THE BIG 4 - Kemper vs. Helix vs. AX8 vs. Bias Head
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- Comparison video between the Kemper, the Line 6 Helix, The Fractal Audio AX8 and the Positive Grid BIAS Head. The comparison is made with tone matching in mind.
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To my ears, they all sound great. I am listening through a 27" imac (2012). People don't understand how much time goes into making a video like this and how fortunate we are to have a comparison like this. Well done Ola.
That Ax8 is damn good.
hell yeah haha
identical to the mesa for my money
Agreed. I couldn't hear a difference between "the real thing" and the AX8.
I heard a slight difference but I honestly thought the Ax8 was the Mesa in the blind shootout.
I thought the Fractal won out as well. Helix sounded much thinner to me
With the way these are sounding, I don't believe it's so much which is better anymore, but which amp is the most convenient for you, such as whether you like to tweak your tone a lot or if you want a great tone as quick as possible with minimal tweaking. Then you can even split it between whether you want an amp or more of a pedal board style which splits your options in half and so on. At this point they all sound so great that you just need to find that one that suits your personal goals and expectations. Of course though, while I would love to have the real amp for playing at home, I can't afford to buy every amp I like so I got a kemper. And any of these four modelers would make more sense to use while on tour due to risk of damaging a real amp while these are much more road friendly.
+richard pena awesome point my good sir!
richard pena super comment. Have the helix, and i just love it. Sounds good and its so easy to set up :-)
Another Gamer7ag same I have helix too and it's mean!
richard pena I agree 100%
or merge them all.
Bias Head sounded the closest in my ears: the mids and highs on the others were more pronounced and noticeable but not on the Bias Head which was damn close to exact
Exactly, well said.
dimitriid it sounded a little bit opaque with my earphones and the AX8 a bit harsh. But all of them were good anyway.
the Helix was definitely the more high end-y sounding sample but nowhere near the harshness i think we've come to expect from line 6. Amp sims have come such a long way, what a time to be alive aha :)
dimitriid 100% agree
i agree! in my ears Bias Head sounds about 95% like the MkII
I was surprised that Kemper didn't do it as well in this test in my opinion, I could clearly notice the difference like a different amp. Positive Grid was incredibly close on the other hand, I'm truly amazed. The cool part in Bias is also the whole component level design of the amp for starters!
They all sound pretty much the same and extremely close to the original. The biggest difference is the low end and in the mid area of the units. If you just increase the low end of the kemper and helix, its pretty much the exact same sound.
Thank you for playing the real amp before each sim. We have a Kemper at our studio but to my ears it has always sounded like it was under a blanket. I own both the AX8 and the Helix. Just by looking at the wave pattern/signature of the Helix in relation to the others in the comparison shots, you can see that it can be pushed further, offering a fuller sound and is obviously not being utilized here to its potential. I can dial in identical tones on my Helix that I have on the AX8 as long as the amp and effects are present in the Helix. This is why I have both. The AX8 has had more time on the market and has a vast library of Amp and effect choices over the Helix. This margin will diminish in time. It is also stupid easy to dial in tones on the Helix thanks to its stellar UI and editor. Whereas the AX8 interface feels archaic in comparison. Love them both for different reasons. Keep rockin' everybody.
What is a "wave signature"? I have never encountered such a thing in a decade of audio engineering.
I'm no audio engineer, but I've spent like thousands of hours reading manuals and watching tutorials, and to me it is also the first time I heard this term ... ¿¿??
i think he means wave transients he may not be english speaking native (like me) and just used what they say in his homeland and did a direct translation i do that a lot and it really confuses english native speaking guys alot.
Don’t get fooled, I own all 4 of them and my favorite gear is definitely the kemper, in a video it’s hard to tell but in real live situation, the kemper beats them all easily! The mark is 2nd because you have to crank it up extra loud to sound good (tube amps) the kemper sounds the same at low volume ! At the end it’s a matter of taste , love them all
Damn brah. XD How much that coated you? 0.o
AX8 and Bias Head did a really good job at matching the tone. Kemper and Helix were a bit thin, IMO.
What's crazy is that the Kemper is the amp that sounded the most different from the original whereas all of the others sounded pretty damn spot on. I would say they were like 98% there which is crazy considering that you didn't even do any additional tweaking. Regardless, they all sound great and I'm always happy to see technology continue to push forward.
