"Some say that he can hear a moth fart at 200 yards...and that based on that sound, he knows what the moth had for lunch. All we know is, he's called Chappers!"
I think this is a real testament to how far the Helix has come. It absolutely stands toe to toe with a Kemper these days, and even has an advantage often. And all that with such a better UI. Still fun to know that there is a tiny reason to own the real thing still though.
Even cheaper digital units are decent nowadays, they are good enough for live shows (no one in crowd will ever notice real difference) and infinitely handier and versatile. Real thing is good to have for yourself at home or in the studio where you can get the best of it.
@jonny j eh, take from it what you want. Spend your money how you want. I've played with tons of equipment and for myself the Helix is the current Jack of all trades. The Kemper is certainly cool. But it can be a nightmare live, since tweaking within a profile is very minimal.
@@marianoholiveto yeah, their editors do little things like that all the time, like editing stuff in and out of frame to keep us on our toes, it adds alot of neat flavour
Each of these sounded fantastic tbh. But when comparing like for like... that's why I bought a Victory and not a kemper. But this makes me REALLY want a Boss tube amp expander even more!!!! 🎸
I'd like to think that my long-gone Gibsons still smell of Golden Virginai. Mind you, I never smoked or boozed on stage, so maybe they smell more of smoke bombs.
Man, as a tube amp technician/builder, I bet you can feel the "Marshall" smell in that things. Another brands have their smell, but it's like a warm smell. Marshalls do have their particular "sweet" warm smell, and man, that's real nice.
You guys must keep your Gibson's in the case because my Gibson hasn't smelled like that in years And years because I play the shit out of it and it's not living in the case.
That's a pretty shit sounding Kemper profile TBH haha, but it is what it is. Even if it can do better, that illustrates how hard it is to find the right profiles.
Hmm its a TJ profile isnt that a Top Jimi profile? aka a paid profile also one of those that Kemper fanboys say you have to BUY if you want the best sound out of your Kemper
@@JorisGriffioen actually im a kemper user and i hAve top jimi profiles and never liked it. tonejunkie and mbritt have much better profiles.especially with this kind of tone
Bjarne Dahlberg some are freebies though including TopJimi. but I bought a pack of TopJimis and never use them. Mike Britt and TAF (the amp factory) and Bert Meulendijk’s are some good ones. And they all let you try out a bunch first. Especially, Michael.
Wish it was done through a cab instead, with cab sim off. The question of whether or not the digital stuff can replicate a full rig direct to PA or DAW has far been settled.
I’m aware, but further analysis is warranted. And how many times has the comparison with cab sim been done? A lot more across the YT spectrum, from what I can tell.
DSP doesn't sound much if any different when it's turned up, and so can't react to impedance and open-air feedback accordingly. Having a big inefficient hunk of iron wrapped in wire that is sucking hundreds of watts from the wall - to power signal loads through various energy transformations is.... kind of important in sounding a particular way :) The confusing part is listening to recordings and trying to reverse engineer what you are listening to. Live recordings may be hit or miss in this regard, but are generally more trust-able than studio multitracks.
None of these sounded bad at all, the Kemper was probably my favourite blind. I'm starting to think maybe a profiler type setup is in my future purely because I can't turn up the power at home, but I'll probably just carry on with the Katana for longer than I should as I have it now.
Two things I don't get: why not actually PROFILE the JTM into the Kemper instead of looking for other profiles that are "close"? And why not use a reverb pedal or add it on the desk, so that at least they'd all be the SAME reverb? the other thing about the Kemper, in particular, is the it doesn't behave much like the real thing if you change the gain (especially is you crank the gain up). You ideally profile at the level you want and leave it there, shooting more profiles if needed. So certainly if you take a driven KPA profile and crank the gain on it down, to clean it up, it's not going to sound as good as the actual amp cranked down. You need to shoot the profile that way.
Hold up y’all, the Brit J-45 on the Helix is the JTM 45 model, not the Brit Trem (that’s a model of a 50 watt tremolo plexi, kind of a rare Marshall, apparently what the Appetite For Destruction was (with a spicy mod on top), innit)
That GNR amp was Tim Caswell modded rented SIR and also used by George Lynch who wanted it badly but could only rent it which he did. As for Slash he got another amp with the same mod for Appetite as the one he wanted was not in stock
Even if you get the sound right the feel(compression, sag etc.) is what really makes the difference with tube amps which seems to always be ignored. You can get the sound with a modeler but the feel of tubes is what makes a good player play great.
I would LOVE to see this with a JCM800, because many guitarists hates on the Brit800 in the Helix. Then we could se if it only needs tweeking to get close, or if it should have been better :)
The video editing gets me every time. It's almost worth watching just for the editor's gags! Lots of laugh out loud fun in what would otherwise be a bit dry "This is number one.... this is number two..... "
Or the head that you have to stand on its side. In my case, though, it was the combo you have to thump to the left of the strap. Or was it the right? Doctor! Can I have more of those druggies, please?
My impression of the Kemper is that it can have really great amp sound quality, but rifling through enough profiles to find exactly what you need is kind of like opening Packs of baseball cards. You will probably eventually find those 3 Super star cards you are after you're going to have to open a lot of packs to find those cards.
