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I use the HX Stomp with my PC, a pair of JBL monitors and Seinheser headphones. I still have a Marshall DSL20 head paired with a 1x12 Orange Cab and V30 speaker. I love my tube amp but it's getting dust. HX Stomp sounds so good at low volumes and it's so practical that it's unbeatable for someone who lives in an apartment.
I like that you referred to the Line 6 as "fun." That's the same thought I had. While using a Helix or even something simpler, like the Pod Go or HX Stomp, the Line 6 stuff is always just plain fun. Fun to use, fun to play through, fun to hear. It's cool that you had a similar notion about their gear. As always, a great video. Thanks for keeping it going!
I went through so many you have shared here.. and I keep coming back to the L6 Helix/HX Stomp. I use it differently than most. I have been using it as preamp, to a power amp setup into real cabs. It just works exactly like I want it to work.
Same. That's about the only way I can tolerate my HX Stomp if I want to use it as an amp. Rhythm tones sound great. Still after hours of use it still leaves me wanting to go back to my real amp. It is very convenient and gets the job done for the most part tho! 🤘🤘🤘
This is how I use it, too. I turn off the cab/ir block and run it into the effects return of my amp (Friedman PT v2) which goes into a Mesa 2x12 cab. Sounds fantastic in this setup. I’ll occasionally turn on the IR block and go into studio monitors. Sounds very good there as well, but not as “big” sounding.
@mhoff7722 I have a Diezel VH2, a first edition, Mesa Single 50 Recto, and a Marshall JCM800. I love them but very happy that I can get 99% of those amps tones with L6.
@@TVoltG Very cool. Is that for recording and monitoring through studio monitors? That is how I like it best. Cranked through a couple of 4x12's I gotta go with the real amp for any extended amount of playing time.
Hey John, I'm not sure if you know this but you are able to control different parameters in different scenes on the Ampero 2 Stage. If you use the computer editor, you can adjust parameter values in each different scene and save them. I haven't tried it on the unit itself but I know it's possible through the computer editor. Brett Kingman has a video making a preset with different parameters in the different scenes.
My biggest advice i could ever give to anyone on digital modelling units is just to try it all.. It really is all about perspective and what suit's your needs. As someone who has owned , Helix , Kemper , FM3 , HX stomp , ToneX and now onto an Axe Fx 2 XL it really is just whatever suits you best.. I've loved all the units , But some of them have been alot worse than others for what i have personally needed at the time and there have been clear winners in terms of tone for sure by a big margin. It's like if you are just a bedroom player and you use like 4-5 different simplified tones and effects and maybe play like a local pub gig once in a while and you're quite new to modelling tech then something on the cheaper scale like the Helix/Headrush will be for you. But if you're like a player that maybe plays in covers band every week and you want to just load things onto a unit without having to constantly tweak and just sound as close as you can to replicate a band, With super high quality and effects then something like the Kemper or Quad Cortex is going to do that for you. But then if you're like a hardcore guitar player that's basically a studio engineer and enjoys just building tones and effects from scratch and really deep diving into creating something your own then a Fractal unit is probably going to tick every single box out there for you. I always say every unit has it's exact purpose. I'd personally pick a different unit for each scenario rather than sticking with just one if im honest. Even as an Axe Fx user yea it sounds great but there are scenarios you just want something simple and easy to set up quickly. They can all do it but some are just better than others in those aspects!
The more I work with my helix stuff (rack, native, stomp and pod go wireless) the more I love this platform. Sometimes I think I’d like to try a Fractal but then I go to UA-cam and hear helix and fractal head to head It just remind me that i’m happy with the helix and do not really need anything else
Made my choice before the newer ones came out but for everything I looked at the Helix came out as the best. Have never regretted it. It's fantastic, checks all the boxes.
Just as an fyi, with the hot one stage ii you can change all the parameters of any effect/amp. Scene 1 is the default then any parameter you change in scenes 2-5 is saved in that scene just by changing it. It’s even easier than controllers
I have had my Kemper dialed in for the last 6 years and have not had to tweak anything. I am interested in getting a Quad Cortex for the easier editing. I believe there is something here for everyone and it’s whatever works for you.
I switched from the Kemper to Quad and never looked back. Sound quality is similar, but the quad has many more options and it's easier to use. Also love that you can use many captures on the same preset.
as a professional musician I use what sounds, feels, and is easiest to get consistent tone. For me FM9. I'm very comfortable with the editing either by PC or on the box, but the PC editor is much easier. Tone wise I can use it direct to FoH, direct to my tube or SS amp (depends on which band) and to the front of the amp or 4CM. They all sound great these days. The layout flexibility of the FM9 buttons and pedals is so deep. I have yet to find a situation or setup I can't achieve. Best is going to be whatever fits you.
I have been using Helix for the past 4 years now, it’s a great device but for me personally I love Fractal audio the most. The amp model features and effects are absolutely top notch. The only thing I don’t like about helix is the tone feel and dynamic response on the unit. It doesn’t feel organic like the fractal
Awwsome. I knew Helix and Fractal would be in the top 2. Love my Helix LT. Helix UI is much easier to learn for newbies than the Fractal stuff for sure but you can really tweak at the pro level with the Fractal stuff. rock on. Keep it up.
I only picked up the Helix Floor maybe 5 months ago, so I'm way late to the party, but I've enjoyed it immensely. I can run it direct, I can use it with a PowerCab, and I've recently enjoyed running it in the loop of a tube amp, bypassing the physical preamp and modeling that way. I can run my vocals through it on a different signal chain, route it to a different output, etc., etc. It's very versatile.
Likewise! I got mine in October last year and I feel the same. I've started adding bass to my recordings via poly Capo and it has changed my home jams. I love my Helix. Not saying I wouldn't love any of the others but my Helix is so comfortable now. I have started using MIDI assignments to run Reaper when I'm at my desk, too.
Line 6 at 1 makes sense to me. Native has been a game changer for recording for me, being able to use it on any track, not just guitar, is amazing. I also really like the Amperium but the UI definitely needs work. I also like that its high gain heavy with it's amp models. I also like that out of all the modelers its the easiest to use live like I do with one signal to the front of house with an IR and another to a real cab without one.
I have a Boss ME-90. I don't gig enough to make something more expensive worth it. I play jazz and I love the clean tones, and I love the on-the-fly tweakability of the effects. If I need a super accurate amp sound, I can turn off the amp model and throw my ToneX into the effects loop, but I've never had to do that.
Still my axe fx3. Owned it for around 3 years now and haven't wanted or bought an amp since. It just keeps getting better with updates and the more I learn about it, it's always fresh and new. I won't be replacing it until it dies. I've never felt that way about a piece of gear in my 27 years of playing
Can you tell on the last Testament album which tracks used a tube amp and on which tracks a Kemper? Can you tell Dave Murray (Iron Maiden) went full-on Axe FX while playing live?
@@beastofthepriest No. But the player can tell. I can tell when I'm using them and that translates to my enjoyment. It's all these little things in the touch and feel. But to your point, the crowd couldn't care less. Same with E drums. Most people wouldn't even notice an electric kit or triggers but drummers seem to hate playing them over real drums.
I like Synergy, Kemper, Fractal … for convenient tubes, profiles/captures, and modeling, respectively … which I prefer in that order … Just wondering which other options you may have considered vs Two Notes … ? Cheers all. 🙏🏼
As a line 6 Helix floor unit for 5 years, I bounced between the fractal audio AX8. However, when I got the fractal audio FM 9 turbo it definitely was a game changer. Not that Helix is bad. Helix was so much simpler on the learning curve. Once you get around a learning curve of a fractal audio stuff it's a breeze. The sounds out of this unit are amazing. I've never been so more happier because I'm playing and doing less tweaking.
I researched many Effects Processors/Modelors and ended up going with the Ampero Stage II. As someone who no longerplays out I was looking for a unit that did a LOT for home use! Looper, Drum Machine, Vocal/Mic input. Good bang for the buck unit
Best pedalboard for amps: 1.fractal 2.quad cortex 3. HEADRUSH 4. Hotone 6/7 Line 6 For usability 1. HEADRUSH 2 Fender 3 Quad Cortex 4 hotone 5/6 Line 6 For overdrive pedals: 1.Fractal 2.Quad C 3.Line 6 in the last position Headrush For ambient tones: 1 Fractal, 2. Quad 3. Line 6
Been playing and recording since the 80’s. Have the Ox Box, Palmer PDI 03, Captor X. And many speaker cabs. My Neo Creamback 1x12 in a Baltic Birch cabinet blows them all away. The feedback, the richness as the volume rises. Hell Yes 🤘
I use simple chains, mainly working in studio. From price/quality/simplicity point of view my winner is Amperium. Next is FM3 because of effects quality, but if we consider only amp modelling it's on the same level as Amperium but 3x more xpensive. 3rd is Helix.
