Axefx tutorial how to convert axe fx ii patches to axe fx iii. Boss gt vs line 6 helix vs fractal ax8 shoot out by. I have nothing bad to say about the helix or the axe fx ii, but for my needs the kemper raw amp tones with the britt packs for live use cant be beat. It accurately recreates the sound and feel of tube amps and can tone match the sound of your live amp or a recording. Presets fractal audio systems axefx wiki landing page. The official source for presets and cabs for your axefx. I have the axefx ii and i was able to make a direct comparison with several guitars to match it up.
The best custom patches for fractal audio axefx ii. Fractal audio ax8, line 6 helix floor, and headrush. Axe change the official site for fractal audio presets. Im always wishing i had an axe fx ii in the studio though. This was done using axefx 2 as the audio interface so the only real difference is the modeling and a bit of additional latency using the vst. The effects limitations can be cheated a little if you use the xy features well. The buyer must manually load them into the axefxs user cab locations and link them to the proper cab block or blocks as described in the preset description.
Im pretty new to this type of technology so forgive my ignorance haha. How i switched frome axe fx ii to helix helix line 6. The official source for presets and cabs for your axe fx. Are you trying to decide between buying a fractal audio ax8 and a line 6 helix. The fractal audio ax8 pedalboard is housed in a rugged, steel enclosure, and it features a seemingly staggering 222 amplifier models all of the models from the axe fx ii, including some rare and unique amps, and over cabinet models. Its way more intuitive to use than previous versions, but has nearly bottomless depths if you choose to go offroad. But if i put a mono block and make the whole path mono, it starts to sound awful, and not clean and smooth anymore. Line 6 helix vs fractal axefx iii how do they compare using the. Usually i build my presets during night, so most of the time i find myself using headphones, so as far as i put a stereo block at the end of the chain, the sound reaching my ears is wonderful, deep, with no harshness or noises. So after being an owner of a kemper for the last few years i recently decided to give the helix a try. Over the last few years, digital modelling amps have become so advanced that they can now convincingly match the sound of real tube amps, effects and cabinets.
All of my custom patches are available on my website here. It seems designed to go headtohead with modeling rigs like fractal audios axefx ii and the kemper profiling amplifier, but its configured as a pedalboard rather than a rackmount box or head. The axe fx will automatically receive a bank or patch file sent this way. Ax8 amp modelermultifx processor fractal audio systems. If youve ever played an axe fx ii, or heard one, then you can expect the exact same tones from the ax8 more or less. Helix vs kemper vs axe fx 2 my experience discussion in. The likes of the fractal axefx and the kemper profiler offer massively increased processing power for modelling that gets closer to the sound and feel of the real thing.
I still use these tube amps, but everyday i discover another reason the axe fx ii could be the future of guitar in todays modern gigging and recording situations. Get our free ac30 patches this is what we used in this demo here. The buyer must manually load them into the axe fx s user cab locations and link them to the proper cab block or blocks as described in the preset description. The acoustic patches made it feel like a i purchased a new guitar lol. So i finally released my signature fractal axe fx ii ax8 patches. Fractal audio axefx iii vs line 6 helix comparison and. Bank c is blank so the user can create their own custom bank on the standard.
Axe fx vs helix vs kemper vs amplifire modelling amps. The axefx ii has two tigersharcs, whereas the ax8 has two adsp21469s. Fractal axe fx custom patches pack 1 by glenn delaune youtube. To be honest i obtained better results with cheaper units such as pod hd500x and boss gt100 than boss gtmy actual multifx and helixthe one i sold because i was not. Axe change the official site for fractal audio presets, cabs. I gave up on downloading peoples patches back in the podxt days. Hi guys, during these years i tried line6 and boss multifx units to play u2 and i must admit that ive been very satysfied with quite all of them, but after some time passed i always felt that something was missing. If it just has to sound good, im sure the ax8, axefx or helix can do the. Axe fx ii xl ax8 fx8 patches can now be converted to axe fx iii patches. If you had seen his posts, presets, and live performances over the last decade you would realize. Compared with line 6s previous flagship product in this area the pod hd pro x, the helix rack is a significant upgrade, in terms of performance and price. I think if helix brings realistic od and distortion it will be a hugely popular. A point of clarity as well the axefx ii and ax8 are similar, but not identical.