And that was through a PA. I sold my Kemper, I couldn’t get a good tone (vs valve) from a cab and couldn’t get used to playing through monitors. Highly convenient studio/live tool tho and they feel great! But as most of my guitar time is practice/play, I definitely bought the wrong tool for the job. Helix was impressive here although I would be surprised it felt as “authentic” as a Kemper. Great vid.
Point man that’s what I’m saying too. Kemper for gigging or pros in a studio sounds different. I can’t get it to feel and sound as good as an amp thru a guitar cabinet. Best modeler. Overlooked all the time. Yamaha thr100hd. Sounds and feels great. 2 amps going at the same time. Simple and not covered with a ton of FX.
Great advice. THR100HDs are the best sounding digital amp out there, I have the head and 2x12 tho I use my marshal cab instead. The Kemper did feel more valve like but THR smoked it in cab tone. But yeah, back to valve for me but still have the Yamaha, I don’t know why they aren’t everywhere.
Point man I think the price and people were saying the Yamaha wasn’t loud enough for stage use??? Idk about that but it has so many cool features in the back. I love it. But I saved up literally a lifetime for an amp that is the one for me and I keep trying and trying with the kemper and it’s just missing something like I said it’s just thru a guitar cab no anything in between. When I put a dirt or fuzz pedal thru a cleanish profile it’s much better but I’m sure it’s great in the studio with all the extra stuff and for pros gigging. I actually sold it and bought it back because some utube demos sounded so great. Got it back. Still sounded the same to me in person. So now it’s like a challenge to get it to sound and feel right but with no pedals. I keep trying. But I see my amp out of the corner of my eye just sitting there and I always go back to it. People do love it though. It is a brilliant idea. As I said why is the Yamaha’s feel and sound ok and it’s not even a profiler? 😐 idk. Btw Yamaha bought line6. FYI same thing with the Helix. I have to use my own dirt or fuzz pedals to get a decent sound. I did not buy any IR’s for either. Helix sounds great here. It’s just meh at home. Yea I don’t think I should be buying gigging or studio stuff.
Idk if you guys have tried this before. But what if you had pedals like the golden plexi and other Marshall drive pedals vs an actual marshall? Possibly a blindfold test? Can you tell the difference?... btw this channel is great, fun to watch and very informative!
I don't care. All I know when I plug into my Mesa Boogie Quad preamp and 295 poweramp I know why I love it. Its the craftmanship that makes a 1990 tube rig sound awesome 30 + years later.
Guys, I'm a fan of the channel for years. What I'm going to say is with good intentions. PLEASE, for the love of God, PLEASE, when you try to compare an amp with modelers/profilers, use the exact same Impulse Response. Otherwise you're not comparing similar things. You're comparing 3 amps with 3 different cabs, miced up differently, in different environments. Also, the reverb must be from the same source. I heard 3 very different guitar tones. When I do those experiments or listen to other channel's experiments, the tones are a lot closer.The IR is the most important element on the chain when you're trying to test amps vs modelers. You also didn't choose the correct model on the Helix and didn't set up the gain stages properly. The test doesn't have any credibility at all. I hope you read this Lee or Pete.
exactly. love the channel, very entertaining, but NOT a fair comparison at all, not even close. some other channels have demonstrated tones that are EXTREMELY close to the point where youtube compression and whatnot becomes a genuine issue in trying to tell them apart. i have no doubt Chapper's could still pull it off too, that's the disappointing part... but I want it to at least be a challenge and for him to see how close they can really get!
@@Artcore103 I seriously doubt he can pull it off by listening to studio/stage monitors, IF done correctly. The Kemper vs amp video is proof of that, but this isn't the point. The point is that by making these videos now that they have a broad audience, they continue to present a narrative that "modelers aren't as good", which is false and can potentially hurt their business as well. A lot of my favourite players tour with modelers/profilers, they must know something more, or set them up better.
I have an Axe FXII and for a while now I'm thinking about getting a Kemper as well. As a viewer I was also blind tested here (thanks guys!) and I thought the one I liked the most simply killed the other two.... the other two sounded unnatural. In my head I was like "fuck me, I'll bet this one will probably be Kemper" cause in many times Kemper profiles I heard were "better" than the original amp, better meaning the profile kinda fixes things that are not nice in the real amp. Well, what do you know, I loved the real JTM45 the best, it honestly was the only one that sounded real. and GOOD. The other two sounded between meh to eech and I didn't care who was the Kemper and who was the Helix. Thanks guys, you saved me a lot of money :-)
you made some good points which I tried to explain to a pro guitarist Pete Thorn, that speaker simulation is not the same as real speakers. It was easy to spot the real amp this time, even the Captain and I did. I know many has commented about the video editing, but I have to say they are the spices of the video.
Gotta admit- I also guessed which one was the JTM (both times), but I was clueless regarding the other two. Either way, this was a great video and it's good to see purple back. A big shout-out to Rory, because the mug thing was aces! Cheers
Valve amps have a clarity to them. I've had a JTM45 most of my life and I will never change. If you want a valve sound and feel, valves are the only way you'll get it!!!!!!!! It's a no brainer!! Great video guys!
