Headrush Pedal board. Eleven modeling

- there has been no remodeling of any Amps or EFX from the original 7+ year old code
- there have been no new measurements made of any of the Amps or EFX
- all existing Amp and EFX core / base measurements and modelling data are unchanged from the same 7+ year old 11R technology......

Ooooooh! Gotta get me some 7+ year old modeling technology in a shiny new interface - LOL

On a serious note, the interest around a more user-friendly interface is something Fractal is probably taking note of, and hopefully they hired an A-player in user-experience/design a while back. Or maybe they have all the customers they need and it's not a high priority.

IMO, best to be strong in all areas or competitors will hone in on weaknesses and chip away at customer base.
 
As has been established, the HeadRush is simply a repackaged Eleven Rack with some new bells and whistles and the exact same modeling.
 
No problem. I think the Helix and Helix LT kill the HeadRush because they have great reverbs, mod delay and particle verb. You can definitely get the same or better sounds with the AX8/FX8 but it takes so much more effort. I still might switch over to an FX8 MKII.
Actually the reverbs are quite known not to be up to par and even the development team acknowledges that. No updates have brought improvements so far though.

I have been very close to thinking FX8 would be ideal as well but then I actually don't want to waste valuable instrument time with deep menu editing.
 
You can get one right now with Musicians Friend for $849 with coupon code "HEADLINER". At THAT price - it's not a bad piece of gear no?
 
I absolutely appreciate ALL of the impressions/feedback on this thread thus far. I'd like to see if I can get just a little bit more.

(WARNING: lots of background data follows, could be TMI. Feel free to skip to the bottom...)

I'm just returning to playing after (far far far too much) time away. I'm playing for my own pleasure, nothing else. It's been great to watch my Old Man Fingers try to wrap around a neck in ways my Young Player Brain never would've even thought of.

Current Gear: antique ('69) Vox Cry-Baby and Tone Bender on the floor feeding BluGuitar AMP1 input. dbx160x comp and Lexicon PCM41 mod in rack via AMP1 send/return, AMP1 powering 1x12 cab w/EVM12L, AMP1 direct out feeding Lexicon LXP5 delay and LXP1 verb whose stereo outs combine to feed a Crown D60 stereo amp and a small pair of 8" effect-only speakers. AMP1 (sort of) and LXP's controlled via Lexicon MRC midi remote. (Yes, I raided the storage unit where my studio is in boxes.)

Quite happy with amps/speakers, but since my playing time is extremely limited - and only a minor amount of control/automation via MRC is possible - I'm considering going FAS/Line6/HR to simplify/consolidate all processing. I don't anticipate relying on amp modeling heavily (if at all) although feeding my IEM's directly (Closet Rock Star system) isn't 100% out of the question. Money, as always, is a factor but build quality is appreciated.

I'm a former live/studio engineer so sound quality is valued, but I'm thinking that the UI convenience/speed of the HR might be paramount. I judge the balance of tone vs. "ease of operation" vs. $$$ is the Prime Question. The thought of picking up, plugging in and recalling global presets so I can play RIGHT NOW is VERY intoxicating.

I await your suggestions. FWIW I'm an FAS Forum virgin - please be gentle. '-}
 
I'm a former live/studio engineer so sound quality is valued, but I'm thinking that the UI convenience/speed of the HR might be paramount. I judge the balance of tone vs. "ease of operation" vs. $$$ is the Prime Question. The thought of picking up, plugging in and recalling global presets so I can play RIGHT NOW is VERY intoxicating.

I await your suggestions. FWIW I'm an FAS Forum virgin - please be gentle. '-}

You mentioned sound quality. In what regard?

Will you be using the front panel primarily? Do you plan to use a computer editor? Both?
 
With regard to how close it sounds to the amps and cabs it purports to emulate. What other regard could there possibly be when discussing the sound quality of an amp modeller and effects processor?

Sound quality is an umbrella term that can refer to things like clarity, noise floor, etc. and can easily apply to the hardware itself(eg. A/D D/A converters). He stated he's a former engineer, thus it's reasonable to assume he may be referring to attributes unrelated to modeling accuracy.
 
All good questions, Jason - thx for asking. Everything that you mention falling under "sound quality" is spot-on. Short answer: it's a balance of them all.

Regarding sound quality: I know what Good/Better/Great Sound is, and a lot of my life's work (as a pro FOH/studio engineer and now consultant) has been about making whatever I'm handed sound the best it possibly can. I don't willingly suffer through nasty audio quality for long, but I can make a PreSonus/JBL rig or an SSL-Live/L'Acoustics rig kick your ass sweetly (I just have to work a lot harder on one of them to do it). It's all relative, but it would be nice to get pleasing presets that make me want to play all day vs. having it feel like work...

