Thanks allot Dendy for your great feedback! Fully agree on what you are saying, sometimes I wish all these possibilities would have exist when I was 20 and had more time ;)
I totally agree with your conclusion. I currently own a Helix Floor, Quad Cortex and FM3. Soundwise I can dial all of them into the same ballpark and can't really decide which sounds best and which I ultimately want to keep. As an overall package I like the Helix the most at the moment, with the biggest drawbacks being the stock cab block and the large size of the unit. Meanwhile I really like the QC's compact size and capturing functionality while offering pretty much the same UI as Helix except with a touchscreen. But it falls short in the fx department at the time of writing but will be an excellent unit maybe 1-2 years from now. Finally the FM3 is unparalleled in its deep editing options that let you play amp and fx designer to your heart's content. There's a lot of thoughtful features and the best computer editor in any modeler. It also comes with a world class impulse response library built in. The hardware user interface is its big failing as is the limited (even though highly programmable) switching onboard the FM3.
Thanks allot Kasakka for your long comment and great feedback. 100% agree with all you are saying, in the end all units do a fantastic job with some pros and small cons on all sides. I also having a hard time deciding on which one to keep or to sell but there is a realistic chance that the QC with future updates and improvements will go in the first spot for me and with this I could decide to let one or two of the other units go. Decissions like these are surely a first world problem ;)
@@MassiveSoundProductions Absolutely. I am having similar difficulties. I'll probably wait for at least the FM3 Cygnus modeling update before deciding.
Great video. I am super surprised that I liked Helix best - for me it sounded the most open and lively ! Especially that I own HX Stomp myself and was trying to find excuse to upgrade to Fractal/QC. As always it comes down to the person that dials the tone :D
Hi Michal, thanks for your comment and great feedback. I'm a huge fan of the Helix and it has imo the best value for money when it comes to modeling. The most important hint is to use great external IRs with the Helix, like e.g. the ones I compared in my IR video here, then it really starts to shine. For the extra 3% sound on the QC or Fractal you pay allot of money. On the QC there are at least for me some other good reasons why I'm fine paying the extra. THe Fractal is also a fantastic unit but with a (for me) completely outdated UI (you have to use the PC/MAC editor)
The quad cortex just feels more real to me. I still have an old line 6 spider 3 and it sounds incredible especially the master of puppets and John 5 presets. The response time is almost everything. When I hear the fractal or helix they just make me feel like I am gliding over a mix instead of sitting in it. The QC is the first time I can say yes that's it. I own a Mesa Triple rec and Badlander but I've been all about the QC now and I can always capture those real amps too. Anytime I feel like I want the latest Amp I'll just get a capture online already have a dumble and klon they sound incredible together.
It's always sounds a bit weird to talk about something being a game changer, but in total with all it's helpful improvements that's what the QC exactly is for me. Other people might still prefer the Axe or Helix for different reasons and looking at it from a neutral perspective there are good reasons for that as well. Still, happy the QC solved some of my "problems" I had with the other units. And great you remind me about the capturing feature, still need to do a video about my capturing sounds of my fav tube amps (Diezel Herbert, Revv Gen and ENGL Retro) ;)
the fact that in conclusion you say they are all good and the same really tells me the neural quadcore isnt a game changer in any way.Its just another decent modeler.
Thanks for your comment Aleh! I think it depends on what you were expecting. As modelers in general came so close in sounding like a real amp mic'ed there isnt lot of room for improvements anymore. Where the QC shines is the usability and in this category it is a game changer for me. Looking at the sounds and the available options I think you dont need to get it if you already have a Helix or Axe Fx at home.
Nice comparison. I own Helix but in many earlier comparisons I've seen on YT thought the Fractal won by a lot. In your comparison Helix sounds the best to my ears, and I took the blind test. Love the revv model in it, especially purple channel. I think the helix needs more tweaking and great IR to sound right, but definitely it can produce sound on the same level as AxeFx or QuadCortex.
