Quad Cortex vs Kemper vs Helix - A Quick Blindfold Tone Comparison

[@wbfaulk]

Captain: To be consistent, let's call them Green, Red, and Blue. Also Captain: A, B, and C. Also also Captain: 1, 2, and 3.

[@andertons]

😂😂😂 I realised that when I watched it back.

[@lance134679]

You guys could try doing a live premiere of a pre-recorded video like this, which would open up the live chat. Then you could see people giving their feedback and making their guesses in real time.

[@JacksonSears]

That would be awesome!!

[@deeberdave8190]

Thanks guys! I'm a Helix owner, and I love it! Have never played on a QC or Kemper, but after watching tons of videos on all the units you confirmed the consensus of them all! QC captures have more push, Kemper profiles are accurate to original amp, and Helix needs to be tweeked to sound great! As many have said, all are great units and each have plusses, and minuses! If we all played on the same Twin Reverb, we'd all sound different, not better, not worse! Thanks again!

[@JP-is9sc]

But i think that with a little bit of tweaking on the helix, you can replicate any of the sounds of the other two.

[@darthshaggy9970]

Yup, i waste money on QC or Kemper, for me, the modelers are more a "normal people" unita to create a personal sound, the kemper/QC/Tonex for people that use real amps and they want to capture they tones and pllay live withour charging the big tube amps to a Gig, so if u ddont have good tube amps, u are going to waste money or simply sound like other person...@@JP-is9sc

[@gitarowydominik]

My biggest take away is that ToneJunkie didn't do a great job to make them sound similar. :o

[@Nicolae8607]

ToneJunk😄...very poor job

[@KenGotGuitar]

Agreed

[@basdenchris]

I kinda feel the same. When I bought my Kemper, I got way into his profile packs. Bought a bunch of them. After a while though I started gravitating toward other 3rd party profile makers and even my own homemade ones, despite his having “pro” mics and outboard gear and cool vintage amps. Lots of people like them but I just kinda became “meh” about it

[@Tonicstud]

ToneJunkie are the worst profiles out there

[@shadrackperez7325]

Right…. 😒

[@chrisvento78]

Helix user here ! 3 years with it and love it and still learning .

[@unitednihilists]

Man, Digital John has come into his own as a presenter.

[@davidwilliams6525]

Just thinking exactly the same thing.

[@jhonfelo]

Plus he's one hell of a player, I guess that helps too

[@derekwoods8199]

And a damn good player as well. It’s nice to hear some different runs and chord progressions

[@tonlarj37]

I just watched this... a year later. I own and currently use a Kemper and Helix LT. I've owned and used, Axe FX3, Quad Cortex, and Synergy amps. All are great! With some time tweaking, I've been able to get (hair splitting) identical sounds and feel with them all. IDK You should be able to make whatever workflow you prefer work. There's a few other devices out there that would probably work just as good, too. So..... just my 2 cents. ✌🤘

[@AndrewSacoman]

I own the Kemper and really enjoy it. I was most surprised at how great the Helix sounded. All excellent options. We are spoiled for choice, us guitar players have never had it so good.

[@TmonkeyWins]

Honestly, I'm still about half way through this video as I type this but I own a Helix and the sheer amount of tonal options I have with this unit is absolutely insane. I have my helix wired into an Orange Pedal Baby in a Marshall JCM 900 1960A Cab and it sounds so freaking good. In addition to that I have it wired into my Focusrite for recording and it just simplifies every single part of the guitar AND BASS tone stacking process. Couldn't agree more with your statement that we have it so good nowadays

[@hendanine]

Anderton's managed to find a new spin on this. I've watched tons of comparison videos, and here is another one, but it is a new angle and really fun! Lee & crew still always get me to click.

[@TheInsanityofGab]

I own a helix and I could pick it out of the 3 (it has the best spring reverb). Helix just released a bunch of new cabinets today to replace some of the old ones, so it might be interesting to try this again with some of the new cab models.

[@WarrenPostma]

And their new cab models are more dynamic than the IRs are.

[@GuitarKobe86]

Hi, I own a Helix too, which of all the spring reverb options do you use?

[@jakestewartmusic]

@@GuitarKobe86 I'm not the OP, but I like Hot Springs the best. IMO sounds most authentic before the amp model with the mix turned back quite a bit.

[@jasonrhodes5034]

meh the cabs were fine enough for the main stuff. L6 are killing it on the customization options we just got though....Im finally using my pedalboard like I used to do session boards. (stomp box bypass accross snapshots finally)

[@wheresallthezombies]

I have helix native and was always had “it’s ok and gets me by” feelings about it. Mostly in the feel side. The update with the new cabs really changed that. Now it’s my go to when I want to use an amp plugin.

[@jonalexander8935]

HW @ Tone Junkie is the man.. Arshall Profile for the Kemper is a BEAST!! My go to rig for everything..

[@nickwinklermusic]

I think this really highlights how important the quality of the profile is.

[@captainfruitbatify]

Interesting timing given Line 6 have just today released a new firmware update (3.5) for the Helix that massively improves the built-in cab simulations. I assume the Helix tested here does not have the latest firmware - would be interesting to compare with the new cab simulations.