The only one of these i have is the qc and i would have thought it would rank better but ive never tried any fractal stuff so i find it interesting and im going to have to try one out someday to see whats better about them. For my qc, ive had really good sucess capturing all my tube amps and have bought a good amount of captures from reputable guys that just blow me away how real they feel and sound. I cant imagine there being a better platform, but thats why we are all entitled to our own opinions.
Helix Native is the reason I keep coming back to the Helix. I’ve tried to convince myself to sell off my FM9 and just go with the Helix since I am at a point in my music life where it’s hard to justify keeping both but honestly, every time I think, ok maybe I can do with just the Helix, I plug into my FM9 and it’s a difference sound and feel. Plus Helix has this silly limitation that’s hard to get past, I can’t understand why they will not implement the ability to do “channel switching” on an amp model. You have to use 2 amp blocks and switch back and forth to go Clean/Gain in the same preset.
On channel switching, there are two workarounds. You may already know this but if not...First, some of the new L6 amps have built-in boosts that you can assign to a footswitch. Second, for any other amp you can assign multiple changes to the amp set up (so, drive levels, EQ), to a single footswitch. It's not as simple as a two-channel switch in real life, and it isn't a solution for a model like the Placater where you have specific Clean/Dirty models. But its a workaround. Hope it helps.
@@ianwillo thank you, unfortunately these workarounds don’t work in my normal use cases. The 2 closest workarounds I have found are 1- 2 amp blocks, a control switch that bypasses one and activates the other. 2-use an EQ block as a pseudo clean model with my gain amp model bypassed then bypass the EQ when the gain amp is engaged.
@@stm113 That makes sense. The other possible workaround I've spotted is the new JCM800 2203 model has the high-low inputs as a switch within the same model, rather than two different models. So in theory I can assign that + volume + EQ to a switch and do channel switching that way. I'm going to have a play around with it. It would be amazing if they retrofitted that feature to more models.
@@jorismak yep, you can do this with snapshots. I just try to have solutions that work inside snapshots and outside of them too (specifically for improv and jamming when I don't know what combination of things I'll want in advance).
I do love my Kemper. I just select an existing profile, tweak less, play more. Reamping works fine, if you really want to optimize your sound in the band context. That makes even tweaking easy. And thanks to all the firmware udates I now need just two external effects, else everything is already build in. You need however to invest in professional profiles instead of trying to profile on you own... that is quite difficult!
Personally I would choose the Fractal over the Helix. Especially with the new firmware that gives us gapless preset changes and more amps and the update also somehow made all my presets sound even better. The Helix is a great unit though, and I have been using that for 6-7 years and I still use Native alot. Awesome video as usual.
@@SonicDriveStudio yeah I installed the beta on the FM3 the other day and I can't stop making presets. The amps really comes alive, and I hardly experience any DSP issues. Maybe 0.6% more on some presets compared to before, but I'll take that trade any day. :)
The FM is 1.449€ - thus still cheaper than the QC. But yes, Fractal isn't cheap. I'm a bit surprised that you preferred the Helix family over the Fractal. I think the amp models in the Helix are pretty far away from the ones that can be found on Fractal devices. Badonk is good, the rest is pretty meh. Had the LT and the HX Stomp for years but after switching to the FM3 I *never* looked back. But of course a valid opinion, Jon! I think Fractal won't release a plugin ever - just because of piracy 🤷🏻♂
@@dannutton9350 1.099$ is without VAT. The FM3 here in Europe is 1.449€...the normal Helix is about the same, the LT is 999€, the HX Stomp is about 649...
@user-tf4tv9bj4f if you add the fc6 you have similar size and function. The Fm3 provides incredible tone for your average studio/local gig guitarist. I can use the fm3 with one preset and 8 scenes and control functions and gapless switching and cover many sounds. I owned fractal since 2006 the first axefx using a standard and ultra for 17ys finally buying an fm3. I've played a helix stuff but found the Fractal to be more real, before the Fractal I ran Mesa rectos triaxis, marshall jcm800 and a splawn quick rod. Touring regional for many years. I recently bought an ampero that sounds decent enough to jam with friends. I think all the modelers are quality enough and use what you want to get your sound.. rock on
I completely understand your choice for the first two, especially when considering the Helix interface. I have an FM3 now, but before I had a Stomp HX XL and I honestly think the Helix is further behind in terms of tone. I thought the Helix was very "HI-FI" (if that makes sense), and in the FM3 it's so easy to get a good tone, that it's fun even if the interface isn't that friendly.
I use the Helix Floor for my main cover guitar gig where I also give bass a path. I also use HX effects for my bass only gig. What you don't mention is that if you are on the platform, you can move effects from one unit to another by drag and drop. Incredibly efficient.
Great video! Future video idea would be to have the “Ultimate Amp Modeler” shootout! Compare 1-3 “tweaked” amp and IR (or cab) that all the modelers have and then use the real amp compared to all of the amp modelers versions with timestamps to jump around. :)
Pretty much agree with everything you said. The newer companies have some questionable amp modelling but capture features are amazing. Helix wins for usability reasons but Fractal Audio has had the best amp modelling for like a decade and no other hardware unit can even be compared to that high standard. The downside is usability and price for Fractal... but an Axe-Fx II has better amp modeling than any other non-Fractal hardware unit so there's that. 🎉
Thanks for sharing your 2 cents! Of course this list is very personal so I knew going into this that not everybody would agree, and that's totally fine of course! Variety is the spice of life! ;)
I have the QC and couldn’t be happier. It keeps updating and improving all the time. I would choose fractal over it just because of the FX variety, however I would lose the QC’s much easier and faster user interface whenever you need to make some changes.
there are many IR products on the market, but I think DYNAX IR has the best sound. As stated in their product description, DYNAX IR is really fast. When using IRs, the pick attack is sometimes delayed, and it is difficult to add picking nuances, but their IR prevents all of that. It's revolutionary!
I own several different platforms. For me, the Fractal Axe-Fx 3 is the absolute best! The guru's at Fractal Audio are consistently improving their product.
I’ve got the prime and the helix, honestly I’d swap the prime and the hotone in your list, the prime needs work for sure, but I think the models sound great and the captures are better than tonex. Not sure if you’ve updated it recently or not. That said, my helix is still here for two reasons, metal amps and running them through a mimiq. 😂
As a fellow owner of the top 3 on this list I’m gonna have to agree with you. Even though I play with my Axe III 90% of the time, for the money, having the floor unit and expression pedal of the Helix for a much cheaper cost. I don’t play out anymore and play at my desk and slightly prefer the modeling and built in cabs from fractal but I’d be happy knowing I’d have a top dog if I just had my Helix. The QC sounds great and I love the form factor and toughness of the unit but like you said, it just doesn’t sound and react in the “real” way that the other two do. I can dial my Axe(especially) and Helix to sound virtually identical to my 50w 5150 6l6 with 412 Recto cab with basically the same knob settings. Neural uses their own scale or something.
@@LuisHernandez-oo7cqhelix has a learning curve. You’re totally right-all the different EQs, as well as the input stuff (impedance, aux vs guitar input, etc), and the sag and bias parameters sum up to make the sounds on point. I find that a lot of people tend to be using the Helix wrong, trying to use it like an amp in the room when it should be viewed as crafting a mic’ed amp has you would in studio. I like how AxeFx and Kemper sound, but captures are more limiting to work with. Plus, half the time I don’t like people’s captures. I learned that from using NAM profiles, especially if an overdrive was used. People overdo that shit like 80% of the time. The fact that the Helix is still being talked about and is still Line6s flagship says a lot about it. They have no plans of doing a II because it still has a lot of life in it. That tells you how powerful it is.
BTW, something nobody ever seems to mention, but that is really really cool about the Line 6 stuff is that you can switch the Line 6 Guitar model of a Line 6 guitar when you’re using one of their foot pedals to switch your amp models!!!! So, in other words, with the push of one button, you can change your left and right amps and effects And the model on your Line 6 guitar! Absolutely incredible.
Used to have a Helix rack and loved it. Downsized when the world changed to a HX Stomp because they say it's the same sounds but it felt absolutely terrible to me. Sold it and tried the Ampero Stomp II and was hooked. Stage is on it's way now.
I think the price point at each tier, coupled with the overall fun factor of tweaking and tweezing sounds (I’ve literally lost hours doing that, and didn’t mind at all) puts Line6 Helix ecosystem at #1 for me. But then again, I’ve always found a way to find good usable tones on a budget. I even used an original POD 1.0 live for a while, and it sounded amazing considering the simplicity. But different aspects make different products appealing. I mean the sheer affordability of the Hotone makes it hard to beat, especially for a beginner or part time hack. But Modeling is as divisive as the whether or not to use modelers debate. It’s all really dependent on what meets your needs best, and that includes your budget.
