What's The Best Amp Modeler In 2024?
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
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Thanks for watching my ranking of 8 amp modelers in 2024. Which one do I think is the best? Watch the video to find out! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Cheers!
Ampero II Stage Review: • Is The Hotone Ampero I...
Is the Helix good enough in 2024: • Is The Helix Still Goo...
Quad Cortex Revisit/review: • OOPS! I Got Another Qu...
Tone Master Pro review: • Tone Master Pro! (Does...
Amperium Live review: • Better Than Fractal & ...
Boss ME-90 Review: • Does The BOSS ME-90 So...
Headrush Prime Review: • The New HEADRUSH PRIME...
Gear used in this video:
- Fractal Audio FM3 MKII
- Line 6 Helix Floor
- Neural DSP Quad Cortex
- St. Rock Amperium Live
- Hotone Ampero II Stomp
- Headrush Prime
- Fender Tonemaster Pro
- Boss ME-90
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#ampmodeler #ranking #2024
Disclaimer: this video is sponsored but as always all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own!
Keywords: metallica, sonic drive studio, james hetfield, meshuggah, deftones, rhythm, guitar, amp, tube, modeler, line 6, helix, fractal audio, axe fx, fm3, fm9, hx stomp, tonex, neural dsp, quad cortex, gibson, les paul, custom, standard, esp ltd, phoenix, black metal, deluxe, 1000, ec1000, ec1000t, baritone, prs, mushok, 9-string, 8-string, ibanez, meshuggah m80m, fishman, fluence, seymour duncan, nw44, schecter, hellraiser, e1, apocalypse, ml drums, ml sound lab, grit, meld, cubase, slate digital, steven slate audio, phoenix-7 sc607b, sc608b, adam jones, will adler, tutorial, lesson, tones, settings, new, firmware, free, mesa boogie, marshall, orange, soldano, friedman, peavey, evh, laney, redseven, victory, wangs, lichtlaerm audio, walrus audio, engl, bluguitar, driftwood, hughes kettner, pedal, djent, death, rock, crunch, classic, ola, fluff, blackstar, randall, dsl50, jcm 2000, ds20hr, dsl1000hr, 6505, 6505mh, 1992 original, xxx, satriani, astro 20, slo100, diezel, vh4, vh2, ksr, revv, generator, jvm410h, jvm210h, jvm205, boss, tube screa,er v30, ownhammer, rock-box, essentials, low-tuned, bogren, sc20, sv20, plexi, jubilee, 2525, invective, mini, leviathan, iridium, mercury, preamp, jmp1, dual, triple, mini, rectifier, mk iic+, mkv, kraken, mkii, fireball, 25, 100, powerball ii, savage, special edition, founders edition, slash, 5150, iii, el34, 6l6, single, or15, tiny terror, dual terror, or30, ad30, rockerverb, 50, mkiii, purple, nightmare, archon, mt100, mark tremonti, tubemeister, black spirit, grandmeister, deluxe, toontrack, superior, ez, drummer, ironball, ironheart, ht, clob, venue, jj jr, emg, jb comparison, rig, capture, kemper, profile, free, preset, headrush, amped, digital, analog, hotone, ampero, roland, me90, leptop, daw, kreative devices, desktop, music production, mixing
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Made my choice before the newer ones came out but for everything I looked at the Helix came out as the best. Have never regretted it. It's fantastic, checks all the boxes.
Line 6 at 1 makes sense to me. Native has been a game changer for recording for me, being able to use it on any track, not just guitar, is amazing. I also really like the Amperium but the UI definitely needs work. I also like that its high gain heavy with it's amp models. I also like that out of all the modelers its the easiest to use live like I do with one signal to the front of house with an IR and another to a real cab without one.
I use the HX Stomp with my PC, a pair of JBL monitors and Seinheser headphones. I still have a Marshall DSL20 head paired with a 1x12 Orange Cab and V30 speaker. I love my tube amp but it's getting dust. HX Stomp sounds so good at low volumes and it's so practical that it's unbeatable for someone who lives in an apartment.
Ideal set up 👍🏻
Hotone Ampero Stomp 2, Mooer and Headrush (don't remember model name) are all less money tho, but are they better?!
Update: I have a new webstore where I sell Quad Cortex Captures and presets etc: ko-fi.com/sonicdrivestudio
What would your ranking be? Note: I've been made aware by some of you that the Ampero II does indeed let you change parameters with the scenes. That's great news! Apologies for the wrong info in the video.
I have several. My picks among the units I have, in order, are FM3, HX Stomp, and Ampero Stage. They are actually all great units in their own right. One thing I really like about the Ampero Stage is the ability to run one chain through one output and another chain through the other output. I have a piezo-equipped guitar and run the piezo through a compressor, acoustic IR, and EQ chain out to an acoustic amp while simultaneously running the magnetic pickup signal through an amp, delay and reverb chain out to a regular guitar amp. Sounds great!!!
1. Axe fx 3
2. Fm9
3. Fm3
4. Helix
5. Helix LT
1.Helix
2.Quad Cortex
3.AxeFX
The rest don’t make the list IMO haha.