Wow I was really impressed with he Bias Head, I have the AX8 and think the Bias pulls it off a touch better. The AX8 adds a little more upper mids than needed.
1) Bias
2) AX8
3) Kemper
4) Helix
It's too close to matter any more ... well done to everyone for making it that much harder to make my mind up
My opinion is this:
1) Mesa Boogie Mk. IIC+
2) AX8
3) Kemper (Tie)
4) Bias Head (Tie)
5) Helix
Same here
Yup, and I own a Kemper as well. Have to say the AX8 sounds very nice. Kemper needs more in the mids really but I suspect that's down to how it profiles the cab. I'd be interested to know his signal chain there - whether that's a DI Recording with the Kemper cab sim on, or just the amp section profiled with his own cab/mic. Cos I always preferred the Kemper through my real cab.
Kemper owner here as well. Bottom end detail seems to be the usual problem from my experience, but I agree that the mids are off a bit in this case.
For me its
1: AX8
2: Mesa
3: Kemper
4: Helix
5: Bias
And yes i prefer the sound of the AX8
I actually thought the BIAS was nowhere near, top end gave it away an amp sim IMO. Depends what studio monitors you're listening to 'em on mind I guess, and there's always the listener's personal taste.
This is the best test I've ever seen, on any products. It seemed entirely fair. You deserve a lot of credit for putting this together. Quite useful indeed.
That Positive Grid Surprised me. Great job!
For me, the AX8 sounds the best (alive and energetic) but all of them would make it to the actual song without being noticed.
I was saving for the kemper powerhead model... but man this video made me rethink about. the AX8 is a beast!!! Thanks Ola
Get the kemper, and buy professional profiles like The Amp Factory. They use expensive quality mics, professional studio etc. To profile top dollar amps. Nothing can beat that setup trust me.
The bias head had more detail, the first model I've heard that really captured the messy crackling part of the saruration well.
I actually liked the AX8 and Helix the most when I shut my eyes and listened with my ears. Well, aside from the original amplifier of course.
wow the impulse with the amps power section is something I've never heard before. genious idea
Jst impulses have them!!
Ola PLEASE do a comparison of BIAS VST and BIAS HEAD.
They're both sonically the exact same unless you're using a real cab. There's no point.
Positive Grid says that Bias Head has top components, like ad/da converters etc. It possibly can affect the sound, who knows.
if you use a decent interface with bias amp on your computer, there shouldn't be any difference between them.
I´m not so sure
You see now they can code to a chip instead of a cpu which is suppose to deal with alot of other stuff aswell
This chip only cares for dsp code that means they can code the amps to sound better.
Exactly like they did with Amp vs FX
You do know that the pure amps sound on Bias Amps on a computer sounds a little better then pure amps sound on the FX version?
Well i believe it have to do with the fact that they also need code for FX integration so something has to diminished otherwise the cpu on most computers would got hicups
Amp is already a cpu hog as it is add effects to that and you get the idea..
Now with the hardware and no need to think about Daw & OS bla bla they can focus on get the best tone possible that the machine can handle.
Oh boy... do you get it's digital and math? It's like comparing two calculators for basic operations. What give the best result for a 1+1 calcul? My TI calculator, my calculator on my phone or a calculator app on my computer?? That's three different chip, os, dedicated or not, and somehow they will all give me the same 2 result. Digital Audio is nothing more than 0 and 1 and basic operations. Also, it's 2016... it might be time to learn about AD/DA converters and mostly all myths about digital. Any audio interface today will have good enough converter to not be a concern... mainly when the final rendering doesn't even go through converters.
4:13 - Original
4:19 - Kemper
4:24 - AX8
4:29 - Helix
4:35 - Bias
Ax8 and positivie grid did a really great job
It's amazing how much better your bias match of the c+ is so much better than the one that comes with bias.
My opinion is that the Kemper and AX8 sound the best to me but I would go the the Kemper if I was to get one
Эх Ола, ты даже не представляешь какую услугу оказываешь новичкам. Наших узколобых "музыкантов" хрен заставишь делиться такой информацией. Почти всё наше музыкальное сообщество зажато в своих мирках, чтоб кто-то из наших начал как ты показывать что там да как...да никогда. Либо гордость задавит, либо жаба задушит. Спасибо огромное.
