Neural Quad Cortex vs Fender Tone Master Pro vs Kemper vs Headrush Prime vs Line 6 Helix - FIGHT!!!

[@andertons]

Again, just to clarify the many "Wheres the Fractal" posts.... We don't/can't sell them - Fractal only sell direct to consumers. We'd be in a no win position if we featured a Fractal... if we said it wasn't our favourite, you'd all accuse us of bias because we can't sell it. If we said it was our favourite then you wouldn't buy the units we do sell :) ! So if you're Fractal curious, you'll need to find another way to compare them - sorry!! Hope you enjoy the comparison of the products we can offer - so much amazing choice.

[@LIKEFUNK]

I've only opened your vid to read your disclaimer, it's plainly evident you are still feeling deservedly ashamed form being exposed earlier.....nice try though!

[@thisguy2973]

Fractal does this to price fix on consumers, so they can suck it.

[@richard.c.guitars]

I understand but I would still like to hear it…. It was my first thought!

[@gabrielvassar5941]

Lee owns fractal audio. He also owns my undivided attention 🙄 Not my immortal soul though, liquid death got that 💧 💀

[@FlyingCircusAct]

@@LIKEFUNKYou have no idea what you’re talking about. Victory!

[@vladrapchan5330]

The herculean commitment to continuous updates/upgrades throughout the years makes Line6 a company to be cherished. Kudos to Line6 team for working so close to its user base. 🎉👊

[@RobertNolan]

And also vehemently disagreeing with people that think there needs to be a new Helix 2.0 hardware update. I was always impressed with that, but the constant updates sold me.

[@waitin4winter]

Very good point and if Fender is paying attention, they should learn from that. No one wants to pay thousands of dollars for something that won’t be considered current in a few years

[@TheHeggahegga]

Agreed. I genuinely can't believe that they're still supporting this unit after so much time. How to turn your customers into fans.

[@schlagdog]

Really? I feel like they drop the ball always. They will give you 2 real updates a year. They never seem like they care enough about their “flagship” product. They spent a year on doing poly pitch stuff and the poly capo is terrible and sounds worse than the original simple pitch in the unit. They are too busy making 25 cheaper versions of the helix

[@kylenewberry8598]

@@schlagdog I don’t think you realize the complexity of coding. 2 a year is a lot

[@phladjki]

Line 6 has really impressed me with how they’ve updated their Helix products over time. Went way further than I ever would have guessed or expected, made such a supremely powerful set of units - absolutely amazing job + dedication + listening to their user base

[@Colosphonium]

Its great thry made it last but the difference in the plexi or deluxe vs the fender is very obvious the line 6 fizzle and is thin . I have to say that you need a a/b real time vs to spit it

[@Faded0811]

All those updates and it still sounds like sh*t.

[@BlackWolfTribe]

@@Colosphoniumidk what you’re talking about with the fizzle or thin. It’s sounds the best in my opinion. Line 6 also has mic placements that you have to adjust as well. You have to tweak which they didn’t do. A proper tweaked helix sounds better than any other modeler bro hands down.

[@elevenAD]

Neural Quad Cortex sounded lovely to me, if i had the loot that would be my first choice! The Kemper and the Fender also sounded real good.

[@crsantin]

Love my Helix rack. Love the constant upgrades from Line 6. It’s a better unit today than it was when I bought it 5 years ago. The other units sound great too but I’ve figured out the Helix and I’m really happy with it

[@BlackWolfTribe]

Yeah and the helix still sounds better in my opinion lol. It’s easier to get good tones on the other stuff, because the Helix is so much more dynamic and complex, a proper dialed in tweaked helix beats all those modelers hands flipping down. And the hx effects are king

[@officialWWM]

I think you hit the nail on the head. It’s just like having a preferred DAW to work in. It’s not so important which one you choose, it’s all about getting to know it inside out!

[@theonetheycallsamuel]

This is my first step into modeling, but I’ve been looking for quite a while at Helix, QC, Kemper, and others as well. However, the TMP won me over. Had the opportunity to demo it several times at my local music shop. Not only was it simple to get going and use it, but the display was big enough for me to read, and it sounded amazing through its own Fender cab as well as headphones. Everything was seamless. Zero lag, and very easy to navigate through tone/fx selections. Also, rearranging your chain and subbing out different fx and IRs is a breeze. As well as having rotary foot switches just like the QC. Personally, I think all of these are pretty awesome, it’s just a matter of preference I’m sure! Figured I would at least give my feedback in case anyone was thinking about getting a Fender 🫡

[@mmiller6873]

I bought the Headrush Gigboard over a year ago and like it, however the new Fender TMP looks way more user friendly with the knobs being able to adjust on the fly. That is a sweet feature. Thanks for sharing because I am thinking about taking a look at it myself.

[@theonetheycallsamuel]

@@mmiller6873absolutely! It’s my pleasure. Rock on 🤘

[@GrantFunkyFrabe]

The Helix is FAR easier to use. The only 2 things the Tone Master has on the helix is touchscreen and it shows actual pedals. But if you have a long chain, you can't see when you turn some effects on and off on the tone master pro cause all of the pedals aren't viewable at the same time

[@kierenmoore3236]

I liked the TMP. Not sure how it fares vs Fractal … ? Captures/Profilers FTW, though … Not sure how ToneX/Kemper/QC rank now, though … My impression is that Kemper & Fractal are still top … for all-in-1 … Nit sure if ToneX > Kemper for just amp profiles now, though … Presumably, ToneX will do an all-in-1, eventually … ? What effect NAM may have, down the road some … … … ?!?!

[@jakewalker1522]

Happy I still have my Kemper. Certainly the Kemper effects are not as strong as effects on other units, but just straight up amp tone it's still my favorite. QC is a close second, and also really impressed by the Tone Master as well.

[@RogerBrenon]

You haven't been playing with any of the FX updates then. I think they're the best of all of em now.