I do openly admit they all are very good now
1. Fractal platform
2. Helix platform
3. Eh.
I would say we need to wait for main players like Line 6 and Fractal to wake up and introduce capture ability. They don't have to invent anything as its already on plate... NAM... They suppose to be follow NeuralDSP and introduce NAM loader in chain for Helix Floor/LT, Fractal FM3/FM9. They don't need licence for it as its open source. Do you know NAM Player is designed and soon will hit the market? If its happen then game over.... Pretty interesting why Line 6 and Fractal still sleeping... Capture ability is the future of tube amps in digital form....Have you tried Amalgam captures? Killer tone and organic feeling... Recent Mark V they released... They nailed! 👌👍
I researched many Effects Processors/Modelors and ended up going with the Ampero Stage II. As someone who no longerplays out I was looking for a unit that did a LOT for home use! Looper, Drum Machine, Vocal/Mic input. Good bang for the buck unit
i hate how helix amps sound 🥲
They definitely aren’t great out of the box, but with a few eq tweaks, you can get pretty realistic tones!
@@LuisHernandez-oo7cqhelix has a learning curve. You’re totally right-all the different EQs, as well as the input stuff (impedance, aux vs guitar input, etc), and the sag and bias parameters sum up to make the sounds on point. I find that a lot of people tend to be using the Helix wrong, trying to use it like an amp in the room when it should be viewed as crafting a mic’ed amp has you would in studio.
I like how AxeFx and Kemper sound, but captures are more limiting to work with. Plus, half the time I don’t like people’s captures. I learned that from using NAM profiles, especially if an overdrive was used. People overdo that shit like 80% of the time.
The fact that the Helix is still being talked about and is still Line6s flagship says a lot about it. They have no plans of doing a II because it still has a lot of life in it. That tells you how powerful it is.
I use simple chains, mainly working in studio. From price/quality/simplicity point of view my winner is Amperium. Next is FM3 because of effects quality, but if we consider only amp modelling it's on the same level as Amperium but 3x more xpensive. 3rd is Helix.
I have the Ampero stage ii its pretty good unit i love the tone of it & if you use IR its just go insane i love the unit
I just ordered one last night just 2 weeks after getting the Ampero Mini.
@@joellebrodeur1015 it's incredible ❤️
I have the Ampero One. Do you think it's worth upgrading to the Ampero 2 Stage?
@@p0kerp1aya yes brother it's worth upgrading 😊
I like that you referred to the Line 6 as "fun." That's the same thought I had. While using a Helix or even something simpler, like the Pod Go or HX Stomp, the Line 6 stuff is always just plain fun. Fun to use, fun to play through, fun to hear. It's cool that you had a similar notion about their gear. As always, a great video. Thanks for keeping it going!
The FM is 1.449€ - thus still cheaper than the QC. But yes, Fractal isn't cheap. I'm a bit surprised that you preferred the Helix family over the Fractal. I think the amp models in the Helix are pretty far away from the ones that can be found on Fractal devices. Badonk is good, the rest is pretty meh. Had the LT and the HX Stomp for years but after switching to the FM3 I *never* looked back.
But of course a valid opinion, Jon! I think Fractal won't release a plugin ever - just because of piracy 🤷🏻♂
money =)
Fm3 usd 1099.00 helix 1499.00 not sure why he said fractal is more expensive
@@dannutton9350 1.099$ is without VAT. The FM3 here in Europe is 1.449€...the normal Helix is about the same, the LT is 999€, the HX Stomp is about 649...
@user-tf4tv9bj4f if you add the fc6 you have similar size and function. The Fm3 provides incredible tone for your average studio/local gig guitarist. I can use the fm3 with one preset and 8 scenes and control functions and gapless switching and cover many sounds. I owned fractal since 2006 the first axefx using a standard and ultra for 17ys finally buying an fm3. I've played a helix stuff but found the Fractal to be more real, before the Fractal I ran Mesa rectos triaxis, marshall jcm800 and a splawn quick rod.
Touring regional for many years. I recently bought an ampero that sounds decent enough to jam with friends.
I think all the modelers are quality enough and use what you want to get your sound.. rock on
I have the QC and couldn’t be happier. It keeps updating and improving all the time. I would choose fractal over it just because of the FX variety, however I would lose the QC’s much easier and faster user interface whenever you need to make some changes.
I agree with most of your rating, but line 6.
I can see how the Fractal ranked higher than the QC(which is probably based on your needs, I prefer the QC for my needs).
But line 6 has no advantage of capture, not the most consistent(from Fractal I think it's not even close, I honestly think that the qc is more consistent, too).
DSP wise, it's losing, space wise, it's losing. No touch screen. It even lost in the ux to the qc.
Helix native? I can use it without the unit. It's the as saying the plugins are advantage of the qc without the ability to integrate them.
Adding tonex in the loop for capture? So you can add the helix one in the loop of the qc and get the fx, which is probably the only advantage of the helix 🤷🏻♂️
Just my two cents!
