Clarky and the Helix

Drew_TNBD

Can you guise take the vag measuring elsewhere plez?

Clarky

gibsongretschfan said:

Benson said:

I agree with the comments so far, I'm really enjoying the Helix, it has some great features and promises a long term future in my home rehearsal setup but the amp modelling isn't as realistic as the AxFXII or even the Ax8 which I'll continue to use in my live rig. 

More of that "perceived" internet wisdom popping through again I see

I'm not thinking this as being 'perceived' at all..
I have both units in front of me right now..
switching between them..

the Helix tones are great.. The Axe tones are great too [a little more polished to my ear].. for me it's the feel..
the Axe feels nicer to me..

Clarky

guitarfishbay said:

I thought the thread had been pretty balanced actually.

Clarky might well be a Fractal Fan but it's in his interests to get the Helix working for him too. I'm a Fractal fan but I still want to try Helix native for myself as it has some bass stuff not in the Fractal gear. Quite a few guys have already tried both Helix and Fractal, so I'm not seeing much "perceived wisdom" really

this is true…
I actually want the Helix to be able to meet my needs in all respects..
I'm not trying to pull it apart or discredit it.. no "well this is better than that" or any other such silly sht

the nice fella that loaned me the unit gave me until early Sept..
I've tried to make the most of this [despite some session work getting in the way for a week - jeez..]

but seriously.. I'm trying to make this unit succeed for me..

Clarky

Drew_TNBD said:

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Drew_TNBD said:

I prefer the Helix amp modelling, FWIW.

That surprises me. As someone who has spent a long time with both units I can clearly hear the superior sound in the Fractal. Given your background I didn't expect you to have that opinion. Hope that doesn't offend.

I too have spent a long time with both units, the Kemper as well.

I find the Helix is much quicker to get a usable sound with. The Fractal when I had one took way too long to get the sounds I wanted, and I found the low-end was always very difficult to control.

I also really appreciate the simplicity of the available controls. The amps just sound more like real amps right out of the gate to me.

I had exactly the same experiences with the Axe as you..
but once I worked out where my personal sweet spot was, I stopped searching and noodling around..

Clarky

A few thoughts regarding all other the processors  I've had in the context of the demands that I have of them:
- tone morphing
- seamless preset changes [no chopping ambient fx trails]
- immediate tone changes [no empty gaps]

2120:
fx layout: 2 stages, 1st is analogue [overdirve, compressor etc], 2nd is digital. Not fx chain as such, rather it have 'algorithms' to choose from that are essentially a variety of series and parallel chains
ease of use: easy.. there was no editor and to be honest it never needed one.
tone: awesome.. it's not a modeller.. it's real valve.. and the fx are top drawer studio quality 
morphing: only has min/max settings.. but I managed to make it work. Every single parameter can be assigned to control.
seamless transitions: 100% seamless during preset changes.. you can even control the spillover time of the ambient tails
scenes / snapshots: No. However the seamless transitions means that a scenes like feature was not needed at all.

VG-99:
fx layout: 2 chains that both feed into a mixer. the mixer has EQ and reverb to [which is a huge bonus]
ease of use: via the edit it's an absolute dream
tone: not exactly amazing but good enough.. you have to work at it to get it to sound and feel right.. tone is the VG-99's weakest point
morphing: has min/mid/max values which enables even greater control. every single parameter can be assigned. The control side of things is superb
seamless transitions: No. there is a spillover feature, but there are limitations to it. There are gaps in preset changes whilst the DSP's load.
scenes / snapshots: No.

