The herculean commitment to continuous updates/upgrades throughout the years makes Line6 a company to be cherished. Kudos to Line6 team for working so close to its user base. 🎉👊
And also vehemently disagreeing with people that think there needs to be a new Helix 2.0 hardware update. I was always impressed with that, but the constant updates sold me.
Very good point and if Fender is paying attention, they should learn from that. No one wants to pay thousands of dollars for something that won’t be considered current in a few years
Really? I feel like they drop the ball always. They will give you 2 real updates a year. They never seem like they care enough about their “flagship” product. They spent a year on doing poly pitch stuff and the poly capo is terrible and sounds worse than the original simple pitch in the unit. They are too busy making 25 cheaper versions of the helix
Line 6 has really impressed me with how they’ve updated their Helix products over time. Went way further than I ever would have guessed or expected, made such a supremely powerful set of units - absolutely amazing job + dedication + listening to their user base
Its great thry made it last but the difference in the plexi or deluxe vs the fender is very obvious the line 6 fizzle and is thin . I have to say that you need a a/b real time vs to spit it
@@Colosphoniumidk what you’re talking about with the fizzle or thin. It’s sounds the best in my opinion. Line 6 also has mic placements that you have to adjust as well. You have to tweak which they didn’t do. A proper tweaked helix sounds better than any other modeler bro hands down.
Love my Helix rack. Love the constant upgrades from Line 6. It’s a better unit today than it was when I bought it 5 years ago. The other units sound great too but I’ve figured out the Helix and I’m really happy with it
Yeah and the helix still sounds better in my opinion lol. It’s easier to get good tones on the other stuff, because the Helix is so much more dynamic and complex, a proper dialed in tweaked helix beats all those modelers hands flipping down. And the hx effects are king
I think you hit the nail on the head. It’s just like having a preferred DAW to work in. It’s not so important which one you choose, it’s all about getting to know it inside out!
Happy I still have my Kemper. Certainly the Kemper effects are not as strong as effects on other units, but just straight up amp tone it's still my favorite. QC is a close second, and also really impressed by the Tone Master as well.
This is my first step into modeling, but I’ve been looking for quite a while at Helix, QC, Kemper, and others as well. However, the TMP won me over. Had the opportunity to demo it several times at my local music shop. Not only was it simple to get going and use it, but the display was big enough for me to read, and it sounded amazing through its own Fender cab as well as headphones. Everything was seamless. Zero lag, and very easy to navigate through tone/fx selections. Also, rearranging your chain and subbing out different fx and IRs is a breeze. As well as having rotary foot switches just like the QC. Personally, I think all of these are pretty awesome, it’s just a matter of preference I’m sure! Figured I would at least give my feedback in case anyone was thinking about getting a Fender 🫡
I bought the Headrush Gigboard over a year ago and like it, however the new Fender TMP looks way more user friendly with the knobs being able to adjust on the fly. That is a sweet feature. Thanks for sharing because I am thinking about taking a look at it myself.
The Helix is FAR easier to use. The only 2 things the Tone Master has on the helix is touchscreen and it shows actual pedals. But if you have a long chain, you can't see when you turn some effects on and off on the tone master pro cause all of the pedals aren't viewable at the same time
I liked the TMP. Not sure how it fares vs Fractal … ? Captures/Profilers FTW, though … Not sure how ToneX/Kemper/QC rank now, though … My impression is that Kemper & Fractal are still top … for all-in-1 … Nit sure if ToneX > Kemper for just amp profiles now, though … Presumably, ToneX will do an all-in-1, eventually … ? What effect NAM may have, down the road some … … … ?!?!
The Helix sounds “two dimensional” partly because you used the mono plate reverb instead of the stereo one. When you do that, the output signal is completely mono. Most of the other modelers sound like they’re running stereo reverbs, which of course creates a much more spacious sound through monitors or headphones.
When I first got the helix back in 2017, I was so underwhelmed when I first turned it on and started flicking through presets but I could hear the potential. I decided to go out and start grabbing ownhammer and Celestion IR’s. Holy smokes it really brought the unit to life. And the FX on the unit are second to none
I thought the 2 dimension comment was pretty ridiculous also - and the comment about trying the stomp xl but being annoyed about touching foot switches and triggering selections - not a bug! Designed to do that for faster navigation!
I’ve been playing Headrush for the last few years. With good IRs and some noodling it sounds fantastic. I love how easy it is work with and I think the updates that headrush make are great.
Where do you get your IRs from for the headrush? I am looking for some fender reverb sounds, but was not convinced by the headrush demo. Feels like it lacks some dynamic and tone.
Fender being who they are has its ups and downs for the TMP; yes, they give us “official” amps, and lots of good features - but I’m curious how much support the TMP will receive, and for how long. They do SOOO much other stuff, that you have to wonder how much attention this will receive as time moves forward. The other companies basically ONLY do digital, so you’re going to always receive new patches, new features, and quality improvements as time moves on. I like that fender went with an interface similar to the Spark series from PositiveGrid, because - as Pete pointed out - pictures=good!!!
Fender have been addressing those concerns on the TGP thread. They say the company is in it for the long haul with regular updates planned. So we'll see.
@@joec63 That's what they always say. Gibson said that about robot tuners. No brand is going to go on the forums and say "buy this $1800 thing, we aren't sure if we're going to support it for a long time or not".
Yup, $1800 for a beta product with no guarantee of long-term support is a tough sell, especially when Fractal and Line6 are already industry standards with proven track records
@@joec63 Said the same thing about the Mustang line, never happened. New Mustangs happened years apart. They are WQAY behind in just numbers of Amps, FX and Stomps modelled.
My favorite thing about these units is that (between the ones I've owned) they all sound great. I started with the Helix LT and now added a Kemper. I absolutely love both units and haven't touched an "amp" in ages. You really can't go wrong as long as you invest the time.
Totally agree with you. However I will say there is something to be said regarding the interfaces. The Headrush and Fender have absolutely beautiful interfaces that have a much quicker learning curve. I have a Kemper Stage, and I hate having to scroll through tons of profiles just to select the one I want.
@@michaelgriffin5304 I guess convenience and variety is important here too. I use at least 5 different amps (presets) on gigs and each one of them has at least 2-3 snapshots. So having just one amp and being unable to change several pedals at once (without a midi config) is kinda killer for me.
@@Davedarave6661 For pedals only, a lot of people actually prefer the Helix over Fractal. Fractal’s amps are generally regarded as better than Helix’s, but for pedal effects the Helix has more models of real-world pedals instead of more generic offerings in the Fractal units. The Fractal pedals sound good but if you want something specific, sometimes you have to create it yourself through tweaking.
The Helix sounds so close to the others but...in the video the cabs used are the old ones, not the new IRs, which are insanely better, so probably the Helix would sound at least on par or much better
They are using the new cabs (you can tell by the mic position slider and the lack of the legacy symbol when they page over to the cab), but they dropped a mono reverb at the end instead of a stereo one.
I think the Fender TM & Neural QC are very close to stand alone units if a person is just getting into Modeling ... The Headrush Prime and Line 6 Helix become viable if you put them through a UAOX Stomp for more authentic Mic'd Cabinet sounds and still have all those great effects options that each provides.
Hey! You guys used the old cab engine in Helix!! Those are famously poor, but Line6 came with completely reworked cab engine in last year’s update, which was an absolute game-changer and IRs are no longer the necessity for getting good tones out of Helix.
@@aleksandrlazarev9679 They kept the original amp and cab blocks because of compatibility with existing presets, used the icon to make sure they are not the primary cabs for people to use.
Yeah these guys have no idea what they’re doing. This video is an absolute joke and line 6 should send Paul hindmarsh out to straighten them out or pull their dealership and sue them.
I think you could choose any of these and be fine. I think it would be important to figure out how you want to use it, which amp models are most important to you, and go try them out.
Been gigging my Headrush Prime for a couple months now, no cab, straight to FOH. I can confidently tell anyone to just trash all of the stock presets. Build your own presets and scenes, and tweak to your desire. The whole thing is super intuitive.
Brilliant and useful video. Surprised not to see a little more Headrush love in the comments. It was up there or close on all but the Bassman for me, but regardless of how they sound, its OS/UI alone is enough to make it my pick of the bunch.
Headrush Prime is slept on! If you like heavy sounds please check out my KSR Gemini full rig Profiles on the cloud. Imo the filthiest in show on the unit, not to brag
The thing with the helix is that it's capable of fantastic sounds but you need to tweak, if you just put on an amp and cab without any tweaking it's not great. The "stock" settings just aren't great, as Pete said they're ok. However, when you tweak the settings properly (see John Nathan Cordy or similar channels) it's great, as good as any of the others. It just requires the extra effort.
Helix is awesome if you program it right. I feel that even though its 7 years old, its still competing head to head with QC. I use stock amp cabs and it just sounds so perfect
I agree, the Helix is still incredible. Say what you want about each model that was played... overall, the Helix has a sound that I prefer. It is pleasing to the ear. IMHO
The helix is indeed top 3 units, unfortunately you have beginners in this video that don’t seem to know how to tweak and doesn’t do it any justice at all.