Thanks for your comment Wookie! Fully agree to what you wrote. The Helix is a fantastic piece of gear which comes to life when you use some quality IRs. The Revv is one of my top3 amp sims in the Helix as well. Enjoy your Helix :)
This honestly surprised me, I was expecting to have the Axe FX3 and Quad Cortex to kind of be on par tonally and the Helix to fall a bit behind as I owned a Pod GO and HX Stomp and just couldn't really get what I wanted out of them at the time and kind of wrote them off since they use the helix modelling engine (ended up trying some neural dsp plugins and went for the laptop/interface route for jams and live) but honestly, I found myself preferring the Helix and Quad Cortex and really not liking the Axe FX 3. Not sure what it is but something about the Axe FX 3's highend doesn't sit right with me. That being said, pretty damn glad I have an order on the Quad Cortex, was slightly uncertain at first because of the sponsored youtube hype echochamber but now that actual unsponsored small youtubers are getting them, I think it's safe to say that it's one hell of a good option in the competition! Also, I think you might have convinced me to keep an eye out for a helix LT for a backup unit. Really impressed and might be worth giving one of the better units a chance....
Hi Exavolt, thanks allot for you long comment! I can fully recommend a Helix if you don’t want to spend that much money on a modeler and with some great external IDs it doesn’t need to hide behind the other two. After I spend allot more hours on the QC in the last few days I must say that the QC is a great sounding piece of gear and will surely further grow in the next few month/years. I also did some captures of my amps yesterday which sound sensational and planning to do a video showing how these sound and put them on the cloud for free download. Enjoying it more and more and you can definitely look forward to yours!
I have helix lt and same I can’t get anything even close to the tone here. I have used an actual JCM and a 5150 and had no issue getting my sound out of them. I don’t know... maybe my helix is faulty
@@harmonicseries6582 Thanks for your comment! Have you tried some great external IR's (e.g. from ML sound lab or from Bogren Digital) for the cab section? This works miracle on the Helix :)
1. Axe FX 3 - 2. QC - 3 Helix. Listening through good quality monitors and blind testing I felt the Axe FX3 had wider field = better HiFi. The QC sounded tighter which could be more appealing to "Heavier" players. The Helix I did not like at all compared to the other two. But I can see why people could like anyone of them. Good stuff.
Thanks allot Bagni for your great comment. I absolutely agree that the Axe and QC is slightly ahead of the Helix. In a full band mix and using the same cab IR on all three the difference becomes barely noticeable and looking at the price tag here in Europe the Helix becomes a very interesting alternative to the Axe and QC :)
Thanks allot tazzmaxx for your comment! Using the same Cabinet IR for all the amp models in general makes them sound very similar. You can still hear the typical sound characteristics of the amps but as I tried to dial them to my liking the differences arent that huge, that's right 😊
Thanks allot for your great feedback 😊! Happy you like the song, unfortunately this one is unreleased. But if you like my stile of playing maybe have a look at my newest band project "Breath of Solace". Currently working on our debut EP which we want release mid/end this year.
I don't have helix native but I do have Axe FX3 and QC, from your demo, I Immediately recognized modeler 3 is the QC, it has that annoying high-end fizzy sound in 3 amps in your clips. I do like modeler 2 the best. Helix is not bad just slightly more muffled sounding.
Thanks allot Vincent for your great comment and interesting feedback! I'm really looking forward to see in which direction the development of the QC goes and if they manage to transform the promising start into an overall package which could take over the king of modelers crown. But until this might happen there is still quite some work for them ;)
@@MassiveSoundProductions You are welcome man, thank you for the great content. QC does need quite some work, I do enjoy the form factor and ease of use as opposed to Fractal, it takes too much effort to edit/create preset without Axe-Edit or Fracpad. I do hope NeuralDSP can push future updates to make QC at least sound as good as their plugins, their plugin sound quality is what drawn me to pre-order QC in the first place.
@@vincenttam8642 Couldnt have put it better myself! The UI of the AxeFX for me feels just too much like work and not fun to play with, which is a great pity as the rest feels fantastic, on the other side with some bugfixing and tweaking the QC UI might be a good step ahead of his opponents. And regarding sound I have the same hopes that they will bring the QC modeling on (at least) the same level as their plugins which I'm permanently using for songwriting (currently NTS and Gojira are my favs ;) ).
