SPOILER --> It's complicated

Steeldom

Member
Hi folks!

TL/DR is at the bottom if you want to skip the prose. :)

I'm a hobby musician like most of us, I think. I'm not in studios and I also don't play big arenas. If you play at home and in rehearsals and small to mid sized gigs, rock to metal, then you might be in a similar situation as me and this review might be helpful.
Like probably many of you I started my gear-journey without any clue what I actually wanted.
My long time friend and guitar teacher is absolutely anti-modelling so naturally I wasn't looking into it
at the beginning.
That was pretty much until someone told me of the mysterious "Axe-Fx Ultra". I looked into it and
was fascinated by the videos of Ketil Strand. But moneywise these units were WAY out of my league.

My first modeller was a Pod X3 Pro and I had a great time with this unit. Especially because it enabled me
to try out what all the "wet/dry/wet" fuss was all about.

The next modeller that really caught my attention was the Kemper. The concept still sounds absolutely amazing to me.
Unfortunatelly if I'm honest even though I really wanted it to do the thing, I never really got there.
And after many considerations I decided to go the exact opposite way and invested into a traditional rig.
image.jpeg

This thing is a beast and even though it's far from perfect (amateur wiring on my part) I can get about 90% of all sound combinations I
need. It tickles my gear nerdiness with a Wet/Dry setup, all sorts of interessting routing and all sorts of knobs to turn.
But most important of all, there it was, THAT sound. That creamy, midrangy, sometimes a bit dirty but lovely tube tone.

So... case closed?

Not quite because of a lot of very obvious problems.
1. I tried to fit as much flexibility as I could into a rig that's as small as possible. But even then it's quite a bit of Equipment. And even though I prepared it
to be as convenient as possible to set up it's still a lot of cabeling. Which leads to
2. So many points where things can go wrong. Due to Covid I only had the chance to play this rig in rehearsals and it is SO FRICKING FUN. But I already
dread going live with it. Since it's all interconected it's not like taking one pedal from the pedalboard and go on with it.
If for example the ENGL would go on strike for whatever reason the whole thing would colapse, since it is all based around the engl sound.

So from the moment this thing was complete I was thinking about some sort of spare and or replacement solution. Something that could take its place and make a decent job.
Easy to setup, lightweight but most importantly, again, it had to sound at least good.

As I said with the Kemper I never got there and with the Helix LT that I was fortunate to shoot at a decent price at some point I couldn't get there either.
Here is what I honestly think about modelling and comparing helix to kemper to axe to whatever:
If you are at pro touring level it really doesn't matter. Because the environment in which these devices are being used is able to make it sound great no matter
which of the units is being used. I think they are all reliable and I think they are all great. I could maybe see someone on a pro level NOT choosing an Axe-Fx because on tour even the most solid things break and usually they do at the worst time and in the most remote corner of the world. But there's still a probability of a musicstore in a reachable distance that either has a Kemper or a Helix or now a QC. But that's just speculation and opinion of course.
At my level there are BIG differences. Not even necesseraly in sound quality but more so in what each unit offers to get me to the point I want to be.
Overall I think I'm a simple guy when it comes to sound. I want a decent amp as a basis and then a few effects to enrich it. But the start is always the simple amp sound.
If I have to use tons of EQs and compressors and whatnot to even get close to the sound I get from an amp with all the knobs at 12 o'clock then I think the unit is not the right one for me
even if it sounds good enough in the end. And it's not that I don't like tweaking but in my opinion modellers promise to deliver that basic sound without a hastle and then give you the opportunity to build on top. That's why I think it is fair to expect any modeller to sound good without using any effects.

So now I'm trying the FM3. I think I can honestly say that I'm not attached to any unit. The one that gets the job done for me
is the one I'll use. If that had been the Helix I wouldn't be here writing this review.

(Split because its too long :-D)
 
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PC-Editor:
Before I talk about the unit I want to say one thing about the editor. Way back in the first generation of Axe-Fxs you could fiddle around with the PC-editor without owning the actuall unit, it even showed how much processing power was used for a given setup. I did that quite a bit dreaming about the Axe I would maybe one day have and also figuring out routings.
I think its a pity that that isn't an option anymore. I understand why. And it's a fair argument. But I still think a sort of "Demo-mode" or whatever would be a great thing. For me personally it could even be a seperate programm, you wouldn't even need to be able to save. But just being able to get creative with effect blocks, cabeling and positioning while not having a unit connected would be a great thing.