First off I believe ALL of these units have their merits and many many usable tones in any of them. I feel like the helix didn’t get a fair shake here though. The helix does not exactly shine with an out of the box stock preset. It’s a tweaker paradise. If you spend some time with it and tweak it and treat it like a real amp and pedalboard the tones are still fantastic. I believe the helix shines the most live. The routing options and ability to integrate with a real amp can’t be beat by any of the other units. I’m probably biased I’ve been touring with a helix since 2018. I will say I am def ready for the next iteration. The fender tone master has been stuck in my head since it dropped but the helix wasn’t meant to be used out of the box slap an amp and cab and go
I love these videos because while they all sound good, none sound better than the patches I spent time crafting on my pod go. Sure the helix tech is old now, but with the right IR, EQ, pedals etc. It sounds fantastic so I see no need to spend any more money.
Again, just to clarify the many "Wheres the Fractal" posts.... We don't/can't sell them - Fractal only sell direct to consumers. We'd be in a no win position if we featured a Fractal... if we said it wasn't our favourite, you'd all accuse us of bias because we can't sell it. If we said it was our favourite then you wouldn't buy the units we do sell :) ! So if you're Fractal curious, you'll need to find another way to compare them - sorry!! Hope you enjoy the comparison of the products we can offer - so much amazing choice.
I've only opened your vid to read your disclaimer, it's plainly evident you are still feeling deservedly ashamed form being exposed earlier.....nice try though!
My takeaway is, after 10 years the only real advancement is touch screens and encoder footswitches. Since these units are mostly software based devices, the companies have managed to tweak the code base to sound as good as the competing products to stay relevant. It's a great time to be a guitarist from that perspective, no bad options on the the table.
Well... in 10 years DSPs have evolved a lot. I don't know if they use the latest DSPs. And, in 10 years computational speed has advanced lot, especially in the field of AI. AI can be used to model things, and ... e.g. QC uses AI modeled stuff. So, no, bits are still bits, but nowadays you can get more and better bits. If the old stuff is good enough for you, be happy.
To my ears, fender and QC are way above the others ! I still don t know wich one i would choose...but this fender looks and sounds amazing ❤ QC has more features , sounds amazing , and future plug in compatibility will be a huge step too... ❤....selling my AX8 now ! 😂 thanks for this demo guys !
My Fender Mustang Modeler 3 v2 Sounds Better Then all of These Combined except the fender pro that seems to be a step up from mine very similar. However I had my modified and now it can go through any compatible cabinet it sounds great. We don't know what they are going through here.
Have got a Helix LT which I love. Nothing I saw on this video has tempted me to put my hand in my pocket. The number of incredible upgrades the Line6 lads STILL pump out has earned them my loyalty. ❤
I recently sold the lt for the quad cortex, and the QC sonically blows the lt out of the water. Effects aren’t quite there but with plug-in integration coming, the QC won’t be leaving my board anytime soon
@@Wond3rland___ hi, I can believe that the QC is better. I think I can probably even hear it on the video. But for what I need/use it for, I couldn't really justify the expense or the time required to learn a new unit. Glad to hear it's working out for you though.
Same here. Bought an HX Stomp 5 months ago and I am really overwhelmed. Bought a power amp and sold my physical amps. No regrets about that. Absolutely amazed by the new cabs and all the effects plus those great simulations of amps. The price is also great!
Yeah, the ToneX is unreal! It takes some work, and a bit of fussing to get what you want, but I now have profiles on my computer that sound extremely close to the amps I own. I'm very pleased with it as a product. I just wish I had a bigger space for playing so I can take the time to capture them at more than home recording volume. Would love to try to capture profiles in a studio setting.
I am using Neural a lot in the studio and have great results, I've had Helix for a long time, but live I always go back to Kemper it is just unbeatable live.
For me the best sounding is the Quad Cortex followed really close by the Fender but the intuitive edition and the visual representations for me are equally important I say Fender for me
The ending of the video with side by side comparisons was the key to making this decision. For me quad cortex is number one and kemper is a close second
Great Video. I’m a helix user since 2015. I’m happy. I do use the Neural DSP plugins and Helix native too. Like them both. I think line 6 ready for some new gear though. Times have moved on. 👍
You can mix and match amps and cabs in Kemper. They are separate captures and also you can add UA ox cab sims with a amp head capture etc. Just did it today and had grrreat results with Kemper. I also connected my UA woodrow to Kemper effects loop and shut down the cab sim of UAFX using Kemper cab or UAox cab sim and the sounds are incredible. Good job guys, really enjoyable watching your nerdiness for guitar gear. ❤
So many interesting options, but the Quad Cortex still feels like it was made for people like me 😁. I would take the fixed grid over the auto scrolling line of the Fender every day of the week. I never saw any of these out in the wild, so the small images don't help and the changing button layouts per device are a minus to me rather than a plus 😂. I totally get why people coming from the more physical side of it see things the other way round 🙂
I'm sure with every one of these, you can get better results by teweaking. Not sure if you were using the most recent updated cabinet versions from the Helix, the old stuff is all still in there, but the new models are also there. It's definitely time for a Helix Floor 2.0, though its super impressive how much Helix has continued to push updates for it over time.
Yeah, it feels like they didn't given its due justice. How Line 6 has been updating it since its release and only has gotten better to the point it's still very relevant and competitive to this date. Line 6 had a survey a couple of months ago about a possible Helix 2.0, so I bet once they release that, it'll trump all these new ones, and will remain competitive against anything that comes after it for 5 or more years.
@@AU-cs6erat some point they might run out of proccessing power, or come across a hardware limitation, but knowing that they have a long cycle of support for their products is very comforting. I love my helix, though I'm first to admit that my ear for tone isn't great, so I probably couldn't tell you if you can get a good tone or not! Ultimately all of them are going to sound shite running through your local pubs PA and all of them will sound good with your travel-along engineering team setting up just for you.
@@AU-cs6erI’ve been a loyal and very content Helix owner since 2016, but I must’ve missed that Helix 2.0 survey. When/where did you see that survey? I’d love to see the suggestions or results from this. I figure the next Helix can’t be very far off, so I’m tempted to try to sell my Helix floor before it’s announced and the value in the aftermarket plummets, like it did with my PodHD500.
Was kemper all the way for me. Didnt think I would love it as much as I did tbh. I felt like it best represented what each amp would sound like if you had it mic'd up in another room. This was a super useful video guys, thanks!
Where the Kemper really melts your brain with how good it is is when you run it into a power amp (i.e., you turn off the cab sim, plug it into some mega-clean amp - I have an Orange Pedal Baby - and then have it coming out of a real cab). It is completely indistinguishable from a real amp. I have the very strong suspicion that a huge part of why people think modellers suck is that they've only ever played them though an IR and studio monitors or a FRFR cab whereas real amps they've only ever played through a real cab, and frankly anything including really amps is just a horrible experience played that way. People massively underestimate how much speakers make a difference.
I was stage hand on a festival where a major act was using Kemper powered rigs to drive Marshall 4-twelve cabs. It was completely indistinguishable from real tube amps and infinitely easier to deal with for the FOH guys. That said I’ll probably go with the fender if I ever abandon my tube amps.
Yeah...Im still sticking to Kemper. The Fender is pretty amazing too...and I want to pick it...but, they have such a terrible history of discontinued technical support of these kind of things. I'd need to see a guaranteed several year long support contract by them if I'm going to spend that kind of money. So, Kemper Stage is the winner by a fair margin to me.
I can almost tell by Pete’s expressions how each patch is working! The Fender seems to have the best user interface…of course they are the newest. They all have their pluses and minuses…as you point out …all NEW technologies electronic based, have built in obsolescence.
As a Helix LT owner, I can understand how it may sound a bit worse than competitors. It's actually the "hardest" unit to get sounding right. HOWEVER, it's also the one with the most customizability, and you definitely CAN get any sound you have in your head if you dive deep enough into it. For example, I notice that only using a combo block usually tends to sound more "two-dimensional" than using separate amp and cab blocks. For example, you can choose an amp block, then choose a dual cab block with different mic compositions so that it sounds as close as it would if you'd actually record the thing. Also, a bit of room reverb goes all the way (modelling always produces the "dry" sound, and real amps are always at least in a room, so you need to emulate that as well hehe). Also Line 6 tends to give the full sound range in blocks, INCLUDING the ones you don't want. So you need to kinda know what you're doing, insert a low cut, input a high cut, give the tone a little nudge around the 75khz or so (all of that usually done within the amp or cab blocks themselves), then you have what you want haha. It's literally more complicated, but also more customizable. The sky is the limit with what you want to do with it. That, coupled with the fact that Line 6 constantly updates (and improves) the way the unit works and sounds, is why Helix owners rarely move away from it. Once you learn how to use it, it's the best piece of equipment you can have. 😊
It was good to get the quick cut comparison at the end. A bit of a shame a mono reverb was used on the Helix but other than that it was a pretty fair comparison 👍 The only thing I’d get from this is that I won’t buy the fender or headrush without more updates from them… the fender driven amps were pretty terrible with noticeable digital artifacts with the Mesa not sounding like a Mesa at all… all the others were pretty good 👍
I would get the Quad Cortex, or the Fender, but the Headrush Core is exactly half the price, and I think I will manage to make it sound awesome, or find some great IRs or ways to take it closer to the sounds I like.
