I had an Axe Fx II for almost a decade and much prefer the sounds I get out of the HX Stomp personally. It sounds so freaking good. Especially at that price point.
@@oldguysguitarvlog183 Likewise. I had the XL+ for a couple of years and recently got a Stomp. I'm finding the Stomp models have a more raw amp tone, which I prefer. Also find it easier to dial in what I'm after with the Stomp and all of that with far fewer parameters to tweak.
More like these, please! Not only to show how close the Fractal and Helix modelling is, but for some eye-openers in tweaking them. For example, I'd never have dialled the master on the Helix model down to 1, just because of the psychological notion of doing that.
I’ve had an Axe-FX II for 6 or 7 years, so I’m really comfortable getting around on it. But I live in the hot-and-humid New Orleans area, and during spring, summer and fall, at least half of my gigs are outdoors (a courtyard gig every Thursday and on the deck of a lakefront oyster house every Sunday, plus festivals and outdoor weddings), and I started to worry about the effect of this on the Fractal. So I decided to keep it in my studio, and I bought a Helix LT to use live. I’ve only had it for a month, but I’m really enjoying it. I thought it would feel like a step down, but it’s more of a sideways step in many ways. The Axe-FX has many more amp models, and it can be tweaked and edited at a much deeper level. And despite the comparison Mikko does here, I think the Fractal sounds a bit richer and more complex, especially on mid-gain sounds (though my bias may come from the fact that I’ve been fine-tuning the patches on my Axe-FX for years). But the audience isn’t hearing my guitar soloed through studio monitors; when I’m playing with a band and the sound is coming from PA speakers, the difference is indiscernible. One area where the Helix kicks the Fractal’s butt is the GUI. The Helix is much, much easier to program from the front panel. Plus, with the Fractal, editing the configuration of the foot controller is a totally separate process, while on the Helix, it’s simply part of the patch (I guess this would be true for the Axe-8 as well, but I’ve never had one). Overall, the Fractal is still my favorite, but if I had neither and were starting again, I’d probably go with the Helix, mainly because the learning curve is much shorter and the bang-for-the-buck ratio is higher; I spent less than half on the Helix than I did on an Ax-FX II plus the MFC-101 foot controller plus an expression pedal plus a pedalboard to mount them on together.
I agree with this. I had an Axe-Fx 2 and I was able to replicate my patches 99% on the Helix, to the point that it was hard to tell which was which. I would still give a slight edge to the Axe-Fx soundwise but for me the more important thing was that the Helix Floor is 10x easier to use whereas the Axe-Fx needed to be connected to the computer software to be comfortable for me. All the top tier modelers on the market sound great so just choose the one that fits your desired workflow and budget.
Just started using the Friedman HBE 2018 C45 on my AX8 and its probably the closest to the sound I’ve always wanted out of any amp sim I’ve used, love it. It’s like a pissed odd Marshall had a baby with a less boomy/fizzy rectifier
I'm a Fractal user and, from all the videos I watched, my understanding is that the Helix weak spot are the IRs... loading the right ones and adjusting the settings (usually less gain...) you can get great sounds as shown in this video. I'm already used to fractal and if I had to get a different unit probably would be the Kemper stage though.
I actually love the stock IRs in the helix you can adjust what mic you are using to mic the cab as well as distance and pre delay and the normal high and low cut. It is fun to tweak them and find that tone u are looking for.
Yeah the helix cabs are cool. I have quality irs too and the helix cabs are easy and good. I still prefer Fractal though. The feel is more spot on for me.
would love to have TH-U profiles from you! Choptones makes a Rig Player BE50 pack with is sooooooo good (have them both for TH-U and Kemper and they sound totally identical, love them both)
Helix user here. It sounds great but you have to work for it. It's weak point is the cabs, but Nikko basically fixes that. it's strongest point is it's a VST which for recording is stupidly valuable. Also, the IR is the biggest part of the sound anyway.
Great comparison ! I still have my Axe FX II that I use for studio work from time to time, but I can tell you that there is a clear difference with the Friedman modeled versus mic'ing up my BE100 with a 57 + Royer. The real amp is just more beefier, and defined, in both tone and feel without the digital sizzle that can be found with modeled amps. I will say this though, in a mix, where the guitars are sitting where they should be, no one would ever know whether it's a modeled amp or a real one so it really does come down to work flow and getting great tones in a moments notice. Keep these great video's coming!!!
