Friedman amps in AXEFX3 vs Helix

kit dunborg said:
May I ask which amp model substituted your Friedman?
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There’s really no single answer. Nothing sounds 100% the same but my favourite replacement has been the FAS Modern I and II. The Modern I is the most similar to the HBE C45 but is more compressed. The Modern II takes it into a more, well, modern direction. But a closer Marshall-y replacement is the JVM OD1 Orange and OD2 Orange. OD1 is perfect for everything and OD2 is more scooped and modern sounding. I tried the Splawns and the Atomica High and didn’t quite gel with them as much but the Splawn Nitro 1 did sound pretty cool with the treble and presence cranked to 9. Anyway, long story short, there’s no 1:1 replacement for the Ares HBE C45, but the Modern 1 and JVM OD1 Orange make for great alternatives.
 
Thanks for the insights!
Gotta take the FAS amps for a spin somewhere down the lane.
I like the cameron ccv a lot but am also tinkering with the HBE C45 these days. With sat switch engaged and aggressive low cut it sounds good in my ears (I am using it with a 27" baritone tuned to Bb though, I don't know what your musical endeavors call for).
Anyway, I hope you find that sound you are looking for eventually!
 
kit dunborg said:
(I am using it with a 27" baritone tuned to Bb though, I don't know what your musical endeavors call for).
Anyway, I hope you find that sound you are looking for eventually!
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I’m living in Drop C 80% of the time so I guess it’s somewhat similar territory?
I have found my sound with the FAS Modern but yeah, I do miss the HBE C45! Everytime it comes up on the forum I can’t help but wail about it a bit 😅
 
Saarang Narayan said:
Just out of curiosity, have you ever shot out the Axe Fx (with Cygnus) and the BE-100?
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Yup. I remember running the pre-amp of the Axe III minus cab IRs into the return of the BE into a Friedman 2x12 cab and then compared the 2 of them.

It was astonishingly close and at that point, I just realized that this was a great solution for me. At the time though, the FRFR I was using was good but not perfect for what I needed. I ended up selling a whole bunch of gear through Covid and paired down to a simpler amp and pedalboard setup. It was fine for a while but weighed a lot to take back and forth.

A couple of years later, I found the perfect FRFR setup for playing live and at rehearsals and I'm staying with this setup now. I needed a combination of punch, power and lightweight.
 
PBGas said:
Yup. I remember running the pre-amp of the Axe III minus cab IRs into the return of the BE into a Friedman 2x12 cab and then compared the 2 of them.

It was astonishingly close and at that point, I just realized that this was a great solution for me. At the time though, the FRFR I was using was good but not perfect for what I needed. I ended up selling a whole bunch of gear through Covid and paired down to a simpler amp and pedalboard setup. It was fine for a while but weighed a lot to take back and forth.

A couple of years later, I found the perfect FRFR setup for playing live and at rehearsals and I'm staying with this setup now. I needed a combination of punch, power and lightweight.
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Same for me. I have owned a BE100 Deluxe and a Smallbox.
And both models in the Axe were that close that I could not tell a difference while A/B them in a blind test.
I love the actual models in the Axe and I clearly prefer them over the Ares models.
 
PBGas said:
Yup. I remember running the pre-amp of the Axe III minus cab IRs into the return of the BE into a Friedman 2x12 cab and then compared the 2 of them.

It was astonishingly close and at that point, I just realized that this was a great solution for me. At the time though, the FRFR I was using was good but not perfect for what I needed. I ended up selling a whole bunch of gear through Covid and paired down to a simpler amp and pedalboard setup. It was fine for a while but weighed a lot to take back and forth.

A couple of years later, I found the perfect FRFR setup for playing live and at rehearsals and I'm staying with this setup now. I needed a combination of punch, power and lightweight.
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What FRFR setup did you decide on?
 
Just to add to this thread, I have an old session where I had one side the BE100 model and the other is the actual BE100, both using the same WOS preset. I never labeled them and until this day I have no idea which is which. They sound that close to one another. So anyone not liking the BE100 model just may not like the actual BE100 amp.
 
Bruce Sokolovic said:
Just to add to this thread, I have an old session where I had one side the BE100 model and the other is the actual BE100, both using the same WOS preset. I never labeled them and until this day I have no idea which is which. They sound that close to one another. So anyone not liking the BE100 model just may not like the actual BE100 amp.
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Well that solves it. The BE100 isn't for everybody. As I've stated earlier - I moved on from them even though I love Plexi-modded amps. Another thing worth mentioning is that I read about Cliff removing white noise and other seemingly undesirable parts of the sound only to bring them back later as he found these things to be what makes the amps cut through the mix. Sometimes what sounds less than stellar on your own is what works so well in a mix.
 
CrimsonKing said:
Well that solves it. The BE100 isn't for everybody. As I've stated earlier - I moved on from them even though I love Plexi-modded amps. Another thing worth mentioning is that I read about Cliff removing white noise and other seemingly undesirable parts of the sound only to bring them back later as he found these things to be what makes the amps cut through the mix. Sometimes what sounds less than stellar on your own is what works so well in a mix.
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I don’t think any amp or amp model is for everybody. The amps I don’t like would probably get me killed around here.
 
Budda said:
Phone a friend!
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Your mileage may vary anyhow. Don't laugh, but the FRFR speakers in my rig are 2x12 + 2 tweeters..in a line 6 spider Vmk 2. I just bypassed the front end by going in the rear "aux" jack. I figured why spend another $500 plus on a headrush or some other stuff, when I have a FRFR on the spider. Some will say an expensive rig deserves expensive speakers, but i.m.o what I got has given me some of the best tones I've ever had. I play between 1.5 to 2 hours a day now. Haven't been this engaged in a while lol oh, and I've yet to even touch a daw/audio interface..I'm seriously thinking about it though.
 
jayjay347912 said:
Your mileage may vary anyhow. Don't laugh, but the FRFR speakers in my rig are 2x12 + 2 tweeters..in a line 6 spider Vmk 2. I just bypassed the front end by going in the rear "aux" jack. I figured why spend another $500 plus on a headrush or some other stuff, when I have a FRFR on the spider. Some will say an expensive rig deserves expensive speakers, but i.m.o what I got has given me some of the best tones I've ever had. I play between 1.5 to 2 hours a day now. Haven't been this engaged in a while lol oh, and I've yet to even touch a daw/audio interface..I'm seriously thinking about it though.
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The axefx is the interface, daw is your recording software.
 
CrimsonKing said:
Yes the Friedman BE is a darker hotrodded Plexi sound but you can always crank the presence and highs if you want. There is more low mids and bass in there than a Plexi. The controls are subtractive vs. the additive nature of typical controls so don't be afraid to experiment with higher settings. I had a few BE's but ending up selling them because they were not gritty enough. It's like my SLO. Great, smooth tone for leads but for rhythm guitar it lacks the aggression and bite to sound good in a mix.
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I find that interesting. My experience is similar, especially with pinch/harmonics. As far as rhythm, it is basically a mesa rectifier with less flub, I can get it tight with a few pre/post Eq hacks.
 
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