Man this CAB M makes Guillaume’s pedalboard shine !! The tones are more organic, more defined, more depth it’s just like more of everything and everything we like 😄🤘🏻
Got the HX Stomp, love it love it love it! Lots of option paralysis though. It is indeed collecting dust since I dived into pedals on a Cab M. It "feels" better playing it, more direct. I can't explain, I just enjoy it a little more.
I can relate. The Line6 stuff is objectively awesome... But it doesn't feel the same as having all of those pedals with their knobs and switches laid out in front of you. A patchwork of different artwork, sizes and styles. All of the options immediately visible, any subtle finetuning or drastic switch are just a flick or a turn away...
@@wouldoox8024 Best get an FRFR cab (no need to look for "FRFR" specifically, any active 12" speaker will do). You can use headphones for home practice, but I never really totally dig the sound.
Option paralysis is exactly what I experienced with the Line 6 Pod HD Pro. I've had it for about ten years, and I feel like I tweaked more than I played. I was thinking about the Helix, tried the demo of the software, but I was overwhelmed. Then I got into pedals, limited my options (but I still have many sounds) and my playing has improved and I'm more productive as a songwriter.
Don't know if you guys will see this comment, but this video is exactly what I was looking for. Throughout the video I was smiling because it felt as if you both were speaking my mind! Excellent work gentlemen. Looking forward to more of your banters.
Well the Cab M+ does have a tuner! Also a huuuge portion of the sound and "organic feel" is the cab section. The hx stomp offers static irs which do sound good but the dynamic cabs from two notes are just something different in a good way. It would be cool to see how the line 6 stomp would sound with the two notes cab m cab simulation.
I had the same thought as you a few months ago.. I use a Victory V4 through a Boss GT1000 & HXeffects.... 2wks ago my Two notes arrived! I disable the GT cab sim tothe main outs & route to stereo Two notes cab m... what’s cool is I then route a separate wet channel inside GT out of GT sub outs as wet/dry - sounds awesome. To add to the madness I also have an HXeffects routed into the GT1000 S/R2 for preamp effects AND THEN I take a dry line out from the Two Notes to feed back into HXeffects S/R for double wetness - crazy rig but great fun on guitar & bass!
@@BigMetalDaddy1301 yea man!! I posted my first real sound check of the rig just now... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-J1duBopaTgw.html Hope you’re well
@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses Yes.. The new firmware late last year added a host of features. The preamp section, the tuner, the enhancer more room reverbs etc.. It was huge..
Straight away, gotta give it up to the HX Stomp. Pair the Stomp with a couple of analog pedals on the smallest Harley Benton board and you got yourself a decent rig that will last!
Agreed, while I love my Roland Jc40, I wish I didn’t sell my hx stomp for it. I wish I kept my hx stomp and saved up for the Jc40, would’ve been the perfect combo stereo rig for me
Beauty of a demo this. Clearly indicating there is no right or wrong. Both sound great. Closing comments are bang on. Advantages of a pedalboard especially one like this with a plethora of options and the CabM allows you to switch pedals. Ut yet limiting you to stay within the feature set of the pedals you have whereas the multifx provides everything - disadvantages of a multifx is the endless tweaking possibilities to get even one tone right. And at the end of the the day, analog / part analog signal chains have that warmth that only a player can feel :) Great Demo! Thanks guys. Thanks Anmol for the link!
Alexi is one of my very few guitar heros in the heavy corner. His solos and riffs shaped my playing a lot since the early 2000's. He went way too soon. //cheers, Kris
The strat sounded so good. You could've switched guitars to compare the Strat with the Tele also. The analog pedalsound was more organic, the HX-sound seemed to me a little bit "boxy" and lifeless. I'd definitley go with the pedals!!!
So you get the HX Stomp. You're done. No need for any more stomp boxes, no more shopping for that dream pedal, no more hiding pedals from your spouse, no more need to watch youtube,........... no more fun......
Kris for the win! +1 to Guil for serious jokes and taunting around 10:00! It can be worth the deep dive on multi effects. Guil chugging on a Solar was priceless! 😊👍
That was ridiculously funny, entertaining, interesting and educational video! Nice playing too! Thanks so much and keep it coming, nice people at Thomann.
