Hey I've been watching allot of your videos and I'm wanting a modeler that is between $400 - $600. I'm mainly looking for one that has the ability to split the chain and run two amps at the same time for bass(the classic split bass signal for low bass and distorted signal). I look at the product pages of the many different modelers but can't see if these modelers have that ability. Is there a list of ones that can do that or what are some in that price range you recommend?
Between that price you already got the HX stomp xl. Just add a dynamic split before the amps you can do parallel processing but you only got so many blocks in HX, I ran a delay/reverb in fx loop which takes up a block but it took some of the dsp I would otherwise use up quite a bit if I ran two blocks for stereo delay and reverb. Lot of people pair up the tonex pedal w/HX stomp too. For $1000 the Lt would be the next best as far as processing power. I got the Helix rack in my studio and used the stomp in 4cm into tube amps fx loop or used the stomp in the Helix fx loop to take up some of the dsp load off the Helix if you want complex dual stereo amps and parallel processing. But the HR core for $800 isn't gonna get much more than your stomp xl. Accept it's for the amp cloaning thing and touch screen. But the tonex pedal will do amp cloaning for $400 I would consider that option before going all out and get the full blown floor Helix or the TMP. Im shopping for a pedal board friendly modeler so I traded my HX stomp but my best option would be the stomp xl, or the core, and in MHO I'm better off with the stomp xl, it sounds better and you got line 6 support and the vast resources of Yamaha and you know they'll come out with updates and improvements not so much with headrush or cheaper modelers off of Amazon or temu. Also the Dark glass ultra pedal will do the exact thing your looking for around $500, I'd be looking into that if your price range is maxed out at $600
Holy Hell!!! I really did NOT expect the stock Headrush Prime Rectifier to sound that good. Great job Taylor and thanks for putting the effort into making the comparison video for all of us!
Absolutely amazing job dude....I've Watched so many countless hours of comparison videos on all of these units. By far this is the best I've seen high gain wise at capturing the sound quality of each of those units. There is a lot of UA-cam video comparison videos out there that seem to always color the sound or in some case show their bias. This video seems very transparent and honest as you can do without being with each on in person.
I'm happy you decided to plug these into a power amp. I am using the Orange Amps Pedal Baby and Orange Vintage 30 2x12 cab, and it has officially replaced my rig. It sounds so much more like a real amp when running through a power amp, and you don't have to worry about fiddling with cabs and IR's in the unit itself. Build a preset and eliminate the cab block on the unit and these units sound amazing. And you have the advantage of not having to use an FX loop , just like with FRFR monitors. Sounds great! 🤘🏼
Would be cool to see a 5150 shootout between the TMP, Axe III and QC since that is a flagship amp for the TMP. Also, I think with the bottom end you were looking for, the TMP has the global EQ. I wonder if that just needed to be adjusted to match? Good video! 👍🏻
Yeah, that's what I should have done but the TMP's 5150 is the Stealth, and I believe all the others have a block letter... not that it matters TOO much, but you know, the internet cares about these details lol.
I'm glad the prime stood the test. As the HR Core is the most affordable (after the HX stomp), this one will be my next modeler. I worked with the HR Gigboad since 4 years. I love so many features about it and got to know it in and out. I'm glad I'm able to continue my journey with this company's products. All the others are much to expensive in my point of view. I don't know wether I will ever be wanting to spend this much money to have just a few more features. And to be honest, tonewise there isn't that much of a difference, which you can't tweak with the onboard controls and EQ pedals.
I think prefernce of the UI is the biggest difference for all of these. They all sound pretty good. I doubt anyone hearing any of these live with a full band over a house PA is going to know which unit is being used. I'm a current Kemper user, but thinking about switching to the ToneMaster Pro for the ease of use. I really only play 4-5 amp models anyway.
That was great........part II with different amps........try to get a HeadRush Core for a future video. Try out some of the Revalver amps in the HeadRush.
Best sound in here is that trippy thing while you edit/speed through dialing in the Rectos. 😂 I dunno what that effect is but I dug it every time it happened. 😁 Great vid man.
Once you played them back to back in a mix, the QC's model stood out as a little boxy compared to the others, which is sort of my experience with the low end of QC models in general.
Dude!!! Really well done video. Tldr is that if you own one of these units, you should learn to dial it in, and regardless of the brand, for the most part, you will get the sound you're after! I'm starting new so I guess I can't go wrong with whatever one I choose!
I have the Headrush Core and Tone Master Pro. I can tell you they both create amazing tones. I will say you have to work a little harder to get great tone out of the Headrush but it’s a great product!
Ive never played built in models in QC because captures are next level. Let's be honest, the difference in the mix between all of them is so small that a true music lover will never be able to tell the difference.
Thanks for the demo.... But my surprise in this is damn dude the headrush sounds crushing 😮.... And I have QC and Helix. That last update headrush changed something because I've had the prime
@@joelanderson6777 dude seriously I have to agree they operate pretty flawless too... Ease of use, quick preset building... Equal more playing and satisfaction
I had an old Boss GT-8 back in the day. Sounded amazing for the time & got some cool tones from it & used the heck out of it. I listen back to it now & yeesh… It was good times though. Still currently have a Pod Go I mostly use at church & gigs. Recently ordered a ToneX One & eventually will get an HX Stomp XL for a small board that’ll work for church & my metal stuff. A tone upgrade. I’ll use the Pod Go for gigs in harsher conditions but in the end, the listener won’t know the conditions unless you A/B the boards live.