Same
Blin?
Mihai Iatan is boris?
Na zapade zhelayushix pomoch` v razi bol`she chem u slavyan i bednix stran i narodov voobshem..
The sound of the Kemper and AX8 was almost identical. Their was a slight thinness to the BIAS Head and Helix but overall they weren't as bad as I was expecting them to be. I'll take all four thanks! They are free right :)
its fantastic to read how you all guys hear those dramatic differences in sond quality in those clips.......i mean there are certainly differences, but im sure if you listen to them at 30 second time interval,90 percent of you wouldnt tell wich one is wich...
honestly the axe fx sounded identical to the original...crazy
good stuff man thank you for making these videos for us
The bias and the kemper are on spot
I'd say the Kemper and the Bias Head were the best - really couldn't tell the difference. All of them were amazing
I'm a Kemper fan boy, but in this video the AX8 and BIAS head sounded most like the original.
@Bloodwork Studios I agree, you gotta put in work with the secondary eq's (not the tone knob). I have real Mesa's, Marshall's, Peavys and fenders, and the kemper is the best tone generator around.
@Bloodwork Studios kemper blows everything away as a tone generator. I will not trade mine for Axe anything. People don't realize not all profiles are equal. You can find bad ones, and amazing ones. Professional studio ones even.
Is it a bad idea to buy a kemper without owning any amp? I don't know because I only use VST's 😅
@@chakipfan3136. my one solid state amplifier bit the dust so I had no amp when I bought my Kemper. Just a lonely cab. Haven't looked back since. It comes with a shitload of amps and I've been slowly downloading more profiles to explore the world of tones! :)
@@Schatje79 I have a kemper for 3 weeks now 😁 I didn't know that you can connect it through your computer to download tones, and that's why I was having second thoughts to buy it because 2k is not worth for just 300 rigs. I still bought it tho without knowing that 😂
Bias VST vs Bias Head please!!))
I'm pretty sure the head use the bias amp 2 software
Yeah, the head uses the VST software already, you're just using your PC to access the tone cloud for it and it's preinstalled amps (I'd assume the head has a storage device and micro PC in order to do what it does)
i managed to get an almost identical tone to the real amp with Overloud TH3. took a bit of fiddling, though, with the master knob and bass knob and also the overdrive pedal to get the gain structure and low end saturation right. i´m almost sure the remaining differences come from my guitar. would love to hear your take on that amp sim, Ola ;)
I own TH3 as well and it's my favorite software amp sim. Very complete and feels great.
i really never like TH2 or 3 i prefer bias fx
TH3 is great. too bad their marketing and PR is weak. if they had the same folks from marketing, social media and graphics department as bias, they would probably be one of the most well known software, trading blows with peavey's revalver, another excellent product. the harsh reality is, in today's software market it's all about UI graphics, website presentation, youtube placements and social media activeness that dictate the success of a product. sound is not an important criteria anymore.
so true. though i have to say i also like the TH3 UI the best from all of the big name amp sims. i like how you have the full signal chain right there for immediate tweaks instead of a representative chain at the top that looks boring and blocky and just one element of the chain at the bottom to tweak. it looks slick and is fast to work with. it´s simple and yet powerful. BIAS is super slow in comparison. it takes forever to load the effects and amp libraries. for me personally that´s totally off-putting. i´m quite impatient with that kind of stuff.
and i tweaked my TH3 tone a little more and it sounds pretty much identicle to Ola´s real amp tone now. i gotta make a video about it. it surprised me how close TH3 got.
well for me Bias Amps and BiasFX are pretty good amp sims,also i love the Jamup Pro,,i tried TH2 but it really never work for me,hope you make the video for the TH3.
While I love tube amps, for home studio recording the profiler amps are great value to have hundreds of models for one price of a high end single amp.
wow seriously impressed with all these results! Definitely surprised by the helix! good job Ola!
In THIS PARTICULAR shootout I thought the AX8 sounded the best.
Great detail in the video comparison, really enjoyed it. The fractal and bias head sounded best to me
by no means hating any amp, but I’m surprised at how different the Kemper sounded on my crappy laptop speakers, it seems to miss a lot of the high end of the original amp, which the other 3 didn’t.