Really??? I don't know I always found it too bass heavy... Even after turning the bass down... It just seemed to lose life... Maybe it's the ir I'm using
I love the Freeman sim from Amped Roots, by the way! It rocks, can be used as a standalone, and it's gentle on the CPU, therefore I find myself using it much more often than the Friedman sim on my Helix Native! (Actually I am thinking of buying the ML5 and blending it with the Freeman Fluff or the 5151 for some beautiful tones, the thought of it makes me drool already)
What a great and humble comparison, very good job! All in all I am sure that the Axe-Fx III is better than the Helix. But is it that much more money better (here in Germany: Axe-Fx III 2,533.00 € + FC-12 876.00 €; Helix Floor: 1,495.00 €)?
It's always hard to compare based on dials and such. As an Axe owner and Carvin Legacy owner, I can say the knobs on the Axe aren't anything like the amp and honestly the amp doesn't feel that authentic to me either. It still sounds good though.
I played my Friedman be od pedal through the Halloween cab sims, almost get the exact same sound.....so if u can’t afford the fractal or helix, get the pedal 👍
@@sbadolian are you talking about the Halloween cab sim impulses??? If so, they are only available in Halloween season, so far there have been 2 packs, I m guessing a 3rd may be coming soon from mikko......so I run my BE OD into the audio interface and than run impulses on my daw
For me personally, the Axe-FX ALWAYS has a glassy "Plexi" sound (I can always pick it out in a blind test) no matter the amp being used even on the Dual Rectifier (which , for those who don't know, is the opposite of how it should sound) and that is why I can't stand it. Also if Metallica couldn't get a good, realistic tone with it live, even on the Lords of Summer single, then I doubt it's feasible. The Kemper and Helix don't have that issue so I find them usable (Helix depends on the amp and settings), but I prefer the real thing whenever possible. However, the ML Sound Lab IRs have made things considerably better with the Helix on my end, I must say.
The question I have is, why make a comparison of any two 'different' pieces of equipment using the 'same' adjustment settings unless the results were so great that they couldn't be compensated for? Yes one unit may have 'slightly' more/less gain at 'that' setting - but what does that mean other than just that? It certainly doesn't mean they can't sound exactly the same with even a tiny tweak of a couple knobs. Based upon your example and what we can hear on 'this' end, I guarantee you it would take me all of about 15 seconds to make it so the listener couldn't tell the difference. I do greatly appreciate that you explained things the way you did and weren't expressing a better/worse opinion like so many others do. So many people are actually making purchase decisions and/or religiously judging equipment based upon the difference of a simple 1/8th of a turn on a knob.
Hey! Is the trick of turning the master down to 1 valid for most amp sims on the Helix? I get the impression that it is! The amp models become much more dynamic and have less of that artificial sort of gain that so many people complain about
@@mlsoundlab Sweet thanks! The bottom end becomes more apparent too which is a great thing! 1 more question: how do you compensate for the volume loss aside from the Channel Volume? Gain staging and everything becomes slightly trickier from my experience but I'm probably missing something
@@mlsoundlab Also another question, I get the impression that the Master control on the preamp gain amps doesn't do anything tonewise until around 3, like it only adds volume, could you test that by any chance? 🤔
@@tonio3375 i tried this and used the Output block level on my HX Stomp to compensate. I also build my patches with helix set at max volume (i.e. hx stomp volume button disconnected in global settings). With this master volume set to 1 on the placater, the speaker models in my Powercab Plus also sound significantly better. There is much more low end and tonal differences between the models. How strange. Perhaps on these amp models, the master volume is squishing the tone somehow.
Amped Flagship VS Axe Fx III VS Helix VS Real Friedman - Just for fun. I already own the Flagship (and Dual) and to me, these are the greatest sounding/feeling amp plugins out there. Just curious to compare Vorna with Cygnus. I’m pretty darn sure it is just as good. I’m a former Axe FX II and Kemper owner (and an experienced tweaker) and I have to say that Vorna sounds and feel WAY better. Like you said in the Vorna introduction video, there’s a complete absence of digital artifacts, and it’s extremely noticeable. Sounds so thick! Instant valve experience, for real this time!
They both sound great in this example, but as for me, the axe has a more realistic attack in the low end, and the helix sounds a bit dirty in that sense.
