Welcome to Helix Stadium Native

Welcome to Line 6^® Helix^® Stadium Native software, one of the most powerful and flexible native, multi-processing audio plugins ever created, for use with all major DAW host applications on macOS and Windows^® systems. Helix Stadium Native includes all the same Amps, Cabs, and Effects models as the highly acclaimed Helix Stadium XL devices (sans the device’s Looper models). The use of Stadium Amp, Preamp, Distortion effect Clones, and Cab IRs is also supported. But Stadium Native is not just for guitarists; it is also ideal for producers and engineers, sound designers, film/TV/game composers, electronic musicians, and anyone else seeking to craft new and exciting sounds and special effects. Helix Stadium Native offers an intuitive user interface, making it quick and easy to build, edit, and navigate presets.

Full Plugin Window.png — The Helix Stadium Native plugin window

Tip: Remember that presets are compatible with both the Helix Stadium Native plugin and Helix Stadium devices, allowing you to take your tones from studio to stage.^* See the Presets page for details.

^*Note that model support in the Helix Stadium Native Intro version is limited to its list of available Amps, Cabs, and Effects, as covered in the following section.

This guide covers the features & functionality of Helix Stadium Native plugin version 1.3. We hope it helps drive your search for tonal bliss and spawns years of creativity.

Helix Stadium Native License Versions

Helix Stadium Native is available as a single download software installer. Once the installed plugin is launched, you have three different license options for using it:

Helix Stadium Native Full License: The full, paid plugin license version, including the same set of astounding amps, cabs, and effects as included within the latest Line 6 Helix Stadium hardware multi-effects units. A purchase of the full license and initial online authorization is required.
Helix Stadium Native Trial License: A full-featured 15-Day trial version license is available for your initial installation at no cost. An initial online Trial authorization is required. After 15 days, you can choose to purchase the complete Helix Stadium Native version license or allow it to revert to the Helix Stadium Native Intro license, as described below.
Helix Stadium Native Intro License: A no-cost version of the plugin, including a select subset of the Full licensed version’s amps, cabs, and effects. When launching the plugin, you can choose the Intro version. Alternatively, if you select the Trial license version, once its 15-Day run time expires, the plugin reverts to the limited Intro version. The Intro version can be used for free indefinitely or upgraded at any time by purchasing a Full license online.

Helix Stadium Native Versions Comparison

Note: The 15-Day Trial license version, while active, includes the same models and features as the Full license version, as shown below.

For the current, complete list of Helix Stadium amp, cab, and effect models, see the Helix Stadium Model List.

Model Category	Helix Stadium Native Full (and 15-Day Trial)	Helix Stadium Native Intro
Amps	130+ (over 150 amp channels) Agoura™, HX^®, and Legacy Amp Models	5 (9 amp channels), all Agoura Amp Models: US Luxe Black Essex TB30CC Brit 2203MV Revv^® 120 Red Ampeg^® SVT^®-50th Anniversary
Cabs	47+	5 Matching Cabs: 1x12 US Deluxe 2x12 Silver Bell 4x12 1960 T75 4x12 Brit V30 Ampeg 810 SVT AV
IR Loading
Stadium Proxy™ Clone Loading
Distortions	60+	Scream 808 Minotaur Ratatouille Dark Dove Fuzz
Modulations	55+	Optical Trem Bias Trem Script Mod Phase 70s Chorus
Delays	45+	Vintage Digital Adriatic Delay Cosmos Echo
Reverbs	25	Hot Springs Dynamic Plate
Dynamics	19	Deluxe Comp Gate (included on all Input blocks)
EQs	5	Parametric EQ
Hardware Compatibility Modes	Helix Stadium/Helix Stadium XL hardware compatibility Compatibility - Off	Helix Stadium/Helix Stadium XL hardware compatibility mode only (See Hardware Compatibility)

All product names used in this document are trademarks of their respective owners, and neither Yamaha Guitar Group nor Line 6 is associated or affiliated with them. These trademarks appear solely to identify products whose tones and sounds were studied by Line 6 during sound model development. Please see U.S. Registered Trademarks.

🤔 What Do I Do First?

Read the rest of this page for system requirements and the Glossary. Then proceed to the next Installation and Authorization and Getting Started pages' steps to get up and running with your DAW host application.
Head over to the Line 6 Online Shop, select Helix Stadium Native, and choose your purchase options.* Note that if you own a Helix Stadium XL, Helix Stadium, original Helix Native plugin, or other Line 6 hardware or software products, you may be eligible for a substantial discount for Helix Stadium Native. Optionally, you can choose the 15-Day Trial or the Intro license version and consider upgrading to the Full license later.

^*Note: There is only one installer to download for the Helix Stadium Native plugin. Regardless of whether you want to run the 15-Day Trial, the free, limited Intro version, or purchase the Helix Stadium Native Full license. See the preceding Helix Stadium Native License Versions section for details.

Browse the latest available Helix Stadium videos for demos, tips & tricks, and be sure to keep checking back for the latest Stadium news. Remember that Helix Stadium Native includes all the tone-building features, Amps, Cabs, and Effects as Helix Stadium, so topics and concepts covered in hardware and software videos are typically applicable to both.

