The Line 6 HX Stomp is an impressive piece of gear that can easily serve as your full guitar rig.
In this post, I go through five things I like and five things I dislike about the HX Stomp. The goal is simple: to help you decide whether this compact modeler makes sense for your setup.
Disclaimer: I purchased the HX Stomp with my own money. Even though I have worked with Line 6 in the past, nobody asked me to do this video or post, and all opinions here are my own.
1. What I Like: Compact and Powerful
One of the best things about the Line 6 HX Stomp is how much it can do in such a small format.
It can work as a full rig for electric guitar, acoustic guitar, or bass. On top of that, if you already use a real amp, the HX Stomp can still act as your full pedalboard.
It also works well as a multi-effects unit alongside other pedals. That makes it useful even if you do not want it to replace your whole rig.
On top of that, it can serve as a backup rig and even as an audio interface. That is a lot of flexibility from such a compact unit.
1. What I Dislike: Small Screen and Limited Footswitches
The Line 6 HX Stomp gives you a huge number of amps, effects, and routing options. However, editing all of that on a small screen can feel slow.
The three footswitches are also limiting in live use. That is probably why so many HX Stomp players end up buying extra footswitches.
Of course, that adds to the total price. So while the compact size is one of the biggest strengths of the HX Stomp, it is also tied to one of its biggest compromises.
2. What I Like: Great Sounds and Unique Rigs
A lot of the amps and effects in the HX Stomp sound very good.
Because it is a digital unit, you can also create rigs that would be difficult or impractical in the real world. That is part of what makes it so fun.
For example, in the original video I mention using a Vox AC30-style amp through a Revv 4×12 cabinet. That kind of combination is easy inside a unit like this.
This is where the HX Stomp becomes more than just a compact replacement for an amp. It becomes a tool for building unusual and creative setups.
2. What I Dislike: Too Many Options
All those options come with a downside.
With so many amps, cabs, pedals, and tweakable parameters, it is very easy to fall into option paralysis. I often found myself second-guessing my choices and wondering whether another amp or cab would sound even better.
And it is not just the number of blocks. It is also the number of settings inside those blocks. In many cases, Line 6 gives you access to controls that do not even exist on the real amp or pedal.
That is powerful, but it can also make it harder to settle on a sound and just play.
3. What I Like: Great Interface Design for the Size
For such a small unit, I think Line 6 did a very good job with the interface.
Yes, there is a learning curve. However, once I spent some time with it, I found the HX Stomp fairly easy to use.
I still think the bigger Helix units are easier to operate because of their larger displays and extra controls. Even so, for its size, the HX Stomp is designed very well.
3. What I Dislike: The Desktop Editor Design
The physical unit has clear limitations because of its size. The desktop editor does not have that excuse.
That is why I find the editor a bit frustrating. There is too much wasted space, and the layout does not make the best use of a computer screen.
I understand why Line 6 wanted the editor to visually match the hardware. Still, I think that choice hurts usability.
When you open more advanced settings for an amp or effect, everything is presented with the same visual importance. Essential controls and deeper tweak parameters all sit together without much structure. That makes editing feel slower than it should.
4. What I Like: It Works as an Audio Interface
Besides being a full guitar or bass rig, the HX Stomp can also work as an audio interface.
You can use it with Mac, PC, iPhone, and iPad. You can also monitor through the headphone output, which makes it even more practical.
Another useful feature is that you can record two mono tracks or run in stereo. That means you can do things like recording a DI track and a processed amp tone at the same time.
And because it is a real interface, you are not limited to guitar. You can record pretty much anything you can plug into it.
What I Dislike: lag when using USB out
At the time I recorded the original video, the HX Stomp had a reputation for lag when using the USB output.
For some people, that made recording more difficult. For others, it made USB recording unusable.
As of the original article, written in November 2023, I had already sold my HX Stomp to fund other gear. Because of that, I could not confirm whether the issue had been fixed by then.
5th thing I like: Downloading patches made by others
This is one of my favorite things about modern digital gear.
With the HX Stomp, you can share sounds with friends, buy patches from professionals, and get started much faster with tones you might not know how to build from scratch.
I found this especially helpful for bass. I am not really a bassist, so having a bassist friend send me a patch was genuinely useful.
The whole preset market has grown massively, and for many players that makes a unit like the HX Stomp much easier to get along with.
5th thing I don’t like: Everyone uses the same sounds
The downside of downloadable patches is that everyone can end up using the same sounds.
I think this is especially obvious in worship guitar circles, where patch sharing is very common. Sometimes that leads to everything sounding a bit too similar, which I find uninspiring.
Another problem is that some players download a preset and use it in a totally different context than the one it was designed for. That is when you get those moments where a guitarist sounds like they showed up to the wrong gig.
Is the Line 6 HX Stomp Good?
Yes, I think the Line 6 HX Stomp is a great unit.
It sounds good, it is extremely flexible, and it can cover a huge range of live and recording needs. At the same time, it is not perfect.
The small size is both a strength and a limitation. It makes the unit portable, but it also means you get a smaller screen and only three footswitches.
Still, Line 6 has expanded the wider Helix family with options like the HX Stomp XL and POD Go. That means there are now more ways to get the Helix experience depending on your needs and budget.
If you’re interested acquiring a Line6 unit and support what I do, you can find affiliate links here:
►►Get Line6 Helix On Thomann (affiliate): https://thmn.to/thocf/f4zbo3gyex
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