[@jakewalker1522]

@@RogerBrenon Good to know!

[@algorithm007ify]

Kemper’s spring reverbs kill Helix/QC/headrush

[@adamjosey1543]

ToneMaster!? 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

[@NyneForte]

I love the sound of the fender tonemaster pro and the headrush! Great video guys!

[@vitnemec8365]

Hey! You guys used the old cab engine in Helix!! Those are famously poor, but Line6 came with completely reworked cab engine in last year’s update, which was an absolute game-changer and IRs are no longer the necessity for getting good tones out of Helix.

[@vitnemec8365]

@@aleksandrlazarev9679Because of the "Legacy" icon that is next to the cab’s name.

[@vitnemec8365]

@@aleksandrlazarev9679 They kept the original amp and cab blocks because of compatibility with existing presets, used the icon to make sure they are not the primary cabs for people to use.

[@jamesearl389]

Yeah these guys have no idea what they’re doing. This video is an absolute joke and line 6 should send Paul hindmarsh out to straighten them out or pull their dealership and sue them.

[@bassred]

That, a mono 'verb and the Kinky Boost instead of an actual TS808 pedal... what a joke

[@steve_one]

Update 3.7 is great, it has put new life into the unit, great to see Line 6 are still supporting the old girl.

[@codyburgess7034]

I’ve been playing Headrush for the last few years. With good IRs and some noodling it sounds fantastic. I love how easy it is work with and I think the updates that headrush make are great.

[@Blyfuz]

Correct. I dumped almost every preset it came with and dialed in my own rigs - and ofc imported lots of IRs.

[@notalejandromarco]

Where do you get your IRs from for the headrush? I am looking for some fender reverb sounds, but was not convinced by the headrush demo. Feels like it lacks some dynamic and tone.

[@gohamm8629]

Fender being who they are has its ups and downs for the TMP; yes, they give us “official” amps, and lots of good features - but I’m curious how much support the TMP will receive, and for how long. They do SOOO much other stuff, that you have to wonder how much attention this will receive as time moves forward. The other companies basically ONLY do digital, so you’re going to always receive new patches, new features, and quality improvements as time moves on. I like that fender went with an interface similar to the Spark series from PositiveGrid, because - as Pete pointed out - pictures=good!!!

[@joec63]

Fender have been addressing those concerns on the TGP thread. They say the company is in it for the long haul with regular updates planned. So we'll see.

[@BrendanMakesMusic]

@@joec63 That's what they always say. Gibson said that about robot tuners. No brand is going to go on the forums and say "buy this $1800 thing, we aren't sure if we're going to support it for a long time or not".

[@BrendanMakesMusic]

Yup, $1800 for a beta product with no guarantee of long-term support is a tough sell, especially when Fractal and Line6 are already industry standards with proven track records

[@firstarcanist4952]

Seeing as digital is probably the future of amps I'm having a hard time seeing Fender abandoning such a lucrative market

[@justmehere6094]

@@joec63 Said the same thing about the Mustang line, never happened. New Mustangs happened years apart. They are WQAY behind in just numbers of Amps, FX and Stomps modelled.

[@davidtaylar8870]

My favorite thing about these units is that (between the ones I've owned) they all sound great. I started with the Helix LT and now added a Kemper. I absolutely love both units and haven't touched an "amp" in ages. You really can't go wrong as long as you invest the time.

[@vedder10]

Totally agree with you. However I will say there is something to be said regarding the interfaces. The Headrush and Fender have absolutely beautiful interfaces that have a much quicker learning curve. I have a Kemper Stage, and I hate having to scroll through tons of profiles just to select the one I want.

[@josephdaniels3969]

@@michaelgriffin5304 I guess convenience and variety is important here too. I use at least 5 different amps (presets) on gigs and each one of them has at least 2-3 snapshots. So having just one amp and being unable to change several pedals at once (without a midi config) is kinda killer for me.

[@timjoseph887]

What amp did you get@@michaelgriffin5304

[@josephdaniels3969]

@@Davedarave6661 maybe fractal, it is also the one with most customization choices and variety in amps and cabs

[@400_billion_suns]

@@Davedarave6661 For pedals only, a lot of people actually prefer the Helix over Fractal. Fractal’s amps are generally regarded as better than Helix’s, but for pedal effects the Helix has more models of real-world pedals instead of more generic offerings in the Fractal units. The Fractal pedals sound good but if you want something specific, sometimes you have to create it yourself through tweaking.

[@malcolmbooher8344]

First off I believe ALL of these units have their merits and many many usable tones in any of them. I feel like the helix didn’t get a fair shake here though. The helix does not exactly shine with an out of the box stock preset. It’s a tweaker paradise. If you spend some time with it and tweak it and treat it like a real amp and pedalboard the tones are still fantastic. I believe the helix shines the most live. The routing options and ability to integrate with a real amp can’t be beat by any of the other units. I’m probably biased I’ve been touring with a helix since 2018. I will say I am def ready for the next iteration. The fender tone master has been stuck in my head since it dropped but the helix wasn’t meant to be used out of the box slap an amp and cab and go

[@liedgitarrist]

Just add great IRs and everything sounds immediately better!

[@Newnodrogbob]

@@liedgitarristwhat do you think of the updated cab models? I love them, but then again I didn’t hate the old ones as much as everyone else

[@liedgitarrist]

​@@NewnodrogbobNo, I captured my own cabs and now the unit sounds exactly like my amps.

[@liedgitarrist]

Oh, you mean on the Helix, I do not know about them, I don't have the unit anymore. But on My QC I use my own IRs ;o) @@Newnodrogbob

[@Newnodrogbob]

@@liedgitarrist nice!

[@mrlt1151]

I think you could choose any of these and be fine. I think it would be important to figure out how you want to use it, which amp models are most important to you, and go try them out.

