Bah, unsure where to go amp wise...

Tenebrous

The GSP1101 is a great bit of kit, but I've owned one for years, and I'd rather get something I've not owned before for that "OMG ITS NEW!" kinda feeling It is astonishing how great the GSP still sounds after... 11(?) years though.

mr-mac

For me most modern alternatives won't better it (esspecially built in to an amp).  So defo have to say think twice about emperors new clothes and another different system to set up when you already have something perfect that would slot in to a nice bedroom sized speaker/cab setup

Tenebrous

After more than a month of checking out every piece of gear known to man, I've come to the conclusion that there's nothing out there that'll do everything I want I'm not entirely surprised, but at the same time... God damnit >.<

Basically, the device I want has:

• The modulation/delay effects from the GT-1000 (the Katana doesn't have enough, the delays on the Helix aren't as fun to me as on the DD500 I tried [phasers/drives are AMAZING though], and I'm yet to try a Kemper to comment on the effects)
  
• The usability of the Helix (good god this thing is a UI dream)
• An amp in the room (I've decided that this is pretty much non-negotiable [kinda*])
• ... That still connects seamlessly to a recording setup
• Prioritizes clean tones over anything else - 95% of my playing is through a clean channel
• Still has to be useful out and about
• No known reliability issues/doubts
• Stereo is a big bonus
• I want a looper!

I'll also add that I'm more about tweaking effects than I am all that faff like mic placement & cab pairings. As far as amp tones go, I'd like to just find something I like, tweak a few knobs to match it to my guitar & ear, and then start tweaking the fun stuff from there.

Right now, the setup that comes out ahead in my mind of all others is a link-up between the Kemper & Boss GT-1000 through an FRFR setup, with an AI & a pair of monitors for home recording.

... But that's pretty crazy money Going off of what I've tried & what I've researched, it would be the setup I'd be happiest with, but as Clay Davis would say: Shieeeeeeeeeeet.

Even with that setup there's some of my points which are well & truly ignored. Neither device is as user friendly as a Line 6 Helix for a start, which is probably the best designed piece of modelling from a usability POV gear since... Well, the Line 6 POD >.>

More realistically, there's the idea of a link-up between the Roland JC-40 & Boss GT-1000 with an audio interface connected through the stereo line-out of the amp into a pair of monitors for home recording.

Obviously comes with some pretty big concessions of its own. The usability is helped by swapping the Kemper for the JC-40, but it comes with the major caveat of only having one base tone (even if it is a core tone that I absolutely love & adore). I'd still be able to plug the GT-1000 straight into the AI to get other tones I needed, and who knows, maybe the amp models sound good running straight through the JC-40 itself (I didn't get a chance to try).

At this point, I'm pretty much ready to rule out a return to the Digitech GSP1101, the Boss Katana range, and the Line 6 Helix FX (although I do think the latter device is an absolutely killer bit of kit for the drive sounds alone).

Right now, I'm leaning towards just grabbing a Kemper+GT1000 with a pair of monitors, & ignoring the Kemper footswitch/FRFR setup until I actually need it. It builds the base of the rig that I know I'd be happiest with, so really, there's nothing more to really say, right...?

Adamski

I think Fractal, Line 6, Kemper would do well to develop a traditional combo that looks like a real amp yet is their box and an FRFR speaker. Lightweight, still has all the connections at the back and an optional footswitch. 

I think an Axe FX or Helix combo would sell by the bucketload. Kemper I appreciate already has the powered head although I think the less than traditional design and interface is still a hurdle they need to overcome