If you're going to buy a modeler, do it here. It helps the channel at no cost to you! sweetwater.sjv.io/1roZv9

Re: IK releasing a flagship pedal. Oh yes, it HAS to happen. The only thing wrong with the current Tonex pedal is the lack of effects. Still the Tonex pedal has a compressor and reverb which can be set to mock a single repeat delay. IK needs to release a full Amplitube pedal with all of their effects.

At the moment, my money is on IK Multimedia. The ability to monitor my recording with zero latency with the Tonex Pedal while recording the DI and then apply the Tonex plug-in on it is simply the best for me. The fact that the hardware and the plug-in version are the same thing is where it should be.

IK MULTIMEDIA will be a force to recon with if they produce hardware that seamlessly integrates their already existing software, and making the price affordable will be BOMB.

the next step is a comeback of real (tube) gear 😂🙏..hughes&kettner are just genious in combining digital with analog technology, the new friedman pedal is also anaolg with digital add ons, i think this is a step in the right direction! cheers 🎸

If Ik released a pro pedal that could do 4 instances of tonex capture and add all of their other fx pedals in with a full size touch screen I think it would smash everything else

I would really appreciate an "ADD Mode" on modelers where you can remove a lot of options lock knobs/settings at first glance so it reduces tweaking.

As someone who is researching these modeling products for the first time this is a great overview of all the most popular systems

Still love my Digitech RP360 honestly.

the display and seperate turning knobs for fender is freakin amazing also the screen is real high quality and its big and a crazy amount of amps and cabs sheesh

Nice video! I have owned multiple units and have been playing the QC last 2+ years. Plugins are coming this year by the way as well as support for a pc software editor. Also the swapping tubes would be great (already supported by mooer ge300 series and bias fx). I personally would like to see the QC implement the layout of bias fx on screen and the option to "build" your own amp as you can with bias fx (swap tubes, transformers and more). It also would be nice to have better pitch shifters and wah pedals. Imho the analog units are still way better than the modelers are offering so far. Thnx again for the great video.

I’ve had the QC for a couple of years and still love it for it’s flexibility, i can use it as an interface, play direct into a power amp, play foh, play stereo amps, use it as 4cm or 7cm as just an efx unit, capture my own stuff, check out other peoples captures, my whole band can play through it together, wifi enabled, midi via bluetooth widi adaptor, the list goes on, more than happy with it.

I used a quad cortex for the first time tracking my music for my internet band and i was mind blown lol

It's Tonex for me at the moment. Amalgam profiles. I've never heard anything more real sounding from digital.

I think the future will be kind of like cable TV. (Since you're old enough to remember the POD, you'll remember this.) Back in the day, you subscribed to cable and the provider gave you hundreds of channels and you only watched 10 at most. I think amp modelers are like that now. They give you 50 amps and all kinds of effects, but-especially live-I don't need or want 50 amps. It's kind of fun for messing around at home, but I get simultaneously bored and paralyzed with too many options. I'm more of a "set and forget" kind of guitarist. I don't even like whammy bars. However, some people really like all that. I like the idea of not lugging a 50-pound head around. I think modelers would be awesome if they let the user choose the amps and effects they want at checkout, rather than what they do now. Most of us only use two or three sounds. Even a guitarist like Alex Scolnick who plays two very different genres uses two or three sounds at most live. I play thrash metal, skate punk and early-2000s metalcore. I can get most of the sounds I like with a 5150 and a Marshall DSL I'd like a modeler that allows the user to choose what amps and effects they want, rather than storing a bunch of stuff I don't need or want. For example, I don't care about a Dumble-inspired anything. I'm intrigued by the Bluguitar Amp X and curious to see if other companies do what Friedman did with the new pedal, but other than that, I don't care.

I'm heavily considering a Line 6 Helix after buying a HD500x recently. I've been gigging, recording and rehearsing with it and it's been a really good experience for so many reasons. Matter of fact, I've ran it side by side with my tube amp and it was almost indistinguishable from my amp. If the modeling guys want to up the ante, NAM integration is the next step. More models, more/better synth effects as well. Other than that, maybe a 12ax7 input stage? There's not a ton left to do if you ask me.

As much as I love kemper,and the helix rack..my favorite so far is fractal.their amp sims sound so realistic to me.i love the circuit tweakbility is super cool.

I think the future is a company will come out with a VST pedalboard and or a rack. Basically, a board with upgradeable DSP chips inside with an audio interface, all the ins/outs that you could ever need and most importantly a HDMI or USB-C port to hook up an external monitor. It should also include a SSD drive for saving presets, IRs etc. All the models should come direct from the actual amp and FX companies, so the names are real and those companies can make cash off of their models. If a manufacturer can't make their own model then they can have another company make it for them and sell them or their site.