Axe-FX:
fx layout: 4 x 12 grid which is immensely powerful
ease of use: takes time getting to know both for tone and setup. The editor is great and really helps
tone: top drawer and I've yet to find a unit that beats is tonally or feel wise
morphing: immensely powerful because you can shape controller curves. Never seen anything else like it. The X/Y feature is a massive bonus too..
seamless transitions: Only via scenes. It will spillover during preset changes but there are limitations.
scenes / snapshots: Scenes overcomes all of the preset transition difficulties.

gibsongretschfan

Benson said:

gibsongretschfan said:

guitarfishbay said:

gibsongretschfan said:

Benson said:

I agree with the comments so far, I'm really enjoying the Helix, it has some great features and promises a long term future in my home rehearsal setup but the amp modelling isn't as realistic as the AxFXII or even the Ax8 which I'll continue to use in my live rig. 

More of that "perceived" internet wisdom popping through again I see

I thought he owned a Helix and AX8? That's how it reads to me, if so his opinion is valid based on personal experience.

I'm sorry but if he hasn't realised that the modelling on the AxFX and Ax8 are the exact same thing then I can't really take his opinion on whether they are superior to Helix or not

Oh silly boy. The modelling may be exactly the same but the amount of horsepower that allows you to apply the modelling in the context of a preset with other blocks and scenes is very different between the different Fractal platforms. Perhaps if you understood this about the Fractal product set you wouldn't be making a show of yourself in this thread ...

I know exactly how the Fractal modelling works and  there is absolutely no amp model that the Ax8 can't run the exact same as the AxFXII. 

gibsongretschfan

Clarky said:

gibsongretschfan said:

Benson said:

I agree with the comments so far, I'm really enjoying the Helix, it has some great features and promises a long term future in my home rehearsal setup but the amp modelling isn't as realistic as the AxFXII or even the Ax8 which I'll continue to use in my live rig. 

More of that "perceived" internet wisdom popping through again I see

I'm not thinking this as being 'perceived' at all..
I have both units in front of me right now..
switching between them..

the Helix tones are great.. The Axe tones are great too [a little more polished to my ear].. for me it's the feel..
the Axe feels nicer to me..

No I actually agree with you, I was referring more to the fact the chap seemed to think there was a difference between the two Fractal platforms. 

Benson

gibsongretschfan said:

Clarky said:

gibsongretschfan said:

Benson said:

I agree with the comments so far, I'm really enjoying the Helix, it has some great features and promises a long term future in my home rehearsal setup but the amp modelling isn't as realistic as the AxFXII or even the Ax8 which I'll continue to use in my live rig. 

More of that "perceived" internet wisdom popping through again I see

I'm not thinking this as being 'perceived' at all..
I have both units in front of me right now..
switching between them..

the Helix tones are great.. The Axe tones are great too [a little more polished to my ear].. for me it's the feel..
the Axe feels nicer to me..

No I actually agree with you, I was referring more to the fact the chap seemed to think there was a difference between the two Fractal platforms. 

Oh bless you ... Your creative misquoting highlights your own ignorance moreso than the alleged bias of others. Aren't you being missed on the Daily Mail comments section? lol

kjdowd

Clarky said:

gibsongretschfan said:

Benson said:

I agree with the comments so far, I'm really enjoying the Helix, it has some great features and promises a long term future in my home rehearsal setup but the amp modelling isn't as realistic as the AxFXII or even the Ax8 which I'll continue to use in my live rig. 

More of that "perceived" internet wisdom popping through again I see

I'm not thinking this as being 'perceived' at all..
I have both units in front of me right now..
switching between them..

the Helix tones are great.. The Axe tones are great too [a little more polished to my ear].. for me it's the feel..
the Axe feels nicer to me..

I totally agree, which is why I have AX8 rather than Helix. Loved the Helix though and I do think it's a bit like what amp you prefer these days. Just what works for you. We're v lucky to have both on the market. 

Clarky

kjdowd said:

Clarky said:

gibsongretschfan said:

Benson said:

I agree with the comments so far, I'm really enjoying the Helix, it has some great features and promises a long term future in my home rehearsal setup but the amp modelling isn't as realistic as the AxFXII or even the Ax8 which I'll continue to use in my live rig. 

