Atomic: AmpliFIRE 12. A first look and listen.
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
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The AmpliFIRE 12 offers all of the great sounds and effects found in in the original AmpliFIRE but it's a far more stage friendly affair thanks to its 12 foot-switches, two sets of outputs, 2 x Expression pedal control, MIDI, FX loop and a good mix of robust build and portability. The amp and cab models are outstanding and you can supplement the cabs with your own IR's (32 user slots) if you choose. I've only touched the tip of the sonic iceberg in this video as there's a lot on offer here.
Some things worth pointing out that aren't clearly indicated in the video are: fully configurable foot switches, high quality pre and post EQ's and effects, mono to stereo FX loop and and onboard tuner and one of the better GUI's on the market today.
There is little wanting in the AmpliFIRE 12 and I'm guessing it will accomodate even the most demanding modelling user. I certainly would be happy to use it onstage and in the studio.
Today's tools:
Guitar: 2009 Music Man Reflex 25th Anniversary (stock).
Amp and effects: Atomic AmpliFIRE 12. No extra pre or post production effects were added in the mix.
Cables: Providence, Free The Tone and Montreaux
Power Supply: Supplied (1A9VDC Atomic PS)
Mic: Samson Airline77 (me)
Camera: Canon 60D (me) and Nikon D5100 (A12)
Soundcard: AVID Mbox Pro 3
Computer: Apple iMac 27" i7 3.4 GHz 16 GB RAM
Software: Logic Pro X, Waves L3-16 Limiter (to keep levels in check at output), Apple Final Cut Pro X (video editing and UA-cam compression).
Brett - great review. Apart from your great playing, I have to compliment you on a couple of really basic things - first, you are always in tune, not to be overlooked. I cannot watch reviews where the guitar is out of tune. Secondly, you mix in a good amount of chord/rhythm playing with lead styles. This really shows off what the effects can do for all types of players.
Thanks again!
Gotta love Brett. Knows how to play, knows how to speak and record and is not afraid to play clean. I now must have this product that no one else seems able to demo. Thanks.
Nicely done, quick and to the point. I like it....not a modeling guy but certainly has me thinking. Thanks again for posting!
WOW, That thing sounds Amazing, Thanks for the Demo Brett! Great Job as always...
Friggin love this Unit! Sounds like a good tube amp to me
I am a YT review junkie. This is the best review I have seen on Atomics stuff yet!
And great playing
Thanks Brett. Always great videos and playing. I have the atomic 12 and a CLR wedge. I love them both. That is my gigging rig right now. I am very pleased with the products and the results I am getting
I Love the Quad Delay Phase. It Sounds like some Phasey Filtering in-there-too ? Very Mysterious. Brett I really enjoy your videos. You are so good at what you do Sir.
I'm very flattered and pleased that you're enjoying them. Thanks, Michael.
Not gonna replace my collection of analog pedals and amp, but damn, excellent enough to be a much more convenient gig rig. Great playing and presentation as always!
Thanks, Rick!
Rick C me either but I have GAS and I love it.
Amazing Queen tones. Hands down
After hearing the atomic amp modelers damn they have a good sound and tone, really impressed. This is the first brand I really like.
One of the best demos I've seen period, quality chops also👌
That's a cracking bit of kit right there. Nice demo, Burgs.
Cheers, Chris.
GREAT DEMO , you always are very good on REVIEWS !!
Kingman nails it. Nice reveiw/demo.
Thanks, Scott. :)
To me it sounds better than a tube amp and this has a worth of more than a million of gear in these in just a small device. I don't understand how people are still buying a 3000dollar tube amp with 20 different pedals...
Looks like a really great development of the original. Excellent company this too. I love that guitar though.....want a Musicman......
Nothing wrong with this sound. Righteous. Hope to own the small one soon.
Wow, the quad delay phaser sounds amazing. it's like an old Maestro phaser crossed with an old school analogue delay.
Yeah, I thought that one was pretty special too. I'll be exploring it more to find out what makes it tick.
Stellar demo Burgs, great product too ... wouldn't mind a demo of their new Ampli-Firebox which certainly doesn't have all the added controls of the its' bigger older siblings and also has fewer parameters and no screen, but does take a ton of the main features and shrinks it down into an effects pedal sized box of fun and also is more budget friendly for poor people like me, lol
Sounds great for a tube purist like me...
I sold my original Amplifire and went with the Fractal AX8. But the Amplifire stuff might be the best "bang for your buck" on the market. Great stuff, Brett!
Wes
are you still digging the fractal?
I sold my Amplifire for an AX8 too, but it's still in the band, so it didn't go far :)
Hey so I’m really stuck between this or the AX8 until the fractal FM3 finally gets in my hands. How huge of a difference is there between these amp models in the amplifire from the ax8? I’m mainly interested in high gain performance but a good clean and dirty is ideal as well
Best demos on the net.