Axefx and headrush brought the heat…awesome shootout! In the market and considering the headrush core now. Had a Mesa badlander which broke…have and engl ironball which broke…not that a modeler can’t break but I’m getting sick of amp reliability and having to pay after the fact to have working amps.
I actually liked the Tone Master the best in the mix. The Axefx also sounded great but to me it sounds like the other units had too much artificial tone coming out on either end. Thanks for making this!
@@resistorstudios I actually disagree, I do think the Tone Master and Axefx come really close. And I am one of those people that usually advocates real amps.
@BikFlofer i just dont think they sound nearly as good as basically any actual amp that hes done. Theres some weird artifacts that sre present. I am fully aware that you can get them to sound indistinguishable. Here they dont sound like amps to me. Im not saying i wouldnt use one, i certainly would, but to make it sound as good as even like a VS100 man... idk
@BikFlofer btw ive tried many person (kemper, axe fx 2, etc) and heard them used live and i KNOW you can get them to sound "right" but they just dont sound "right" most of the time.
Nice video! Definitely think the QC Rectifier sounds best with the master below 1, and then turning up the output. With the Line 6 rectifier, the master below 2.2, and likewise with the Axe FX, keeping the master low helps the amp sound much better. It really depends on how each company modelled the channel volume and global master as to how much headroom you have before the poweramp clips. Guessing NDSP had the channel master at 10, so you need to have the global master REALLY low to have enough headroom to avoid mush.
The Fender and the Headrush were the best sounding in this demo. If been saying for many years L6 has bad amp modeling that always is weird in one way or another. I hope everything is redone in the new Helix that should be out this year.
The reason the pod go sounds different is because it emulates the red channel in vacuum tubes mode, all other emulate silicon diode mode. not sure why they did that.
Great comparison! I think Fractal sounded the best. Then Fender and Headrush. Quad Cortex sounded a bit dull to me. And lastly Line 6 sounded low quality somehow, it's on lower league. I am waiting you to test Headrush Core (hopefully), I believe it's the best value for the money without compromising the quality. Cheers man!
I own a Helix and that fizziness in the top end bothers the hell out of me. I'm always trying to cancel it out with high cuts and EQ, and it's present on almost all amps.
I actually like that about the helix. It sounds so aggressive. But I run the gain really low and almost always add the tube screamer with the gain around 3-4. Then I nudge the presence (when available) until I have the tone I'm looking for. I use the stock cabs as well since they updated them with really great options.
I could be mistaken, but I don't think you had a cab enabled for the Headrush Prime. There's usually a separate block that pops up (unless it's a Clone) for the cab, unless you have the option disabled to automatically add the matching cab and need to add it manually. Guess that was just the preamp sound then?
...and i still prefere the sonicake matribox(es) for a quarter of the price, a comparison between the matribox II and one of those high priced units seen here would be amazing! 😍
Was really disappointed with my Tonemaster pro through a real cab vs my hx stomp xl. Sounded so much thinner for some reason. When you add the lack of routing options, I'm going back to helix. It really made me want a 5150 though 😩
I think Line 6 definitely needs a push, ESPECIALLY for the Pod Go, which is several updates behind the Helix/HX line. No idea what they could be working on currently, but there's a lot they could do. Great vid!
@@paulgrindley8192 From what i have read on the forums the update is likely to have the upgraded speaker emulations from the Helix, if so that is probably a very significant update.
Hey Taylor, different amp, but you should get your hands on a Carvin quad x and the pedal. This thing was great for it's time and sounds amazing. Paired with a boogie 50/50 it screams
Hi comments section! Just a friendly heads up that the Fractal FM3 can be found all over reverb for around 800 bucks and has all the core sounds and most features of the rack version. I used to own the rack version and downsized to the FM3 and it still does SO much and the tone and sounds I get from the FM3 are identical. For the money, it's untouchable IMO and built like a tank with a lot of support/updates/etc from Fractal always adding new stuff.
Excellent demo - they all vary a bit - I would say the QC & Fractal are a bit more developed at this point but I like the TMP overall for display , User friendly , IO , and it sounds very good I think it will get better over time - IMO
TMP sounded good, prime was ok, podgo definitely flat-ish. Cortex models I noticed sometimes have a thing where it sometimes has better results lowering the master volume and raising the output in the models, Sonic drive studios pointed this out for a mesa model and i've been trying this idea on all the models. Axe does have those deep dive options which is great for crafting but it is a rabbit hole. I also really like the input boost option for the Amp models in the axe. Best vid yet
From this demo I’d rank them like this based just on sound 1. Headrush 2. Axefx 3.QC 4. Tone master 5. Line 6 Would be cool to do this but also compare the toneX, kemper, some neural plugins, and fx8 as well
Taylor your right about using a power amp going through a real cab,i do not get the tones i really want with just IR's and do not get the amped pushed air sound with IR's.I found a solution that works good for me,i modded my Peavey Vypyr 15w by removing the metal enclosure and drilling a hole in the back of it for 1/4" output jack(4OHM)and connecting the speaker output wires(no soldering) i put it in a rack mount i made,i run it into my Marshall 4x12 1960a cab,i use my NUX MG30 modeler with Speaker output set to Front Combo and cut lows by 2db(IR off) into the Vypyr 15 Fender Green DLX amp model and i get great tones and also i was shocked how loud it was into my Marshall! Taylor if you still have your Vypyr Tube you should try my settings and try one of your 4x12 cabs with the Vypyr!You can also buy a used Vypyr 15 cheap and do my mod!If you do want to try this let me know and i will give you my exact Vypyr settings?