[@StephaneBergeronPixelyzed]

Yep! Firmware 3.50 is an absolute game changer for the Helix. Not tested here but it also has best effects of the 3 units IMO.

[@NathanMorgan7]

I noticed this video was in 50FPS. Very nice and much appreciated!

[@MrSpeed-lt8gr]

Very happy that Mister Connearn has become such an integral part of the team. I have seriously considered one of these since I play direct about 90% of the time.

[@iamthejshep]

helix user here. genuinely liked the QC for all of these tones. the fender amp was a dead giveaway that C was the Kemper to my ears. Kempers have a really harsh top end on cleaner amps that just can't be missed. it's this weird sizzle that is far higher than where a guitar speaker would roll off. that said, I have always struggled to get the fender amp models to sound good in the helix, but I usually lean towards British amps anyways. cheers, boys! great video

[@fisch723]

John Cordy recently released a new video dialing in a great Fender clean tone using the new cabs. Check it out.

[@oldmanzen6682]

Surprised the Helix didn’t get much love (in terms of the voting for favourites). I’ve got one, and am constantly amazed at the sounds I can pull out of it. Great video. Enjoyed the format.

[@bathstreetblues2588]

Me too, I gig with one, all styles, all venue sizes and it's impossible to tell the difference between it and my GM40. Feels incredibly good too

[@prsmantse1]

Plus they keep adding more features. I love my stomp. Best gear purchase that I've made in my 20 odd years of playing

[@GusaRoli]

I've got one years ago, and you just need a little time to dial up, and Helix just doing the sounds very well. Also Helix is a bit cheaper than the other ones .

[@prsmantse1]

@@GusaRoli if you still have it, line 6 dropped a huge update today. All new cabs. I can't wait to play around with them

[@anomalousresult]

Stomp xl plus the native plug in is amazing value for PC owners.

[@briietsai1997]

I love to see you guys to a video on helix's new 3.5 update. maybe if this video had been reordered after the update, there would've been some very interesting results.

[@androdid9249]

Agreed. At first, I thought this video was for the occasion of 3.5. The cab update may change everything, so there is almost no information for me in this video. I hope for a sequel!

[@chrisobrien9687]

helix owner here, I feel its virtually impossible to say one unit is overall better than another, for example the first tone on "amp" 3 was quite bright. I'm sure I could dial that out in an instant maybe by choosing a darker mic or adjusting mic placement, or by adding an eq block such as low/high cut, parametric eq. I haven't played on either Kemper or QC but I bet with enough time you could get all three to sound indistinguishable and great.

[@Bridging_the_Political_Divide]

Yup. Really any high end unit today can sound amazing. 💯

[@thisguy2973]

That’s exactly what a Line 6 owner would say lol In all seriousness, I’d choose the quad cortex just because I already like Neural DSP’s products. Line 6 has never been that company for me.

[@Eric-dd8bk]

as a comparison, this video is not doing it very well, but highlighting the capabilities of each unit and the difference in the sound of each model, I can appreciate and enjoy. Nice one as always Andertons.

[@chibisven]

I'm commenting right before the reveal and have heard all the examples but don't know the results. They all sounded really good at different times but the thing that really stood out is that the capture on C sounded like it was done at a lower volume which left the fender sounding too clean and fizzy on the chapman, but really benefitted the Marshall sound and definitely worked with the soldano. Overall I feel like if I was buying blind I'd probably go with B... but, I don't buy blind and they're all really great sounding units. I also do use a helix as my primary gigging rig because I have to play on silent stages and have wanted to upgrade to the QC but honestly that's 99% about getting a smaller rig and not at all because the helix sounds "bad". TLDR: all were good. Now to push play and see how I like my answers. lol.

[@olafburgermann806]

You read my mind. Just researching for one of these at the moment. Shame Fractal Audio don't do retail sales as this would have been a great 4 way test.

[@mickeygiesbers8176]

I mean as a Helix user (there I said it 😂) I’m very very happy with mine and have been for 5 years now, never let me down. That being said, I don’t believe in “better or worse” I think each one of these (and also Fractal) are for different people. Every musician has their own preference and that’s what’s great about living in a world with so much good gear =P

[@Liam_Doherty_UK]

I’ve owned all the top modellers, but am sticking with the Quad Cortex. The captures are stunning, and the captures for my Engl & 5150 iii are spot on. That being said, the Engl simulation in my HX Stomp is excellent, and the HX’s effects are excellent.

[@SixxMoo]

@@Liam_Doherty_UK is it also possible to profile your own amp with the quad cortex?

[@Liam_Doherty_UK]

@@SixxMoo Yes:)

[@SixxMoo]

@@Liam_Doherty_UK well. now the QC is back on my Wishlist again haha

[@mickeygiesbers8176]

@@Liam_Doherty_UK Yeah that's the thing, I'm not a profiler / capture guy, I have no good amps to capture anymore haha. But hey like I said, if it works for you, it works.