The A2S does have scene control, you can assign different parameters to each scene.
What it can’t do is name scenes and assign a custom led color to different scenes.
I think the price point at each tier, coupled with the overall fun factor of tweaking and tweezing sounds (I’ve literally lost hours doing that, and didn’t mind at all) puts Line6 Helix ecosystem at #1 for me. But then again, I’ve always found a way to find good usable tones on a budget. I even used an original POD 1.0 live for a while, and it sounded amazing considering the simplicity. But different aspects make different products appealing. I mean the sheer affordability of the Hotone makes it hard to beat, especially for a beginner or part time hack. But Modeling is as divisive as the whether or not to use modelers debate. It’s all really dependent on what meets your needs best, and that includes your budget.
Way back in the day I used to have a pod 1.0 that i updated to a 2.0 (i got the rom chip from line6 and installed it myself) and the 4 button footswitch. I ran that to an 80's peavey renown 400 2x12 . 210 watt SS.. that rig crushed !
I can't believe it's been 26 years since i got the OG POD damn !
Hey John, I'm not sure if you know this but you are able to control different parameters in different scenes on the Ampero 2 Stage. If you use the computer editor, you can adjust parameter values in each different scene and save them. I haven't tried it on the unit itself but I know it's possible through the computer editor. Brett Kingman has a video making a preset with different parameters in the different scenes.
I have the stage too. Also works on the unit.
@@mangoesDB
Hey man, on the stage midi in and out don't work and this is idiot!
Fractal Audio is the G.O.A.T!
I have had my Kemper dialed in for the last 6 years and have not had to tweak anything. I am interested in getting a Quad Cortex for the easier editing. I believe there is something here for everyone and it’s whatever works for you.
The Kemper is old but oh so reliable, easy, and incredible sounding…because it’s dialed in…that’s the upside of aging!
I switched from the Kemper to Quad and never looked back. Sound quality is similar, but the quad has many more options and it's easier to use. Also love that you can use many captures on the same preset.
I would agree with the ranking. Sure, as far as end results go, Fractal wins hands down but it has a steep learning curve, not the easiest availability and quite a hefty price tag so I kind of agree with the number 2 spot. My only disagreement is about the QC: it deserves the third place but I gotta say I'm quite happy with it's modelling and find it more "ready to go" than the Helix where I rely on my heavily tweeked favorites for quite preset building, however it lacks in the FX which are really kind of basic compared to the competition and sound competent rather than inspiring. But yeah having played most of those modellers featured here I agree with your ranking
Fractal for sure! 🤘🏻
I put Tone Quality as priority, so the Fractal units are still King 🤴 of modelers, IMO. I had the 1st Helix for a little bit, just didn't like the tone quality, but I'm sure it sounds much better now
it's 2024; many of these modelers are many years old.
Instead of modeling hardware, I built a compact, portable computer rig for guitar.
I use several plugins including PolyChrome DSP McRocklin Suite, Helix Native, Neural Petrucci, Plini X, Henson, and Mesa IIC+ Suite, Softube Marshall Amp room,...and several other effects plugins
I manage it all using Blue Cat Audio's PatchWork, which lets me use patches from various plugins; I use its' utilities such as noise gate, gain, etc. to get my patches unity gain balanced, boost lead patches, etc. without having to go into each plugin for each patch.
I use a KMI SoftStep2 MIDI controller to control it all, which lets me add an expression pedal; I have several "pedal board layouts" for the SoftStep2, that I can load for different combinations of patches depending on the music I'm playing.
The hardware includes a small cube computer with i7, 16G RAM, 1TB SSD; a touchscreen monitor; wireless keyboard/trackpad; audio interface; all mounted in a 2U soft rack carry case. I back up everything on a USB drive.
No latency or other issues, it works great, and I can easily upgrade/replace any of the components
tl;dr; digital modelers are getting old; dedicated computer plugin rig for guitar works great.
I check out all the pedal versions but I can't go past my little laptop. It's everything I need. It's also cheaper than alot of other options and just as portable.
Fractal!! There is a reason why most pros are going with it.
Yeah. I haven't even finished the video yet (I'm at number 2), but I don't change my Helix for anything else. Once you learn how to use it (and it's not the easiest, despite how fun it is!), it's the best gigging experience (and recording too!). It's very flexible, and it's come a long way since its release.
All sound good, depending on the user's tone, playing, knowledge capabilities of their music, and their influence.
I had two guys playing the same rig setup with different skill levels they both don't sound the same lol. Just enjoy the choices.
Grateful for the gear industry and the innovation 😃
Thanks for this video! Been wanting to grab another one and leaning towards the mx5 just for bedroom/silent use and to travel with
I have been using Helix for the past 4 years now, it’s a great device but for me personally I love Fractal audio the most. The amp model features and effects are absolutely top notch. The only thing I don’t like about helix is the tone feel and dynamic response on the unit. It doesn’t feel organic like the fractal
Just as an fyi, with the hot one stage ii you can change all the parameters of any effect/amp. Scene 1 is the default then any parameter you change in scenes 2-5 is saved in that scene just by changing it. It’s even easier than controllers
outdated amp? u mean those old legendary amps are not good anymore?