More of that "perceived" internet wisdom popping through again I see

I'm not thinking this as being 'perceived' at all..
I have both units in front of me right now..
switching between them..

the Helix tones are great.. The Axe tones are great too [a little more polished to my ear].. for me it's the feel..
the Axe feels nicer to me..

I totally agree, which is why I have AX8 rather than Helix. Loved the Helix though and I do think it's a bit like what amp you prefer these days. Just what works for you. We're v lucky to have both on the market. 

here's a thing though..
I've played with an AX-8.. and although the modelling and FX are the same as the Axe, there's a chunk of functionality that falls short in the control and config areas..
enough for me to know that in a live situation I it'll not meet my needs..
which I think is a crying shame..

Drew_TNBD

Yeah the limitations of the AX8 just killed it for me tbh. A fully fledged Axe FX II in a foot unit would sell bucket loads.

Clarky

Drew_TNBD said:

Yeah the limitations of the AX8 just killed it for me tbh. A fully fledged Axe FX II in a foot unit would sell bucket loads.

I could not agree more..
if they did a full-on Axe-II inside an MFC floor unit I'd get one in a heartbeat

kjdowd

Clarky said:

Drew_TNBD said:

Yeah the limitations of the AX8 just killed it for me tbh. A fully fledged Axe FX II in a foot unit would sell bucket loads.

I could not agree more..
if they did a full-on Axe-II inside an MFC floor unit I'd get one in a heartbeat

Totally agree. I'm seriously thinking of Axe fx II plus mfc. The big limitation is one amp, so I basically use the AX8 like a single channel amp set to overdrive (but not too much) and then ride the guitar volume for cleans with dirt pedals for extra grunt where needed. Love the sounds and the convenience, but ridiculous when you think about the possibilities of a modelling unit. A floor unit Axe fx II I would buy in a heartbeat. 

Even more so if it had an integrated power amp...

Clarky

kjdowd said:

Clarky said:

Drew_TNBD said:

Yeah the limitations of the AX8 just killed it for me tbh. A fully fledged Axe FX II in a foot unit would sell bucket loads.

I could not agree more..
if they did a full-on Axe-II inside an MFC floor unit I'd get one in a heartbeat

Totally agree. I'm seriously thinking of Axe fx II plus mfc. The big limitation is one amp, so I basically use the AX8 like a single channel amp set to overdrive (but not too much) and then ride the guitar volume for cleans with dirt pedals for extra grunt where needed. Love the sounds and the convenience, but ridiculous when you think about the possibilities of a modelling unit. A floor unit Axe fx II I would buy in a heartbeat. 

Even more so if it had an integrated power amp…

I'm not sure an integrated power amp is a great idea..
some folks play at home, others in small bars and clubs, and others in much larger places..
the power amp should be for the user to decide because it's 'needs' based

guitarfishbay

Plus it'll be cheaper not having the amp integrated, and in theory more reliable

chrispy108

Can't you hire an AxeFX and controller in Europe @Clarky ?

Then you'd just need to fly with your laptop to load stuff up.

Clarky

chrispy108 said:

Can't you hire an AxeFX and controller in Europe @Clarky ?

Then you'd just need to fly with your laptop to load stuff up.

I was thinking this too…
there's a gotchya..

I have Axe-FX II mk1 and MFC-101 mk1

the only new units available are Axe-FX XL+ and the MFC-101 mk3

due to internal hardware differences the firmware loads for the two different versions of Axe-FX and MFC are not cross compatible..

even if unit hire was an option.. I think I'd need to upgrade both units.. major ££££££££
I will however be making enquires with G66 prior to the tour in Norway 
if they could sort me out I could mail them my config and they could provide the Axe, MFC and Matrix
I'd only need guitars, FV-500's, some cables, a toothbrush and a spare sock [in case one of my other two socks went wrong

guitarfishbay

Doesn't Fractool sort this?

guitarfishbay

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/fractool-the-ultimate-fractal-device-multitool.112538/

guitarfishbay

Fractool won't convert socks so make sure you get a like for like spare.