unFILTERed
Power User
first of all, i am not endorsing or related to any of the companies. The reason i compare, write my opinion on forums is to help people, get ideas of others and learn from it, help developers add up features (incase they pay attention and think it make sense) etc...
my helix arrived yesterday and i A/B tested some amps, fx with same IRs on both units. i looped some phrases on both units to listen without playing...my 2cents:
1) axe sounds better, more natural, richer and definately the feeling is better. i wont upload mp3 files cos i dont believe in these kind of comparison. u can tweak both units and get them sound pretty much the same but the feeling is something else...though helix sounds also great and i think its a realy decent unit for LIVE usage. i would use it at rehearsals, sessions etc...easier to transport and hook up than axe. but i would not record with helix since i have the axe fx in studio.
2) helix still doesnt have a real editor but even without it tweaking stuff is much easier and more fun. for me its even better than axe edit...though i like axe edit and i use it all the time. to be more clear, ofcourse when you are sitting infront of your computer and DAW and recording, axe edit wins...but when you are on stage or at rehearsal without a computer, editing on helix is fun and fast, really easy.
3) as a midi controller helix is ok, there is so much potential, its all in the hands of line6 devolopers if they will add up midi features with upcoming updates. i sold my mfc 101 and pedalboard to get Helix and i will use sometimes helix just to control axe fx. it works fine but i have also softstep 2 and most features on softstep is missing on helix.
4) some fx (rotary, phaser etc.) are out of the box nicer than axe fx, you can tweak and definately get the same results but for my taste line6 is faster in the ball park. thats an issue i have everyones in a while with axe fx. for example when i compare UAD fx i have in studio to axe....presets of UAD are allmost allways better than the Axe presets. i can allways tweak and get the same or realy close results with axe but i wish there were presets that i liked in the axe without tweaking too much. still this is totaly about my personal taste.
my conclusion: i will keep helix, i like it but axe is a better amp modeler and especialy in the studio for proffesional/commercial use its the better unit. and also you get what you pay for, one just came out, the other unit is longer in the market and as a company fractal takes the unit non stop to a higher level...we will see if line6 will be able to keep up with this. hope this helps some people who are considering buying any of the units.
my helix arrived yesterday and i A/B tested some amps, fx with same IRs on both units. i looped some phrases on both units to listen without playing...my 2cents:
1) axe sounds better, more natural, richer and definately the feeling is better. i wont upload mp3 files cos i dont believe in these kind of comparison. u can tweak both units and get them sound pretty much the same but the feeling is something else...though helix sounds also great and i think its a realy decent unit for LIVE usage. i would use it at rehearsals, sessions etc...easier to transport and hook up than axe. but i would not record with helix since i have the axe fx in studio.
2) helix still doesnt have a real editor but even without it tweaking stuff is much easier and more fun. for me its even better than axe edit...though i like axe edit and i use it all the time. to be more clear, ofcourse when you are sitting infront of your computer and DAW and recording, axe edit wins...but when you are on stage or at rehearsal without a computer, editing on helix is fun and fast, really easy.
3) as a midi controller helix is ok, there is so much potential, its all in the hands of line6 devolopers if they will add up midi features with upcoming updates. i sold my mfc 101 and pedalboard to get Helix and i will use sometimes helix just to control axe fx. it works fine but i have also softstep 2 and most features on softstep is missing on helix.
4) some fx (rotary, phaser etc.) are out of the box nicer than axe fx, you can tweak and definately get the same results but for my taste line6 is faster in the ball park. thats an issue i have everyones in a while with axe fx. for example when i compare UAD fx i have in studio to axe....presets of UAD are allmost allways better than the Axe presets. i can allways tweak and get the same or realy close results with axe but i wish there were presets that i liked in the axe without tweaking too much. still this is totaly about my personal taste.
my conclusion: i will keep helix, i like it but axe is a better amp modeler and especialy in the studio for proffesional/commercial use its the better unit. and also you get what you pay for, one just came out, the other unit is longer in the market and as a company fractal takes the unit non stop to a higher level...we will see if line6 will be able to keep up with this. hope this helps some people who are considering buying any of the units.
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