[@Inflames131]

the moment you played the helix one I knew which one it was already!! I personally own a helix LT and I love it! please make more videos like these and comparing different chains, maybe do a video where you have all running a metal rig, rock rock, etc! I think this will help show there versatility with each one!

[@ChrisHendrix117]

Honestly, in a mix… there’s just not enough difference to concern yourself with any one in particular. Pick your favorite. I choose the Kemper for the community and the vast number of resources. Also, really cool you guys collaborated with HW. Really love the TJ stuff. Have tons of his profiles!! Thanks! Cheers!

[@jarretthinds5621]

Thanks for doing this, very cool. I knew the Helix right off the bat as I've gigged with them since they came out. But I haven't spent a lot of time with the Kemper and zero times with the QC. But after writing down my faves, I was a little surprised that I picked the QC in almost every instance as my favorite of the three. Makes me wonder if I need to check one out now...

[@Timmisen]

I own a Kemper and have used it for five years but i got totaly fooled today ! I really thought Kemper was the first one! Great videos guys keep it up greetings from Sweden!

[@VanjaSpirin]

Me too

[@void_snw]

There's something I keep noticing - Helix presets are often *made* to sound boxy, and here it's likely the compressor post IR that does that job (but very often it's people trying to eliminate almost nonexistant "digital hiss" with insane high cuts), because Helix's top end is a bit weird due to the way it does gain on a lot of the older models (wish the marshalls would be re-done.. they desperately need it). And on the other hand, amp captures somehow never know what to do with more gain than what was modeled, so pedals are hit or miss into one. Would've liked to see an Axe FX in the mix, since that is Helix's direct competitor, and both sides of that argument have strong opinions about the other :p

[@lorcanrowley133]

I definitely got the boxy thing on the Soldano preset.

[@jakestewartmusic]

Agreed 100% on the Helix plexi models. The only one that sounds right to me is the Park 75, but with a LOT of tweaking to the stock settings.

[@dpround]

Amp captures never know what to do with more gain than as captured because quite simply that information is not there. They know about less gain because when they capture they look at the response at all available signal levels.

[@pierreschnehage8152]

I listened to the first comparison. Made my mind up on considerations other than the tones. Difficult to explain but glad to find I was right. I singled out the Kemper first. Was a bit of a choice between the other two but the Helix seemed the most natural. I'm also a Valeton fan. If the cash was there, probably the QC.

[@brazilianmegaman258]

John definitely thought that C was the Helix when he made the comment about high end fizz. I've owned a Helix for a long time and have heard this a lot but have never had a problem with this high end fizz issue I see people complaining about online. I did instantly recognise A as Helix as well as it just has a sound to it that always sits nicely in a mix.

[@glencruciani]

I own the QC and a Kemper Stage. In this blind test, I preferred the QC in almost every comparison. If I'm being honest, I much prefer the workflow and layout of my Kemper Stage as a gigging musician. I even contemplated selling my QC. Videos like this have me reconsidering getting rid of it. Perhaps I just need more time to get used to it, and find some better captures. I do feel that the QC is not as rugged feeling for gigging. Maybe it stays in my arsenal as my choice for recording in my studio. The jury is still out. Anyone else in the same position as me??? I'd love to hear your feedback.

[@matzebraun]

I liked b the most and was sure it would be the kemper! Now I’m pretty interested in the quad cortex…

[@kierenmoore3236]

QC is good … but always adds grit. Which is I thin why those into heavier/higher-gain sounds tend towards it.

[@Chris-em4tc]

I can honestly say, I preferred B almost the whole time, and I waited until the end. I own a Quad Cortex, so I’m happy haha. But really, as they said, all 3 units are exceptional and completely usable in every way. We’re at the point where there is no clear “better” choice among the high end modelers. It all comes down to preference.

[@ChrisP3000x]

"BETTER" IS (subjective and) BASED ON A "PREFERENCE".

[@zerolight9420]

I liked the QC a lot too. I might pick one up. I've never gotten on with the Helix, but haven't tried in a few years. Pretty happy with my FM3, but would like to try the QC. Have owned the Kemper twice and had a love hate relationship with it. I'd like to have heard the FM3 in there too, Fractal are definitely one of the big players, but I get why Andertons only want to promote stuff they sell.

[@a7xzombiekiller-130]

Better can absolutely be objective…. Yes it can be subjective. But you wouldn’t say a car gets “better gas mileage” and it’s lower…. Because you prefer low gas mileage lol.

[@gavinhall4112]

@@ChrisP3000x Well yes, if they're all up to a certain minimum standard. If everyone universally agreed that one of them sounded like turd then we might objectively say the others were better. Although one could argue, "I like the sound of turd" I suppose. 😀

[@anonbrae]

Given that it seems they can all be dialled in to sound very good, I then move to the effects and the range and quality of the Helix effects are second to none IMHO. The routing options on the Helix are also insanely flexible!

[@kierenmoore3236]

Second to Fractal (in modeling terms). Maybe headrush, too - don’t know … and how is the TMP coming along for FX … ?

