If I didn't already have a Mesa tube amp, dropping $1,000 on the helix might seem like a decent choice compared to getting a tube amp. I think I'd be better off improving my fingers.
You can get some Mesas on Reverb for around $1,000. Nomad 45 and 55 combos are around $800-$1000 and Blue Angels like his are there for about $1000 That said Helix did sound pretty good and for studio gigs may even be preferable
@@leovilla1857 what amp should I get for like $800 you think should I got for mesa or some sort of tube amp? Kinda newish to guitar looking for an upgrade from my Marshall Code 25.
@@killybilly685 Personally I use an EVH 5150 40 watt tube combo. It sounds great and you can get crystal clean tones all the way the metal overdrive. I've played gigs with it and it always does good 👍🏻
I got three out of five correct. On some clips the Helix sounded better and on others the Blue Angel sounded better. Lesson learned: You can make an amp modeler sound good and you can make it sound just OK; you can make a tube amp sound good and can make it sound just OK.
The tones were fairly similar but different enough for me to just decide to go with "Which one do I like better?" instead of "Which one is the modeler vs amp?". I ended up 4 out of 5 in favor of the Helix :O
Insane, erevy time I tought "yeah that one sound a bit more artificial" it turns up to be, the real amp lol. Amazed by the work line6 have done with the Helix.
I actually preferred the helix almost every time. The cleans are so rich and sparkly. The dirty sounds were muffled sometimes but like you said, you can dial that in to make them more like an amp. I was kinda on the fence of getting a helix but now I am sold!
Getting around the muffled sound on the helix is really difficult. I loaded ownhammer IRs and it pretty much solved the problem, very open and present.
The first gig I did with the helix was one of the best guitar sounds I've had in 35 years. I play a lot of small clubs and it's tough to get a good mic sound in some of these rooms sometime and still have a nice full tone. I also use it for my Van Halen tribute shows. The funny thing was the phase 90 and flanger in the Helix have an extremely smooth beautiful tone. It was actually to smooth it too beautiful so I had to go back to the original mxr phaser and Flanger to get eddies sound. I also have played in the Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band. The Helix did a great job with that as well. Bottom line is I believe that the digital equipment has caught up and even in some way surpassed old traditional amps. And of course the convenience totally outweighs using the old standard floor pedals and amplifiers.
I've always been a tube amp snob, but I have to say as a touring guitar player that began using a Line 6 unit about 8 months ago, I've never had a better touring rig. It's always dependable, quick setup/teardown, it sounds the same no matter the conditions and zero stage volume interfering with my bandmates or the soundman. I run a powered monitor straight out of the back and sit it side by side with my monitor from the front of house, aimed away from my bandmates, and it sounds fantastic. If I need to tweak the tone, or create new tones I have my laptop and it's super simple. I also use the JT Variax and I never have to tune or capo the guitar. Slide in open G? step on a button, then back to standard tuning after the solo. Crazy Led Zeppelin tunings? No problem. Drop B? No problem. Drop C#....you get the point.
@@borodinski8960 idk real amps are harder to eq in mix. The sound guy will do more eq to the guitar If you have a real amp. If you got a modeler then it will make the sound guy life easier. Real amps sound like 80 or 90 music not really that good for modern music. Modelers are now more efficient
Really fun reading this thread of comments. I rarely comment but I'll throw my hat in the ring. So many comments about the sounds as if the helix native (specifically as this is a recorded sound) is about sounding like an amp in your living room. For this recording, it's not the point. I saw people talking about how they have played tube amps forever so they knew the difference. Not the point. I played for about 20 years on a mesa and I know what it sounds like. But I've produced for 30 and the sound that comes out of the speakers hangs on a whole lot of other factors. What microphones were used? Was the engineer good at placing them? Preamps? Mixing? What we hear on a video has nothing to do with placing a tube amp in a room and strumming some chords. And the same is true for live. Again, playing in your house or even in a small club is one thing. Once that amp has to be mic'd it's a whole other world. I was primarily a piano player and had the chance to play live on a beautiful grand for over a decade. I loved it. The sound engineers were always trying to get me to play on a keyboard. Can I tell the difference between a grand piano and a keyboard playing live...um...yeah. However, how far back in the audience are they not hearing any ambient sound? It's just what comes out of the speakers. So we went through so many mic configurations and styles, when, in the end, any high-end Keyboard sounded more like a grand piano than the grand piano to those people hearing it out of the speakers. I hated having to listen through monitors or in-ears, but it was mixed better and sounded better. So let's all take a step back and think about this a little differently, or not, I don't care, but it's not just about which sounds more like a tube amp. It's which one sounds more like a tube amp that you could record. I am writing this will a dozen tube amps behind me that I haven't used on a recording in close to a decade. I get better sounds with the helix native and amplitube (especially the fender 2), and when it's in the mix I get compliments from guitarists I deeply respect. But if you've got a great mic cabinet full of options, a great engineer, really good preamps and a whole lot of time, rock those vintage amps. Just my 6.5 cents on the subject
Bryan just means they’re different! Different doesn’t mean one is “better”. There are some tube amps that sound terrible to me and other perfect. Just a preference
I could tell the difference of a tube amp any day. Since I hardly use any effects I know the difference. I would agree that some tube amps sound terrible. However, I have an old Ampeg Jet that is in near excellent shape, and sounds great with a Strat, and a 1963 Fender Deluxe with 6v6 old RCA tubes that is the sweetest sounding amp.
Sweetest sounding to you. Tone is all subjective. One tone is not better than the other. Depending on what you're looking for a darker sounding amp vs a brighter sounding amp might be better for you. You can literally tweak any amp to give a specific type of sound within the dynamic range of the amp.
No. Tone is NOT subjective. There are CLEAR differences in tone between solid state (even modellers that cost more than the tube amps they "model" XD) and tube amps, and science has pretty much shown objectively that the human ear and brain find the sounds of tubes much more pleasing. It's one of the reasons why high-end audioplhile amplifiers still have tubes in them. There is no tone in an algorithm.
I definitely preferred the Blue Angel for clean tones. With distortion, it went back and forth. Either way, the Helix sounded fine. If I didn't know what I was listening to, I don't think I would have known it wasn't an amp.
I agree. I heard Brett Kingman put it very well. the audience always hears the recorded or mic'd tone of amps, and the processors are so close, it's pretty hard to tell. It's also worth noting the valve amp you have may sound great, though pretty handy to dial in other great amp tones. I've a mesa and would love to have a ac30 tone at times. can't afford both and certainly don't want to take two amps to a gig.
That's true re: audience, however the player interacts with the instrument which interacts with the gain stages of the amp - tubes being very much their own thing. That interaction informs the player and accounts for much of the 'mojo' felt. @@MRxr400
I missed three times. I thought the amp sounded best. To me it sounded more rich more warm and as it broke up it had a certain smoothness, like a good bite of chocolate, lol that made me know it was the tube amp. Thanks for all your work man, I love your content.
Great demo as always. I'm a big fan of Boogies ahd used one extensively for years in the 80s and early 90s. Absolutely brilliant engineering and tone. But I also used a Randall RG75, the one with the Celestion, a Marshall, several Peaveys, Fenders, Hiwatts and Laneys, etc. I learned long ago to keep an open mind regarding new technologies. I don't want to be the last man holding a buggy whip at the Indy 500. I am so blown away by the advances in the digital realm of amplification that I bought a Line 6 and it's become my main amp. The versatility, the tones you can get on the fly, are just amazing. This technology has inspired me to levels of creativity I haven't experienced in decades. It's a game changer.
I vote for the Helix. I own one and with the new 3.06 update it is even more fabulous than ever. You can compare for ever but when it is mixed into a song either live or in a DAW the differences are not noticeable. Long live the Helix.
That is incredible. It really at the point one can't tell the difference. the Helix definitely is a bit brighter and the distortion has a different quality. Truly fantastic.
I could hear that Amp 1 was the Helix right way. I do use Pod GO every day and I love it but the amp sims have a certain cold stiffness in the sound that is easy to hear when there are clean tones.
I have a MB MarkV:35, but the Helix still got me on comparison #3. This is a great demo, not just production-wise but playing, too. Keep up the great work!