I haven't played a real recto but...I like the AxeFX the best in this demo. Sounded most natural. From there I'd rank them : 2. Headrush, 3. ToneMaster, 4. Quad Cortex and 5. Helix.
@Taylor Danley Yeah I'm actually really impressed with the Headrush prime here. I just got my QC and first off no honeymoon period for me there, I love it . Question I have for anyone is how is the capture community for the headrush prime, is ther ea lot of uploads to choose from? I feel like the QC is going to be great and already is super easy to use and so much more that will be developed as it matures. Following you also T ;)
IDK how many clones there are for the headrush prime floating around, but I know Amp Guru makes some really good ones! I actually prefer the Headrush for capture/cloning tech, but it's not by a wide margin.
@@TaylorDanley Yeah the Rack Eleven Model "Upgrades" into even the Gigboard impressed me , now with the capturing technology and it's more heavy offeringsis kind of doing it for me. I'm staying QC though! May have to check out the Core sometime later though. This impressed me.
The Boss Gt1000 has the best recto model in it. It’s not even close. AIRD really captures the nuances of the amp for some reason better than any other modeler.
I kinda disagree about the age of the algorithms, specially because the Prime uses the Eleven Rack algorithm. Maybe optimized when it was translated to ARM, but it's an algorithm from 2009.
On their own you can tell the difference but when in a full mix it's barely noticeable. And the question then comes down to personal taste, would anyone listening notice the difference? Does it sound good? If the answer is yes then that's all that matters.
Should have used a HX Stomp / xl instead of the Pod Go. That at least would be closer to a Helix then the Pod Go. I'm trying to be nice cause there is alot more i'd like to say. Anyway good video overall
Hey Taylor, when you do these multi fx demos and shootouts is there any chance you could switch presets or patches while playing? I think this would be useful so that potential buyers can hear if or how much of a pause there is between presets or patches. This is the main question I have by the end of these videos. Right now I’m using a pedalboard with something like 15 pedals on it and I’m using a boss es-8 switcher. When I switch between any of the presets I’ve made I have literally 0 interruption in sound. It’s seamless and I also get spillover with reverb and delay tails. If I can find a multi fx unit that can do this, I would ditch this 100 pound pedal board instantly. Thanks for all you do Taylor!!!
Hmmm first 3 songs he uses his signature for. Photographers typically are only allowed to shoot first 3 songs of a band. So most likely contract says he has to be seen using it for a certain part of all live performances. At same time so his fans see him using it in most promotional images and gets more sales.
On this particular shootout I liked the sound of the Axe Fx III, followed by the TMP. Personally, I wouldn't invest in the Axe Fx III Mark II at this point because I'll bet Cliff will soon be releasing an Axe FX IV version which will have a touch screen gui, more power, etc....
Considering that the current gen costs $5,090 AUD how much more would the next gen cost? Considering that I am already priced out of that market I wouldn't really care what that company does.
In isolation, the AxeFX sounds the best IMO, but in the mix, the Headrush is right up there with the AxeFX. The Tonemaster sounds a little dry to me, while the Pod sounds way to honky. And the Quad cortex sounds just too dark, lacking some of the high mids that the recto should have plenty of.
Quad Cortex: good; Fender Pro: good I thought the TMP couldn't do metal; Headrush: surprisingly good and IS the standout; Pod Go: no, sorry, but no; Axe FX III mkII turbo alpha beta gamma very underwhelming about on par with the Pod Go. This has been very helpful thankyou Taylor for posting this vid.
I own a Headrush and a Pod go. The Headrush Rectifier, Mark 2 C+ and SLO 100 models sound great for metal. The Engl Powerball model is terrible and The PV 5150 model sounds really off on the Headrush. The Pod Go is a step behind the Headrush but the Rev G Purp and Red models are quite usable on the Pod Go.
IMO, the winner is: Tone Master Pro. Second place: AxeFX III Third: (ex equo) Quad Cortex and Headrush Prime. And Line 6 POD GO (probably also Helix) ends the race... somewhere out there.
I don't think it's in your head. The input gates rob something from the tone to my ears too. I always disable it on modelers. Nice demo/Comparison thanks.
yeah ive always hated this about line 6 too boxy abd fizzy rthere way behund tvbh my boss gx100 ias a good as anything here the interface is a mare thoughb 80s style hexagons were talking 40 years behind with the sounds are bang on though i just wish theyd use stomp boxes i have to admit the fender does it form knobs ike an actuall amp the old timers will love that just menus to select the amp and fx and eq and settings otherwise adjust it with a knob
The Axe FX with a foot controller is more than 3000 Euros. You compare this to the pod Go and some freaks delight in saying that the Axe Fx is king 😂😂😂😂😂. The world is lost.