Been gigging with a Kemper Stage since they were released at NAMM several years back and it's been perfect for those of us who are continuously suspect and/or disappointed by products that come and go, lose any factory support, or worse yet... technology that is buggy or decides to take a sh!t during soundcheck. Michael Britt profiles are the gold standard for live use and I appreciate the device needing more intentional updating as opposed to wifi updates. I wait to do updates until I don't have gigs "just in case" and carry a thumb drive with the latest firmware and my backups (although I've fortunately never needed to rebuild on the fly... unlike Midas digital mixers, but that's another story). I could see using any of these (the Fender is my fave of the new ones) if you like the work flow, but I predict my Kemper will stay in the lineup with my Tube amps, and if Christoph releases a Kemper II, it will definitely get my pre-order as I suspect to get decades of use out of them instead of a couple years. ☮❤🎶
@@Willemguitar One of my other favorite things is the versatility where I run the 1/4" outs to the FX return on a Mesa tube combo and often just mic the cab because it sounds so great transforming from a Matchless to a Soldano or whatever. But I have the option of sending FOH the XLR and I decoupled that volume from the big master knob so once their level is set, I can adjust my stage volume if necessary by just reaching for the big knob at my feet. I'm the lead singer guitarist, so it's less convenient to step back, adjust the volume then step back to the mic and see how it sounds with the vocal mix coming from the stage monitors. ☮❤🎶
I used a vox tonelab, the big one with a tube for years while touring abroad. I always had a consistent sound regardless of what amp i had to use at the gig. I think i paid about €200 for that back in 2011 or so. Great tone dosn’t have to come at a great cost.
Thanks for the commitment to demo each modeler/profiler on this demo! Truly eye opening for the current state of technology. If I had to pick a winner, it is the Kemper with the chosen profiled sounds. All of the modelers seemed to try so hard to mimic a sound yet the Kemper provided "the sound."
That was an epic demo! This is the first video that I've watched demoing the Fender TMP that it sounded really good on a number of Presets. The QC sounded great, Headrush was good, and the Kemper sounded remarkably good with it's Profiling technology. The Helix was really disappointing sounding, and Pete's critique was spot on. It didn't help that the Helix output was noticeably lower than the other Modelers demoed. I have an HX Stomp, and I've done 2 things to get it to sound great. First, go to the Cab Block on the Presets and turn down the High Cut Parameter to about 5Khz so it matches the real Speaker's Frequency Response. And the other thing I discovered recently was to run the Left and Right Outputs of the HX Stomp to "separate Channel Strips" on a Mixer (hardware DAW) and "hard pan" one left and the other right. That got rid of the strange distortion Pete was talking about, the sound opened right up made and sounded three dimensional and high fidelity. With those two changes, I get sounds comparable to the other good sounding Modelers. This is all reported on based on my use of Studio Monitoring Headphones.
Quad cortex for me.... But just to let you know - I think that the newer models in Helix are much better than these classic amp simulation - those are the old ones :)
I recently bought a pre-owned Zoom G6. It does everything I need and more. The Tonemaster Pro is $1700 US. That's more than I have invested in my entire live performance rig.
The way to test this stuff is on stage with some players ripping and changing equipment:) I haven't tried all of these, but Headrush sounds good, but for a tapper, it will work you to death, trying to get it to respond. The Line 6 is sterile, no overtones, sounds fake, but effects are good. The absolute best to me (I haven't tried a Fractal), is the BOSS GTK:) It has a better engine, AIRD rules, and the notes spring off the fretboard. But you don't really appreciate it until it's LOUD, and you begin to get that useful feedback, that is soooo even and natural. Thanks for the work you guys put in:)
Being a helix user I will always give it the nod but the Headrush Prime has to be considered with all the added effects.What a time to be a guitarist,everyone of these units sounds great.
As far as the UI simplicity, and small form factor, the fender wins. However, the fact that it doesn’t do captures makes it a dealbreaker for me. I want to be able to capture my own amps, and pedals and load them in. So for now I am going to be stuck with the quad cortex, as it is the only one that is small, has a big screen, and can capture.
Thanks for this comparison. Still rocking the HX Stomp and some NDSP Plugins and have more than I could use ;) and yet an upgrade looks very tempting...
I use a MX5- probably doesn't sound quiet as good as any of these units- but I still love it, it works for me. And if you're willing to buy a few third-party IRs- you can improve about any unit out there. Line 6, Ax FX, Quad-Core something or another- these things are starting to sound like fighter jets, not modeling units. But yeah- just because these companies make the best hardware available- doesn't mean they also have the best IRs. York Audio makes amazing IRs- they're cheap- about 15 bucks a pack- and you get usually around 150 IRs per pack- sometimes more. Each pack is based on one cab- but they use multiple mics in multiple placements and do mixes as well, so you end up with like 150 IRs for each cab. Plus, you can do your own mixes using the minimum phase IRs, so you don't run into phasing issues. If you have an MX5 trust me- they make it sound so much better. The MX5 does still have the latency issue though- but only when I use a compressor in the FX loop, or when I'm running a fuzz and use my guitar volume to get cleanup. That's the only times I've noticed it but- it's there, barely perceptible- just enough to make you feel disconnected. If they addressed it in the larger units- why didn't they address it in the MX5? I'm calling them to find out. I have the latest firmware update so- if it was fixed, that should've done it.
I tried the first fender in Sydney a couple of days ago. And it has a lot going for it, including a great price compared to the competition. However, my FM3 Turbo sounds better IMO. It's unfortunate that there's no Fractal in this great comparison.
Yeah agree, but andertons can’t sell Fractal, so it would not be a good look for Axe to be at the top of the pecking order and the. you can’t go buy it now from them. 😂
@@BkBk-gy6vr You don't even need to make it 2 minute into the video to know that they can't sell them, don't stock them and so don't have one to compare!
I bought a Tone Master Pro yesterday and compared it to my QuadCortex .. the QC feels and sound better when using the same IR on both. The Fender unit is really nice but it just cannot compete.
@@algorithm007ify The comparison in the video is not really valid. You need to compare them with the same IR. The dynamic and resolution in the Quad Cortex is better when comparing in this way. Just try by yourself :)
I like the ease of use and UI of the fender, seems sort of pro level in a comfortable way? I mean I’d actually have to regularly practice guitar to ever think about buying one but it’s super nice
I've been rocking an Axe-FX II for...like...6 years now and still have no plans to "upgrade"...lol May grab a QC to play with though as they recently announced that you'll be able to use their DESKTOP PLUGINS IN THE QC!! Which is amazing.
The fender sounded best to me on all the amps except the reverb was weird sounding. The QC was my second choice. I don't own any of these but I'm looking to go ampless now that I'm playing out for the first time in 25 years and lugging my 59 Bassman around sucks I'm not 24 anymore. 😂
They had it set pretty splashy - and pretty sure they were using the convolution tank model. It's a pretty amazing model of the reverb tank, but not everyone likes drippy sound.
The most telling thing in the comparison at the end was how Pete reacted to them, def felt like the Quad and the Kemper had him engaged the most and to my ears sounded the best.
In regard to your points early on regarding pros/cons of modelling vs profiling. In the new software release on Kemper (v10.0 I think?)- they have introduced something called 'Liquid profiling'. This is where they also capture the nuances of the tone stack (e.g. the EQ and Gain acts more true to the actual amp). I believe it's an improvement and has settled some of those criticisms of the modelling community :) You should explore this new software release in a vid!! :)
Headrush has a guitar input setting where you can set the level + an initial gate. Could have been set a little hotter here. Also the global EQ is a key to this unit. I just love it and get everything I need out of it. Not saying the others are better or worse, I don't care...
It says king of multi fx , so I will stick with my korg A4 ,and A4b,they've stood up to international touring ,and are still going strong today. I purchased them in 1992/3. I'm more concerned into analogue ,but these multi effect boards are ace. The amp sim is still great sounding ,even 30+ years later !!!
Regarding the Kemper, why didn't you just use the official free rig packs that you can load from rig manager? That might have been a better place to start. Might have saved you a bit of time. Having said that, you have found some really nice sounding profiles. Also, the recent addition of the Liquid Profiling capability further enhances an already great sounding unit. I'm an ex Headrush and Helix user, and I'm happy, from a tone point of view, that I made the switch to Kemper, although the other units have advantages in other areas. I could still happily gig with Helix, but I do prefer the sound of the Kemper.