[@thatpuglovingidiot6705]

Brilliant and useful video. Surprised not to see a little more Headrush love in the comments. It was up there or close on all but the Bassman for me, but regardless of how they sound, its OS/UI alone is enough to make it my pick of the bunch.

[@joelanderson6777]

It's the least expensive and has the most features of all of them!

[@Erock09291]

Headrush Prime is slept on! If you like heavy sounds please check out my KSR Gemini full rig Profiles on the cloud. Imo the filthiest in show on the unit, not to brag

[@justarthur1788]

The thing with the helix is that it's capable of fantastic sounds but you need to tweak, if you just put on an amp and cab without any tweaking it's not great. The "stock" settings just aren't great, as Pete said they're ok. However, when you tweak the settings properly (see John Nathan Cordy or similar channels) it's great, as good as any of the others. It just requires the extra effort.

[@malcolmbooher8344]

Agreed 100 percent. Gotta dive in and treat it like an amp and board.

[@winstonsmith8240]

Agreed. JNC gets some incredible sounds out of his HX Stomp. All for around $450. You just have to put some effort in.

[@jeffhoyle5785]

Been gigging my Headrush Prime for a couple months now, no cab, straight to FOH. I can confidently tell anyone to just trash all of the stock presets. Build your own presets and scenes, and tweak to your desire. The whole thing is super intuitive.

[@slash196]

One hour forty seven minutes. What a GREAT effort you guys put in. Clicked immediately

[@400_billion_suns]

The Helix sounds “two dimensional” partly because you used the mono plate reverb instead of the stereo one. When you do that, the output signal is completely mono. Most of the other modelers sound like they’re running stereo reverbs, which of course creates a much more spacious sound through monitors or headphones.

[@scentia_est]

Thank you, absolutley right!

[@becominghuman3561]

When I first got the helix back in 2017, I was so underwhelmed when I first turned it on and started flicking through presets but I could hear the potential. I decided to go out and start grabbing ownhammer and Celestion IR’s. Holy smokes it really brought the unit to life. And the FX on the unit are second to none

[@StephenHird]

@@becominghuman3561the new cab models are a step up again. Many have now ditched their IR collections because they are so good and so tweakable.

[@becominghuman3561]

@@StephenHird I did notice that! They do sound much better now

[@ThierryMartinNews]

I thought the 2 dimension comment was pretty ridiculous also - and the comment about trying the stomp xl but being annoyed about touching foot switches and triggering selections - not a bug! Designed to do that for faster navigation!

[@omarwaheed823]

Helix is awesome if you program it right. I feel that even though its 7 years old, its still competing head to head with QC. I use stock amp cabs and it just sounds so perfect

[@celticbattlepants]

Yep, the helix definitely needs a few EQs to get the best out of the amp and cab models, as well as some work on the mics and placement.

[@dougbooth3161]

I agree, the Helix is still incredible. Say what you want about each model that was played... overall, the Helix has a sound that I prefer. It is pleasing to the ear. IMHO

[@void_snw]

+ no other high end modeler let's you go in at the price of an HX Stomp.

[@BlackWolfTribe]

The helix is indeed top 3 units, unfortunately you have beginners in this video that don’t seem to know how to tweak and doesn’t do it any justice at all.

[@BlackWolfTribe]

@@celticbattlepantsPremium IRs are king in the HX. Less bs too

[@martinfrog768]

I think the Fender TM & Neural QC are very close to stand alone units if a person is just getting into Modeling ... The Headrush Prime and Line 6 Helix become viable if you put them through a UAOX Stomp for more authentic Mic'd Cabinet sounds and still have all those great effects options that each provides.

[@AuntAlnico4]

😂 I don't believe you have used a Headrush board in any real world situations, if you had you would know that is far from the truth.

[@jacksonhoward3743]

I love these videos because while they all sound good, none sound better than the patches I spent time crafting on my pod go. Sure the helix tech is old now, but with the right IR, EQ, pedals etc. It sounds fantastic so I see no need to spend any more money.

[@derickalbert]

It’s not about getting the tone right only it’s about getting new gear. Makes you feel great 😂

[@razznote7586]

@@derickalbert On point! 🍻

[@chrisbarclay]

Great Video. I’m a helix user since 2015. I’m happy. I do use the Neural DSP plugins and Helix native too. Like them both. I think line 6 ready for some new gear though. Times have moved on. 👍

[@VisDramovi]

I am using Neural a lot in the studio and have great results, I've had Helix for a long time, but live I always go back to Kemper it is just unbeatable live.

[@TheHeggahegga]

Have got a Helix LT which I love. Nothing I saw on this video has tempted me to put my hand in my pocket. The number of incredible upgrades the Line6 lads STILL pump out has earned them my loyalty. ❤

[@Wond3rland___]

I recently sold the lt for the quad cortex, and the QC sonically blows the lt out of the water. Effects aren’t quite there but with plug-in integration coming, the QC won’t be leaving my board anytime soon

[@TheHeggahegga]

@@Wond3rland___ hi, I can believe that the QC is better. I think I can probably even hear it on the video. But for what I need/use it for, I couldn't really justify the expense or the time required to learn a new unit. Glad to hear it's working out for you though.

[@scentia_est]

Same here. Bought an HX Stomp 5 months ago and I am really overwhelmed. Bought a power amp and sold my physical amps. No regrets about that. Absolutely amazed by the new cabs and all the effects plus those great simulations of amps. The price is also great!

[@NedJeffery]

Yep I'm all in on Helix now. And when a hardware refresh comes out I'll be in line to get it.