Sound:
Let's cut to the chase.
First impression, this thing sounds amazing. It's hard for me to even describe how happy and RELIEVED I felt after trying the first few presets. I was ready to try it for an hour, pack it in and send it straight back to G66 and leave moddelling behind "forever".
There's five things in particular that I noticed:
1. Usually Clean presets under headphones always sounded harsh or dull to me. When I added the highs to make it more clear it became unpleasant for my ears and if I reduced them nothing was really defined anymore. With the FM3 however i can really hit the strings as hard as I want and what I get is the dynamic I would expect from an amp.
2. Usually a similar thing happens with distorted presets. If I reduce the gain it sounds really thin on single notes and with more gain the definition of the chords is gone in a puddle of mud. With the FM3 however I found pretty much all high gain presets to be well articulated. It's like instead of choosing the one dish that doesn't taste bad its all great just with different flavors.
3. Usually when I switch between Clean and High Gain presets I have a kind of "treble creep". In order for the high gain presets to be somewhat clear compared to clean I increase the treble and in the end, although I have something that kinda works together it is at best usable for practice but nowhere near a presentable sound.
4. I played with headphones for like 5 hours straight and I did not get fatigued AT ALL. The only thing that hurt was my butt from sitting in the same position for this many hours. :-D
5. For the first time I felt like what I heard when I played resembled what I had heard online in youtube videos. Until now there has always been a huge gap between online sounds and what I was able to reproduce at home, even when I used the exact same preset.

So after a VERY promising first impression I really put the FM3 to the test. In the end my ears would have to decide. So I set up my tube rig and put the FM3 away for a couple of days. I played exclusivly through my rig, to be as familiar with the sound and feel as I could and then got out the FM3 again to see if I still liked it.
Of course I was being a bit unfair because I was comparing playing an amp in the room to playing through headphones. And as expected at first it didn't feel as awesome as the first time I fired it up.
I went through a couple of factory presets, both clean and highgain and none seemed to do it. So I took a step back.
I created a preset from scratch, Engl Powerball? No. Plexi 2204? Getting there. Plexi 50W, YES. 2 1960 cabs with a 57 and a 121. Just the slightest amount of room reverb. I was getting a very Deep Purple kind of vibe. So I decided to go all the way and put a treble boost in front. And I was kinda shocked.
It didn't sound good. It didn't sound great. It sounded absolutely AMAZING!
There was so much sustain and it was so quiet that I checked if I had accidentally engaged a compressor or a noise gate. Nope.
A few adjustments in the boost and in the amp and I found kind of a perfect balance of biteyness and punch.
I sat back and played and played and played for hours literally. I don't think I have ever spend an entire evening playing exclusivly Deep Purple.
And even though that kind of sound doesn't have a huge amount of gain it felt so easy to play.
I also felt like using the Volume and Tone on my strat actually meant something. Usually I contemplate if having a tone knob is even worth it.

But this is exactly what I was hoping for. Dial it in and then let it do its thing and focus on the guitar and playing.
And I was getting there in such a short amount of time, even though I'm not familiar with the unit yet.

I'll do that again, play through my rig and come back to the FM3 in a few days, just to be absolutely sure. But at this point I don't see how the result would be different.

So yeah... I'm convinced. I've bought a studio full of gear worth like a million$ or more all packed into a neat little box on my desk.

Processing Power:
I wish I could use two amps. That's pretty much it. It's not that I NEED two amps but it would open up even more possibilities.
In terms of effects routing and such I have more than enough for me. The effects are great and I can't say I'm missing anything.

Effects:
I was happy with the delay and reverb options of my other units and I'm happy again with the FM3.
What I really like more on the FM3 is Chorus and other modulation effects, especially on dirty sounds. I can finally make Van Halens "Humans Being" work without it being all "washy" and that is awesome! I even found a factory preset that seems to me was meant to represent that sound.