Way back in the day I used to have a pod 1.0 that i updated to a 2.0 (i got the rom chip from line6 and installed it myself) and the 4 button footswitch. I ran that to an 80's peavey renown 400 2x12 . 210 watt SS.. that rig crushed !
I wished you had a Gt1000 or a gt1000 core. I love my core. The 32bit processing really makes the tones sound more high resolution to me. I can’t describe it. You can just hear it.
I think most mentioned units uses floating point processing (unlike fixed point), at least with single precision, i.e. 32 bit. It`s mainstream now. Still double precision is PC luxury.
Jon, you are so right and I’ve said this many times. Helix is just fun! Doesn’t hurt that it also sounds great and has more features and effects than you could ever use. I find fractal the complete opposite of fun which is why my FM3 hasn’t been powered on in months. I’ve been playing guitar for decades and no I don’t find the tones between the two units “not even close”, “night and day” and all that nonsense that the fractal cult members would lead you to believe.
@@DavidSmith1307Exactly, you can also send MIDI from HX to Tonex. I giged this combo also with Blackstar Live Logic for more footswitching options, and this is a really killer setup.
The A2S does have scene control, you can assign different parameters to each scene. What it can’t do is name scenes and assign a custom led color to different scenes.
Can’t deny your number 1. They’ve been at the game for 20 years and their effects modeling is first class. The price is decently good and below the “devastating if broken/stolen at a gig” dollar amount, and the form factor of the Stomp and XL only needing 9 volts, 1 amp of power (yes, multiple L6 engineers have said the Stomp/XL only needs 1 amp instead of 3 that’s on the box) means it’s a lot easier to power on a pedalboard with other pedals than the bigger units. The amp models are great too!
Of all the guitar related gear channels I have visited, yours excel in every possible aspect. To start with, your videos are of excellent quality. Secondly, you always try to present an unbiased opinion (as much as a human can). Last, but not least, you do not do any clowning, which I hate and I was very pleased to see that you put emphasis on quality content rather than just b«tching around. You'd deserve ten times as many subscribers. Thank you for the effort you put into this channel.
I cant argue with your choice of Helix. I've had mine since 2020 and it just delivers the sickest, illest, most rupturous tone _ever!_ I completely pulled the tone I've had in my head for years, but could never quite nail down, out of the Helix. Just straight _rippage!_ 🤟
Best thing for me about the Helix is the infinite ways you can configure it - both workflows, all the connections, the interface capabilities and on. Downside is the weight
Axe FX III MkII is an absolute beast and workhorse in my studio. Not only do I track guitars and bass through it, I also use it as a hardware insert for aux reverb, delays and other effects processing. Plus you get 4 channels! It’s honestly in a category of its own. 🔥🔥🔥
I would agree with the ranking. Sure, as far as end results go, Fractal wins hands down but it has a steep learning curve, not the easiest availability and quite a hefty price tag so I kind of agree with the number 2 spot. My only disagreement is about the QC: it deserves the third place but I gotta say I'm quite happy with it's modelling and find it more "ready to go" than the Helix where I rely on my heavily tweeked favorites for quite preset building, however it lacks in the FX which are really kind of basic compared to the competition and sound competent rather than inspiring. But yeah having played most of those modellers featured here I agree with your ranking
What a great, concise and honest overview! I started with the line6 HX Stomp and I agree it is an amazing little device that punches way above its weight class. I eventually decided to go with the Fractal Axe FX3 because the flexibility and incredible power appealed to me, but I do miss the simpler and more intuitive workflow of the Stomp. Ultimately I realized that the Axe FX3 was overkill for my live rig as I seldom exceeded 50% CPU utilization even with dual amp presets, so now I continue to enjoy the Axe FX3 in the studio and I practice and gig with the FM9. My primary motivation for using the FM9 is to have shared presets live and at home, but if I had kept the HX Stomp it would definitely be a viable solution. Who knows? Had I tried the full sized Helix I may have never even explored Fractal, but I’m extremely happy with my FM9 and love the frequent software updates adding new features like the recent gapless switching… GAME CHANGER!
Excellent video, Jon! I agree that the Amperium Live is up there with the best soundwise. I even like it better than the FM3 because I always find the Fractal modeling a little bit too dark and muffled, but that‘s just a matter of taste. Can‘t go wrong with Line 6 either!
All sound good, depending on the user's tone, playing, knowledge capabilities of their music, and their influence. I had two guys playing the same rig setup with different skill levels they both don't sound the same lol. Just enjoy the choices. Grateful for the gear industry and the innovation 😃
Hi, great video. Thanks. The integration and interchangeability between the Helix Rack/ Floor and Helix Native is one of the main reasons that makes me keep the Line 6 stuff that I have and not switch to a Fractal or other company unit. The other companies are way behind on that aspect. Mostly I use Helix Native nowadays and sometimes the HX Stomp/ Rack for practicing when I don't want to use the laptop. Line 6 also keep updating the Helix/ HX series so that's one big positive too. Fun is also what it definitely is and so easy to edit on the units and HX Edit. Fractal is too expensive and not worth the price of admission for a non-professional at home player like me. :)
Like others, I went through some of them (helix, QC, FM9…). I prefer the FM9, then I would pick the Helix in 2nd place. With the physical unit, I would love to have a Fractal plugin like what Line 6 offers. Helix Native is a great all in one solution for recording.
Gast... nooit gedacht dat line 6 een 1ste plaats weet te bemachtigen in een lijst als dit. Inderdaad ze zijn van flut naar top gegaan in hun ontwikkeling zeg. Helix, mooi apparaatje hoor ;)
I have the FM3 and the Helix and I agree that the amp modeling quality is very close but FM3 is just a bit better. For my experience I had to tweak the Helix amps more to get the sound I wanted vs the FM3. Helix UI is definitely more user friendly.
I agree but I’d say that Helix is good but not very close to FAS modeling. I can get usable even good tones but it takes so much more work than my FAS gear does, to still not sound as good.
For me personally, the Boss GT-1000Core is the one. No other unit on the market has the same level of price/performance/unique effects/size/current draw/reputation for reliability as the Boss GT-1000Core. The Quad Cortex, for instance, costs three times as much, is 2.5 times the size, consumes more than 3 times as much electrical power, and lacks both Boss' unique effects and reputation for reliability. The HX Stomp costs $100 more and has much less CPU/DSP power. I do not need 1000 amp models and 1000 IRs; I need a handful that work perfectly for my needs, and the GT-1000Core has them with Boss' AIRD amp models. The built-in IRs are great, and I can load enough others to meet my needs, as I don't play other people's music, I only play *my* music. I also do not need to have plug-ins of the GT-1000 on my DAW. The GT-1000Core has a few limitations, mainly due to its size, but I realized pretty quickly that te easiest, cheapest, and smallest way to work around those limitations is to just use two GT-1000Cores, together. At $1200 for two of them, it's still a bargain compared to the QC, the Fractal units, and the larger Helix units. The Core takes up exactly as much space on a pedalboard as two standard Boss pedals and the space between them, costs about the same price as 3-5 standard Boss pedals, but offers processing power much greater than 3-5 pedals can contain. Two Cores together take up no more space on a pedalboard than one row of 4 regular Boss pedals. It has all of Boss' unique effects, which are the ones I use, and it has Boss' reputation and history of reliability, which no other company in the market can match. Not Line 6, not Fractal, not Neural, none of them have been making effects as long as Boss or hold the level of trust that musicians have for Boss. I really like that the Boss AIRD amp models are not intended to necessarily replicate the sound of pre-existing physical amps, so there is no tendency to compare them to "the actual amps", as "the actual amps" don't exist. So, you get to focus on whether or not the amp models actually sound good, and they not only sound good, they sound great. I'm using the "Natural" and "Boutique" for clean to low gain sounds, and the "X-HiGain" and "X-Modded" for high gain sounds. I use Boss' "X-OD" and "X-DIST" drives, which no other company has, and Boss' "X-COMP" and "X-Bass Comp", which no other company offers. And of course, there is a whole host of other effects for which Boss is justifiably famous inside the box, as well.
Maybe you can answer this question because I can't seem to find a straight answer to it in Boss' manuals or in forums. Is it possible to run two signals: one with an IR and one without to go to a live cab? I like the tones I've heard from Boss but it's not useful to me unless I can run a regular cab.
@@gabrielstevens41 Yes, Boss has a ton of different routing options. It's actually a little confusing at first but extremely flexible once you figure it out. Basically there are 4 outputs (Main L/R, Sub L/R) and you can split them or run stereo twice. Using one of the 3 dividers you can send your signal out one of the sub outs (or one side of the Main outs) with a cab block IR on that path, then your other path would go to your live cab. There are other ways too, just realize that there are 4 physical outputs, 4 virtual outputs and 3 virtual dividers.