There's a lot in this piece of kit..I loved the first offering from Atomic that did some amazing things to but I was playing with tooooo' much other gear. You keep this up I'll have to mortgage the house.
I've got an old RP500 I bought like 12 years ago. Loved it, but this is my next pedal.
I'm loving the RP500 now! What's this one like compared to it? Anything you miss?
Impressive review!
Wow 4:11 sounds like Sucker In A 3 Piece (Van Halen)
I loved this pedal!
Brett it’s been 3 years since you did this wonderful review. Has your opinion of the Amplifire 12 changed in that time? I have the Amplifire Box pedal and love the sounds I get but want to have more options than it offers. The Amplifire 12 appears to fit the bill. Your thoughts today?
Thanks for a good demo...
Cheers, TJ!
This is an outstanding demo but I have to agree that this unit still sounds a bit "digital" or harsh to me. I owned the original Amplifire (red) and returned it after a few days. At my age I don't have the time or patience to sit at a computer to tweak presets, especially when I can't do so at home through a PA at stage volume. What sounds great in headphones does not translate to the direct out through a PA. The Amplifire just didn't do it for me live. My aim was to make life easier by not having to haul around a lot of heavy stuff when I play out. I've tried other products and had the same frustrations, although I could get close with the Eleven Rack. What works best for me is to get a fairly light but good sounding amp (Dr. Z Maz 8 or a Quilter MicroPro) to mic (or use the built in DI with the Quilter) with additional pedals as needed. Not to disrespect the current technology, including the profiling amp; this is exciting stuff, but for my needs I'm happier with simplicity. Recording is a whole different animal, I think.
Oh I love the humbucker better. Great video
The casing looks a lot like the AX8, sounds really good though. Really decent price as well.
Sounds great! liking the Plexi tones particularly, good demo Bret :-)
Thanks, Gary. :)
That multi EFX ampliFIRE 12 is as good for rock and blues as the Helix, Fractal, Kemper, ISP Theta Pro, and Digitech GSP 2101
Put a premium wah and volume pedal...IT'S PEDAL TO THE METAL!
So the comments say these tones (presets) are right out of the box! Are the presets pretty-much set for unity gain? If I dialed-up a good loud sound with distortion then switch to a clean I won't suddenly be a lot louder or lower in volume? No (drastic) bass or treble changes? How is this recorded? Are the cab sims on too?
Looks great! Does anybody know the dimentions & weight of Amplifire 12?
also bangup vid man. riht up here wih the andertons vids
Burgs, you are a real working muso. With these kind of amazing multi effects how would you handle a back up during a gig? Do you basically have to buy 2 of them?
Love the presets, perfectly usable (not so usual with modelers)... Are those factory or ur own? Tnx
All factory presets.
***** *nice demo, you could play through two tin cans attached by a string an it would sound great.*
I did try that once. Wasn't as great as I'd hoped.
Hey Brett, Nice playing as usual, Does the Amplifire - 12 have a pitch shifter/harmonizer?
I am thinking about switching from Helix to the much smaller Amplifire 6. However I have got used to snapshots which allow completely seamless switching on the Helix. Is there a tiny silent gap in between each switch with the amplifire?
You are the best..
Anyone know if it's possible to run the main out to my amplifier head without cabinet simulation and run the AUX to my In-ear WITH cabinet simulation?
Or simply use one rig on Main out and another one via AUX?
In that case it beats my Kemper for live purposes!
Studio Titan plug it into the return input on ur tube amp head that's it.
Studio Titan sold my kemper.
coffeewaldonot sure I understand your answer though.
I'm looking for 2 separate outputs. 1 with cabinet simulation, 1 without.
Best case would be 2 separate sounds. Let's say distortion on 1, Super distortion with delay on the 2nd.
I need a different sound to my in-ear. Basically more distortion, more delay and reverb. Thanx
Studio Titan yea I'm sorry I don't know the answer. I don't use in ears so
I'm not educated on that. Maybe someone else could jump in and help or write to atomic amPliFire customer support. Sorry!!!
are you still diggin this unit?
Great review... when assigning effects to certain buttons is it just as simple as holding down the button once the effect you want is selected?
Nice patches - did you spend a lot of time dialing these in or was it just easier than others you've programmed? I hear lots of stereo effects that sound really nice.
Wonder if this unit can be used as an Interface to record using a DAW?
nice sounding...but, Y Rn't the effects labeled on the board ?
Great demo Brett, thanks! Great sounding sims and effects, and I especially like the footprint. I checked the Amplifier website, but I couldn't find the effects list. Does this have a looper function?
