Line 6 HX One

The Line 6 HX One is a compact stereo effect pedal that puts the company's Helix modeling tech into a box the size of an average stompbox¹. Where a multi-effects unit chains many blocks together, the HX One runs a single effect at a time, chosen from more than 250 effects taken from the HX family processors¹. Line 6 announced it in October 2023 at a pre-order price of $299², and it has since become, in Gearnews' words, "extremely popular"³.

The idea is simple: instead of buying a dedicated delay, chorus or overdrive pedal, you get one pedal that can be any of 250 of them, one at a time, sitting alongside the rest of your pedalboard. Delicious Audio put it plainly: "it can only play one effect at a time, but does so with flair and high quality algorithms"⁴⁵.

One HX effect at a time in a stompbox

The HX One is, in Guitar.com reviewer Josh Gardner's words, "an even more scaled-down version of Line 6's impressive HX Stomp pedal"¹⁰. It strips away the bells and whistles of the larger HX units: no amp modeling, no block chaining, just one effect at a time in an ultra-compact enclosure that fits on nearly any pedalboard²⁸.

The effect list draws on both modeled classics and Line 6's own designs. MusicRadar's review notes the range runs "From Klon, Tube Screamer and Rat-type overdrives to lush Line 6-designed sounds like the Ganymede reverb and Sweep Echo"⁸. Each effect is created from Line 6's Helix modeling tech⁷.

The concept has a family history. Line 6's earlier M5 Stompbox Modeler, launched in 2011, used the same simple one-effect-at-a-time design, and Premier Guitar noted at the time that because you can only select one effect at a time, Line 6 made it simple to store 24 effects as presets. The HX One carries that idea forward with the modern Helix engine and 128 preset slots¹¹¹².

Controls are minimal but quick to learn:

MusicRadar's reviewer was "actually surprised how fast the HX One felt like a familiar part of my pedalboard because of the control and menu" design⁸.

Flux and the Flux / Tap footswitch

Flux is the HX One's standout feature. Line 6 describes it this way: "Flux enables you to adjust multiple effect parameters simultaneously over a predetermined period of time, all with a single footswitch press"¹. In practice, MusicRadar calls it "kind of an onboard expression device to some degree, allowing you to automate different parameters between two set" values, for example ramping up an overdrive's gain or a delay's feedback⁸.

Four Flux settings shape the ramp:

• On time and off time: how long the switch between settings takes, from instant up to 8 seconds¹²
• On curve and off curve: whether the ramp is consistent, or faster at the beginning or end of the curve¹²

MusicRadar's verdict on the feature: "the Flux / Tap control on the second footswitch reveals itself as a real asset that enhances creativity" and creates dramatic moments and emphasis⁸.

Power and connections

The HX One runs on a 9V DC center-negative supply with a 2.1mm plug, drawing 500mA, and Line 6 includes its own power adapter; many third-party power supplies may also be used¹.

Connections are full stereo:

• Inputs: L/MONO and RIGHT 1/4-inch. Guitar, bass or mono pedals go to L/MONO; stereo pedals, keyboards, synths or modelers go to both¹
• Outputs: L/MONO and RIGHT 1/4-inch. Use only L/MONO when feeding a mono pedal or a single amp¹
• Expression/switch jack: accepts an optional expression pedal (automatically assigned to relevant effect parameters), two assignable external footswitches, or one of each¹
• MIDI: In and Out/Thru connectors receive program change, continuous controller and other MIDI messages from external sources¹

HX One versus HX Stomp

The HX Stomp is the natural comparison point. It is a compact amp and effects processor with 200-plus effects that allows chaining up to six blocks of effects and simulators, and it includes a single effects loop¹³. The HX One offers 250 effects but only one at a time, with no amp modeling listed among its features¹¹³.

MusicRadar's reviewer weighed the price against this: "considering the next pedal in the affordability scale is the HX Stomp is $699, the price for the HX One feels right" given the quality and quantity on offer⁸. He also suggested the HX One "could be a huge space saver for players who dip in and out of effects" and called it "kind of like Line 6's equivalent of Eventide's H9"⁸.

What reviewers said

MusicRadar's review summed up the HX One as "A new way to fit Helix effects into more rigs, the HX One puts a huge array of classic and creative sounds at your feet," praising its great sounds and sheer quantity, its compact and intuitive design, and its excellent firmware support, while cautioning that it might not suit some pedalboard scenarios or flexibility needs⁸.

Guitar.com's Josh Gardner was equally positive about the sound: "this is some of the most musically realised modelled sound you'll find outside of the box, and especially in a unit at this price point"¹⁰. Guitar World's reviewer described it as a pedal that "packs the HX collection of effects into a compact pedal, ready to complement your pedalboard with one effect" at a time⁶.

In Sweetwater's demo video, Don Carr walks through the effect selection, the three parameter knobs and the Flux controls, including how on time and off time set the ramp length and how the curve settings shape the transition¹².

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The white Limited Edition

In September 2026, Line 6 announced a Limited Edition White HX One as a Thomann exclusive, expected to be available "in several months"³. It comes with 11 exclusive presets for the effects, though Gearnews observes that those look like custom presets on existing effects rather than new effects, and that they can in theory be recreated on a regular HX One³.

Videos

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Questions