[@timolonnberg3205]

You can mix and match amps and cabs in Kemper. They are separate captures and also you can add UA ox cab sims with a amp head capture etc. Just did it today and had grrreat results with Kemper. I also connected my UA woodrow to Kemper effects loop and shut down the cab sim of UAFX using Kemper cab or UAox cab sim and the sounds are incredible. Good job guys, really enjoyable watching your nerdiness for guitar gear. ❤

[@johnnyennis9864]

Yeah, the ToneX is unreal! It takes some work, and a bit of fussing to get what you want, but I now have profiles on my computer that sound extremely close to the amps I own. I'm very pleased with it as a product. I just wish I had a bigger space for playing so I can take the time to capture them at more than home recording volume. Would love to try to capture profiles in a studio setting.

[@slapper2479]

Fender did great job I think. Sounds good enough and intuitive interface

[@CarlosBarrosoM]

For me the best sounding is the Quad Cortex followed really close by the Fender but the intuitive edition and the visual representations for me are equally important I say Fender for me

[@paulmdevenney]

I'm sure with every one of these, you can get better results by teweaking. Not sure if you were using the most recent updated cabinet versions from the Helix, the old stuff is all still in there, but the new models are also there. It's definitely time for a Helix Floor 2.0, though its super impressive how much Helix has continued to push updates for it over time.

[@erikwithakayy]

Agree, digital John should have been involved in this video.

[@AU-cs6er]

Yeah, it feels like they didn't given its due justice. How Line 6 has been updating it since its release and only has gotten better to the point it's still very relevant and competitive to this date. Line 6 had a survey a couple of months ago about a possible Helix 2.0, so I bet once they release that, it'll trump all these new ones, and will remain competitive against anything that comes after it for 5 or more years.

[@paulmdevenney]

@@AU-cs6erat some point they might run out of proccessing power, or come across a hardware limitation, but knowing that they have a long cycle of support for their products is very comforting. I love my helix, though I'm first to admit that my ear for tone isn't great, so I probably couldn't tell you if you can get a good tone or not! Ultimately all of them are going to sound shite running through your local pubs PA and all of them will sound good with your travel-along engineering team setting up just for you.

[@Annunaki_0517]

@@AU-cs6erI’ve been a loyal and very content Helix owner since 2016, but I must’ve missed that Helix 2.0 survey. When/where did you see that survey? I’d love to see the suggestions or results from this. I figure the next Helix can’t be very far off, so I’m tempted to try to sell my Helix floor before it’s announced and the value in the aftermarket plummets, like it did with my PodHD500.

[@CoryTealeSK]

My takeaway is, after 10 years the only real advancement is touch screens and encoder footswitches. Since these units are mostly software based devices, the companies have managed to tweak the code base to sound as good as the competing products to stay relevant. It's a great time to be a guitarist from that perspective, no bad options on the the table.

[@MoutchouPitchou95]

Even with a cheapest device it is hard to be disappointed. Very nice period for guitarists.

[@McSlobo]

Well... in 10 years DSPs have evolved a lot. I don't know if they use the latest DSPs. And, in 10 years computational speed has advanced lot, especially in the field of AI. AI can be used to model things, and ... e.g. QC uses AI modeled stuff. So, no, bits are still bits, but nowadays you can get more and better bits. If the old stuff is good enough for you, be happy.

[@KingKong-mp6gj]

​@@McSloboConsidering the QC lacks any dedicated hardware for AI acceleration i doubt it's 2 ARM cores a capable of running anything resembling AI.

[@MattLawhonMusic]

Helix + ToneFactor XR Impulse responses is chef’s kiss. It’s the continuous updates, improvements and additions for me.

[@mrtruefifth]

@Andertons Music Co Did you Update and Factory Reset the Tone Master Pro ? Most KZbinrs have failed to do this - but the TMP is shipped with a pre-production Firmware - and must be updated to get more amps and corrections in audio, confirmed by TGP users.

[@andertons]

Yes - check the description for this video & it tells you which Firmware version each unit has - all completely up to date as of this week.

[@mrtruefifth]

@@andertons Thanks - for some users, a Factory Reset is also required after the update, several users have confirmed improved sound quality after this.

[@sacredgodslayer]

The Helix sounds so close to the others but...in the video the cabs used are the old ones, not the new IRs, which are insanely better, so probably the Helix would sound at least on par or much better

[@CoryTealeSK]

Also, on the Helix they used a mono plate and then complained it sounded two dimensional, well no kidding.........

[@xxjohnboy]

The other vital setting is input impedance of 1ohm instead of auto. Max it out!

[@VintageLeatherWings22]

Can you explain why? I'm actually curious @@xxjohnboy

[@400_billion_suns]

They are using the new cabs (you can tell by the mic position slider and the lack of the legacy symbol when they page over to the cab), but they dropped a mono reverb at the end instead of a stereo one.

[@xxjohnboy]

@@VintageLeatherWings22 i don't know why. Just saw in another channel and tried it and was grateful. Johnny Lee on KZbin i think

[@daniyalahmed97]

Was kemper all the way for me. Didnt think I would love it as much as I did tbh. I felt like it best represented what each amp would sound like if you had it mic'd up in another room. This was a super useful video guys, thanks!

[@CLaw-tb5gg]

Where the Kemper really melts your brain with how good it is is when you run it into a power amp (i.e., you turn off the cab sim, plug it into some mega-clean amp - I have an Orange Pedal Baby - and then have it coming out of a real cab). It is completely indistinguishable from a real amp. I have the very strong suspicion that a huge part of why people think modellers suck is that they've only ever played them though an IR and studio monitors or a FRFR cab whereas real amps they've only ever played through a real cab, and frankly anything including really amps is just a horrible experience played that way. People massively underestimate how much speakers make a difference.

[@tomcoryell]

I was stage hand on a festival where a major act was using Kemper powered rigs to drive Marshall 4-twelve cabs. It was completely indistinguishable from real tube amps and infinitely easier to deal with for the FOH guys. That said I’ll probably go with the fender if I ever abandon my tube amps.

