Honestly. Both sound great. Tough to tell the difference from a phone mic. I use a regular pedalboard and an amp for outdoor gigs and a gigboard direct to FOH at indoor clubs. Always monitoring through iem’s. Both set ups have their pros and cons, but both work and sound great. I love that I can show up to a gig with the Headrush Gigboard and a guitar. That’s it‼️
If I close my eyes and just listen then they both sound great. I wouldn’t hesitate to use either setup if the situation called for it. I’ve replaced my analog board with the Headrush, GIGBOARD and HX effects. I don’t miss anything having the digital versions.
Doctor McFarland Studios Thanks, Doctor. I’m getting better tones as I get more comfortable with the HR. I’ll try to post an updated vid with better audio 🤦🏻♂️
going to try putting the headrush into my mesa effects return today to use as a power amp and turn off ir/cab sims. hopefully I get a nice tone to use my mesa as a monitor and the flexibility of different pre amp tones.
Honestly, both sound good (your playing doesn't hurt AT ALL). Have you tried an in/out buffer? I've used the Empress w/great results, and the new Axess Electronics OTS1 Patchbox is amazing. Highly recommend it, and the owner/designer, Mario, is a top-notch guy!
Great video! One thing you might try to save tone fidelity with your board (stompboxes) is to place a buffer pedal as the first pedal in your chain. Even better would be a buffered eq pedal such as the boss eq2. I’d bet you could get both setups exactly the same with that.
Fantastic video!! Would you post a video comparing the preamp of your amp and the Headrush's version? It would be really interesting to hear through room mic!
I liked the high gain on the board a little better but I'm so sick of my board. Thousands of dollars and still tap dancing. Noisy. can't turn on multiple pedals. Cant get all the sounds I need. Thats why I'm here. trying to figure what multi effects pedal to buy. I have an old boss gt 10 but its not cutting it. Just doesn't sound good enough.
Dennis Breault : Dennis! The full sized board can be had for less then a thousand. I got one from Amazon with a 20% off deal (although I returned it because at the time, I thought it was very big and heavy, and I was trying to save size and weight), but the Gigboard is available for under 600.00 I think it’s a very fair price IF you’re the type of person who likes the interface (I do) as it’s extremely easy to navigate. I’m sure the Fractal AX8 is better sounding and it definitely has a ton more tweaking options, but for an OCD dude like me, that’s a bad thing. You can get an AX8 for 1100.00 If you’re the type of guy who wants deep, deep, programming and don’t mind using an iPad or a PC for the editing software, I’d get the Fractal. If you’re more old school and feel like you’d like to spend more time PLAYING than tweaking, the Headrush is awesome.
@@riffs66 i agree. Fractal is based just down the road from me. Im in NH. Rite now im using a Boss me80. Im not into the deep editing thing. I wanna get my tone which gets me inspired. Hell ill mess with effects and tones and it leads me to new ideas. Love ur playing by the way. Ur way underated.
Great comparison! I think you will feel the difference if you are playing ... just listening to I cant tell the difference between them. I used to play my tube amp with TC Electronic Nova System... it was great!
So if I'm understanding correctly, both the headrush and the board go straight to the Marshall amp and cab!? Then that's even more remarkable that the headrush sounds so good since it's really meant to go into a Class D type amp and FRFR type speaker for it to really properly shine! Were you using any amp or speaker simulation in the headrush?
I think the comparison does not give justice to Headrush. It should be connected to the amplifier effect return. Unlike the pedalboard need to connect to the input as it was. It would be nice to hear the test in this way. I do not have anything else.
azlakki The point was to compare real stomp box fx to the virtual stomp boxes in the Headrush. Since most real stompboxes (mainly, in this case, Compressors and Overdrives) go into the front of an amplifier, I wanted to see how the Headrush sounds in front of an amplifier. In this way, we hear how both devices sound and react going into a preamp, then a poweramp. Capice’?
I also use the amp sims through my clean channel tube amp. It sounds great. The trick is fine tuning. Once setup, it blows people away. A clean high headroom amp is the ticket.
Hey there, thanks for the video! I'm just now starting to research pedals, and the Headrush gear has caught my attention. For the price of a good power supply, a small board, and a small selection of the basic pedals, one could have access to just about any effect you could want. I'm really torn between the Pedalboard and it's extra controls and expression pedal, or the more compact Gigboard with access to the same features mostly, but more compact size and lower price.