@@ravencole2740 if it is then it's the worst case of dandruff i've ever seen in my life. looks like he walked outside in a snow storm then came back in to shoot the video :)
I had a 100% accuracy on spotting the actual amp. Since I play mostly digital stuff myself for many years now I can spot the digital stuff relatively quickly when a track is solo'd. The real deal just sounds more "round", balanced, natural and pleasant. Your last jam is a quite emblematic example for my claim. The amp sound sits perfectly well in the mix while the Helix sound sticks out more. Having said that, the Helix sounds good on it's own and I consider it a good tool to work with but the Amp is still the superior option when compared directly.
Great Video! I got a Hx stomp and an additional two button controller. Its been about 4 months or so and and it still blows me away. I actually sold most of my old gear, never been that commited to do that before. I heard rumors about a helix update in march that will bring 7 new amps and new effects, including King Of Tone. Great times for Helix users!
I honestly like both Its an affordability issue. The Mesa Boogie amp sounded better on some comparisons and the Helix on some others. You can do with just one, but if you can have both in my opinion its better. Thanks great review
We are entering into a new era. Think of the tube amps as the “bag phones” and think of the Helix as the new Droid or iPhone. Which is more convenient to carry? Which is easier to use? Perhaps more versatile vs costs? These new modelers are getting better by each manufacturer release. If you are a working musician, would you rather carry a few pounds of equipment or a few hundred? 😳 The real question is tone! Both sound really good! At a bar or wedding after a couple of rounds of drinks, can the guests really “care to tell the difference?” or will they be out there dancing having a great time? Get my point? Then you can load up your stuff in a smart car hopefully with your pay and go home. If I played out any more, I would definitely look at a Helix or something similar. I have one nice tube amp setup and a Champion 20 modeling amp for cheap fun.
In the first one without any gain the Helix had more presence and treble. Then once you got into the distortion the Helix was an undefined blob of fuzz... The first occurrence being at 4:37- 4:39 and then for the entirety of 5:18 - which reminded me of years ago with my first amp (a SS Fender Princeton Chorus) and wanting to literally kick the speakers out on several occasions. Then I got a Soldano Astroverb and everything was all better! :) I liked this video the instant I opened the link. Fantastic video! I was actually half-expecting that the Helix was gonna trick me because of technology... I had never heard of Helix but I've heard the Fractal is amazing.
Yea it was pretty easy for me personally to tell which 1 the amp was, but I'm betting with a bit more tweaking you could make that test a lot harder. The helix sounded good but Dam that amp sounds incredible, thanks for doing this review like this, it was fun
For most of the A/Bs I found myself preferring the Helix, but they were often quite different sounds, which makes things very subjective. They both sounded excellent, and within a mix I certainly think the benefits of the helix (versatility, direct input, quiet and cost) easily outweigh the cool factor of a classic tube rig.
My Helix LT is under the Christmas tree right now, wife bought it for me. I know when you played the Helix just from all the demo's I've been watching (which is a lot). The Matchless is a dirty amp right out of the gate. Another banger of video D.
i gig regularly with my LT and have presets built for 4-cable method for all my different tube amps and also for DI to the mixer. it's such a sleek, versatile, intuitive and excellent-sounding device. you'll love it!! merry Christmas!
Just to add my 2 cents - I'm a vintage tube amp collector. Bought and sold many-many amps (and guitars). One of the NICEST tube tone solid state amps I heard (and own) is the Fender Princeton Chorus. I have the 210 cab version. And most ORANGE CRUSH solid states have a really nice rich tube tone as well. Just saying ...
I've played classical guitar for 45 years but being in my mid-60's, I grew up on classic rock from the 60's & 70's and still listen to and love it today. I have a POD X3 Live and a MiM Strat, but I don't use it much and have zero experience with other guitars or amps. I'm careful never to use the words bad, good, better, best and only say what I like personally. I am a fan of technology and Line 6 and was pulling for the Helix. So, I didn't try to pick which was which, but simply made a note of which sound I preferred for all the tests and was surprised that I picked the Mesa amp every time, even in the mix at the end. Darrell did allow that one could tweak the Helix settings to improve the sound. What is interesting to me is that for the comments I read, people seemed split maybe 50-50 as to which they thought was "best" or preferred.
This is the first time I've ever gotten all of them right. I usually suck at this. ;) It seemed, to me, that the Helix lacked some of the overtones and detail that the Mesa Boogie brought. Even so, it still sounded great!
I get these correct so far %100 of the time. The difference isn’t really the tone, but the responsiveness. The real amps respond to dynamic playing much more than the helix. The real amps go from crystal clean to grit with how hard you dig in. The helix kinda just gets quieter with the same level of gain. They both sound great though and serve their purposes
I don't think some people understand a true point to point , tube rectified , real tube amp. A amp without a single ic or diode or transistor, a actual real tube amp, most people have never played one, they will never understand 😂
I have some tube amps (some of them tube rectified and point to point wired …) and a helix stomp xl - the helix does not behave in the way you are describing at all. It is just as dynamic and behaves just as any tube amp does when you change the attack of your picking, or rolling the volume down. The reason I got one in the first place is because I was shocked at how dynamic it is . There are some tiny differences, but the dynamics aren’t one of them . The biggest fault I have with it is that it’s sort of hard to learn. It’s much easier to just turn my tweed champ knob to five and play guitar. I’ll never get rid of the helix though, it is a game changer for playing shows.
Here is my follow up to this video. My wife and I went to visit her mother in SE Missouri. It was Sunday evening and she wanted to attend the “Cowboy Church” singing that night. The group was pretty good, the guitar player was very good and he had some wonderful different tones for different songs. What was he using? A Fender Mustang amp with a Helix 6...the audience loved the performance. Tubes or no tubes? Nobody knew the difference.
One of my favorite local guitarists used a miked up Fender Champ. He said it saved his sore back and achy knees. There is so much variety in music there ought to room all. BB King used a Lab Series transistor amp. Greg Howe, Eric Gales, and Frank Gambale use DV Mark. Andy Timmons has used Kemper. I know many other who use just their laptops and software. It really comes back to the player's skill and his ability to move you. I'm to see there are opened minded folks out there.
At first I honestly thought you just somehow made the Mesa sound bad, but when you played the last part and it was put in a mix, the Mesa blue the Helix away. Goes to show that context is everything. Good demo!
I have to say that I am a fan of tube tone (I have a Mesa 5/50 Express) but have to admit that the Helix sounded great. If I was still playing out I would consider a Helix as I know it has to be lighter than my Mesa. Great job!
Helix, a 4x4 for touring!!! Tube amps are lovely and nice for studio and analog playing pleasures...😻 I love the Princeton Reverb and Tweeds to play! Nice video. Greetings from Spain.
Digital stuff is getting really close to analog sounds, but i still could tell the difference between the two... For now i'd still go for the Mesa Boogie, the sound is more natural
I was actually able to pick out the Helix on all but one of those tests. But with that said, the tones were very close each time. Kudos to Line 6 for doing a great job with the Helix. I've been considering buying a Helix for a multi-purpose rig, this has just about confirmed my choice (on top of other videos and reviews I've been checking out). Only question to answer now is whether to get the floorboard or the rack unit?
good video....always interesting this stuff...hence why we all watch these type of vids! I have a lot of gear now and over the last 30yrs and also have had a few modellers and now have the Helix floor as well as my AC30 and Marshal DSL amps and a ton of pedals. The thing I find with the modellers is they're so good now its hard to tell one from the real thing (sometimes)...but that's over monitors (or a PA system) but for me they still fall WAY short when you listen to your amp live in the room moving some air and then a modeller over monitors...massive difference then.....i'd bet money it'd be a 1st round KO for the amp n pedals here if we was live in the room when this was recorded! But on a recording or over monitors both sound great and hard to tell apart sometimes. On this vid (the 'jam') near the end when he did the amp and then bits of the Helix interspersed the amp seemed more direct and focused to my ears. On the flip side one of the higher gain moments in the video I actually preferred the Helix over the amp!! Best thing to do is (if you can) get both...and then its horses for coarses! Me...at home play or recording the Helix is just so easy to get a credible sound down so here I rarely get the amp and pedalboard out. On a gig its the total opposite!
G’day Darrell, Thanks for this. I am seriously considering buying a Helix LT and what I heard here has certainly not dissuaded me. Tone is such a personal thing but everything I heard come out of the Helix sounded great.