For me, the amperium live by is the best by far. I have one and i Am giging with it, sounds icredible on PA.
I have Hx Stomp with additional external footswitch and I enjoy it. Compact device and quite good sound with a good factory support
The more I work with my helix stuff (rack, native, stomp and pod go wireless) the more I love this platform.
Sometimes I think I’d like to try a Fractal but then I go to RUclips and hear helix and fractal head to head It just remind me that i’m happy with the helix and do not really need anything else
For me personally, the Boss GT-1000Core is the one. No other unit on the market has the same level of price/performance/unique effects/size/current draw/reputation for reliability as the Boss GT-1000Core. The Quad Cortex, for instance, costs three times as much, is 2.5 times the size, consumes more than 3 times as much electrical power, and lacks both Boss' unique effects and reputation for reliability. The HX Stomp costs $100 more and has much less CPU/DSP power. I do not need 1000 amp models and 1000 IRs; I need a handful that work perfectly for my needs, and the GT-1000Core has them with Boss' AIRD amp models. The built-in IRs are great, and I can load enough others to meet my needs, as I don't play other people's music, I only play *my* music. I also do not need to have plug-ins of the GT-1000 on my DAW.
The GT-1000Core has a few limitations, mainly due to its size, but I realized pretty quickly that te easiest, cheapest, and smallest way to work around those limitations is to just use two GT-1000Cores, together. At $1200 for two of them, it's still a bargain compared to the QC, the Fractal units, and the larger Helix units. The Core takes up exactly as much space on a pedalboard as two standard Boss pedals and the space between them, costs about the same price as 3-5 standard Boss pedals, but offers processing power much greater than 3-5 pedals can contain. Two Cores together take up no more space on a pedalboard than one row of 4 regular Boss pedals. It has all of Boss' unique effects, which are the ones I use, and it has Boss' reputation and history of reliability, which no other company in the market can match. Not Line 6, not Fractal, not Neural, none of them have been making effects as long as Boss or hold the level of trust that musicians have for Boss.
I really like that the Boss AIRD amp models are not intended to necessarily replicate the sound of pre-existing physical amps, so there is no tendency to compare them to "the actual amps", as "the actual amps" don't exist. So, you get to focus on whether or not the amp models actually sound good, and they not only sound good, they sound great. I'm using the "Natural" and "Boutique" for clean to low gain sounds, and the "X-HiGain" and "X-Modded" for high gain sounds. I use Boss' "X-OD" and "X-DIST" drives, which no other company has, and Boss' "X-COMP" and "X-Bass Comp", which no other company offers. And of course, there is a whole host of other effects for which Boss is justifiably famous inside the box, as well.
Maybe you can answer this question because I can't seem to find a straight answer to it in Boss' manuals or in forums. Is it possible to run two signals: one with an IR and one without to go to a live cab? I like the tones I've heard from Boss but it's not useful to me unless I can run a regular cab.
@@gabrielstevens41 Yes, Boss has a ton of different routing options. It's actually a little confusing at first but extremely flexible once you figure it out. Basically there are 4 outputs (Main L/R, Sub L/R) and you can split them or run stereo twice. Using one of the 3 dividers you can send your signal out one of the sub outs (or one side of the Main outs) with a cab block IR on that path, then your other path would go to your live cab. There are other ways too, just realize that there are 4 physical outputs, 4 virtual outputs and 3 virtual dividers.
@jameswatson5576 thank you!
Hey man. Thank you for this. Im going to serve church again. I was about to buy ampero stomp and difference between 1k core is only 150 euros.
Does core have a scene function like its limited to three switches. Can it do different parameters in one patch? Also they said its an unbalanced output so i cant run it directly to the mixer. I need DIs. Right?
@@jameswatson5576 Hey man. Thank you for this. Im going to serve church again. I was about to buy ampero stomp and difference between 1k core is only 150 euros.
Does core have a scene function like its limited to three switches. Can it do different parameters in one patch? Also they said its an unbalanced output so i cant run it directly to the mixer. I need DIs. Right
I think the axe fx is my favourite, but I would agree that it lacks the immediacy of the helix from a user perspective. Unless you’re committing to the axe fx factory presets, building your own presets takes a lot more work than the helix to dial in, just because there are tons of settings that can be tweaked… therefore I do believe the axe fx is the only unit I would consider at the professional level, but due to it’s depth, I’d never recommend it to a beginner or casual guitarist or tone crafter. The Helix stuff however I would totally recommend, mostly because it gives you most of the pedals you’d end up wanting to try in the box, which will cost you way more than a helix unit.
Helix Native is a very good tool, but even after a few minutes of using it you realize that the feeling and sound are not there. It still has that "fighting with the strings" feeling of the POD HD, but improved. The amplifiers are very 2D and although with external IRs it sounds much better, you can't get more than an average sound out of it. I only use it to put on the Minotaur before going to Tonex, which has better feeling and more realistic amplifiers, although you also have to put external IRs on it. I still have faith in the next generation of Line 6 if they can improve the critical problem of feel and response. On the other hand, Fractal seems to have the most real feeling and audio, respects more the "in your face" audio of real amps, responds to the tone and volume of the guitar, but is much more expensive as well. Greetings from Argentina!