I have watched countless QC videos and never heard any fizzy tones or complaints from users either. Helix on the other hand which I owned several years back had that fizzy going on. The QC is on par with Fractal as far as amp/IR's go. I'm now selling my FM3 because of that. The captures are outstanding . Yes, it needs some updates which are coming soon. I love everything about the QC and with coming updates it will be what every other modeler will be judged by, no question about that.
@@r.llynch4124 Thanks for you comment! I need to defend the Helix a bit as the main problem in fizzy tone in my opinion lies in the bad cab section. With some great external IR's it is basically on pair with the other units and does an fantastic job as well. I place high hopes into the QC as well as I just like their plugins allot and am already a fan of the user interface :)
I own still own a pod HD 500x which I have for years. For quite a while I am looking for something that is going to replace. I thought the Axe fx3 is the best out there but in this video the Helix was number the clear 1 for me and the quad cortex second. The Helix had a nice open and bright sound which I think is really appealing. Thanks for this video. This will help in making my future. I’ll see myself sticking to Line6 :)
Thanks for your comment Remie and happy it helped in your decision. The Helix is a great piece of gear and when spending some time tweaking and using some great external IR's it can be at eye level with the Axe and the QC in most categories.
@@MassiveSoundProductions Yes, I think they are on par. And I like the intuitive menu's that the Helix provides. Actually! I even would love to go with the Helix pro rack version. I like to have the unit sitting on my desk for easy acces. And somehow I prefer to have a seperate pedalboard. If needed you can replace it. Finally, it just looks awesome to have a Helix sitting on the desk.
@@hellsing1983 Sounds like a great plan. I don't think you can do anything wrong with any model of the Helix family. If you only need it for recording purpose and not for playing live you could also think about only getting the Helix Native plugin version, which I use allot too.
@@MassiveSoundProductions Thanks for the advise. It’s for playing live and recording. I am thinking of combining it with a power stage or something similar. So if I want I can even use it with a real cab. I love the versatility of modelling but also the feel of a real amp behind me. Using the pro kinda approaches that feel. Something about it’s just between the ears. But if I play live, I like that to have that comfort in my head :)
@@hellsing1983 There are good reasons for us guitarists still being a bit old school in some areas :D. Keep me updated on how your n ew setup will look like :)
I had a Helix floor but REALLY didn't like the high gain tones. Seems like you got some good ones here, was that due to using different IRs? At the time I sold the Helix I was working with three modelers so I never tried changing the IRs. BTW, well done comparison!
Thanks allot Marc for your great feedback! You are absolutely right, the key to great sounds on the Helix are some good external IRs (e.g. like ML sound lab or Bogren Digital). With these the Helix really starts to shine and is on a comparable level as the AxeFx and QC
I commented on facebook about this already, but listening to it again and again. I just don't hear this "fizzyness" that Vincent Tam commented about. Especially at the end of the comparison, the helix and fractal sound like the same thing eq'd differently, But the QC has that give and bounciness to the attack that just jump out and screams "tubes" to my ear. Looking forward to more videos on this. And Please do some low gain demo's, some blues or something. There are way too few demonstrations of the QC in that area. Thanks!
Thanks allot @Sketchstuffs for your comment and great feedback. I will definitely think about some further vids on the QC which (hopefully) give some real value. Low gain might be interesting as well, although I'm not a blues guitarist (one trick Rock and Metal pony 🙈😉) but I already experienced e.g. some great low gain Marshall sounds on the QC, so let's see what's next 😊
Genial! Super job! Ich bin positiv überrascht mit dem Helix. Will einen quad cortex kaufen, aber naja.. Lohnt sich überhaupt? Es wäre sehr geil einen capture von deinem vh4 zu haben (wenn ich einen qc kaufe) Grüße aus Stuttgart 😎
Hi Neves, Dank dir ganz herzlich für dein klasse feedback! Das Helix ist ein super Teil für den aufgerufenen Preis (speziell die kleineren Varianten) und mit ein paar guten externen IR's (fast) auf Augenhöhe mit der Konkurrenz. Falls du das Geld hast kann ich dir den QC dennoch sehr ans Herz legen. Ich habe das Teil die letzten Tage nochmal ausgiebigst gespielt und bin immer mehr begeistert. Habe auch mal Captures von meinen drei Lieblingsamps (Engl Retro, Diezel Herbert, Revv Generator) gemacht die herausragend gut geworden sind und zu denen ich noch ein separates Video die nächsten Wochen machen werde und in dem ich dann auch die Captures als freien Download in die Cloud stelle 😊
@@nevesnow Sind auf jeden Fall beide klasse Amps und Diezel generell eine tolle Marke. Der Herbert liegt mir von seinem voicing aber einfach noch den Ticken mehr wie der VH4 😊
Beim Blindtest dachte ich mir: Boah, M3A2 und M3A3 klingen ja wie Arsch... Bin etwas überrascht, dass es der QC war und nicht die Helix, da ich Helix User bin und noch nie einen Sound damit hatte, mit dem ich zufrieden war...