[@fraenkiboii]

I'm a QC user and I love the sounds and flexibility it gives me. My actual amp has been off for at least 2-3 months in a row. The other day, I kinda felt disconnected from the QC. I turned on my Marshall SV20 and I was blown away what a difference it makes. I think sound-wise, all the recent modellers are there. But the feel isn't quite the same. I don't even think it's pure latency that's the problem. The latency of the QC is okay imho.

[@Paul-D]

Well if you own a QC and a Marshall SV20 your winning anyways hahaa

[@neildoherty6234]

All sounded great, but all sounded better with the Les Paul, great video as always.

[@joesatchton212]

Guys: Someone else just mentioned this, but I'm making a separate post in hopes you really see it and will seriously consider it. Content like this is IDEAL for LIVE STREAMING. Yes, takes a bit of time to setup but once you have it setup properly, you totally cut out all of the time needed to edit and do post-production. Things like these kinda of comparisons are best done without any post-production on your end anyway for the audio. Plus live streams can be so much more interactive - you get IMMEDIATE feedback and comments, just have a producer curating the comments and throwing them out to the hosts for discussion. You also can easily do REAL TIME VOTING to get a feel for people's choices immediately. LIVE STREAMING WOULD BE EPIC FOR ANDERTON'S. Plus, you could make it a bit more cheeky in terms of language if you wanted to [or not]. There is a certain skill that is needed to effectively host live streams, but you all have developed unique hosting styles and natural personalitites which live streaming would take advantage of. For examples, look to TECH CHANNELS like Linus Tech Tips and their WAN SHOW on how its done. Hell, even TPS is doing this already once a week. Again, yes, some work on the front end to setup for live streaming. But once that's done its just maintaining the settings and refining. And again, pretty much ZERO POST PRODUCTION EDITING needed unless you choose to. Yes, live without a net can be a bit scary, but there's no reason in the world Anderton's and crew can't do it right and get amazing audience interaction and feedback immediately.

[@jwanda10]

i preferred the kemper overall (twice) QC (once) and i own a Helix. curious if the helix is running 3.5 firmware because it sounds a lot better to me with the new cab models.

[@2shackchaz]

They likely filmed this a while ago so I doubt it. Shame they didn’t wait a month or so 😂

[@algorithm007ify]

Kemper is amazing.

[@wetcat833]

My choice was A with B a close second. I was terrified that C is the Helix as I own a Helix rack and they can sound thin if incorrectly dialled in. I'm relieved that I made the right choice for MY ears. I prefer the rack and remote foot switch form factor as well.

[@jacksondoonan]

I had the EXACT same thoughts 😂

[@outcoldish]

A was a helix

[@wetcat833]

@@outcoldish y Yep, got that,

[@redbarchetta8782]

Helix owner here so going to be interested in this. :) I feel C is the Helix. Surprised A was the Helix myself but all 3 sounded great over all. :)

[@marksvideochannel3592]

I was the same, sure C was the Helix. Not tempted at all by the others now. Very comfortable with my choice, especially considering the new cab update. Which I haven't tried yet, coming out this morning while I'm at work.

[@andivax]

Thank you very much! Poor patches unfortunately. First comparison shows spring on Helix and different Beth's on other devices.

[@RonZabrocki]

I'm a Helix user and amazingly picked it everytime. It sounds a bit more "tame" than the others, but, it works incredibly in the studio. I find the the others sounded fantastic alone, but may be too overblown in the track.

[@TmonkeyWins]

I think that may be where it shines most as the others seem to rely on captures (I own a helix too and am not familiar with them personally) whereas the Helix allows you to dial in what you need where you need it when you need it

[@revjeffg]

I chose B C B just like you guys…and honestly, I think it might have been Bs across the board if you could have dialed back the reverb on the Plexi pass. This was fun! 👍👍 oh, since you asked, I’m a QC user. 😀

[@jerbear1601]

I use the REVV amps on the Helix with a good Marshall cab IR and they are stunning. The Marshalls, Mesas, Soldano amps etc don't really impress me at all. You can get good results with most decent gear if you use your ears and EQ's.

[@charlesg.1207]

Great review. Enjoyed watching. I own a QC purchased from you guys, and it got to me in the U.S. very quick. You guys rock! I also have an HX Stomp and POD Go. I favor the QC for a lot of playing scenarios I also love the large screen on the QC. I don't need an editor for the QC. The cloud for it is great. I have the HX and POD Go for some other things and is a back up to the QC. I can make either device work for me. I come to a conclusion that you and Digital John selected the same amps all the time because John is in your DNA tests have proved this 😅

[@kieransweeden]

Helix user here. I was convinced throughout that C would be the Helix for some reason, I was obviously mistaken. The QC certainly had a little something over the others in my opinion. It was either the best, or not far behind. The trouble with a test like this is that it's very preset author-oriented. Give someone else the responsibility to create presets for the tests and I'm fairly certain you'll get different results. You'd then say apart from some hardware differences that may mean something to you, the big decider is UX and how well you gel with the unit.