[@rmp5s]

I've been rocking an Axe-FX II for...like...6 years now and still have no plans to "upgrade"...lol May grab a QC to play with though as they recently announced that you'll be able to use their DESKTOP PLUGINS IN THE QC!! Which is amazing.

[@jayhill1242]

I was not expecting the Tone Master to sound as good as it does. To me it sounds the best.

[@algorithm007ify]

Agreed

[@AndreiFranc]

Sounds great but with their own signature amps and licensed amps. I'd want to hear it overall

[@xfighter1117]

I’d love to have the fender tonemaster but that price tag is crazy

[@riona42]

So many interesting options, but the Quad Cortex still feels like it was made for people like me 😁. I would take the fixed grid over the auto scrolling line of the Fender every day of the week. I never saw any of these out in the wild, so the small images don't help and the changing button layouts per device are a minus to me rather than a plus 😂. I totally get why people coming from the more physical side of it see things the other way round 🙂

[@jaymax3201]

If I had to choose it would be Helix. I don't know if it's the current model or the new Helix. Because I'm used to HX Stomp and I like the sound of it. I know the drawback is the lack of DSP capacity, but I got a palm-sized device in exchange. Helix can solve that problem. Even if I get Helix I won't release the golden palm.

[@1rwjwith]

I can almost tell by Pete’s expressions how each patch is working! The Fender seems to have the best user interface…of course they are the newest. They all have their pluses and minuses…as you point out …all NEW technologies electronic based, have built in obsolescence.

[@scotthoover6689]

Loved the heavier stuff pete was playing around 20 minutes in. Nice video. Thanks for taking the time to make it!

[@wilssantos2]

As a Helix LT owner, I can understand how it may sound a bit worse than competitors. It's actually the "hardest" unit to get sounding right. HOWEVER, it's also the one with the most customizability, and you definitely CAN get any sound you have in your head if you dive deep enough into it. For example, I notice that only using a combo block usually tends to sound more "two-dimensional" than using separate amp and cab blocks. For example, you can choose an amp block, then choose a dual cab block with different mic compositions so that it sounds as close as it would if you'd actually record the thing. Also, a bit of room reverb goes all the way (modelling always produces the "dry" sound, and real amps are always at least in a room, so you need to emulate that as well hehe). Also Line 6 tends to give the full sound range in blocks, INCLUDING the ones you don't want. So you need to kinda know what you're doing, insert a low cut, input a high cut, give the tone a little nudge around the 75khz or so (all of that usually done within the amp or cab blocks themselves), then you have what you want haha. It's literally more complicated, but also more customizable. The sky is the limit with what you want to do with it. That, coupled with the fact that Line 6 constantly updates (and improves) the way the unit works and sounds, is why Helix owners rarely move away from it. Once you learn how to use it, it's the best piece of equipment you can have. 😊

[@MarkSchuster-ym3iy]

You guys are amazing, I think the helix sounds fabulous. I just bought mine a month ago in w024. Firmware 7.1

[@INDAmedia]

Thanks for this comparison. Still rocking the HX Stomp and some NDSP Plugins and have more than I could use ;) and yet an upgrade looks very tempting...

[@Byron-t6g]

Thanks for the video! I own the Kemper Stage and the Quad Cortex. I've played through a Helix. First of all, none of these reacts to dynamics exactly like a tube amp. All can get great tones but the touch sensitivity is not quite there yet. Of the 3 I mentioned I prefer the Quad Cortex for a few reasons: Very easy to use; Has the best tone (my opinion); Neural are constantly doing updates and their support is fast and helpful. There are thousands of captures on their website. I find the best captures to sound more "real sounding" than their stock amp models. Kemper gets a close second place. It is not as intuitive to use (lots of menu diving) and I find the tone slightly behind the Quad. The biggest complaint I have is that its dynamic range and touch sensitivity are not as good as the Quad. No matter what profile you choose, they seem a little too compressed. The Helix has great effects but I have never cared for the tone of most of their amp models. Just my opinions of course.

[@jeramym9506]

Watching Pete's facial expressions in the speed section, you can tell which ones he likes and hates haha. No poker face at all.

[@trevor4533]

Yeah definitely. Especially the AC30 capture on the Quad Cortex!

[@Backingjamstudio]

To my ears, fender and QC are way above the others ! I still don t know wich one i would choose...but this fender looks and sounds amazing ❤ QC has more features , sounds amazing , and future plug in compatibility will be a huge step too... ❤....selling my AX8 now ! 😂 thanks for this demo guys !

[@ChainsawChristmas]

Don't hold your breath on any future updates with QC. They didn't even launch with promised features and still don't have them to this day.

[@kqandthesoundtrip7636]

My Fender Mustang Modeler 3 v2 Sounds Better Then all of These Combined except the fender pro that seems to be a step up from mine very similar. However I had my modified and now it can go through any compatible cabinet it sounds great. We don't know what they are going through here.

[@marioposella7677]

@@ChainsawChristmas Plug in compatibility estimated to drop by latest early 2025. Beta should be out this Fall

[@Starplayer_1]

They all sound good in their own ways. I'd been looking at getting a Helix but the Tone Master does sound good

[@JoshyyJay]

Look at the amp x by Blu guitar before you make your purchase man!🤘

[@paulhudson2293]

Well, this is exactly the video that I've been waiting for for many many months. Looking forward to watching it.

[@ren-shen]

Kemper still keeping ti real. And liquid profiles now. I don't feel like I'm missing out by hanging in there with my Kemper.

[@nikdrown]

I’ll help validate that as a new user recently. Always wanted one and finally got around and kick myself for not doing it sooner. Haven’t delved into liquid profiling too much yet but looking forward to it. The IR I have so far definitely are doing the work I don’t miss coming from Amplitube

[@kendrickcarvajalguzman821]

That's my dream Strat!! 😍 configuration, color and pickups OMG!!

