My Helix vs Axe FX 3 Thoughts After Owning Both

[mattbarden]

Warning, this is going to get lengthy! I've been lucky enough to have a Helix and an Axe FX 3 side by side the last couple weeks. Both do a lot of things very well, but after working with both now I don't think it's a matter of "which one sounds better?" anymore. Both of these things sound freaking awesome if you know what you're doing with them and they'll sound equally bad if you don't. Helix does take a little more tweaking, but the Fractal stuff isn't as out of the box as people say it is either.

 

There is a certain feel playing an Axe FX next to a Helix where you can tell the Fractal is doing it a little better, even after the 3.5 cab update. IR's do level the playing a bit but it still goes to Fractal. The 3.5 update did bring the Helix's stock cabs much more in line with what everyone else is doing now though, the new cabs sound really good! Ultimately I still prefer the ML OG Alpha IR mix for my stuff, just personal taste. IMO the ML stuff works best with the Helix after going down that rabbit hole, but I could get a tone I'd record with the new Helix cabs no problem too. 

 

I do like the amp modeling in the Axe FX just a little bit more. Not enough to make it a dealbreaker though. They are surprisingly close if you know how to dial everything in. This is something that can be a rabbit hole in itself with Fractal's stuff. Helix narrows it down where I can adjust some deep parameters, but do I really need to be swapping the tubes and all that? I don't personally.

 

I dig the drive pedals in the Helix more. Something about the Axe's drives sound off to me. I can set tubescreamer type pedals in the Helix more true to life than the Axe's. I really like the new Plumes OD, awesome addition!

 

People crab about the noise gates in Helix...Yeah, they aren't the best but the Axe gates are horrible. They just updated them and I still think they suck in comparison. My Helix is dead silent when it needs to be and gets plenty of sustain, how is that not good enough? I can't get anything like it out of the Axe FX. Maybe they aren't the best, but I still prefer them. I've noticed adding a Horizon Gate after my amp and cab blocks at low settings tames a bit more of the noise, but also the high end in the Helix in a good way. I also like adding the Low and High Cut EQ right after that and simply turning them on to 20Hz and 20kHz. Brings down a bit more of that "fizz" we all hate. Tweak the new Dynamic Ambience reverb to taste too. I've been treating it like a room mic and it's awesome!

 

The Helix tuner does suck. In course mode it's not that bad, but I'd much rather intonate a guitar on the Axe FX's tuner vs the Helix.

 

Fractal does pitch shifting WAY better. Even with the updated engines in the Helix I don't feel like I could get away with playing a song downtuned with one of it's shifters as confidently as I could with the Axe. Are Helix's good enough? Yeah for most purposes. But for really fine stuff Fractal does it better.

 

Re-amping is insanely easier on the Helix (but you should totally spring for Native). If you do it according to the manual on the Axe it's so much more complicated, having to go into the actual hardware menus and change settings. Helix is a couple clicks in HX Edit and I don't have to remember to reduce my DI track levels to -6dB first either. That's in the Fractal manual, read it! I have seen other methods but I think the Axe's recommended way gets ever so slightly better results.

 

I don't know how it works with Fractal's OEM pedal boards, but dear lord is it a nightmare to try and program a midi foot controller vs the Helix with it's "just touch this switch and it's there now" approach lol. That couldn't possibly be easier and whoever thought of it deserves all of the raises.

 

I can set the Fractal to a little bit lower latency rates in my DAWs and external plugins with no pops or clicks, but that does depend on my own computer too so YMMV.

Routing FX loops is pretty much spelled out for you if you know how to navigate the Helix and just look at the back of it. Fractal is more complicated, which brings me too...Just overall workability. If you've got them both connected to a computer it's not a problem with the editors. But on the hardware itself, absolutely no contest. Helix wins all day every day. You really do need to read the manual if you want to know how to use the Axe FX stuff properly. But if you're familiar with any kind of tech you can figure out how to use the Helix with a bit of poking around.

 

Both are incredibly awesome pieces of gear. You can get anything you want from either of them if you know how to dial them in, maybe the right IR even. It's Native that really does it for me though. It's such a timesaver not having to re-amp things in real time. Just track your wet and dry recordings, load the wet patch into Native and tweak until it's perfect on your DI track. No need to sit there and wait for them to re-record again. 

[craiganderton]

On 2/17/2023 at 10:40 PM, mattbarden said:

It's Native that really does it for me though.

 

Don't overlook what it can do with vocals and drums. Also, a lot of the synched effects do incredible feats with EDM/synth material. Helix Native is a fantastic plugin by any standards, not just as an amp sim.

 

On 2/17/2023 at 10:40 PM, mattbarden said:

Both of these things sound freaking awesome if you know what you're doing with them and they'll sound equally bad if you don't.

 

Truth!

[mattbarden]

On 2/18/2023 at 11:47 AM, craiganderton said:

Don't overlook what it can do with vocals and drums. Also, a lot of the synched effects do incredible feats with EDM/synth material. Helix Native is a fantastic plugin by any standards, not just as an amp sim.

The sad truth is it only occurred to me recently that I could use Native like this lol. But your 100% correct, it's not only a great amp sim plugin but also a really good FX suite.

[craiganderton]

Ha! It took me a while too. I guess Native is like an actor who gets typecast :)

[gmtrenta]

I stand on the front of the choice Helix Floor or FM9? My criteria was ease of use, user community (installation base), service and support und and no religious belief in regard of with device sound better. So, you may image which was my choice. Then, I was pleased to be able to use what I did learn with the PodGo.