Isaiah Furrow I would say if size and travel convenience isn’t an issue, get the Pedalboard. I actually prefer a separate expression pedal because I can place it in a more convenient position, but the extra foot switches can make life much easier and allow you to compromise less when building patches - more variety of options.
I second the pedalboard over the gigboard. I actually bought the gigboard first and though I liked it I didn't realize how much I would miss the three adjustment dials to the right of the touch screen. It makes adjustments much quicker and the hands free adjusting is better on the pedalboard because all adjustments will show on the scribble strips.
man, you've got some nice chops and beautiful feel too. I've just got the head rush and trying to get tones so I can leave the amp at home. feeling like I would be better served using it into my sweet mesa as I can rely on just turning it on and having an instant great tone without all the tweeking. I do see the possabilities of the headrush, think I just need to spend more time with it.
Thanks for this! How does the Headrush sound when you roll off the guitar volume knob when using a distortion/overdrive or gain from the virtual amp? Does it clean up well like the real thing?
Jo's Stuff Great question - the answer is: sorta. It does change the gain "density", I'd say, but no way does it react as drastically or feel as linear as going through a pedal/amp. That's probably the trickiest aspect of these digital units (in my experience). I should do another vid and examine that closer 👍🏽
very interesting comparison, I've found with multi fx I feel disconnected with my amp no matter how good they sound, almost like the guitar is just a triggering device.. with pedals I feel the organic thing you describe even though the tones may not be as clear, I dunno really.. maybe I'm just old and can't get past pedals.. but when you get the right combination of pedals.. a good guitar and a great amp.. nothing quite like it.
oneguitar I agree 💯. I’m trying to setup the Gigboard to use in a very specific circumstance: playing fly gigs into rented backline amps. I’m most comfortable with my stomp boxes but I’m dealing with a scenario where I usually leave early Friday morning and jump on a plane and get home late Sunday night. In between, I get for play for about 90 minutes. I can’t stomach only bringing one guitar, so 2 guitars, a 50lb flight case for the pedalboard and the rest of my gear, clothes, etc is a little silly when the actual play time is such a short part of what amounts to 3 days of humping gear around. The gigs have rented amps - usually 2 Marshall heads and 2 cabs, and there’s never a lot of time to dial in great tones, so it’s a matter of efficiency and as decent a tone as I can get under the circumstances. I’m hoping the Headrush will fit the bill.
Joe I need to find a fly rig. Headrush seems like my best option although I'm still looking at a Diesel Zerrer Preamp .. Were straight ahead classic metal, using all EVH now but flying it is not an option. You get it, I go through the same crap back and forth.... Any thoughts?
Angel Black Worldwide Its tough to say, really. I’m an older dude. I’ve been playing guitar for a long time, and it’s sorta the “old dog/new tricks” deal with me: If I can get it done with a real amp and some pedals, that always makes me more comfortable. If you’re able to get the Diezel and plug it into a rental tube amp and have it work, I’d go that route. Especially if you’re playing a straight ahead style with not a hundred different tones/fx. ALL these boxes (Fractal, Helix, Headrush, etc) are great IF you have the opportunity to dive DEEP into them AND if you have a sound engineer and monitor situation that makes them shine. If you’re flying by the seat of your pants in some strange town, I prefer to have a guitar > pedals > amp and a real speaker cab on stage with me. Stuff gets weird, you can twist a knob super quick. Can’t hear yourself? Move toward the cab - again, I’m OLD 😊. If I was in Metallica, or U2, or Def Leppard and I had a steady, dedicated crew and a band that actually rehearsed production and sound rigging, I’d have the latest, greatest all-in-one box (maybe). Otherwise, I feel more comfortable, and I sound better with pedals, tube amps, and real speakers. Hope that helps.
Joe Cefalu you’re not old Joe. Stop. I prefer amps and a few pedals myself but I don’t gig nor do I want to. I don’t have the nerves for performing. I play for the love of it and just jam with family and friends or for them but mainly I just love playing.
Do you have similar settings on the presets as with the pedals on the board...like for Reverb, are the tone, gain, levels settings similar for an apple to apple comparison....couse i can also make that Headrush sound so bad...and i can do the same with the stomp boxes..that's me and my ever curious mind though haha 😉
Reverb and delay are easy to do 🍎 to 🍏, but gain, overdrive, etc are 🍎 to🍌 ! It takes quite a bit of tweaking and re-thinking to use the Headrush as compared to stomp boxes, IMO.
