from the existing presets. A lot of them were combined with involved reverb algorithms and pitch shifting. These all melded together well and sounded really good. 

Distortion and fuzz sounds were good, but not quite as satisfying. As we often point out, it's usually better to get distortion from a physical amp.

Read more: Should I get distortion from a pedal or amp?

If you're going to use the HX Stomp as a full amp replacement, it's going to sound best when playing more of a clean-centered guitar style.

As a result, a lot of people use the HX Stomp for church and worship bands.

But overall, the algorithms and digital models sound great. There's just nothing to complain about, especially when compared to the tones of years past. Digital models are becoming increasingly competitive with analog circuits, and Line 6 has been at the tip of that spear for a long time.

Strengths and Features Overview

In this section we'll go over some of the other strengths and highlight some features in the HX Stomp. 

Inputs and Outputs

The HX Stomp includes the standard quarter-inch stereo TRS in and out for hooking up instruments and other pedals, plugging into amps, or sending a balanced signal to FOH sound systems. 

These inputs and outputs are preconfigured to take instrument level, but this can be switched to line level in the Stomp’s global settings.

The EXP jack out can be used to hook up expression pedals and external footswitches (up to two if you use a TRS-Y cable).

The headphone output can be configured as a separate send, and the HX Stomp also receives and sends MIDI. There’s a USB out for using the Stomp as an audio interface (more on that below) and for updating your firmware. New updates are frequently being released by Line 6, so I'd recommend updating, at least a few times a year.

There’s also downloadable firmware included for importing IRs and managing your patches.

Read more: Helix and HX series download page

Display

I found the HX Stomp display to be a bit small and hard to figure out, at least at first. 

The screen display is basically just a mini-version of the Line 6 Helix display, and is divided into two sections controlled by two different knobs and menu buttons, with three more knobs underneath the screen.

As mentioned, it takes some glancing at the instruction manual to figure out how to select effects for your own presets (aside from testing onboard presets, that's all I really wanted to do). I even pulled up a few YouTube videos to help me get oriented.

A lot of times I found myself tweaking knobs that I though would change something but just didn't do anything. 

But once you go through the interface a couple times, it gets easier to use.

Onboard Presets and Effects

The HX Stomp has 126 total presets and over 300 effects including electric guitar, bass, and acoustic guitar sounds.

These are arranged by instrument type and application (direct to PA, effects only, four-cable amp, etc.) making them easy to navigate and add to banks in Play View.

In terms of effects, there’s a huge range with both newer and ‘legacy’ options. Again, I really enjoyed the wide range of delay algorithms with the Transistor Tape, Cosmos and Adriatic Swell delays producing some really unique sounds.

Presets can be combined into effects blocks (up to eight), which is helpfully represented on the Stomp’s screen in Play View’s ‘preset mode’ where the signal path and active blocks being used are clearly shown.

These effects can be used in parallel processing by routing separate paths. This is a really useful feature as you can blend different parallel chains of effects using an on-board mixing function.

Snapshots

Another one of my favorite features of the HX Stomp is snapshot mode.

This lets you fine tune and customize presets, and save different parameter variations of the same preset.

For example, if you want to crank up the delay and boost your gain for a guitar solo, you can save that ‘snapshot’, which can be triggered on and off using one of the three footswitches. This is a great way of mimicking channel switching or jumping between both subtle and dramatic effects variations.

Stereo Effects Loop

If you want to use pedals with the HX Stomp, there are two ways to do it.

You can simply treat the Stomp as another pedal in your pedalboard and hook up your other units wherever you want in the signal chain. You could also integrate your other units into the Stomp’s own internal chain using the FX Loop send/return on the side.

Pedals and other gear connected using the FX Loop will be represented by one of the eight available effects blocks on the Stomp’s screen. You can chose its positioning in the signal chain and toggle it on and off using the Stomp’s footswitches.

IRs (impulse responses)

If you want to move beyond the included amp and cab models, the HX Stomp supports integration with third party IRs. These can be added to your signal chain and used just like the existing amp models.

Using the HX Stomp as an Audio Interface

Back to the audio interface angle:

The HX Stomp has a USB output for functioning as an audio interface with any DAW. While its lack of XLR inputs limits its capacity as an interface, it’s a workable option for smaller, home studio guitar-based productions. I had absolutely no trouble getting it set up with Garageband, with no need to install a driver.

It lets you simultaneously record the dry, direct signal from your guitar, and the wet - post effects/amps signal - into your DAW. You can then re-amp the dry signal with the Stomp itself, in case you have second thoughts about the effects you used while recording.

This can't replace a full USB audio interface, but it's great if you're just trying to record your guitar track.

Price and Overall Value

There are several factors that give the HX Stomp an edge in the value department.

First, it includes the same powerful effects and presets as the HX Effects, while also including the amp and cab blocks which the HX Effects lacked, which is how you can use it as a standalone rig without the need for external amps or cabs. The fact that it contains these mods that the HX Effects does not - while being smaller and cheaper - is really impressive.

All of this should be considered if you’re deciding which member of the Helix family to invest in.

Other Features Adding Value

While it may seem like an obvious benefit, the Stomp’s small size and portability really is an asset. It weighs less than two pounds, is completely pedalboard-friendly in terms of its size, and fits nicely in just about any gig bag.

All this cuts down on the size of the display, which I'm not crazy about, but we'll take the good with the bad. 

Another potential drawback:

Adjusting Parameters on the Fly

The Stomp is somewhat limited when it comes to adjusting parameters on the fly.

You’ll need to have your snapshots ready and saved before you go on stage.

Editing parameters during performance for more of a live improvisational experience isn’t much of an option with the FX Stomp, as it involves going back into Edit View, which can be tricky or even impossible in some live situations.

You are best to come completely prepared with all your desired snapshots saved.

Review Conclusion

The HX Stomp’s versatility and sheer range of presets and effects make it a great choice for a wide range of guitar players and multi-instrumentalists.

Its amp integration possibilities make it a good fit for both studio and live performance roles. The price would probably make it a risky option for beginners, so we'd recommend early intermediate players and higher in terms of skill level.

And like we talked about in the tone section, styles with more clean tones are going to be particularly well-served by the HX Stomp.

Let us know your thoughts about the HX Stomp in the comments below, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need any help setting yours up.

Related Articles