The main thing with the Helix is if you don't change the mic from the presets the sounds are not as good. Switch out the dynamic mics for a ribbon and adjust the positioning a bit and boom, it has way more accurate sounds. Just using the stock mic and position massively affects the amp/cab you select. Plus, there are thousands of free patches people have made that are incredibly accurate to a specific sound (modded Marshalls, Dimebag, etc.)
Even if they had've done that would you still check it out or maybe buy it via hearing it via this presentation using your current speakers or headphones is the real consideration.
@@LIKEFUNK I get what you are saying but I have and use the Helix Floor model. I have had it since it first came out in 2015. Still use it to this day and absolutely love it but it is definitely misrepresented in this shootout by the oversight of a mono reverb. I know what the Helix capabilities are and it is much closer to the Fender TMP than the video lets on.
I mean come on. You don't even bother adjusting any of the cab sim stuff here and that's going to make a massive difference in the sound for any of these units. This is honestly just misrepresenting all of them.
Based on the sound samples at the end, the TMP sounds like the winner to me, then the QC. I own a helix and I completely understand the "2D" sound. But once you understand how to use dual cabs, EQ, and the ambient reverb block effectively it does come to life. Theres steep learning curve to get there though.
Dude how? I knew exactly how the Headrush was going to sound from my experience with it. How does Neural DSP and Fender model it so “full” and how can I bring the Headrush to life?!
@@peaceofvideo so first trick is graphic EQ at the front to tweak the guitar tone. This is not for gentle curves. You want to accentuate certain frequencies and cut others to suit the guitar. Second have 2 cabs or IRs panned 100% left and right with different speakers and mics. Choose combinations that have similar tone. And last some reverb. Small room, very short decay, 1-5ms pre delay, lots of dampening, low mix. This is just to make it feel like a real room, not a DI. The combination of amp/cab/mic is difficult, but important. And requires a hell of a lot of experimentation.
I think for the modeling units, what is key is taking the time to create YOUR sound, meaning create the sound you love regardless of its 'authenticity.' It IS commendable for these companies to recreate the realism of legendary amplifiers, but not everyone's ideal amp sound is going to be the same as the next person. As for the units that can profile or capture amps and effects, those units are dependant the user to obtain the tone the searching for. That said, I have an HX Stomp and I've spent the time creating my own ideal tones and I don't use any stock presets.
It works very well! You can have your pre-amp effects on the unit, use a send/return block (then use one of the send outputs to the front of your amp), connect the send from your amp to the return of the Line 6 gear, continue with your post-amp effects, then finalize with the output of the gear into your amp's return. No amp or cab block needed, your real amp will be that in the signal chain. I've used Line 6 gear in this 4-cable configuration for years, and it always worked pretty fine, and the HX effects line on the Helix and HX Stomp are VERY good. Now I actually ditched my amp (used a Blackstar HT 40), got an FRFR (a Headrush, because it's cheaper! Hehe), and just use the amp/cab models on the Helix once I learned how to set them up properly, and after the latest patch they now sound so good that I'm starting to leave my IR collection behind as well haha (But I still can't leave my OwnHammer RECT IRs, FWD and MIX, in a dual-IR config powering the Badonk. Best metal sound you can get!!)
I think the Fender sounded the best on the deluxe and Bassman. Quad Cortex sounded best on everything else except the dual rec which I'd pick the helix. Overall I rank them: Quad Cortex> Fender>Helix>Kemper>Headrush. None of them were bad though.
Kemper Stage - When they finally enabled the USB to be an audio interface is what puts me firmly on Kempers side. Cuz other than that is it pretty perfect.
Wait to see if they bother supporting or updating it. Also, listen with studio headphones, the Fender unit is not impressive and has lots of digital artifacts in most of the demos out there. That said: MORE MODELER TALK ON DIPPED IN TONE! I'm submitting my Fractal rig to be dipped, hope it starts a conversation. I went all-digital two years ago and I'm never looking back.
What’s fantastic with those unit is , to each their own !! I had a GT1000 , didn’t like the drive and it was too complex! The TMP sound so good and looks really friendly user ! But 2350$ CAN , outch !! Hope Fender will add a Soldano and the Original EVH 6L6 !
After several sessions with it, I’m loving it. Finally bought it today. Been looking at modelers for a long time too, and this was more suited to me than the others. It’s awesome if you’re thinking about getting one!
Its crazy how far modeler systems have come. They used to either be really cheap with horrible tone, or good sounding but super expensive and unobtainable. I remember one of the first time’s seeing something like that used was prog bands like animals as leaders, coheed, periphery, btbam, ect. Now 9/10 bands are using one of those units live. My guitarist uses a quad cortex and honestly it is one of the best purchases he could have made
It's a good move to adress the elephant in the room right at the start by explaining why you don't have Fractal products in the video. The quality of the video and the review is not affected by it, awesome work on that by the way! I was wondering where the ToneMaster Pro was standing against the others. As always, Anderton's is my favorite channel for gear reviews :)
The herculean commitment to continuous updates/upgrades throughout the years makes Line6 a company to be cherished. Kudos to Line6 team for working so close to its user base. 🎉👊
And also vehemently disagreeing with people that think there needs to be a new Helix 2.0 hardware update. I was always impressed with that, but the constant updates sold me.
Very good point and if Fender is paying attention, they should learn from that. No one wants to pay thousands of dollars for something that won’t be considered current in a few years
Agreed. I genuinely can't believe that they're still supporting this unit after so much time. How to turn your customers into fans.
Really? I feel like they drop the ball always. They will give you 2 real updates a year. They never seem like they care enough about their “flagship” product. They spent a year on doing poly pitch stuff and the poly capo is terrible and sounds worse than the original simple pitch in the unit. They are too busy making 25 cheaper versions of the helix
@@schlagdog I don’t think you realize the complexity of coding. 2 a year is a lot
Line 6 has really impressed me with how they’ve updated their Helix products over time. Went way further than I ever would have guessed or expected, made such a supremely powerful set of units - absolutely amazing job + dedication + listening to their user base
Its great thry made it last but the difference in the plexi or deluxe vs the fender is very obvious the line 6 fizzle and is thin . I have to say that you need a a/b real time vs to spit it
All those updates and it still sounds like sh*t.
@@Colosphoniumidk what you’re talking about with the fizzle or thin. It’s sounds the best in my opinion. Line 6 also has mic placements that you have to adjust as well. You have to tweak which they didn’t do. A proper tweaked helix sounds better than any other modeler bro hands down.
Love my Helix rack. Love the constant upgrades from Line 6. It’s a better unit today than it was when I bought it 5 years ago. The other units sound great too but I’ve figured out the Helix and I’m really happy with it
Yeah and the helix still sounds better in my opinion lol. It’s easier to get good tones on the other stuff, because the Helix is so much more dynamic and complex, a proper dialed in tweaked helix beats all those modelers hands flipping down. And the hx effects are king
I think you hit the nail on the head. It’s just like having a preferred DAW to work in. It’s not so important which one you choose, it’s all about getting to know it inside out!
Neural Quad Cortex sounded lovely to me, if i had the loot that would be my first choice! The Kemper and the Fender also sounded real good.
Happy I still have my Kemper. Certainly the Kemper effects are not as strong as effects on other units, but just straight up amp tone it's still my favorite. QC is a close second, and also really impressed by the Tone Master as well.
You haven't been playing with any of the FX updates then. I think they're the best of all of em now.
@@RogerBrenon Good to know!
Kemepr’s spring reverbs kill Helix/QC/headrush
ToneMaster!? 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
This is my first step into modeling, but I’ve been looking for quite a while at Helix, QC, Kemper, and others as well. However, the TMP won me over. Had the opportunity to demo it several times at my local music shop. Not only was it simple to get going and use it, but the display was big enough for me to read, and it sounded amazing through its own Fender cab as well as headphones. Everything was seamless. Zero lag, and very easy to navigate through tone/fx selections. Also, rearranging your chain and subbing out different fx and IRs is a breeze. As well as having rotary foot switches just like the QC. Personally, I think all of these are pretty awesome, it’s just a matter of preference I’m sure! Figured I would at least give my feedback in case anyone was thinking about getting a Fender 🫡
I bought the Headrush Gigboard over a year ago and like it, however the new Fender TMP looks way more user friendly with the knobs being able to adjust on the fly. That is a sweet feature. Thanks for sharing because I am thinking about taking a look at it myself.
@@mmiller6873absolutely! It’s my pleasure. Rock on 🤘
The Helix is FAR easier to use. The only 2 things the Tone Master has on the helix is touchscreen and it shows actual pedals.
But if you have a long chain, you can't see when you turn some effects on and off on the tone master pro cause all of the pedals aren't viewable at the same time
I liked the TMP. Not sure how it fares vs Fractal … ?
Captures/Profilers FTW, though … Not sure how ToneX/Kemper/QC rank now, though …
My impression is that Kemper & Fractal are still top … for all-in-1 …
Nit sure if ToneX > Kemper for just amp profiles now, though …
Presumably, ToneX will do an all-in-1, eventually … ?
What effect NAM may have, down the road some … … … ?!?!