Regarding control: I can make-do with whatever's available, but since quite a bit of my consulting is designing custom touchpanel-based system GUI's I do appreciate a thoughtful interface. (Confession: I haven't spent any time investigating editors and 3rd party solutions to any great degree).

The actual mechanism by which control/UI occurs (hardware/iPad/laptop) is negotiable, but since I want to spend less time tweaking and more time playing (and accepting that I have a strong Tweak Gene) a fast/efficient UI is certainly of value.

Speaking of value - I'm very aware of cost/benefit ratio as well as return-on-investment, and I tend to pay more for quality devices I can keep/use a long time vs. something inexpensive that's a doorstop in two years.

Here's what I'm seeing with my limited amount of legwork thus far:

FAS - best of class sound and support, outdated hardware UI, demanding to fly right and über-expensive. What the Big Kids use, some of whom pay a tech to keep it sounding great.

HR - new kid on the block so support is unknown, best hardware UI at the moment. Highly cost-effective as it uses old Avid 11R machine code, questionable audio quality for some users. (That said, Peter Thorn et al appear able to produce quality results - of course, with those hands a Harmony running through a 20 yr. old Peavey sounds f'ing awesome).

L6 - seemingly jack of all trades, master of none.

The idea of a fast/intuitive UI is very attractive. Absolute sound quality pokes my "Quest For The Final dB" Button, but not if I have to spend 60% of my time drilling down through poorly-implemented design.

Lastly, I see it as primarily a multieffect platform as I like my amp and I do have two kids in college.

Sorry for missive, and thanks for any wisdom you can share.
 
All good questions, Jason - thx for asking. Everything that you mention falling under "sound quality" is spot-on. Short answer: it's a balance of them all.

Regarding sound quality: I know what Good/Better/Great Sound is, and a lot of my life's work (as a pro FOH/studio engineer and now consultant) has been about making whatever I'm handed sound the best it possibly can. I don't willingly suffer through nasty audio quality for long, but I can make a PreSonus/JBL rig or an SSL-Live/L'Acoustics rig kick your *** sweetly (I just have to work a lot harder on one of them to do it). It's all relative, but it would be nice to get pleasing presets that make me want to play all day vs. having it feel like work...

Regarding control: I can make-do with whatever's available, but since quite a bit of my consulting is designing custom touchpanel-based system GUI's I do appreciate a thoughtful interface. (Confession: I haven't spent any time investigating editors and 3rd party solutions to any great degree).

The actual mechanism by which control/UI occurs (hardware/iPad/laptop) is negotiable, but since I want to spend less time tweaking and more time playing (and accepting that I have a strong Tweak Gene) a fast/efficient UI is certainly of value.

Speaking of value - I'm very aware of cost/benefit ratio as well as return-on-investment, and I tend to pay more for quality devices I can keep/use a long time vs. something inexpensive that's a doorstop in two years.

Here's what I'm seeing with my limited amount of legwork thus far:

FAS - best of class sound and support, outdated hardware UI, demanding to fly right and über-expensive. What the Big Kids use, some of whom pay a tech to keep it sounding great.

HR - new kid on the block so support is unknown, best hardware UI at the moment. Highly cost-effective as it uses old Avid 11R machine code, questionable audio quality for some users. (That said, Peter Thorn et al appear able to produce quality results - of course, with those hands a Harmony running through a 20 yr. old Peavey sounds f'ing awesome).

L6 - seemingly jack of all trades, master of none.

The idea of a fast/intuitive UI is very attractive. Absolute sound quality pokes my "Quest For The Final dB" Button, but not if I have to spend 60% of my time drilling down through poorly-implemented design.

Lastly, I see it as primarily a multieffect platform as I like my amp and I do have two kids in college.

Sorry for missive, and thanks for any wisdom you can share.
The Axe-Edit software editor is great. Unless you're planning to do editing at a gig, no real need for the front panel. The hardware interface is IMO "utilitarian" not "outdated". I bought an Axe Fx because I want great tones not because I want a fancy UI.
 
I understand that the fractal box does not have a multi-color display.
But after learning the fractal box, i can run it as fast as any of the interfaces out there.
And for editing at the computer the fractal is almost perfect...
Personally, I care about the sound, I care about the quality, and I care about workflow...which interestingly enough is what a recording engineer is after too.
I believe the fractal is hammering every single one of those points....
And I will tell you all the kids I know want the fractal...because the A players are using it. THAT will sell more fractals than a color display. ...but just my 2 cents
 
Sound quality is an umbrella term that can refer to things like clarity, noise floor, etc. and can easily apply to the hardware itself(eg. A/D D/A converters). He stated he's a former engineer, thus it's reasonable to assume he may be referring to attributes unrelated to modeling accuracy.
Ok you're just being obtuse. There's not enough eye rolling emojis in the world.... oh forget it. Blocked.
 