Many of the influencers won't talk value for price paid! You may remember Shane from IntheBlues was straight-up fooling listeners with blind shootouts between the original Fender Mustang amps and the real amps it was imitating over a decade ago. It's silly we are still arguing about "what sounds the best" without regard for full feature sets and price!
Axe FX HeadRush Prime Pod Go TMP and QC don’t sound right. I own HeadRush Core and TMP. I believe the TMP has a ton of potential as long as Fender keeps their word and continues to update/develop it.
Ironically, I preferred the Quad Cortex. Sounded huge. Followed by the Fractal, Headrush, TMP, and pod go. TMP sounded very thin in the low end, and the pod go sounded fizzy in the top end. With the QC dropping in price on the used market, I think I just might have to snatch one up.
The TMP does have a lack of low end that needs to be adjusted in the global EQ overall, but I think the fidelity is still there. Maybe they'll update it and tune it a little more, who knows.
The Quad Cortex is over rated imo. I am Helix guy anyway but the fender does sound killer in real life. My fav multi effects is the ax fx 3. But nice shootout, killer tone.
you are so like me just the rectifier no country jazz or blues only helix isc doing a hiwatt gilmour does use vfenders in the studio though so fair enough its got all you need tobh you just nedd fender and mesa boogie vreally id say marhall but the marshell 45 was a fender bassman the rectifirr ia modded findr princeton so really a fender deluxe for us clean and mesa for american metal marshall 45 for clean maehall 2000 for metal so that 4 amps 2 for uk 2 for us of corse you can drop that to two 2 channel amps or even beteer a sigle 4 channel blacksater amp that would cover the lot
I watch ALOT of your vids and im just not a fan of the way these sound. This is a great representation on why they will never replace an analog amp, theres just this buzzy artificial texture they all have. I think in this the QC sounds the worst theres this weird boxyness... The TMP and Headrush sounded the best Imo but for my money the line 6 is hard to beat.
If you TRULY want to test the platforms, then a high gain amp with the gain up, and thus compression up, et al, is NOT going to show much. Redo it with a more dynamic amp model, at just short of/edge of breakup. THIS is where the chaff will be separated.
The fender is the new king in town. No latency changing preset. 8 cores Only modeller that actually the entire amp including its revetb and tremolo. All the output input you can imagine. Plus routing and a mixer. The graphic are just the best. User interface is stellar with rotating knob for all pedal, amp. THE ONLY MODELLER SO FAR THAT RECREATE DIFFERENT YUBE TYPE SAG AND COMPRESSION. Id say with the micro sd expension. The futur is great. I sold almost all my tube amp and pedal exceot the boutique and vintsge
Get something here so I can keep making videos 🤗Sweetwater Affiliate Link: sweetwater.sjv.io/xkbEVv
Hey I've been watching allot of your videos and I'm wanting a modeler that is between $400 - $600. I'm mainly looking for one that has the ability to split the chain and run two amps at the same time for bass(the classic split bass signal for low bass and distorted signal). I look at the product pages of the many different modelers but can't see if these modelers have that ability. Is there a list of ones that can do that or what are some in that price range you recommend?
Between that price you already got the HX stomp xl. Just add a dynamic split before the amps you can do parallel processing but you only got so many blocks in HX, I ran a delay/reverb in fx loop which takes up a block but it took some of the dsp I would otherwise use up quite a bit if I ran two blocks for stereo delay and reverb. Lot of people pair up the tonex pedal w/HX stomp too. For $1000 the Lt would be the next best as far as processing power. I got the Helix rack in my studio and used the stomp in 4cm into tube amps fx loop or used the stomp in the Helix fx loop to take up some of the dsp load off the Helix if you want complex dual stereo amps and parallel processing. But the HR core for $800 isn't gonna get much more than your stomp xl. Accept it's for the amp cloaning thing and touch screen. But the tonex pedal will do amp cloaning for $400 I would consider that option before going all out and get the full blown floor Helix or the TMP. Im shopping for a pedal board friendly modeler so I traded my HX stomp but my best option would be the stomp xl, or the core, and in MHO I'm better off with the stomp xl, it sounds better and you got line 6 support and the vast resources of Yamaha and you know they'll come out with updates and improvements not so much with headrush or cheaper modelers off of Amazon or temu. Also the Dark glass ultra pedal will do the exact thing your looking for around $500, I'd be looking into that if your price range is maxed out at $600
I really like the way that you test modelers with real cab!
We always watch vids with cabsim/ IR, so it's great
Holy Hell!!! I really did NOT expect the stock Headrush Prime Rectifier to sound that good. Great job Taylor and thanks for putting the effort into making the comparison video for all of us!
Glad you enjoyed it. Me either, I was super surprised.
Absolutely amazing job dude....I've Watched so many countless hours of comparison videos on all of these units. By far this is the best I've seen high gain wise at capturing the sound quality of each of those units. There is a lot of UA-cam video comparison videos out there that seem to always color the sound or in some case show their bias. This video seems very transparent and honest as you can do without being with each on in person.