Cool comparison, and a lot of fun to watch! Gotta love them socks, too :-D. The good thing on both was that the instrument types always came through clearly.
The thing is that the HX Stomp can work great in both situations. I got one a year ago after trying the Helix Native, in order to have a guitar based audio interface that could take of some load from my aging PC and maybe use it for performance too. After a year of toying around it, it became my rig centerpiece and I managed to get both some all in one presets (thanks to two additional footswitches and the recent updates) and a solid amp sim/control center for a larger pedalboard where the stomp takes care of amps, fx I don't use much to justify a dedicated pedal and comps, while also doing some midi work on some pedals. In this moment where shows are scarce and often require a minimalist equipment the first option is coming in handy, when in similar scenarios in the past the sacrifice was much more annoying. Sure, there is a learning curve but these days who hasn't used a similar device or plug in? And even the few on the fly pedal tweaks i'd find myself doing are easy to set up on this thing just by saving the preset on the correct fx page of the patch.
I had once a cheap multi-fx. That was nice to get to know the effects and what they do. But now I'm going with the Guillaume approach. It's much easier to tweak. and the sounds are more individual when you are able and willing to spend the money buying stuff from small pedal builders.
Same here, many multifx units, and the HX Stomp as "final" solution. Tried the cab m - pedalboard is growing fast now. So much easier to dial in tones, and so much better results.
@@ssm445 Also more special effects like fuzzes and the weirder type of modulations are not there with the Helix. I guess it has it's limitations with using kind of the same effect types in the same patch too? Like 2 chorus type pedals, stacking 2 drives or 2 delays for that matter.
I basically own both, lol. I switch every few months when the inspiration dwindles. I think you nailed the problem of most modern modelers... time consuming menu diving without really reaching satisfaction. I recently dug out my old Pod 2.0. and was amazed at how quickly I could get a decent tone because the layout of the old bean.
Great- and fun- video. I am a bassist and have had numerous multi-effect rigs, loving the almost infiniate possibilities and access to far more effects than I could ever purchase singly. However, I always end up back with a regular board for one primary reason- it's much easier to manage in the moment. Playing live, I can tweak sounds and immediately have real time control over how each effect then relates to the others in the chain (because changing a parameter on one effect always has other ramifications down the line). A multi-effect can also be easy for parameter tweaking, but not nearly as easy to use with spur of the moment changes. But the HX Stomp, HX Effects, various PODs, a number of Zoom products have all been fun and educational to try.
That tone with the board and that pink Strat was seriously good. It would be very nice to know what settings were used on Cab M, in terms of preamp,power amp sim, cabs and mics. Great great clean platform boys.
I like the board a lot. I love the G2, Terraform & Collider. And I like the Archer, Pantheon and Ecstacy Red quite a lot. The SSS? Well. I'd rather have Mad Professor's Twimble. And if I had a Pantheon I wouldn't complain, but since I haven't that and I have to choose between that and JHS's Morning Glory. In the same vein: Archer D&M Drive and Ecstacy Red G4.
As my PB grew, I ended up with a tube preamp paired with a torpedo cab. Intentionally the older model, as I intended to pair it with the midi control of the preamp. As I was discovering the possibilities of the HX stomp, I was questioning my system and was afraid it would be better to toss it all on the used market. THIS video just confirmed the choices of my existing system. Love the presentation and characters of Kris and Guillaume. Such comparisons are exceptionally valueable (at least for me). Many thanks !
Extra point for Guill for pink strat. Extra point for Kris for harmonic trem on Blues sounds. Minus point for Guill for not using UniVibe from Teraform on Blues sounds. Minus point for Kris for that crash and restart :D. Next, I have no idea who win, it was damn close. The ambient sound from Collider was killer, beyond expectation. I know now only one thing. I need Pantheon in my life on my board :D
...and the true winner in this video is... drumroll... the Pantheon. :D:D Thanks for the comment Stan, I couldn't agree more with your points. //cheers, Kris
I orefer my pedals too, not to fussed on modellers, however, they do sound impressive when you get someone that knows how to drive them. Loved both, but i would go for the G Man
For some years that I've been using multi-fx and/or plug-ins for my tone, until I've had enough of going through uninspiring menus and submenus, just like this video showed! I know that I'll have to spend more money but to be able to plug the guitar in and start composing and experimenting is so freeing!
