Fractal owners...how do I kill my gas for a Helix?!

Jonathanthomas83

Sporky said:

I'd be inclined to think that if you have a Fractal and get good results with it then you should stick with it, much as I am fond of my Helix.

Absolutely! To be honest, I'm not looking to jump ship, I'm just looking for other people's opinions and starting a thread. Us Fractal lot are a lonely bunch (well, I am anyway!).

guitarfishbay

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Sporky said:

I'd be inclined to think that if you have a Fractal and get good results with it then you should stick with it, much as I am fond of my Helix.

Absolutely! To be honest, I'm not looking to jump ship, I'm just looking for other people's opinions and starting a thread. Us Fractal lot are a lonely bunch (well, I am anyway!).

There's not much to post about really.  It sounds good, so I use it. lol

Teetonetal

Just get one on 30 day return. Don't investigate the UI or routing and try to make it sound like your favorite fractal tones. Decide it doesn't match up and return.

Then live a long and happy GAS free day

Cabicular

guitarfishbay said:

Honestly it's going to come down to pretty basic things at the end of the day.

Does it work for me, can I afford it.  It really is that simple.

Personally Axe FX 2 works best for me but for some people I'd recommend they get a Helix or a Kemper if I think it'd suit them better.  It's all just tools.

Some people will get really invested in telling you their solution is the best.  Some don't.  Let's be honest, most of it is talk with very little actual evidence presented.  That's ok, talk is fun.  But 9/10 there's no evidence presented so you're going off whether or not you trust the opinion of the person posting.

Totally agree. I think sometimes confuse recommendation with purchase justification. One of my amps costs more that the Helix. If thats what *I* was interested in then I'd be pushing Valve amps and pedals.
We are utterly spoiled for choice of high quality gear (compared to the shit I was buying in the 80s). There isn't really a bad choice amongst them. Its now down to what people prefer

Wazmeister

Moltisanti said:

the hardest thing to accept as a Fractal user is how far ahead the Helix UI is, the rest of it is horses for courses, but the UI is not even close. It's like holding a Gameboy next to an Ipad.

You know my latest feelings... this is sadly true. You all know what a FX8 fan Ive been...

Mate, just buy a Helix LT - £849 is peanuts for what it offers !!

I cannot express how much I move this bloody Helix

Roland

GAS is the desire to buy another toy. The Helix is a nice flashy toy. It's also a very effective one, although I don't think that its effects are currently up to either of the Fractals. 

Personally I think we spend too much time thinking about buying stuff, rather than using stuff effectively. The AxeFX forms the core of my system. It's works, it's stable, and my attention is elsewhere. I reconfigure effects, and change footswitches, but I don't need to change my core system. As an illustration, I've recently reconfigured the MFC footpedal to send midi messages, routed via the AxeFX, to my lighting controller. It means that I no longer need a separate lighting pedal board, and that I hardly need to think about lights whilst I'm playing. 

So to @Jonathanthomas83 I can only say "you've made a choice, the best thing you can do is learn how to use it effectively".

Teetonetal

I don't know. The helix chat has been full of use cases. That's been a big thing for me. I use it all the time and it's become irreplaceable. 

Beexter

Moltisanti said:

the hardest thing to accept as a Fractal user is how far ahead the Helix UI is, the rest of it is horses for courses, but the UI is not even close. It's like holding a Gameboy next to an Ipad.

It's not hard to accept at all. No-one has ever denied the UI on the HARDWARE of the Helix is class leading. When it comes to the PC interface,  it's a much more level playing field. However,  just as the Helix hardware UI advantage is a fact, it is also a fact that the Fractal platform offers considerably more deep editing possibilities - you don't need to use them to get a good sound but they are there if you want them. 
As for the OP's question about whether I'd move over to Helix? No thanks. I could have gone for either system when I made my choice but chose the AX8 'cos it sounded better to ME and sound quality was, and still is, my key criteria. It's the main criteria for all of my music related purchases whether that be amps. Pedals, guitars whatever. 
My decision criteria and my ideal sounds will be different to the next man, so it's pretty certain my gear choices will be too.
I'm cool with that. 

gibsongretschfan

Helix + MacBook + USB + Mainstage + S-Gear

NO CAN DEFEND

firepaulmusic

Helix arrived last night, just unboxed it for a quick look. Giving it a first go later this evening with high hopes for 4-cable into Redplate Blackverb and direct for solo gigs...

Jonathanthomas83

Enjoy it mate!

Slartibartfarst42

What put me off the Helix was simply prejudice. I've never yet tried anything from Line6 that didn't sound digital and horrible so I found it almost impossible to believe that the Helix would be as good as the opposition for the quality of tone. I suppose I might feel differently if I wanted endless options but I don't so I bought an Atomic AmpliFIRE instead and I have no regrets at all. It doesn't give me the options on a Helix but it's cheaper and any comparisons I've seen suggest the quality of the tone is better but it's always a balancing act. What suits me best won't be the best option for everyone.

gibsongretschfan

Slartibartfarst42 said:

What put me off the Helix was simply prejudice. I've never yet tried anything from Line6 that didn't sound digital and horrible so I found it almost impossible to believe that the Helix would be as good as the opposition for the quality of tone. I suppose I might feel differently if I wanted endless options but I don't so I bought an Atomic AmpliFIRE instead and I have no regrets at all. It doesn't give me the options on a Helix but it's cheaper and any comparisons I've seen suggest the quality of the tone is better but it's always a balancing act. What suits me best won't be the best option for everyone.

The sooner you drop your prejudice and buy a Helix the better life will be for you 

Cabicular

Slartibartfarst42 said:

What put me off the Helix was simply prejudice. I've never yet tried anything from Line6 that didn't sound digital and horrible so I found it almost impossible to believe that the Helix would be as good as the opposition for the quality of tone. I suppose I might feel differently if I wanted endless options but I don't so I bought an Atomic AmpliFIRE instead and I have no regrets at all. It doesn't give me the options on a Helix but it's cheaper and any comparisons I've seen suggest the quality of the tone is better but it's always a balancing act. What suits me best won't be the best option for everyone.

The Amplifire is a good unit and well priced. I liked it 
but to me the Helix sounds much more like an amp
And the interface on the Amplifire is like trying to paint your house through the letter box.

sweepy

I still might swap back and get a Helix Rack and sell my Axe-Fx II MFC101 setup, something to ponder on

Jonathanthomas83

@sweepy stay strong!

Seriously though, what's your thinking behind that?

sweepy

Bored I guess, its a great bit of kit but I haven't bonded with it, its a little like my Musicman Majesty, gorgeous but i prefer my old Strat 

guitarfishbay

There's a new Axe FX update because Kirk Hammet wanted some kind of modifier adding.

So now we just need to convince Kirk Hammet how cool Darkglass pedals are...

sweepy

guitarfishbay said:

There's a new Axe FX update because Kirk Hammet wanted some kind of modifier adding.

So now we just need to convince Kirk Hammet how cool Darkglass pedals are...

And to learn to play

Teetonetal

sweepy said:

guitarfishbay said:

There's a new Axe FX update because Kirk Hammet wanted some kind of modifier adding.

So now we just need to convince Kirk Hammet how cool Darkglass pedals are...

And to learn to play

By the time you've sold 1000000 records and played 1000s of stadium gigs, whether you can play or not is a moot point.