[@Bobby-wn5yr]

I don’t have any of them, but to my ear the helix actually came second overall for me. The QC was clearly a cut above, but apart from that 1 round it won I actually found the sound from the kempler was far behind the other two. Even in the round it won I could hear something I didn’t like deep in the tone. But yeah, of course, they’re totally subjective. 3 different people trying to replicate the same tone would do it in three totally different ways, and then there’s the nature of the tests. Time and again I see these tests where it’s ‘replicate a classic fender amp’ or a ‘marshal plexi’ - it’s sort of the de facto. But what if that’s not why you’re buying one of these? If you just want a marshal plexi or fender reverb deluxe sound… I mean.. you can literally buy the real thing for less than one of these units if you need the tone that precise. People use these for all kinds of things, but they’re always reviewed on the basis of their amp models, which I find a bit curious. For example in this video they passed a tube screamer into them… but didn’t test the built in tube screamer models for example.

[@RudeRecording]

I preferred the sound of the Helix but I do own the HX Stomp. I thought the Quad Cortex sounded too fizzy and the Kemper was too thin. I primarily use the Helix Native in my recordings but I also own the Bias Amp and FX 2. I've found that the native reverbs in the Helix are vastly superior to the Bias software and I'm a bit miffed that I can't transfer any of the tones I develop in recording to my Spark 40. The reason for the HX Stomp is that I can take the tones I recorded live.

[@petergault5011]

Thanks for that gents, I've had a QC for a few months and was hoping I was going to match my favourite blind audition to the QC...I did on the Fender,. I agree that the Kemper did a better Plexi and thought QC and Kemper were equally good, although different tones on the SLO. Fascinating to remove the bias and just listen without prejudice.

[@milanpanic3755]

I have the quad cortex and I've played with a helix on some gigs, but I chose B - C - B. The tones on the quad cortex sounded the most pleasant in every amp, but I chose the Kemper on the Marshall profile, because it had the most marshally breakup. I have to note that the Helix had the best spring reverb on the deluxe reverb amp.

[@stephenhepburn2220]

I own all 3, and am sticking with Helix, such a great user friendly & great setup, audio interface is luxury to work with. Cheers from Canada !

[@ronzinale]

I've choosen Helix, and I own a stomp. It's interesting because the price difference from HX floor and QC cortex is marginal, but from Stomp to QC cortex is huge, and you get the same sound with some limitations. The QC form factor is the one I prefer, smaller than other two.

[@threeonamatchventura]

Kemper for sound, workflow and road worthy design. I would find use for each one but to choose one over the others you might pass on the Helix because it can’t capture. You might pass on QC from concern about the specialized foot switch/ parameter knobs wearing out and this leaves the Kemper. To say the Kemper can’t make sounds like the other units is pretty tall talk. If you have what you like, great. Just pointing out some things not said here.

[@keithowensmusic37]

I own the Quad Cortex. I was playing it intermittently as I watched this. I've a Friedman BE and a Vox AC30 combination patch dialed in that I'm definitely enjoying.

[@jonathanarnold2225]

Do you have that preset uploaded? Would like to try it!

[@keithowensmusic37]

@@jonathanarnold2225 No but I can upload it. Check back this afternoon-evening. It's set up for lead guitar with lots of delay and reverb, but you can change that if you want.

[@jonathanarnold2225]

@@keithowensmusic37 what is your username?

[@keithowensmusic37]

@@jonathanarnold2225 keithowens

[@keithowensmusic37]

@@jonathanarnold2225 keithowens

[@jimwoodard64]

Wow, so I own the Kemper, and I was disappointed in its showing with the Fender amps. I have Tone Junkie's entire library, and it was even more confusing that it did so poorly in that realm. That said, it's my main Marshall amp, and it didn't disappoint. Rock on, Mr. Kemper.

[@WarrenPostma]

I think TJ tried but probably there are better Kemper Fender amp captures out there than this one

[@donald-parker]

One of the most interesting things to me about these vids is how much sound affects approach to playing. And I will stick with that when challenged for my need for more guitars.

[@helies2862]

I liked 1 on Fender and 2 on Marshall and Slo. I own a QC and I really hoped that it was 2 as it was the most consistent throughout for my ears even if I preferred the helix for clean. 3 on fender was horrible and I particularly didn’t like 1 on the Marshall and Slo with how the mids were shifted. If I would rate them from with ears, it would be QC, Kemper and Helix. I can’t praise the capture feature enough through my own personal captures being near identical when done correctly. It’s nice to know you have the unit you preferred the sounds of.

[@avocadoenjoyer8511]

Fascinating, I guessed all of them wrong! I thought A was the Quad Cortex, B was the Kemper, and C was the Helix (granted, I've never used any of them, just watched some reviews). I liked how despite not always being my first pick, A was always a good second, whereas I really felt B sometimes sounded more muddy than I would have liked, and C was really a gamble (sometimes first, sometimes dead last). If I had to pick one, it probably would have been A. If I could have two, I'd pick C and either of the others. I personally have a Headrush MX5, so no dog in this fight.

[@ScreamThatShyt]

MX5 is awesome too !