As far as sound, almost all modelers from the last ten years or so sound basically 1:1 to one another (IMO) and really the only differences at this point are size and connectivity. Someone else said it and I agree, at this point I feel like it will likely evolve into smaller form factor while maintaining connectivity, UI and sound. Despite the minor limitations, the NUX MG-30 is a good example. Good sound, UI and connection options and it is relatively small, but there is room to improve on it. ps - Funny that you mentioned hardware from IK. There is the iRig Stomp.

we're in a great spot at the moment with more and more options out there, where ultimately we'll get to a point where UI/options will be the biggest difference and what is easiest to you to navigate/program, maybe to some extent how things are with DAWs, (which one are you most comfortable with, while essentially all doing the same thing more or less) after trying other units(QC, Mooer, Hotone) I'm more and more impressed with the Fractal FM3, albeit quite a learning curve, it offers so much under the hood to craft your tone + feel of what you're playing through (multiband compressor with the andy sneap trick as an example), visually being able to align two IRs etc etc.. it's the best in my opinion for me and what's out therr personally I'd rather a unit have a really good editor than just a touch screen interface/wifi/bluetooth, much quicker to do than on a touch screen, and being able to do things 'offline' is a lot more stable as well as an example IRs into the QC requires you to interface everything through the cloud /Internet and then into the unit, but again every ecosystem will be different, maybe people love that, but I'd rather have offline dependency as well rather than needing an Internet connection to use features

If I consider going for the Fender Tonemaster Pro, it is because of the sound quality. It is the only unit I have heard that pushes air, and I am impressed with ease of use. Amazing.

Watching all of the various types of systems makes my brain spin. In a mix, NOBODY will notice the differences. I’ve been given so many compliments on my tones & it makes me laugh when I see reactions to the fact that I’m using a simple, single channel amp with a few pedals. I use a Moore Radar into the mains or interface and that’s it. My computer dsp setup is Polychrome. I have more tones than I know what to do with.

Hey Taylor, marvellous vid bro. You sold me an Ampero 2 stomp with your few vids.

I feel these units are very cool and seem to be advancing towards the real thing. For me I just don't utilize them... I go to plugins or the real thing. Maybe someday that will change but I don't see that happening for quite a while. The most appealing feature of these modelers is the cloning and tone sharing with others. If they could speed up that process and make it less complex to do I might get on the bandwagon. Great video dude. 🤘🤘🤘

Makes me glad I got a kemper stage, it’s holding up strong

I love the Helix ecosystem. The Stomp at home, and Native at the office or anywhere I have access to an interface. Line 6 is also really good about updates and regularly adding more stuff.

What I like now is that the bar has been raised in terms of UX and features. Most things will sound and "feel" great, so the actual variation in tones, creative flexibility, and UI/UX and all that stuff, is what's going to make the bigger difference. I don't see modelling becoming significantly better for amps etc, but I think cabinet/speaker/microphone simulation is going to become more of a thing. At least it has the potential to.

If IK Media can have the Amplitude 5 in a pedal form. Take my money.

Hi, I use a Headrush MX5 and I like it !!

Man, u literally read my mind… I’m a Kemper guy.. I have a helix,mooer etc. I love the pod stuff. And still use my old 2.0 xt live and pro units. But the options are imo, overwhelming. That’s y I picked one and have run with it. Great vid man. U r not alone in your thinking..

Between my still beloved Axe Fx Ultra, Axe Fx II and Tonex pedal - I think I am well covered. There is still something about the Axe Fx Ultra high gain models and what you can do with them, specially the Rectos. I mean, if you play death metal - you're golden there. I run mine through a Powerstage 170 into an ENGL 412 and dear lord does it sound sweet as fogg!

Hi Taylor! Really like your good work man! Q. Why does no body talks about the Amperium Live? You really seemed to like it. Would you recommend buying for sound quality of the amps and the tweaking possibilities? I know the interface is far from something like the new fender but if the amps sounds good … to me they were really close to the real amps am I right? Cheers man!

Line 6 had a great interface with Gearbox for the XT series. They had a 'version' of the amp head as well as the effects chain. All they would need to do is replicate that with a touch screen built into the unit.

I have a pod go and its pretty cool, but still prefer the sound and feel of my Randall RH300 and Marshall mode 4 cab. Might use it as effects pedal or just sell it. I can't seem to get a really good tone i like out of it. Might just be a lack of modeling skills on my part.