[@John_Doe657]

I used a vox tonelab, the big one with a tube for years while touring abroad. I always had a consistent sound regardless of what amp i had to use at the gig. I think i paid about €200 for that back in 2011 or so. Great tone dosn’t have to come at a great cost.

[@picksalot1]

That was an epic demo! This is the first video that I've watched demoing the Fender TMP that it sounded really good on a number of Presets. The QC sounded great, Headrush was good, and the Kemper sounded remarkably good with it's Profiling technology. The Helix was really disappointing sounding, and Pete's critique was spot on. It didn't help that the Helix output was noticeably lower than the other Modelers demoed. I have an HX Stomp, and I've done 2 things to get it to sound great. First, go to the Cab Block on the Presets and turn down the High Cut Parameter to about 5Khz so it matches the real Speaker's Frequency Response. And the other thing I discovered recently was to run the Left and Right Outputs of the HX Stomp to "separate Channel Strips" on a Mixer (hardware DAW) and "hard pan" one left and the other right. That got rid of the strange distortion Pete was talking about, the sound opened right up made and sounded three dimensional and high fidelity. With those two changes, I get sounds comparable to the other good sounding Modelers. This is all reported on based on my use of Studio Monitoring Headphones.

[@ChainsawChristmas]

It didn't help that he was running a mono pedal that completely squashed the output volume and overall fullness of the sound

[@leoolivero963]

I tried the first fender in Sydney a couple of days ago. And it has a lot going for it, including a great price compared to the competition. However, my FM3 Turbo sounds better IMO. It's unfortunate that there's no Fractal in this great comparison.

[@jeffwatson7811]

Yeah agree, but andertons can’t sell Fractal, so it would not be a good look for Axe to be at the top of the pecking order and the. you can’t go buy it now from them. 😂

[@C33Fernandez]

@@jeffwatson7811 They therefore don't stock it, too. Even if they wanted to, they don't have one to demo!

[@C33Fernandez]

@@BkBk-gy6vr You don't even need to make it 2 minute into the video to know that they can't sell them, don't stock them and so don't have one to compare!

[@andrew6978]

@@BkBk-gy6vr Fractals are only sold through specific distributors so it makes sense in a way as Andertons don't sell them.

[@1972Georges]

of course they dont talk about fractal since its direct sales....;-)

[@davedavem]

A nearly 2 hour video! This will fill my afternoon nicely, thanks guys. I'm looking forward to seeing how worn out and bored you are at the end 🤣

[@richardmiller191]

Absolutely. All of their videos are at least 3 times as long as they should be. Always way too much small talk

[@littleguitarontheprairie4843]

Where is Digital John and what happened to Cici and Dave ? They were my favorites on this channel.

[@theoversouls]

THANK YOU THANK YOU for playing with a pick!!

[@carlosfernandez3565]

I would get the Quad Cortex, or the Fender, but the Headrush Core is exactly half the price, and I think I will manage to make it sound awesome, or find some great IRs or ways to take it closer to the sounds I like.

[@AuntAlnico4]

I've got the OG Head Rush big board and it' sounds better than these new ones for some reason😂

[@steves12strings]

Yeah...Im still sticking to Kemper. The Fender is pretty amazing too...and I want to pick it...but, they have such a terrible history of discontinued technical support of these kind of things. I'd need to see a guaranteed several year long support contract by them if I'm going to spend that kind of money. So, Kemper Stage is the winner by a fair margin to me.

[@monstrok]

Thanks for the commitment to demo each modeler/profiler on this demo! Truly eye opening for the current state of technology. If I had to pick a winner, it is the Kemper with the chosen profiled sounds. All of the modelers seemed to try so hard to mimic a sound yet the Kemper provided "the sound."

[@batmandeltaforce]

The way to test this stuff is on stage with some players ripping and changing equipment:) I haven't tried all of these, but Headrush sounds good, but for a tapper, it will work you to death, trying to get it to respond. The Line 6 is sterile, no overtones, sounds fake, but effects are good. The absolute best to me (I haven't tried a Fractal), is the BOSS GTK:) It has a better engine, AIRD rules, and the notes spring off the fretboard. But you don't really appreciate it until it's LOUD, and you begin to get that useful feedback, that is soooo even and natural. Thanks for the work you guys put in:)

[@BrendanMakesMusic]

Fractal blows the rest away

[@batmandeltaforce]

@@BrendanMakesMusic I'd have to see it:) My other guitar player uses it. It's ALL about the feel for me, because everything sounds "good".

[@Matthew_Scan]

I have the GX 100 sounds fantastic sadly it doesn’t get the recognition as the others

[@batmandeltaforce]

@@Matthew_Scan Everything sounds good today, the difference to a larger degree is feel:)

[@robertbrown1778]

Not doing the EQ thing with the Helix really muddies the waters if everyone does that, and I've heard they do. Maybe it would have sounded comparable, and then a Helix LT would be an attractive option pricewise. Begs the question why it should need it though - shouldn't its cab simulation take care of the high frequencies?

[@CraigularjJoeWoodworks]

The ending of the video with side by side comparisons was the key to making this decision. For me quad cortex is number one and kemper is a close second

[@markusschmid6315]

I need a custom shop strat now😂. The Tone Master sounded great. They will sell tons of them.

[@ericlittle1868]

The main thing with the Helix is if you don't change the mic from the presets the sounds are not as good. Switch out the dynamic mics for a ribbon and adjust the positioning a bit and boom, it has way more accurate sounds. Just using the stock mic and position massively affects the amp/cab you select. Plus, there are thousands of free patches people have made that are incredibly accurate to a specific sound (modded Marshalls, Dimebag, etc.)