I was 100% on which was which. This kind of made up my mind about sticking with the Line 6 products. :-) (Not intended as a dig, just as a contrast. Love the Marshall half stack!)
Gonzalo Acevedo That's the point isn't it? The Helix sounds good in its own right, and I suspect the difference between it and the Blue Angel is probably more noticeable to the player than to the listener!
It's a tough comparison to make, and I suspect not entirely fair one, due to the amount of variables to deal with. The Helix is easy to pick out mostly because it's brighter. But you could brighten up the amp recording by changing the EQ on the amp, changing the mic, and/or changing the mic position. Or vice versa. I know the Helix gives you mic options as well. Given these choices, I would likely use the Helix sound, as I think it is less muddy, would work better in a mix. The question of software vs authentic nowadays often comes down to the skill of the engineer. It is much easier to get a sampled instrument to sound great because the hard engineering work has been done for you. Software modeling and samples have gotten very good. But sometimes I will ask not what's better, but what's more interesting. This is especially the case when recording my own drums, but it goes for keyboards and guitar amps as well. Usually I will get more interesting sounds the old fashion way because there are imperfections/uniqueness to my equipment. Samples and software are (generally) designed to be perfect and generic so they will satisfy the broadest of circumstances. But, of course, if your recording sounds interesting and unique, but not good, then you are better off with software. For live playing I think digital modeling is the future, but the studio is a different story. My two cents.
I think its harder to tell a difference when hearing the tones in a video compared to right in front of you. I just can't replace the sound of a tube amp right next to me. Helix has improved things a lot but I just don't feel you can replace the sound of a tube amp in a live situation. Both have advantages and disadvantages. I guess just buy both! 😁
Tube amp cannot be replaced. For practicality the helix wins but if you want the pure tone, it falls short. So many people watch the videos and comment without experiencing both. In my experience with both, helix is seriously underwhelming especially with the price tag and all the hype behind it.
@@dpajc056 when you say pure tone what do you mean by that? In most places you play you have to play the amp at a pretty quiet or not optimal volume for the valves to really shine, and so by having a helix, kemper or Acs1/Strymon Iridium you get the amp at 11, yes you may not have “the feel” but tbh what the audiences here’s out front of house is a mic in front of an amp and what do the alternatives I said earlier do? The exact same (mic in front of an amp 😂) also from a purely practical thought, surely not taking an amp which are normally super heavy and awkward to carry (and also pack in the car because they are big) is amazing. Yes when you get to push a Valve amp it may sound 2-5% better but that is a very rare opportunity and then again I would rather have the same tone every where I play but also have the option of changing amps for each song but also having access to any amps I could only dream of is a wonderful thing.
In the blind tests, the Blue Angel sounded more 3 dimensional than the Helix when played clean. The differences in all tests were quite pronounced. I preferred the tube amp.
veerchasm1 yeah this demo is almost two years old, so there’s a whole lot more IR’s and updates to the helix, which makes it sound way better than in this vid.
Each and every time I knew which one the tube amp is and liked it more, but at the same time I believe out there in the busy rock mix no one would notice that missing bit. Nice!
me too.... hahahaha ( and I've been playing on various amps for nearly ten years - so, thought i am used to the sounds. nope - i am not. line6 did a good job....
Helix sounded better in all tests, except arpeggiated chords. A BIT of an unfair comparison though, as the level of distortion and eq'ing was different between the 2. My ears preferred the helix 80% of the time though, blindly. Bought one because of this vid, and absolutely LOVE it. Best piece of gear I could have ever bought! :)
I think it also depends how you decide to record your amp. Different mics give you different tones. The best comparison should be done in person with the real amp and the helix + an FRFR speaker.
@Andrew Frost Why would that be the case? Thankfully, in 99% of live situations you can't have loud stage volume any more, and if you do it's more of an irritation to the rest of the band, the audience or FOH/monitor engineer. Once mic'd, and mixed, no one will tell the difference, and that's come from the experience of 1000s of gigs on tiny stages to full-sized festival stages. It's for that reason that a lot of great-sounding players prefer a Kemper, or the like, rather than a ludicrous load-in/loud-out of the studio/recording based equipment.
Honestly, there is one massively inherent flaw with the comparison. The sound of the Mesa was really -> Mesa, plus microphone, plus recording technique, plus room, plus interface. It could sound vastly different just based on how you recorded it. However, the comparison did show that the helix sounds great.
Derek Chapman or you can use a small head and speaker and run into a Universal Audio OX Box. Then you have your amp tone at whatever level you want and stereo to FOH.
After using the Line 6 Helix for a year, I can recognize the fizzy sound at the end of each chord such as at 7:03. It is true that you must pay close attention but it is there. When the sound starts to fade, that fizzy vibration comes out of its hiding place
@@drunkaviator81 whatever it takes for some guitarists justify all the money they spend on gear lmao practicing makes you a better guitarist. the tubes in your amp do not. good playing plus post processing can make cheap gear sound better than expensive stuff people love to waste their money on and justify after the fact
@@fisheatsyourhead I have two guitars and one tube amp, which I’ve had for over a decade. I spend literally zero on new gear and especially expensive modelling software, pedals, etc. Each to their own. :D
I preferred and picked out the boogie in all but one comparison, the second or third test, with light overdrive I think it was. Tough to decide which I preferred in mix though. I liked the smooth sound of the Mesa, but I think the Helix cut through better, had more of its own distinct space in the sonic spectrum.
I own a Helix LT so I got them all right, except for ex. #4 where I second-guessed myself. Otherwise, I know that Helix sound! Nice video, Darrell! Great job!
Astonishingly, I was surprised by the quality of the Helix, very inferior to my attempts. I use to play with Pod Xt and X3 live, and am less and less in love with those sounds. I may not put enough time working on the sounds, but it feels a bit dull, not alive enough. Very strange, as far as I am a Line 6 historical enthusiast. Maybe it is time for me to find something else. I still like the "all-in-one" concept, but Helix is far too expensive to be a good choice for me. Anyway, thanks for the blind test, I really dig that, because they force me to be honest ;)
If you're looking for a not to expensive multi effect. The zoom g5n is one of the best sounding cheaper multi effects. (It had an update so it has more amps and effects than stated in most shops.) This are two videos completely made with the g5n and no post processing. sounds rather convincing if you ask me ;-) Rock sound ruclips.net/video/94iiH4IDGK4/видео.htmlµ Hi-Gain sound ruclips.net/video/zQQaW0KtdG8/видео.html And here is a video just to show how close you can get to real tones. Don't know if you listen to Steve Vai, but this is his tone. ruclips.net/video/zXrSS3ltDwk/видео.html
@Luca Candela I heard good things about katana too, and I tried it for 2 days at my home, fiddled with all the knobs and all the settings in the computer, but I could never make it sound like a tube amp. It didn't sound bad, but it does have a transistor/digital quality in it, which just isn't there in a tube amp, and once you hear it you cannot unhear it. It's the quality of the tiny fizz that happens at the peaks or at breakup. Also it doesn't compress nicely as a tube amps does when you crank up the volume past a half. I tried to emulate that with a compressor but it just doesn't do it. The same can be sad about bias FX. I WOULD SAY IT'S EVEN SOUNDS BETTER THEN KATANA AND IS MORE VERSATILE BUT IT STILL HAS THAT TINY FIZZ AND GRAIN QUALITY THAT I JUST DON'T CRAVE. Sorry for the Caps, that was an accident.
Both sound great... there were some noticeable differences in the EQ which threw me off on a few samples. Been a long time since I saw a video with one of those boogies.
i got it right every time (which I'm really surprised at). The thing i spotted was the clarity and note separation was "better" (what i like) on the boogie over the helix. To an audience, they would never tell or care as they are really similar.
The Helix really surprised me. Digital modeling has come along way. What is your opinion of the future of tube amps. Are they on there way out do to cost and fewer tube factories? That is what I have been hearing for years.
+Scott K I think eventually fewer musicians will travel with them and just use them for studio use. It's sort of like the film vs digital revolution in the camera industry.
