Line 6 just rolled out their Helix 3.15 patch, which above all introduces a new amplifier in the form of the Line 6 Ventoux.
“The amp model name is Ventoux, which is a mountain in the south of France that is a legendary cycling climb. I did it in 2018 and it was awesome and very hard,” said Ben Adrian, Sound Design Manager.
This model comes from a physical amp idea I had a while back. I was going to build it as a tube amp first. There are only so many hours in a day, though. The idea was to create a “coveted boutique amp” that had a different origin story. Most coveted boutique amps come from modified black panel Fenders or modified Marshall circuits. I wanted to do the same thing, but base it on the early 70s Orange circuits and the mid-wattage Fender Tweed circuits.
“Ventoux has a unique topology. In an indirect way, every knob is kind of a gain/drive control. The tone controls adjust the character and/or amount of the overdrive in those frequencies. This might be seen as complicated by some, but I find it exciting and full of possibilities.”
Elsewhere in the update are new effects like the Bronze Master and Killer Z distortions, Tape Eater and Warble-Matic modulations, and Phaze Eko and Bubble Echo delays. There are also new synth patches available and a support upgrade that now supports Apple M1 chips natively.
Check it out here and check out the full line of Line 6 Helixes here.