Hey man. Thank you for this. Im going to serve church again. I was about to buy ampero stomp and difference between 1k core is only 150 euros. Does core have a scene function like its limited to three switches. Can it do different parameters in one patch? Also they said its an unbalanced output so i cant run it directly to the mixer. I need DIs. Right?
@@jameswatson5576 Hey man. Thank you for this. Im going to serve church again. I was about to buy ampero stomp and difference between 1k core is only 150 euros. Does core have a scene function like its limited to three switches. Can it do different parameters in one patch? Also they said its an unbalanced output so i cant run it directly to the mixer. I need DIs. Right
Jon, I hate to say this, but I think everyone got it wrong when they said the English v30 was the best v30 in the rockbox collection. Just got the Mesa v30 a couple weeks ago and modern mix 3 on that has become my number 1 IR and I’m not even a v30 guy I always prefer greenback style speakers. This 1 IR mix works for everything every rock style every gain level it’s 100% perfect. It’s just smoothed out more in the areas that makes me not like v30s so much normally. It’s really amazing. Hope to see more speakers hitting Rockbox soon!
Well I shouldn’t say anyone was wrong since it’s all subjective and a matter of taste obviously but for me this is the ultimate v30 that works! I’ve just seen quite a bit of people liking the English v30 the best and wonder if they’ve tried the MB version. It’s just the perfect speaker IR for my tastes.
Not in the least. I just bought one a month ago and the fact that it’s a 10 year old piece of kit means nothing. It still looks sexy as hell, the features are pretty much future proof, and the updates on it are still coming out. Line 6 hasn’t abandoned this thing, so that says a lot: they got it right the first time and they were thinking well ahead when they released it. It’s kinda like Bogner, he doesn’t release new amps often, his old flagships are still the same-Ecstasy and Uberschall. He got it right the first time
I think i actually agree 100% on that list, for the same reasons you outlined. The fractal devices are unmatched in sheer capability, but the thing is that at least in my experience that doesn't translate into better final results than using helix, and the helix is just a more streamlined platform. Native is the ultimate cherry on top of it. As a little aside, i think the new helix cab block is absolutely incredible and far better than most helix users realise. I stopped using 3rd psrty IRs cause it's so intuitive, and imo the only cab sim suite that surpasses it is Mikko 2. I use helix cabs with my NAM captures and my real preamps these days.
I've been using a Helix floor for a few years now and I have to say that when I don't use it I really miss it. Last night I was in a studio and brought along my little Boss GX100. I use that when I don't want to lug around the big guy. I used a Hughes and Ketner 4 channel amp and hated it. It wasn't my sound and I was tweaking it all night long. I'd love to try the Fractal but the work surface is so much better on the Helix that I can't imagine not using it.
As someone who uses (and has only tried) the Line 6 Helix, I knew that it would be at least in the top 5 but didn't expect it to beat both the QC and Fractal! This video may come off as an "unpopular opinion" but it kinda reassures me to just stay with the unit and not splurge my money to buy another unit that I don't need to hahaha
While it's not a modeler, my pick is the ISP Theta Pro DSP. With no USB, no FX loop and a lcd screen straight outta the 90's, it still blows away all of these units with sheer tone and a chorus to absolutely die for. Well worth checking out.
Love this list! As always, this stuff is so subjective, but I love hearing others experiences with these things. I went from the axe-fx iii to the ampero, and I couldn't be happier. 1 because I couldn't justify having such an expensive unit. It just felt wrong. And I never used even a fraction of what I needed it for. I'm a simple guy, and the ampero is more than enough to suit my needs.
I am a Helix guy, b/c it has a ton of "external" support, is continually being improved by Line 6, STILL sounds great (IMO) even though it is one of the older ones on the list, and I generally run a Variax guitar and a Powercab Plus speaker. Any other modeler would just not fully utilize either of those to the full potential.
I put Tone Quality as priority, so the Fractal units are still King 🤴 of modelers, IMO. I had the 1st Helix for a little bit, just didn't like the tone quality, but I'm sure it sounds much better now
Well... I bought a TMP anyway. Just... I don't know. It is inspiring. The UI is very pleasant. And the sound from what I've heard is not bad at all. Can only become better and better with time like a good wine bottle. Finger crossed 🤞. First ever fender product for me.
I think this has been a fair assessment and ranking to be honest. While I think the sounds from the Fractal stuff are better overall, the workflow on the units isn't that easy compared to the Line6 stuff. Agreed very much on the Quad Cortex assessment - great concept, form-factor, routing but so-so implementation. I'm so itching to try the Amperium though.
The Helix rules. All the different units that can fit any budget and size/power requirement, Helix Native, frequent updates that continue to add loads of great stuff, intuitive editor... What's not to love? Meanwhile, Neural have still not delivered on promises they made when the unit was released several years ago.
Jon, I don't get it... If the price of the FM3 at €1469 (G66) is labeled "not really affordable", why doesn't that apply as well to the Helix at €1465 (Bax)?
İ ve used line 6 x 3 live for many years. İt was so hard to sell it even it had very bad sims. Only dual rec sim was usable for me. But i think the effects , Expression pedal , user interface was unrivaled. İt was like a dream journey when you are creating a tone. :)
I’m old. When I played a lot in the early 90’s I don’t recall any of this Amp Modeler stuff. To get the tone of a specific amp you needed to BUY THE AMPs. I recently dig out my old Ibanez plugged into an old 90’s era LANEY GX and a DigiTech 2112 rack with the programmable pedals. I have a lot of learning to catch up with what is going on in the guitar world.
Check out the Boss ME-90. It gives you the feel of tweaking stompboxes rather than programming a computer. Great for us old farts. That Laney is great, but I bet it's heavy AF.
@@grahamokeefe9406. I’m old school, been gigging since the 80s and only have basic amp needs. I’m now needing to get into this modern ‘ampless’ stage set up. Which set up would you recommend for Fender/Marshall ams, basic pedals and not too difficult to learn software ? I do covers at gigs, not so much studio recording. Thanks
I agree with most of your rating, but line 6. I can see how the Fractal ranked higher than the QC(which is probably based on your needs, I prefer the QC for my needs). But line 6 has no advantage of capture, not the most consistent(from Fractal I think it's not even close, I honestly think that the qc is more consistent, too). DSP wise, it's losing, space wise, it's losing. No touch screen. It even lost in the ux to the qc. Helix native? I can use it without the unit. It's the as saying the plugins are advantage of the qc without the ability to integrate them. Adding tonex in the loop for capture? So you can add the helix one in the loop of the qc and get the fx, which is probably the only advantage of the helix 🤷🏻♂️ Just my two cents!
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I use the HX Stomp with my PC, a pair of JBL monitors and Seinheser headphones. I still have a Marshall DSL20 head paired with a 1x12 Orange Cab and V30 speaker. I love my tube amp but it's getting dust. HX Stomp sounds so good at low volumes and it's so practical that it's unbeatable for someone who lives in an apartment.
Ideal set up 👍🏻
Hotone Ampero Stomp 2, Mooer and Headrush (don't remember model name) are all less money tho, but are they better?!
I like that you referred to the Line 6 as "fun." That's the same thought I had. While using a Helix or even something simpler, like the Pod Go or HX Stomp, the Line 6 stuff is always just plain fun. Fun to use, fun to play through, fun to hear. It's cool that you had a similar notion about their gear. As always, a great video. Thanks for keeping it going!
I went through so many you have shared here.. and I keep coming back to the L6 Helix/HX Stomp. I use it differently than most. I have been using it as preamp, to a power amp setup into real cabs. It just works exactly like I want it to work.
Same. That's about the only way I can tolerate my HX Stomp if I want to use it as an amp. Rhythm tones sound great. Still after hours of use it still leaves me wanting to go back to my real amp. It is very convenient and gets the job done for the most part tho! 🤘🤘🤘
This is how I use it, too. I turn off the cab/ir block and run it into the effects return of my amp (Friedman PT v2) which goes into a Mesa 2x12 cab. Sounds fantastic in this setup. I’ll occasionally turn on the IR block and go into studio monitors. Sounds very good there as well, but not as “big” sounding.
This and in a 4 cable method with a real amp in my opinion is where the Helix does best. The Helix FX are AMAZING.
@mhoff7722 I have a Diezel VH2, a first edition, Mesa Single 50 Recto, and a Marshall JCM800. I love them but very happy that I can get 99% of those amps tones with L6.
@@TVoltG Very cool. Is that for recording and monitoring through studio monitors? That is how I like it best. Cranked through a couple of 4x12's I gotta go with the real amp for any extended amount of playing time.