Dank dir für deinen Kommentar 😎! Der Helix hat hier auch den kleinen Vorteil das ich ihn mit Abstand am meisten bislang genutzt habe. Grundsätzlich muss ich aber auch sagen dass das ein klasse Teil ist, er benötigt nur zwingend gute externe IR's, die Cab Sims die bereits mitgeliefert werden halte ich größtenteils suboptimal 😉
@@MassiveSoundProductions Die Line6 Cabs sind dermaßen unbenutzbar, dass ich bei meinem ersten Versuch mit der Helix, das Teil nach einem Tag zurückgegeben hab... Beim zweiten Gerät hab ich dann auf ML Sound Lab und Bogren Digital gesetzt und bin halbwegs zufrieden. Ein Axe FX 3 sitzt trotzdem langfristig auf der GAS-Liste.
@@sillyness3456 Das Axe Fx ist schon ein feines Teil, aber man braucht wirklich viel Zeit um sich mit dem Teil auseinander zu setzen, die fummelige Bedienung zu durchschauen und so richtig von den vielen Möglichkeiten zu profitieren.
@@MassiveSoundProductions Das ist doch gerade toll. Eine der Sachen, die mich an der Helix stören ist gerade die mangelnde Tiefe in der Bedienung und dass die Modelle sich im Tonestack nicht wie echte Amps verhalten. Zumindest im AxeFX 2, was ich vor Jahren mal testen durfte, fühlte sich das wesentlich realer an als in der Helix.
@@sillyness3456 Ich kann das total nachvollziehen was du meinst und für Tüftler ist das AxeFx genau die richtige Kiste. Mir fehlt für sowas inzwischen einfach leider komplett die Zeit. Ich möchte ein Gerät das ich einschalte, eine simple Bedienung hat wie ein echter Amp und klasse klingt. Deshalb setze ich so hohe Hoffnungen in das QC. Das Neural DSP genau diese Anforderungen erfüllen kann haben sie mit ihren genialen Plugins bewiesen 😊
So from your point of view comparison of heavy sounds never makes sense? This would mean more than 50% of Metal RUclips videos should be deleted? I think it is a fair comparison which doesn't mean some clean sounds would be interesting as well and which might come somewhen in the future ;)
@@MassiveSoundProductions Was the PERFECT video for me. I am metal and have ZERO use for clean and clean fx. There are plenty of other videos out there if that is what one wants.
What a great time to be a guitarist
Always loved amp modeler comparison video
Thank you for doing this man
Thanks allot Dendy for your great feedback! Fully agree on what you are saying, sometimes I wish all these possibilities would have exist when I was 20 and had more time ;)
I totally agree with your conclusion. I currently own a Helix Floor, Quad Cortex and FM3. Soundwise I can dial all of them into the same ballpark and can't really decide which sounds best and which I ultimately want to keep.
As an overall package I like the Helix the most at the moment, with the biggest drawbacks being the stock cab block and the large size of the unit.
Meanwhile I really like the QC's compact size and capturing functionality while offering pretty much the same UI as Helix except with a touchscreen. But it falls short in the fx department at the time of writing but will be an excellent unit maybe 1-2 years from now.
Finally the FM3 is unparalleled in its deep editing options that let you play amp and fx designer to your heart's content. There's a lot of thoughtful features and the best computer editor in any modeler. It also comes with a world class impulse response library built in. The hardware user interface is its big failing as is the limited (even though highly programmable) switching onboard the FM3.