I'm happy you decided to plug these into a power amp. I am using the Orange Amps Pedal Baby and Orange Vintage 30 2x12 cab, and it has officially replaced my rig. It sounds so much more like a real amp when running through a power amp, and you don't have to worry about fiddling with cabs and IR's in the unit itself. Build a preset and eliminate the cab block on the unit and these units sound amazing. And you have the advantage of not having to use an FX loop , just like with FRFR monitors. Sounds great! 🤘🏼
Would be cool to see a 5150 shootout between the TMP, Axe III and QC since that is a flagship amp for the TMP. Also, I think with the bottom end you were looking for, the TMP has the global EQ. I wonder if that just needed to be adjusted to match? Good video! 👍🏻
Yeah, that's what I should have done but the TMP's 5150 is the Stealth, and I believe all the others have a block letter... not that it matters TOO much, but you know, the internet cares about these details lol.
I'm glad the prime stood the test. As the HR Core is the most affordable (after the HX stomp), this one will be my next modeler. I worked with the HR Gigboad since 4 years. I love so many features about it and got to know it in and out. I'm glad I'm able to continue my journey with this company's products.
All the others are much to expensive in my point of view. I don't know wether I will ever be wanting to spend this much money to have just a few more features. And to be honest, tonewise there isn't that much of a difference, which you can't tweak with the onboard controls and EQ pedals.
I think prefernce of the UI is the biggest difference for all of these. They all sound pretty good. I doubt anyone hearing any of these live with a full band over a house PA is going to know which unit is being used. I'm a current Kemper user, but thinking about switching to the ToneMaster Pro for the ease of use. I really only play 4-5 amp models anyway.
That was great........part II with different amps........try to get a HeadRush Core for a future video. Try out some of the Revalver amps in the HeadRush.
Best sound in here is that trippy thing while you edit/speed through dialing in the Rectos. 😂 I dunno what that effect is but I dug it every time it happened. 😁 Great vid man.
You should do a tone shootout between the Amperium live and AxeFx sometime. Deliverance, ENGL, and 5153 models preferably😁
Once you played them back to back in a mix, the QC's model stood out as a little boxy compared to the others, which is sort of my experience with the low end of QC models in general.
It sounds muffled too. Not sure if there's a LPF or treble control applied or if something needs to be boosted more than it is
I love that headrush low end.and it does better than neural dsp and tone master.
Dude!!! Really well done video. Tldr is that if you own one of these units, you should learn to dial it in, and regardless of the brand, for the most part, you will get the sound you're after! I'm starting new so I guess I can't go wrong with whatever one I choose!
Wow Headrush sounds so good.. natural. I like it and the Axe fx the best
I have the Headrush Core and Tone Master Pro. I can tell you they both create amazing tones. I will say you have to work a little harder to get great tone out of the Headrush but it’s a great product!
Ive never played built in models in QC because captures are next level. Let's be honest, the difference in the mix between all of them is so small that a true music lover will never be able to tell the difference.
Yep. Comparison of price and the full feature list are becoming much more important to discuss than only A/B tone comparisons.
Thanks for the demo.... But my surprise in this is damn dude the headrush sounds crushing 😮.... And I have QC and Helix. That last update headrush changed something because I've had the prime
At $1300/$1000 respectively, the Headrush Prime and Core are definitely the best overall value of all of these!
@@joelanderson6777 dude seriously I have to agree they operate pretty flawless too... Ease of use, quick preset building... Equal more playing and satisfaction
Always making these multi effects units sound amazing.
In my experience you can't really go wrong with the Dual Rec models on any of the units. Its just a good overall amp.
I had an old Boss GT-8 back in the day. Sounded amazing for the time & got some cool tones from it & used the heck out of it. I listen back to it now & yeesh… It was good times though. Still currently have a Pod Go I mostly use at church & gigs. Recently ordered a ToneX One & eventually will get an HX Stomp XL for a small board that’ll work for church & my metal stuff. A tone upgrade. I’ll use the Pod Go for gigs in harsher conditions but in the end, the listener won’t know the conditions unless you A/B the boards live.
You just proved that all of these are pretty good to go. Very nice!
Axefx and headrush brought the heat…awesome shootout! In the market and considering the headrush core now. Had a Mesa badlander which broke…have and engl ironball which broke…not that a modeler can’t break but I’m getting sick of amp reliability and having to pay after the fact to have working amps.
I actually liked the Tone Master the best in the mix. The Axefx also sounded great but to me it sounds like the other units had too much artificial tone coming out on either end. Thanks for making this!
They ALL sounded artificial....idk how anyone thinks thats an acceptable live tone without a TON of work
@@resistorstudios not really
@@resistorstudios I actually disagree, I do think the Tone Master and Axefx come really close. And I am one of those people that usually advocates real amps.
@BikFlofer i just dont think they sound nearly as good as basically any actual amp that hes done. Theres some weird artifacts that sre present. I am fully aware that you can get them to sound indistinguishable. Here they dont sound like amps to me. Im not saying i wouldnt use one, i certainly would, but to make it sound as good as even like a VS100 man... idk
@BikFlofer btw ive tried many person (kemper, axe fx 2, etc) and heard them used live and i KNOW you can get them to sound "right" but they just dont sound "right" most of the time.
Hot damn! The riffage in the shootout mix slams!
Nice video! Definitely think the QC Rectifier sounds best with the master below 1, and then turning up the output.
With the Line 6 rectifier, the master below 2.2, and likewise with the Axe FX, keeping the master low helps the amp sound much better.