Hey John, I'm not sure if you know this but you are able to control different parameters in different scenes on the Ampero 2 Stage. If you use the computer editor, you can adjust parameter values in each different scene and save them. I haven't tried it on the unit itself but I know it's possible through the computer editor. Brett Kingman has a video making a preset with different parameters in the different scenes.
I have the stage too. Also works on the unit.
@@mangoesDB
Hey man, on the stage midi in and out don't work and this is idiot!
My biggest advice i could ever give to anyone on digital modelling units is just to try it all.. It really is all about perspective and what suit's your needs. As someone who has owned , Helix , Kemper , FM3 , HX stomp , ToneX and now onto an Axe Fx 2 XL it really is just whatever suits you best.. I've loved all the units , But some of them have been alot worse than others for what i have personally needed at the time and there have been clear winners in terms of tone for sure by a big margin. It's like if you are just a bedroom player and you use like 4-5 different simplified tones and effects and maybe play like a local pub gig once in a while and you're quite new to modelling tech then something on the cheaper scale like the Helix/Headrush will be for you. But if you're like a player that maybe plays in covers band every week and you want to just load things onto a unit without having to constantly tweak and just sound as close as you can to replicate a band, With super high quality and effects then something like the Kemper or Quad Cortex is going to do that for you. But then if you're like a hardcore guitar player that's basically a studio engineer and enjoys just building tones and effects from scratch and really deep diving into creating something your own then a Fractal unit is probably going to tick every single box out there for you. I always say every unit has it's exact purpose. I'd personally pick a different unit for each scenario rather than sticking with just one if im honest. Even as an Axe Fx user yea it sounds great but there are scenarios you just want something simple and easy to set up quickly. They can all do it but some are just better than others in those aspects!
The more I work with my helix stuff (rack, native, stomp and pod go wireless) the more I love this platform.
Sometimes I think I’d like to try a Fractal but then I go to UA-cam and hear helix and fractal head to head It just remind me that i’m happy with the helix and do not really need anything else
Made my choice before the newer ones came out but for everything I looked at the Helix came out as the best. Have never regretted it. It's fantastic, checks all the boxes.
Just as an fyi, with the hot one stage ii you can change all the parameters of any effect/amp. Scene 1 is the default then any parameter you change in scenes 2-5 is saved in that scene just by changing it. It’s even easier than controllers
I have had my Kemper dialed in for the last 6 years and have not had to tweak anything. I am interested in getting a Quad Cortex for the easier editing. I believe there is something here for everyone and it’s whatever works for you.
The Kemper is old but oh so reliable, easy, and incredible sounding…because it’s dialed in…that’s the upside of aging!
I switched from the Kemper to Quad and never looked back. Sound quality is similar, but the quad has many more options and it's easier to use. Also love that you can use many captures on the same preset.
as a professional musician I use what sounds, feels, and is easiest to get consistent tone. For me FM9. I'm very comfortable with the editing either by PC or on the box, but the PC editor is much easier. Tone wise I can use it direct to FoH, direct to my tube or SS amp (depends on which band) and to the front of the amp or 4CM. They all sound great these days.
The layout flexibility of the FM9 buttons and pedals is so deep. I have yet to find a situation or setup I can't achieve.
Best is going to be whatever fits you.
I have been using Helix for the past 4 years now, it’s a great device but for me personally I love Fractal audio the most. The amp model features and effects are absolutely top notch. The only thing I don’t like about helix is the tone feel and dynamic response on the unit. It doesn’t feel organic like the fractal
Awwsome. I knew Helix and Fractal would be in the top 2. Love my Helix LT. Helix UI is much easier to learn for newbies than the Fractal stuff for sure but you can really tweak at the pro level with the Fractal stuff. rock on. Keep it up.
Boss gt 1000 core here. I love the little thing to bits! Now I figured out you can add IRs and it opens the sound even further
Thanks in advance for keeping this reasonably short.
I only picked up the Helix Floor maybe 5 months ago, so I'm way late to the party, but I've enjoyed it immensely. I can run it direct, I can use it with a PowerCab, and I've recently enjoyed running it in the loop of a tube amp, bypassing the physical preamp and modeling that way. I can run my vocals through it on a different signal chain, route it to a different output, etc., etc. It's very versatile.
It’s a good unit for sure, especially how you are using it. I hope you have a ton of fun and make some good music with it!
Likewise! I got mine in October last year and I feel the same. I've started adding bass to my recordings via poly Capo and it has changed my home jams. I love my Helix. Not saying I wouldn't love any of the others but my Helix is so comfortable now. I have started using MIDI assignments to run Reaper when I'm at my desk, too.
Got mine last Summer. Absolutely LOVE it and all it can do!!!
Line 6 at 1 makes sense to me. Native has been a game changer for recording for me, being able to use it on any track, not just guitar, is amazing. I also really like the Amperium but the UI definitely needs work. I also like that its high gain heavy with it's amp models. I also like that out of all the modelers its the easiest to use live like I do with one signal to the front of house with an IR and another to a real cab without one.
I have the Ampero stage ii its pretty good unit i love the tone of it & if you use IR its just go insane i love the unit
I just ordered one last night just 2 weeks after getting the Ampero Mini.
@@joellebrodeur1015 it's incredible ❤️
I have the Ampero One. Do you think it's worth upgrading to the Ampero 2 Stage?
@@p0kerp1aya yes brother it's worth upgrading 😊
I have a Boss ME-90. I don't gig enough to make something more expensive worth it. I play jazz and I love the clean tones, and I love the on-the-fly tweakability of the effects. If I need a super accurate amp sound, I can turn off the amp model and throw my ToneX into the effects loop, but I've never had to do that.
Fractal Audio is the G.O.A.T!
Still my axe fx3. Owned it for around 3 years now and haven't wanted or bought an amp since. It just keeps getting better with updates and the more I learn about it, it's always fresh and new. I won't be replacing it until it dies. I've never felt that way about a piece of gear in my 27 years of playing
Great list! I guessed your top 3 perfectly. Guess I know you really well!! :)
Ive tried them all. Landed on the Synergy system with a two notes to sim the speaker and power amp. Nothing beats real tubes.
Me too. I went the same route.
Can you tell on the last Testament album which tracks used a tube amp and on which tracks a Kemper? Can you tell Dave Murray (Iron Maiden) went full-on Axe FX while playing live?
@@beastofthepriest No. But the player can tell. I can tell when I'm using them and that translates to my enjoyment. It's all these little things in the touch and feel. But to your point, the crowd couldn't care less. Same with E drums. Most people wouldn't even notice an electric kit or triggers but drummers seem to hate playing them over real drums.
I like Synergy, Kemper, Fractal … for convenient tubes, profiles/captures, and modeling, respectively … which I prefer in that order …
Just wondering which other options you may have considered vs Two Notes … ? Cheers all. 🙏🏼
As a line 6 Helix floor unit for 5 years, I bounced between the fractal audio AX8. However, when I got the fractal audio FM 9 turbo it definitely was a game changer. Not that Helix is bad. Helix was so much simpler on the learning curve. Once you get around a learning curve of a fractal audio stuff it's a breeze. The sounds out of this unit are amazing. I've never been so more happier because I'm playing and doing less tweaking.
I researched many Effects Processors/Modelors and ended up going with the Ampero Stage II. As someone who no longerplays out I was looking for a unit that did a LOT for home use! Looper, Drum Machine, Vocal/Mic input. Good bang for the buck unit
Had them all nothing beats the ease of use and quality of sound of helix plus be fun creating it all. 💯💪🏻
Best pedalboard for amps:
1.fractal 2.quad cortex 3. HEADRUSH 4. Hotone 6/7 Line 6
For usability 1. HEADRUSH 2 Fender 3 Quad Cortex 4 hotone 5/6 Line 6
For overdrive pedals: 1.Fractal 2.Quad C 3.Line 6 in the last position Headrush
For ambient tones:
1 Fractal, 2. Quad 3. Line 6
Been playing and recording since the 80’s. Have the Ox Box, Palmer PDI 03, Captor X. And many speaker cabs. My Neo Creamback 1x12 in a Baltic Birch cabinet blows them all away. The feedback, the richness as the volume rises. Hell Yes 🤘
I use simple chains, mainly working in studio. From price/quality/simplicity point of view my winner is Amperium. Next is FM3 because of effects quality, but if we consider only amp modelling it's on the same level as Amperium but 3x more xpensive. 3rd is Helix.
The only one of these i have is the qc and i would have thought it would rank better but ive never tried any fractal stuff so i find it interesting and im going to have to try one out someday to see whats better about them. For my qc, ive had really good sucess capturing all my tube amps and have bought a good amount of captures from reputable guys that just blow me away how real they feel and sound. I cant imagine there being a better platform, but thats why we are all entitled to our own opinions.