Factory presets:
They are absolutely fantastic. And usable. Normally I tend to just ignore them and start from scratch. I'm a bit torn here. I will definitely explore all the options.
I think it is even better that a lot of them have the option to hear the amp dry. I would have liked the dry scene to be the first one that pops up. With every preset I tried, I first went to the dry sound and then looked at some options with effects. So for me switching through dry amps would have been prefered. On headphones I also found some Reverbs and Delays to be too much for my taste. And don't get me wrong I like lush sounds. But to me it was a bit much. And since I'm not yet that familiar with editing, I just jumped over anything with too much effects.
I know this might sound picky but the only reason I make this critique is because these presets are REALLY GOOD! I have no idea what most of the helix presets sound like, because I spend like 5-10 minutes there and then went on to create my own patches.
On the FM3 (after creating one preset of my own just to try it) I spend almost the whole evening on factory presets.
I found two errors in the presets (I think, I'm not sure):
1. Preset 008 - Plexi 50W
--> Scene 5 is named "6550 Dry" There's still delay on it. I'm not sure if that is supposed to be.
2. Preset 022 Super Verb
--> Scene 2 is named "Vibrato (Trem)" yet the tremolo is not engaged
 
Usability:
When I'm at home I use both the front panel and the PC-Editor. The editor is as great as the first generation was and is giving me all the tools I need.
Once everything is dialed in I want to leave it as is for live applications. The only thing I need to adjust on the fly is the Rythm to Lead ratio during soundcheck.
With the FM3 I can make that parameter instantly accessible, which is great.
The front panel is another story. Now I'm confident that once I've used it enough I will be familiar with all the menus and where to find the settings I need. But first impression the Helix was a lot easier to get into. For example I know from some videos that there is a way to easily connect Input and Output on an empty preset. But when I started to explore the FM3 I didnt want to take a break to watch some video or read a manual. So I fiddled until I had a signal path and then put in an amp. I honestly wonder, the number of people that like a preset to be completely empty compared to the number of people that would benefit from there already being a simple signal path. I know that there's numerous work arounds, like creating a basic preset as a template and then copying instead of choosing an empty one, etc.
Or the Cab-Edit screen. When first selected all the nobs only turn the BANK of cabinets. You have to navigate down once to "number" to be able to scroll through cabs. On the first evening I got that right immediatly. On the second test of the FM3 I sat in this screen for like 5 minutes unable to change the cab. I will fully admit that I was being dumb BUT a good interface imo compensates for occassional loss of cognitive ability. :)
Again, once you are used to it, that's not an issue at all. But for me at least the Helix Layout is more intuitive.

With regards to footswitches, this is the first time that I've had channel strips. And maybe at some point I don't want to go back to normal footswitches anymore. At the moment however I would gladly sacrifice the strips for 3 additional switches. The FM3 size with 6 switches would be really ideal for me. But i guess that is down to personal preference.
3 switches is kind of limiting BUT since I can get away with Clean-Rythm-Lead I can make it work. Of course I could always buy a foot controller.
And at some point I might actually do that, because even though that thing is really solid I would much rather have it in a rack on a drawer and only have a foot controller at the front of the stage.

INs/OUTs
It has all the In-and Outputs you might need, so whats there to say? If space would allow for more effect loops that would be great to incorporate pedals, amps etc. More is always more.
But is it really necessary? No.

Summary/ TL/DR:
I'm absolutely stunned and very happy with this outcome. The FM3 is holding all promises and then some.
The few things I would criticise are nitpicky and not important compared to the fact that it delivers the SOUND which is by far the most important aspect imho.
Having had a side eye on the Axe-Fx I know that the units are getting constantly improved.

Anyway that's my review. Thanks for reading and have a great day!
 
I'm not sure I believe you, because if it was that amazing then your review would have been a LOT shorter and you would have spent more time playing! :p

Joking aside, what a great read! Fractal make incredible gear and I always love it when more people discover that these units do deliver! I've had mine for so many years and I think just 2 days ago I ran to my wife all excited telling her about a new (actually old) feature I had just discovered on my AxeFX3! Needless to say she changed the subject to house painting quickly but still I love it!
 
I totally agree about how the amps feel under your fingers. I remember plugging in for the first time utterly amazed that each model that I was familiar with in the real world acting just like the real thing. There was no approximation; it was just the same. And then, of course, you can change just about every aspect of the amp and mod it in the awesomest ways.
 
I'm not sure I believe you, because if it was that amazing then your review would have been a LOT shorter and you would have spent more time playing! :p

Joking aside, what a great read! Fractal make incredible gear and I always love it when more people discover that these units do deliver! I've had mine for so many years and I think just 2 days ago I ran to my wife all excited telling her about a new (actually old) feature I had just discovered on my AxeFX3! Needless to say she changed the subject to house painting quickly but still I love it!
:D Thank you.