Fantastic video buddy trying to decide between the fm3 my existing AX8 and the HX stomp for a small footprint rig and to be honest the HX stomp and a few pedals is actually smaller than the FM3 and AX 8 plus I own a load of your IR’s and own hammer’s so I thin’ I’ll risk the stomp (I don’t use a shit load of pedals and routing)
Love this video, really good info... just a question, bang for buck which is best? Given you can tweak these to sound the same? The axe-fx is very expensive, so wondering if you factor in the bang for buck factor, if the helix is a better option?
I really love my HX Stomp, but the Friedman HBE 2018 C45 and the Marshall JVM410HJS are the two amp models that I miss since I sold my AX8. Thanks Mikko for sharing your preset how to make the Helix' HBE sound like Fractal's! BTW, I would love to get more amp packs from you... Friedmann HBE, Soldano SLO, Peavey 5150. ;-) Your Toosie+ amp pack has become my go-to choice for rhythm guitar.
Hey Niko ! You're creating awesome, mind opening content. Could you please tell me if you have HBE, Fat, C45 and Saturation on on your Helix Friedman patch ?
@@mlsoundlab The last riff, I know it but i cant place it, and its killing me... What was it? I know im going to be embarrassed when i hear it, as i know it but just cant place it.
So when’s the 3 xl ++++ or the AXFX 4 coming out, had a 2xl+ and sold it, was fun but I was pushing too many buttons and playing a whole lot less guitar I got so much gear (like most of you) besides most players I know kinda settle on 1 or 2 “go to” patches anyway and jamming with them kinda sounds the same with fewer clubs to play (metal) these days I spend more time recording and frankly guitar pro 5 sounds really good and that’s free but to each his own
Just a quick question the helix waveform seems to be specifically louder/larger, I've not had a chance to listen to this on the DAW but is this a track that just been scaled a touch bigger in the UI/Cubase? Or is this potentially more of the low end that the helix seems to represent which is boosting the output a touch overall? It didn't matter what I did with the helix, the moment you push the gain the low end loses all focus, would you be interested in doing a high gain standard scale 7 string test as there tends to be very few amp sims which can cope with the movement on the low strings and the lack of tension. A lot of examples you see on YT have *amazing* guitar DI's to start with, often treated or running baritone 2k upwards guitars custom pickups etc, it would be nice to see an example representing a situation a normal guitarist might be faced with.
I noticed this as well. The waveforms look very different and it could be inaudible highs or lows as they do sound very similar. I'll have a real BE to compare soon enough. ;)
@@mlsoundlab Just quickly pop a spectrum analyser on them and use the hold function to compare? Or Many EQ's like Fabfilter will allow you to overlay the freq analysers from other tracks for real-time comparison, just pop one on each track then head to the pre/post section to select which you wanna use :)
@@WRMCHNC This kind of real-time analysis is much more accurate as you'll also see the EQ dynamically but yes a comparison with a longer time could help show some differences.
well I owned helix and own ax3 and I can tell you for sure there is NO comparing these two. They are not even in the same ballpark the ax3 is WAY beyond anything out there. UA-cam can make anything sound the same but you got to play it and feel it in the fingers plus Helix has this fizzy shit always going on.
@@EulogyfortheAngels you can dial some of it out with shit tons of eq but not all of it and its well documented issue. Why settle with MEH when you can have WOW? and more important its all about how it feels under the fingers. Hence why I got rid of the Helix. If its so good why don't the big names use it? check the list who's using the AXEFX..lol
@@EulogyfortheAngels respectfully disagree you shouldn't HAVE to dial out the fizz when you're spending that much I've spent so many hours creating large signal chains in my DAW just to remove the fizz from the Helix and other lower end modellers whenever I can afford it I'm getting an Axe FX 3 or Kemper 100%
@@mlsoundlab :D I meant it in way that you can feel it your hands when you are playing on guitar on certain settings. On some settings with some guitars and guitar playing styles you want feel much difference. But for example when you play tremolo over 2 or more strings, bias, helix and camper are terrible. And sound is also muddy and not right... Here in this video I have used tse 808(free) +le456(free) + Kazrog Recabinet 3(40eur at the time) . And for this style of playing Axe FX, Bias, Kamper sucks. m.ua-cam.com/video/a9EGBUbuCf0/v-deo.html
@@cariosusstudio1460 Based on that example, the guitar sounds horrendous, you might "feel" they sound better but they sound like arse solo and you just further reinforced how much it sounds like arse in a mix
Really great comparison. We’ve really reached a level that any product will give you a solid tone.