Brutal tone and demo! I'd go with Bias head definitely... I dare you to make a demo like this one but using a Zoom G5 unit this time.
Really impressed with AX8. Bias sounded very nice too . Now I really wanna now how you making those impulse responses. It would be really cool to hear how impulse responses that use actual power amp vs the one that use neutral power amp.
I think the BIAS head matched the mesa head more closely than the others. They all still sound great tho.
They're all great! Some are a little warmer, some a little more present.... I personally wouldn't go with the Helix or Ax-8 because they're on the floor. When my "friend" spilled water on my treble booster and phase 45 I was able to resist killing him, but if it had been the Ax-8 or Helix I don't think that would be the case.
Bias, and Kemper nailed it best. IN a mix, in a live setting without going by "feel" you would NEVER notice it. I did notice the Helix kinda sounded flat compared to the other 3, but all of them actually sounded GREAT. Amazing comparison Ola!
Kemper probably was the most off the original tone, but it also was my personal favorite sounding.
Excellent demo. It really is amazing how close all of these units got to the real thing. BTW, I thought I was the only guy on the planet who preferred SM 58's over SM 57's for guitar. SM 57's always seemed to get a thin sound to my ears.
I agree
@@MrJohnnz Yet another man with superior ears!!!! Actually, your comment just now got me thinking: I normally use an SM 58 to mic my amp but I do have an SM 57. Maybe I'll experiment using both mics just to hear how they sound together, plus it would give me a stereo signal into my DAW interface. I'd have to buy another mic stand- there's always something to buy!!!!!
Im very impressed with the AX8 this time. I thought Kemper would beat it. Planning get the AX8.
That’s the first time I’ve heard that mesa. It sounds really good.
You might have heard it on albums before like Master of puppets or some of the Dream Theater stuff.
i have the studio preamp, which is the preamp of it for a budget
I want a floor unit that combines the amp sounds of the Kemper with the flexible routing and the effects of the Fractal. Maybe with the user interface of the Headrush
Positive Grid BIAS Head won, hands down. Thank you for this video. The others are okay and good but to *my* ears? The BIAS sounded absolutely best!
My opinion is this:
1) Mesa Boogie Mk. IIC+
2) Biax Head
3) Kemper
4) AX8
5) Helix
One of these is not like the other.
@@ShredwardWizardhands It's a matter of taste, and not specs, SS vs Tube, etc.
So I can give MY OPINION about MY TASTE
very nice test ola. thanks a lot. just for those who´s interested: i just heard this test on one of the best near-field monitor systems in the world, the united minorities geko system. byside the sub its total linear. it is very clear that the bias head have the best bass-fidelity and warmness in the lows. it is very very close to the original. this is the first time for me that i heard a solution for the low-end-problem with digital amps. it is way not true that they´re all same. mids and highs are not exactly the same, but they all sound great. this is not the problem. but in the low-end bias head made it. in the studio there are possibilities to fix it, but in live situation you need this few percent in the lows, otherwise the audience don´t get the feel... of course this is just my opinion. best regards to ola :)
The helix and the ax8 sound almost identical at 2:40. They have a little more high end than the IIC. The Kemper and the Bias were a little darker than the original amp. All very close though. Great video. Thanks for the time and effort.
The AX8 sounds so pushy and thick sounding. Love it.
Honestly they are all good, the line 6 was a little fizzy on the last riff but spot on with the first
as an owner of a helix I would like to point out to everyone something that is never mentioned in reviews like this. The input impedance of the helix is what gives the helix its bright almost harsh sound. By default the patches load in with the impedance set to auto. This feature matches the impedance of the incoming signal from your guitar perfectly. In the real world of amps this is not the case at all. All set ups going into a real amp see some sort of impedance drop from pedals, cables, the amp itself..etc. with the helix you get a more ideal signal path, something that is not achievable with a traditional amp set up. The high end crispness is attenuated in the real amp set up while the helix retains this information. The helix is more High definition in this way and something that most guitarist are not used to hearing in there tone when all is said and done. However line 6 did include the ability to set the impedance of the incoming signal to accommodate for this. By setting the incoming signal to a more modest 90 or 130k Ohm one can alleviate this harshness all together. Try it if you own one and you will see the digital blues melt away I promise. As a side note, when you do this you not only tame the harshness without resorting to big eq cuts, you also accentuate the low end as well. Try your comparisons then and see which you prefer!
anyone notice he just makes everything sound good and usable. the kempter tripped me out on how it sounded very different. the helix has this digital fizz at the top end but was not bad. the bias head has this odd saturation but is close. the axe 8 tho. freaking amazing.