Sorry but without Kemper and Tonex, the list is totally incomplete.
Interesting.
I prefer the amp modeling from QC far more than Amperium by leaps and bounds.
Certainly a step up from Helix too.
As you said it’s subjective.
That being said I still prefer Helix for easy of use.
Helix, QC and AxeFX can be made indistinguishable with enough time spent.
Very cool perspective friend!
Have you ever tried an Amperium Live?
I have binged youtube reviews of modelling amps and also tube amps for years. Literally I have watched everything. I have a conclusion. Tubes only. It is the only way to great tone. Modelling or anything digital will get you there quick, but always with sacrifices.
I agree with Helix Native, I use it every day. The only thing better would be if Fractal was available as a plugin.
I’ve got the prime and the helix, honestly I’d swap the prime and the hotone in your list, the prime needs work for sure, but I think the models sound great and the captures are better than tonex. Not sure if you’ve updated it recently or not. That said, my helix is still here for two reasons, metal amps and running them through a mimiq. 😂
Great review honest and on point - we live in a great time for music gear - not hard to get great tone
Not having a serious Boss unit in there - I'd say the GX-100 is well worth a look...useability, flexibility with proper GT-1000 tones - is a big miss in my book
The guy puts on Ampero and doesn't put on kemper. Zero credibility.
That’s because it’s a profiler
Awwsome. I knew Helix and Fractal would be in the top 2. Love my Helix LT. Helix UI is much easier to learn for newbies than the Fractal stuff for sure but you can really tweak at the pro level with the Fractal stuff. rock on. Keep it up.
TMP last … and Fractal 2nd after Helix … judging by that ranking, and the great wallz of metalz ampz behind you, we’re chasing different tones!! 😀☺️
as a professional musician I use what sounds, feels, and is easiest to get consistent tone. For me FM9. I'm very comfortable with the editing either by PC or on the box, but the PC editor is much easier. Tone wise I can use it direct to FoH, direct to my tube or SS amp (depends on which band) and to the front of the amp or 4CM. They all sound great these days.
The layout flexibility of the FM9 buttons and pedals is so deep. I have yet to find a situation or setup I can't achieve.
Best is going to be whatever fits you.
Jon, I don't get it... If the price of the FM3 at €1469 (G66) is labeled "not really affordable", why doesn't that apply as well to the Helix at €1465 (Bax)?
Kinda funny how people think some solid state is old or dated. Me and my pocketbook sure wish people felt like that about guitars and tube amps. I use what I think is good, dont really care how old it is.
Best pedalboard for amps:
1.fractal 2.quad cortex 3. HEADRUSH 4. Hotone 6/7 Line 6
For usability 1. HEADRUSH 2 Fender 3 Quad Cortex 4 hotone 5/6 Line 6
For overdrive pedals: 1.Fractal 2.Quad C 3.Line 6 in the last position Headrush
For ambient tones:
1 Fractal, 2. Quad 3. Line 6
Very interesting. I've not tried a helix, but I can't see how they would sound better than the fractal. Just my opinion of course. ❤
He is just mocking us!
My personal opinion, but I find the Line 6 stuff overrated. To my ears, it sounds less authentic and more digital. Fractal and Neural's QC both would be ranked over it in my list.
Helix is TRULY great now, after all the updates. It's the song that matters, in the end !! I also enjoy the GT1000Core.
it's insane how much you have to pay for a Fractal device in Germany or Europe in general... you have to add almost 1k on top just for G66 to import it I guess... would be cheaper if you order it in the US yourself and pay all the duty and taxes yourself though... just a shame (and I own a Fractal AX8 myself).
"Kemper isn't an amp modeler so it won't be included." ...*includes Quad cortex*
QC has amp models in it...
My biggest advice i could ever give to anyone on digital modelling units is just to try it all.. It really is all about perspective and what suit's your needs. As someone who has owned , Helix , Kemper , FM3 , HX stomp , ToneX and now onto an Axe Fx 2 XL it really is just whatever suits you best.. I've loved all the units , But some of them have been alot worse than others for what i have personally needed at the time and there have been clear winners in terms of tone for sure by a big margin. It's like if you are just a bedroom player and you use like 4-5 different simplified tones and effects and maybe play like a local pub gig once in a while and you're quite new to modelling tech then something on the cheaper scale like the Helix/Headrush will be for you. But if you're like a player that maybe plays in covers band every week and you want to just load things onto a unit without having to constantly tweak and just sound as close as you can to replicate a band, With super high quality and effects then something like the Kemper or Quad Cortex is going to do that for you. But then if you're like a hardcore guitar player that's basically a studio engineer and enjoys just building tones and effects from scratch and really deep diving into creating something your own then a Fractal unit is probably going to tick every single box out there for you. I always say every unit has it's exact purpose. I'd personally pick a different unit for each scenario rather than sticking with just one if im honest. Even as an Axe Fx user yea it sounds great but there are scenarios you just want something simple and easy to set up quickly. They can all do it but some are just better than others in those aspects!