Actually there's an explanation for that. I wrote this review during work, when I couldn't stop thinking about the FM3. Don't tell my boss. :tearsofjoy:
 
Very nice writeup, thanks for that. I have been struggling between a Kemper Stage and a FM3 for a few months now. As a disclaimer, I have used a Kemper for around 6 years now. Both units regularly surprise me at how good they sound and feel in recording and live, and after finding good stage solutions with both, I found each has its good and bad points. On tones, feel/dynamics/harmonics/ease of getting good tone in most situations, the FM3 and Kemper are clearly on par with each other. Differences:

Regardless of the hype around profiling, IMHO the FM3 is the most accurate to a specific amp type. I've repaired, built and gigged with most every major tube amp in my music "career" since starting in 1979, and I adore the FM3 as it gets so much minutiae in the models correct, and how it generates and crafts dense harmonics from different areas of the amp topology. I have an original tweed Fender Bassman (5F6A), and the FM3 is the only modeler I've heard come close to what it does, including the Kemper.

The Kemper can get close to a specific profiled amp in a mix, and certain amps (mostly Marshall types) when played critically out of a mix, but in absolute terms cannot get as close as a FM3. However, if you treat a Kemper profile as its own unique amp, and tweak it carefully, it generates harmonics over dynamics and responds to playing nuances better than any tube amp I've touched. The Kemper has its own unique tone and response it puts on all its output (especially overdriven profiles), and I have grown to love this over the years. Frankly I have not found this in the FM3 yet.

As much as I love and appreciate the FM3, and plan to continue to use it heavily, my stage and recording solution is mostly Kemper, for the reasons above, and other things like the superior integrated stage solution of the Kemper Stage and powered Kab. But I can clearly agree with any other player that thinks the Kemper is substandard to the FM3, as in some aspects it certainly is. I might be far more passionate with the FM3 if I started with a Fractal ecosystem 6 years ago rather than a Kemper, it took a while to really appreciate what the Kemper is capable of.
 
Maybe this will help you:
The Axe-Fx III models are extremely accurate. The Kemper has it's own vibe which a lot of people like. It's characterized by lots of midrange compression. You can replicate this on the Axe-Fx by setting the Output Compression type in the Amp block to Feedback and dialing in ~6 dB of compression. Adjust to taste.

The distortion of the Kemper is smoother than a real amp as well. You can replicate this by decreasing the Power Amp Hardness.
 
Maybe this will help you:
This stuff can indeed help. But even then, for me personally, there is still a gap between Kemper and fractal devices with current firmware.

I can understand why some love the Kemper feel as much. For me, it's the other way around.

I did spend some time trying to make fm3 sound like my Kemper profiles before, just to see what happens, but nearly always preferred the fractal without trying to "kemperize" it.

At least when it comes to some of the most relevant, meaningful ways, for me, the FM3 is more faithful to amps I've had than my Kemper profiles.

But I've also seen cases where people played through fractal tones of mine, then profiles of these, that I had made, and preferred the Kemper response. Even by quite a margin.

For the usual reasons.. And I get why/how it happens. I'd even understand if fractal made a "Kemperize" button, Lel.
 
Ok so there's trouble in paradise...

My initial reaction was based on me playing through headphones (Beyerdynamic dt770 pro 80 ohm). It sounds exactly like I want it to sound. Clear, dynamic, tubey. I can turn the headphone volume pretty loud and it doesn't get harsh or muddy. That's something no other modeller has given me so far. So I was positive that this is it.
Then I tried to amplify the FM3 and that's were the trouble began.

I have tried all my different gear combinations at home and none of them seem to give me that buzzword "amp in the room".
I have:
  • Seymour duncan 170W power amp
  • Tube amp doctor 1x12 cab with a Jensen C12D speaker
  • Engl Gigmaster 15W head
  • Peavey classic 20 head
  • TAD 1x12 cab with a guitar speaker (I'm not even sure which one)
  • Peavey 1x12 cab with a guitar speaker
  • headrush 108

Over the last couple of days I have tried all possible combinations you can think of.
Power amp modelling on, off. In the back of a tube amp, in the front of a tube amp.
And every time I thought I maybe made some progress I plugged in my above mentioned rig and there's just no comparison.
And then I went back to headphones each time because I thought I might have imagined the good sound but no,
every time the FM3 would deliver. Great sounding, great feeling tones right there.

Now I'm back to square one. This is how I felt with my Kemper for many many years and at some point I gave up, sold it and bought the FM3.
I'm convinced that FOH will be amazing and I can also confirm that the sound through headphones is great. But I live in the in-between 99,99% of the time and that is where I want to have a great tone.
 