Chappers could well have an actual superpower. He can sense what guitar he’s playing and which amp he’s playing it through before he even plays a note!! Has he ever got one wrong?
Love it, as usual. Let’s have a blindfold MOST EXPENSIVE GIBSON lespaul vs LEAST EXPENSIVE GIBSON les Paul! Does a studio cut it!? The public needs to know! Or les Paul’s that come w pick up covers vs open
In what is perhaps a similar vein to this video, could you guys do a series of blindfolded signature vs standard videos, where you take an artists signature gear and compare it to the standard version? So like for Slash you would run a Les Paul standard through a crybaby wah into some Marshall tube amp, and then compare it to a Slash signature Les Paul into a Slash signature wah into a Slash signature amp?
Funny that they lowered the bass EQ on the actually JTM (2-3) and was boosted on the Kemper and Helix (6-7) which was even obvious in the sound over UA-cam, let alone listening blindfolded. Love the blindfold challenges and love Chappers and Andertons, but this was not quite fair..
It would be cool to see you guys redo this with the right amp sim on the helix, profile the exact marshall for the helix and use the same IR or cab sim on all 3 with twonotes. Dont use proprietary reverbs either, use a pedal and put it in front of the 3-1 switcher.
My guesses before knowing which is which (real-time): Rob chose number 2. Clean-crunchy: sounds really really good, around 3:13. Now with the Bonsai, VERY GOOD. Lacks bass, but it can be due the Telecaster itself. Number 3: Clean is too glassy. But a nice one. Although, notes don't sound so clear. With the Bonsai: same as clean, not bad at all, but lacks a "clean"character. Lacks dynamics. Number 1: Clean has too many lower mids or lows. Lacks a "more live"sound... the only clean I don't like so far. With the Tube Screamer, can be great. Lacks something, but can sound good, depending on musical style. Overall, I didn't like number 3. I could gig with 1 and 2. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Anyway, I can't point which one is which... Great. Revealing at 9:16 - the sound I didn't like is the one coming from Helix's Line6. That totally goes with my opinion and knowledge: I don't like Line6 stuff; I never liked the Helix when I had several chances to try and hear it; I'm not a huge Marshall connoisseur. Conclusion: i would be happy and totally functional with either a JTM or a Kemper; I would sell the Helix if I get one. But, frightening enough, Kemper sounds better AGAIN, to my ears through UA-cam.
Thalstan Trailwalker agree. There not the same feel or sound in person in a room with a guitar cab. Fine for pros gigging. But people selling off all their amps I don’t get.
I often wonder why the Marshall heads adorning the room are never used as some sort of base standard. Everybody relates to them as the sound they all know and love. You could start a series, same amp/different player and get wildly different results. The touch sensitivity of the Marshall reveals all, a tell all example of what sounds like what. A good standard, and there’s a bunch of them just sitting there. Even I have a Marshall. Or 3.
Next time make a Kemper profile of the real JTM with the boss load box, and use Helix's JTM model with the same boss cab sim. Basically all 3 "amps" need to be run through the same IR. Then you're controlling for cab, speakers, mic, and mic placement. In this test, the amp and all 4 of those variables are changing between each option, making it far easier to hear differences.
Hi Lee, I have just bought a Fender Strat pro FSR Limited Edition, roasted maple in cherry burst from your shop, in fact it arrived today, and what I was wondering is this; are you going to be doing one of your excellent reviews of these guitars - in particular? - I only ask because I can't find one review anywhere on UA-cam, which is unusual to say the least. I know they're fairly new of course. Much obliged Mr A.
Would it have made sense to model the real JTM/expander/monitor rig with the Kemper instead of using a downloaded profile? Maybe that would've made it more of a Kemper-centric video, but it would have been interesting, at least.
I didn't like the first helix settings, rob tweeked it to sound better, the kemper was great all the way through. reaction of tubes with pedals does feel different, though not as obvious if your just listening. kemper handled the pedal well.
I’m a little bit late to the game but I have to ask, the Captain said that they were using some sort of ir/cab emulation ( and the onboard reverb of each unit but I’m halfway through on an iPhone and I can’t rewind to be sure of that part) is it all the same IR/Cab Emulation for all 3 or was the onboard IR’s used I only ask because if its 3 different IR/Cab Emulation than the whole shootout is a little bit flawed.... I also think because as I understand it the whole idea of amp modelling as we currently have it is not to sound like an amp but to sound like a miked up amp and cab playing through monitors in a studio why not shoot out a couple of modellers plus real amp with the boss tube amp expander just like this but with the addition of a miked up amp and cabinet through monitors use the same IR/Cab Emulation on the first 3 based on what Mike cab and speakers are being used and see which one actually sounds like a recording of a real amp hahahaha
For the abc comparison I could tell which was the Marshall but I didn’t like how it sounded because they turned the gain down on it, it sounded so thin
There is this thing in the Kemper called a profiler ;-) If you wanted to compare the Kemper you should have profiled the amp, because that is the whole point of the Kemper. The rest of the modeling stuff is different so you have no choice but to A/B them to attempt to make them match. I have a Kemper and an Atomic Amplifire 6. Going back and forth between the amp and the modeler to get a perfect match seems like a fool's errand (or maybe I just suck at it). Best thing for non-profiling modelers is to pick an amp type and make it sound good, done.