Thanks allot Kasakka for your long comment and great feedback. 100% agree with all you are saying, in the end all units do a fantastic job with some pros and small cons on all sides. I also having a hard time deciding on which one to keep or to sell but there is a realistic chance that the QC with future updates and improvements will go in the first spot for me and with this I could decide to let one or two of the other units go. Decissions like these are surely a first world problem ;)
@@MassiveSoundProductions Absolutely. I am having similar difficulties. I'll probably wait for at least the FM3 Cygnus modeling update before deciding.
@@kasakka Keep me updated on how you decided. It's always interesting and helpful to hear some other opinions :)
Great video. I am super surprised that I liked Helix best - for me it sounded the most open and lively ! Especially that I own HX Stomp myself and was trying to find excuse to upgrade to Fractal/QC. As always it comes down to the person that dials the tone :D
Hi Michal, thanks for your comment and great feedback. I'm a huge fan of the Helix and it has imo the best value for money when it comes to modeling. The most important hint is to use great external IRs with the Helix, like e.g. the ones I compared in my IR video here, then it really starts to shine. For the extra 3% sound on the QC or Fractal you pay allot of money. On the QC there are at least for me some other good reasons why I'm fine paying the extra. THe Fractal is also a fantastic unit but with a (for me) completely outdated UI (you have to use the PC/MAC editor)
I've got a completely open mind about these units, but honestly it was a flip of a coin between the Helix and Quad Core. They all sound great though.
Thanks for your comment Adam! I have the same opinion that they all sound great, especially in a live context the difference are probably negligible.
The quad cortex just feels more real to me. I still have an old line 6 spider 3 and it sounds incredible especially the master of puppets and John 5 presets. The response time is almost everything. When I hear the fractal or helix they just make me feel like I am gliding over a mix instead of sitting in it. The QC is the first time I can say yes that's it. I own a Mesa Triple rec and Badlander but I've been all about the QC now and I can always capture those real amps too. Anytime I feel like I want the latest Amp I'll just get a capture online already have a dumble and klon they sound incredible together.
It's always sounds a bit weird to talk about something being a game changer, but in total with all it's helpful improvements that's what the QC exactly is for me. Other people might still prefer the Axe or Helix for different reasons and looking at it from a neutral perspective there are good reasons for that as well. Still, happy the QC solved some of my "problems" I had with the other units. And great you remind me about the capturing feature, still need to do a video about my capturing sounds of my fav tube amps (Diezel Herbert, Revv Gen and ENGL Retro) ;)
Now I want A Quad Cortex!!! Itsounded sooo goood
It's not a must have if you already have a AxeFX or Helix already but if not go for it. The QC is my personal favorite out of these three :)
It feels like an amp. More so than the others.
the fact that in conclusion you say they are all good and the same really tells me the neural quadcore isnt a game changer in any way.Its just another decent modeler.
Thanks for your comment Aleh! I think it depends on what you were expecting. As modelers in general came so close in sounding like a real amp mic'ed there isnt lot of room for improvements anymore. Where the QC shines is the usability and in this category it is a game changer for me. Looking at the sounds and the available options I think you dont need to get it if you already have a Helix or Axe Fx at home.
Nice comparison. I own Helix but in many earlier comparisons I've seen on YT thought the Fractal won by a lot. In your comparison Helix sounds the best to my ears, and I took the blind test. Love the revv model in it, especially purple channel. I think the helix needs more tweaking and great IR to sound right, but definitely it can produce sound on the same level as AxeFx or QuadCortex.
Thanks for your comment Wookie! Fully agree to what you wrote. The Helix is a fantastic piece of gear which comes to life when you use some quality IRs. The Revv is one of my top3 amp sims in the Helix as well. Enjoy your Helix :)
Those Mesa models sound fantastic. Hail Ghost!