No looper function on this one. Thanks for watching and the kind words. :)
Hi Burg's, don't Line 6 has frfr speakers which they use for Helix,
This sounds like a great unit...
I have got no send return on my Matchless dc 30. Will this Atomic Amplifire work when you go directly into the input of my Matchless combo or is this a no go ?
Can someone help me out with the Amplifire 12 setup? Can I run this pedalboard directly to my powered studio monitors bypassing the audio interface ? If so what is the best way of doing so and what type of cables should I use ? Also if it can run used this way would it be better to use just one studio monitor or both of them ?
Sounds quite good... Too bad about the knobs that came straight out of Radio Shack. I think it deserves a little more class than that.
greetings ! great playing and demo btw. i have read here and there that the AA company customer service and IR's for these units is a nightmare. is this true, and if yes has it improved by 1-6-2018 ? because i think it sounds great and i just want a unit that i can buy and upgrade amp heads, IR'S, customer service that gives a damn about there customers. anyone that owns and knows i would appreciate any feedback, thank you.
Hi Brent, just want to say thanks for the great demo and was hoping maybe you could answer a question for me. I'm currently using the Fractal Axe FX 2 XL and although it sounds great I would still really like to my pare down my live rig. I'm not so concerned about the effects section but I would like to know your thoughts on how you think the Amplifire 12 amp models compare to the Fractal. Can they go toe to toe with it tone wise when sending a feed to FOH? I'm especially concerned about the quality of the amp models such as the Marshall/Friedman type. Thanks for your help.
Hi 542, I have the AxFx 2 and the AA3 plus 2 Atomic Neos.. The AA3 and the AA12 have the same core elements as the Fractal engine. BOTH are stellar and sound great in FOH and through the Atomic Neos.. The real difference is in the routing (W/D/W)and the ability to use mulitiple amps and cabs in one preset, and of course, more effects in the Fractal... I rarely take the Fractal out of my studio unless the pay is great. The AA 3... IS my GO TO.. for all small gigs and jams. I find that they sound great in a recording mix together!
Great info, thank you!
"Bit more gain, thanks" lol!
Creat sound and playing..... how would you compare this to the Boss Me 80?
Brett is this something that u would run thru the front end of a JCM800? without an effects loop
Brett - I don't recall any discussion of this in the video and haven't seen any in the comments below (though haven't read all)...but please describe the nature of the responsiveness to changes in guitar volume and pick attack. How does it compare with the better tube (or SS) amps you've played through?
+Leon C Leon, I sold it shortly after the demo was made to pay some bills, as one does. My only recollection of the responsiveness is that it was reasonable but not in the same sphere as my Fractal gear. Where tube amps are concerned, you’re at the mercy of your monitoring system with modellers, although the models themselves are quite good and always improving.
Ah..okay, thanks.
can we play this without amp on stage ?
Yes, that is its primary purpose. Go for it.
impressive playing!!! could you compare this to the NUX Cerberus? i wonder about the user friendliness of them both. how can this one be used as individual stomp boxes?
Ren, I have owned a Cerberus for about 9 months, and it does not compare to the Atomic. They are two different types of devices. While the Cerberus is a very good and easy to use multi effect pedal board, it is not a true amp modeler. In other words, when you do not use its built-in Drive or Dist effects, the Cerberus offers no controls for input gain, tone, Presence, Resonance, Volume, Bright, etc. In my experience, the Cerberus is best used with a traditional amplifier that has an effects loop, allowing you to run its Overdrive and Distortion effects in front of the preamp and the delay and modulation effects in the amp's loop. Sounds and performs great that way. Second-best application for the Cerberus is to use it as a traditional pedalboard plugging Output 1 straight into a one channel guitar amp. Finally, you can turn on cabinet emulation in the Cerberus to use it without an amp, and run straight to PA or recording interface. I have had to use this method when I did not have an amp, and although I got by with it, my clean tones without a preamp sounded sterile and lacked character.
The Atomic, on the other hand, does not need a separate guitar amp. It lets you shape tones from virtual amplifiers that digitally simulate the tones, controls, and in better modelers, the touch response of iconic, industry standard amps and speaker cabinets. This gives you a broader tonal palette because you are no longer limited to playing through a single amp but now have dozens at your feet. You can then use the included effects to dress up all those amp tones and save the tone+effect combination as presets. The Cerberus offers a preset mode as well, but with no modeling, so you are limited to whatever single amplifier to which you are connected. The Atomic is intended to be connected to either a mixer / computer for recording, or into a PA system for gigs. Onstage you would hear yourself either through a monitor mix or through one of the newer full range, flat response (FRFR) powered guitar speaker cabinets. For best results in a professional setting, you would probably want in-ear monitors and the ability to tailor your own monitor mix.