They do sound different but I don't really have a preference for either. But I'd want to hear them in a band context. I say, preparing a boss GT and wedge monitor for my weekend... It's not a blackstar HT40, a crayon, a big muff and a memory boy, but it's still a decent sound.
I recall the monster Kemper blind test with the amps in a different room all through the same 412 cabinet in the room and it was a much more significant challenge to tell them apart... Curious what the difference is here where the tube/valve amp was more apparent to both of you?
It always seems like the modelers are scared of taking the mids out like an amp does, and having the top end like an amp does, because that's what people think is digital fizz. That can be simply fixed with EQ and all, but what can't be fixed is crossover distortion, and helix definitely has too much. Even my SV20 gets crystal clean real fast on medium to low gain settings, while the helix doesn't wanna let go of crossover distortion until I roll off my guitars volume a little bit. Also, IRs are important on the helix. Built in cabs just aint it. The Brit trem model isn't a JTM tho. It's a 50 watt JMP.
lol at 6:57 when he points out number one has more gain but had evened them up earlier, I was thinking: "Yeah, because now your tubes are heated up since then and getting more saturation."
this is why i don't get hung up on which modeler is this and that vs the amps. i ONLY ever play with absurd amounts of boost and gain. clean sounds are easy. low and mid gain sounds are hard. high gain sounds are getting reaaaaally good. i'd have liked to have seen this same amp profiled and done an A/B test. especially with the same cab IR
![Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8UVNT4wvIGY/mqdefault.jpg)
The guy doing post-production deserves appreciation.
That's Rory!
I‘m waiting for the moment that one of the cups really falls down or blows up 😂
Wellington 15 you called it correctly haha. Not even a minute in
One can only hope 🙏
Then Rory will edit it like nothing happened.
"Some say that he can hear a moth fart at 200 yards...and that based on that sound, he knows what the moth had for lunch. All we know is, he's called Chappers!"
Jeremy Kolassa “you know how you can tell when a moth farts? It flies in a straight line”
- George Carlin.
As Anderton's is only 10 miles from the TG test track, is Chappers pulling double duty as The Stig?
Brilliant...ROTFL
Rob is the music world's equivalent of the Stig...without the anonymity...and the fact he never shuts up...
I died at this
I think this is a real testament to how far the Helix has come. It absolutely stands toe to toe with a Kemper these days, and even has an advantage often. And all that with such a better UI. Still fun to know that there is a tiny reason to own the real thing still though.
Even cheaper digital units are decent nowadays, they are good enough for live shows (no one in crowd will ever notice real difference) and infinitely handier and versatile. Real thing is good to have for yourself at home or in the studio where you can get the best of it.
@@ThorneyedWT the zoom g5n is so much for the money, perfect thing for a new player
@jonny j eh, take from it what you want. Spend your money how you want. I've played with tons of equipment and for myself the Helix is the current Jack of all trades. The Kemper is certainly cool. But it can be a nightmare live, since tweaking within a profile is very minimal.
@@chrisjames7489 especially when you add in IRs and all the pedals and snapshots, you can do anything you want
Really excited for the Fractal FM3!
Jesus, who ever keeps editing these videos, keep on teleporting those cups
Should have exploded the cup at 7:00 when Chappers was trying to find it and instantly teleported it back..
I was going to comment on that... I'm kind of new to the Andertons' videos. I'm guessing they are just messing with us, right?
@@marianoholiveto yeah, their editors do little things like that all the time, like editing stuff in and out of frame to keep us on our toes, it adds alot of neat flavour
@@brymills missed opportunity of the century
Each of these sounded fantastic tbh. But when comparing like for like... that's why I bought a Victory and not a kemper. But this makes me REALLY want a Boss tube amp expander even more!!!! 🎸
"I knew it was the Kemper because it had way too much low end".
*Captain shows the Kemper EQ with bass turned way up*
@10:10
Ah great to see Rob , I've missed you two guys together making vids....nice one
Was going though massive Cap & Chappers withdrawal. Glad to see some blindfolds back! Cap & Chap blindfolds are my favorite!
Helix, Kemper, HeadRush, GT1000, GE300, and tube amp blind test.
Let's do this.
Rory sir you are my hero with your editing that keeps me as entertained as my cat with a laser pointer
Rob can simply smell the Marshall, just like Gibson Les Paul it smells of PlayDough 🤣
Gibsons have a lot of problems but they smell amazing
Boggesh Zahim
My 2017 Les Paul Classic is amazing. Plus the smell.
I'd like to think that my long-gone Gibsons still smell of Golden Virginai. Mind you, I never smoked or boozed on stage, so maybe they smell more of smoke bombs.
Man, as a tube amp technician/builder, I bet you can feel the "Marshall" smell in that things. Another brands have their smell, but it's like a warm smell. Marshalls do have their particular "sweet" warm smell, and man, that's real nice.
You guys must keep your Gibson's in the case because my Gibson hasn't smelled like that in years And years because I play the shit out of it and it's not living in the case.
