Help! Amp - should go digital modelling?

[mikeller]

Well, after much consideration and many many years of playing with nothing but tube amps, not to mention a couple amps and a pedal board that serves me very well, I decided to buy a Helix. I have no urgent plans to move from my current rig, rather plan to take my time and ease into it. I am an old guy in a new world, but am excited to learn this thing. I do need to get a speaker - so far, the little I have used it is with headsets which is far from ideal.....

 

[QuietSpike]

Mike- run the out to your FX loop IN on your tube amp, and boom... free "speaker".


I switched to the fractal AX8 over a year ago, and i cant go back. As another "old guy" (kinda--- 41), I love showing up and able to carry 2 guitars and my "rig" in one trip.... and still have a hand free to carry my In-N-Out burger!

 

[ohbugger]

I just bought an AX8, after considering Fractal's products for a while. It should arrive tomorrow, so I am excited to have a versatile, compact unit that sounds good at low volume for home. Planning to keep my Mark V:25 where my band practices, as we really don't vary much in our tones.

 

[orion_21]

I'm waiting for more reviews on the Headrush.....

 

[NikolaK]

I voted for Kemper some time ago lol U should check out AmpliFire, great piece of gear for the reasonable price... Kemper and Ax8 are both great units... Here`s AF

 

[kestrou]

You should go tube - and buy my tube amps since I don't use them now that I have an Axe/FX!

Kevin

 

[Magic Jason]

Update.

I sold my Fractal AX8 because this great sounding machine is just a pain to set up on a stage : the UI is ridiculously unlogical and the gameboy screen is so "Back to the future".

Now, hit me Fractal gang.

Went back to an amp and pedal... but boy, did I miss the convenience of an "all in one" solution.

Gonna purchase the Headrush this afternoon...

Time wil tell!

 

[mikeller]

Good luck on the Headrush.

I haven't yet used my Helix on stage, but I am finally getting somewhere with eventually getting there. Time is a commodity anymore, but a real revelation came last week when I figured out how I could set it up to have access to 8 presets with the touch of one button, so now i am getting somewhere!!!

 

[click track]

with JP6 I was digital with Line 6 and now higher end pedals through SS22, and now I am going back to digital with a Fractal AX8. A counterpart has one and will tutor me and its incredible ! I will run it through the new line6 power cab 112 not there yet but happening soon. reason being is ease of use and seemingly limitless possibilities and yes I will be using it live with maybe 4 go to settings/scenes / just my 2 cents, as my setting scene selection will be quite small and preset for the same thing all the time

 

[Astrofreq]

I'm so analog now it hurts. The digital stuff just doesn't have any depth to me. For reverbs, digital is great, but I prefer analog for every other effect and especially amps. I waited so long to get a real, high quality tube amp and I can't imagine turning back. Granted, I've never played with a Axe-FX, but people seem to love it.

 

[mrmckinney]

As I may have mentioned previously, EBMM guitars have pretty much made me disinterested in even looking at other brands and the Helix has caused me to have little to no interest in amps and pedals. I seriously have very little interest in the guitar shops any more. Lol. The Helix is so darned versatile. The previous comment about using the piezo and magnetics simultaneously is a huge benefit and add to it that it has a mic preamp and doubles as a pretty solid recording interface. If mine died, I would not think twice about getting another. I bought it when they were released and have used it on stage weekly ever since. You can always find something you do not like about any piece of gear if you are looking for something but if you embrace the technology and, instead of seeing how close it is to xyz tube amp, see how you can use it to create a pleasing variety of classic and unique tones for YOU, it is a win. That was most certainly a run-on sentence. Lol. Anyway, for me, I would never be able to afford the room full of amps and effects that one rather small box provides me access to.


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[MysticTR1]

Having used some great boogies.... F-50, Mark IV and the most recent Dual Rec Reborn. I made the difficult decision to go back to Fractal. I had an AxeFx II first version and although great, I was using it through a 2x12 recto cab which really limited it's potential.

This time I went with a true FRFR setup, with the Fractal AX8. Having everything I need in an all in one unit just makes it so easy. If you love Petrucci tones, then the Mark IIC++ amp/with recto cab (or any cab you like), will surely get you everything you need.

Check this out:

 

[Magic Jason]

Hr is ridiculously easy to program, sounds great, but it is biiiiiiiiiiiiiiig!