Question about your setup in this video - What are you using to hear output? Studio monitors? If so what type? I'd love to build a desktop system like this.
Yep. Blue Sky Media Desk 2.1. Same little studio monitors I've used for 8 years.
Brett Kingman Hi Brett, Sky system you use, has a subwoofer?
Yep. That's the 1 in 2.1. :)
Great demo - thanks. Got one question..and maybe I scrolled passed that...but anyway. If you change patch from one with delay to a patch without delay - will the tail from the previous patch still sound or will change of patch just kill it?
Marcus, I have the exact same question. The website FAQ is probably the best place for an answer, because if the capability wasn't in the original firmware when this video was made, a few updates were probably made available. As a long-time fan of multi-effect pedalboards, this is a commonly requested feature.
@@tjborekvideo Thanks Tim. Agree, for me this is a basic thing. Quite few of my lead parts ends up in a rather silent bridge. But when I look into different forums it seems to me that rather few of the new multi-effects haven't solved this issue i good way, it takes too much CPU from what I understand. The only one being clear about having this function full out seems to be Boss with their new GT-1000.
This is one of the reasons I still stick to my TC Electronic G-System.
Hi Brett, what is the latency like in patch mode?
I wish I had got one of these instead of a Headrush.
The lack of scribble strips and non descriptive LED screen would get me lost of where I was within a preset. It does sound good but make lack some features that I would need in a live situation.
will it sound decent if i plug it into a solid state amp's return?
Should sound, great, yep.
I don't understand... is this a multi-fx like helix or just an amp modeling like kemper??
Like Helix and has amp modeling.
Does it have a harmonizer/pitch shifter???
+s b, No but it takes racks or pedal great. So you can use a Eventide H9 or whatever with it. it does however have some incredible reverbs ad delays.
Thanks.
super
is atomic amplifire have tap tempo feature?
If you mean tap for the delay...yes.
dadi victorious yes
No rack version?
I know! all these floor all-in-one units. has nobody played gigs in a packed house with people partying hard and beer flying everwhere? and maybe some stage diving etc. I've had to block people from stepping on my shit before and then tons of beer and sweat and whatever else on my foot controllers. No way I would trust it wouldn't get broken or soaked. This in a rack unit with a big fat screen etc would be sweet and far more affordable than a kemper or fractal plus less screwing around with parameters.
hi brett! just wondering whether you could recommend a good frfr speaker (that's loud enough for gigging) for this one. ive checked out the clr model from atomic (and you had a review of it as well) but it's quite expensive. maybe something below 500 bucks?
The little RCF's are OK but I'm not sure of the cost, sorry. The only FRFR monitors I've had experience with are the RCF's, the Atomic CLR Active (my favourite) and Nexos which are hellish expensive but supplied by our production company whilst on tour. Best to hit the forums to get other opinions, I think.
thank you very much! ill probably just go spend the extra buck for the clr since it was meant to be used with the atomic amplifire in the first place XD thanks again
The CLR's are 999 UK sterling so I tried an FR12 from Matrix; its superb, not sure what it would cost AUS dollars though.
Hard to tell, but does it sound "transistory" to you? Is there a way to fatten it up with a nice tube sound?
Lee Thomas it's the way u have it set up. Does not sound fizzy in my house. And I'm not bragging in any way but I have some great amps. So I think I have a good ear. No tweaking all day on this one
Like with ur fractal.
Yes. Sounds very fuzzy and fizzy.
Marty Meatball You're setting it up that way. Just like the other post said. What are u doing taking out all the mids?
daikuone yes get a tube amp.
Or get a Kemper tweak all day and end up with the same 3 sounds u always use.
Does this have cab sims or are you going through a Torpedo Studio..
Not only Atomic cab IR's but user and 3rd party IR's too.
Hi Brett
Did you try to use it through a guitar tube amp, using loop of course ? thanks!
m sure we don't need any guitar amp on stage
Vivek Khati why can't we own both? And not everyone's a performer. U may not believe this but not everyone wants to be on stage. Some play guitar for the love of it.
I have a feeling that just about every device you review, they all sound kind of the same to be honest. Maybe UA-cam compression. I guess
Yep... bank balance spent once again... I blame awesome video clips of awesome gear.
sooooo Burgs what ya gonna do with the original amplifire now that you got the sick upgrade?. i know an american dealing with a shit president who plays guitar who would love an amplifire for his birthday. hint hint *points at self*
Haha. Unfortunately I had to sell the original months ago to help pay for school fees.
Sad. Ive been in love with them since your first vid. For someone who doesnt own an amp and only has a korg pandora mini headphone amp it looks to be a MASSIVE upgrade
Brett Kingman , I now own it 😀, yay
cody thompson h g
Sounds rubbish to me..lol. Fizzzzzzeeeeeee as expected.