Another contender for Kemper MK2 is coming!
There isn't a GUI on an audio interface Not that I'm defending the touchscreen, because I agree with you that I don't want one on guitar gear, but there are touch screen GUIs on most digital mixers these days. Maybe not on audio interfaces, but definitely on live sound "interfaces". It's...
forum.fractalaudio.com
I found this comment from fractal forum interesting but read the backpedal to say the standard helix is still good.. lol
[IMG alt="Brian Wahl"]https://forum.fractalaudio.com/data/avatars/m/44/44847.jpg?1632202561[/IMG]
Member
I was at the L6 event in Calabasas, and I got to play through Stadium and interact with the unit for about 30 minutes (
we posted a video about our experience here).
I am admittedly a huge fan of both Line 6 and Fractal, and I regularly use and create content for Helix and Axe-FX. I love both companies and what they're doing.
I was able to play four of the new Agoura amp models - the Deluxe Reverb, AC30 Top Boost, JCM800 (2203), and Bogner Ecstasy (red channel). In each case, they had dialed the amp models using an Agoura version and a regular HX version (that's the Helix modeling), and we could swap between the Agoura and HX versions of the same amp.
In every case, the Agoura model sounded significantly better than the HX. Not hugely different - like the Deluxe sounded like the deluxe in both cases, but the new modeling had a lot more depth, character, clarity, etc. I've felt this way when comparing HX amp models to Fractal models as well, so it would be very interesting to directly compare the Agoura models to the Fractal models through the same IR. Obviously that's not something we can do yet, but once these units ship I'll be very curious to try it.
I know the touch screen thing is contested, but it really is great. I have a QC, Tone Master Pro, and Headrush Prime. The screen on Stadium is better than all of them - it really is as good as an iPhone, which is impressive. You can still interact with the unit exactly like you can with a Helix, which (IMO) is best in class when it comes to use-ability. But I've spent more time on Helix than I have any other unit, so there's that. I've spent almost as much time on Axe-FX as Helix. Once you learn these things, you can do whatever you want on them easily - each company has their own sort of design language and workflow.
The newer quality of life stuff on Stadium is impressive - Focus zones, etc. I think the way Fractal does the Block Library has been superior to Line 6's Favorites - at least more functional. But the way Stadium will now let you organize favorites puts it on par, which is cool. And with Stadium/Helix, it all lives on the unit itself, rather than on your computer. I wish we could access the block library without being connected to the computer that has the blocks.
I personally LOVE capture tech, and I cannot wait to see if it'll come to Fractal. Super excited to try out the new Line 6 capture tech when it becomes available in 2026. Tone match is very good, but the market clearly wants capture tech. Whether it is 'better' or 'worse' than modeling tech - who knows (and honestly who cares). This is what the market is asking for.
Anyway - I could go on and on, ha. In conclusion - in my opinion. Axe-FX III has been the best in class digital amp/FX device. I've actually had a lot of conversions with Eric Klein about Fractal - he's a huge, huge fan of this company and has an enormous amount of respect for Fractal and for Cliff. He knows how good it is. I'll be super curious to get a Stadium here and be able to do direct comparisons between them.
While Line 6 was introducing Stadium, I couldn't help but wonder what Fractal has been working on in their next gen unit. I'm sure it will be amazing