Buying Today, What do you Buy?

[norminal]

Today I just bought an Axe FX III Turbo. I've been wanting to get an FM9 while a while but then started looking more and more into an Axe FX unit instead of a floor unit and have decided that the only thing I really want to have switchable via footswitch are the looper controls, and that's easy enough to set up with one of my existing 2-switch foot switches. It's going to be very nice never having to worry about DSP again; that's a frustrating limitation of the FM3 . I was constantly fighting with the amount of CPU available in my presets with the FM3 even though I don't even use a complex presets.

You will NOT be disappointed l! Compared to the floor units, the III Turbo is an absolute beast.

 

[Eagle]

I don't think anything is better than the Axe 3 yet. FM9 is the best floor unit as well. It depends what you need though. Myself I buy the main Fractal unit and keep it until the next gen comes along. I have the original Axe 3 and have no intention of changing it until Axe 4 comes along but I never get anywhere near the CPU limit and the other things in the mark 2 and turbo also are irrelevant if the CPU is sufficient. However if I was buying today it would be the FM9 Turbo or the Axe3Turbo the other units are just not in the same league.

 

[laxu]

Today I just bought an Axe FX III Turbo. I've been wanting to get an FM9 while a while but then started looking more and more into an Axe FX unit instead of a floor unit and have decided that the only thing I really want to have switchable via footswitch are the looper controls, and that's easy enough to set up with one of my existing 2-switch foot switches. It's going to be very nice never having to worry about DSP again; that's a frustrating limitation of the FM3 . I was constantly fighting with the amount of CPU available in my presets with the FM3 even though I don't even use a complex presets.

For me the fw 6.0 update on the FM3 reduced the CPU limits enough that I could fit most of the things I wanted in a single preset. I don't think the FM3 is a great device for kitchen sink presets, better to have more purpose-built presets instead.

With the Axe-Fx 3 you don't have to worry about CPU management unless you get really into pitch shifters, dual amps/cabs and Fullres IRs. But it is of course far more expensive, bigger box etc.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I for one think I am about finished with modeling devices on the floor. Brain+screen+integrated footswitches all on the floor is just too much real estate in my current space, and on any San Francisco soapbox they shoehorn a band onto out here.

My Stomp is a good middle ground but lacks processing power for anything other than an amp, cab and the usual lead FX, maybe one more wildcard block for an effect, so a preset per each wildcard preset.

My Helix Floor (and G10 both on a pedalboard) takes up a lot space under my desk (nowhere for feet to go) or crammed toward the corner near my amp/speakers (don't step on that USB cable!) and after opening it up to clean the footswitches a few years ago, it's readyy for that treatment again, and I don't really want to do it. That means sending it to an out-of-warranty repair center before using it in any kind of serious capacity again. I want to sell it but in this condition I won't likely get what I want for it.

If I had to start over with modeling I'd either get a Helix Rack or AxeIII paired with a smaller MIDI controller.

 

[Mongillo19]

I for one think I am about finished with modeling devices on the floor. Brain+screen+integrated footswitches all on the floor is just too much real estate in my current space, and on any San Francisco soapbox they shoehorn a band onto out here.

My Stomp is a good middle ground but lacks processing power for anything other than an amp, cab and the usual lead FX, maybe one more wildcard block for an effect, so a preset per each wildcard preset.

My Helix Floor (and G10 both on a pedalboard) takes up a lot space under my desk (nowhere for feet to go) or crammed toward the corner near my amp/speakers (don't step on that USB cable!) and after opening it up to clean the footswitches a few years ago, it's readyy for that treatment again, and I don't really want to do it. That means sending it to an out-of-warranty repair center before using it in any kind of serious capacity again. I want to sell it but in this condition I won't likely get what I want for it.

If I had to start over with modeling I'd either get a Helix Rack or AxeIII paired with a smaller MIDI controller.

Yeah there is certainly pros to having everything at your feet but tossing the rack unit in the back and having a smaller footprint out front can be really nice

 

[ragingplatypi]

If I was able to start over it would be a toss up between a Helix Floor and a pedalboard loaded with the best power supply money can buy and rotating fleet of the hot pedals of the day. Today that would be a ToneX, LVX, Unobtanium, HX Stomp (still hot), and Freqout (still hot!).

 

[molul]

Between Helix and Kemper, I choose Helix just for the UI (and if you have Helix Native, it makes even more sense).

Now, I would only get a Helix Floor if you really think you need nothing less than that. Otherwise, I'd consider the Helix LT or the HX Stomp, depending on the complexity of your patches.

I have the LT because I need a lot of snapshots and blocks, and my bassist has the Stomp (and an external dual footswitch for changing presets) because he doesn't use more than three snapshots and 8 blocks. And he bought the Stomp because another bandmate was selling it very cheap. Otherwise, he would have bought the Stomp XL.

 

[Bruce]

If my FAS stuff disappeared, I’d buy it again.

 

[Eagle]

I've never understood why people think Axe 3 UI is not super easy . I fail to see how you could navigate this many functions and parameters easier .

 

[Sascha Franck]

I've never understood why people think Axe 3 UI is not super easy . I fail to see how you could navigate this many functions and parameters easier .

With a touchscreen.
Seriously, while I find touchscreens on floor units to be debatable (to put it mildly), a rack unit with a screen that big pretty much lends itself to have a touchscreen.

 

[Elric]

If I were starting fresh right now I’d probably go with ToneX+HXFX or an FM3.

Similar thoughts for me… Of the OP’s list, FM3 would probably be my first choice; I am biased towards Fractal amp models. Still feel like they are the ultimate Digital solution.

ToneX+HX Stomp XL would be a great option, though, if you wanted to go w/ two units and its within budget. Basically like a Quad Cortex without all the concerns re the company, support, etc.

 

[Elric]

With a touchscreen.
Seriously, while I find touchscreens on floor units to be debatable (to put it mildly), a rack unit with a screen that big pretty much lends itself to have a touchscreen.

I dunno some of my rack units are positioned in places where it is going to be difficult to interact with a touch screen, etc, vs like a volume knob I can just grab and turn.

For my tastes the best approach is to decouple a proper GUI for touchscreen. Rack unit w/ knobs + display like now but a native Axe-Edit for iPhones/Pads. The rack units really need the UI tweaks the least, IMHO. Even the QC would benefit from an app editor, IMHO.

 

[NKP]

Whatever fractal : axe 3 or fm9

 

[Stratzrus]

An FM9 is nice alternative to the Helix floor but price in Europe is crazy, I think is around 2x an Helix these days

Helix LT - 1110€
FM3 - 1400€
Helix - 1600€
FM9 - 2300€

And n case you're also willing to look for 2nd hand units, things are much worse - simply because there's no FM9s at all at this very moment...

There are however a bunch on sale on Reverb but they start around $2,000 and I've seen them listed as high as $2,800.

The reasons the prices are so high, and why there are none for sale used in Europe, is that they are considered very desirable by people who want them and people who have them and won't sell them alike.

The "demand" part of supply and demand is a major part of selling price. If there were only a few examples of a piece of gear for sale that no one wanted they wouldn't be nearly as costly.

 

[AlbertA]

I would still get the Axe-Fx III.

 

[Elric]

Whatever fractal axe 3 or fm9

I would still get the Axe-Fx III.

OP specified a budget < $1500.

 

[NKP]

Try to save more money so. If you like more “vintage” tones, only the axe can give you them properly. This is where most of the others modelers failed. And the axe is one of the rare that act like an amp when you roll down your volume control.
Not that the others products are bad, but sometimes for 500 less, you will be bored after 1 year, where you will be happy for way more years with a fractal