Yay! Rob and The Cappy are back! The guitar gods are happy
Mark Kozielec maybe he was out for his wife pregnancy
Paramarta Iganp he’s actually been at Thomann doing vids with them.
AK Copenbacon oh sorry didn’t know that. Thanks for the info
Paramarta Iganp He could’ve been giving reach arounds to goats for all I care. I’m just happy they’re back
Why not make a profile of the actual amp in the kemper?
That would be too reasonable and show the Kemper in its ideal light.
I expect the JTM 45 was a profile of an actual amp or do you mean the specific amp they were playing?
I’ve been missing rob and the captain videos thanks for the reunion
So, the Brit Trem BRT model is a 50 watt Plexi model. It’s not a JTM45 model at all...
Helix "Brit Trem" is JTM-50.
2:56 I was waiting for the Cap to put the cup back and the shatter in a cloud, but Rory mixed it up huh?
Put the thing on Lee's head instead.
Glad you made it back!!
Yay another Chappers & Captian blindfold challenge!! It's about time we had another, they're always the best :-)
I'm a simple man, I see a purple Tele and I click 'like'.
About time you came back, mates, good to see you again! :)
NO! Don't you realize what you've done?! It's all over now! Pete has ALL THE POWER!
Lovely video. Thanks guys :)
That's a pretty shit sounding Kemper profile TBH haha, but it is what it is. Even if it can do better, that illustrates how hard it is to find the right profiles.
Hmm its a TJ profile isnt that a Top Jimi profile? aka a paid profile also one of those that Kemper fanboys say you have to BUY if you want the best sound out of your Kemper
Most Kemper people don't really say you must.
@@JorisGriffioen actually im a kemper user and i hAve top jimi profiles and never liked it.
tonejunkie and mbritt have much better profiles.especially with this kind of tone
Bjarne Dahlberg some are freebies though including TopJimi. but I bought a pack of TopJimis and never use them. Mike Britt and TAF (the amp factory) and Bert Meulendijk’s are some good ones. And they all let you try out a bunch first. Especially, Michael.
I thought it sounded great but I'm not very picky.
Wish it was done through a cab instead, with cab sim off. The question of whether or not the digital stuff can replicate a full rig direct to PA or DAW has far been settled.
They already did that, the first kemper video they did.
I’m aware, but further analysis is warranted. And how many times has the comparison with cab sim been done? A lot more across the YT spectrum, from what I can tell.
DSP doesn't sound much if any different when it's turned up, and so can't react to impedance and open-air feedback accordingly. Having a big inefficient hunk of iron wrapped in wire that is sucking hundreds of watts from the wall - to power signal loads through various energy transformations is.... kind of important in sounding a particular way :)
The confusing part is listening to recordings and trying to reverse engineer what you are listening to. Live recordings may be hit or miss in this regard, but are generally more trust-able than studio multitracks.
A somewhat altered challenge:
Real Marshall head and cab vs
Kemper with same cab vs
Helix with Line 6 Powercab
None of these sounded bad at all, the Kemper was probably my favourite blind. I'm starting to think maybe a profiler type setup is in my future purely because I can't turn up the power at home, but I'll probably just carry on with the Katana for longer than I should as I have it now.
The JTM needed more volume to bring up the bass. The real thing sound better and play better
That wonderful Tele brought out the inner Pete in Rob! Niiiiiiiiiiice job fellas.
The videos with Rob and Lee are my favorites.
Helix sounded amazing! Wow! Even if it wasn't the JTM 45 Model 😂
Good to see the editors having fun!!
The coffee cups are screwing with me
Two things I don't get: why not actually PROFILE the JTM into the Kemper instead of looking for other profiles that are "close"? And why not use a reverb pedal or add it on the desk, so that at least they'd all be the SAME reverb?
the other thing about the Kemper, in particular, is the it doesn't behave much like the real thing if you change the gain (especially is you crank the gain up). You ideally profile at the level you want and leave it there, shooting more profiles if needed.
So certainly if you take a driven KPA profile and crank the gain on it down, to clean it up, it's not going to sound as good as the actual amp cranked down. You need to shoot the profile that way.
They've profiled an amp before with a Kemper a while ago, but if I remember correctly the profiling took a really long time to complete.
@@michaelgarcia2050 Takes less than 5 minutes
Hold up y’all, the Brit J-45 on the Helix is the JTM 45 model, not the Brit Trem (that’s a model of a 50 watt tremolo plexi, kind of a rare Marshall, apparently what the Appetite For Destruction was (with a spicy mod on top), innit)
That GNR amp was Tim Caswell modded rented SIR and also used by George Lynch who wanted it badly but could only rent it which he did. As for Slash he got another amp with the same mod for Appetite as the one he wanted was not in stock
Even if you get the sound right the feel(compression, sag etc.) is what really makes the difference with tube amps which seems to always be ignored. You can get the sound with a modeler but the feel of tubes is what makes a good player play great.
I would LOVE to see this with a JCM800, because many guitarists
hates on the Brit800 in the Helix. Then we could se if it only needs
tweeking to get close, or if it should have been better :)
The video editing gets me every time. It's almost worth watching just for the editor's gags! Lots of laugh out loud fun in what would otherwise be a bit dry "This is number one.... this is number two..... "
Congratulations on no. 2, Rob! Nothing better than being a father... except being a grandfather!