I had an Axe Fx II for almost a decade and much prefer the sounds I get out of the HX Stomp personally. It sounds so freaking good. Especially at that price point.
@@oldguysguitarvlog183 Likewise. I had the XL+ for a couple of years and recently got a Stomp. I'm finding the Stomp models have a more raw amp tone, which I prefer. Also find it easier to dial in what I'm after with the Stomp and all of that with far fewer parameters to tweak.
More like these, please! Not only to show how close the Fractal and Helix modelling is, but for some eye-openers in tweaking them. For example, I'd never have dialled the master on the Helix model down to 1, just because of the psychological notion of doing that.
Should that be something you should even have to or want to do?
The Friedman amp is my favorite and go to amp on the Fractal, it just sounds so good especially with your Friedman cab pack!
Mark Pritchard I had a be100 and I hold an opposite opinion.
Excellent method for comparisons. Well done!
Very helpful. Honestly, the real thing sounds a bit more like the helix with all the knobs at 5, but I like your Helix settings on the real amp!
I watch this sort of comparision Vid occasionally. Usually i make fun of these but I think this Vid is bringing it all to a point!
Thanks!!
Awesome video! Can barely tell in the end! Either one, they are all a great and useful tool!
I’ve had an Axe-FX II for 6 or 7 years, so I’m really comfortable getting around on it. But I live in the hot-and-humid New Orleans area, and during spring, summer and fall, at least half of my gigs are outdoors (a courtyard gig every Thursday and on the deck of a lakefront oyster house every Sunday, plus festivals and outdoor weddings), and I started to worry about the effect of this on the Fractal. So I decided to keep it in my studio, and I bought a Helix LT to use live. I’ve only had it for a month, but I’m really enjoying it. I thought it would feel like a step down, but it’s more of a sideways step in many ways.
The Axe-FX has many more amp models, and it can be tweaked and edited at a much deeper level. And despite the comparison Mikko does here, I think the Fractal sounds a bit richer and more complex, especially on mid-gain sounds (though my bias may come from the fact that I’ve been fine-tuning the patches on my Axe-FX for years). But the audience isn’t hearing my guitar soloed through studio monitors; when I’m playing with a band and the sound is coming from PA speakers, the difference is indiscernible. One area where the Helix kicks the Fractal’s butt is the GUI. The Helix is much, much easier to program from the front panel. Plus, with the Fractal, editing the configuration of the foot controller is a totally separate process, while on the Helix, it’s simply part of the patch (I guess this would be true for the Axe-8 as well, but I’ve never had one).
Overall, the Fractal is still my favorite, but if I had neither and were starting again, I’d probably go with the Helix, mainly because the learning curve is much shorter and the bang-for-the-buck ratio is higher; I spent less than half on the Helix than I did on an Ax-FX II plus the MFC-101 foot controller plus an expression pedal plus a pedalboard to mount them on together.
This exactly. When you have both, all the internet arguements seem silly. They're tools made to inspire. :)
I agree with this. I had an Axe-Fx 2 and I was able to replicate my patches 99% on the Helix, to the point that it was hard to tell which was which. I would still give a slight edge to the Axe-Fx soundwise but for me the more important thing was that the Helix Floor is 10x easier to use whereas the Axe-Fx needed to be connected to the computer software to be comfortable for me.
All the top tier modelers on the market sound great so just choose the one that fits your desired workflow and budget.
Just started using the Friedman HBE 2018 C45 on my AX8 and its probably the closest to the sound I’ve always wanted out of any amp sim I’ve used, love it. It’s like a pissed odd Marshall had a baby with a less boomy/fizzy rectifier
Btw my Friedman sounds amazing through the Bogeyman cab or whatever it’s called
It sounds almost identical to a Road King Mesa. ;)
@@mlsoundlab I will have to check that out, never heard that before
I'm a Fractal user and, from all the videos I watched, my understanding is that the Helix weak spot are the IRs... loading the right ones and adjusting the settings (usually less gain...) you can get great sounds as shown in this video.
I'm already used to fractal and if I had to get a different unit probably would be the Kemper stage though.