Helix Native is the reason I keep coming back to the Helix. I’ve tried to convince myself to sell off my FM9 and just go with the Helix since I am at a point in my music life where it’s hard to justify keeping both but honestly, every time I think, ok maybe I can do with just the Helix, I plug into my FM9 and it’s a difference sound and feel.
Plus Helix has this silly limitation that’s hard to get past, I can’t understand why they will not implement the ability to do “channel switching” on an amp model. You have to use 2 amp blocks and switch back and forth to go Clean/Gain in the same preset.
On channel switching, there are two workarounds. You may already know this but if not...First, some of the new L6 amps have built-in boosts that you can assign to a footswitch. Second, for any other amp you can assign multiple changes to the amp set up (so, drive levels, EQ), to a single footswitch. It's not as simple as a two-channel switch in real life, and it isn't a solution for a model like the Placater where you have specific Clean/Dirty models. But its a workaround. Hope it helps.
@@ianwillo thank you, unfortunately these workarounds don’t work in my normal use cases. The 2 closest workarounds I have found are 1- 2 amp blocks, a control switch that bypasses one and activates the other. 2-use an EQ block as a pseudo clean model with my gain amp model bypassed then bypass the EQ when the gain amp is engaged.
@@stm113 That makes sense. The other possible workaround I've spotted is the new JCM800 2203 model has the high-low inputs as a switch within the same model, rather than two different models. So in theory I can assign that + volume + EQ to a switch and do channel switching that way. I'm going to have a play around with it. It would be amazing if they retrofitted that feature to more models.
Isn't this what snapshots are for? The same preset with different settings
@@jorismak yep, you can do this with snapshots. I just try to have solutions that work inside snapshots and outside of them too (specifically for improv and jamming when I don't know what combination of things I'll want in advance).
Fractal for sure! 🤘🏻
thanks Jon. I respect your opinion and from what I've heard, you make them all sound perfect. I think the Helix is a solid choice for number 1.
Interesting to see the Helix still impressing in 2024.
I do love my Kemper.
I just select an existing profile, tweak less, play more.
Reamping works fine, if you really want to optimize your sound in the band context. That makes even tweaking easy.
And thanks to all the firmware udates I now need just two external effects, else everything is already build in.
You need however to invest in professional profiles instead of trying to profile on you own... that is quite difficult!
Personally I would choose the Fractal over the Helix. Especially with the new firmware that gives us gapless preset changes and more amps and the update also somehow made all my presets sound even better. The Helix is a great unit though, and I have been using that for 6-7 years and I still use Native alot. Awesome video as usual.
The new firmwares are amazing!
@@SonicDriveStudio yeah I installed the beta on the FM3 the other day and I can't stop making presets. The amps really comes alive, and I hardly experience any DSP issues. Maybe 0.6% more on some presets compared to before, but I'll take that trade any day. :)
The FM is 1.449€ - thus still cheaper than the QC. But yes, Fractal isn't cheap. I'm a bit surprised that you preferred the Helix family over the Fractal. I think the amp models in the Helix are pretty far away from the ones that can be found on Fractal devices. Badonk is good, the rest is pretty meh. Had the LT and the HX Stomp for years but after switching to the FM3 I *never* looked back.
But of course a valid opinion, Jon! I think Fractal won't release a plugin ever - just because of piracy 🤷🏻♂
money =)
Fm3 usd 1099.00 helix 1499.00 not sure why he said fractal is more expensive
@@dannutton9350 1.099$ is without VAT. The FM3 here in Europe is 1.449€...the normal Helix is about the same, the LT is 999€, the HX Stomp is about 649...
@user-tf4tv9bj4f if you add the fc6 you have similar size and function. The Fm3 provides incredible tone for your average studio/local gig guitarist. I can use the fm3 with one preset and 8 scenes and control functions and gapless switching and cover many sounds. I owned fractal since 2006 the first axefx using a standard and ultra for 17ys finally buying an fm3. I've played a helix stuff but found the Fractal to be more real, before the Fractal I ran Mesa rectos triaxis, marshall jcm800 and a splawn quick rod.
Touring regional for many years. I recently bought an ampero that sounds decent enough to jam with friends.
I think all the modelers are quality enough and use what you want to get your sound.. rock on
I completely understand your choice for the first two, especially when considering the Helix interface. I have an FM3 now, but before I had a Stomp HX XL and I honestly think the Helix is further behind in terms of tone. I thought the Helix was very "HI-FI" (if that makes sense), and in the FM3 it's so easy to get a good tone, that it's fun even if the interface isn't that friendly.
I agree with the Helix being #1. I use mind with a tube power amp and a real 2x12 cabinet. Its always solid for live gigs.
I use the Helix Floor for my main cover guitar gig where I also give bass a path. I also use HX effects for my bass only gig. What you don't mention is that if you are on the platform, you can move effects from one unit to another by drag and drop. Incredibly efficient.
Great video! Future video idea would be to have the “Ultimate Amp Modeler” shootout! Compare 1-3 “tweaked” amp and IR (or cab) that all the modelers have and then use the real amp compared to all of the amp modelers versions with timestamps to jump around. :)
Something like that could be cool!
Great video! FM9 MKII Turbo user here! ❤️
Pretty much agree with everything you said. The newer companies have some questionable amp modelling but capture features are amazing. Helix wins for usability reasons but Fractal Audio has had the best amp modelling for like a decade and no other hardware unit can even be compared to that high standard. The downside is usability and price for Fractal... but an Axe-Fx II has better amp modeling than any other non-Fractal hardware unit so there's that. 🎉
Thanks for sharing your 2 cents! Of course this list is very personal so I knew going into this that not everybody would agree, and that's totally fine of course! Variety is the spice of life! ;)
The ampero does offer parameter settings per scene!
I have the QC and couldn’t be happier. It keeps updating and improving all the time. I would choose fractal over it just because of the FX variety, however I would lose the QC’s much easier and faster user interface whenever you need to make some changes.
there are many IR products on the market, but I think DYNAX IR has the best sound. As stated in their product description, DYNAX IR is really fast. When using IRs, the pick attack is sometimes delayed, and it is difficult to add picking nuances, but their IR prevents all of that. It's revolutionary!
I own several different platforms. For me, the Fractal Axe-Fx 3 is the absolute best! The guru's at Fractal Audio are consistently improving their product.
I’ve got the prime and the helix, honestly I’d swap the prime and the hotone in your list, the prime needs work for sure, but I think the models sound great and the captures are better than tonex. Not sure if you’ve updated it recently or not. That said, my helix is still here for two reasons, metal amps and running them through a mimiq. 😂
If it’s tone (which is what pros want) it’s fractal hands down I have the top 3 and it’s fractal way above the other two for me.
As a fellow owner of the top 3 on this list I’m gonna have to agree with you. Even though I play with my Axe III 90% of the time, for the money, having the floor unit and expression pedal of the Helix for a much cheaper cost. I don’t play out anymore and play at my desk and slightly prefer the modeling and built in cabs from fractal but I’d be happy knowing I’d have a top dog if I just had my Helix. The QC sounds great and I love the form factor and toughness of the unit but like you said, it just doesn’t sound and react in the “real” way that the other two do. I can dial my Axe(especially) and Helix to sound virtually identical to my 50w 5150 6l6 with 412 Recto cab with basically the same knob settings. Neural uses their own scale or something.
I had them all and for some reason I liked my Kemper better overall. Line 6 helix second and axe fx iii 3rd place
i hate how helix amps sound 🥲
They definitely aren’t great out of the box, but with a few eq tweaks, you can get pretty realistic tones!
@@LuisHernandez-oo7cqhelix has a learning curve. You’re totally right-all the different EQs, as well as the input stuff (impedance, aux vs guitar input, etc), and the sag and bias parameters sum up to make the sounds on point. I find that a lot of people tend to be using the Helix wrong, trying to use it like an amp in the room when it should be viewed as crafting a mic’ed amp has you would in studio.
I like how AxeFx and Kemper sound, but captures are more limiting to work with. Plus, half the time I don’t like people’s captures. I learned that from using NAM profiles, especially if an overdrive was used. People overdo that shit like 80% of the time.
The fact that the Helix is still being talked about and is still Line6s flagship says a lot about it. They have no plans of doing a II because it still has a lot of life in it. That tells you how powerful it is.
BTW, something nobody ever seems to mention, but that is really really cool about the Line 6 stuff is that you can switch the Line 6 Guitar model of a Line 6 guitar when you’re using one of their foot pedals to switch your amp models!!!!
So, in other words, with the push of one button, you can change your left and right amps and effects And the model on your Line 6 guitar!
Absolutely incredible.
Used to have a Helix rack and loved it. Downsized when the world changed to a HX Stomp because they say it's the same sounds but it felt absolutely terrible to me. Sold it and tried the Ampero Stomp II and was hooked. Stage is on it's way now.