The power and customizability of the axe is tremendous, and the sounds and the responsiveness of the amp models are topnotch. Explore the various tonal possibilities of helix floor, lt and native with custom choptones irs or the great tone matching from the best amplifiers. Im always wishing i had an axefx ii in the studio though. Tweakhead that i am, i could spend many happy hours deep inside that processors menus. Apr 25, 2016 helix is an ambitious multieffector with nearly 200 amp and pedal models, a builtin expression pedal, and exceptional rearpanel connectivity. I was a bit mislead by a helix user making statements, like everyone buys the axe ii to sound like meshuggah, but meshuggah never made one album with axe fx, he want on to state that nothing pod pro, catch 33 and i pod xt were all line 6 and the ones before it were real amps. This will overwrite any patches you have saved in a given bank on your axefx. Line 6 helix gearslutz gearslutz pro audio community. Choptones, kemper profiles choptones shop choptones. Playthrough played with metal pack vol2 patches pack for fractal axefx ii ax8 series. I own the kpa, have owned any number of boutique tube amps, and have friends with the axe iii and axe ii fx. I was hoping the helix lt didnt have the pedal builtin, but it still does. Dec 16, 2019 fractal audio axe fx iii vs line 6 helix comparison and shootout. I still use these tube amps, but everyday i discover another reason the axefx ii could be the future of guitar in todays modern gigging and recording situations.
That gigboard would be great for open jams and whatnot. Jul 11, 2017 fractal axe fx custom patches pack 1 by glenn delaune. I was used to pods logica, now the axe gave me too much choices. How to downloadupload patches fractal audio systems axe fx. It contains a vast virtual inventory of hundreds of vintage and modern guitar amps, speaker cabinets, guitar stompbox and studio effects, and more. Jan 10, 2017 a point of clarity as well the axe fx ii and ax8 are similar, but not identical. When he emailed me he only asked me to duplicate the preset, not make his guitar sound like the video. When i first bought the helix rack i was a bit disappointed with the default patches provided by line 6 but then i found your youtube channel and all the amazing sounds that are possible with the helix. The axe fx ii has two tigersharcs, whereas the ax8 has two adsp21469s. Hit ok the editor will automatically command your axefx to send the appropriate bank. I considered the helix, but ultimately landed in the fractal camp for a few reasons.
Now, line 6 has responded with the dualdsppowered helix, which combines amp and effects models in a. The limitations of the ax8 would not be a problem for me at all. The ax8 is a little easier because it has some knobs that control features on the amp model, but changing the chain is a pain without a computer. I quickly bought the patches available along with the custom artist patches you started working on. Silent underground web store here you will find our axe fx iii presets, axe fx ii presets, ax8 presets, kemper profiles and headrush rig packs. Hey guys, if you saw my last video, you know i had a line 6 helix in my studio, and i wanted to shoot it out against the fractal audio axefx 3 i recently purchased. High quality custom guitar patches and ir for kemper, fractal, line 6, headrush, positive grid, hotone, mooer, atomic, boss, overloud, joyo. I purchased the big pack for helix lt and downloaded the editor is there anything special to this.
Most presets use one or more specific impulse responses irs that are included in the preset download. Even if you just used the axefx ii for its effects, youd have a phenomenalsounding and almost limitless effects palette at your disposal. A good monitor setup is a very important aspect to getting the right sounds out of your axefx ii preamp. If the od and distortion is meh, well, it wont do so good.
We sat down with both units, tested them thoroughly, then took them home and played with each one for about a month to figure out which one is the better buy. Helix vs kemper vs axe fx 2 my experience the gear page. In this article, we look at 4 of the main candidates available the fractal axe fx, line 6 helix, kemper profiler and atomic amplifire. In this video we compare the line 6 helix and the fractal audio axefx iii. As a live rig, i have never had any other guitarist that wasnt impressed with the tone of my kpa, and more than one who later purchased the kpa and a frfr speaker to replace their own tube rig. Please make sure that the preset or presets you purchase are for the fractal. I just got the helix yesterday and learned so much from watching you on youtube. Sure, this wasnat axe fxas fault, but i felt like the too many options are holding me back.