Brightness of the modelling distinguishes it from the genuine article.
I think they all sounded great. Really no right or wrong pick here, just what’s convenient for you. Love my Kemper.
I hope that these things fully take off in the future ! Because in 20years or less I'll be sitting on a gold mine of collectable tube amps !
I'd love to hear these things in the room with them because most of us know how different something can sound when you don't mic it up
They are virtually the same. You could eq them to be exact, with that in mind I'd go with Bias.
I'm inclined to agree with you Ola. Quite frankly, anyone who suggests that they can discern a difference, is simply exhibiting their predilections.
This is an awesome video, made by an awesome artist that always delivers incredibly inspiring videos and music.
This also proves a very important point, once you have chosen what to use, thanks to videos like this one also, please, sit down and do music, practise, create and share it! Don't get too lost in the tech/gear maze.
Thanks Ola! \m/ :D \m/
+Mirko Fadda thank you man
Hi Ola, what Seymour Duncan that are available for purchase alone do you like best? I'm a big fan of your tone and it doesn't look like the Solar's are available to purchase unless they're bolted into one of your signature models. Thanks - your videos are the shit!
They all sound close enough that it really doesn't matter which one you choose. In a mix especially so.
Awesome video Ola! At this point, it's all about going for what's financially cost effective for you. The biggest advantage here seems to be less tweaking to get to the result with the KEMPER.
Awesome!!!
All sounded great but the AX8 and the Bias are my top 2z. The big amp companies are getting in big trouble... (if not have been in...))
Cheerz Yo!
Holy crap, haven't seen you since after you joined Nevermore, great to see you're still active in the community! Subbed
Hehe, yeah that's been a while:)) thanks buddy, glad to be the part of it, and Ive been working on tons of other stuffs, too;)
Cheerz
To best honest, I think anyone could get by with any of those 4 products. The sound is already "close enough" for most case, and they could still be even better if one would tweak it to sound more to his taste. Not even saying that it's an exercise to "reproduce" an existing sound, but most of the time, you will just dial up your own sound based on the product/amp you're using. And one thing that is not mentioned here (because it's not the point of the video), but someone that would buy one of those product would pay the same price of a good amp (or two), but he/she will have access to plenty of models, plenty of effects and possibilities of tweaking (even more than any regular amp) to the point to not really need anything else and still be able to play virtually *any* kind of sound. So long story short: Yeah, Amp companies are getting in big trouble because the price of electronics and digital always get more affordable over the years and now quality is just as good. Of course, we always need the real amp to be copied/sampled/profiled/modeled... but once the top 50, 100, 150 or 200 amps are done, what else do we really need? My 2¢
I absolutely love this dude!!! Always doing fair unbiased reviews!! Keep them coming man!! :D
Listening in my home studio, the Bias is the one that sounds closer to the original sound from the provided amp. Each one has its own flavor, I'll put the Kemper in second place, the Axe in 3rd and the Helix in 4th mainly because it was to bright. Again, I am judging what sound closer to the original one.
Bias sounds closest to me, but i honestly prefer the brighter and more "high endy" sound from the axe and helix, since they provide way more riff definition.
I was surprised that the Kemper didn't sound closer, sounds like it's lacking some brightness which the AX8 nailed, could probably be tweaked pretty easily and it still sounds very good. I think both the Kemper and the AX8 sounded far superior to the Helix and the Bias.
mesa and line 6 for me : )
All "simulators" sounded a bit too shiny compared to the original, but I agree they did a good job, even more when these results can be tweaked a little more and get them exactly where you want them.
Nice job!
I would love a comparaison video with fender amps, cleaner sounds
He made a good point, in a mix people wouldn't likely be able to detect a difference. In a live situation I would think the difference would be even less apparent. It all goes back to the player!