The Helix sounds “two dimensional” partly because you used the mono plate reverb instead of the stereo one. When you do that, the output signal is completely mono. Most of the other modelers sound like they’re running stereo reverbs, which of course creates a much more spacious sound through monitors or headphones.
Thank you, absolutley right!
When I first got the helix back in 2017, I was so underwhelmed when I first turned it on and started flicking through presets but I could hear the potential. I decided to go out and start grabbing ownhammer and Celestion IR’s. Holy smokes it really brought the unit to life. And the FX on the unit are second to none
@@becominghuman3561the new cab models are a step up again. Many have now ditched their IR collections because they are so good and so tweakable.
@@StephenHird I did notice that! They do sound much better now
I thought the 2 dimension comment was pretty ridiculous also - and the comment about trying the stomp xl but being annoyed about touching foot switches and triggering selections - not a bug! Designed to do that for faster navigation!
I’ve been playing Headrush for the last few years. With good IRs and some noodling it sounds fantastic. I love how easy it is work with and I think the updates that headrush make are great.
Correct. I dumped almost every preset it came with and dialed in my own rigs - and ofc imported lots of IRs.
Where do you get your IRs from for the headrush? I am looking for some fender reverb sounds, but was not convinced by the headrush demo. Feels like it lacks some dynamic and tone.
Fender being who they are has its ups and downs for the TMP; yes, they give us “official” amps, and lots of good features - but I’m curious how much support the TMP will receive, and for how long. They do SOOO much other stuff, that you have to wonder how much attention this will receive as time moves forward. The other companies basically ONLY do digital, so you’re going to always receive new patches, new features, and quality improvements as time moves on. I like that fender went with an interface similar to the Spark series from PositiveGrid, because - as Pete pointed out - pictures=good!!!
Fender have been addressing those concerns on the TGP thread. They say the company is in it for the long haul with regular updates planned. So we'll see.
@@joec63 That's what they always say. Gibson said that about robot tuners. No brand is going to go on the forums and say "buy this $1800 thing, we aren't sure if we're going to support it for a long time or not".
Yup, $1800 for a beta product with no guarantee of long-term support is a tough sell, especially when Fractal and Line6 are already industry standards with proven track records
Seeing as digital is probably the future of amps I'm having a hard time seeing Fender abandoning such a lucrative market
@@joec63 Said the same thing about the Mustang line, never happened. New Mustangs happened years apart. They are WQAY behind in just numbers of Amps, FX and Stomps modelled.
My favorite thing about these units is that (between the ones I've owned) they all sound great. I started with the Helix LT and now added a Kemper. I absolutely love both units and haven't touched an "amp" in ages. You really can't go wrong as long as you invest the time.
Totally agree with you. However I will say there is something to be said regarding the interfaces. The Headrush and Fender have absolutely beautiful interfaces that have a much quicker learning curve. I have a Kemper Stage, and I hate having to scroll through tons of profiles just to select the one I want.
@@michaelgriffin5304 I guess convenience and variety is important here too. I use at least 5 different amps (presets) on gigs and each one of them has at least 2-3 snapshots. So having just one amp and being unable to change several pedals at once (without a midi config) is kinda killer for me.
What amp did you get@@michaelgriffin5304
@@Davedarave6661 maybe fractal, it is also the one with most customization choices and variety in amps and cabs
@@Davedarave6661 For pedals only, a lot of people actually prefer the Helix over Fractal. Fractal’s amps are generally regarded as better than Helix’s, but for pedal effects the Helix has more models of real-world pedals instead of more generic offerings in the Fractal units. The Fractal pedals sound good but if you want something specific, sometimes you have to create it yourself through tweaking.
The Helix sounds so close to the others but...in the video the cabs used are the old ones, not the new IRs, which are insanely better, so probably the Helix would sound at least on par or much better
Also, on the Helix they used a mono plate and then complained it sounded two dimensional, well no kidding.........
The other vital setting is input impedance of 1ohm instead of auto. Max it out!
Can you explain why? I'm actually curious @@xxjohnboy
They are using the new cabs (you can tell by the mic position slider and the lack of the legacy symbol when they page over to the cab), but they dropped a mono reverb at the end instead of a stereo one.
@@VintageLeatherWings22 i don't know why. Just saw in another channel and tried it and was grateful. Johnny Lee on TH-cam i think
I think the Fender TM & Neural QC are very close to stand alone units if a person is just getting into Modeling ...
The Headrush Prime and Line 6 Helix become viable if you put them through a UAOX Stomp for more authentic Mic'd Cabinet sounds and still have all those great effects options that each provides.
😂 I don't believe you have used a Headrush board in any real world situations, if you had you would know that is far from the truth.
Hey! You guys used the old cab engine in Helix!! Those are famously poor, but Line6 came with completely reworked cab engine in last year’s update, which was an absolute game-changer and IRs are no longer the necessity for getting good tones out of Helix.
@@aleksandrlazarev9679Because of the "Legacy" icon that is next to the cab’s name.
@@aleksandrlazarev9679 They kept the original amp and cab blocks because of compatibility with existing presets, used the icon to make sure they are not the primary cabs for people to use.
Yeah these guys have no idea what they’re doing. This video is an absolute joke and line 6 should send Paul hindmarsh out to straighten them out or pull their dealership and sue them.
That, a mono 'verb and the Kinky Boost instead of an actual TS808 pedal... what a joke
Update 3.7 is great, it has put new life into the unit, great to see Line 6 are still supporting the old girl.
I think you could choose any of these and be fine. I think it would be important to figure out how you want to use it, which amp models are most important to you, and go try them out.
Been gigging my Headrush Prime for a couple months now, no cab, straight to FOH.
I can confidently tell anyone to just trash all of the stock presets. Build your own presets and scenes, and tweak to your desire. The whole thing is super intuitive.
Brilliant and useful video. Surprised not to see a little more Headrush love in the comments. It was up there or close on all but the Bassman for me, but regardless of how they sound, its OS/UI alone is enough to make it my pick of the bunch.
It's the least expensive and has the most features of all of them!
Headrush Prime is slept on! If you like heavy sounds please check out my KSR Gemini full rig Profiles on the cloud. Imo the filthiest in show on the unit, not to brag
The thing with the helix is that it's capable of fantastic sounds but you need to tweak, if you just put on an amp and cab without any tweaking it's not great. The "stock" settings just aren't great, as Pete said they're ok. However, when you tweak the settings properly (see John Nathan Cordy or similar channels) it's great, as good as any of the others. It just requires the extra effort.
Agreed 100 percent. Gotta dive in and treat it like an amp and board.
Agreed. JNC gets some incredible sounds out of his HX Stomp. All for around $450. You just have to put some effort in.
Helix is awesome if you program it right. I feel that even though its 7 years old, its still competing head to head with QC. I use stock amp cabs and it just sounds so perfect
Yep, the helix definitely needs a few EQs to get the best out of the amp and cab models, as well as some work on the mics and placement.
I agree, the Helix is still incredible. Say what you want about each model that was played... overall, the Helix has a sound that I prefer. It is pleasing to the ear. IMHO
+ no other high end modeler let's you go in at the price of an HX Stomp.
The helix is indeed top 3 units, unfortunately you have beginners in this video that don’t seem to know how to tweak and doesn’t do it any justice at all.
@@celticbattlepantsPremium IRs are king in the HX. Less bs too
First off I believe ALL of these units have their merits and many many usable tones in any of them. I feel like the helix didn’t get a fair shake here though. The helix does not exactly shine with an out of the box stock preset. It’s a tweaker paradise. If you spend some time with it and tweak it and treat it like a real amp and pedalboard the tones are still fantastic. I believe the helix shines the most live. The routing options and ability to integrate with a real amp can’t be beat by any of the other units. I’m probably biased I’ve been touring with a helix since 2018. I will say I am def ready for the next iteration. The fender tone master has been stuck in my head since it dropped but the helix wasn’t meant to be used out of the box slap an amp and cab and go
Just add great IRs and everything sounds immediately better!
@@liedgitarristwhat do you think of the updated cab models? I love them, but then again I didn’t hate the old ones as much as everyone else
@@NewnodrogbobNo, I captured my own cabs and now the unit sounds exactly like my amps.
Oh, you mean on the Helix, I do not know about them, I don't have the unit anymore. But on My QC I use my own IRs ;o)
@@Newnodrogbob
@@liedgitarrist nice!
I love these videos because while they all sound good, none sound better than the patches I spent time crafting on my pod go. Sure the helix tech is old now, but with the right IR, EQ, pedals etc. It sounds fantastic so I see no need to spend any more money.
It’s not about getting the tone right only it’s about getting new gear. Makes you feel great 😂
@@derickalbert On point! 🍻
Again, just to clarify the many "Wheres the Fractal" posts.... We don't/can't sell them - Fractal only sell direct to consumers. We'd be in a no win position if we featured a Fractal... if we said it wasn't our favourite, you'd all accuse us of bias because we can't sell it. If we said it was our favourite then you wouldn't buy the units we do sell :) ! So if you're Fractal curious, you'll need to find another way to compare them - sorry!! Hope you enjoy the comparison of the products we can offer - so much amazing choice.
