BLIND COMPARO IS THE BESTO!!!!!!!!! EVEN WHEN THEY MAKE NO SENSE!! Helix vs Synergy

[Boudoir Guitar]

Haven't CRANKED the sounds but at mere mortal volumes; they sound great. I think you have a winner either way you

I can tell you the Synergy wins the Jive test: “but what happens when the gain knob is turned all the way up?!?”.

 

[Whizzinby]

Nod to the second clip, but might be volume.

Probably the coolest setup I’ve had in the last couple years was the QC + SYN2. I’d imagine the same would go for a hybrid Helix + Synergy rig. Embarrassment of riches with gear these days.

 

[Lysander]

Embarrassment of riches with gear these days.

There has never been a better time to whine about being unable to find "my tone, man".

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

There has never been a better time to whine about being unable to find "my tone, man".

It is a bit of an example of constant asymptotic approach because the tools are there to continue circling the drain vs. just grabbing what’s available and getting on with it, that’s for sure.

And finding people to play rock music with is a lot harder…

 

[mavrick102000]

I know the purpose was to highlight how it doesn't really matter which is which, but I'm curious which one really is the Helix :) I suspect it's the first clip, because that lack of high-frequency sparkle and detail seems to be the one thing that I can still pick out in some modelers. Fractal has it pretty well nailed IMO; it used to be more obvious in Helix until they added the additional oversampling, now it's pretty darn close too.

I've always found the Helix to have more high frequency in comparisons.

Go watch several comparison videos with Helix and something else, each one will have a sample with more high frequencies - it's always Helix.

 

[dronerstone]

There has never been a better time to whine about being unable to find "my tone, man".

In a certain war-monger state that is not to be named, tone finds you.

 

[GreatGreen]

Modeling is so good these days that the choice between most tube amps vs the best modeling we have in my experience most often comes down to your preferred workflow.

Do you prefer / need a lot of presets and consistency where your knobs are virtual and you can can instantly save and recall all your settings in a bunch of different patches, or do you prefer physical knobs for tweaking on the spot without having to menu-dive?

 

[SKU]

There's quite the big block of text in the OP

 

[riffy]

I read the first post and listened to the clip.I did not read anything else. I didn't want to be influenced by any opinions or a reveal if it has been done. I think number two in each one is Helix. I think I hear a bit of power amp in there. Maybe my ears just suck though.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I read the first post and listened to the clip.I did not read anything else. I didn't want to be influenced by any opinions or a reveal if it has been done. I think number two in each one is Helix. I think I hear a bit of power amp in there. Maybe my ears just suck though.

You are correct, sir!

 

[GuitarsnGravel]

Do they 'feel' the same under your fingers?

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Do they 'feel' the same under your fingers?

You don't wanna get me started on feel vs sound (if you can't hear it, you can't feel it, IMO).

At the end of the day, I felt that the only module in the Synergy rig that didn't sound worse than the modeling alternatives I would use was the clean channel of the ODS. I do still miss having access to that...but otherwise, I'm happy to plug into my Axe Fx III these days (through a solid state power amp into a home made open back 1x12 cab). I've been playing this rig alongside some very, very sweet amps the last few months...various Headstrongs, a Carr Skylark, a Bartel...and I prefer the Axe Fx III over those amps at reasonable volume levels.



Edit to add: The modeling rig in these kinds of sounds felt more compressed. And to my ear it sounds more compressed in these clips.

 

[GuitarsnGravel]

You don't wanna get me started on feel vs sound (if you can't hear it, you can't feel it, IMO).

I wonder if it is latency that affects feel? Next topic on the list: Tonewood