[@garrysimmons111]

I own a Helix LT. I like it well enough. TBH, I would be fine with just an HX Stomp at WAY less money as I don't use the vol/wah pedal at all or need the extra I/O and such. The 3.5 update is very nice. I'm sure I would be happy with any number of modeler options out there as I'm more concerned about my performance (what I play) than the subtleties of my tone (rock cover band in dive bars).

[@vladrapchan5330]

I plan to buy an LT or a Stomp, but I keep thinking that 8 blocks from the Stomp wouldn't be enough in some cases. What do you think?

[@masterofreality230]

@@vladrapchan5330 I would try to grab a cheaper used LT. I have the Stomp XL and I have not ran into issues, but thats because I have big box delays and reverbs, if I didnt, there could be problems.

[@1233-i7t]

​@@vladrapchan5330I've been using the hx stomp for a few years, and it's treated me pretty well so far. I didnt have much trouble with running out of blocks, but i could definitely See it becomming a problem for some people. So maybe go for the bigger version if you can swing it, but the stomp also works just fine. Especially if you get a 2x external foot switch, with the new-ish firmware you can have 5 presets with 3 snapshots + tap Tempo each reachable per foot, which is plenty for me.

[@fisch723]

Happy to report I preferred the Helix in each case. The others were too toppy for my tastes but it’s all subjective. I just continue to enjoy being a Helix owner. FWIW, a) I prefer darker tones in general, b) besides Fender, I don’t really try to emulate any amps, just look for useable/playable tones, especially for lead and c) not really a high gain guy. Although ironically, my go-to preset relies on the German Mahadeva for the distorted sounds (the Jazz Rivet 120 handles the cleans). It cleans up surprisingly well.

[@BeachJazzMusic]

You guys may have been a bit early with this comparison. I don't know if your Helix has the new 3.5 update. This is a major game changer for the Helix. The sound is so much better than before. I've got an AxeFx III (which I love) and this new update puts the Helix on par with that. This just goes to show you that it's in the programming much more than the actual hardware.

[@deekerr1613]

C had a tough start but handled the TS really well. B was consistently good but not always my favourite. I think between the two of them my decision would come down to the UI and how they are to work with.

[@algorithm007ify]

So the Kemper wins in terms of overall sounds?

[@XiyuYang]

At this point it's not really about tone since all three can get dead-on tones, it's more about which workflow fits best for you. For me Helix integrates into my studio better than QC and Kemper so Helix is what I use.

[@Fablebox]

I actually had it wrong. I had Quad-Kemper-Helix without using any of them, but with all my research. My favorite is what I know now as QC. Thanks for this. This helps me a lot.

[@MetalBaller83]

Awesome demo as always Captain! I did my play-by-play (as it were) below. I would love to hear some high gain presets from Peavey, EVH, Marshall, and Mesa before I shell out almost $2K for a DSP. Cheers from Denver, CO my man! 🤘🏻😈🤘🏻 --- 7:58 so far, of the three (obviously we’re looking at the Fender…I’m guessing a Twin), the most balanced is B, but I like the brightness and crisp high end of C. This is comment 1 of several to follow --- 8:22 I like the more authentic spring style reverb from A --- 9:19 Both B and C definitely have higher gain; and although I enjoy the crisp high end on C, that extra dirt isn’t doing it any favors. --- 9:58 At this moment (subject to change obviously) I prefer B overall. If the reverb from A could be incorporated with the tonal characteristics of B, I think we got a winner. --- 11:55 throwing the tube screamer on the front, I love B, but I came back to C again. The TS dirt is a good addition. I’m a metal player, so a crisp high end is important to me; but the dirt style really makes the difference. --- 14:11 Now that we’ve switched to the Plexi, C is my choice without a doubt. C sounds tight, bright and warm simultaneously, and has a deepness to it. Looking forward to hearing the tube screamer on this one. --- 14:50 the Plexi tone on A sounds way muddier. Let’s see what the humbuckers do for B and C --- 14:59 some serious…almost hall style reverb on B there; not really feeling that one…lacking definition --- 15:15 THERE WE GO. C takes the tonal characteristics from B and makes them defined, crisp, bright, and warm as well. --- 15:33 Switching back to A took away the presence --- 16:06 Exactly. Just as the Captain said. The reverb on B is distracting from the tone. I’m sure that can be removed, but in the context of that particular preset, the reverb is not helping the quality of the tone. --- 16:37 The tube screamer makes A sound muddy to my ears… --- 16:42 Ohhh…even worse on B… --- 16:51 Ohhh there it is. Tube Screamer in C sounds HOT AS FUCK. 🤘🏻😈🤘🏻 --- 19:02 It’s really hard to make an SLO sound bad…so here we go…A sounds good so far… --- 19:25 Definition and presence increases from A to B to C. I’m leaning towards B at the moment; it seemed like it had more punch --- 20:03 There was some tail end reverb on A that I’m not a huge fan of at this moment… --- 20:09 Presence definitely more pronounced on C; still leaning towards B for authenticity without coloration --- 20:31 Ok now I’m back to C with the Tube Screamer. The extra compression adds a smoothness to the dirt that I really like --- 21:02 With the tube screamer: C Without tube screamer: B --- 21:11 I still go back to the spring style reverb from A on the Fender. That reverb was amazing, and sounded very authentic. --- 22:56 OVERALL Aside from the horrible reverb on the Plexi, B has been the most authentic and balanced. C is probably my preference though just because of the type of music I like, and the tones I like to hear when I play. Here we go! --- 23:03 My favs. This doesn’t mean shit though, everyone else love what you love! Reverb only: A Fender: B Marshall: C Soldano: C --- 23:51 A: Helix B: Quad C: Kemper This makes my decision no easier than before LOL.