Great video. I went from the HX to the CAB M with pedals. Both are great, HX is great, but CAB has more feel. However, I would live with the HX easily.
Guillaume: J. Rockett Archer Silver (Klon overdrive) Wampler Pantheon Overdrive (Bluesbreaker-style) REVV G2 (crunch preamp, based on the Generator amp) Steel String Supreme (clean preamp, based on a Dumble) Bogner Ecstasy (high gain preamp, based on the epynomous amp) Wampler Terraform (modulation multi fx) Collider (Delay + Reverb) Two Notes Torpedo C.A.B. M+ (cab/mic sim) Guillaume wins this one. The HX stomp has more effects, amps and models. But the pedalboard just has far superior sounds.
IMO: - HX Stomp is dirt cheap, at least in the short term - HX Stomp offers more effects, amps, cabs than anyone needs - HX Stomp has tons of presets, lets you create new ones - Pedalboard lets you hand pick any pedal you like for your rig (you're not limited to whatever is included by the manufacturer).* -This also means you can gradually build and evolve your pedalboard - there's no up-front 575 EUR cost. - Pedalboard lays out all the options in front of you (no menu diving) - Pedalboard lets you add as many pedals as fit on it, and you can activate any one you like while playing (not limited to 6 blocks, not limited to 2 footswitches + tap/tuner switch)* - Pedalboard consists of discrete pedals. One breaks, it might be fixable or worst case you can replace it. Something breaks on a multi fx, it's likely the entire unit is now a paperweight. I know many people who have or had such a thing happen to a multi fx unit. - Sound quality is in the ear of the beholder! The HX stomp has some genuinely awesome sounds, especially for clean and low gain. For mid to high gain the CAB M+ performs better IMO - the static nature of Stomp's IR's really make a difference. *IN SUMMARY:* -> HX Stomp is perfect if you're short on cash, short on time (presets! grab one for the gig in 1 hour), and/or want to experiment with different types of effects/amps/cabs/... before investing in the 'real deal' -> Pedalboard is perfect if you want to spend some time gathering the best sounds for your rig and/or like to tweak your sound as you're practicing/playing * So ok you have an fx loop on the stomp. So you can add your own pedals. However: a) you no longer have a compact box, you have a box with pedals connected via patch cables. You now need some sort of pedalboard anyway, unless you want to risk damage to your patch cables and the jack sockets. b) it's only 1 loop, so there's only 1 position in the total effects chain where you can add your own sound. Want to squeeze in your favorite overdrive, then add a sweet delay after the preamp? Nope, can't do. You'll need to upgrade to one of the Line6 products with multiple effects loops.
Over the years I have been slowly moving away from multi-effects and more towards real pedals due to the reasons Guillaume stated. I got so sick of diving into menus every time I wanted to change or adjust something. It is so much easier and satisfying to simply lean down and tweak a knob or two. I also got tired of having to set up different patches and set lists for different songs. I wanted to have a solution where I'm not constantly switching patches between songs. However, I still think multi-effects have a place on every board. There is value and quality to be had there as well.
The HX Stomp looks like something younger me would’ve absolutely loved. Back then I was all about having as many options as possible so I could create my very own sounds. Nowadays I just want a couple of good pedals with a few really good sounds and be done with it. The HX sounds really good, but seems to lack some character. Funnily I feel like that could be fixed by putting a Cab M+ behind it, lol. For me the Cab M+ pedal board sounds a lot better, but in the end comparing separate pedals to a multi-fx one is never really fair!
Pedalboard sounded better, and is way easier to manage & upgrade. Only real issues with the modular approach is remembering all your knob positions (because they always get screwed up), and not all pedals support user presets.