Artists now use tablets & software more, Photographers use 4k digital, and pretty much all musicians besides guitarists are using more digital technology (even pro drummers layer triggers into their acoustic rigs). This doesn't mean people still don't use canvas, polaroids and tube amps, but they will face out of the spotlight. Its a good thing though, think of all the variety and flexibility you will get with future versions of the helix and variax, and how much less crap you'll carry round on tour.
john m if you have played guitar all your life going on 40 years playing, playing through a good tube amp is the only way to get the real sound, all digital tries hard but can't produce what tubes do naturally, so why wouldn't you want to sound the best you can ,its like a great chef using dull knives, if they are available you use what works best
Thx, for this great comparison. I could so easily hear which were modelling and which were tube and tube amps still are the warmest and best organic tone.
The blind test is pretty useful, I did prefer the sound of the blue angel over the helix, not really sure but theres something about it that stands out a bit more to me, im primarily a bassist and play guitar on the side and went through a lot of ab tests for bass between tubes and digital modeling, there are times when I find some digital sounds better vs amps but most times i end up preferring the amps over digital, theres others ive talked to who feel the exact opposite of me but its still cool to see how much the technology has improved over the years.
This is the conclusion I've come to. Yes it is all about the budget and I am not a world touring musician so why pay that much money (unless you want to :) but not my thing)
I got all the blind test right. By experience the amp will always sound warmer and less harsh on the highs compared to digital (I own both a tube amp and a pod hd500). Truth be told once you start jamming on stage you literally can't tell the diff between what's real and digital. Great video!
Great video. Thank you for doing the work. I have found that the Helix sounds a great deal better in my home studio setting when using the XLR outputs directly into a mixer. I have a Line 6 DT50 and a Marshall Combo amp (both tube amps) and trying to get the banks dialed into the amps requires some constant adjustments to both the patch and the amp where the mixer output is seamless and consistent, not to mention more convenient. I know there is the 4 cable method and it might be good using that with the DT50 but I am not sure how to switch channels etc. I still enjoy patching in my pedals into the FX Loops for even more diversity. With the caveat that Line 6 needs to improve on the FX Loops because it does introduce noise somewhat into the signal no matter what you do. I hope the white white specs on your sweater are due to opening up new products in your studio where the Styrofoam was flying around a bit. Otherwise I might think that is some serious dandruff. :) Of course playing on stage live would be an amp configuration for the best results IMHO.
I love these "guess which you're listening to" comparisons - it eliminates "favorites." I only missed 2 of the Mesa and like the Helix more - maybe because I thought it was a bit cleaner. Like you said, you could probably tweak the Helix to sound more like like the Mesa, but as I said, overall, I like that Helix!!!!!!!. Love you demos!!!!!
Gino Cooper feel like we’re the only one who knows. Clear note definition. The helix was “piercing” almost in the mid-high frequency. The tube always sounds warm. True. Real.
The real tube amp was so much sweeter every time. Having read some of the comments before listening, I thought it was going to be so close, but when I listened for myself I was surprised at how clearly and so obviously better the tube amp tone was every time. Just my 2c.
I just listened right now for the first time as I'm considering getting a Helix... I did not know which was which from the first comparison BUT the one I preferred turned out to be the amp. It was, as you say, "sweeter", just smoother and slightly more rounded. Then every following clip I still preferred what turned out to be the real amp. So kudos to Darrell for a great test, but even though I'll probably end up getting rid of all my tube amps (I just can't justify them any longer, I'm 62 now and losing my edge) and getting a Helix, either the Pod Go or the LT, I guess I'll always prefer the real thing in the ideal circumstances.
The more experience you have, the more obvious the differences become. I could pick out the real amp every time without any issue. After a while your ears become too good... It's a curse, honestly.
O was able to differentiate between the two every time as well. That said, the Helix was pretty close. In a live setting most people won't know the diff
I want to check this one out in person. I haven't loved Line6 tone since the Spider 1 (I just got an old red trimmed Flextone II, loving it) but the HD500 sounded better to me, and this sounded pretty good as well! Thanks for the video!
Both sound very nice. And using mics is always more work but also gives you a lot of options especially when working with 2 mics. I did like the tube amp more to be honest and that was on my phone ;) Cool videos ;)
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If I didn't already have a Mesa tube amp, dropping $1,000 on the helix might seem like a decent choice compared to getting a tube amp. I think I'd be better off improving my fingers.
You can get some Mesas on Reverb for around $1,000. Nomad 45 and 55 combos are around $800-$1000 and Blue Angels like his are there for about $1000
That said Helix did sound pretty good and for studio gigs may even be preferable
@@leovilla1857 what amp should I get for like $800 you think should I got for mesa or some sort of tube amp? Kinda newish to guitar looking for an upgrade from my Marshall Code 25.
@@killybilly685 Personally I use an EVH 5150 40 watt tube combo. It sounds great and you can get crystal clean tones all the way the metal overdrive. I've played gigs with it and it always does good 👍🏻
I got three out of five correct. On some clips the Helix sounded better and on others the Blue Angel sounded better. Lesson learned: You can make an amp modeler sound good and you can make it sound just OK; you can make a tube amp sound good and can make it sound just OK.
The tones were fairly similar but different enough for me to just decide to go with "Which one do I like better?" instead of "Which one is the modeler vs amp?". I ended up 4 out of 5 in favor of the Helix :O
Insane, erevy time I tought "yeah that one sound a bit more artificial" it turns up to be, the real amp lol. Amazed by the work line6 have done with the Helix.
I'm honestly in love
@@wyattguell2533 well, mic placement...EQ ..
Helix is perfect. It depends on your settings, IRs,... It is an absolutely fantastic universe of sounds.
Funny, I had the opposite experience
Haha same for me... I need to get a Helix
I love your blind tests. It blows are the conventional "wisdom" out the window and forces players to confront their own biases.
I actually preferred the helix almost every time. The cleans are so rich and sparkly. The dirty sounds were muffled sometimes but like you said, you can dial that in to make them more like an amp. I was kinda on the fence of getting a helix but now I am sold!
Same here.
Getting around the muffled sound on the helix is really difficult. I loaded ownhammer IRs and it pretty much solved the problem, very open and present.
Talk is cheap… If he could have dialed them up to get them to sound more like an amp, then why didn’t he?
@@nsc217 maybe he doesn't have any hands
@@nsc217 I think he was trying to give the default sounds you can expect to get out of the box.
The first gig I did with the helix was one of the best guitar sounds I've had in 35 years. I play a lot of small clubs and it's tough to get a good mic sound in some of these rooms sometime and still have a nice full tone. I also use it for my Van Halen tribute shows. The funny thing was the phase 90 and flanger in the Helix have an extremely smooth beautiful tone. It was actually to smooth it too beautiful so I had to go back to the original mxr phaser and Flanger to get eddies sound. I also have played in the Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band. The Helix did a great job with that as well. Bottom line is I believe that the digital equipment has caught up and even in some way surpassed old traditional amps. And of course the convenience totally outweighs using the old standard floor pedals and amplifiers.
yeah the differences are so subtle / but the convenience of the the Board is huge and also probably less maintenance as well
I have to admit...there were several times that I actually liked the Helix a bit better. Great video.
Ron Ruminski yea me to , I thought the helix sounded great
Same for me
I did too. I'm glad I've one.
Me too, shame on me :'( jj
I agree.. I amazed that the helix sounded so good. Tube amps always sound great. But they are heavy. Pain in the ass to haul around.
I've always been a tube amp snob, but I have to say as a touring guitar player that began using a Line 6 unit about 8 months ago, I've never had a better touring rig. It's always dependable, quick setup/teardown, it sounds the same no matter the conditions and zero stage volume interfering with my bandmates or the soundman. I run a powered monitor straight out of the back and sit it side by side with my monitor from the front of house, aimed away from my bandmates, and it sounds fantastic. If I need to tweak the tone, or create new tones I have my laptop and it's super simple. I also use the JT Variax and I never have to tune or capo the guitar. Slide in open G? step on a button, then back to standard tuning after the solo. Crazy Led Zeppelin tunings? No problem. Drop B? No problem. Drop C#....you get the point.
In my opinion, the Helix sounded richer. The technology has come a long way.
Mesa has much better dynamics. I could hear it in all 5 samples
I think this might be caused by the mic placement or the preamps
Agreed
@@borodinski8960 idk real amps are harder to eq in mix. The sound guy will do more eq to the guitar If you have a real amp. If you got a modeler then it will make the sound guy life easier. Real amps sound like 80 or 90 music not really that good for modern music. Modelers are now more efficient
All samples Blue Angel much better for me.