[@timhopkins3810]

It was good to get the quick cut comparison at the end. A bit of a shame a mono reverb was used on the Helix but other than that it was a pretty fair comparison 👍 The only thing I’d get from this is that I won’t buy the fender or headrush without more updates from them… the fender driven amps were pretty terrible with noticeable digital artifacts with the Mesa not sounding like a Mesa at all… all the others were pretty good 👍

[@matt6288joyce]

I like the ease of use and UI of the fender, seems sort of pro level in a comfortable way? I mean I’d actually have to regularly practice guitar to ever think about buying one but it’s super nice

[@martinmccann8975]

Being a helix user I will always give it the nod but the Headrush Prime has to be considered with all the added effects.What a time to be a guitarist,everyone of these units sounds great.

[@MacMillerHD]

Quad cortex for me.... But just to let you know - I think that the newer models in Helix are much better than these classic amp simulation - those are the old ones :)

[@IgnacioFS]

Great shootout in your video!!! 🎸One question: ¿With the Fender can I call the presets numerically with the stomp buttons, that is, each of the 10 buttons represents a number of presets sorted numerically from 1 to 999 (or more)?

[@petevan]

Love my tonemaster, got it today and I’m blown away, no manual needed, sore fingertips from playing!

[@jasonweinstein5622]

This is going to be my 1st go at the modeling setup. Just ordered the TMP but man, the capture Fender sound on that Quad Cortex sounded amazing!

[@MythosPedals]

Sweet! I was waiting for this one.

[@BrendanMakesMusic]

Wait to see if they bother supporting or updating it. Also, listen with studio headphones, the Fender unit is not impressive and has lots of digital artifacts in most of the demos out there. That said: MORE MODELER TALK ON DIPPED IN TONE! I'm submitting my Fractal rig to be dipped, hope it starts a conversation. I went all-digital two years ago and I'm never looking back.

[@ogracer]

OMG im looking for a profiler/modeller and this is even more info that i could have hoped for. bravo lads!

[@IamMusicNerd]

As far as the UI simplicity, and small form factor, the fender wins. However, the fact that it doesn’t do captures makes it a dealbreaker for me. I want to be able to capture my own amps, and pedals and load them in. So for now I am going to be stuck with the quad cortex, as it is the only one that is small, has a big screen, and can capture.

[@danielschenker9874]

The Quad cortex has by far the best small form factor, less than half the weight and size of the Fender!

[@Shelfordgrimemedia]

Bit gutted there wasn't a "final thoughts" bit at the end, wanted to know which one you guys preferred/recommended

[@GoofieNewfie]

they did. 1:35 mark

[@dinadams]

The most telling thing in the comparison at the end was how Pete reacted to them, def felt like the Quad and the Kemper had him engaged the most and to my ears sounded the best.

[@guitarpunkcovers]

Kemper sounds like a toy to me, by far the worst along with Headrush

[@trevor4533]

Yeah, you can see him really dig into the AC30 on the QC trying to get that kerrang!

[@joelanderson6777]

I rather expect he uses both IRL.

[@ginjay]

In regard to your points early on regarding pros/cons of modelling vs profiling. In the new software release on Kemper (v10.0 I think?)- they have introduced something called 'Liquid profiling'. This is where they also capture the nuances of the tone stack (e.g. the EQ and Gain acts more true to the actual amp). I believe it's an improvement and has settled some of those criticisms of the modelling community :) You should explore this new software release in a vid!! :)

[@stevegardiner8473]

Regarding the Kemper, why didn't you just use the official free rig packs that you can load from rig manager? That might have been a better place to start. Might have saved you a bit of time. Having said that, you have found some really nice sounding profiles. Also, the recent addition of the Liquid Profiling capability further enhances an already great sounding unit. I'm an ex Headrush and Helix user, and I'm happy, from a tone point of view, that I made the switch to Kemper, although the other units have advantages in other areas. I could still happily gig with Helix, but I do prefer the sound of the Kemper.

[@user-sd8mu7ll1m]

Headrush has a guitar input setting where you can set the level + an initial gate. Could have been set a little hotter here. Also the global EQ is a key to this unit. I just love it and get everything I need out of it. Not saying the others are better or worse, I don't care...

[@VideoMcVideoface]

“It sounds bad” on the Headrush is almost always that they don’t understand why input and output matter.

[@randysmith8770]

Which one(‘s) if any would you use live? I would like to see this again using speaker cabs (like PowerCab, Kemper Cab etc.) to reflect a live situation. Thanks

[@sixtyaffairs]

I always wonder why Boss is never be played in this comparisons. Is my GX100 too cheap ? It has everything that a Helix or a Fender has. Its a modeller. I use it live, in the studio or at home. I had Kempers , Helixes and even Headrushes . But I stay with the Boss GX 100. Second question: What Custom Shop Guitar is Pete playing ? Didn't find it in the store.

[@norseatheart1086]

The GX 100 absolutely does not have everything the Helix has. And IMHO the Boss GX100 is the least organic sounding modeller out there.

[@portuguesebeer5069]

Why not include the flagship BOSS GT-1000?

[@Matthew_Scan]

@@norseatheart1086 the best compliment I’ve had on my tone was a GT 100 go figure I think we get caught up in what’s trendy and cool

[@johnoakleymusic]

So which one would you buy Mr.Pete and Lee? If you could have one only which would you go for?

[@imacmadman22]

I think for the modeling units, what is key is taking the time to create YOUR sound, meaning create the sound you love regardless of its 'authenticity.' It IS commendable for these companies to recreate the realism of legendary amplifiers, but not everyone's ideal amp sound is going to be the same as the next person. As for the units that can profile or capture amps and effects, those units are dependant the user to obtain the tone the searching for. That said, I have an HX Stomp and I've spent the time creating my own ideal tones and I don't use any stock presets.

[@thomastucker5686]

How would the HX stomp work through the loop of my tube amp for just fx?