It really depends on how each company modelled the channel volume and global master as to how much headroom you have before the poweramp clips. Guessing NDSP had the channel master at 10, so you need to have the global master REALLY low to have enough headroom to avoid mush.
The Fender and the Headrush were the best sounding in this demo. If been saying for many years L6 has bad amp modeling that always is weird in one way or another. I hope everything is redone in the new Helix that should be out this year.
I'm proud to own a modeler but whoa this was deep , I'll be buying more strings with this sweetwater link 🤘😎
Have you done a video on the best budget modeler unit? I'd love to see a shootout on that and what your opinions on that would be!
I haven't in quite a while, I do have some older shootouts with budget units on my channel.
@@TaylorDanley sweet I'll check it out!
The reason the pod go sounds different is because it emulates the red channel in vacuum tubes mode, all other emulate silicon diode mode. not sure why they did that.
Great comparison!
I think Fractal sounded the best. Then Fender and Headrush. Quad Cortex sounded a bit dull to me. And lastly Line 6 sounded low quality somehow, it's on lower league.
I am waiting you to test Headrush Core (hopefully), I believe it's the best value for the money without compromising the quality.
Cheers man!
I own a Helix and that fizziness in the top end bothers the hell out of me. I'm always trying to cancel it out with high cuts and EQ, and it's present on almost all amps.
I never would have noticed until I shot all these things out back to back.
I actually like that about the helix. It sounds so aggressive. But I run the gain really low and almost always add the tube screamer with the gain around 3-4. Then I nudge the presence (when available) until I have the tone I'm looking for. I use the stock cabs as well since they updated them with really great options.
Watched a lot of Nick Hill videos to learn to dial in metal tones on helix. Great content.
I could be mistaken, but I don't think you had a cab enabled for the Headrush Prime. There's usually a separate block that pops up (unless it's a Clone) for the cab, unless you have the option disabled to automatically add the matching cab and need to add it manually. Guess that was just the preamp sound then?
He is miking the Bogner cab, no cab sims or IRs.
...and i still prefere the sonicake matribox(es) for a quarter of the price, a comparison between the matribox II and one of those high priced units seen here would be amazing! 😍
Or the Boss GX-100.
This is the video I needed keep up the hard work 🤟🤟🤟🤟
I really loved the HeadRush.
Was really disappointed with my Tonemaster pro through a real cab vs my hx stomp xl. Sounded so much thinner for some reason. When you add the lack of routing options, I'm going back to helix. It really made me want a 5150 though 😩
What speakers are in your cab?
That was my initial experience, but the more I started messing with it, the more I started enjoying it.
@TaylorDanley i have a few more days for tinkering before I ship it back or not so we will see!
@Durkhead Marshall 4x12 with V30s not sure of the specifics beyond that bc it's my drummer's and it is at his place
@Durkhead surprisingly I enjoyed it more through my cab at home, a prs 2x12 with celesition g12 v types
I think Line 6 definitely needs a push, ESPECIALLY for the Pod Go, which is several updates behind the Helix/HX line. No idea what they could be working on currently, but there's a lot they could do. Great vid!
Supposedly Line 6 is going to drop a new firmware for the Pod Go sometime in November. No clue what the update will include.
@@paulgrindley8192 From what i have read on the forums the update is likely to have the upgraded speaker emulations from the Helix, if so that is probably a very significant update.
Hey Taylor, different amp, but you should get your hands on a Carvin quad x and the pedal. This thing was great for it's time and sounds amazing. Paired with a boogie 50/50 it screams
Hi comments section! Just a friendly heads up that the Fractal FM3 can be found all over reverb for around 800 bucks and has all the core sounds and most features of the rack version. I used to own the rack version and downsized to the FM3 and it still does SO much and the tone and sounds I get from the FM3 are identical. For the money, it's untouchable IMO and built like a tank with a lot of support/updates/etc from Fractal always adding new stuff.
Dang… my favorite was the axe fx. Lol. I wasn’t expecting that. How’s the synergy rig holding up?
Excellent demo - they all vary a bit - I would say the QC & Fractal are a bit more developed at this point but I like the TMP overall for display , User friendly , IO , and it sounds very good I think it will get better over time - IMO
Serious question here which unit has the best stock cabs? I’d guess probably QC?
In general stock cabs are usually not great. Way better off using your own IR file. But probably Axefx III.
TMP sounded good, prime was ok, podgo definitely flat-ish. Cortex models I noticed sometimes have a thing where it sometimes has better results lowering the master volume and raising the output in the models, Sonic drive studios pointed this out for a mesa model and i've been trying this idea on all the models. Axe does have those deep dive options which is great for crafting but it is a rabbit hole. I also really like the input boost option for the Amp models in the axe. Best vid yet
From this demo I’d rank them like this based just on sound
1. Headrush
2. Axefx
3.QC
4. Tone master
5. Line 6
Would be cool to do this but also compare the toneX, kemper, some neural plugins, and fx8 as well
They all sound similar to me, you made them all sound good.