Really fun reading this thread of comments. I rarely comment but I'll throw my hat in the ring. So many comments about the sounds as if the helix native (specifically as this is a recorded sound) is about sounding like an amp in your living room. For this recording, it's not the point. I saw people talking about how they have played tube amps forever so they knew the difference. Not the point. I played for about 20 years on a mesa and I know what it sounds like. But I've produced for 30 and the sound that comes out of the speakers hangs on a whole lot of other factors. What microphones were used? Was the engineer good at placing them? Preamps? Mixing? What we hear on a video has nothing to do with placing a tube amp in a room and strumming some chords. And the same is true for live. Again, playing in your house or even in a small club is one thing. Once that amp has to be mic'd it's a whole other world. I was primarily a piano player and had the chance to play live on a beautiful grand for over a decade. I loved it. The sound engineers were always trying to get me to play on a keyboard. Can I tell the difference between a grand piano and a keyboard playing live...um...yeah. However, how far back in the audience are they not hearing any ambient sound? It's just what comes out of the speakers. So we went through so many mic configurations and styles, when, in the end, any high-end Keyboard sounded more like a grand piano than the grand piano to those people hearing it out of the speakers. I hated having to listen through monitors or in-ears, but it was mixed better and sounded better. So let's all take a step back and think about this a little differently, or not, I don't care, but it's not just about which sounds more like a tube amp. It's which one sounds more like a tube amp that you could record. I am writing this will a dozen tube amps behind me that I haven't used on a recording in close to a decade. I get better sounds with the helix native and amplitube (especially the fender 2), and when it's in the mix I get compliments from guitarists I deeply respect. But if you've got a great mic cabinet full of options, a great engineer, really good preamps and a whole lot of time, rock those vintage amps. Just my 6.5 cents on the subject
I could hear massive differences between the two, but I could never tell which was which. Both sounded good. So I don’t know what that means 😑😂
Bryan just means they’re different! Different doesn’t mean one is “better”. There are some tube amps that sound terrible to me and other perfect. Just a preference
Amen! I just commented the same thing before I saw yours... "Give me a tuba and I'll get you something out of it." John Lennon
I could tell the difference of a tube amp any day. Since I hardly use any effects I know the difference. I would agree that some tube amps sound terrible. However, I have an old Ampeg Jet that is in near excellent shape, and sounds great with a Strat, and a 1963 Fender Deluxe with 6v6 old RCA tubes that is the sweetest sounding amp.
Sweetest sounding to you. Tone is all subjective. One tone is not better than the other. Depending on what you're looking for a darker sounding amp vs a brighter sounding amp might be better for you. You can literally tweak any amp to give a specific type of sound within the dynamic range of the amp.
No. Tone is NOT subjective. There are CLEAR differences in tone between solid state (even modellers that cost more than the tube amps they "model" XD) and tube amps, and science has pretty much shown objectively that the human ear and brain find the sounds of tubes much more pleasing. It's one of the reasons why high-end audioplhile amplifiers still have tubes in them. There is no tone in an algorithm.
I definitely preferred the Blue Angel for clean tones. With distortion, it went back and forth. Either way, the Helix sounded fine. If I didn't know what I was listening to, I don't think I would have known it wasn't an amp.
I agree. I heard Brett Kingman put it very well. the audience always hears the recorded or mic'd tone of amps, and the processors are so close, it's pretty hard to tell. It's also worth noting the valve amp you have may sound great, though pretty handy to dial in other great amp tones. I've a mesa and would love to have a ac30 tone at times. can't afford both and certainly don't want to take two amps to a gig.
That's true re: audience, however the player interacts with the instrument which interacts with the gain stages of the amp - tubes being very much their own thing. That interaction informs the player and accounts for much of the 'mojo' felt. @@MRxr400
I was opposite I thought the mesa sounded way better driven yet the very first test I thought the helix was the tube amp.
I missed three times. I thought the amp sounded best. To me it sounded more rich more warm and as it broke up it had a certain smoothness, like a good bite of chocolate, lol that made me know it was the tube amp. Thanks for all your work man, I love your content.
Dude this is a great comparison. Thank you for making this, as it really helps me with rig decisions.
Great demo as always. I'm a big fan of Boogies ahd used one extensively for years in the 80s and early 90s. Absolutely brilliant engineering and tone. But I also used a Randall RG75, the one with the Celestion, a Marshall, several Peaveys, Fenders, Hiwatts and Laneys, etc. I learned long ago to keep an open mind regarding new technologies. I don't want to be the last man holding a buggy whip at the Indy 500. I am so blown away by the advances in the digital realm of amplification that I bought a Line 6 and it's become my main amp. The versatility, the tones you can get on the fly, are just amazing. This technology has inspired me to levels of creativity I haven't experienced in decades. It's a game changer.
I vote for the Helix. I own one and with the new 3.06 update it is even more fabulous than ever. You can compare for ever but when it is mixed into a song either live or in a DAW the differences are not noticeable. Long live the Helix.
That is incredible. It really at the point one can't tell the difference. the Helix definitely is a bit brighter and the distortion has a different quality. Truly fantastic.
I could hear that Amp 1 was the Helix right way. I do use Pod GO every day and I love it but the amp sims have a certain cold stiffness in the sound that is easy to hear when there are clean tones.
The Helix sounded great! Even if it was off by a tiny bit, the convenience definitely outweighs that drawback.
nice demo Darrell! thanks for making this comparison video.
Thanks! Anytime! ☺
Both sounded good, but in almost every case I chose the Mesa.. Thanks for the demo.
I have a MB MarkV:35, but the Helix still got me on comparison #3. This is a great demo, not just production-wise but playing, too. Keep up the great work!
+Jeff Hazen - icenic_wolf Thanks Jeff!
Somehow you can clearly hear the difference. Both sound great but the tube amp really has more of that warm natural sound to it.
after 3 years nobody is going to mention all the lint Darrell has on his hoodie?! I could knit a shirt out of this :)
lol
I don't think anyone really cares, especially if nobody has mentioned it in 3 years but hey, you're counting!
Are you sure it's not dandruff?
@@ravencole2740 if it is then it's the worst case of dandruff i've ever seen in my life. looks like he walked outside in a snow storm then came back in to shoot the video :)
@David Speller yep and evidently the non melting kind :)
I had a 100% accuracy on spotting the actual amp. Since I play mostly digital stuff myself for many years now I can spot the digital stuff relatively quickly when a track is solo'd. The real deal just sounds more "round", balanced, natural and pleasant. Your last jam is a quite emblematic example for my claim. The amp sound sits perfectly well in the mix while the Helix sound sticks out more. Having said that, the Helix sounds good on it's own and I consider it a good tool to work with but the Amp is still the superior option when compared directly.
Great Video! I got a Hx stomp and an additional two button controller. Its been about 4 months or so and and it still blows me away. I actually sold most of my old gear, never been that commited to do that before. I heard rumors about a helix update in march that will bring 7 new amps and new effects, including King Of Tone. Great times for Helix users!
I honestly like both Its an affordability issue. The Mesa Boogie amp sounded better on some comparisons and the Helix on some others. You can do with just one, but if you can have both in my opinion its better. Thanks great review
We are entering into a new era. Think of the tube amps as the “bag phones” and think of the Helix as the new Droid or iPhone. Which is more convenient to carry? Which is easier to use? Perhaps more versatile vs costs?
These new modelers are getting better by each manufacturer release.
If you are a working musician, would you rather carry a few pounds of equipment or a few hundred? 😳
The real question is tone! Both sound really good! At a bar or wedding after a couple of rounds of drinks, can the guests really “care to tell the difference?” or will they be out there dancing having a great time? Get my point?
Then you can load up your stuff in a smart car hopefully with your pay and go home.
If I played out any more, I would definitely look at a Helix or something similar. I have one nice tube amp setup and a Champion 20 modeling amp for cheap fun.
Surprisingly, I like the sound of the Helix better (it sounded brighter, more saturated). After test 1 it was pretty easy to tell them apart.
In the first one without any gain the Helix had more presence and treble.