I've only opened your vid to read your disclaimer, it's plainly evident you are still feeling deservedly ashamed form being exposed earlier.....nice try though!
Fractal does this to price fix on consumers, so they can suck it.
I understand but I would still like to hear it…. It was my first thought!
Lee owns fractal audio. He also owns my undivided attention 🙄
Not my immortal soul though, liquid death got that 💧 💀
@@LIKEFUNKYou have no idea what you’re talking about. Victory!
My takeaway is, after 10 years the only real advancement is touch screens and encoder footswitches. Since these units are mostly software based devices, the companies have managed to tweak the code base to sound as good as the competing products to stay relevant. It's a great time to be a guitarist from that perspective, no bad options on the the table.
Even with a cheapest device it is hard to be disappointed. Very nice period for guitarists.
Well... in 10 years DSPs have evolved a lot. I don't know if they use the latest DSPs. And, in 10 years computational speed has advanced lot, especially in the field of AI. AI can be used to model things, and ... e.g. QC uses AI modeled stuff. So, no, bits are still bits, but nowadays you can get more and better bits. If the old stuff is good enough for you, be happy.
@@McSloboConsidering the QC lacks any dedicated hardware for AI acceleration i doubt it's 2 ARM cores a capable of running anything resembling AI.
To my ears, fender and QC are way above the others ! I still don t know wich one i would choose...but this fender looks and sounds amazing ❤ QC has more features , sounds amazing , and future plug in compatibility will be a huge step too... ❤....selling my AX8 now ! 😂 thanks for this demo guys !
Don't hold your breath on any future updates with QC. They didn't even launch with promised features and still don't have them to this day.
My Fender Mustang Modeler 3 v2 Sounds Better Then all of These Combined except the fender pro that seems to be a step up from mine very similar. However I had my modified and now it can go through any compatible cabinet it sounds great. We don't know what they are going through here.
@@ChainsawChristmas Plug in compatibility estimated to drop by latest early 2025. Beta should be out this Fall
Have got a Helix LT which I love. Nothing I saw on this video has tempted me to put my hand in my pocket. The number of incredible upgrades the Line6 lads STILL pump out has earned them my loyalty. ❤
I recently sold the lt for the quad cortex, and the QC sonically blows the lt out of the water. Effects aren’t quite there but with plug-in integration coming, the QC won’t be leaving my board anytime soon
@@Wond3rland___ hi, I can believe that the QC is better. I think I can probably even hear it on the video. But for what I need/use it for, I couldn't really justify the expense or the time required to learn a new unit. Glad to hear it's working out for you though.
Same here. Bought an HX Stomp 5 months ago and I am really overwhelmed. Bought a power amp and sold my physical amps. No regrets about that. Absolutely amazed by the new cabs and all the effects plus those great simulations of amps. The price is also great!
Yep I'm all in on Helix now. And when a hardware refresh comes out I'll be in line to get it.
Yeah, the ToneX is unreal! It takes some work, and a bit of fussing to get what you want, but I now have profiles on my computer that sound extremely close to the amps I own. I'm very pleased with it as a product. I just wish I had a bigger space for playing so I can take the time to capture them at more than home recording volume. Would love to try to capture profiles in a studio setting.
I am using Neural a lot in the studio and have great results, I've had Helix for a long time, but live I always go back to Kemper it is just unbeatable live.
For me the best sounding is the Quad Cortex followed really close by the Fender but the intuitive edition and the visual representations for me are equally important I say Fender for me
The ending of the video with side by side comparisons was the key to making this decision. For me quad cortex is number one and kemper is a close second
Great Video. I’m a helix user since 2015. I’m happy. I do use the Neural DSP plugins and Helix native too. Like them both. I think line 6 ready for some new gear though. Times have moved on. 👍
You can mix and match amps and cabs in Kemper. They are separate captures and also you can add UA ox cab sims with a amp head capture etc. Just did it today and had grrreat results with Kemper. I also connected my UA woodrow to Kemper effects loop and shut down the cab sim of UAFX using Kemper cab or UAox cab sim and the sounds are incredible. Good job guys, really enjoyable watching your nerdiness for guitar gear. ❤
So many interesting options, but the Quad Cortex still feels like it was made for people like me 😁. I would take the fixed grid over the auto scrolling line of the Fender every day of the week. I never saw any of these out in the wild, so the small images don't help and the changing button layouts per device are a minus to me rather than a plus 😂. I totally get why people coming from the more physical side of it see things the other way round 🙂
I'm sure with every one of these, you can get better results by teweaking. Not sure if you were using the most recent updated cabinet versions from the Helix, the old stuff is all still in there, but the new models are also there. It's definitely time for a Helix Floor 2.0, though its super impressive how much Helix has continued to push updates for it over time.
Agree, digital John should have been involved in this video.
Yeah, it feels like they didn't given its due justice. How Line 6 has been updating it since its release and only has gotten better to the point it's still very relevant and competitive to this date. Line 6 had a survey a couple of months ago about a possible Helix 2.0, so I bet once they release that, it'll trump all these new ones, and will remain competitive against anything that comes after it for 5 or more years.
@@AU-cs6erat some point they might run out of proccessing power, or come across a hardware limitation, but knowing that they have a long cycle of support for their products is very comforting. I love my helix, though I'm first to admit that my ear for tone isn't great, so I probably couldn't tell you if you can get a good tone or not! Ultimately all of them are going to sound shite running through your local pubs PA and all of them will sound good with your travel-along engineering team setting up just for you.
@@AU-cs6erI’ve been a loyal and very content Helix owner since 2016, but I must’ve missed that Helix 2.0 survey. When/where did you see that survey? I’d love to see the suggestions or results from this. I figure the next Helix can’t be very far off, so I’m tempted to try to sell my Helix floor before it’s announced and the value in the aftermarket plummets, like it did with my PodHD500.
They all sound good in their own ways. I'd been looking at getting a Helix but the Tone Master does sound good
Look at the amp x by Blu guitar before you make your purchase man!🤘
Was kemper all the way for me. Didnt think I would love it as much as I did tbh. I felt like it best represented what each amp would sound like if you had it mic'd up in another room. This was a super useful video guys, thanks!
Where the Kemper really melts your brain with how good it is is when you run it into a power amp (i.e., you turn off the cab sim, plug it into some mega-clean amp - I have an Orange Pedal Baby - and then have it coming out of a real cab). It is completely indistinguishable from a real amp.
I have the very strong suspicion that a huge part of why people think modellers suck is that they've only ever played them though an IR and studio monitors or a FRFR cab whereas real amps they've only ever played through a real cab, and frankly anything including really amps is just a horrible experience played that way. People massively underestimate how much speakers make a difference.
I was stage hand on a festival where a major act was using Kemper powered rigs to drive Marshall 4-twelve cabs. It was completely indistinguishable from real tube amps and infinitely easier to deal with for the FOH guys. That said I’ll probably go with the fender if I ever abandon my tube amps.
Helix + ToneFactor XR Impulse responses is chef’s kiss. It’s the continuous updates, improvements and additions for me.
Yeah...Im still sticking to Kemper. The Fender is pretty amazing too...and I want to pick it...but, they have such a terrible history of discontinued technical support of these kind of things. I'd need to see a guaranteed several year long support contract by them if I'm going to spend that kind of money.
So, Kemper Stage is the winner by a fair margin to me.
I was not expecting the Tone Master to sound as good as it does. To me it sounds the best.
Agreed
Sounds great but with their own signature amps and licensed amps. I'd want to hear it overall
I’d love to have the fender tonemaster but that price tag is crazy
One hour forty seven minutes. What a GREAT effort you guys put in. Clicked immediately
I can almost tell by Pete’s expressions how each patch is working! The Fender seems to have the best user interface…of course they are the newest. They all have their pluses and minuses…as you point out …all NEW technologies electronic based, have built in obsolescence.
As a Helix LT owner, I can understand how it may sound a bit worse than competitors. It's actually the "hardest" unit to get sounding right. HOWEVER, it's also the one with the most customizability, and you definitely CAN get any sound you have in your head if you dive deep enough into it. For example, I notice that only using a combo block usually tends to sound more "two-dimensional" than using separate amp and cab blocks. For example, you can choose an amp block, then choose a dual cab block with different mic compositions so that it sounds as close as it would if you'd actually record the thing. Also, a bit of room reverb goes all the way (modelling always produces the "dry" sound, and real amps are always at least in a room, so you need to emulate that as well hehe). Also Line 6 tends to give the full sound range in blocks, INCLUDING the ones you don't want. So you need to kinda know what you're doing, insert a low cut, input a high cut, give the tone a little nudge around the 75khz or so (all of that usually done within the amp or cab blocks themselves), then you have what you want haha. It's literally more complicated, but also more customizable. The sky is the limit with what you want to do with it. That, coupled with the fact that Line 6 constantly updates (and improves) the way the unit works and sounds, is why Helix owners rarely move away from it. Once you learn how to use it, it's the best piece of equipment you can have. 😊
Watching Pete's facial expressions in the speed section, you can tell which ones he likes and hates haha. No poker face at all.