Jarick Losey Thanks. Using only “stomp boxes” in the Headrush into the FRONT of the amp. No amp or cab sims. It’s basically a combination of the DYN III Compressor, 2 White Boosts, 2 Green ODs, the DC Distort, and a Graphic EQ. There’s simple delay and reverb on always that I fade in/out to taste with the expression pedal. Also a Multi Chorus on the Clean tone.
sgmarshall3 I have used the “amps” with IR’s into powered monitors and I think they work great. Great response and tones can be had. I’m still a novice at this point, however.
So the gigboard plays nice through your amp? Does it bastardize your amps tone? I hear what I hear, but I don’t trust anyone on UA-cam after having gone through Helix and GT1000
Mate this is the best video on UA-cam regarding the headrush gigboard!
100% Agreed. None of that bullshit.
I shared your video in the Headrush group on Facebook. Keep those sweet tones coming.
Doctor McFarland Studios Thanks!
Best review on UA-cam of the headrush thank you sir you just sold me on this
This was a big help! I’ve been looking to replace my rig on a small budget, and have been leaning toward the gigboard. You just swayed me! Thanks!
Honestly. Both sound great. Tough to tell the difference from a phone mic. I use a regular pedalboard and an amp for outdoor gigs and a gigboard direct to FOH at indoor clubs. Always monitoring through iem’s. Both set ups have their pros and cons, but both work and sound great.
I love that I can show up to a gig with the Headrush Gigboard and a guitar. That’s it‼️
Your tone and playing is great!
🙏🏻
the head rush is much louder and a little more sterile and also tighter, both sound great
U r the man!! Incredible clear comparison, thanks for the great job sir!!
owen zhai 🙏🏻
Great vid man ... would be interested in a follow up once you're more familiar with the Headrush etc.
love your playing style!
Was something supposed to sound like crap? I must have missed it.
Thanks a lot. That was very helpful!
👍🏼
Great job with this. Really appreciated!
Thank you and well done! Nice playing too:)
Well done informative video. Thanks. One thing for the headrush is $540 gets you some nice effects that take up little space.
It's a no brainier !
If I close my eyes and just listen then they both sound great. I wouldn’t hesitate to use either setup if the situation called for it. I’ve replaced my analog board with the Headrush, GIGBOARD and HX effects. I don’t miss anything having the digital versions.
Doctor McFarland Studios Thanks, Doctor. I’m getting better tones as I get more comfortable with the HR. I’ll try to post an updated vid with better audio 🤦🏻♂️
Headrush Pedalboard with an HX Effects here too. Best of all worlds.
Doctor McFarland Studios please post more on your tone bud. It is awesome!
The headrush is so so much better sounding to my ears. I just ordered a gigboard for pedal steel so I’m atoked
Thanks for this! Great demo!!!
going to try putting the headrush into my mesa effects return today to use as a power amp and turn off ir/cab sims. hopefully I get a nice tone to use my mesa as a monitor and the flexibility of different pre amp tones.
Honestly, both sound good (your playing doesn't hurt AT ALL). Have you tried an in/out buffer? I've used the Empress w/great results, and the new Axess Electronics OTS1 Patchbox is amazing. Highly recommend it, and the owner/designer, Mario, is a top-notch guy!
This video just helped me make up my mind. I'm buying them shits
I know Joe from his Brooklyn days. Top notch everything
Great video! One thing you might try to save tone fidelity with your board (stompboxes) is to place a buffer pedal as the first pedal in your chain. Even better would be a buffered eq pedal such as the boss eq2. I’d bet you could get both setups exactly the same with that.
only conclusion is 100% no audience member would ever care
Great comparison thank you 😊
🔥
Fantastic video!! Would you post a video comparing the preamp of your amp and the Headrush's version? It would be really interesting to hear through room mic!
Still a fantastic gig board from Headrush - just picked one up for £200.
Agreed
I liked the high gain on the board a little better but I'm so sick of my board. Thousands of dollars and still tap dancing. Noisy. can't turn on multiple pedals. Cant get all the sounds I need. Thats why I'm here. trying to figure what multi effects pedal to buy. I have an old boss gt 10 but its not cutting it. Just doesn't sound good enough.
Maybe the FM-3?
Amazing taste.
Hey Joe, where are you going with the Guitar in your hand? 🎸🎸Sounds good man!!!
🤣
i will one cos of you.... guilty! great tones and better playing
Those r all good pedals on that board if u ask me. Headrush has more clearer definition in my humble opinion.