Then once you got into the distortion the Helix was an undefined blob of fuzz... The first occurrence being at 4:37- 4:39 and then for the entirety of 5:18 - which reminded me of years ago with my first amp (a SS Fender Princeton Chorus) and wanting to literally kick the speakers out on several occasions.
Then I got a Soldano Astroverb and everything was all better! :) I liked this video the instant I opened the link. Fantastic video!
I was actually half-expecting that the Helix was gonna trick me because of technology... I had never heard of Helix but I've heard the Fractal is amazing.
Yea it was pretty easy for me personally to tell which 1 the amp was, but I'm betting with a bit more tweaking you could make that test a lot harder. The helix sounded good but Dam that amp sounds incredible, thanks for doing this review like this, it was fun
For most of the A/Bs I found myself preferring the Helix, but they were often quite different sounds, which makes things very subjective. They both sounded excellent, and within a mix I certainly think the benefits of the helix (versatility, direct input, quiet and cost) easily outweigh the cool factor of a classic tube rig.
My Helix LT is under the Christmas tree right now, wife bought it for me. I know when you played the Helix just from all the demo's I've been watching (which is a lot). The Matchless is a dirty amp right out of the gate. Another banger of video D.
+JamCave Studio Nice!! Congratulations 😀
Cong...ns you got the cool wife :)
i gig regularly with my LT and have presets built for 4-cable method for all my different tube amps and also for DI to the mixer. it's such a sleek, versatile, intuitive and excellent-sounding device. you'll love it!! merry Christmas!
Line 6 is junk
MetalLion 68 pods where good..wouldn't say the dl4 was junk either!
Just to add my 2 cents - I'm a vintage tube amp collector. Bought and sold many-many amps (and guitars). One of the NICEST tube tone solid state amps I heard (and own) is the Fender Princeton Chorus. I have the 210 cab version. And most ORANGE CRUSH solid states have a really nice rich tube tone as well. Just saying ...
I've played classical guitar for 45 years but being in my mid-60's, I grew up on classic rock from the 60's & 70's and still listen to and love it today. I have a POD X3 Live and a MiM Strat, but I don't use it much and have zero experience with other guitars or amps. I'm careful never to use the words bad, good, better, best and only say what I like personally. I am a fan of technology and Line 6 and was pulling for the Helix. So, I didn't try to pick which was which, but simply made a note of which sound I preferred for all the tests and was surprised that I picked the Mesa amp every time, even in the mix at the end. Darrell did allow that one could tweak the Helix settings to improve the sound.
What is interesting to me is that for the comments I read, people seemed split maybe 50-50 as to which they thought was "best" or preferred.
This is the first time I've ever gotten all of them right. I usually suck at this. ;) It seemed, to me, that the Helix lacked some of the overtones and detail that the Mesa Boogie brought. Even so, it still sounded great!
I get these correct so far %100 of the time. The difference isn’t really the tone, but the responsiveness. The real amps respond to dynamic playing much more than the helix.
The real amps go from crystal clean to grit with how hard you dig in. The helix kinda just gets quieter with the same level of gain.
They both sound great though and serve their purposes
I don't think some people understand a true point to point , tube rectified , real tube amp.
A amp without a single ic or diode or transistor, a actual real tube amp, most people have never played one, they will never understand 😂
I have some tube amps (some of them tube rectified and point to point wired …) and a helix stomp xl - the helix does not behave in the way you are describing at all. It is just as dynamic and behaves just as any tube amp does when you change the attack of your picking, or rolling the volume down. The reason I got one in the first place is because I was shocked at how dynamic it is . There are some tiny differences, but the dynamics aren’t one of them .
The biggest fault I have with it is that it’s sort of hard to learn. It’s much easier to just turn my tweed champ knob to five and play guitar. I’ll never get rid of the helix though, it is a game changer for playing shows.
@@petheato3291 :) let's agree to disagree what do ya say my friend ?
@@ianbrown4386 add an alnico speaker to that and it is more alive than can be currently modeled.
Hey! The crunch test was amazing for the HELIX. Do you still have the preset? Can I purchase?
Here is my follow up to this video. My wife and I went to visit her mother in SE Missouri. It was Sunday evening and she wanted to attend the “Cowboy Church” singing that night.
The group was pretty good, the guitar player was very good and he had some wonderful different tones for different songs.
What was he using? A Fender Mustang amp with a Helix 6...the audience loved the performance.
Tubes or no tubes? Nobody knew the difference.
One of my favorite local guitarists used a miked up Fender Champ. He said it saved his sore back and achy knees. There is so much variety in music there ought to room all. BB King used a Lab Series transistor amp. Greg Howe, Eric Gales, and Frank Gambale use DV Mark. Andy Timmons has used Kemper. I know many other who use just their laptops and software. It really comes back to the player's skill and his ability to move you. I'm to see there are opened minded folks out there.
At first I honestly thought you just somehow made the Mesa sound bad, but when you played the last part and it was put in a mix, the Mesa blue the Helix away. Goes to show that context is everything. Good demo!
In almost every instance, I guessed wrong. However, in every instance I preferred the Helix. I'd love to try one.
I have to say that I am a fan of tube tone (I have a Mesa 5/50 Express) but have to admit that the Helix sounded great. If I was still playing out I would consider a Helix as I know it has to be lighter than my Mesa. Great job!
Helix or Amp? Let me know!
Helix!!
Helix, a 4x4 for touring!!! Tube amps are lovely and nice for studio and analog playing pleasures...😻 I love the Princeton Reverb and Tweeds to play!
Nice video.
Greetings from Spain.
Digital stuff is getting really close to analog sounds, but i still could tell the difference between the two... For now i'd still go for the Mesa Boogie, the sound is more natural
I preferred the amp. It just had something more alive sounding, but in a recorded mix I doubt anyone can really hear a difference.
+ivansuarezguitar Absolutely! Good point ☺
I was actually able to pick out the Helix on all but one of those tests. But with that said, the tones were very close each time. Kudos to Line 6 for doing a great job with the Helix. I've been considering buying a Helix for a multi-purpose rig, this has just about confirmed my choice (on top of other videos and reviews I've been checking out).
Only question to answer now is whether to get the floorboard or the rack unit?
good video....always interesting this stuff...hence why we all watch these type of vids! I have a lot of gear now and over the last 30yrs and also have had a few modellers and now have the Helix floor as well as my AC30 and Marshal DSL amps and a ton of pedals. The thing I find with the modellers is they're so good now its hard to tell one from the real thing (sometimes)...but that's over monitors (or a PA system) but for me they still fall WAY short when you listen to your amp live in the room moving some air and then a modeller over monitors...massive difference then.....i'd bet money it'd be a 1st round KO for the amp n pedals here if we was live in the room when this was recorded!
But on a recording or over monitors both sound great and hard to tell apart sometimes. On this vid (the 'jam') near the end when he did the amp and then bits of the Helix interspersed the amp seemed more direct and focused to my ears. On the flip side one of the higher gain moments in the video I actually preferred the Helix over the amp!! Best thing to do is (if you can) get both...and then its horses for coarses! Me...at home play or recording the Helix is just so easy to get a credible sound down so here I rarely get the amp and pedalboard out. On a gig its the total opposite!
Have you listened through the new Amps they updated? The new firmware allows you to move the mic around on the cab…they sound fantastic.
My Helix LT is on its way! Thanks for the awesome video which helped me to pull the proverbial trigger!
Congratulations! Glad to help!
From this test, the Blue Angel sounded way far greater than the Helix... Oh... what a sweet buttery tone from the Blue Angel
I was impressed with how nice the Helix sounded. Any chance you can run a Boss GT-100 through its paces?
Amp sounded better, but for versatility and having endless possibilities on different sounds,Helix.
So if you play in a cover band playing pop rocks for drunks, getting $10 a gig, the Helix is "worth it"?
Martin Noël trust me drunk ppl dont care if its being beaten on a tin can as long as its sounds close its all good!!
aranphor nice i bet it sounds sweet
For me, it varied sound to sound. Sometimes the amp was better, sometimes the helix.
I preferred Helix on all but one and that was the Matchless. I really think that could be tweaked down w/ gain and low cut on the cab, too.
G’day Darrell,
Thanks for this. I am seriously considering buying a Helix LT and what I heard here has certainly not dissuaded me. Tone is such a personal thing but everything I heard come out of the Helix sounded great.
