Andertons Helix Vid

    Yeah that's my thread :)
    what I learned from the tests:
    - Cabmaker doesn't work very well - the resulting cabs sound a little bit phasey
    - line 6 put up an awesome product that sounds quite good. It's not in the Kemper ballpark (as everyone can hear in the samples, even with Cabmaker cabs) but I think it definitely is on par (or a little below) axe fx 2 level.
    - Using the helix is a lot of fun, awesome UI
    - effect quality is quite good, I like the Kemper effect a little more I think ... But the helix has more options
    - I actually don't think it can get any better than Kemper as this is as close to the real amps as possible ... I guess the next step is "digitally improve analog amp sounds" ... Does this make sense?

    MJT Strats / PRS Guitars / Many DIY Guitars -- Kemper Profiler Rack / Kemper Remote / InEar

    Like 3

    Thanks for the updates. I was under the impression that FX wise the Helix would have much more choice than the Kemper - for example modulated verbs and different delays like on the DL4 (like specific tape delays etc). Is this the case? Also how are the drive models? The ones in the M9 weren't great.

    Quote from PhilUK84


    This is a much better and informed review than the 'other' one. I also had some scepticism but really, it sounds pretty good. I really can only reiterate, that it's obviously a very capable unit. It's obviously not garbage. But, I'm happy with my Kemper and will stick with this.


    There can be no doubt it's a huge step up from the HD units, and if I'd remained on the L6 train I'd have been in Hog Heaven around about now, Phil. It was a close thing, really, as I endured the pain of my HD unit literally to the point that I couldn't take it any more. Having had a mic pre on lay-buy for a considerable period of time, I had the quick option of diverting funds from the pre to the Kemper from the same store. Had I not had this opportunity, I'd have been saving for the Kemper when the Helix appeared, and might have chosen to stick with L6 both because I'd been with the company from the get-go, and because the new unit would obviously have been a big-enough step up in quality to have satisfied me at the time. After all, I was used to rather small increments of improvement throughout the POD journey.


    That said, I feel I've skipped all the way to the end of the line now with the Kemper; obvious improvements between purchases should theoretically be a thing of the past.


    Quote from sambrox

    I heard on the grapevine that something big is coming in KPA land and I'm giggling like a schoolgirl at the mere thought of it!


    Whaddaya mean, Sam? You always giggle like a schoolgirl. LOL

    @Monkey_Man


    I agree, the HD series just didn't cut it for me either. Way too much time spent messing around and still only getting mediocre tones. The same with the GT100, and even the 11R. Although I did find some 11R user guides that got me some pretty good Twin and Plexi profiles, but I literally had two good profiles and a lot of bland ones. With the Kemper I have so many great ones. But it does seem that this is a definite step up from Line 6.


    Even if you don't feel that it matches the Kemper it is much better than their previous efforts.

    Quote from PhilUK84

    @Monkey_Man
    With the Kemper I have so many great ones. But it does seem that this is a definite step up from Line 6.


    Even if you don't feel that it matches the Kemper it is much better than their previous efforts.


    100% Agreement, Phil.

    Using the same IR is not and accurate method of comparing for the following reason:


    The huge advantage of Kemper profiling is in the way it captures the speaker interaction when you do a studio profile. Helix, AXII and all other modelers that use Impulse responses approximate the impedance and how the amp reacts to it because they have no way of knowing these values just by using the IR. When you use the Kemper with IR, you're replacing the kempers cab that the amp profiled reacted to with a completely different impulse response which will give unpredictable response due to the mismatch. There's a huge difference in sound of a tube amp when using different impedance so it's not a minor thing as some might suggest. An example would be if you have a tube amp even using the same speaker can have significant variation in the sound if you opt to try a safe mismatch and the speaker is 8ohm, so you switch your amp to 16 ohms (you can do that with Fender amps), the sound produced will have much less high frequencies and will sound much darker.


    An example would be that the kemper profile has amp response information based on the actual amp being connected to 4x12 celestion (who by the way happens not to disclose the impedance information but the kemper captures it in the studio profile), and then you're virtually connecting the kemper to another brand speaker with unknown impedance. You might get good or bad results but certainly they're unpredictable. In case I didn't clarify what I'm saying, just consult the kemper manual about Merged profiles and it would make sense. I personally think that even with merged profiles, even though you can replace with other accurate cabinets or Impulse responses and even thought the profile has amp response information, that information of how the amp reacts to that specific speaker, and the impedance mismatch will create unpredictable and non real world scenarios that might be unnatural but still might be good in their own right.


    For me if you truly want to compare, you compare a studio profile and you shoot an IR of the Kemper cabinet, use that in the Helix and compare the results because you don't want to rob the Kemper from the huge advantage in factoring impedance and all speaker interactions when all other modelers only approximate and have no way of knowing those numbers even if they can be entered as parameters unless they're going to manually measure the actual speaker with physical hardware only available to amp repair.engineers etc.


    To get accurate cabinet from the Kemper in the form of impulse response, it's best to chose a merged profile. If anyone is interested, let me know of the Merged profile you want to compare and I will generate an accurate impulse response in Wave format that you can use in Helix with a similar amp and I have a feeling that Kemper will clearly have the edge if that method is used because Helix is just like the AXE FX approximating the amp speaker interaction while the Kemper has it almost 100% with the studio profile.

    Edited 7 times, last by Dean_R ().

    Like 2
    Quote from Dean_R

    For me if you truly want to compare, you compare a studio profile and you shoot an IR of the Kemper cabinet, use that in the Helix and compare the results because you don't want to rob the Kemper from the huge advantage in factoring impedance and all speaker interactions when all other modelers only approximate and have no way of knowing those numbers even if they can be entered as parameters unless they're going to manually measure the actual speaker with physical hardware only available to amp repair.engineers etc.


    That's actually a brilliant idea....gone test that now :) Is there a way to find out whether a Rig is a Studio Rig or a Merged Rig?

    MJT Strats / PRS Guitars / Many DIY Guitars -- Kemper Profiler Rack / Kemper Remote / InEar

    Good post in tgp, mDan. It got linked to SSO where i responded to the Helix thread. Helix sounds pretty legit, but its def no KPA. So im glad L6 is getting its act together, but Im not buying into their sales pitch again. For all we know theyve started on working on the Helix 2, rather than creating a full slate of amp models comparable to Axe FX. Thats what bummed me ab the Pod HD. I was used to L6 expanding their amp base quite a bit after launch, but this barely happened with the Pod HD, and the latest bunch was pay to play and only had a few new amp models - it was mostly ports, and still no Mesa Mark models.


    The KPA is constantly expanding, both due to its design allowing user contributions to its tone base, but also Kemper's commitment to its flagship product rather than making its sale and moving on to the next hardware.

    For me CAB maker works better then direct profiling a VST plugin.
    Just put spike in DAW over your equipment . And then import it into the KPA.


    The different thing is how KPA limit response to some frequency ranges. I don'tt like it.
    The High and Low Shift parameter sometimes can spoil wide range frequency response.

    Quote from mDan

    I actually don't think it can get any better than Kemper as this is as close to the real amps as possible


    This is true. The only improvements can be in effects (quality, variety, etc.), user experience (front panel controls, editor -- or lack of one), form factor, price, etc. Amp sound is already there in KPA.