Dennis Breault : Dennis! The full sized board can be had for less then a thousand. I got one from Amazon with a 20% off deal (although I returned it because at the time, I thought it was very big and heavy, and I was trying to save size and weight), but the Gigboard is available for under 600.00 I think it’s a very fair price IF you’re the type of person who likes the interface (I do) as it’s extremely easy to navigate. I’m sure the Fractal AX8 is better sounding and it definitely has a ton more tweaking options, but for an OCD dude like me, that’s a bad thing. You can get an AX8 for 1100.00 If you’re the type of guy who wants deep, deep, programming and don’t mind using an iPad or a PC for the editing software, I’d get the Fractal. If you’re more old school and feel like you’d like to spend more time PLAYING than tweaking, the Headrush is awesome.
@@riffs66 i agree. Fractal is based just down the road from me. Im in NH. Rite now im using a Boss me80. Im not into the deep editing thing. I wanna get my tone which gets me inspired. Hell ill mess with effects and tones and it leads me to new ideas. Love ur playing by the way. Ur way underated.
Dennis Breault 🙏🏻👍🏼
Great comparison! I think you will feel the difference if you are playing ... just listening to I cant tell the difference between them. I used to play my tube amp with TC Electronic Nova System... it was great!
Great tone!! Is it possible to see a video of your set up on the HeadRush gigboard?
Great tone with BB boosted, man! Which 75s are these Celestions? G12H75 Creamback or G12T75? And what's your pickups?
Thanks, Thiago! These are the G12T75s, not the Creambacks. The pickups are the stock Suhr (SSV humbucker, and 60’s singles). 👍🏼
So if I'm understanding correctly, both the headrush and the board go straight to the Marshall amp and cab!?
Then that's even more remarkable that the headrush sounds so good since it's really meant to go into a Class D type amp and FRFR type speaker for it to really properly shine!
Were you using any amp or speaker simulation in the headrush?
Straight in the front and no speaker sim from the HR. Using it like a virtual pedalboard only in this case. 🙏🏻
I think the comparison does not give justice to Headrush. It should be connected to the amplifier effect return. Unlike the pedalboard need to connect to the input as it was. It would be nice to hear the test in this way. I do not have anything else.
azlakki The point was to compare real stomp box fx to the virtual stomp boxes in the Headrush. Since most real stompboxes (mainly, in this case, Compressors and Overdrives) go into the front of an amplifier, I wanted to see how the Headrush sounds in front of an amplifier. In this way, we hear how both devices sound and react going into a preamp, then a poweramp. Capice’?
@@riffs66 I run my HR in front of my clean tube amps. Love it.
I also use the amp sims through my clean channel tube amp. It sounds great. The trick is fine tuning. Once setup, it blows people away. A clean high headroom amp is the ticket.
Hey there, thanks for the video! I'm just now starting to research pedals, and the Headrush gear has caught my attention. For the price of a good power supply, a small board, and a small selection of the basic pedals, one could have access to just about any effect you could want.
I'm really torn between the Pedalboard and it's extra controls and expression pedal, or the more compact Gigboard with access to the same features mostly, but more compact size and lower price.
Isaiah Furrow I would say if size and travel convenience isn’t an issue, get the Pedalboard. I actually prefer a separate expression pedal because I can place it in a more convenient position, but the extra foot switches can make life much easier and allow you to compromise less when building patches - more variety of options.
I second the pedalboard over the gigboard. I actually bought the gigboard first and though I liked it I didn't realize how much I would miss the three adjustment dials to the right of the touch screen. It makes adjustments much quicker and the hands free adjusting is better on the pedalboard because all adjustments will show on the scribble strips.
man, you've got some nice chops and beautiful feel too. I've just got the head rush and trying to get tones so I can leave the amp at home. feeling like I would be better served using it into my sweet mesa as I can rely on just turning it on and having an instant great tone without all the tweeking. I do see the possabilities of the headrush, think I just need to spend more time with it.
hi sir, the headrush great for playing live? sounds great? even more than helix?
Thanks for this! How does the Headrush sound when you roll off the guitar volume knob when using a distortion/overdrive or gain from the virtual amp? Does it clean up well like the real thing?