I think the price point at each tier, coupled with the overall fun factor of tweaking and tweezing sounds (I’ve literally lost hours doing that, and didn’t mind at all) puts Line6 Helix ecosystem at #1 for me. But then again, I’ve always found a way to find good usable tones on a budget. I even used an original POD 1.0 live for a while, and it sounded amazing considering the simplicity. But different aspects make different products appealing. I mean the sheer affordability of the Hotone makes it hard to beat, especially for a beginner or part time hack. But Modeling is as divisive as the whether or not to use modelers debate. It’s all really dependent on what meets your needs best, and that includes your budget.
Way back in the day I used to have a pod 1.0 that i updated to a 2.0 (i got the rom chip from line6 and installed it myself) and the 4 button footswitch. I ran that to an 80's peavey renown 400 2x12 . 210 watt SS.. that rig crushed !
I can't believe it's been 26 years since i got the OG POD damn !
I wished you had a Gt1000 or a gt1000 core. I love my core. The 32bit processing really makes the tones sound more high resolution to me. I can’t describe it. You can just hear it.
I think most mentioned units uses floating point processing (unlike fixed point), at least with single precision, i.e. 32 bit. It`s mainstream now. Still double precision is PC luxury.
Jon, you are so right and I’ve said this many times. Helix is just fun! Doesn’t hurt that it also sounds great and has more features and effects than you could ever use. I find fractal the complete opposite of fun which is why my FM3 hasn’t been powered on in months. I’ve been playing guitar for decades and no I don’t find the tones between the two units “not even close”, “night and day” and all that nonsense that the fractal cult members would lead you to believe.
Helix and Tonex work so well together
How do you combine them? ToneX in a send/return?
@@DavidSmith1307Exactly, you can also send MIDI from HX to Tonex. I giged this combo also with Blackstar Live Logic for more footswitching options, and this is a really killer setup.
The A2S does have scene control, you can assign different parameters to each scene.
What it can’t do is name scenes and assign a custom led color to different scenes.
Can’t deny your number 1. They’ve been at the game for 20 years and their effects modeling is first class. The price is decently good and below the “devastating if broken/stolen at a gig” dollar amount, and the form factor of the Stomp and XL only needing 9 volts, 1 amp of power (yes, multiple L6 engineers have said the Stomp/XL only needs 1 amp instead of 3 that’s on the box) means it’s a lot easier to power on a pedalboard with other pedals than the bigger units. The amp models are great too!
Great review honest and on point - we live in a great time for music gear - not hard to get great tone
Of all the guitar related gear channels I have visited, yours excel in every possible aspect. To start with, your videos are of excellent quality. Secondly, you always try to present an unbiased opinion (as much as a human can). Last, but not least, you do not do any clowning, which I hate and I was very pleased to see that you put emphasis on quality content rather than just b«tching around.
You'd deserve ten times as many subscribers.
Thank you for the effort you put into this channel.
Thank you so much! That means a lot!
I cant argue with your choice of Helix. I've had mine since 2020 and it just delivers the sickest, illest, most rupturous tone _ever!_ I completely pulled the tone I've had in my head for years, but could never quite nail down, out of the Helix. Just straight _rippage!_ 🤟
Best thing for me about the Helix is the infinite ways you can configure it - both workflows, all the connections, the interface capabilities and on. Downside is the weight
Axe FX III MkII is an absolute beast and workhorse in my studio. Not only do I track guitars and bass through it, I also use it as a hardware insert for aux reverb, delays and other effects processing. Plus you get 4 channels! It’s honestly in a category of its own. 🔥🔥🔥
Fractal for the win. Helix makes for a nice compact backup.
I would agree with the ranking. Sure, as far as end results go, Fractal wins hands down but it has a steep learning curve, not the easiest availability and quite a hefty price tag so I kind of agree with the number 2 spot. My only disagreement is about the QC: it deserves the third place but I gotta say I'm quite happy with it's modelling and find it more "ready to go" than the Helix where I rely on my heavily tweeked favorites for quite preset building, however it lacks in the FX which are really kind of basic compared to the competition and sound competent rather than inspiring. But yeah having played most of those modellers featured here I agree with your ranking
What a great, concise and honest overview! I started with the line6 HX Stomp and I agree it is an amazing little device that punches way above its weight class. I eventually decided to go with the Fractal Axe FX3 because the flexibility and incredible power appealed to me, but I do miss the simpler and more intuitive workflow of the Stomp.
Ultimately I realized that the Axe FX3 was overkill for my live rig as I seldom exceeded 50% CPU utilization even with dual amp presets, so now I continue to enjoy the Axe FX3 in the studio and I practice and gig with the FM9. My primary motivation for using the FM9 is to have shared presets live and at home, but if I had kept the HX Stomp it would definitely be a viable solution.
Who knows? Had I tried the full sized Helix I may have never even explored Fractal, but I’m extremely happy with my FM9 and love the frequent software updates adding new features like the recent gapless switching… GAME CHANGER!
Excellent video, Jon! I agree that the Amperium Live is up there with the best soundwise. I even like it better than the FM3 because I always find the Fractal modeling a little bit too dark and muffled, but that‘s just a matter of taste. Can‘t go wrong with Line 6 either!
Thanks for this video! Been wanting to grab another one and leaning towards the mx5 just for bedroom/silent use and to travel with
All sound good, depending on the user's tone, playing, knowledge capabilities of their music, and their influence.
I had two guys playing the same rig setup with different skill levels they both don't sound the same lol. Just enjoy the choices.
Grateful for the gear industry and the innovation 😃
Hi, great video. Thanks. The integration and interchangeability between the Helix Rack/ Floor and Helix Native is one of the main reasons that makes me keep the Line 6 stuff that I have and not switch to a Fractal or other company unit. The other companies are way behind on that aspect. Mostly I use Helix Native nowadays and sometimes the HX Stomp/ Rack for practicing when I don't want to use the laptop. Line 6 also keep updating the Helix/ HX series so that's one big positive too. Fun is also what it definitely is and so easy to edit on the units and HX Edit. Fractal is too expensive and not worth the price of admission for a non-professional at home player like me. :)
Like others, I went through some of them (helix, QC, FM9…). I prefer the FM9, then I would pick the Helix in 2nd place. With the physical unit, I would love to have a Fractal plugin like what Line 6 offers. Helix Native is a great all in one solution for recording.
Gast... nooit gedacht dat line 6 een 1ste plaats weet te bemachtigen in een lijst als dit. Inderdaad ze zijn van flut naar top gegaan in hun ontwikkeling zeg.
Helix, mooi apparaatje hoor ;)
I have the FM3 and the Helix and I agree that the amp modeling quality is very close but FM3 is just a bit better. For my experience I had to tweak the Helix amps more to get the sound I wanted vs the FM3. Helix UI is definitely more user friendly.
I agree but I’d say that Helix is good but not very close to FAS modeling. I can get usable even good tones but it takes so much more work than my FAS gear does, to still not sound as good.
For me personally, the Boss GT-1000Core is the one. No other unit on the market has the same level of price/performance/unique effects/size/current draw/reputation for reliability as the Boss GT-1000Core. The Quad Cortex, for instance, costs three times as much, is 2.5 times the size, consumes more than 3 times as much electrical power, and lacks both Boss' unique effects and reputation for reliability. The HX Stomp costs $100 more and has much less CPU/DSP power. I do not need 1000 amp models and 1000 IRs; I need a handful that work perfectly for my needs, and the GT-1000Core has them with Boss' AIRD amp models. The built-in IRs are great, and I can load enough others to meet my needs, as I don't play other people's music, I only play *my* music. I also do not need to have plug-ins of the GT-1000 on my DAW.
The GT-1000Core has a few limitations, mainly due to its size, but I realized pretty quickly that te easiest, cheapest, and smallest way to work around those limitations is to just use two GT-1000Cores, together. At $1200 for two of them, it's still a bargain compared to the QC, the Fractal units, and the larger Helix units. The Core takes up exactly as much space on a pedalboard as two standard Boss pedals and the space between them, costs about the same price as 3-5 standard Boss pedals, but offers processing power much greater than 3-5 pedals can contain. Two Cores together take up no more space on a pedalboard than one row of 4 regular Boss pedals. It has all of Boss' unique effects, which are the ones I use, and it has Boss' reputation and history of reliability, which no other company in the market can match. Not Line 6, not Fractal, not Neural, none of them have been making effects as long as Boss or hold the level of trust that musicians have for Boss.