To me this is such a complicated and rabbit hole diving topic. Modeling is at a point where based on what I'm hearing over KZfaq they all sound great; not just good but great. Andertons did a video where they compared a Valeton to a Quad Cortex, and I couldn't tell a difference. It comes down to the user interface and the hardware and reliability I think. However you also have solutions out there like the NUX Academy and Walrus ACS1 and those Amp Pedals from UA. Don't forget about TC Electronic diving into the game with their latest Amp Works line. It goes on and on and on. I was recently thinking of buying a modeler to augment what I already have. However the scene has become so saturated that I just kind of gave up wanting to buy anything for now and just stick to what I have which is a real amp and pedals and some plug ins on my computer. The price ranges are just all over the place and meanwhile it feels like if you just wait one more month something even better comes out than what was once king.

IK multimedia changed it for the people with just a single $400 pedal.. and trust me the user Network has grown rapidly after that. 12000+ Third party amp captures on the cloud as of now. Can't wait for them to throw a flagship model.

True words about Fractal. I'm very happy that I bought the FM3 and there's a big grin every time I power it up 🤘🏻😍

My Helix and Valeton GP200 are both incredible and truly all I'll ever need.

If IK made an all in one unit, like the one you described, I would probably have to buy one. :)

Interesting video since I've been reading about the upcoming helix update and all the item redactions on forums. Currently have hx stomp and Ampero Stomp 2. Both are far better interfaces than my ax8, yet, I prefare the tones of the ax8. Just wish there was a middle ground between them.

Full band rigs in one unit with easy setup for full set patch changes. Bonus points if it can all run off an iPad so the brain is easily upgraded.

Agreed regarding IK. If they make a portable pedal device that syncs with all my plugins and presets on my PC desktop A5 it’s an instant purchase.

The next in modelers is gapless channel/scene/preset switching on the AxeFX-III.

It’s overwhelming how many units are out these days. Personally I’m a bassist but write and record guitar on the side. I use plugins for guitar these days and just went back to using a sans amp for all my bass work. Never had a complaint with a client on that but always had complaints on the helix guess analog vs digital is still a thing haha. 😂

Another option could be Positive Grid launching a Bias Fx pedalboard. They are experts in software development and they also have very interesting proposals in hardware. They are behind in capture technology though.

IK already have the "X" mod etc multi fx units, surely they will now combine them all into a single powerful unit that does it all.

totally true, sometimes i would like to have Amplitube 5 on my rehearsals

Just FYI, Neural is releasing the Cortex Control software editor for the Quad Cortex in 2 days (Oct 9)

I've been thinking about that same Darkhorse for a for a few months now.🙂

The Line 6 POD was not the first modeler. The Line 6 AxSys / AX2 (basically the same amp) was the first. I own 4 of them and still use them for recording and live through the FOH. They have sounds (probably due to the built in cab sims) you cannot get out of a POD or any other Line 6 device. I know, because I really wanted to upgrade to newer equipment and absolutely could not get the same results from anything Line 6 has made including the POD, POD HD500X, Vetta, POD GO (which I understand uses the Helix architecture) and a variety of their other amps and effects. So far, the closest simulation I have found, that is as pleasing as the AX2, is Neural DSP's Tone King Imperial plugin. I give this plugin a high commendation for a really accurate feel and tone. I'm willing to do a tone shoot-out with anybody's anything just to show off what the old AX2 is capable of. Think I'll shoot a YT video about it. It's amazing and it was the first.

I think a good idea for pedalboard modelers would some kind of transparent covering that you could press the buttons through to keep it clean. I don't feel right about stepping on a $1400 piece of gear with dirty bottoms of my shoes that have been walking around city streets. Maybe thin flexible plastic that could be easily cleaned off and sanitized.

Talking about future, I'll like to see what the Amp-X will do.

Man I love the Axe FX but the target audience isn’t necessarily the bedroom rock star (like me) lol. I’ve only touched it to compare with my tones from my QC. For the love of GOD can we get a GUI to control the QC though?

The next gen Helix will have a g50 wireless built into it. Same as the pod go has the g10 option.

I would love to see a Kemper refresh

I suspect a Kemper II with an updated UI is on the horizon.