This honestly surprised me, I was expecting to have the Axe FX3 and Quad Cortex to kind of be on par tonally and the Helix to fall a bit behind as I owned a Pod GO and HX Stomp and just couldn't really get what I wanted out of them at the time and kind of wrote them off since they use the helix modelling engine (ended up trying some neural dsp plugins and went for the laptop/interface route for jams and live) but honestly, I found myself preferring the Helix and Quad Cortex and really not liking the Axe FX 3. Not sure what it is but something about the Axe FX 3's highend doesn't sit right with me. That being said, pretty damn glad I have an order on the Quad Cortex, was slightly uncertain at first because of the sponsored youtube hype echochamber but now that actual unsponsored small youtubers are getting them, I think it's safe to say that it's one hell of a good option in the competition!
Also, I think you might have convinced me to keep an eye out for a helix LT for a backup unit. Really impressed and might be worth giving one of the better units a chance....
Hi Exavolt, thanks allot for you long comment! I can fully recommend a Helix if you don’t want to spend that much money on a modeler and with some great external IDs it doesn’t need to hide behind the other two. After I spend allot more hours on the QC in the last few days I must say that the QC is a great sounding piece of gear and will surely further grow in the next few month/years. I also did some captures of my amps yesterday which sound sensational and planning to do a video showing how these sound and put them on the cloud for free download. Enjoying it more and more and you can definitely look forward to yours!
I have helix lt and same I can’t get anything even close to the tone here. I have used an actual JCM and a 5150 and had no issue getting my sound out of them. I don’t know... maybe my helix is faulty
@@harmonicseries6582 Thanks for your comment! Have you tried some great external IR's (e.g. from ML sound lab or from Bogren Digital) for the cab section? This works miracle on the Helix :)
@@MassiveSoundProductions Cheers man! Thank you so much for the info, I got the ML sound IR and the I can get a fantastic tone now❤️
@@harmonicseries6582 Great to hear it helped to find your tone 😊! Enjoy the Helix 🤘
1. Axe FX 3 - 2. QC - 3 Helix. Listening through good quality monitors and blind testing I felt the Axe FX3 had wider field = better HiFi. The QC sounded tighter which could be more appealing to "Heavier" players. The Helix I did not like at all compared to the other two. But I can see why people could like anyone of them. Good stuff.
Thanks allot Bagni for your great comment. I absolutely agree that the Axe and QC is slightly ahead of the Helix. In a full band mix and using the same cab IR on all three the difference becomes barely noticeable and looking at the price tag here in Europe the Helix becomes a very interesting alternative to the Axe and QC :)
I found the QC amps to sounds very similar to each other...not a bad tone at all...but just similar
Thanks allot tazzmaxx for your comment! Using the same Cabinet IR for all the amp models in general makes them sound very similar. You can still hear the typical sound characteristics of the amps but as I tried to dial them to my liking the differences arent that huge, that's right 😊
All 3 a great tools.more importantly, love the track..is there a full version of it somewhere? Thank you
Thanks allot for your great feedback 😊! Happy you like the song, unfortunately this one is unreleased. But if you like my stile of playing maybe have a look at my newest band project "Breath of Solace". Currently working on our debut EP which we want release mid/end this year.
I don't have helix native but I do have Axe FX3 and QC, from your demo, I Immediately recognized modeler 3 is the QC, it has that annoying high-end fizzy sound in 3 amps in your clips. I do like modeler 2 the best. Helix is not bad just slightly more muffled sounding.
Thanks allot Vincent for your great comment and interesting feedback! I'm really looking forward to see in which direction the development of the QC goes and if they manage to transform the promising start into an overall package which could take over the king of modelers crown. But until this might happen there is still quite some work for them ;)
@@MassiveSoundProductions You are welcome man, thank you for the great content. QC does need quite some work, I do enjoy the form factor and ease of use as opposed to Fractal, it takes too much effort to edit/create preset without Axe-Edit or Fracpad. I do hope NeuralDSP can push future updates to make QC at least sound as good as their plugins, their plugin sound quality is what drawn me to pre-order QC in the first place.
@@vincenttam8642 Couldnt have put it better myself! The UI of the AxeFX for me feels just too much like work and not fun to play with, which is a great pity as the rest feels fantastic, on the other side with some bugfixing and tweaking the QC UI might be a good step ahead of his opponents. And regarding sound I have the same hopes that they will bring the QC modeling on (at least) the same level as their plugins which I'm permanently using for songwriting (currently NTS and Gojira are my favs ;) ).
