AX8 Incoming!

johnonguitar

The Ax8 sounds great.

just be careful that if you try a Helix it is updated to V2. It makes a huge difference. There wasn't an official change to the amp sounds but trust me it happened. It's been nodded and winked at by L6 staff too.

the new reverbs are also coming. 

BintyTwanger77

@johnonguitar When are the new reverbs due out?

I miss Glasgow...wrong coast, ken, but a fine nicht oot.

johnonguitar

BintyTwanger77 said:

@johnonguitar When are the new reverbs due out?

I miss Glasgow...wrong coast, ken, but a fine nicht oot.

Sorry I don't have a date but DI has assured us that Helix reverbs are very high on the priority list, they just didn't have enough time to get them done for the launch so had to port over the M Series ones.

V.2 was a massive update that pretty much resolved every issue people had complaints about. If the new reverbs aren't in the next update is be very surprised.

Helix is young so it's unfair to compare it in some respects to the Ax8 which is using software which is much more mature. It does sound great however 

Benson

guitarfishbay said:

Axe FX 2 updates have significantly slowed down recently.

Not really, they've just released Quantum v4.

guitarfishbay

Benson said:

guitarfishbay said:

Axe FX 2 updates have significantly slowed down recently.

Not really, they've just released Quantum v4.

I know, and 3.03 was released on June 7th, first version of 3 was in April.  There have been less FW updates lately compared to a year or two ago.

kjdowd

Not really got time at the moment to do a proper comparison, but initial impressions as follows:

AX8 sounds great. Just great. A flick through the presets is very inspiring and I could get lost in this unit for a long time. Amps, delays, verbs and mods are particularly good. Drives are better than I remember. In comparison with the Helix, I prefer the AX8 sound (although, make no mistake, the Helix still sounds great and I do appreciate that this is very much an individual thing). Also sounds great through headphones (although an adapter is needed)

I prefer the AX8 form factor as well. Helix is a bit of a beast of a unit, AX8 is a bit more manageable (and I can live without and exp pedal).

On the other hand...

Helix interface is better, routing is infinitely more flexible (lack of multiple send/return loops on AX8 is a real downside), and DSP on the Helix is not as limiting as on the AX8. For example, I can have two amps, 3 delays, 3 verbs, 3 drives etc etc on the Helix and not hit the limit. AX8 will only do 1 amp and a handful of FX, really, so to put together gigging patches on the AX8 will take a lot more work and use of scenes etc (although X/Y switching on the AX is a real boon and mitigates some of this limitation).

There is also a lot more to the Helix in terms of flexibility (multiple inputs, Mic in, Recording interface and so on), and if you do make a lot of use of an expression pedal, it is right there on the Helix. Also, regarding sounds, the Helix is comparatively early in its lifecycle compared to Fractal modelling so there is plenty of time to add more amps and overall sound improvements. 

So, a lot be said for both units. At the moment, I think that the AX8 sound is going to win it for me, despite the other limitations compared to the Helix, but it is early days (AX8 is still a new bit of kit with all the excitement that brings) and I haven't done a proper side by side as yet.

Wazmeister

Great mini review Kev.

I'm still getting my head around the AX8, and I still use my FX8 when ai fancy simple plug and play stuff.

Have you tried some of the amp mods into a 'real' amp ?

kjdowd

Headphones only at the moment, Warren, but I will be using it into the fx return of my Egnater tweaker at a gig this weekend. Normal plan will be to use a fryette power station and cab, but haven't quite got that up and running. 

I've been using the Helix into the FX return of the tweaker at gigs and that sounds great. In fact I've got a video clip of that (with our other guitarist playing a THR100) that I keep meaning to post in the Helix thread. 

kjdowd

@Wazmeister - just had a blast with the AX8 through a recently acquired (from this very forum) Fryette power station and a Palmer cab loaded with a Celestion A Type. What. A. Sound. Blown away. Just noodling through a few presets but very, very impressed.