👍 It's definitely a great piece of gear!
Picked the Helix on all but 1. That was well done and very helpful, thank you!
I was 100% on which was which. This kind of made up my mind about sticking with the 3202 Marshall half stack and going with vintage pedal effects
I was 100% on which was which. This kind of made up my mind about sticking with the Line 6 products. :-)
(Not intended as a dig, just as a contrast. Love the Marshall half stack!)
I Liked the Helix but the Blue Angel sounded way better...
Yes, that was my feeling as well. Further, when you are playing live outside the tubes have more push.
Gonzalo Acevedo That's the point isn't it? The Helix sounds good in its own right, and I suspect the difference between it and the Blue Angel is probably more noticeable to the player than to the listener!
EgoShredder As players, I think we'd have a more satisfying experience from the Boogie!
The tube amp actually sound more muffled and muted, the other sounds more vibrant IMO.
not
I heard em exactly the other way around.
Appreciate you taking the time for the video ... good stuff ... I actually liked both ...
It's a tough comparison to make, and I suspect not entirely fair one, due to the amount of variables to deal with. The Helix is easy to pick out mostly because it's brighter. But you could brighten up the amp recording by changing the EQ on the amp, changing the mic, and/or changing the mic position. Or vice versa. I know the Helix gives you mic options as well. Given these choices, I would likely use the Helix sound, as I think it is less muddy, would work better in a mix. The question of software vs authentic nowadays often comes down to the skill of the engineer. It is much easier to get a sampled instrument to sound great because the hard engineering work has been done for you.
Software modeling and samples have gotten very good. But sometimes I will ask not what's better, but what's more interesting. This is especially the case when recording my own drums, but it goes for keyboards and guitar amps as well. Usually I will get more interesting sounds the old fashion way because there are imperfections/uniqueness to my equipment. Samples and software are (generally) designed to be perfect and generic so they will satisfy the broadest of circumstances. But, of course, if your recording sounds interesting and unique, but not good, then you are better off with software.
For live playing I think digital modeling is the future, but the studio is a different story. My two cents.
I think its harder to tell a difference when hearing the tones in a video compared to right in front of you. I just can't replace the sound of a tube amp right next to me. Helix has improved things a lot but I just don't feel you can replace the sound of a tube amp in a live situation. Both have advantages and disadvantages. I guess just buy both! 😁
Tube amp cannot be replaced. For practicality the helix wins but if you want the pure tone, it falls short. So many people watch the videos and comment without experiencing both. In my experience with both, helix is seriously underwhelming especially with the price tag and all the hype behind it.
@@dpajc056 fully disagree, the amps are nothing great, and by the time you add all the pedals and the maintenance, the Helix is a way better deal
@@dpajc056 Play blindfolded and have a friend hook you up to various amps. Only then will you know what you really think.
@@dpajc056 when you say pure tone what do you mean by that?
In most places you play you have to play the amp at a pretty quiet or not optimal volume for the valves to really shine, and so by having a helix, kemper or Acs1/Strymon Iridium you get the amp at 11, yes you may not have “the feel” but tbh what the audiences here’s out front of house is a mic in front of an amp and what do the alternatives I said earlier do? The exact same (mic in front of an amp 😂) also from a purely practical thought, surely not taking an amp which are normally super heavy and awkward to carry (and also pack in the car because they are big) is amazing.
Yes when you get to push a Valve amp it may sound 2-5% better but that is a very rare opportunity and then again I would rather have the same tone every where I play but also have the option of changing amps for each song but also having access to any amps I could only dream of is a wonderful thing.
In the blind tests, the Blue Angel sounded more 3 dimensional than the Helix when played clean. The differences in all tests were quite pronounced. I preferred the tube amp.
Matt Harr I agree. There’s a certain “hairy” vibe to the Helix that I don’t like... it also breaks up much quicker than the amp
Content starts at 3:24
The Mesa sounded much better, especially when dealing with overdriven sounds
veerchasm1 yeah this demo is almost two years old, so there’s a whole lot more IR’s and updates to the helix, which makes it sound way better than in this vid.
the cleans is whatever. but the overdrive was better on the mesa.
veerchasm1 I would have to agree with you. The amp sounded way better.
Good point on the late-night jamming. The headphone output on the Helix sounds AMAZING through a good pair of headphones.
Each and every time I knew which one the tube amp is and liked it more, but at the same time I believe out there in the busy rock mix no one would notice that missing bit. Nice!
I like the Helix for clean tones and the Mesa Boogie for distorted tones.
I guessed every one of them. I liked the tube amps better. But I’m surprised how close they were.
I got it wrong on every occasion and preferred the Helix - well done Line 6
except for the end jam - I take the Blue Angel for preference.
dude same line 6 or ax fx or kemper IDK
me too.... hahahaha ( and I've been playing on various amps for nearly ten years - so, thought i am used to the sounds. nope - i am not. line6 did a good job....
Helix sounded better in all tests, except arpeggiated chords. A BIT of an unfair comparison though, as the level of distortion and eq'ing was different between the 2. My ears preferred the helix 80% of the time though, blindly. Bought one because of this vid, and absolutely LOVE it. Best piece of gear I could have ever bought! :)
Both amps sounded pretty good but you're playing on the track was phenomenal. Really bluesy and groovy keep up the good work
The mesa was generally better for me. The clean tones were really hard to tell which was which (on phone though). Helix is damn impressive.
I think it also depends how you decide to record your amp. Different mics give you different tones.
The best comparison should be done in person with the real amp and the helix + an FRFR speaker.
Sadly I preferred the Helix in nearly every run. Also in a couple cases the Angel sounded cheap.
@Andrew Frost Why would that be the case? Thankfully, in 99% of live situations you can't have loud stage volume any more, and if you do it's more of an irritation to the rest of the band, the audience or FOH/monitor engineer. Once mic'd, and mixed, no one will tell the difference, and that's come from the experience of 1000s of gigs on tiny stages to full-sized festival stages. It's for that reason that a lot of great-sounding players prefer a Kemper, or the like, rather than a ludicrous load-in/loud-out of the studio/recording based equipment.
I had that happen to me. I actually thought "There is that warmth they talk about." Then he says it was the Helix...
Honestly, there is one massively inherent flaw with the comparison. The sound of the Mesa was really -> Mesa, plus microphone, plus recording technique, plus room, plus interface. It could sound vastly different just based on how you recorded it. However, the comparison did show that the helix sounds great.
It was four of the five blind tests for me (Helix, Mesa, Helix, Helix, & Helix). I wanted to prefer the amp, but that's not how it worked out.
Derek Chapman or you can use a small head and speaker and run into a Universal Audio OX Box. Then you have your amp tone at whatever level you want and stereo to FOH.
After using the Line 6 Helix for a year, I can recognize the fizzy sound at the end of each chord such as at 7:03. It is true that you must pay close attention but it is there. When the sound starts to fade, that fizzy vibration comes out of its hiding place
I guessed wrong several times, especially with the Blue Angel comparison.
Helix sounded really great.
you can't hear the difference from a recording work , but you can feel the difference when you are playing it
100%, the dynamics with a tube amp are unreal, clean to crunch in only your pick attack. Makes you a better guitarist I feel.
@@drunkaviator81 whatever it takes for some guitarists justify all the money they spend on gear lmao
practicing makes you a better guitarist. the tubes in your amp do not. good playing plus post processing can make cheap gear sound better than expensive stuff people love to waste their money on and justify after the fact
@@fisheatsyourhead I have two guitars and one tube amp, which I’ve had for over a decade. I spend literally zero on new gear and especially expensive modelling software, pedals, etc. Each to their own. :D
I preferred and picked out the boogie in all but one comparison, the second or third test, with light overdrive I think it was.
Tough to decide which I preferred in mix though. I liked the smooth sound of the Mesa, but I think the Helix cut through better, had more of its own distinct space in the sonic spectrum.
I was 50% fooled by the Helix, surprised.
I own a Helix LT so I got them all right, except for ex. #4 where I second-guessed myself. Otherwise, I know that Helix sound! Nice video, Darrell! Great job!
Thanks! ☺
Great video, I could always pick out the tube amp, but I still use a Helix because I don't have room for 10 amps and pedals.