Tip: the one that turns off randomly, it’s actually the Marshall amplifier.
Or the head that you have to stand on its side. In my case, though, it was the combo you have to thump to the left of the strap. Or was it the right? Doctor! Can I have more of those druggies, please?
Ndlanding lmao
these guys just all make me happy
My impression of the Kemper is that it can have really great amp sound quality, but rifling through enough profiles to find exactly what you need is kind of like opening Packs of baseball cards. You will probably eventually find those 3 Super star cards you are after you're going to have to open a lot of packs to find those cards.
And that was through a PA. I sold my Kemper, I couldn’t get a good tone (vs valve) from a cab and couldn’t get used to playing through monitors. Highly convenient studio/live tool tho and they feel great! But as most of my guitar time is practice/play, I definitely bought the wrong tool for the job. Helix was impressive here although I would be surprised it felt as “authentic” as a Kemper. Great vid.
Point man that’s what I’m saying too. Kemper for gigging or pros in a studio sounds different. I can’t get it to feel and sound as good as an amp thru a guitar cabinet. Best modeler. Overlooked all the time. Yamaha thr100hd. Sounds and feels great. 2 amps going at the same time. Simple and not covered with a ton of FX.
Same. I tried with the Kemper. I really did. I used tube power amp and cab, FRFR, etc
Great advice. THR100HDs are the best sounding digital amp out there, I have the head and 2x12 tho I use my marshal cab instead. The Kemper did feel more valve like but THR smoked it in cab tone. But yeah, back to valve for me but still have the Yamaha, I don’t know why they aren’t everywhere.
Point man I think the price and people were saying the Yamaha wasn’t loud enough for stage use??? Idk about that but it has so many cool features in the back. I love it. But I saved up literally a lifetime for an amp that is the one for me and I keep trying and trying with the kemper and it’s just missing something like I said it’s just thru a guitar cab no anything in between. When I put a dirt or fuzz pedal thru a cleanish profile it’s much better but I’m sure it’s great in the studio with all the extra stuff and for pros gigging. I actually sold it and bought it back because some utube demos sounded so great. Got it back. Still sounded the same to me in person. So now it’s like a challenge to get it to sound and feel right but with no pedals. I keep trying. But I see my amp out of the corner of my eye just sitting there and I always go back to it. People do love it though. It is a brilliant idea. As I said why is the Yamaha’s feel and sound ok and it’s not even a profiler? 😐 idk. Btw Yamaha bought line6. FYI same thing with the Helix. I have to use my own dirt or fuzz pedals to get a decent sound. I did not buy any IR’s for either. Helix sounds great here. It’s just meh at home. Yea I don’t think I should be buying gigging or studio stuff.
@@robertwellington2616 Yeah I got two really nice amps and I love them. I got an HX Stomp that I like a lot but nothing beats tubes.
11:33 “It did react differently” or “It did react different, Lee”?
You know it's gonna be a great day when you see "Anderton's Blindfold Challenge" in your feed!!
6:58 Lee basically saying which one is the tube amp, it warmed up.
These simulations have come a long way. They sound good but the tube amp still sounded substantially better.
Idk if you guys have tried this before. But what if you had pedals like the golden plexi and other Marshall drive pedals vs an actual marshall? Possibly a blindfold test? Can you tell the difference?... btw this channel is great, fun to watch and very informative!
Why is Lee presenting the opening of this like its 90s CBBC?
Are any comparison videos on normal modelling amps to original tube amps. Now that comparison would provide worthy viewing.
I don't care. All I know when I plug into my Mesa Boogie Quad preamp and 295 poweramp I know why I love it. Its the craftmanship that makes a 1990 tube rig sound awesome 30 + years later.
Honestly, I usually can’t tell the difference in these videos, but here the Marshall really stood out..
Rob is back!!
"Pick a number BETWEEN one and three." There IS only one number between one and three. Lol.
Unless the choice is 1or 3 ofcourse.
The test subject has returned with more rock and roll that ever
Marshall Tube amps can be purchased new for less money that any of that other gear! End of story!
Guys, I'm a fan of the channel for years. What I'm going to say is with good intentions. PLEASE, for the love of God, PLEASE, when you try to compare an amp with modelers/profilers, use the exact same Impulse Response. Otherwise you're not comparing similar things. You're comparing 3 amps with 3 different cabs, miced up differently, in different environments. Also, the reverb must be from the same source.
I heard 3 very different guitar tones. When I do those experiments or listen to other channel's experiments, the tones are a lot closer.The IR is the most important element on the chain when you're trying to test amps vs modelers. You also didn't choose the correct model on the Helix and didn't set up the gain stages properly. The test doesn't have any credibility at all. I hope you read this Lee or Pete.
exactly. love the channel, very entertaining, but NOT a fair comparison at all, not even close. some other channels have demonstrated tones that are EXTREMELY close to the point where youtube compression and whatnot becomes a genuine issue in trying to tell them apart. i have no doubt Chapper's could still pull it off too, that's the disappointing part... but I want it to at least be a challenge and for him to see how close they can really get!