[@wilssantos2]

It works very well! You can have your pre-amp effects on the unit, use a send/return block (then use one of the send outputs to the front of your amp), connect the send from your amp to the return of the Line 6 gear, continue with your post-amp effects, then finalize with the output of the gear into your amp's return. No amp or cab block needed, your real amp will be that in the signal chain. I've used Line 6 gear in this 4-cable configuration for years, and it always worked pretty fine, and the HX effects line on the Helix and HX Stomp are VERY good. Now I actually ditched my amp (used a Blackstar HT 40), got an FRFR (a Headrush, because it's cheaper! Hehe), and just use the amp/cab models on the Helix once I learned how to set them up properly, and after the latest patch they now sound so good that I'm starting to leave my IR collection behind as well haha (But I still can't leave my OwnHammer RECT IRs, FWD and MIX, in a dual-IR config powering the Badonk. Best metal sound you can get!!)

[@thomastucker5686]

@@wilssantos2 thank you for the help.

[@JimWalkerMusic]

I recently bought a pre-owned Zoom G6. It does everything I need and more. The Tonemaster Pro is $1700 US. That's more than I have invested in my entire live performance rig.

[@baimun]

Been gigging with a Kemper Stage since they were released at NAMM several years back and it's been perfect for those of us who are continuously suspect and/or disappointed by products that come and go, lose any factory support, or worse yet... technology that is buggy or decides to take a sh!t during soundcheck. Michael Britt profiles are the gold standard for live use and I appreciate the device needing more intentional updating as opposed to wifi updates. I wait to do updates until I don't have gigs "just in case" and carry a thumb drive with the latest firmware and my backups (although I've fortunately never needed to rebuild on the fly... unlike Midas digital mixers, but that's another story). I could see using any of these (the Fender is my fave of the new ones) if you like the work flow, but I predict my Kemper will stay in the lineup with my Tube amps, and if Christoph releases a Kemper II, it will definitely get my pre-order as I suspect to get decades of use out of them instead of a couple years. ☮❤🎶

[@baimun]

@@Willemguitar One of my other favorite things is the versatility where I run the 1/4" outs to the FX return on a Mesa tube combo and often just mic the cab because it sounds so great transforming from a Matchless to a Soldano or whatever. But I have the option of sending FOH the XLR and I decoupled that volume from the big master knob so once their level is set, I can adjust my stage volume if necessary by just reaching for the big knob at my feet. I'm the lead singer guitarist, so it's less convenient to step back, adjust the volume then step back to the mic and see how it sounds with the vocal mix coming from the stage monitors. ☮❤🎶

[@LifetimeBiker]

How about a comparison between the FRFR cabs , Perhaps Fender v Laney etc` Maybe a job for "Digital John" 🙂

[@benoitquinton]

It's a good move to adress the elephant in the room right at the start by explaining why you don't have Fractal products in the video. The quality of the video and the review is not affected by it, awesome work on that by the way! I was wondering where the ToneMaster Pro was standing against the others. As always, Anderton's is my favorite channel for gear reviews :)

[@quiquepriore]

I buy Helix stomp 4 years ago, used and compared with my miced 2525h and sold after a weekend, the only digital that now capture my atention is the free neural amp modeller

[@landon.cunningham]

Finally someone made the Tone Master Pro sound good.

[@randysmith8770]

Did not hear you mention Liquid Profiling for the Kemper. Unless I missed it 🤷‍♂️

[@NedJeffery]

Based on the sound samples at the end, the TMP sounds like the winner to me, then the QC. I own a helix and I completely understand the "2D" sound. But once you understand how to use dual cabs, EQ, and the ambient reverb block effectively it does come to life. Theres steep learning curve to get there though.

[@peaceofvideo]

Dude how? I knew exactly how the Headrush was going to sound from my experience with it. How does Neural DSP and Fender model it so “full” and how can I bring the Headrush to life?!

[@NedJeffery]

@@peaceofvideo so first trick is graphic EQ at the front to tweak the guitar tone. This is not for gentle curves. You want to accentuate certain frequencies and cut others to suit the guitar. Second have 2 cabs or IRs panned 100% left and right with different speakers and mics. Choose combinations that have similar tone. And last some reverb. Small room, very short decay, 1-5ms pre delay, lots of dampening, low mix. This is just to make it feel like a real room, not a DI. The combination of amp/cab/mic is difficult, but important. And requires a hell of a lot of experimentation.

[@paulshedden1404]

Thank you guys for the Mission SP1-TMP expression pedal mention

[@Ozman77]

The more I hear that TMP, the more I like it :)

[@johnrolavs6794]

The lag for the Headrush was fixed in 4.0, but you need to change a global setting. The cause is the effect does not trigger when you push the switch down, it triggers after the switch has returned to the up position. You can change the global settings so it engages immediately when the switch is pressed down

[@mesablue]

The fender sounded best to me on all the amps except the reverb was weird sounding. The QC was my second choice. I don't own any of these but I'm looking to go ampless now that I'm playing out for the first time in 25 years and lugging my 59 Bassman around sucks I'm not 24 anymore. 😂

[@angelozielinski]

They had it set pretty splashy - and pretty sure they were using the convolution tank model. It's a pretty amazing model of the reverb tank, but not everyone likes drippy sound.

[@irelana2650]

Been using a Boss GT-1000Core for a while - Happy with it once you get IR's loaded into it - takes a bit of setting up as demo sounds suck but good value for money - using a midi switcher to add functionality

[@AmericanNationalist852]

And the winner is..... Fractal FM9!!🎉🎉🎉

[@yotabirdman]

No

[@jdfenix7]

Boss ME-90 all the way!!

[@thisguy2973]

Too expensive intentionally “due to demand.”

[@pepmasters-999]

Literally?

[@AmericanNationalist852]

@@thisguy2973 lol the FM9 is $1699 (in stock right now), the Fender unit is $1699, Helix is $1699, QC is $1699, Kemper is $1599, and Headrush is $1299 (and sucks ass).... 🤪

[@richlife06]

Very thorough presentation. Well thought out and highly informative. Good job guys!