I'm impressed. I've been considering all of theses as my upgrade, Bias being my most recent consideration. After listening to this, I'd rank them as such in terms of quality; 1 Ax8 2 Kemper 3 Bias 4 Helix. In my opinion the margins are very close for this ranking though. Helix is the only one that stands out for me with a negative point, it's got a little (tiny bit) of hiss that I don't love. This is probably negligible in a mix though or through a power amp.
why no atomic amplifire?
Andrew Khz I agree I'd love to see a comparison to see if a pedal half the price can come close to the real deal. Please Ola?
The Helix actually sounded much better then I thought it would. Didn't have the low end of the others but still sounded really convincing.
Thanks Ola! This is my conclusion:
1. AX 8
2. BIAS HEAD
3. KEMPER
4. LINE 6 HELIX
Bias head for sure. Sounds sick. I once owned the Helix floor, but I ended up selling it and I think im going to go with the bias head this time around.
Wow the Positive Grid did way better than i expected
Mark IIC+ > AX8 > BIAS Head > Helix > Kemper
I must say I'm pleasantly surprised by the BIAS Head.
i have to say Kemper was a bit muffled sounding versus the others. All the others I couldnt tell a difference, but were all a bit harsher than the original boogie.
hey man great review as always. good to hear the helix is nailing some good tones since I'm planning to buy one!
best comparison ever :) thanks ola!
Honestly.... To MY ear, I thought BIAS head was a PERFECT match!
Thanks Ola!
I think the Bias is the closest with the Kemper and AX8 at a very close second.
its crazy how the bias sounds exactly like the amp and the other ones you can tell sound differently easily, i couldnt tell the difference between it at all
Why didn't you refine the Kemper profile? I mean, it doesn't take long, and it would have gotten it pretty much spot on...
Do you notice one feeling more real than the others? They all seemed to capture the sound very well.
Great video! It's really interesting, there are definite differences between them all, but still pretty subtle. I listened to it a few times and couldn't really pick a favorite. It seems to depend on which frequencies you want to keep and which you want eliminate; first time round there was a sound I didn't like in the bias, but thought it sounded good the second time round.
i have a helix and it's great for my purposes.. especially the new model of the prs Archon amp.. much nicer than a mesa for me.. an amazing clean channel and a brutal lead channel.. a great time to be a guitarist no matter which modeller you have i think..
I personally preferred the ax8 and the helix.. in this comparison the ax8 slightly > helix.. but keep in mind the helix had a mark iv not a mark ii you'd expect a different tone.. I'm personally torn between the two..
First place is the fractal for me, second is the bias, 3rd is the helix, and last is the Kemper, it had a crazy amount of low end that the original didn't have, the helix lacked somewhat I think in the mids and had a little annoying high end, the bias also had a lot of low end but it was alright, and the fractal was a more harsh version of the tone, which made him a winner for me, great video
I liked the Axe Fx AX8 the best, but I might be biased because I was hoping the Axe Fx would win. Helix was very similar, but a little more trebly and thinner in the midrange, I think. The Kemper seems to be like a recording, it was like the Mesa in tone, but seemed like it came from a different environment, like some actor's voice overs sound when you're watching a movie with dubbed in dialog on TV. The bias seemed more bassy. None of these criticisms are bad of the 4 units, they all sound good, just my observations of how they sounded to me. I would go for the Axe Fx with the Bias close behind. Great video and very helpful, thanks Ola.
They all sounded damm near identical, just slight EQ differences. Add a slight bass boost to the Helix and it sounds the same as the others.
They all do a great job. Anyone who thinks one is better is just making shit up. Thanks Ola for doing such a great video comparison.
The Kemper is the winner here... Axe sounded more harsh than the original amp (that could eventually makes excitement to some of you but strictly regarding the comparison it's not like the orginal), the Helix have some awful high-mids frequencies that would be problematic on a dense metal mix, and the Bias sounded harsh, fizzy and muddy to me. Only my opinion but please be aware that this is in THIS case, as comparing them with any other real amp the sound response could be different.
Big thanks Ola, I needed a right souding preset to get started with my helix so much !
It basically sounds like the same amp with different eq settings. There's identical and then there's a good tone. All seem capable of producing a good tone.
Thank you for that IR man! Just got the Helix and imported your preset straight away as a starting point; it may not sound EXACTLY like the IIC but it sounds pretty damn good to my ears. \m/!