Boss gt 1000 core here. I love the little thing to bits! Now I figured out you can add IRs and it opens the sound even further
I wished you had a Gt1000 or a gt1000 core. I love my core. The 32bit processing really makes the tones sound more high resolution to me. I can’t describe it. You can just hear it.
I think most mentioned units uses floating point processing (unlike fixed point), at least with single precision, i.e. 32 bit. It`s mainstream now. Still double precision is PC luxury.
Helix and Tonex work so well together
How do you combine them? ToneX in a send/return?
@@DavidSmith1307Exactly, you can also send MIDI from HX to Tonex. I giged this combo also with Blackstar Live Logic for more footswitching options, and this is a really killer setup.
And Mooer GE 1000?
The Boss GT 1000 series. By far. In pretty much every way.
The ampero does offer parameter settings per scene!
Is it intended that all presets in the Fm3 sound so muffled?
Sabotaging the fractal gear is the only way to keep it from blowing the competition’s doors off.
It probably has to do with the updates. They can't update all the presets with each update
Yes, it's strange because after increasing the treble and also the high treble very much, it sounds really great.
I found the amp modelling to be way better in the QC compared to the Helix. No matter what i did i just couldnt get that rock and metal tone i really wanted out of the Helix but i can with the QC.
I had them all and for some reason I liked my Kemper better overall. Line 6 helix second and axe fx iii 3rd place
Great video! FM9 MKII Turbo user here! ❤️
Isn't calling a Kemper a "profiler" instead of a modeler more of a semantics thing? Either way, I'd liked to have seen it included in the comparison since it competes in the same space as all these other products.
I got the new 8.0 firmware beta last night on the FM3. The guys at Fractal Audio must have sold their souls to the devil because it somehow sounds even better. I’m very happy to have made this my go-to 😎
Will it mess up my presets of my FM3?
@@LivinginLosAngeles-re5yx Fractal states that none of your presets are tampered with the new firmware until you upgrade them via the FM3 “upgrade all presets” settings. I did see very minor tweaks on some of my presets, but this is supposed to be what your non-8.0 presets are on the new firmware. You can always make a backup of everything just in case!
Still my axe fx3. Owned it for around 3 years now and haven't wanted or bought an amp since. It just keeps getting better with updates and the more I learn about it, it's always fresh and new. I won't be replacing it until it dies. I've never felt that way about a piece of gear in my 27 years of playing
Helix Native is the reason I keep coming back to the Helix. I’ve tried to convince myself to sell off my FM9 and just go with the Helix since I am at a point in my music life where it’s hard to justify keeping both but honestly, every time I think, ok maybe I can do with just the Helix, I plug into my FM9 and it’s a difference sound and feel.
Plus Helix has this silly limitation that’s hard to get past, I can’t understand why they will not implement the ability to do “channel switching” on an amp model. You have to use 2 amp blocks and switch back and forth to go Clean/Gain in the same preset.
On channel switching, there are two workarounds. You may already know this but if not...First, some of the new L6 amps have built-in boosts that you can assign to a footswitch. Second, for any other amp you can assign multiple changes to the amp set up (so, drive levels, EQ), to a single footswitch. It's not as simple as a two-channel switch in real life, and it isn't a solution for a model like the Placater where you have specific Clean/Dirty models. But its a workaround. Hope it helps.
@@ianwillo thank you, unfortunately these workarounds don’t work in my normal use cases. The 2 closest workarounds I have found are 1- 2 amp blocks, a control switch that bypasses one and activates the other. 2-use an EQ block as a pseudo clean model with my gain amp model bypassed then bypass the EQ when the gain amp is engaged.
@@stm113 That makes sense. The other possible workaround I've spotted is the new JCM800 2203 model has the high-low inputs as a switch within the same model, rather than two different models. So in theory I can assign that + volume + EQ to a switch and do channel switching that way. I'm going to have a play around with it. It would be amazing if they retrofitted that feature to more models.
Isn't this what snapshots are for? The same preset with different settings
@@jorismak yep, you can do this with snapshots. I just try to have solutions that work inside snapshots and outside of them too (specifically for improv and jamming when I don't know what combination of things I'll want in advance).