I really like that the Boss AIRD amp models are not intended to necessarily replicate the sound of pre-existing physical amps, so there is no tendency to compare them to "the actual amps", as "the actual amps" don't exist. So, you get to focus on whether or not the amp models actually sound good, and they not only sound good, they sound great. I'm using the "Natural" and "Boutique" for clean to low gain sounds, and the "X-HiGain" and "X-Modded" for high gain sounds. I use Boss' "X-OD" and "X-DIST" drives, which no other company has, and Boss' "X-COMP" and "X-Bass Comp", which no other company offers. And of course, there is a whole host of other effects for which Boss is justifiably famous inside the box, as well.
Maybe you can answer this question because I can't seem to find a straight answer to it in Boss' manuals or in forums. Is it possible to run two signals: one with an IR and one without to go to a live cab? I like the tones I've heard from Boss but it's not useful to me unless I can run a regular cab.
@@gabrielstevens41 Yes, Boss has a ton of different routing options. It's actually a little confusing at first but extremely flexible once you figure it out. Basically there are 4 outputs (Main L/R, Sub L/R) and you can split them or run stereo twice. Using one of the 3 dividers you can send your signal out one of the sub outs (or one side of the Main outs) with a cab block IR on that path, then your other path would go to your live cab. There are other ways too, just realize that there are 4 physical outputs, 4 virtual outputs and 3 virtual dividers.
@jameswatson5576 thank you!
Hey man. Thank you for this. Im going to serve church again. I was about to buy ampero stomp and difference between 1k core is only 150 euros.
Does core have a scene function like its limited to three switches. Can it do different parameters in one patch? Also they said its an unbalanced output so i cant run it directly to the mixer. I need DIs. Right?
@@jameswatson5576 Hey man. Thank you for this. Im going to serve church again. I was about to buy ampero stomp and difference between 1k core is only 150 euros.
Does core have a scene function like its limited to three switches. Can it do different parameters in one patch? Also they said its an unbalanced output so i cant run it directly to the mixer. I need DIs. Right
Jon, I hate to say this, but I think everyone got it wrong when they said the English v30 was the best v30 in the rockbox collection. Just got the Mesa v30 a couple weeks ago and modern mix 3 on that has become my number 1 IR and I’m not even a v30 guy I always prefer greenback style speakers. This 1 IR mix works for everything every rock style every gain level it’s 100% perfect. It’s just smoothed out more in the areas that makes me not like v30s so much normally. It’s really amazing. Hope to see more speakers hitting Rockbox soon!
Well I shouldn’t say anyone was wrong since it’s all subjective and a matter of taste obviously but for me this is the ultimate v30 that works! I’ve just seen quite a bit of people liking the English v30 the best and wonder if they’ve tried the MB version. It’s just the perfect speaker IR for my tastes.
Thanks for this. Do you think the hardware is dated in the Helix? I ask because it has been around for a long time.
Not in the least. I just bought one a month ago and the fact that it’s a 10 year old piece of kit means nothing. It still looks sexy as hell, the features are pretty much future proof, and the updates on it are still coming out. Line 6 hasn’t abandoned this thing, so that says a lot: they got it right the first time and they were thinking well ahead when they released it. It’s kinda like Bogner, he doesn’t release new amps often, his old flagships are still the same-Ecstasy and Uberschall. He got it right the first time
I think i actually agree 100% on that list, for the same reasons you outlined. The fractal devices are unmatched in sheer capability, but the thing is that at least in my experience that doesn't translate into better final results than using helix, and the helix is just a more streamlined platform. Native is the ultimate cherry on top of it.
As a little aside, i think the new helix cab block is absolutely incredible and far better than most helix users realise. I stopped using 3rd psrty IRs cause it's so intuitive, and imo the only cab sim suite that surpasses it is Mikko 2. I use helix cabs with my NAM captures and my real preamps these days.
I've been using a Helix floor for a few years now and I have to say that when I don't use it I really miss it. Last night I was in a studio and brought along my little Boss GX100. I use that when I don't want to lug around the big guy. I used a Hughes and Ketner 4 channel amp and hated it. It wasn't my sound and I was tweaking it all night long. I'd love to try the Fractal but the work surface is so much better on the Helix that I can't imagine not using it.
As someone who uses (and has only tried) the Line 6 Helix, I knew that it would be at least in the top 5 but didn't expect it to beat both the QC and Fractal! This video may come off as an "unpopular opinion" but it kinda reassures me to just stay with the unit and not splurge my money to buy another unit that I don't need to hahaha
While it's not a modeler, my pick is the ISP Theta Pro DSP. With no USB, no FX loop and a lcd screen straight outta the 90's, it still blows away all of these units with sheer tone and a chorus to absolutely die for. Well worth checking out.
That one didn't last long with me. It basically has one tone, take it or leave it. Great chorus - which I never use 😂
Yes it is, i got a Helix 6 years, and it rules for me too, bro!!! And i use the Pod Go and like it too!
Love this list! As always, this stuff is so subjective, but I love hearing others experiences with these things. I went from the axe-fx iii to the ampero, and I couldn't be happier. 1 because I couldn't justify having such an expensive unit. It just felt wrong. And I never used even a fraction of what I needed it for. I'm a simple guy, and the ampero is more than enough to suit my needs.
Same here. HX Stomp is more than I will ever need. If you are not a professional, Axe FX 3 is overkill.
I am a Helix guy, b/c it has a ton of "external" support, is continually being improved by Line 6, STILL sounds great (IMO) even though it is one of the older ones on the list, and I generally run a Variax guitar and a Powercab Plus speaker. Any other modeler would just not fully utilize either of those to the full potential.
Amperium going foh via xlr is totally convincing. Just completed a gig last wkend with it where my Marshall amp (used as a power-amp) failed.
I put Tone Quality as priority, so the Fractal units are still King 🤴 of modelers, IMO. I had the 1st Helix for a little bit, just didn't like the tone quality, but I'm sure it sounds much better now
Well... I bought a TMP anyway. Just... I don't know. It is inspiring. The UI is very pleasant. And the sound from what I've heard is not bad at all. Can only become better and better with time like a good wine bottle. Finger crossed 🤞. First ever fender product for me.
I think this has been a fair assessment and ranking to be honest. While I think the sounds from the Fractal stuff are better overall, the workflow on the units isn't that easy compared to the Line6 stuff.
Agreed very much on the Quad Cortex assessment - great concept, form-factor, routing but so-so implementation.
I'm so itching to try the Amperium though.
I own the HX Stomp and the FM3 and love them both. But the options you have with the FM3 are great.
Very interesting. I've not tried a helix, but I can't see how they would sound better than the fractal. Just my opinion of course. ❤
He is just mocking us!
The Helix rules. All the different units that can fit any budget and size/power requirement, Helix Native, frequent updates that continue to add loads of great stuff, intuitive editor... What's not to love? Meanwhile, Neural have still not delivered on promises they made when the unit was released several years ago.
Thanks for this video.
Entry: ME-90
Intermediate (can also be used professionally): Helix
Pro: AxeFx
Jon, I don't get it... If the price of the FM3 at €1469 (G66) is labeled "not really affordable", why doesn't that apply as well to the Helix at €1465 (Bax)?
İ ve used line 6 x 3 live for many years. İt was so hard to sell it even it had very bad sims. Only dual rec sim was usable for me. But i think the effects , Expression pedal , user interface was unrivaled. İt was like a dream journey when you are creating a tone. :)
I’m old. When I played a lot in the early 90’s I don’t recall any of this Amp Modeler stuff. To get the tone of a specific amp you needed to BUY THE AMPs. I recently dig out my old Ibanez plugged into an old 90’s era LANEY GX and a DigiTech 2112 rack with the programmable pedals.
I have a lot of learning to catch up with what is going on in the guitar world.
Check out the Boss ME-90. It gives you the feel of tweaking stompboxes rather than programming a computer. Great for us old farts. That Laney is great, but I bet it's heavy AF.
@@grahamokeefe9406. I’m old school, been gigging since the 80s and only have basic amp needs. I’m now needing to get into this modern ‘ampless’ stage set up. Which set up would you recommend for Fender/Marshall ams, basic pedals and not too difficult to learn software ? I do covers at gigs, not so much studio recording. Thanks
Yes Helix all day long. I love my Helix
Helix for the win! My floor is my main rig and haven't found reasons to switch.
For me, the amperium live by is the best by far. I have one and i Am giging with it, sounds icredible on PA.
I agree with most of your rating, but line 6.
I can see how the Fractal ranked higher than the QC(which is probably based on your needs, I prefer the QC for my needs).
But line 6 has no advantage of capture, not the most consistent(from Fractal I think it's not even close, I honestly think that the qc is more consistent, too).
DSP wise, it's losing, space wise, it's losing. No touch screen. It even lost in the ux to the qc.
Helix native? I can use it without the unit. It's the as saying the plugins are advantage of the qc without the ability to integrate them.
Adding tonex in the loop for capture? So you can add the helix one in the loop of the qc and get the fx, which is probably the only advantage of the helix 🤷🏻♂️
Just my two cents!