Browse Helix Models and Effects

Helix currently supports 72 amplifier models, 194 effects, 37 speaker cab models, and 16 microphones. On top of all that you also have the ability to load Impulse Responses (IRs) that you can grab from free or paid sources. Go have fun.

Recorded using the default amp and cab settings for this model. The performance was recorded using an ESP "The Surveyor" bass using both J and P bass pickups set all the way on. A little touch of reverb added for depth. All Helix bass amp demos use the same performance, for easy comparison.

The first Portaflex amp was formally introduced in 1960 as the B-15. The double-baffle porting system gave the amp what Hull described as “the creamiest tone.” At the time, combo amps were the norm, with all components housed in a single cabinet, but heat from the electronics often caused the amp to overheat and made the speaker fail. Separate head and speaker cabinet systems, often referred to as piggybacks, became a solution in the early 1960s, but it also negated the portability of the combo. The Portaflex addressed both of these issues, as the electronics were mounted on the top panel that could be flipped over. In transit, the electronic components were flipped down and housed inside the cabinet. For playing, the head was flipped up and exposed. Four latches secured the top to the cabinet and the top was entirely covered so it matched the cabinet regardless of which position it was in. With Ampeg’s Portaflex design, users didn’t have to worry about their amp overheating while they were still able to transport it relatively easily. In fact, Ampeg offered a heavy-duty four-wheel dolly for these amps that became standard equipment on later models.

Description source: premierguitar.com - Zachary Fjestad
Image source: premierguitar.com

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