Jo's Stuff Great question - the answer is: sorta. It does change the gain "density", I'd say, but no way does it react as drastically or feel as linear as going through a pedal/amp. That's probably the trickiest aspect of these digital units (in my experience). I should do another vid and examine that closer 👍🏽
@@riffs66 thanks for the reply! looking forward to that
very interesting comparison, I've found with multi fx I feel disconnected with my amp no matter how good they sound, almost like the guitar is just a triggering device.. with pedals I feel the organic thing you describe even though the tones may not be as clear, I dunno really.. maybe I'm just old and can't get past pedals.. but when you get the right combination of pedals.. a good guitar and a great amp.. nothing quite like it.
oneguitar I agree 💯. I’m trying to setup the Gigboard to use in a very specific circumstance: playing fly gigs into rented backline amps. I’m most comfortable with my stomp boxes but I’m dealing with a scenario where I usually leave early Friday morning and jump on a plane and get home late Sunday night. In between, I get for play for about 90 minutes. I can’t stomach only bringing one guitar, so 2 guitars, a 50lb flight case for the pedalboard and the rest of my gear, clothes, etc is a little silly when the actual play time is such a short part of what amounts to 3 days of humping gear around. The gigs have rented amps - usually 2 Marshall heads and 2 cabs, and there’s never a lot of time to dial in great tones, so it’s a matter of efficiency and as decent a tone as I can get under the circumstances. I’m hoping the Headrush will fit the bill.
@@riffs66 yep I understand Joe and its a workable solution for the gigging musician.
Joe I need to find a fly rig. Headrush seems like my best option although I'm still looking at a Diesel Zerrer Preamp .. Were straight ahead classic metal, using all EVH now but flying it is not an option. You get it, I go through the same crap back and forth.... Any thoughts?
Angel Black Worldwide Its tough to say, really. I’m an older dude. I’ve been playing guitar for a long time, and it’s sorta the “old dog/new tricks” deal with me: If I can get it done with a real amp and some pedals, that always makes me more comfortable. If you’re able to get the Diezel and plug it into a rental tube amp and have it work, I’d go that route. Especially if you’re playing a straight ahead style with not a hundred different tones/fx. ALL these boxes (Fractal, Helix, Headrush, etc) are great IF you have the opportunity to dive DEEP into them AND if you have a sound engineer and monitor situation that makes them shine. If you’re flying by the seat of your pants in some strange town, I prefer to have a guitar > pedals > amp and a real speaker cab on stage with me. Stuff gets weird, you can twist a knob super quick. Can’t hear yourself? Move toward the cab - again, I’m OLD 😊. If I was in Metallica, or U2, or Def Leppard and I had a steady, dedicated crew and a band that actually rehearsed production and sound rigging, I’d have the latest, greatest all-in-one box (maybe). Otherwise, I feel more comfortable, and I sound better with pedals, tube amps, and real speakers. Hope that helps.
Joe Cefalu you’re not old Joe. Stop. I prefer amps and a few pedals myself but I don’t gig nor do I want to. I don’t have the nerves for performing. I play for the love of it and just jam with family and friends or for them but mainly I just love playing.
Do you have similar settings on the presets as with the pedals on the board...like for Reverb, are the tone, gain, levels settings similar for an apple to apple comparison....couse i can also make that Headrush sound so bad...and i can do the same with the stomp boxes..that's me and my ever curious mind though haha 😉
Reverb and delay are easy to do 🍎 to 🍏, but gain, overdrive, etc are 🍎 to🍌 ! It takes quite a bit of tweaking and re-thinking to use the Headrush as compared to stomp boxes, IMO.
Nice work! What models are you using on the headrush for the tones?
Jarick Losey Thanks. Using only “stomp boxes” in the Headrush into the FRONT of the amp. No amp or cab sims. It’s basically a combination of the DYN III Compressor, 2 White Boosts, 2 Green ODs, the DC Distort, and a Graphic EQ. There’s simple delay and reverb on always that I fade in/out to taste with the expression pedal. Also a Multi Chorus on the Clean tone.
@@riffs66 It sounds great! Have you used the amp models much?
sgmarshall3 I have used the “amps” with IR’s into powered monitors and I think they work great. Great response and tones can be had. I’m still a novice at this point, however.
Hey joe, Great work! can you show your headrush Settings for the crunch Sound?
😐 sorry, I no longer have the HR Gigboard
Which is better
So the gigboard plays nice through your amp? Does it bastardize your amps tone?
I hear what I hear, but I don’t trust anyone on UA-cam after having gone through Helix and GT1000
Both the pedalboard and the Headrush are going into the front of the amp - no direct tones.
@@riffs66 rad, so you think it is definitely playing nice with your real amp, and is on par with your analog pedals still?
Can you tell me what model of Suhr that is and the pick up?
Ronnierayv It’s just a Suhr Classic Pro with an SSV humbucker and their V-70 singles 👍🏼