@@Artcore103 I seriously doubt he can pull it off by listening to studio/stage monitors, IF done correctly. The Kemper vs amp video is proof of that, but this isn't the point. The point is that by making these videos now that they have a broad audience, they continue to present a narrative that "modelers aren't as good", which is false and can potentially hurt their business as well. A lot of my favourite players tour with modelers/profilers, they must know something more, or set them up better.
Fender Telecaster purple sparkle relic FTW!!!!!
Running it though a digital DI ruins the comparison though, because in this case even the sound of the Marshall has been digitized and recreated.
I have an Axe FXII and for a while now I'm thinking about getting a Kemper as well.
As a viewer I was also blind tested here (thanks guys!) and I thought the one I liked the most simply killed the other two.... the other two sounded unnatural.
In my head I was like "fuck me, I'll bet this one will probably be Kemper" cause in many times Kemper profiles I heard were "better" than the original amp, better meaning the profile kinda fixes things that are not nice in the real amp.
Well, what do you know, I loved the real JTM45 the best, it honestly was the only one that sounded real. and GOOD.
The other two sounded between meh to eech and I didn't care who was the Kemper and who was the Helix.
Thanks guys, you saved me a lot of money :-)
you made some good points which I tried to explain to a pro guitarist Pete Thorn, that speaker simulation is not the same as real speakers. It was easy to spot the real amp this time, even the Captain and I did. I know many has commented about the video editing, but I have to say they are the spices of the video.
Rob says "Sorry Kemper" What is that about? The Kemper and the Helix are neck and neck but I think the Helix has better effects.
Gotta admit- I also guessed which one was the JTM (both times), but I was clueless regarding the other two.
Either way, this was a great video and it's good to see purple back.
A big shout-out to Rory, because the mug thing was aces!
Cheers
Valve amps have a clarity to them. I've had a JTM45 most of my life and I will never change. If you want a valve sound and feel, valves are the only way you'll get it!!!!!!!! It's a no brainer!! Great video guys!
Chappers could well have an actual superpower. He can sense what guitar he’s playing and which amp he’s playing it through before he even plays a note!!
Has he ever got one wrong?
There was one where he thought a Fender custom shop was a cheap Squier.
A spectrum analyzer and a decibel meter would be a good idea to match tone and volume.
Love it, as usual. Let’s have a blindfold MOST EXPENSIVE GIBSON lespaul vs LEAST EXPENSIVE GIBSON les Paul! Does a studio cut it!? The public needs to know! Or les Paul’s that come w pick up covers vs open
In what is perhaps a similar vein to this video, could you guys do a series of blindfolded signature vs standard videos, where you take an artists signature gear and compare it to the standard version? So like for Slash you would run a Les Paul standard through a crybaby wah into some Marshall tube amp, and then compare it to a Slash signature Les Paul into a Slash signature wah into a Slash signature amp?
2:55 Nice mug balancing act, Captain Lee!
Funny that they lowered the bass EQ on the actually JTM (2-3) and was boosted on the Kemper and Helix (6-7) which was even obvious in the sound over UA-cam, let alone listening blindfolded. Love the blindfold challenges and love Chappers and Andertons, but this was not quite fair..
It would be cool to see you guys redo this with the right amp sim on the helix, profile the exact marshall for the helix and use the same IR or cab sim on all 3 with twonotes. Dont use proprietary reverbs either, use a pedal and put it in front of the 3-1 switcher.
My guesses before knowing which is which (real-time):
Rob chose number 2. Clean-crunchy: sounds really really good, around 3:13. Now with the Bonsai, VERY GOOD. Lacks bass, but it can be due the Telecaster itself.
Number 3: Clean is too glassy. But a nice one. Although, notes don't sound so clear. With the Bonsai: same as clean, not bad at all, but lacks a "clean"character. Lacks dynamics.
Number 1: Clean has too many lower mids or lows. Lacks a "more live"sound... the only clean I don't like so far. With the Tube Screamer, can be great. Lacks something, but can sound good, depending on musical style.
Overall, I didn't like number 3. I could gig with 1 and 2. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Anyway, I can't point which one is which...
Great. Revealing at 9:16 - the sound I didn't like is the one coming from Helix's Line6. That totally goes with my opinion and knowledge: I don't like Line6 stuff; I never liked the Helix when I had several chances to try and hear it; I'm not a huge Marshall connoisseur. Conclusion: i would be happy and totally functional with either a JTM or a Kemper; I would sell the Helix if I get one. But, frightening enough, Kemper sounds better AGAIN, to my ears through UA-cam.
While profile machines give you a large variety you can choose from, they are not quite the same...thanks for the great video
Thalstan Trailwalker agree. There not the same feel or sound in person in a room with a guitar cab. Fine for pros gigging. But people selling off all their amps I don’t get.
I often wonder why the Marshall heads adorning the room are never used as some sort of base standard. Everybody relates to them as the sound they all know and love. You could start a series, same amp/different player and get wildly different results. The touch sensitivity of the Marshall reveals all, a tell all example of what sounds like what. A good standard, and there’s a bunch of them just sitting there. Even I have a Marshall. Or 3.