QC is the only one that works for me as of right now. Axe Effects sounds great, but their UI is horrible compared to the simple UI on the QC. The Helix is way too bulky, and the HX stomp does not let you use as many effects simultaneously. I like running a hybrid setup with real amps and real pedals. The QC is the only one that has a small enough footprint to fit on my pedalboard, but still has enough I/O to put my real amps in, more foot switches for all the effects I use, and has great capturing to bring all my amps with me when I travel, as well as capturing my pedals also. (The Tonex also has fantastic amp and drive pedal capturing and sharing abilities for a much lower price and even smaller footprint. But the UI is terrible and there are no other effects built in. If Tonex ever adds a better UI and multi-effects built in, that would be my hybrid platform winner)
I think its funny that the headrush is "dated" but the helix is #1 😂😂😂 disagree completely. The headrush actually has completely reworked and redone models, they are not repackaged old ones. Also when you compare the real amps being sent to the same cab IR, i have found that the headrush and quad cortex models are much closer to the real the amps and in some cases i prefer it. Good video! 👍🏼
If it’s tone (which is what pros want) it’s fractal hands down I have the top 3 and it’s fractal way above the other two for me.
took HX 13 months to release new amps and effects.... Fender has a massive update coming in the next 4 weeks... they also are very active on FB and Discord listening to the customers... when its all said and done, the TMP will be at the top
The fender tone master would be a good tool but fender are not the best at supporting their gear so no i wouldn't by one but i do like the your comparison.
"Recently added" amps to the Ampero II Stage were available since the release, they were even in the Ampero II Stomp on release, and it was like 2 years ago...
Hotone only added 2 amps: JP-2C (HQ), and Soldano 100 (HQ), no idea where you found the info about those "recently added amps". Also I think 5150 and Diezels sound just as good as the other amps, they feel much better than Helix ones.
I owned a Helix for a couple years, but I sold it and bought a Quad Cortex. The reason has nothing do to with sound. It was because I was tired of carrying such a big & heavy beast... the Helix is a huge unit, and the smaller models from Line 6 are very weak in terms of DSP.
I went through so many you have shared here.. and I keep coming back to the L6 Helix/HX Stomp. I use it differently than most. I have been using it as preamp, to a power amp setup into real cabs. It just works exactly like I want it to work.
Same. That's about the only way I can tolerate my HX Stomp if I want to use it as an amp. Rhythm tones sound great. Still after hours of use it still leaves me wanting to go back to my real amp. It is very convenient and gets the job done for the most part tho! 🤘🤘🤘
This is how I use it, too. I turn off the cab/ir block and run it into the effects return of my amp (Friedman PT v2) which goes into a Mesa 2x12 cab. Sounds fantastic in this setup. I’ll occasionally turn on the IR block and go into studio monitors. Sounds very good there as well, but not as “big” sounding.
This and in a 4 cable method with a real amp in my opinion is where the Helix does best. The Helix FX are AMAZING.
@mhoff7722 I have a Diezel VH2, a first edition, Mesa Single 50 Recto, and a Marshall JCM800. I love them but very happy that I can get 99% of those amps tones with L6.
@@TVoltG Very cool. Is that for recording and monitoring through studio monitors? That is how I like it best. Cranked through a couple of 4x12's I gotta go with the real amp for any extended amount of playing time.
Personally I would choose the Fractal over the Helix. Especially with the new firmware that gives us gapless preset changes and more amps and the update also somehow made all my presets sound even better. The Helix is a great unit though, and I have been using that for 6-7 years and I still use Native alot. Awesome video as usual.
The new firmwares are amazing!
@@SonicDriveStudio yeah I installed the beta on the FM3 the other day and I can't stop making presets. The amps really comes alive, and I hardly experience any DSP issues. Maybe 0.6% more on some presets compared to before, but I'll take that trade any day. :)
I’m old. When I played a lot in the early 90’s I don’t recall any of this Amp Modeler stuff. To get the tone of a specific amp you needed to BUY THE AMPs. I recently dig out my old Ibanez plugged into an old 90’s era LANEY GX and a DigiTech 2112 rack with the programmable pedals.
I have a lot of learning to catch up with what is going on in the guitar world.
The only one of these i have is the qc and i would have thought it would rank better but ive never tried any fractal stuff so i find it interesting and im going to have to try one out someday to see whats better about them. For my qc, ive had really good sucess capturing all my tube amps and have bought a good amount of captures from reputable guys that just blow me away how real they feel and sound. I cant imagine there being a better platform, but thats why we are all entitled to our own opinions.
I have the FM3 and the Helix and I agree that the amp modeling quality is very close but FM3 is just a bit better. For my experience I had to tweak the Helix amps more to get the sound I wanted vs the FM3. Helix UI is definitely more user friendly.
I agree but I’d say that Helix is good but not very close to FAS modeling. I can get usable even good tones but it takes so much more work than my FAS gear does, to still not sound as good.
Man, a new model or price point list included with the breakdown would be helpful for those looking to buy 🙏🏼
Lol. You're right...I don't agree a few things. Hahahha. I bought a Helix last year. It doesn't even sound good to me. Everything are so so so SCOOPED - even before I was able to add EQ or any FXs, it's already scooped. I've been wanting Helix for the last 6 or 7 years and I was so disappointed. I had to go back to my old Boss GT-10 to complete a few songs on my album. After a few weeks, I had to return my Helix back to Sweetwater. Now, I have my FM9 and I have not looked back. Lol. I do understand, this is only your opinion. It's cool. Helix is not for me.
thanks Jon. I respect your opinion and from what I've heard, you make them all sound perfect. I think the Helix is a solid choice for number 1.