I am player, not a tweaker . Sounds should be great out of the box and the final tweaks necessary to make it "my" sound should not go beyond of what i would do with real amps and pedals. Perfectly happy with Headrush Prime, sounds fantastic and the user interface workflow is just like working with real hardware. Pick an amp, take an effect of the shelf and add it, tweak it with real knobs without deep diving into menues. Why don't they have a software editor ? Because they don't need it. With the touchscreen you can do any tweak in any situation everywhere easily without carrying around a laptop. I had a kemper once and spent hours and days to find the perfect sound(s), just to improve it the next day and then the next. Not a problem of the Kemper, which is a fantastic unit, but of my mindset at that time. When i see videos from people who are proud of having hundreds of ir's, i wonder how much of their playing time it takes to do the shoot out , how much better it really gets (at least in their imagination at that moment) and for how long they are really happy with the result. If you find a quite decent sound, stop fixing it and start to play. If you "make it perfect" during two hours, you might not like it the next day, "with fresh ears" anyway. As said, i am more a player. Tweaking can be a hobby of its own, which is also fine.

I love this episode. Great thoughts on the topic. I’d love to see a head format with a classic design that only has a screen for the patch number. Imagine a “HiWatt” style head with a 1000w class D power amp and enough encoders to tweak the tone for any model. Just a simple green point LED to show which encoders are active.

I'm probably in the minority when it comes to modelers, despite also being a fan of NAM: I rather have something with super solid models already on it than having to rely on the varying quality of the capture market I'd love to see something with amps that are all-around usable, not just grandpa's living room full of 60s combo amps. I think before I knew much about guitar gear I actually came up with an idea for a "gain suite", which would have different kinds to choose from based on the sound you were looking for (Citrus, Treadplate, Brown, etc) without needing half the company's catalog. Great vid as always, hope the companies are listening!

How does the st rock stack up? Seems like best of both worlds with their modeling being on point and the capture system that’s like Tonex.

For me, items like the Two Notes Revolt and Friedman Ir-x appeal to me the most, simply because of longevity and feel. I think that analog equipment will always retain its value, while digital equipment will always get outdated by the latest and greatest.

IK multimedia needs to fix their anti resale prices before I ever choose to support them in the future

So 3 or 5 years until the next line 6 unit? Thoughts?

Up next, guitar pick ups modeling.

Poly will do new FW for the Beebo, make up a new name, add whatever UX features are needed, and stick it in a new box costing less than half of what most of these retail for. It's like people have already forgotten that there are players in the stomper game that have some killer features and killer usability but don't steal a square foot of space...I myself have threatened to take a 5 buck FPGA and make an on demand modeler that will do a diff between a baseline clean of your rig and whatever you just captured, then can be applied as a patch on your clean to immediately recreate whatever it was you thought was so killer you had to sample it.

If memory serves, the TC Electronics G-System pioneered footswitch encoders.

It amazes me that in almost ten years since it’s release, the helix is still the top dog in the game. The plug-in/hardware compatibility is why I’m going with a helix in 2023. Helix native is awesome to use for recording. The UI is fantastic, and the tones are superb.

I gig maybe three times a year, I cannot justify the cost of most of the major units, with that being said, the Tone X has the most appeal, price, plugins, and size. The fender one is a legitimate Darkhorse from my perspective as it seems to tick all the boxes in certain areas, but it's too new for me too jump too conclusions.

I'm impressed by them all, particularly the Headrush Prime. But when it debuts... the world will bow to the awesome V-amp 4 from Behringer. 😊 🎸 Excellent, and helpful video btw.

I'm looking forward to a smaller unit with great software. A stronger HX Stomp XL with a better screen would be perfect.

Please video Joyo Gem Box 3 , Thanks

What do you think about Boss, Zoom? They released great products in the last years.

It's kinda sad that everyone keeps ignoring the boss gt1000

Crazy times. I will go with the real deal. Amp X.

The dark horse is going back to tubes, yeah!!!

0:26 wasn’t the line 6 bean digital tones not analog tones?

What about the GT 1000?

Using pod go right now, itchy to upgrade to fractal, Kemper etc but it's really doubtful the money I pay would let me get the great sound I want. And why don't these companies just give us 2 to 3 great presets of each genre so that I don't need to tweaking it myself. I don't really enjoy tweaking those parameters, lazy for that and I am not good enough in tweaking anyway. 😅

* *Dreaming of that imaginary Tonex oedal upgrade with FX and exp pedal or the Fender Tone master pro that i coukd just plug to an audio interface and record* * .......untill then sitting down, being humble and sticking to an ancient Digitech GNX 3

Those sounded like the same talking points I have.... hey! Are you listening in to my conversations? :P IK can win it all. The rest need some serious rethinks. Line6 can win, they just need to release a new flagship already. Fender missed the mark. NDSP is out to lunch and desperately needs a TON of software updates to get back in the game. Kemper is 5 years too late. AxeFX is good but needs to stop hating on their users with the UI. Mooer has a good shot to get back in the game seriously. There's a lot going on and NAMM will be very interesting this year. I have this strange suspicion that this is where the battleground will be. Sure there's always guitars and pickups etc but the modeler/capture space is where everybody is putting their efforts. Add a tube poweramp (ala H&K or BluGuitar) to the floorboard and it's over for amps. Interesting times ahead!