Yeah definitely. Especially the AC30 capture on the Quad Cortex!
It was good to get the quick cut comparison at the end. A bit of a shame a mono reverb was used on the Helix but other than that it was a pretty fair comparison 👍
The only thing I’d get from this is that I won’t buy the fender or headrush without more updates from them… the fender driven amps were pretty terrible with noticeable digital artifacts with the Mesa not sounding like a Mesa at all… all the others were pretty good 👍
THANK YOU THANK YOU for playing with a pick!!
I would get the Quad Cortex, or the Fender, but the Headrush Core is exactly half the price, and I think I will manage to make it sound awesome, or find some great IRs or ways to take it closer to the sounds I like.
I've got the OG Head Rush big board and it' sounds better than these new ones for some reason😂
Been gigging with a Kemper Stage since they were released at NAMM several years back and it's been perfect for those of us who are continuously suspect and/or disappointed by products that come and go, lose any factory support, or worse yet... technology that is buggy or decides to take a sh!t during soundcheck. Michael Britt profiles are the gold standard for live use and I appreciate the device needing more intentional updating as opposed to wifi updates. I wait to do updates until I don't have gigs "just in case" and carry a thumb drive with the latest firmware and my backups (although I've fortunately never needed to rebuild on the fly... unlike Midas digital mixers, but that's another story). I could see using any of these (the Fender is my fave of the new ones) if you like the work flow, but I predict my Kemper will stay in the lineup with my Tube amps, and if Christoph releases a Kemper II, it will definitely get my pre-order as I suspect to get decades of use out of them instead of a couple years. ☮❤🎶
@@Willemguitar One of my other favorite things is the versatility where I run the 1/4" outs to the FX return on a Mesa tube combo and often just mic the cab because it sounds so great transforming from a Matchless to a Soldano or whatever. But I have the option of sending FOH the XLR and I decoupled that volume from the big master knob so once their level is set, I can adjust my stage volume if necessary by just reaching for the big knob at my feet. I'm the lead singer guitarist, so it's less convenient to step back, adjust the volume then step back to the mic and see how it sounds with the vocal mix coming from the stage monitors. ☮❤🎶
I used a vox tonelab, the big one with a tube for years while touring abroad. I always had a consistent sound regardless of what amp i had to use at the gig. I think i paid about €200 for that back in 2011 or so. Great tone dosn’t have to come at a great cost.
Thanks for the commitment to demo each modeler/profiler on this demo! Truly eye opening for the current state of technology. If I had to pick a winner, it is the Kemper with the chosen profiled sounds. All of the modelers seemed to try so hard to mimic a sound yet the Kemper provided "the sound."
That was an epic demo! This is the first video that I've watched demoing the Fender TMP that it sounded really good on a number of Presets. The QC sounded great, Headrush was good, and the Kemper sounded remarkably good with it's Profiling technology.
The Helix was really disappointing sounding, and Pete's critique was spot on. It didn't help that the Helix output was noticeably lower than the other Modelers demoed. I have an HX Stomp, and I've done 2 things to get it to sound great. First, go to the Cab Block on the Presets and turn down the High Cut Parameter to about 5Khz so it matches the real Speaker's Frequency Response. And the other thing I discovered recently was to run the Left and Right Outputs of the HX Stomp to "separate Channel Strips" on a Mixer (hardware DAW) and "hard pan" one left and the other right. That got rid of the strange distortion Pete was talking about, the sound opened right up made and sounded three dimensional and high fidelity. With those two changes, I get sounds comparable to the other good sounding Modelers. This is all reported on based on my use of Studio Monitoring Headphones.
It didn't help that he was running a mono pedal that completely squashed the output volume and overall fullness of the sound
Quad cortex for me.... But just to let you know - I think that the newer models in Helix are much better than these classic amp simulation - those are the old ones :)
I recently bought a pre-owned Zoom G6. It does everything I need and more. The Tonemaster Pro is $1700 US. That's more than I have invested in my entire live performance rig.
The way to test this stuff is on stage with some players ripping and changing equipment:) I haven't tried all of these, but Headrush sounds good, but for a tapper, it will work you to death, trying to get it to respond. The Line 6 is sterile, no overtones, sounds fake, but effects are good. The absolute best to me (I haven't tried a Fractal), is the BOSS GTK:) It has a better engine, AIRD rules, and the notes spring off the fretboard. But you don't really appreciate it until it's LOUD, and you begin to get that useful feedback, that is soooo even and natural. Thanks for the work you guys put in:)
Fractal blows the rest away
@@BrendanMakesMusic I'd have to see it:) My other guitar player uses it. It's ALL about the feel for me, because everything sounds "good".
I have the GX 100 sounds fantastic sadly it doesn’t get the recognition as the others
@@Matthew_Scan Everything sounds good today, the difference to a larger degree is feel:)
Being a helix user I will always give it the nod but the Headrush Prime has to be considered with all the added effects.What a time to be a guitarist,everyone of these units sounds great.
A nearly 2 hour video! This will fill my afternoon nicely, thanks guys. I'm looking forward to seeing how worn out and bored you are at the end 🤣
Absolutely. All of their videos are at least 3 times as long as they should be. Always way too much small talk
That's my dream Strat!! 😍 configuration, color and pickups OMG!!
As far as the UI simplicity, and small form factor, the fender wins. However, the fact that it doesn’t do captures makes it a dealbreaker for me. I want to be able to capture my own amps, and pedals and load them in. So for now I am going to be stuck with the quad cortex, as it is the only one that is small, has a big screen, and can capture.
The Quad cortex has by far the best small form factor, less than half the weight and size of the Fender!
The more I hear that TMP, the more I like it :)
Thanks for this comparison. Still rocking the HX Stomp and some NDSP Plugins and have more than I could use ;) and yet an upgrade looks very tempting...
Well, this is exactly the video that I've been waiting for for many many months. Looking forward to watching it.
And the winner is..... Fractal FM9!!🎉🎉🎉
No
Boss ME-90 all the way!!
Yeah. Fractal is literally miles ahead of all the competitors
Too expensive intentionally “due to demand.”
Literally?
I use a MX5- probably doesn't sound quiet as good as any of these units- but I still love it, it works for me. And if you're willing to buy a few third-party IRs- you can improve about any unit out there. Line 6, Ax FX, Quad-Core something or another- these things are starting to sound like fighter jets, not modeling units. But yeah- just because these companies make the best hardware available- doesn't mean they also have the best IRs. York Audio makes amazing IRs- they're cheap- about 15 bucks a pack- and you get usually around 150 IRs per pack- sometimes more. Each pack is based on one cab- but they use multiple mics in multiple placements and do mixes as well, so you end up with like 150 IRs for each cab. Plus, you can do your own mixes using the minimum phase IRs, so you don't run into phasing issues. If you have an MX5 trust me- they make it sound so much better. The MX5 does still have the latency issue though- but only when I use a compressor in the FX loop, or when I'm running a fuzz and use my guitar volume to get cleanup. That's the only times I've noticed it but- it's there, barely perceptible- just enough to make you feel disconnected. If they addressed it in the larger units- why didn't they address it in the MX5? I'm calling them to find out. I have the latest firmware update so- if it was fixed, that should've done it.
Finally someone made the Tone Master Pro sound good.
Loved the heavier stuff pete was playing around 20 minutes in. Nice video. Thanks for taking the time to make it!
I tried the first fender in Sydney a couple of days ago. And it has a lot going for it, including a great price compared to the competition. However, my FM3 Turbo sounds better IMO. It's unfortunate that there's no Fractal in this great comparison.
Yeah agree, but andertons can’t sell Fractal, so it would not be a good look for Axe to be at the top of the pecking order and the. you can’t go buy it now from them. 😂
@@jeffwatson7811 They therefore don't stock it, too. Even if they wanted to, they don't have one to demo!
@@BkBk-gy6vr You don't even need to make it 2 minute into the video to know that they can't sell them, don't stock them and so don't have one to compare!
@@BkBk-gy6vr Fractals are only sold through specific distributors so it makes sense in a way as Andertons don't sell them.
of course they dont talk about fractal since its direct sales....;-)
I bought a Tone Master Pro yesterday and compared it to my QuadCortex .. the QC feels and sound better when using the same IR on both. The Fender unit is really nice but it just cannot compete.
The fender unit does fender amp sounds better in this video.
@@algorithm007ify The comparison in the video is not really valid. You need to compare them with the same IR. The dynamic and resolution in the Quad Cortex is better when comparing in this way. Just try by yourself :)
Love my tonemaster, got it today and I’m blown away, no manual needed, sore fingertips from playing!
Pete's playing just makes these demos so much more watchable than some other channels!