It's the cab
Taylor your right about using a power amp going through a real cab,i do not get the tones i really want with just IR's and do not get the amped pushed air sound with IR's.I found a solution that works good for me,i modded my Peavey Vypyr 15w by removing the metal enclosure and drilling a hole in the back of it for 1/4" output jack(4OHM)and connecting the speaker output wires(no soldering) i put it in a rack mount i made,i run it into my Marshall 4x12 1960a cab,i use my NUX MG30 modeler with Speaker output set to Front Combo and cut lows by 2db(IR off) into the Vypyr 15 Fender Green DLX amp model and i get great tones and also i was shocked how loud it was into my Marshall!
Taylor if you still have your Vypyr Tube you should try my settings and try one of your 4x12 cabs with the Vypyr!You can also buy a used Vypyr 15 cheap and do my mod!If you do want to try this let me know and i will give you my exact Vypyr settings?
I haven't played a real recto but...I like the AxeFX the best in this demo. Sounded most natural. From there I'd rank them : 2. Headrush, 3. ToneMaster, 4. Quad Cortex and 5. Helix.
Fender is much better than the others. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
That riff sounded like if Sarificer wrote everlong 6:54 🤣
@Taylor Danley Yeah I'm actually really impressed with the Headrush prime here. I just got my QC and first off no honeymoon period for me there, I love it . Question I have for anyone is how is the capture community for the headrush prime, is ther ea lot of uploads to choose from? I feel like the QC is going to be great and already is super easy to use and so much more that will be developed as it matures. Following you also T ;)
IDK how many clones there are for the headrush prime floating around, but I know Amp Guru makes some really good ones! I actually prefer the Headrush for capture/cloning tech, but it's not by a wide margin.
@@TaylorDanley Yeah the Rack Eleven Model "Upgrades" into even the Gigboard impressed me , now with the capturing technology and it's more heavy offeringsis kind of doing it for me. I'm staying QC though! May have to check out the Core sometime later though. This impressed me.
I just downloaded a really good EVH 5150 Stealth clone on my HR Prime from the HR cloud.
Very interesting video, thanks Taylor! To me Fractal still is king although they all sounded very good here...
Taylor do you get any volume dropout on the Powerstage 700 when the volume is below 12noon? Or did they send me a broken one….?
In my oppinion you should have replaced the Headrush with the BOSS GT-1000.
Cheers from Portugal 🤘🍺🇵🇹
Ps: they all sound great
i also thought the qc sounded kind of fuzzy. but all sounded decent
The Boss Gt1000 has the best recto model in it. It’s not even close. AIRD really captures the nuances of the amp for some reason better than any other modeler.
Boss GT Recto is an abomination to amp modeling.
@@TrumpetsInMy4x12and what better?
I kinda disagree about the age of the algorithms, specially because the Prime uses the Eleven Rack algorithm. Maybe optimized when it was translated to ARM, but it's an algorithm from 2009.
get the fm9t...less $$ then the axefx3 and still 2 amps at a time and now gapless switching
On their own you can tell the difference but when in a full mix it's barely noticeable. And the question then comes down to personal taste, would anyone listening notice the difference? Does it sound good? If the answer is yes then that's all that matters.
All I'm certain of is that Fender unit has a kick ass display.
Should have used a HX Stomp / xl instead of the Pod Go. That at least would be closer to a Helix then the Pod Go. I'm trying to be nice cause there is alot more i'd like to say. Anyway good video overall
Hey Taylor, when you do these multi fx demos and shootouts is there any chance you could switch presets or patches while playing? I think this would be useful so that potential buyers can hear if or how much of a pause there is between presets or patches. This is the main question I have by the end of these videos.
Right now I’m using a pedalboard with something like 15 pedals on it and I’m using a boss es-8 switcher. When I switch between any of the presets I’ve made I have literally 0 interruption in sound. It’s seamless and I also get spillover with reverb and delay tails. If I can find a multi fx unit that can do this, I would ditch this 100 pound pedal board instantly. Thanks for all you do Taylor!!!
I'll try to keep this in mind. It's not something I ever notice, so I never think to do it, but I get why some people want to see this.
@@TaylorDanley awesome sauce! Thanks bro! You’re literally the best!
And where is the Kemper? That was the Ultimate compare then
That looks like the same firmware that is used in the Sonicake, Mooer, and Harley Benton units.
Hmmm first 3 songs he uses his signature for. Photographers typically are only allowed to shoot first 3 songs of a band. So most likely contract says he has to be seen using it for a certain part of all live performances. At same time so his fans see him using it in most promotional images and gets more sales.
The fender TMP sounded better than the QC in this comparison less fizzy.
So this is what a death metal influencer looks like. Intriguing.
On this particular shootout I liked the sound of the Axe Fx III, followed by the TMP. Personally, I wouldn't invest in the Axe Fx III Mark II at this point because I'll bet Cliff will soon be releasing an Axe FX IV version which will have a touch screen gui, more power, etc....
Considering that the current gen costs $5,090 AUD how much more would the next gen cost? Considering that I am already priced out of that market I wouldn't really care what that company does.
In isolation, the AxeFX sounds the best IMO, but in the mix, the Headrush is right up there with the AxeFX. The Tonemaster sounds a little dry to me, while the Pod sounds way to honky. And the Quad cortex sounds just too dark, lacking some of the high mids that the recto should have plenty of.