I only got a zoom g3xl and i’m waiting for the new line 6 helix in the future years, i’m not paying full price for a 2015 product i rather buy a new and better guitar instead with that money

Wait for one more segmentation/offering from Line 6...

No skeuomorphic representations in UI for me. Sliders are actually much better, as is the means of keying in values for quick and precise setting. No touch-screen at the expense of redundant tactile means of navigating via physical controls.

honorable mention donner arena 2000 the price just went up by 15 bucks recently

If Fender does not add the capture/profiling feature to the TMP in a firmware update they are seriously shooting themselves in the foot especially given the asking price.

I think at this stage of the game that St. Rock Amperion has nailed it. Relatively inexpensive with all you need need without hundreds of things one finds both distracking and useless to all but Shoegaze and Star Wars movies. The closer is NAM which could be a total game changer. They have the hardware to let you throw it in your gig bag and get on with the show before others have even given it a quick look. It is the electric car and a field of gas motor driven horseless carriages.

There should be as many amp modelers on the market as there are real amps. The fact of the matter is that most real amps on the market are outdated and don't really serve a purpose for the modern guitarist. A good majority of guitarists in 2023 aren't buying Marshall half-stacks for their apartment anymore, they're buying something like a Boss Katana or they're using software/hardware amp modelers. The new technology is simply more versatile and fits modern workflow better. I can easily get better sounds from a $100 amp modeling plugin in my home studio than I can from miking up a loud amp, and it saves my settings to the session, AND it won't annoy my neighbors. The industry will eventually get to a point where most products will have some sort of USB-out so the user can download new updates like amp models and effects. It's not a bad thing, it's just the way things seem to be heading.

I just use my Otto audio II II or Neural DSP plugin load whatever free IR I have downloaded and eventually get the tone I like. Wanting the exact sound of an amp replicated is honestly kind of unnecessary and can lead you down a rabbit hole of spending money for nothing. You can get pretty much any sound from a 100-150 dollar plugin with the right IRs

Selection is a good thing for creativity a bad thing for guitar playing. How much better would every guitarist be if they took half the time they spend shopping for or tinkering with gear and practiced guitar in that time.... Just saying, I am guilty of it too but I think it's holding people back from being as good as they could be.

I'm sticking to real amps, I'll check these out again in 5 years.

IMO, Fractal is king with the QC following very close behind...VERY close...

100's, possibly 1,000+ of digital and analog amps, recording software, UI/DI etc and how many more albums have people wrote? How many schools have additionally graduating students of music. The plethora is options, and I'm still waiting for 200,000+ GOOD albums and songs a year Most recording software I've tried has unusable lag or dumb default (such as every channel hard panned left) and you have to manually edit every take, before you can start. Yeah it's better than it was, back when I ripped my own CDs so i doing scratch the originals. But it's still so far from usable or fun Updates that overwrite all your work, even changing settings from 10 years ago And everyone saying of the new is "so much BETTER" The new is not better If the recording software was better, then no one would play Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Queen, because their recording quality is too old to be useable for public Rant much?

Oddly enough, as I'm watching this, I get an email from Neural DSP about Cortex Control releasing...someone must have been listening my guy.

I would like to see rocktron and Peavey jump into this game and see what they could do Peavey had the pro fix to and rocktron well rocktron had anything by rocktron it was stellar in ahead of its time because it had seamless patch changes way before anybody else had them in presets on the rack units DigiTech you had to spend like an extra five hundred bucks to upgrade dsp 2101 unit they had also rocktron had the programming program at 2 they had three sets by not well-known yet artist that was going by the name diamond Darrell who I think we all know is dimebag

Soon there will be more modellers than amps available 😂 In 2054 we will be buying modellers of the best classic modellers 😱

i'd rather amplitube come out with a smaller form factor one like the ampero 2 or mx5, small affordable unit with a touch screen, and downloadable tone captured presets.

the headrush stuff just dont have the "sauce" necessary to get quickly and easily any good tones out of them. i used to own the gigboard which i got for 400€ some time ago as a backup gig to my axe fx3. couldnt get a decent tone out of it to save my life. i made 1-2 good presets and everything else was just sub par. sold it and got an ampero (the 1st one) for 200€ and i instantly made lots of good sounding patches with little to no effort. the headrush algorithms are just not there imo

You know IK has some prototypes in the lab.

I want Yamaha to buy Ik so we get a bad ass HELIK II

The next thing ..blug and his tube based ‘modeller’ .