I like the ease of use and UI of the fender, seems sort of pro level in a comfortable way? I mean I’d actually have to regularly practice guitar to ever think about buying one but it’s super nice
Fender and Quad Cortex are the best sounding IMO, it will depend on connectability and if you need/want to capture your own sounds.
I've been rocking an Axe-FX II for...like...6 years now and still have no plans to "upgrade"...lol
May grab a QC to play with though as they recently announced that you'll be able to use their DESKTOP PLUGINS IN THE QC!! Which is amazing.
My take on the tones overall:
Kemper > Quadcore > Fender > Headrush > Helix
Kemper does sounds the best, second place seems like a tie, but I don’t like the headrush and helix
The fender sounded best to me on all the amps except the reverb was weird sounding. The QC was my second choice. I don't own any of these but I'm looking to go ampless now that I'm playing out for the first time in 25 years and lugging my 59 Bassman around sucks I'm not 24 anymore. 😂
They had it set pretty splashy - and pretty sure they were using the convolution tank model. It's a pretty amazing model of the reverb tank, but not everyone likes drippy sound.
The most telling thing in the comparison at the end was how Pete reacted to them, def felt like the Quad and the Kemper had him engaged the most and to my ears sounded the best.
Kemper sounds like a toy to me, by far the worst along with Headrush
Yeah, you can see him really dig into the AC30 on the QC trying to get that kerrang!
I rather expect he uses both IRL.
In regard to your points early on regarding pros/cons of modelling vs profiling. In the new software release on Kemper (v10.0 I think?)- they have introduced something called 'Liquid profiling'. This is where they also capture the nuances of the tone stack (e.g. the EQ and Gain acts more true to the actual amp). I believe it's an improvement and has settled some of those criticisms of the modelling community :) You should explore this new software release in a vid!! :)
Headrush has a guitar input setting where you can set the level + an initial gate. Could have been set a little hotter here. Also the global EQ is a key to this unit. I just love it and get everything I need out of it. Not saying the others are better or worse, I don't care...
“It sounds bad” on the Headrush is almost always that they don’t understand why input and output matter.
It says king of multi fx , so I will stick with my korg A4 ,and A4b,they've stood up to international touring ,and are still going strong today. I purchased them in 1992/3. I'm more concerned into analogue ,but these multi effect boards are ace. The amp sim is still great sounding ,even 30+ years later !!!
Regarding the Kemper, why didn't you just use the official free rig packs that you can load from rig manager? That might have been a better place to start. Might have saved you a bit of time. Having said that, you have found some really nice sounding profiles. Also, the recent addition of the Liquid Profiling capability further enhances an already great sounding unit. I'm an ex Headrush and Helix user, and I'm happy, from a tone point of view, that I made the switch to Kemper, although the other units have advantages in other areas. I could still happily gig with Helix, but I do prefer the sound of the Kemper.
The main thing with the Helix is if you don't change the mic from the presets the sounds are not as good. Switch out the dynamic mics for a ribbon and adjust the positioning a bit and boom, it has way more accurate sounds. Just using the stock mic and position massively affects the amp/cab you select. Plus, there are thousands of free patches people have made that are incredibly accurate to a specific sound (modded Marshalls, Dimebag, etc.)
Anyone else notice that they didn't use a stereo verb on the Helix, it was a mono plate. That's why it sounded "2D", come on guys, do it right!
Even if they had've done that would you still check it out or maybe buy it via hearing it via this presentation using your current speakers or headphones is the real consideration.
@@LIKEFUNK I get what you are saying but I have and use the Helix Floor model. I have had it since it first came out in 2015. Still use it to this day and absolutely love it but it is definitely misrepresented in this shootout by the oversight of a mono reverb. I know what the Helix capabilities are and it is much closer to the Fender TMP than the video lets on.
I mean come on. You don't even bother adjusting any of the cab sim stuff here and that's going to make a massive difference in the sound for any of these units. This is honestly just misrepresenting all of them.
Fender for Fender, Neural or Kemper for everything else.
Quad Cortex sounds amazing to my ears
Based on the sound samples at the end, the TMP sounds like the winner to me, then the QC. I own a helix and I completely understand the "2D" sound. But once you understand how to use dual cabs, EQ, and the ambient reverb block effectively it does come to life. Theres steep learning curve to get there though.
Dude how?
I knew exactly how the Headrush was going to sound from my experience with it.
How does Neural DSP and Fender model it so “full” and how can I bring the Headrush to life?!
@@peaceofvideo so first trick is graphic EQ at the front to tweak the guitar tone. This is not for gentle curves. You want to accentuate certain frequencies and cut others to suit the guitar. Second have 2 cabs or IRs panned 100% left and right with different speakers and mics. Choose combinations that have similar tone. And last some reverb. Small room, very short decay, 1-5ms pre delay, lots of dampening, low mix. This is just to make it feel like a real room, not a DI. The combination of amp/cab/mic is difficult, but important. And requires a hell of a lot of experimentation.
Just from Pete's facial expressions it looks like he enjoyed playing through the ToneMaster Pro and the Kemper the best.
I think for the modeling units, what is key is taking the time to create YOUR sound, meaning create the sound you love regardless of its 'authenticity.' It IS commendable for these companies to recreate the realism of legendary amplifiers, but not everyone's ideal amp sound is going to be the same as the next person. As for the units that can profile or capture amps and effects, those units are dependant the user to obtain the tone the searching for. That said, I have an HX Stomp and I've spent the time creating my own ideal tones and I don't use any stock presets.
How would the HX stomp work through the loop of my tube amp for just fx?
It works very well! You can have your pre-amp effects on the unit, use a send/return block (then use one of the send outputs to the front of your amp), connect the send from your amp to the return of the Line 6 gear, continue with your post-amp effects, then finalize with the output of the gear into your amp's return. No amp or cab block needed, your real amp will be that in the signal chain. I've used Line 6 gear in this 4-cable configuration for years, and it always worked pretty fine, and the HX effects line on the Helix and HX Stomp are VERY good.
Now I actually ditched my amp (used a Blackstar HT 40), got an FRFR (a Headrush, because it's cheaper! Hehe), and just use the amp/cab models on the Helix once I learned how to set them up properly, and after the latest patch they now sound so good that I'm starting to leave my IR collection behind as well haha
(But I still can't leave my OwnHammer RECT IRs, FWD and MIX, in a dual-IR config powering the Badonk. Best metal sound you can get!!)
@@wilssantos2 thank you for the help.
For the money i think the Boss GX 100 is great! I also like the pod go from line6 or the helix lt if you can spend that much money.
You guys are amazing, I think the helix sounds fabulous. I just bought mine a month ago in w024. Firmware 7.1
I think the Fender sounded the best on the deluxe and Bassman. Quad Cortex sounded best on everything else except the dual rec which I'd pick the helix. Overall I rank them: Quad Cortex> Fender>Helix>Kemper>Headrush. None of them were bad though.
Kemper Stage - When they finally enabled the USB to be an audio interface is what puts me firmly on Kempers side. Cuz other than that is it pretty perfect.
There is liquid profiling also...
Sweet! I was waiting for this one.
Wait to see if they bother supporting or updating it. Also, listen with studio headphones, the Fender unit is not impressive and has lots of digital artifacts in most of the demos out there.
That said: MORE MODELER TALK ON DIPPED IN TONE! I'm submitting my Fractal rig to be dipped, hope it starts a conversation. I went all-digital two years ago and I'm never looking back.
What’s fantastic with those unit is , to each their own !! I had a GT1000 , didn’t like the drive and it was too complex! The TMP sound so good and looks really friendly user ! But 2350$ CAN , outch !! Hope Fender will add a Soldano and the Original EVH 6L6 !
For me, going to speed comparisons, surprisingly the Tone Master sounds amazing compared to the others !!!
After several sessions with it, I’m loving it. Finally bought it today. Been looking at modelers for a long time too, and this was more suited to me than the others. It’s awesome if you’re thinking about getting one!
@@theonetheycallsamuelwhat about latency, especially when you load multiple blocks/effects….can you feel it?
Its crazy how far modeler systems have come. They used to either be really cheap with horrible tone, or good sounding but super expensive and unobtainable. I remember one of the first time’s seeing something like that used was prog bands like animals as leaders, coheed, periphery, btbam, ect. Now 9/10 bands are using one of those units live. My guitarist uses a quad cortex and honestly it is one of the best purchases he could have made
I remember when the first POD came out in 1999!!
It's a good move to adress the elephant in the room right at the start by explaining why you don't have Fractal products in the video. The quality of the video and the review is not affected by it, awesome work on that by the way! I was wondering where the ToneMaster Pro was standing against the others. As always, Anderton's is my favorite channel for gear reviews :)
OMG im looking for a profiler/modeller and this is even more info that i could have hoped for. bravo lads!
You didn't use the new helix IRs guys!!!
Very thorough presentation. Well thought out and highly informative. Good job guys!
I'll just be in the corner with my Boss gt1000...
I would have very much liked to see my GT1000 in this comparison. Thanks for posting.
Where is Digital John and what happened to Cici and Dave ? They were my favorites on this channel.