You need to try a full range speaker with your FM3. It should have sounded good through your cabs. But you can’t get the cab sound same as what you have on your phones out of the FM3. FRFR isn’t ideal but it’s good for running IRs which have a huge impact on the overall tone and response. Hope you find what you’re looking for. Plenty of threads discussing speakers. It’s a popular and essential topic. I see you tried the HR108. Should have got you close. But maybe not the right choice for your ears.
 
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Ok so there's trouble in paradise...

My initial reaction was based on me playing through headphones (Beyerdynamic dt770 pro 80 ohm). It sounds exactly like I want it to sound. Clear, dynamic, tubey. I can turn the headphone volume pretty loud and it doesn't get harsh or muddy. That's something no other modeller has given me so far. So I was positive that this is it.
Then I tried to amplify the FM3 and that's were the trouble began.

I have tried all my different gear combinations at home and none of them seem to give me that buzzword "amp in the room".
I have:
  • Seymour duncan 170W power amp
  • Tube amp doctor 1x12 cab with a Jensen C12D speaker
  • Engl Gigmaster 15W head
  • Peavey classic 20 head
  • TAD 1x12 cab with a guitar speaker (I'm not even sure which one)
  • Peavey 1x12 cab with a guitar speaker
  • headrush 108

Over the last couple of days I have tried all possible combinations you can think of.
Power amp modelling on, off. In the back of a tube amp, in the front of a tube amp.
And every time I thought I maybe made some progress I plugged in my above mentioned rig and there's just no comparison.
And then I went back to headphones each time because I thought I might have imagined the good sound but no,
every time the FM3 would deliver. Great sounding, great feeling tones right there.

Now I'm back to square one. This is how I felt with my Kemper for many many years and at some point I gave up, sold it and bought the FM3.
I'm convinced that FOH will be amazing and I can also confirm that the sound through headphones is great. But I live in the in-between 99,99% of the time and that is where I want to have a great tone.

Just to make sure, you have also turned off the Cab Blocks when running into those guitar amps, right?
 
Ok so there's trouble in paradise...

My initial reaction was based on me playing through headphones (Beyerdynamic dt770 pro 80 ohm). It sounds exactly like I want it to sound. Clear, dynamic, tubey. I can turn the headphone volume pretty loud and it doesn't get harsh or muddy. That's something no other modeller has given me so far. So I was positive that this is it.
Then I tried to amplify the FM3 and that's were the trouble began.

I have tried all my different gear combinations at home and none of them seem to give me that buzzword "amp in the room".
I have:
  • Seymour duncan 170W power amp
  • Tube amp doctor 1x12 cab with a Jensen C12D speaker
  • Engl Gigmaster 15W head
  • Peavey classic 20 head
  • TAD 1x12 cab with a guitar speaker (I'm not even sure which one)
  • Peavey 1x12 cab with a guitar speaker
  • headrush 108

Over the last couple of days I have tried all possible combinations you can think of.
Power amp modelling on, off. In the back of a tube amp, in the front of a tube amp.
And every time I thought I maybe made some progress I plugged in my above mentioned rig and there's just no comparison.
And then I went back to headphones each time because I thought I might have imagined the good sound but no,
every time the FM3 would deliver. Great sounding, great feeling tones right there.

Now I'm back to square one. This is how I felt with my Kemper for many many years and at some point I gave up, sold it and bought the FM3.
I'm convinced that FOH will be amazing and I can also confirm that the sound through headphones is great. But I live in the in-between 99,99% of the time and that is where I want to have a great tone.
What was your experience like with the headrush?

How precisely can you describe what you did and didn't like?

Is monitoring your guitar through IEMs an option for how you play?
 
Ok so there's trouble in paradise...

My initial reaction was based on me playing through headphones (Beyerdynamic dt770 pro 80 ohm). It sounds exactly like I want it to sound. Clear, dynamic, tubey. I can turn the headphone volume pretty loud and it doesn't get harsh or muddy. That's something no other modeller has given me so far. So I was positive that this is it.
Then I tried to amplify the FM3 and that's were the trouble began.