I actually love the stock IRs in the helix you can adjust what mic you are using to mic the cab as well as distance and pre delay and the normal high and low cut. It is fun to tweak them and find that tone u are looking for.
Yeah the helix cabs are cool. I have quality irs too and the helix cabs are easy and good. I still prefer Fractal though. The feel is more spot on for me.
would love to have TH-U profiles from you! Choptones makes a Rig Player BE50 pack with is sooooooo good (have them both for TH-U and Kemper and they sound totally identical, love them both)
WOW. That is an eye opener
Helix user here. It sounds great but you have to work for it. It's weak point is the cabs, but Nikko basically fixes that. it's strongest point is it's a VST which for recording is stupidly valuable.
Also, the IR is the biggest part of the sound anyway.
Seems like Line 6 always has a bit of a thinner fizzy sound and AXE always sounds dark on every single amp model and every setting. 🤔
I really honestly like the grainier sound of the helix. A little more punk rock edge. Both are great units though
Great comparison ! I still have my Axe FX II that I use for studio work from time to time, but I can tell you that there is a clear difference with the Friedman modeled versus mic'ing up my BE100 with a 57 + Royer. The real amp is just more beefier, and defined, in both tone and feel without the digital sizzle that can be found with modeled amps. I will say this though, in a mix, where the guitars are sitting where they should be, no one would ever know whether it's a modeled amp or a real one so it really does come down to work flow and getting great tones in a moments notice. Keep these great video's coming!!!
The Placater in the Helix is luscious. I never could get along with the Fractal version.
Old Guy's Guitar Vlog ever since I got the Helix that’s what I’ve used 90% of the time, it’s insane how tasty that model can sound
Really??? I don't know I always found it too bass heavy... Even after turning the bass down... It just seemed to lose life... Maybe it's the ir I'm using
I love the Freeman sim from Amped Roots, by the way! It rocks, can be used as a standalone, and it's gentle on the CPU, therefore I find myself using it much more often than the Friedman sim on my Helix Native! (Actually I am thinking of buying the ML5 and blending it with the Freeman Fluff or the 5151 for some beautiful tones, the thought of it makes me drool already)
Excellent video! I just picked up your Halloween cab pack. Which one did you use for this video with the Helix?
Awesome! I used the WITCH IR here. :)
What a great and humble comparison, very good job!
All in all I am sure that the Axe-Fx III is better than the Helix. But is it that much more money better (here in Germany: Axe-Fx III 2,533.00 € + FC-12 876.00 €; Helix Floor: 1,495.00 €)?
This is very helpful, thank you!
It's always hard to compare based on dials and such. As an Axe owner and Carvin Legacy owner, I can say the knobs on the Axe aren't anything like the amp and honestly the amp doesn't feel that authentic to me either. It still sounds good though.
Perfect thank you
I played my Friedman be od pedal through the Halloween cab sims, almost get the exact same sound.....so if u can’t afford the fractal or helix, get the pedal 👍
Where do you get those? thats a tough google search full of spooky pumpikins! what do you run your be into?
@@sbadolian are you talking about the Halloween cab sim impulses??? If so, they are only available in Halloween season, so far there have been 2 packs, I m guessing a 3rd may be coming soon from mikko......so I run my BE OD into the audio interface and than run impulses on my daw
For me personally, the Axe-FX ALWAYS has a glassy "Plexi" sound (I can always pick it out in a blind test) no matter the amp being used even on the Dual Rectifier (which , for those who don't know, is the opposite of how it should sound) and that is why I can't stand it. Also if Metallica couldn't get a good, realistic tone with it live, even on the Lords of Summer single, then I doubt it's feasible. The Kemper and Helix don't have that issue so I find them usable (Helix depends on the amp and settings), but I prefer the real thing whenever possible. However, the ML Sound Lab IRs have made things considerably better with the Helix on my end, I must say.
The question I have is, why make a comparison of any two 'different' pieces of equipment using the 'same' adjustment settings unless the results were so great that they couldn't be compensated for? Yes one unit may have 'slightly' more/less gain at 'that' setting - but what does that mean other than just that? It certainly doesn't mean they can't sound exactly the same with even a tiny tweak of a couple knobs. Based upon your example and what we can hear on 'this' end, I guarantee you it would take me all of about 15 seconds to make it so the listener couldn't tell the difference. I do greatly appreciate that you explained things the way you did and weren't expressing a better/worse opinion like so many others do. So many people are actually making purchase decisions and/or religiously judging equipment based upon the difference of a simple 1/8th of a turn on a knob.