[@rujasu7731]

Didn't Line6 just release a big software update that revamps all the cabs? Was this recorded with version 3.5 or whatever was before it?

[@Brutalgruve]

The market world is nefarious place, always trying to find ways to take your money. Most videos are pumped or driven by "the next thing" and how yesterday's gear is crap. It is all about money, if you think the miniscule differences in sonic reproduction of guitar processors/amps really matter at stage volume or in a recording.... postproduction/mixdown has a lot to do with final outcome.... Effects? same kinda goes, in most recordings the studio likes to use their own post effects. I have always been, learn your gear and get good at it. However, Interface/ins & outs/size/price may be big factors in your decision, and I get that. I am still loving my Kemper after all these years and thanks for sharing.

[@williamfoster4463]

Great shootout being a helix user which I happily purchased from andertons was a bit disappointed with the result but kind of expected it I don't particularly like using the helix into frfr speakers or monitors but Think it is amazing used into a valve power amp

[@shaneelvy9037]

That Marshall sound coming from the Kemper sold it. Just for that sound alone it's worth it.

[@BourkeTommy]

My very not confident guess was correct on which was which. I think they’re all very usable. I think the compression and reverb trails of the helix felt like what I’m used to hearing with the helix platform which I currently use. What made me guess that 3 was the kemper is that people love how properly it recreates a real amp… and if we’re honest amps can produce some weird artifacts that sometimes are what makes the experience great and sometimes cause an odd eq curve ect. In summary you could make any of these sound great and get any style and sound you like!

[@teerexness]

I'm in a cover band. The versatility of the Variax guitar and the Helix combo is untouchable.

[@matthewdavis8934]

I own a Helix so I was able to figure that out immediately. Honestly, I thought B was the Kemper and C was the QC. I've never played either but I enjoyed B (QC) over C (Kemper) in all the samples.

[@professoroak2252]

Own a Helix. Preferred the QC in almost every patch while “blindfolded”. Wish I had the money for one. Still very happy with my Helix, though. Cheers!

[@jakebergen1837]

Helix LT owner since 2018. Wanting to get a QC as well but keep my helix. Idk though. The only thing this proved to me is that they can all sound great and it comes down to which user interface you want, and which features you want that are exclusive to specific modellers.

[@Brixiomendoza]

All 3 Modelers sounds insanely good!!...

[@wellnesswisdom-vi2sb]

Helix is not a modeler

[@ShimiHalperin]

@@wellnesswisdom-vi2sb Helix _is_ a modeler. Helix doesn't do captures, is that what you meant?

[@3l84r70]

So I do have a Helix, and I recognised N1 as the helix when on patch 2 and the Les Paul. There's a characteristc on the midrange on the plexi modeling I recognised immediately. The plexi is one of my favourite amps hence I'm very familiar with it. But I had no idea about the other two. I was surprised at the Quad Cortex.. sounded really good... but I'm also certain one can make all three sound exacly the same.

[@LuisRios3015]

This was interesting! I’m a kemper user ! I’m still pretty satisfied with it especially using it with the kemper kabinet. Using the kabinet as a personal monitor and kemper connect to the PA is nice !

[@gffg387]

The Kemper sucked on this comparison

[@LuisRios3015]

@@gffg387 haha yeah it did . I feel kemper might and hopefully might see what’s going on with the competition. They need to make a come back .

[@martyshwaartz971]

Unpopular opinion (?) but I don’t think the sound comparisons matter all too much. They all sound great, the question is more so what features you need in order to do what you wanted

[@devilsdoorbell]

I don't own, nor haven't used any of them, but my old rock n' roll ears liked them in this order: A, B, then C in general. A sounded consistently the best to me. B was a close (but darker) second place.

[@CrazedFandango]

I made a trip to Andertons last Saturday. Great store and amazing staff!!

[@nerbuhc]

Even listening on some logitech 2inch monitors, the QC cuts through the most authentic. The compression algorithm they use is just amazing

[@kobewalleghem718]

It's nice to hear them all compared. I own a helix and I'm thinking to changing to QC. Just because I'm getting tired of the insane amount of tweaking I have to do to get a decent sound out of it. It's a great product but just isn't doing it for me.

[@karterestill]

The Kemper is still the best musical purchase I have ever made. Never regretted it for a second.

[@BajaShouta]

8:00 - so far, my guess is that A and B are the Kemper/QC and C is the helix, just because it's the only one with noticably different tone. A and B seem to be slight variations of the same thing, whereas C is close but certainly not identical

[@succu_b]

Hello. Thank you. But you missed that each guitar and each pickup selection/combination must use independent input preset. (for Kemper. Don't know for the others).