 

[look_at_her]

Having used some great boogies.... F-50, Mark IV and the most recent Dual Rec Reborn. I made the difficult decision to go back to Fractal. I had an AxeFx II first version and although great, I was using it through a 2x12 recto cab which really limited it's potential.

This time I went with a true FRFR setup, with the Fractal AX8. Having everything I need in an all in one unit just makes it so easy. If you love Petrucci tones, then the Mark IIC++ amp/with recto cab (or any cab you like), will surely get you everything you need.

Check this out:

Mystic , what kind of FRFR you went with AX 8 ?
Thanks for sharing the tone tutorial , some nice sounds there !

 

[MysticTR1]

Mystic , what kind of FRFR you went with AX 8 ?
Thanks for sharing the tone tutorial , some nice sounds there !

I'm using the Paradigm Audio active 40's. They have been discontinued but they retailed for around $2200, got them at a yard sale for $150. They are loud!!!!!! There are probably better options but for the price and the sound I get, I have no justification for upgrading.

If I didn't have the paradigms I would probably go this route:

Yamaha DXR10 1100W 10" Powered Speaker | Sweetwater

Cheers
Matt

 

[dgainer]

I was in the same boat last year, Had 2 65 deluxe reverbs for gigging. Too loud at home. I was always a Fender tube guy for over 50 years, it was a hard choice but I went with the Helix LT. Now when I play in worship band I can show up with my MM and a backpack and know exactly what it will sound like every time. Helix has a huge on line presence and many excellent patches can be downloaded for free or cheap if you don't want to do a bunch of tweaking.

Dave

 

[Astrofreq]

Please pardon my ignorance, but my impression of Line 6 gear is still from the 2000s. I always thought their stuff sounded truly terrible. Is there newer gear better than the old? I could just have weird ears though, some people loved the old gear they made.

 

[mrmckinney]

Please pardon my ignorance, but my impression of Line 6 gear is still from the 2000s. I always thought their stuff sounded truly terrible. Is there newer gear better than the old? I could just have weird ears though, some people loved the old gear they made.

It is sooooo much better in every conceivable way than anything from the 2000s. I hated modelers... I begrudgingly used a Line 6 HD500 because our worship leader wanted to better control stage volume. It was ok but felt lacking stacked next to my Mesas and analog effects. The Helix is pro level gear. You really should try one. Our other guitarist (a bonified tube snob), after having to hear mine for the last couple years, just bought one and I have not seen him so excited. Of course I had done a lot of the work for him in setting up a lot of presets and patches for the tunes we do. The tone is there and it is consistent gig after gig after gig. I held on to my analog gear for a good while in fear that something would present itself that would turn me off to it. I have now sold or traded most of my old gear.


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[mrmckinney]

... if I could choose from any current production amp rig, I would still choose Helix based on my my experience thus far (I bought mine within a month or two of the release hoping for something better than the HD500).
I have sold my Fender Deluxe Reverb, Fender Champ, Fender Vibrasonic, Supro Jupiter, Mesa Tremoverb, Mesa Electradyne, Mesa Triaxis and 2:90, and Peavey Classic 50 in favor of the Helix at this point. It is certainly controversial but I would choose it over AxFx or Kemper simply due to the platform (I do not want a rack based rig and the AX8 doesn’t come close in the interface department... my opinion of course). I know little about the HeadRush but it seems that the Helix has more features to me.

Honestly, radrock, in your line of work, the Helix (or AxFx) could provide you with sooooo many options in one platform.

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[Lax]

Most important is you being pleased.

My path has been :
-Many years of transistor amps with multieffects and pedals
-A Mesa boogie Mark V with 2x12 mesa cab, because I'm praising JP and wanted his sound
-Sold everything and bought an AXEFX2XL+, I don't even have a guitar cab, only PA and monitoring solutions.

Here is why :
-The Mark V was hard to dial, very heavy, I was afraid of carrying it around, especially for little gigs or rehearsals, it was too loud for bedroom use...Obviously sounded great
-The axefx2xl+ allowed me to play at night at home, changing amp on the fly, bring a single rackbag at rehearsals and live, easily translate sounds from bedroom to PA system.

I'm never going back again, because it's what I need personnaly.

Cheers