I have watched countless QC videos and never heard any fizzy tones or complaints from users either. Helix on the other hand which I owned several years back had that fizzy going on. The QC is on par with Fractal as far as amp/IR's go. I'm now selling my FM3 because of that. The captures are outstanding . Yes, it needs some updates which are coming soon. I love everything about the QC and with coming updates it will be what every other modeler will be judged by, no question about that.
@@r.llynch4124 Thanks for you comment! I need to defend the Helix a bit as the main problem in fizzy tone in my opinion lies in the bad cab section. With some great external IR's it is basically on pair with the other units and does an fantastic job as well. I place high hopes into the QC as well as I just like their plugins allot and am already a fan of the user interface :)
I own still own a pod HD 500x which I have for years. For quite a while I am looking for something that is going to replace. I thought the Axe fx3 is the best out there but in this video the Helix was number the clear 1 for me and the quad cortex second. The Helix had a nice open and bright sound which I think is really appealing. Thanks for this video. This will help in making my future. I’ll see myself sticking to Line6 :)
Thanks for your comment Remie and happy it helped in your decision. The Helix is a great piece of gear and when spending some time tweaking and using some great external IR's it can be at eye level with the Axe and the QC in most categories.
@@MassiveSoundProductions Yes, I think they are on par. And I like the intuitive menu's that the Helix provides. Actually! I even would love to go with the Helix pro rack version. I like to have the unit sitting on my desk for easy acces. And somehow I prefer to have a seperate pedalboard. If needed you can replace it. Finally, it just looks awesome to have a Helix sitting on the desk.
@@hellsing1983 Sounds like a great plan. I don't think you can do anything wrong with any model of the Helix family. If you only need it for recording purpose and not for playing live you could also think about only getting the Helix Native plugin version, which I use allot too.
@@MassiveSoundProductions Thanks for the advise. It’s for playing live and recording. I am thinking of combining it with a power stage or something similar. So if I want I can even use it with a real cab. I love the versatility of modelling but also the feel of a real amp behind me. Using the pro kinda approaches that feel. Something about it’s just between the ears. But if I play live, I like that to have that comfort in my head :)
@@hellsing1983 There are good reasons for us guitarists still being a bit old school in some areas :D. Keep me updated on how your n ew setup will look like :)
Very good video. Thank you!
Thanks Pablo for your great feedback...happy you like it :)
I had a Helix floor but REALLY didn't like the high gain tones. Seems like you got some good ones here, was that due to using different IRs? At the time I sold the Helix I was working with three modelers so I never tried changing the IRs. BTW, well done comparison!
Thanks allot Marc for your great feedback! You are absolutely right, the key to great sounds on the Helix are some good external IRs (e.g. like ML sound lab or Bogren Digital). With these the Helix really starts to shine and is on a comparable level as the AxeFx and QC
I commented on facebook about this already, but listening to it again and again. I just don't hear this "fizzyness" that Vincent Tam commented about.
Especially at the end of the comparison, the helix and fractal sound like the same thing eq'd differently, But the QC has that give and bounciness to the attack that just jump out and screams "tubes" to my ear. Looking forward to more videos on this.
And Please do some low gain demo's, some blues or something. There are way too few demonstrations of the QC in that area. Thanks!
Thanks allot @Sketchstuffs for your comment and great feedback. I will definitely think about some further vids on the QC which (hopefully) give some real value. Low gain might be interesting as well, although I'm not a blues guitarist (one trick Rock and Metal pony 🙈😉) but I already experienced e.g. some great low gain Marshall sounds on the QC, so let's see what's next 😊
Damnit, my favorite is the most expensive.
I know this type of problem quite allot 😅
Echt gut gemacht! 🤘
1. Platz QC 2. Helix 3. Axe fx 😉
Fetter Sound 🤘😀
Dank dir ganz herzlich mein Lieber 🤘!
Axe Fx 3 !!