Its great for someone who needs all those features though. With that comes some limitations cant run as many amp and fx blocks in a single preset. I used the vh stock ir which is free download from the line. Ive only been able to try axefx 2 and helix native side by side and while the axefx sounds just a little bit better, the difference is not night and day and i would be happy with either. Apr 21, 2016 the likes of the fractal axe fx and the kemper profiler offer massively increased processing power for modelling that gets closer to the sound and feel of the real thing. It features many of the same leadingedge technologies utilized in our flagship axefx ii processor, now offered in a floor unit at a fantastic price.
The axe fx ii is powered by a pair of analog devices tigersharc. Now, line 6 has responded with the dualdsppowered helix, which combines amp and effects models in a large, rugged floor pedal. For many years i have been a tube purist using and building vintage circuits for my tone. I have the axe fx ii and i was able to make a direct comparison with several guitars to match it up.
How to downloadupload patches fractal audio systems axe. Axefx 2 vs helix lt dilemma over fractal audio systems forum. And i believe you can use dual overdrive blocks or delay. The reason i ask this recently i was playing listening to helix while another person was playing axe fx ii. Secret sauce iii input circuitry, flash rom preset storage, built. Axefx ii mark ii ethercon port for connecting mfc101. The axe fx ii is powered by a pair of analog devices tigersharc dsps some of the most powerful in the world, and this highspec has allowed fractal to go overboard with other. The builtin expression pedal can be handy, but i saw it as something i never use, and as something that could break and be difficult to replace vs. I still use these tube amps, but everyday i discover another reason the axefx ii could be the future of guitar in todays modern gigging and recording. I play guitar daily for extended periods of time and the tone matters to me a lot it puts me in a really bad mood if my guitar doesnt sound good for whatever reason that day so i am fine with shelling out a good bit of money for an amp. As im researching into the axe fx i see theres a ton of different models. I was fortunate enough to have a good sounding listening setup before getting the axefx which allowed me to jump right into the unit and get great tones right from the start. Imo what separates and delineates axe ii and kemper from all other other modelers is their ability to deliver realistic od and distortion.
I had the axe fx ii xl and i recently sold it and im. Hey guys, i am strictly a bedroom guitarist at the moment and i have been trying to decide between the kemper and the axe fx ii. Fractal have released several versions of their flagship axe fx processor, and below we are going to look at their most recent offerings in great detail. My plan right now is to get an axe fx and go through the return of the fx loop on boogie. Grouping 128 presets or patches together form a bank. Select which bank you want to grab from your axefx. But tonally both the ii and iii iteration of the axefx are pretty far beyond it in terms of feel and accuracy to irl tube tones. Ax8 amp modelermulti fx processor quantum amp modeling, ultrares cab sims, and fractalquality effects. Oct 04, 2018 that gigboard would be great for open jams and whatnot. I know that i can get a good or bad patch on both so i really not talking about the patches. I have nothing bad to say about the helix or the axefx ii, but for my needs the kemper raw amp tones with the britt packs for live use cant be beat. They share the same processing algorithms, but the ax8 has slighter slower dsps.
And i believe you can use dual overdrive blocks or delay blocks, so it really is just applicable to things like reverb or. There are loads of demos on youtube showcasing what fractals technology is capable of, so there isnt much of a point to talking about it here. Download presets and cabs, or upload your own creations. Doesnt play very nicely with valve amps, if youre planning to use it as a preamp this is the weakest of the lot, even with preamp profiles. The helix is a huge step up from the pod hd series released a few years ago. Helix is an ambitious multieffector with nearly 200 amp and pedal models, a builtin expression pedal, and exceptional rearpanel connectivity. It only took a year, haha but theyve been getting refined all that time. Easy to use interface, easy to tweak and set up patches. Fractal axe fx custom patches pack 1 by glenn delaune.
After almost one year my patches were still not finished and i felt like i am unable to dial my old tone back. Below you will find recordings of patches ive built into my unit as well as the patch download for you to experiment. Explore the various tonal possibilities of fas series with custom choptones irs or the great tone matching. There is a major difference between helix lt and axefx ii, lt sounds more digital. Hx stomp vs axe fx ii in this video i compare two amp models in the hx stomp and the axe fx ii.