[@ellleigh1216]

Good thing I liked A the most, as I own a helix! I was quite pleasantly surprised as tbh, I thought C was helix and didn’t like any of the tones from C haha, so weirdly happy with the result and how affordable the helix is, with power cab, nice to know I don’t need to fork out for a more expensive modeller 👍🏻

[@sirnedwood8987]

And now with v3.5 the quality of the cab tone has just gone up exponentially! If you haven't done so already go and update your Helix right now and check it out.

[@paulhcan]

My bias was thinking that too, although "B" was a close 2nd in my ears. I didn't like "C" at all. Maybe I do in fact need a Helix (speaking as a Native Instruments GR5/6 user)....although...all those patches in my DAW....hmmmmm maybe I need to put off that decision for even longer and stick with what I have.

[@BoyAditya]

Kudos to tonejunkies. I'm satisfied with all of the sounds. 👌👌

[@steves12strings]

Picking ToneJunkie as the profiler was a great decision!

[@justfunguitar1500]

I thought they all sounded great. I own a helix LT and a Kemper. I tend to use my helix for my band and kemper at home for recording. But I also have a load of pedals and switch it up. Fractal upgrade too often for my liking. QC was too late to the game for me but I do think it's neat. I would agree with others who commented that with the latest Helix update just out, it's tones just got even better since this video.

[@tdover74]

I personally own a helix and out of all of them I liked the QC and Helix equally and strangely enough I didn’t like the Kemper ! Great comparison guys

[@seanentrikin9263]

This was an interesting way to doing this "shootout". I quite enjoyed it. I chose "B - A - B"... that final round was extremely close to me between all 3. I'm a Helix user and was happy I chose it in one of the rounds. But to be honest, aside from the first round (where C didn't sound good at all to me), all 3 units sounded great and I wouldn't be opposed to using any of those sounds.

[@h20s56]

Sold my Kemper over a year ago, found a matchless amp, never looked back. These have their place though, I would love to own all of them.

[@yrj77]

That was a great test of those systems. I don't have any of those, but for me the video demonstrated the difficulty of making similar songs from the three systems and the profound differences that the guitars made in the sound.

[@redmcmannus]

Great to see Digital John and Digital Dad doing a video together.

[@psc502]

I've got a hxstomp, a rectifier, and the new Ik ToneX. I really like glassy sounds so I actually preferred C, the Kemper, but thought B, the QC sounded the most real and best all around. BTW, try out the ToneX, I really like being able to share my amps for free, even though I was a little hit or miss on my captures. Search for A RECTO or A Hartke if you wanna hear real basement tones and how little change dramatically effect the sound for good or ill.

[@rjester21]

No idea which is which, but this is awesome 😊

[@james1939-s1c]

Please do the same with headrush/Helix/GT-1000, I would love to have a modeling shootout with all the current firmwares. My thoughts after listening, is the Helix was the most constant and really seemed to just need a Global EQ adjustment to brighten it up, the Kemper was awful for the fender amp, the cortex was terrible for the Marshall, and for the SLO they were all an eq tweak from being too close to call.

[@dougc84]

I'm a little late to the party, but I've owned a Kemper and a Helix in the past, and use an Iridium now - it does everything I need. That said, my board is now built around a specific sound, so I'm back in the market for something that can be an all-in-one that I can use for practicing other genres, playing the occasional gig where I don't want to bring a super heavy (and mostly useless) board, or for just messing around. I've had my eye on the QC for a while. It seems perfect to fill that need, but it could also replace my Darkglass amp for my bass rig (since I always use it direct). So... this sold me on the QC. As I said, I've used the Helix and the Kemper in the past, and both were amazing. The Kemper's amp sounds and effects are fantastic, but it is limited on how many effects you can use - which is a lot of the reason I switched to the Helix. The Helix didn't, IMO, sound quite as good, but it was good enough for most everything I needed, and it was much more flexible overall. I switched away to pedals because I didn't want to spend time digging in menus in my limited play time. All have their benefits and downsides. Pick what's the best for you.

[@BlackWolfTribe]

Really don’t know why Helix hasn’t gotten a capture feature yet. That would be total game changer and very well would put the helix at the top of the food chain with Digital Modelers

[@classicaljames276]

Capture is only useful if you have some top quality amps already. Most of the time the manufacturer will have captured all the great amps better than we could. So it’s not that big a deal for most people.

[@kierenmoore3236]

This settings seemed skewed to flattering QC … I’m not pointing any fingers … but B (or Red or 2, lol) seemed set up to be most flattering, with more gain (and possibly more volume?), a warmer sound and a nice amount of reverb … … … In TJ’s own comparison, the Kemper and the QC are really close (with the Kemper sounding best/most natural to me on both clean and driven sounds), and the Helix sticks out like dogs bollocks as digital imho … Now, to throw the ToneX in the mix … lol …

[@dco_]

Plexi patch on A sounded really great with the single coils without the tube screamer. B sounded really nice with the fender patch.