I half expected Rob to choose the Chapman guitar again ;) :P
Next time make a Kemper profile of the real JTM with the boss load box, and use Helix's JTM model with the same boss cab sim. Basically all 3 "amps" need to be run through the same IR. Then you're controlling for cab, speakers, mic, and mic placement. In this test, the amp and all 4 of those variables are changing between each option, making it far easier to hear differences.
@0:33 You need a sound for the mug reappearing - maybe some sort of sci-fi teleport sound. :-/
What about the Marshall through a 4x12 Celestion cab cranked in your face?...will it sound different?
Well done Helix
Hi Lee, I have just bought a Fender Strat pro FSR Limited Edition, roasted maple in cherry burst from your shop, in fact it arrived today, and what I was wondering is this; are you going to be doing one of your excellent reviews of these guitars - in particular? - I only ask because I can't find one review anywhere on UA-cam, which is unusual to say the least. I know they're fairly new of course. Much obliged Mr A.
Hey Andertons, can you start sharing the Helix patches you use in videos like this? Cheers!
Chappers should have added a Miku in for the Captain!!
Please make video DANISH PETE AND HIS NEW PRS MID TO HIGH RANGE VALVE AMPS OR VALVE REFURBISHED AMPS
Would it have made sense to model the real JTM/expander/monitor rig with the Kemper instead of using a downloaded profile? Maybe that would've made it more of a Kemper-centric video, but it would have been interesting, at least.
Not sure why you didn't adjust each to break up at the same guitar level?
Good to see rob back at the videoroom
I didn't like the first helix settings, rob tweeked it to sound better, the kemper was great all the way through. reaction of tubes with pedals does feel different, though not as obvious if your just listening. kemper handled the pedal well.
I’m a little bit late to the game but I have to ask, the Captain said that they were using some sort of ir/cab emulation ( and the onboard reverb of each unit but I’m halfway through on an iPhone and I can’t rewind to be sure of that part) is it all the same IR/Cab Emulation for all 3 or was the onboard IR’s used I only ask because if its 3 different IR/Cab Emulation than the whole shootout is a little bit flawed.... I also think because as I understand it the whole idea of amp modelling as we currently have it is not to sound like an amp but to sound like a miked up amp and cab playing through monitors in a studio why not shoot out a couple of modellers plus real amp with the boss tube amp expander just like this but with the addition of a miked up amp and cabinet through monitors use the same IR/Cab Emulation on the first 3 based on what Mike cab and speakers are being used and see which one actually sounds like a recording of a real amp hahahaha
Which impedance setting on the Helix? Pretty important! Internal IR's are no match for a celestion IR, it would make the test much harder ;-)
For the abc comparison I could tell which was the Marshall but I didn’t like how it sounded because they turned the gain down on it, it sounded so thin
There is this thing in the Kemper called a profiler ;-) If you wanted to compare the Kemper you should have profiled the amp, because that is the whole point of the Kemper. The rest of the modeling stuff is different so you have no choice but to A/B them to attempt to make them match. I have a Kemper and an Atomic Amplifire 6. Going back and forth between the amp and the modeler to get a perfect match seems like a fool's errand (or maybe I just suck at it). Best thing for non-profiling modelers is to pick an amp type and make it sound good, done.
They do sound different but I don't really have a preference for either. But I'd want to hear them in a band context. I say, preparing a boss GT and wedge monitor for my weekend... It's not a blackstar HT40, a crayon, a big muff and a memory boy, but it's still a decent sound.
I recall the monster Kemper blind test with the amps in a different room all through the same 412 cabinet in the room and it was a much more significant challenge to tell them apart... Curious what the difference is here where the tube/valve amp was more apparent to both of you?
2 and 3 might not sound spot on for the JTM but just as far as how it sounds in general, 2 and 3 were more pleasing to my ears than 1.
It always seems like the modelers are scared of taking the mids out like an amp does, and having the top end like an amp does, because that's what people think is digital fizz. That can be simply fixed with EQ and all, but what can't be fixed is crossover distortion, and helix definitely has too much. Even my SV20 gets crystal clean real fast on medium to low gain settings, while the helix doesn't wanna let go of crossover distortion until I roll off my guitars volume a little bit.
Also, IRs are important on the helix. Built in cabs just aint it.
The Brit trem model isn't a JTM tho. It's a 50 watt JMP.
lol at 6:57 when he points out number one has more gain but had evened them up earlier, I was thinking: "Yeah, because now your tubes are heated up since then and getting more saturation."
Richard G
Did you also push up your glasses while doing a little sniffle?
Unless you’re a snob or recording and playing at a high level, it doesn’t really matter. They all sounded well and usable.
Where did the Vintera offsets video go?! Was looking forward to an Andertons review on those :(
I love these blindfold challenges =D Keep em coming please!
Those exploding mugs still make me laugh every time.
this is why i don't get hung up on which modeler is this and that vs the amps. i ONLY ever play with absurd amounts of boost and gain. clean sounds are easy. low and mid gain sounds are hard. high gain sounds are getting reaaaaally good.
i'd have liked to have seen this same amp profiled and done an A/B test. especially with the same cab IR
The helix model you used was the 50 watt plexi not the JTM 45.
It's a shame they dont feature the axe fx in these videos. I know its because they cant sell them but would be pretty interesting.