Uh, Kemper not a modeling platform but QC is?!! Whaaaattt? And putting the Boss ME-90 against everything instead of the GT-1000? The GT-1000 has more DSP power than the Helix, it has as-good if not better fx, and it is smaller and lighter to take to gigs (even fits in a backpack). The effects are more limited than the Helix in number but arguably of a higher quality for the core effects people actually use. And, if you stick a Tonex in the effects loop of the GT-1000, it's magic from an amp + effects standpoint. I don't know what anybody is supposed to get from a video like this that compares a bunch of apples and oranges.
I only picked up the Helix Floor maybe 5 months ago, so I'm way late to the party, but I've enjoyed it immensely. I can run it direct, I can use it with a PowerCab, and I've recently enjoyed running it in the loop of a tube amp, bypassing the physical preamp and modeling that way. I can run my vocals through it on a different signal chain, route it to a different output, etc., etc. It's very versatile.
It’s a good unit for sure, especially how you are using it. I hope you have a ton of fun and make some good music with it!
Likewise! I got mine in October last year and I feel the same. I've started adding bass to my recordings via poly Capo and it has changed my home jams. I love my Helix. Not saying I wouldn't love any of the others but my Helix is so comfortable now. I have started using MIDI assignments to run Reaper when I'm at my desk, too.
Got mine last Summer. Absolutely LOVE it and all it can do!!!
there are many IR products on the market, but I think DYNAX IR has the best sound. As stated in their product description, DYNAX IR is really fast. When using IRs, the pick attack is sometimes delayed, and it is difficult to add picking nuances, but their IR prevents all of that. It's revolutionary!
I do love my Kemper.
I just select an existing profile, tweak less, play more.
Reamping works fine, if you really want to optimize your sound in the band context. That makes even tweaking easy.
And thanks to all the firmware udates I now need just two external effects, else everything is already build in.
You need however to invest in professional profiles instead of trying to profile on you own... that is quite difficult!
Pretty much agree with everything you said. The newer companies have some questionable amp modelling but capture features are amazing. Helix wins for usability reasons but Fractal Audio has had the best amp modelling for like a decade and no other hardware unit can even be compared to that high standard. The downside is usability and price for Fractal... but an Axe-Fx II has better amp modeling than any other non-Fractal hardware unit so there's that. 🎉
Thanks for sharing your 2 cents! Of course this list is very personal so I knew going into this that not everybody would agree, and that's totally fine of course! Variety is the spice of life! ;)
Great list! I guessed your top 3 perfectly. Guess I know you really well!! :)
It's like the JB and 59 pickups, at the end of the day it's all about the already classics Fractal and Line6.
Ive tried them all. Landed on the Synergy system with a two notes to sim the speaker and power amp. Nothing beats real tubes.
Me too. I went the same route.
Can you tell on the last Testament album which tracks used a tube amp and on which tracks a Kemper? Can you tell Dave Murray (Iron Maiden) went full-on Axe FX while playing live?
@@beastofthepriest No. But the player can tell. I can tell when I'm using them and that translates to my enjoyment. It's all these little things in the touch and feel. But to your point, the crowd couldn't care less. Same with E drums. Most people wouldn't even notice an electric kit or triggers but drummers seem to hate playing them over real drums.
I like Synergy, Kemper, Fractal … for convenient tubes, profiles/captures, and modeling, respectively … which I prefer in that order …
Just wondering which other options you may have considered vs Two Notes … ? Cheers all. 🙏🏼
As a line 6 Helix floor unit for 5 years, I bounced between the fractal audio AX8. However, when I got the fractal audio FM 9 turbo it definitely was a game changer. Not that Helix is bad. Helix was so much simpler on the learning curve. Once you get around a learning curve of a fractal audio stuff it's a breeze. The sounds out of this unit are amazing. I've never been so more happier because I'm playing and doing less tweaking.
Headrush and Tone Master losing to Boss ME-90? Yikes, that’s got to hurt.
I had the helix rack and later on the axe fx iii but I noticed I always would end up using the neural dsp plini software over the axe fx lol. Thinking at some point I may just get the quad cortex
Interesting. Personally i think the Helix is not even close to the levels of the competition. Some amps are good but there is a lot of crap. The effects are also lacking. Going from Helix to Tonex was like.. going from a spider to a real rig. I used the Dual Rectifier and mark IV models the most but they need so much tweaking to sound good.. and if i''m honest i know why. The cabinet section is bad. If you use IR's it sounds a lot better.
Hi John! In this video are you talking about the fm3 turbo or the the previous model as well.
I’m asking because I’m searching for delas on both, and I’m not that sure if I should aim only for the turbo model? Thanks and hugs from South America!!
Turbo
@@SonicDriveStudio btw, do you think it’s not a good deal to buy a fm3 at a relatively good price? Or should I go for the turbo (or maybe that’s what you meant? lol).
Fractal for the win. Helix makes for a nice compact backup.
What are thos pedals behind you? They look evil :)
Thanks in advance for keeping this reasonably short.