Hello Sebassshreads,
I was a previous owner of Helix floor for over a year. Great modeler and I would probably still be happy with Helix had I not had a chance to try our the AXE FX III.
I was able to dial in some pretty good tones with Helix with FW 2.8, 2.9x and 3.01. I know Helix users will argue that they can dial in usable tones with in minutes, however I could never be so skilled or lucky. They always took a little longer than a few minutes but were achievable.
I found that the stock IR's were not on par with the aftermarket IR's available, so needless to say any of the tones that I did fall in love with on the Helix where using third party IR files. The user UI and touch control on the floor unit were excellent for making adjustments whether in front of the PC or not.
Enter the AXE FX III. I received my unit on the day of FW 15.01 being released so I cannot speak of FW revisions prior to this, but I was instantly impressed on how real the amps and cabs in Fractal Audio system where. It was a huge eye opener that I was not expecting, the sounds were a step above anything I had heard from the Helix, BOSS heads and needless to say, after a few days the Helix was up for sale and sold.
I thought how could amp modeling get any better then this, then came FW 16 Beta, this was the game changer in terms of sound and more so was the 'feel' that you get when playing any of the amp models in FW16. I was able to dial in usable tones without changing anything with the stock settings on the amps and cabs.
Even to this day, I can sit down and just strum a few chords and be lost for hours in just messing around with a Input and Output block, amp and cab block and I mean just lost for hours with what feels and sounds like the "amp in the room". It reacts to how you play and input from your fingers and pick, and this is a really neat experience. Sitting down with a Recto and being able to dial in great tones and not have to peel the skin off your face.
Organic, would be a great way to describe it. To my ears I cannot believe how far this FAS FW has come with this unit in just the short time I have owned it.
There are several guys that have sold their real amps and cabs as after A/B testing, they cannot tell the difference or don't have to deal with the physical limitations of the real amps and plus they can cash in on all their heads and cabs. There are countless posts of users dialing in there amps and cabs and not being able to tell which one they are playing when A/B the modeler against there real heads and cabs.
Of course the AXE FX III is a far bit more money if you are looking for the unit and FC12 controller, but I have no regrets and flat out the best purchase I feel I could have made. Stock presets, amps and cabs and effects are all top notch, but let your ears make up your mind for you.
Would I still be happy with the Helix, hell yes! I am sure I would be still using it had I not experienced the AXE FX III.
In the end, all that really matters is does it sound good and feel good to you?
The AXE FX III to date, never leaves me feeling like I need more or that something is missing.