Quad Cortex: good; Fender Pro: good I thought the TMP couldn't do metal; Headrush: surprisingly good and IS the standout; Pod Go: no, sorry, but no; Axe FX III mkII turbo alpha beta gamma very underwhelming about on par with the Pod Go. This has been very helpful thankyou Taylor for posting this vid.
I own a Headrush and a Pod go. The Headrush Rectifier, Mark 2 C+ and SLO 100 models sound great for metal. The Engl Powerball model is terrible and The PV 5150 model sounds really off on the Headrush. The Pod Go is a step behind the Headrush but the Rev G Purp and Red models are quite usable on the Pod Go.
Wish the ampero was added to this comparison
IMO, the winner is: Tone Master Pro.
Second place: AxeFX III
Third: (ex equo) Quad Cortex and Headrush Prime.
And Line 6 POD GO (probably also Helix) ends the race... somewhere out there.
Tonemaster for the win!
Anything HX requires proper EQ in combo with proper mic of using IRs.. a real cab is better but EQ still required. After that it's still amazing
I don't think it's in your head. The input gates rob something from the tone to my ears too. I always disable it on modelers. Nice demo/Comparison thanks.
I agree about the Cortex but i though it sounded very mid-scooped compared to the others.
I’m impressed with how good the QC sounds compared to the Axe Fx.
In the mix that QC sounded really boxy
yeah ive always hated this about line 6 too boxy abd fizzy rthere way behund tvbh my boss gx100 ias a good as anything here the interface is a mare thoughb 80s style hexagons were talking 40 years behind with the sounds are bang on though i just wish theyd use stomp boxes i have to admit the fender does it form knobs ike an actuall amp the old timers will love that just menus to select the amp and fx and eq and settings otherwise adjust it with a knob
Then theres me using my boss gt 6 live 🤣
your right the heasdrush is way too spongy and loose
Please redo the video adding the Kemper and Helix
Used Helix LT $750 on average.
Headrush Prime 💪
The Axe FX with a foot controller is more than 3000 Euros. You compare this to the pod Go and some freaks delight in saying that the Axe Fx is king 😂😂😂😂😂. The world is lost.
Many of the influencers won't talk value for price paid! You may remember Shane from IntheBlues was straight-up fooling listeners with blind shootouts between the original Fender Mustang amps and the real amps it was imitating over a decade ago. It's silly we are still arguing about "what sounds the best" without regard for full feature sets and price!
The Axe FXIII mkII Turbo with foot controller costs more the $6,800 AUD the TMP costs $2,349 the Headrush Prime $2,200. The world is truly lost!
Axe FX
HeadRush Prime
Pod Go
TMP and QC don’t sound right.
I own HeadRush Core and TMP. I believe the TMP has a ton of potential as long as Fender keeps their word and continues to update/develop it.
Ironically, I preferred the Quad Cortex. Sounded huge. Followed by the Fractal, Headrush, TMP, and pod go. TMP sounded very thin in the low end, and the pod go sounded fizzy in the top end.
With the QC dropping in price on the used market, I think I just might have to snatch one up.
The TMP does have a lack of low end that needs to be adjusted in the global EQ overall, but I think the fidelity is still there. Maybe they'll update it and tune it a little more, who knows.
+1 really huge post tweaking
The Quad Cortex is over rated imo. I am Helix guy anyway but the fender does sound killer in real life. My fav multi effects is the ax fx 3. But nice shootout, killer tone.
lol Title: "...Headrush Prime, Helix" - in video: "I don't actually have a Helix..."
you are so like me just the rectifier no country jazz or blues only helix isc doing a hiwatt gilmour does use vfenders in the studio though so fair enough its got all you need tobh you just nedd fender and mesa boogie vreally id say marhall but the marshell 45 was a fender bassman the rectifirr ia modded findr princeton so really a fender deluxe for us clean and mesa for american metal marshall 45 for clean maehall 2000 for metal so that 4 amps 2 for uk 2 for us of corse you can drop that to two 2 channel amps or even beteer a sigle 4 channel blacksater amp that would cover the lot
I watch ALOT of your vids and im just not a fan of the way these sound. This is a great representation on why they will never replace an analog amp, theres just this buzzy artificial texture they all have. I think in this the QC sounds the worst theres this weird boxyness... The TMP and Headrush sounded the best Imo but for my money the line 6 is hard to beat.
I think the tone master sounds better for the dual rec witch is crazy
When the pod go sounds more like a real amp than the other fuzz fest...
not a kemper stage insight
If you TRULY want to test the platforms, then a high gain amp with the gain up, and thus compression up, et al, is NOT going to show much. Redo it with a more dynamic amp model, at just short of/edge of breakup. THIS is where the chaff will be separated.
The fender is the new king in town.
No latency changing preset.
8 cores
Only modeller that actually the entire amp including its revetb and tremolo.
All the output input you can imagine. Plus routing and a mixer.
The graphic are just the best.
User interface is stellar with rotating knob for all pedal, amp.
THE ONLY MODELLER SO FAR THAT RECREATE DIFFERENT YUBE TYPE SAG AND COMPRESSION.
Id say with the micro sd expension. The futur is great.
I sold almost all my tube amp and pedal exceot the boutique and vintsge
Tone master was nice headrush was good too. I don’t think tone master is 700 bucks better than headrush
No Helix? WTF....XD.
Mooer GE300 has it better than these units, you should try it...