One thing that I can already say about FAS products - they clearly inspire a lot of loyalty within the User base. And that's really saying something.

Some thoughts so far:

1) I hear you, unix-guy - point well taken: a full-color display does not a great UI guarantee. Great UI's can be monochrome and utilitarian. That said, proper use of color can go a long way to guiding a user (especially a new one) through efficient operation of an inherently complicated device. My GUI's use color A LOT: green for "good things", flashing red for warnings and "fails", that sort of thing.

2) A lot of buyers DO respond to "what the A players" are using, regardless of whether or not that choice necessarily best serves them. Many buyers also respond to "demonstrators" whose abilities (and chosen demo materials) most closely match their own tastes.

3) 200man, you say "But after learning the Fractal box..." - I'd really appreciate hearing more about what that process was like, how long (and how much effort) it took you to get quick/comfortable, and any suggestions on how to accomplish same.

And some questions:

4) I'm not gigging, nor am I engineering anymore (well, sadly not very often). I'd probably fall into the "bedroom player" category I see mentioned here (except it's my office). That said, I do appreciate both quality and functionality - as well as not wasting time. If we limit use to stereo effects and no amp modeling, would you still drop your $$$$ on FAS? If yes, which one(s)? What would your FAS "fx only" setup look like?

5) Was your FAS a "first purchase" in an "all-in-one" or did you graduate up to it? If so, what was your path?

6) Have you had any hands-on experience with the Helix or Headrush (11R) products? Better yet, any A/B taste tests?

Again - thanks for taking the time to help flatten my learning curve.
 
One thing that I can already say about FAS products - they clearly inspire a lot of loyalty within the User base. And that's really saying something.

Some thoughts so far:

1) I hear you, unix-guy - point well taken: a full-color display does not a great UI guarantee. Great UI's can be monochrome and utilitarian. That said, proper use of color can go a long way to guiding a user (especially a new one) through efficient operation of an inherently complicated device. My GUI's use color A LOT: green for "good things", flashing red for warnings and "fails", that sort of thing.

2) A lot of buyers DO respond to "what the A players" are using, regardless of whether or not that choice necessarily best serves them. Many buyers also respond to "demonstrators" whose abilities (and chosen demo materials) most closely match their own tastes.

3) 200man, you say "But after learning the Fractal box..." - I'd really appreciate hearing more about what that process was like, how long (and how much effort) it took you to get quick/comfortable, and any suggestions on how to accomplish same.

And some questions:

4) I'm not gigging, nor am I engineering anymore (well, sadly not very often). I'd probably fall into the "bedroom player" category I see mentioned here (except it's my office). That said, I do appreciate both quality and functionality - as well as not wasting time. If we limit use to stereo effects and no amp modeling, would you still drop your $$$$ on FAS? If yes, which one(s)? What would your FAS "fx only" setup look like?

5) Was your FAS a "first purchase" in an "all-in-one" or did you graduate up to it? If so, what was your path?

6) Have you had any hands-on experience with the Helix or Headrush (11R) products? Better yet, any A/B taste tests?

Again - thanks for taking the time to help flatten my learning curve.

My first venture into top tier modelers was FAS's flagship, however if you're only using the unit for stereo effects, a B-stock FX8 ($899) might offer the best bang for your buck, in my opinion. It depends, though.

What are your effects requirements?
 
personally i think once you've opened up the computer app and used it for 5 minutes yer going to need to change yer undies...i know i did
 
Let's see: in both mono AND stereo, we've got flange, phase, slap/tape echo, .99 pitch shift, doubler, chorus, env follower, wan, whammy, vol ... oh, yeah - reverb.

Did I leave anything out? Ah, yes - a looper, please.

I will download/demo the editor when I return to civilization Tuesday - assuming one can do so w/o having an FAS device to speak to.

On that topic, is the FX8 at its end-of-product cycle and perhaps a long-term dead end? Is it's processing up to par with (dare I say) Helix/HR and/or other FAS?
 
Let's see: in both mono AND stereo, we've got flange, phase, slap/tape echo, .99 pitch shift, doubler, chorus, env follower, wan, whammy, vol ... oh, yeah - reverb.

Did I leave anything out? Ah, yes - a looper, please.

I will download/demo the editor when I return to civilization Tuesday - assuming one can do so w/o having an FAS device to speak to.

On that topic, is the FX8 at its end-of-product cycle and perhaps a long-term dead end? Is it's processing up to par with (dare I say) Helix/HR and/or other FAS?
The editor doesn't do much without the Axe Fx. It's a sort of client/server model...

But there are a ton of videos out there that demonstrate using it for all manner of things.
 
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