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Is there anything specific you want to know?
theres plenty of evidence around that they both sound great
It's really down to personal preference.
The Helix didn't work for me, I didn't recognise the sounds that it produced as a complete modeller (FRFR) or as a straight up MFX unit, it felt like a waste of money to me and I sent it back quickly for refund.
The FX8 produced more "natural tones" out of the box to my ears anyway. I like the FX 8/AX8 construction / layout but the UI is very poor compared to the Helix which is a dream to work with.
I bought the AX8 to give modelling another chance. Plugged it in to a DXR 12 monitor and was able to get useable tones very quickly.
You really need to try these things out for yourself, everyone has different tastes / willingness to tweak settings etc.
But i like the UI with the Helix.....
How easy it to program the AX8 without hooking it up to a PC? Easy enough to knock up a patch whilst in a rehearsal room for instance?
I could try a Helix fairly easily in a shop, but i've no idea where i could try an AX8. Seems theres only one supplier for the whole of Europe?
That said, once you have your presets in place, on the fly tweaking can be simple because you have dedicated manual knobs for gain, TMB, master volume etc that are easy to use so making adjustments is easy during a gig situation.
You are correct that there is currently only one EU distributor (G66), they are a pleasure to deal with and do offer a 30 day trial. Not sure if / when Brexit will change that because they are based in Germany.
Think carefully about your requirements. Do you need modelling? If not the FX8 or Helix Fx could be an option. To me, modelling means investing in more kit, FRFR active speakers or a separate power amp with speaker cab of choice. Right now, I'm simply looking for flexibility, I play in a band with a PA so will use that and a DXR10 onstage monitor. However, I'm not about to sell my amps.
I wouldn’t choose to make a complicated preset using scene controllers and complicated routing using the onboard screen but it can be done.
There is also a way to use an iPad with a 3rd party app called fracpad but I haven’t felt the need to try it yet.
I'm really glad I did as it sounds brilliant.
It is much easier to set up patches using Ax8 Edit on a pc but it can be done on the unit itself, it's just nowhere near as easy as the Helix interface (I've got an HX FX) but then what is?
Once you have a patch set up though, it's as easy to tweak as regular pedals in my opinion. The "amp" controls are always accessible too as they are all specific rotary controls .
The great thing is that you can do really deep editing if you want to, or , keep it simple and just twiddle stuff that you would on a regular amp and pedals. Fabulous bit of kit.
I definitely want to go down the modelling route, i've a lovely non master volume amp and 4x12 cab that i love, but its not really practical for home use late at night, and its a pain in the arse to drag to band practise every week. So i thought get a modeller, an FRFR such as the Headrush 112 or similar and use that at home (or with headphones), band practise and the odd gig where a 4x12 isn't practical.
I don't mind spending a bit more for the Fractal if its worth it to me, i think i'm going to have find a way to try them both, or if not just pick one and see how i get on.
Thanks for all the insights, you've been very helpful
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i would say ‘trying both’ should be done over an extended period, it’ll tanke a week or two to get the best out of either
All I can say is that in my experience I was able to achieve more natural sounding drive tones from both FX8 (in front of a real amp) and AX8 with Amp block + Cab modelling (FRFR) than I was with the equivalent options with Helix.
But it it still goes back to personal preference and what works for you. Some may completely lose the plot trying to configure an FX or AX8.
Yeah, the interface is easier to use, but so what? Is that really the point?
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The FX8 sounded absolutely brilliant in the house, but live/rehersal I was constantly tweaking it.
The intereface is not the most intuitive.
The HX sounds are in the main just as good, and I prefer the drives on the HX . I use it with one of my bands happily.