I have tried all my different gear combinations at home and none of them seem to give me that buzzword "amp in the room".
I have:
  • Seymour duncan 170W power amp
  • Tube amp doctor 1x12 cab with a Jensen C12D speaker
  • Engl Gigmaster 15W head
  • Peavey classic 20 head
  • TAD 1x12 cab with a guitar speaker (I'm not even sure which one)
  • Peavey 1x12 cab with a guitar speaker
  • headrush 108

Over the last couple of days I have tried all possible combinations you can think of.
Power amp modelling on, off. In the back of a tube amp, in the front of a tube amp.
And every time I thought I maybe made some progress I plugged in my above mentioned rig and there's just no comparison.
And then I went back to headphones each time because I thought I might have imagined the good sound but no,
every time the FM3 would deliver. Great sounding, great feeling tones right there.

Now I'm back to square one. This is how I felt with my Kemper for many many years and at some point I gave up, sold it and bought the FM3.
I'm convinced that FOH will be amazing and I can also confirm that the sound through headphones is great. But I live in the in-between 99,99% of the time and that is where I want to have a great tone.
I have only had my FM3 for a week, but I found the same thing with my Axe II for years, is that I find when I run into a poweramp and cab vs. using headphones or studio monitors, I have to cut the mids a TON to sound "correct". Throw an EQ before your output to the poweramp and put a big smile curve on it. That seems to make it sound closer to what I hear when I use the cab block into FRFR.
 
He is using a Jensen C12N so he should keep the Cab turned On on the FM3 as that speaker is sort of a FRFR but more geared towards guitar players.
 
Hi,

so I wanted to check back after more playing. My 30 day trial with G66 was coming to an end so I had to make a decision. And unfortunately for now I decided against the FM3.
I was really really happy with headphones. More so than I ever was with any other modeller. But among the equipment I have I found no solution to amplify the FM3 that really made me happy.

I'm not giving up though. The next step will be to try to find someone around my location who owns an Axe/FM and is really happy with it and can demonstrate me his setup.
I mean I think I didn't make any rookie mistake like turning off the cab in a FRFR situation and that my "problem" is more substantial. But given the complex nature of these units I would be foolish to assume that I made absolutely nothing wrong.

And maybe the solution is to find the right FRFR speaker but that's something I wasn't able to accomplish in my trial period.
I'll keep looking.

Thank you for all the suggestions and help so far :)
 
Hi,

so I wanted to check back after more playing. My 30 day trial with G66 was coming to an end so I had to make a decision. And unfortunately for now I decided against the FM3.
I was really really happy with headphones. More so than I ever was with any other modeller. But among the equipment I have I found no solution to amplify the FM3 that really made me happy.

I'm not giving up though. The next step will be to try to find someone around my location who owns an Axe/FM and is really happy with it and can demonstrate me his setup.
I mean I think I didn't make any rookie mistake like turning off the cab in a FRFR situation and that my "problem" is more substantial. But given the complex nature of these units I would be foolish to assume that I made absolutely nothing wrong.

And maybe the solution is to find the right FRFR speaker but that's something I wasn't able to accomplish in my trial period.
I'll keep looking.

Thank you for all the suggestions and help so far :)
I’m in the same boat. Maybe something like the Friedman ASC 10 is what we need to feel that we’re playing an amp.I might try that. A lot of guys here need the Axe for recording and FOH but I just need something that sounds good in my living room.
 
Just curious why you're very happy with headphones but need "amp in the room"?

Those are very different things...

If you want that amp (really "speaker cab") in the room then you're not going to get it with an IR and Cab block.

The reason is simple: the IR is made to model a close mic'd speaker.

The solution is to use a real guitar speaker cab... But then you lose a lot of the benefit of the device because of the physical cab.

There have been many, many threads about this topic.
 
Just curious why you're very happy with headphones but need "amp in the room"?

Those are very different things...

If you want that amp (really "speaker cab") in the room then you're not going to get it with an IR and Cab block.

The reason is simple: the IR is made to model a close mic'd speaker.

The solution is to use a real guitar speaker cab... But then you lose a lot of the benefit of the device because of the physical cab.

There have been many, many threads about this topic.

It looks like he did try it into a guitar cab. Unless he just listed the gear he owned for no reason. I assumed he had.

There are still things you can get wrong with that setup, but....

IDK.

Other than pure volume, I'm not sure I'm actually missing much AITR. And getting good sound at lower volumes (even without the other effects of that volume) is a lot of why I decided to try modeling in the first place. So.....kinda just works for me.

I do get how much of a difference volume makes. But the Dynamics tab gets you close and at this point in my life....if I had to play at 100dB plus to be happy....I wouldn't play nearly as much. Everything is a compromise. This is a good one for me.
 
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