I love your atitude and advise! Keep making these
Thanks Nate!
Astonishingly, I was surprised by the quality of the Helix, very inferior to my attempts. I use to play with Pod Xt and X3 live, and am less and less in love with those sounds. I may not put enough time working on the sounds, but it feels a bit dull, not alive enough. Very strange, as far as I am a Line 6 historical enthusiast. Maybe it is time for me to find something else. I still like the "all-in-one" concept, but Helix is far too expensive to be a good choice for me. Anyway, thanks for the blind test, I really dig that, because they force me to be honest ;)
If you're looking for a not to expensive multi effect. The zoom g5n is one of the best sounding cheaper multi effects.
(It had an update so it has more amps and effects than stated in most shops.)
This are two videos completely made with the g5n and no post processing. sounds rather convincing if you ask me ;-)
Rock sound
ruclips.net/video/94iiH4IDGK4/видео.htmlµ
Hi-Gain sound
ruclips.net/video/zQQaW0KtdG8/видео.html
And here is a video just to show how close you can get to real tones. Don't know if you listen to Steve Vai, but this is his tone.
ruclips.net/video/zXrSS3ltDwk/видео.html
I don't even know if you want advice :-D. I'm was just so happily surprised with the Zoom g5n that i like to tell people ;-).
Thanks for the piece of advice, I'll go and check :)
@Luca Candela I heard good things about katana too, and I tried it for 2 days at my home, fiddled with all the knobs and all the settings in the computer, but I could never make it sound like a tube amp. It didn't sound bad, but it does have a transistor/digital quality in it, which just isn't there in a tube amp, and once you hear it you cannot unhear it. It's the quality of the tiny fizz that happens at the peaks or at breakup. Also it doesn't compress nicely as a tube amps does when you crank up the volume past a half. I tried to emulate that with a compressor but it just doesn't do it.
The same can be sad about bias FX. I WOULD SAY IT'S EVEN SOUNDS BETTER THEN KATANA AND IS MORE VERSATILE BUT IT STILL HAS THAT TINY FIZZ AND GRAIN QUALITY THAT I JUST DON'T CRAVE. Sorry for the Caps, that was an accident.
Both sound great... there were some noticeable differences in the EQ which threw me off on a few samples.
Been a long time since I saw a video with one of those boogies.
i think this convinced me to get one, I picked the helix 3 of 5 times. still worth it for the versatility and portability
i got it right every time (which I'm really surprised at). The thing i spotted was the clarity and note separation was "better" (what i like) on the boogie over the helix. To an audience, they would never tell or care as they are really similar.
+1 for the scientific testing!
I can see snow on your cloth. It means...Merry Christmas!😆😆😆
Or it's dandruff.... LMFAO
Semper Fi yep, I went there as well.
It's just lint. He dried his fleece hoodie with light-colored towels.
The Helix really surprised me. Digital modeling has come along way. What is your opinion of the future of tube amps. Are they on there way out do to cost and fewer tube factories? That is what I have been hearing for years.
+Scott K I think eventually fewer musicians will travel with them and just use them for studio use.
It's sort of like the film vs digital revolution in the camera industry.
That makes sense. Great video again Darrell.
Yes, analogue will soon be for the museum, no question at all!
Artists now use tablets & software more, Photographers use 4k digital, and pretty much all musicians besides guitarists are using more digital technology (even pro drummers layer triggers into their acoustic rigs).
This doesn't mean people still don't use canvas, polaroids and tube amps, but they will face out of the spotlight. Its a good thing though, think of all the variety and flexibility you will get with future versions of the helix and variax, and how much less crap you'll carry round on tour.
john m if you have played guitar all your life going on 40 years playing, playing through a good tube amp is the only way to get the real sound, all digital tries hard but can't produce what tubes do naturally, so why wouldn't you want to sound the best you can ,its like a great chef using dull knives, if they are available you use what works best
Great video, thank you. There wasn’t as big difference as I thought. That digital stuff has gotten a lot better.
Sounds are both great, it’s the feel of the sound from a tube when you’re stood in front of it that’s the difference for me
I’m very surprised that the Helix seemed a much nicer sound to my ear. Shocking.
Cheap microphone here, this is not a real comparison...
I just won a Helix LT... amazing Tones in there...
+GrericPoperic7 Congratulations!
I hope you enjoy it :)
i heard a huge difference in clean tones. tubes sounds real
Thx, for this great comparison. I could so easily hear which were modelling and which were tube and tube amps still are the warmest and best organic tone.
Anytime!
Glad you enjoyed the comparison 👍
The blind test is pretty useful, I did prefer the sound of the blue angel over the helix, not really sure but theres something about it that stands out a bit more to me, im primarily a bassist and play guitar on the side and went through a lot of ab tests for bass between tubes and digital modeling, there are times when I find some digital sounds better vs amps but most times i end up preferring the amps over digital, theres others ive talked to who feel the exact opposite of me but its still cool to see how much the technology has improved over the years.
Every single time I ended up liking the Helix in the blind test. I've never liked the Blue Angel much anyways
Helix Lt, i like it but most important i can afford it, that is a kind of "end of discussion" for me :). And the sound? Close enough.
This is the conclusion I've come to. Yes it is all about the budget and I am not a world touring musician so why pay that much money (unless you want to :) but not my thing)
I got all the blind test right. By experience the amp will always sound warmer and less harsh on the highs compared to digital (I own both a tube amp and a pod hd500). Truth be told once you start jamming on stage you literally can't tell the diff between what's real and digital. Great video!
Great video. Thank you for doing the work.
I have found that the Helix sounds a great deal better in my home studio setting when using the XLR outputs directly into a mixer. I have a Line 6 DT50 and a Marshall Combo amp (both tube amps) and trying to get the banks dialed into the amps requires some constant adjustments to both the patch and the amp where the mixer output is seamless and consistent, not to mention more convenient. I know there is the 4 cable method and it might be good using that with the DT50 but I am not sure how to switch channels etc.
I still enjoy patching in my pedals into the FX Loops for even more diversity. With the caveat that Line 6 needs to improve on the FX Loops because it does introduce noise somewhat into the signal no matter what you do.
I hope the white white specs on your sweater are due to opening up new products in your studio where the Styrofoam was flying around a bit. Otherwise I might think that is some serious dandruff. :)
Of course playing on stage live would be an amp configuration for the best results IMHO.
I love these "guess which you're listening to" comparisons - it eliminates "favorites." I only missed 2 of the Mesa and like the Helix more - maybe because I thought it was a bit cleaner. Like you said, you could probably tweak the Helix to sound more like like the Mesa, but as I said, overall, I like that Helix!!!!!!!. Love you demos!!!!!
The Tube Amp sounded the best!!!
Gino Cooper feel like we’re the only one who knows. Clear note definition. The helix was “piercing” almost in the mid-high frequency. The tube always sounds warm. True. Real.
The real tube amp was so much sweeter every time. Having read some of the comments before listening, I thought it was going to be so close, but when I listened for myself I was surprised at how clearly and so obviously better the tube amp tone was every time. Just my 2c.
I just listened right now for the first time as I'm considering getting a Helix... I did not know which was which from the first comparison BUT the one I preferred turned out to be the amp. It was, as you say, "sweeter", just smoother and slightly more rounded. Then every following clip I still preferred what turned out to be the real amp. So kudos to Darrell for a great test, but even though I'll probably end up getting rid of all my tube amps (I just can't justify them any longer, I'm 62 now and losing my edge) and getting a Helix, either the Pod Go or the LT, I guess I'll always prefer the real thing in the ideal circumstances.
The more experience you have, the more obvious the differences become. I could pick out the real amp every time without any issue. After a while your ears become too good... It's a curse, honestly.
O was able to differentiate between the two every time as well. That said, the Helix was pretty close. In a live setting most people won't know the diff
I want to check this one out in person. I haven't loved Line6 tone since the Spider 1 (I just got an old red trimmed Flextone II, loving it) but the HD500 sounded better to me, and this sounded pretty good as well! Thanks for the video!
Both sound very nice. And using mics is always more work but also gives you a lot of options especially when working with 2 mics.
I did like the tube amp more to be honest and that was on my phone ;)
Cool videos ;)
I listened to this while driving, didn't see anything. I preferred the Helix in every sound sample. Wow. Mind blown.