System Requirements and Installation

Once installed, a no-cost, 15-Day Trial license for the complete Helix Stadium Native is available, allowing you to fully try the software on your system. After 15 days, you can either opt to continue using the free, limited Helix Stadium Native Intro version or purchase and authorize the Helix Stadium Native full version on your system. Please check the requirements below to make sure your computer and DAW software meet the minimum requirements.

Minimum System Requirements

The following are the minimum requirements for installing and using the Helix Stadium Native software on your DAW computer system. As is recommended for DAW host applications, the greater the processing power, amount of RAM, and fast hard disk storage of the computer, the better! Note that Helix Stadium Native is a 64-bit plugin and, therefore, requires that your host DAW application supports 64-bit plugins.

macOS:

macOS v14, Sonoma, 64-bit (Intel^® and Apple Silicon processor types are supported)  
64-bit AAX Native, Audio Units version 2 (AUv2), VST^®3 host DAW software
Supported sample rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, and 192kHz

Windows:

Windows^® 11 64-bit
64-bit AAX Native or VST3 host DAW software
Supported sample rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, and 192kHz

Hardware Requirements:

Intel i5 or M1 2.50GHz processor or higher
8GB of RAM
1GB of free disk space
An Internet connection is required for initial license authorization and for using the 15-Day Trial version.

Please always refer to the software’s Release Notes, available on the Line 6 Downloads page and within all Line 6 software installers, for support details with the latest macOS and Windows operating systems.

Important! For preset compatibility between the Helix Stadium Native plugin and Helix Stadium Family hardware, the device must have firmware version 1.3.2 (or later), and the Helix Stadium application must be updated to version 1.3.3 (or later).

Glossary

📖 While reading through these pages, you may encounter some unfamiliar audio or guitar-nerd terms. Therefore, we’ve provided the following Glossary for your reference.

Click to show the Glossary...

Term	Definition
Automation	Automation is typically offered within a DAW host to allow track and plugin parameters to record, edit, and playback value changes in real-time. Helix Stadium Native supports the automation of practically any of its parameters. For example, you can adjust the wet/dry Mix of a Stadium Native delay or reverb, the Gain of an amp, the Bypass of an effect, and more, all at specific times for your tracks. See Parameter Automation.
Block	Blocks are objects that represent various elements of a preset, such as amps, preamps, cabs, effects, splits, merges, inputs, outputs, and more. See Building and Editing Tones.
Clone	A Clone in Helix Stadium Native is one created using the Helix Stadium devices' PROXY™ Cloning engine to accurately capture the sound of an Amp, Preamp, or Drive pedal. All Helix Stadium-created clone files can be imported into the Stadium Native plugin and are fully supported for use in presets. See the Proxy Clones page.
DAW	DAW is an acronym for “Digital Audio Workstation,” which refers to any digital-based hardware recording setup. This consists of a DAW host (typically, a computer running audio software, such as Steinberg Cubase^®, Avid^® Pro Tools^®, Apple Logic Pro, etc.), a monitoring system (powered reference speakers or headphones), an audio interface, and typically plugins for effects and amp & cab processing of your tracks. Helix Stadium Native functions as a plugin for all major macOS and Windows^®DAW host applications.
Favorite	Any Amp, Cab, or Effect block in Helix Stadium Native can be configured with your preferred parameter settings, assignments, and name, and then added as a Favorite block. Favorite blocks are conveniently stored in the top category in the Model Browser, making it fast and easy to build presets. See the Favorites page.
Focus View	Select an amp, cab, or effect block and click to open its Focus View. Focus View offers additional per-block settings, graphical feedback, and, for many blocks, the ability to morph between five distinct sound zones via simple “XY” control. See the Focus View page.
IR	IRs (Impulse Responses) are mathematical functions representing the sonic measurements of audio systems (for Helix Stadium Native, speaker cabinet, and microphone combinations). You can import and use WAV file IRs from numerous dealers. See the Cab Blocks and Cab IRs page.
Model	Each processing block can accommodate one model (or, in the case of Cab blocks, two models). The complete Helix Stadium Native features over 150 guitar and bass amps, more than 60 cabs, and over 260 effects models, as listed on the Helix Stadium product page. All models are available using the plugin’s Model Browser.
Path	A path represents the signal flow of your tone. Helix Stadium Native has two separate main paths, Path 1 and Path 2, each with its own inputs and outputs. Paths can be serial (single) or split into one or more parallel (dual) paths. Path 1 can be routed into Path 2 for more sophisticated tones. In Stadium, all paths are stereo, so you can add either mono or stereo blocks to build your tone. Also, see Signal Path Routing.
Preset	A preset is your tone. It consists of all blocks in the main Signal Flow panel, parameter settings, snapshots, parameter automation & MIDI assignments, preset info text, a preset audio clip, and more. A number of factory presets are already included within the FACTORY presets folder to get you started, and you can create and save your own presets to build a full library of your own USER tones. See the Presets page.
Snapshot	A snapshot can be thought of as a preset within a preset. Each preset includes up to eight snapshots, each of which you can customize to seamlessly recall numerous settings—enabling or bypassing blocks, adjusting parameters, and more. Snapshots can be recalled via the toolbar Snapshots menu, automation, or MIDI Control. See the Snapshots page.