AX8 - Forget it, I went another route

pima1234 said:
Would love to hear your demo. Any chance of a comparison using similar amp model and the same IR?
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I won't do a comparison demo of the two units. The only thing that will accomplish is piss a whole bunch of people off. And because I am "affiliated" and have to list that, my motives will be called into question. Nope, not gonna do it.

Got my new XL+ sitting here in my home studio connected in to my interface through S/PDIF. Stock presets? A-Freakin-Mazing. Right out of the box, zero tweaking. Played my II at rehearsal tonight and could not like the tone more. Why harsh that buzz by starting a thread that will go down in flames? :)
 
Karl Houseknecht said:
Fan-freakin-tastic. With very little tweaking needed. To say that the Axe-Fx blows it away or there is no comparison is just hyperbole. The new HX effects are very, very good. Tape and analog delays sound like they should when loading up a block with zero tweaking needed. Great reverbs. Great new drive models. A Klon, for goodness sake. In the Axe-Fx, while the results are definitely great, it takes some work.

Of course, you should note my affiliation below. As if that really means anything given how many Fractal products I now own.
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Not my experience at all, no need to call my opinion "hyperbole" LOL. If you think the quality of the delays and reverbs and chorus in the Helix is on par or better than the II, that is your decision (frankly I could not disagree more). One word that always come to mind with II FX (including drives) is LUSH and DEEP.
Upon further reflection during my head to head comparisons between the II and the Helix it became apparent (to me) the Helix sounded and FELT "thin" in every aspect.
It has a lot of promise if you are willing to work hard towards your goals for tone (feel, not sure how to tweak that so much) while the II with Quantum is JUST THERE and READY to go out of the box. In my experience I've never felt the need to load an IR in the II (except for building a faux acoustic and attempting a faux Cello effect). Drives, FX, amps I've never thought of using... all just THERE.
This is just not the experience I had the entire time I was working with the Helix.
BUT AGAIN this is MY personal experience.
 
pima1234 said:
Very glad to hear that. You've gone back and worth between a few units recently, right?
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I've had the II for about a year and gigged it extensively.
I tested the Helix and have moved it to pay off gear debt and prepare for the AX8.
To put things in perspective I've had the Zoom G3X for about 3 years+, gigged it way more than any other solution and would never dream of selling it...
 
Seems to me like Zoom needs to release a newer model of the G3/G5 units, and Boss needs to do a new GT100. I hear them mentioned a lot.
 
Gasp100 said:
Not my experience at all, no need to call my opinion "hyperbole" LOL. If you think the quality of the delays and reverbs and chorus in the Helix is on par or better than the II, that is your decision (frankly I could not disagree more). One word that always come to mind with II FX (including drives) is LUSH and DEEP.
Upon further reflection during my head to head comparisons between the II and the Helix it became apparent (to me) the Helix sounded and FELT "thin" in every aspect.
It has a lot of promise if you are willing to work hard towards your goals for tone (feel, not sure how to tweak that so much) while the II with Quantum is JUST THERE and READY to go out of the box. In my experience I've never felt the need to load an IR in the II (except for building a faux acoustic and attempting a faux Cello effect). Drives, FX, amps I've never thought of using... all just THERE.
This is just not the experience I had the entire time I was working with the Helix.
BUT AGAIN this is MY personal experience.
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I'm ONLY talking about EFFECTS, which was the question that was asked. Not amp modeling. I was testing the effects in the Helix in 4CM with a real amp as well as with the modeled ones. Fractal and Line6 effects are really two different paradigms. Fractal tends to be more "pristine", Eventide-ish, effects. Line6 tends to model vintage analog effects. It may come down to personal preference. I think BOTH are great, with maybe a lean toward the Helix as my favorites. That's why I said the comments to the effect (pun intended) of one blowing the other away was hyperbole. I don't think its nearly as cut and dry as you make it.

Now, amp modeling on the other hand...maybe I have a clear preference there. Don't think you have to look much farther than my sig line to figure that out. But that isn't saying that there aren't good, and maybe even great models on the Helix that stand right up against the Axe-Fx, because I believe there are. I could play that Fawn AC30 in the Helix and not terribly miss my Axe-Fx for an evening. Again, it isn't always "this one blows that one out of the water". Not anymore, anyway. We are at hair splitting, cork-sniffing differences now in many cases.

Darn it, you made me do it.
 
I guess I highly prefer pristine, Eventide like FX. I also highly preferred the drives in the II as well. I personally think the Zoom does a better "analog, low fi" vibe FX palette.
 
What kind of "affiliation" is "Line 6 Expert User"? Do they pay you? Give you free gear? Just wondering why someone who is such a fan of the Fractal gear would bother going another route for a floor based solution? Especially after you pretty much just said the Helix amp modeling isn't at the same level.
 
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