I take it you didn't watch the whole video - I did just what you said...
Helix is my main love
Hey! Is the trick of turning the master down to 1 valid for most amp sims on the Helix? I get the impression that it is! The amp models become much more dynamic and have less of that artificial sort of gain that so many people complain about
On these preamp gain amps - yes. I feel like the master is doing too much by default.
@@mlsoundlab Sweet thanks! The bottom end becomes more apparent too which is a great thing! 1 more question: how do you compensate for the volume loss aside from the Channel Volume? Gain staging and everything becomes slightly trickier from my experience but I'm probably missing something
@@mlsoundlab Also another question, I get the impression that the Master control on the preamp gain amps doesn't do anything tonewise until around 3, like it only adds volume, could you test that by any chance? 🤔
@@tonio3375 i tried this and used the Output block level on my HX Stomp to compensate. I also build my patches with helix set at max volume (i.e. hx stomp volume button disconnected in global settings). With this master volume set to 1 on the placater, the speaker models in my Powercab Plus also sound significantly better. There is much more low end and tonal differences between the models. How strange. Perhaps on these amp models, the master volume is squishing the tone somehow.
Amped Flagship VS Axe Fx III VS Helix VS Real Friedman - Just for fun. I already own the Flagship (and Dual) and to me, these are the greatest sounding/feeling amp plugins out there. Just curious to compare Vorna with Cygnus. I’m pretty darn sure it is just as good. I’m a former Axe FX II and Kemper owner (and an experienced tweaker) and I have to say that Vorna sounds and feel WAY better. Like you said in the Vorna introduction video, there’s a complete absence of digital artifacts, and it’s extremely noticeable. Sounds so thick! Instant valve experience, for real this time!
This is the best method to compare modeler comparison I've ever seen. Next time, can you include VST modelers too?
Excellent.
how did you figure that out about lowering the master and raising the presence?
Petrucci
Sadly the helix has a slight hiss that I keep hearing
I know right... that hiss comes with every single tone that uses any amount of distortion
Mine is hiss free
@@blazing6stringIts there in the software version too. Maybe you just cant hear it
I'm glad I'm not the only one hearing it
My friend's Helix has the hiss. Mine doesn't.
GREAT video. Can you tell me do you use (generally) your monitors for an output sound, or some cab?
They both sound great in this example, but as for me, the axe has a more realistic attack in the low end, and the helix sounds a bit dirty in that sense.
Fantastic video buddy trying to decide between the fm3 my existing AX8 and the HX stomp for a small footprint rig and to be honest the HX stomp and a few pedals is actually smaller than the FM3 and AX 8 plus I own a load of your IR’s and own hammer’s so I thin’ I’ll risk the stomp (I don’t use a shit load of pedals and routing)
Love this video, really good info... just a question, bang for buck which is best? Given you can tweak these to sound the same? The axe-fx is very expensive, so wondering if you factor in the bang for buck factor, if the helix is a better option?
I really love my HX Stomp, but the Friedman HBE 2018 C45 and the Marshall JVM410HJS are the two amp models that I miss since I sold my AX8. Thanks Mikko for sharing your preset how to make the Helix' HBE sound like Fractal's! BTW, I would love to get more amp packs from you... Friedmann HBE, Soldano SLO, Peavey 5150. ;-) Your Toosie+ amp pack has become my go-to choice for rhythm guitar.
So finaly the best sounding modeler is the user...great demo!!
nice video very honest review
Very close, great demo.
Helix sounds better
Do you have the input pad on in the helix? If not that is probably why it has more gain.
Helix sounds great, if they could get it to feel like Fractal amps I'd be a fan for life.
Hey Niko ! You're creating awesome, mind opening content. Could you please tell me if you have HBE, Fat, C45 and Saturation on on your Helix Friedman patch ?
in this video: HBE:on / FAT:off / C45:on / SATURATION:off
Why did you record the Helix so much hotter than the Axe? YOu can see it in the DAW.
Some Lenny Kravitz riffage here?
Oh yes! Always on the run. ;)
@@mlsoundlab The last riff, I know it but i cant place it, and its killing me... What was it? I know im going to be embarrassed when i hear it, as i know it but just cant place it.
