anyone sold all there amps and pedals to buy a line 6 helix, kemper, axe fx?
be interested to hear people's thoughts on this. I have never played through one. But would like to know which one is the simplist to use. I wouldn't need 1000 presets. But enough great sounds to get through a live set of function band material, blues rock etc
the bands I'm in are using in ear monitors now so I'm thinking this could be an interesting route to go down, practicing and recording decent tones at home at any volume.
do you plug straight into the PA? Do you go through a speaker cab?
Or even something like the Roland blues cube? Playing live any good?
Comments
Over the last 2-3 years I have been through 3 rigs:
1) Line 6 DT25 with POD HD500X. Found the sound disappointing and the PODHD frustrating to work with.
2) Axe-FX II and Atomic CLR. Much better sound than the PODHD but hated the rabbit hole of tweaking endless options in the amps cabs and pedal models and the user interface was hard and I would often get lost. The constant stream of updates, seems like every other month was hard to keep up with as well. The CLR was too big and heavy for my needs.
3) Victory V40 and small pedalboard. Ran this through 2016. Was very happy with the tone when played loud but was finding that I rarely got chance to play at a volume where it sounded the best. I bought an old PODXT for headphone practice and direct recording, but the sound of that is showing it's age. Was finding that I was playing less and less electric and getting frustrated.
I am in the process of selling the V40, pedalboard and PODXT and have just bought a Helix. It's early days but the experience is much more fun that the Axe FX and the Helix is a joy to use. It's sounding great too. It's making me want to play more electric and I get get a really good pro sound at sensible volume through nearfield monitors and headphones.
I plan to get an amp/speaker or powered FRFR cab for louder playing with the Helix but just taking my time to assess what to get.
The Helix has a great interface and workflow and is very simple and fun to use. Yes there's tweaking needed but I am finding that there is no more needed that with an amp and pedals. I am particulary impressed with the drive and distortion pedals in the Helix, I can get some very authentic tones.
I am finding the Helix a much more enjoyable unit to use that the AxeFx but both sound great. The Helix with built in expression pedal and intuitive footswitch layout and customisable leds above each switch are really good.
Axe Fx is great also, best effects but a pain to program.
Helix is good too, amp models not quite up there in my opinion. Effects are great too, works well with an amp. Mine died on me after 5 months so I wouldn't trust one now.
Did you try 3rd party IRs with your Helix? It's early days for me and I like what I'm hearing but have read that many people find the stock cabs not quite as good as 3rd party and using them appear to help the Helix amps sound better.
That's concerning about your Helix dying, what happened?
It is a solution - such that it almost doesn't matter whether it sounds as good as "x" or not because it solves such a wide variety of problems. It would allow me to be a very happy bedroom tweaker and gig thousands should the need arise (which it wouldn't).
I'd need to keep some stomp boxes though, such as the digitech bass synth wah.
My Helix developed a nasty distortion, had to send it back for repair and was told it'd be 4-6 weeks for the part to come in. Managed to get a replacement off the retailer after a bit of back and forth but sold it straight after as I didn't really trust using it after that, especially with so many gigs lined up.
Need not be amazing for it, just for home noodling with friends and such. That would make it even more incredible.
Some teachers do that. Guitar in the front, 2nd instrument into the Aux in on the back. Set the paths up separately.
https://speakerimpedance.co.uk/?act=two_parallel&page=calculator
I love it. It's got every sound I want.
I happen to like the internal cab models, but they do need more tweaking than a non-tweakable imported IR.
The Helix hasn't fully replaced my bass rig yet, but if / when the specific bass drives appear then it is most likely. At the moment I use the loops to insert my traditional bass drives and synth into the chain wherever I want them.
https://speakerimpedance.co.uk/?act=two_parallel&page=calculator
For what I do, which is mainly clean or light overdrive plus FX, it has been very easy to set up. Initially I bought it because my GT-8 was getting flaky. The amps simulations were a bonus. The acoustic simulation is a big bonus. So I watch with interest all the talk about it being difficult to simulate xyz amp sound. I guess they are searching for something that I don't need.