Genial! Super job! Ich bin positiv überrascht mit dem Helix. Will einen quad cortex kaufen, aber naja.. Lohnt sich überhaupt? Es wäre sehr geil einen capture von deinem vh4 zu haben (wenn ich einen qc kaufe)
Grüße aus Stuttgart 😎
Hi Neves, Dank dir ganz herzlich für dein klasse feedback! Das Helix ist ein super Teil für den aufgerufenen Preis (speziell die kleineren Varianten) und mit ein paar guten externen IR's (fast) auf Augenhöhe mit der Konkurrenz. Falls du das Geld hast kann ich dir den QC dennoch sehr ans Herz legen. Ich habe das Teil die letzten Tage nochmal ausgiebigst gespielt und bin immer mehr begeistert. Habe auch mal Captures von meinen drei Lieblingsamps (Engl Retro, Diezel Herbert, Revv Generator) gemacht die herausragend gut geworden sind und zu denen ich noch ein separates Video die nächsten Wochen machen werde und in dem ich dann auch die Captures als freien Download in die Cloud stelle 😊
@@MassiveSoundProductions echt super! Ps: ich habe den Herbert mit dem VH4 verwechseln 😜
@@nevesnow Sind auf jeden Fall beide klasse Amps und Diezel generell eine tolle Marke. Der Herbert liegt mir von seinem voicing aber einfach noch den Ticken mehr wie der VH4 😊
Is there already some scratches on the screen of the qc?
No worries Joseph, it's only a video filter I put over and maybe some finger prints from my usage 😊
@@MassiveSoundProductionsglad to hear lol
Beim Blindtest dachte ich mir: Boah, M3A2 und M3A3 klingen ja wie Arsch... Bin etwas überrascht, dass es der QC war und nicht die Helix, da ich Helix User bin und noch nie einen Sound damit hatte, mit dem ich zufrieden war...
Dank dir für deinen Kommentar 😎! Der Helix hat hier auch den kleinen Vorteil das ich ihn mit Abstand am meisten bislang genutzt habe. Grundsätzlich muss ich aber auch sagen dass das ein klasse Teil ist, er benötigt nur zwingend gute externe IR's, die Cab Sims die bereits mitgeliefert werden halte ich größtenteils suboptimal 😉
@@MassiveSoundProductions Die Line6 Cabs sind dermaßen unbenutzbar, dass ich bei meinem ersten Versuch mit der Helix, das Teil nach einem Tag zurückgegeben hab... Beim zweiten Gerät hab ich dann auf ML Sound Lab und Bogren Digital gesetzt und bin halbwegs zufrieden. Ein Axe FX 3 sitzt trotzdem langfristig auf der GAS-Liste.
@@sillyness3456 Das Axe Fx ist schon ein feines Teil, aber man braucht wirklich viel Zeit um sich mit dem Teil auseinander zu setzen, die fummelige Bedienung zu durchschauen und so richtig von den vielen Möglichkeiten zu profitieren.
@@MassiveSoundProductions Das ist doch gerade toll. Eine der Sachen, die mich an der Helix stören ist gerade die mangelnde Tiefe in der Bedienung und dass die Modelle sich im Tonestack nicht wie echte Amps verhalten. Zumindest im AxeFX 2, was ich vor Jahren mal testen durfte, fühlte sich das wesentlich realer an als in der Helix.
@@sillyness3456 Ich kann das total nachvollziehen was du meinst und für Tüftler ist das AxeFx genau die richtige Kiste. Mir fehlt für sowas inzwischen einfach leider komplett die Zeit. Ich möchte ein Gerät das ich einschalte, eine simple Bedienung hat wie ein echter Amp und klasse klingt. Deshalb setze ich so hohe Hoffnungen in das QC. Das Neural DSP genau diese Anforderungen erfüllen kann haben sie mit ihren genialen Plugins bewiesen 😊
Comparing such heavily distorted sounds is lame. You can’t polish a turd. Should of put some clean fx in and let us 👂 the differences. IMO
So from your point of view comparison of heavy sounds never makes sense? This would mean more than 50% of Metal RUclips videos should be deleted? I think it is a fair comparison which doesn't mean some clean sounds would be interesting as well and which might come somewhen in the future ;)
@@MassiveSoundProductions Was the PERFECT video for me. I am metal and have ZERO use for clean and clean fx. There are plenty of other videos out there if that is what one wants.
axe fx sounds worst as always.