Fractal sounds more realistic and natural helix down thumb
Would you say that the Helix has more gain?
So when’s the 3 xl ++++ or the AXFX 4 coming out, had a 2xl+ and sold it, was fun but I was pushing too many buttons and playing a whole lot less guitar I got so much gear (like most of you) besides most players I know kinda settle on 1 or 2 “go to” patches anyway and jamming with them kinda sounds the same with fewer clubs to play (metal) these days I spend more time recording and frankly guitar pro 5 sounds really good and that’s free but to each his own
Wait $9.99 USD, or ?
Just a quick question the helix waveform seems to be specifically louder/larger, I've not had a chance to listen to this on the DAW but is this a track that just been scaled a touch bigger in the UI/Cubase? Or is this potentially more of the low end that the helix seems to represent which is boosting the output a touch overall?
It didn't matter what I did with the helix, the moment you push the gain the low end loses all focus, would you be interested in doing a high gain standard scale 7 string test as there tends to be very few amp sims which can cope with the movement on the low strings and the lack of tension. A lot of examples you see on YT have *amazing* guitar DI's to start with, often treated or running baritone 2k upwards guitars custom pickups etc, it would be nice to see an example representing a situation a normal guitarist might be faced with.
I noticed this as well. The waveforms look very different and it could be inaudible highs or lows as they do sound very similar. I'll have a real BE to compare soon enough. ;)
@@mlsoundlab Just quickly pop a spectrum analyser on them and use the hold function to compare? Or Many EQ's like Fabfilter will allow you to overlay the freq analysers from other tracks for real-time comparison, just pop one on each track then head to the pre/post section to select which you wanna use :)
@@WRMCHNC This kind of real-time analysis is much more accurate as you'll also see the EQ dynamically but yes a comparison with a longer time could help show some differences.
@@mlsoundlab use the hold / freeze function on a small loop then you can isolate more specifically and compare?
@@WRMCHNC I have an even better tool for that. ;)
More proof that spending $2,000 on an axe fx would make someone insane
Nothin like some glowing tubes.
I'll know soon enough. I'll have the real thing this week.
well I owned helix and own ax3 and I can tell you for sure there is NO comparing these two. They are not even in the same ballpark the ax3 is WAY beyond anything out there. UA-cam can make anything sound the same but you got to play it and feel it in the fingers plus Helix has this fizzy shit always going on.
You can dial that fizz out though. It’s just a meme at this point to complain about it.
@@EulogyfortheAngels you can dial some of it out with shit tons of eq but not all of it and its well documented issue. Why settle with MEH when you can have WOW? and more important its all about how it feels under the fingers. Hence why I got rid of the Helix. If its so good why don't the big names use it? check the list who's using the AXEFX..lol
@@EulogyfortheAngels respectfully disagree
you shouldn't HAVE to dial out the fizz when you're spending that much
I've spent so many hours creating large signal chains in my DAW just to remove the fizz from the Helix and other lower end modellers
whenever I can afford it I'm getting an Axe FX 3 or Kemper 100%
I had an Axe Fx II for almost a decade and MUCH prefer the HX Stomp. Different flavors for different folks.
@@oldguysguitarvlog183 So your comparing a decade old unit to now..lol That shows how great the AXE actually is.
Tomato, tomahto.... Thanks for spending the time, but....
Hey it’s ok, we know the Axe Fx III is the best
I still prefer Lepou, TSE and Kazrog VSTs. They FEEL much more like real amp and they also sound much better than Helix, Axe FX or Kemper.
I want your feelings. :)
@@mlsoundlab :D I meant it in way that you can feel it your hands when you are playing on guitar on certain settings. On some settings with some guitars and guitar playing styles you want feel much difference. But for example when you play tremolo over 2 or more strings, bias, helix and camper are terrible. And sound is also muddy and not right...
Here in this video I have used tse 808(free) +le456(free) + Kazrog Recabinet 3(40eur at the time) . And for this style of playing Axe FX, Bias, Kamper sucks.
m.ua-cam.com/video/a9EGBUbuCf0/v-deo.html
@@cariosusstudio1460 Based on that example, the guitar sounds horrendous, you might "feel" they sound better but they sound like arse solo and you just further reinforced how much it sounds like arse in a mix