Yes, there are a lot more options to the settings, but you don't have to use them. For a function band I use five presets. These cover five different overdrive and EQ settings of the same amp, plus a Santana type sound and an acoustic simulation.
The Kemper uses a different approach to amp modelling. Some people prefer it, some don't. Most I've spoken to agree that the FX aren't as good as the Axe FX.
If I were buying now then I'd probably go for the Helix. Although the sounds aren't up to the Axe FX quality they are good enough for my needs.
For me, I still prefer real amps, real pedals and I don't think that'll change, but I cant deny, the Kemper is a stunning bit of kit.
I also use it for acoustic gigs with my guitar and vocals (mic in) both running through helix on separate paths.
If you wanted you could setup 4 paths using AUX in, Mic in, Fx1 in and Fx2 in. each having thier own signal chain.
The only thing that worries me with helix is the shitty short warranty. 2 years is not long for a unit that cost so much.
For a live rig I still us tubes and pedals. I just think it looks cooler Sound no longer an issue.
I personally do not find the Axe FX 2 difficult to dial in - if anything I feel the amp sounds are very satisfying just by adjusting the master volume for feel and then the gain/EQ as normal. The AX8 looks even more straightforward (though has least flexibility comparatively). I don't do much crazy stuff with effects, so maybe that's why I don't find it difficult.
Regardless, the Helix has the nicest user interface and the tones are good enough.
Like Roland I'm more than happy with my Axe FX setup though if buying now I'd probably find it harder to justify getting one over the Helix. I have still found I preferred the Fractal modelling in blind tests, and when I've had .wavs of the Helix and compared them to the same amp model on the Fractal... I just feel it (and the Kemper) can do that 'tracks the note' low end weight, and I feel like the Helix is less dynamic in that region, on higher gain amps anyway. For lower gain sounds I don't feel there's as much of a difference.
I'd like a Helix or similar one day, but not instead of an amp or pedals. I can see pedal wise going to a nano board and 4 high quality analog drives but not getting rid of everything and going all in. I think this new Headrush thing could be the start of things getting on my radar, price wise I could raise a good chunk by selling most of my board and 1 amp, wheras the Helix would be sell everything, pretty much, for something that does a whole lot more than I already have, but only does what I have already 'nearly as good'.
I'm more interested in ditching the speaker than the amp or going full amp modelling.
Sold that and went down the Kemper route and haven't looked back. I'm not currently playing in a band, but when I was, I used an FRFR monitor in place of an amp (Yamaha DXR10) I also have the Kemper Remote (at the time I had to use a cheapo midi board). The amp sounds are amazing, I have bought a couple of MBritt packs and a couple of TopJimi packs too.
I think there will continue to be a big leap for Kemper in relation to the FX included, the new delays added are mind blowing, reverbs next is the current rumour
Awesome.
Now I just need to persuade the girlfriend that it's a good idea to go halves on it
What's that pig doing in the sky?
Went back to amps and pedals for a bit and then tried a Digitech GSP1101. That was a revelation as a) the modelling section was very impressive and b) it worked brilliantly into an amp via 4CM. I got a good deal on an Axe FX Ultra which was a pig to program but, once dialled in, sounded great. I used the Ultra for a while with a Mesa 2:90 as my main gigging amp (I still use it in my small gig set up).
I then then bought a Kemper but it took me a long while to love it. The stock profiles were meh and it wasn't until I bought some commercial profiles that I began to realise the potential. I then got the chance to buy a used Axe 2 in great condition for a very good price so I did. It was superior to the Ultra and much easier to program so I now alternate between the Kemper and the Axe 2 for normal gigs and recording, with the Ultra and GSP into the fx return of a 1x12 valve combo for small gigs/or cramped stages.
I still have a couple of real amps and a few pedals but they don't get gigged. I don't find the digital gear any harder to dial in than an amp and pedalboard and I'm perfectly happy with the sounds I'm getting. I prefer to use a power amp and guitar cabs on stage with a feed to the P.A. I've tried FRFR briefly but I'm not convinced (I am in my 60's and have been doing this for over 40 years now and I like to hear an amp behind me!)
Not tried a Helix (I think I have enough gear already!) but they do look impressive.