Yes the pedalboard is way easier to use and sounds better (not by a huge margin imo) but it probably costs 3x what the Stomp costs.. I think the stomp is cool as 1) a backup to your existing rig 2) a way to discover new things and combinations without having to buy 3 amps and 10 pedals 3) a compliment to an existing pedalboard for all the effects/sounds you're maybe only using for one song and dont want to have a dedicated pedal for (and you obviously also can use the backup option if you have it on your board anyway)
A little bit unfair, since Kris clearly just has a very faint idea (no offense) of how to opperate the HX Stomp. I own it and I can confirm: It takes a lot of time to learn and remember how things work and what YOU like, BUT once you are used to it, you will have no troubles what so ever anymore. Even with "just" the HX Stomp floor unit and no computer (which is, what I do). You can (btw the device here is NOT equiped with firmware 3.x) save Favourites, save default values for effects and are much much quicker whilst accessing the stuff YOU need. It took me half an hour to recreate similiar patches, and I am sure, there is people, that are even faster. Paul Hindmarsh for example would propably do it in 15 minutes ^^ My biggest and most important concern/problem here is: *The price* Guillaume's board as it is, is easily 2200,- € (including cables and the board itself). You can get the FULL Helix for 1500,- €, or the LT for under 1000,- € ! These units are WAY easier to operate than the HX Stomp, have more blocks available and do ALL the switching stuff, the Pedalboard does not (yet, because no switching system) do. With the extra processing power you can emulate the Two Notes Cab - M very well, no problem what so ever. Which is, why the HX Stomp here lacks some "liveliness" and there for is a little bit behind. But come on, the sounds are really really good (and don't forget Kris programmed them ;) ). And it is only almost a QUARTER of the price. We are talking 570€ against 2200€ here. So soundwise, in my opinion 8/10 for the HX Stomp here and 10/10 for the Board. Ease of use? Hm. That actually depends on too many factors. The pedals on the board did not appear out of thin air either and they need to be dialed in and set up as well, keep that in mind. Over all a really good comparison that shows how small the sound quality differences are, compared to price and size. It is actually amazing what we are able to do nowadays... Last year I switched from a pedal board (Tuner, Wah, Boost, Distortion, Reverb, Delay, Chorus) and a small tube amp (Marshall DSL 5) to the HX Stomp. I did it, because of Corona, since I figured that I now FINALLY could find the time and try one of these Modellers out. I do not regret it one bit and I sound better now and finally have a GOOD way for Headphone practise as well. Now I go into my TC buffered Polytune, through my Wah into the HX Stomp, into studio monitors, or the PA in the reahersal room. So Easy, so light, so many possibilities. Thank you for the great video! Keep them coming! Bleibt gesund, Flo
Guillaume won ... but I’m also here to self validate my HX Stomp purchase 😂 all joking aside, I come from a BOSS Katana gen 1, so I’m not replacing any all tube tone. Plus I didn’t have an audio interface, and got Helix Native for free! All that for less the cost of the drive section of the other pedalboard, great tones from both! Nice vid
Ya forgot price. Especially Guillaume's rig with the inclusion of a good switcher. :D For part 2 you guys need to both dial in the exact same kind of tones - do more accurate tone matching.
2030,- EUR for Guillaume vs 568,- EUR for Kris at today's prices. Guillaume's is over 3x more expensive - and that's not counting board and power supply. IMO: - HX Stomp is dirt cheap - HX Stomp offers more effects, amps, cabs than anyone needs - HX Stomp has tons of presets, lets you create new ones - Pedalboard lets you hand pick any pedal you like for your rig (you're not limited to whatever is included by the manufacturer) - Pedalboard lays out all the options in front of you (no menu diving) - Pedalboard lets you add as many pedals as fit on it, and you can activate any one you like while playing (not limited to 6 blocks, not limited to 2 footswitches + tap/tuner switch) - Pedalboard consists of discrete pedals. One breaks, it might be fixable or worst case you can replace it. Something breaks on a multi fx, it's likely the entire unit is now a paperweight. - Sound quality is in the ear of the beholder! -> HX Stomp is perfect if you're short on cash, short on time (presets! grab one for the gig in 1 hour), and/or want to experiment with different types of effects/amps/cabs/... before investing in the 'real deal' -> Pedalboard is perfect if you want to spend some time gathering the best sounds for your rig and/or like to tweak your sound as you're practicing/playing
Hold up Kris... you glad to see me or is that a Line 6 Stomp in your pocket? Both have their own merits so thanks guys for making several good points to work with. Being ancient I am a pathetic old school guy that loves pedals. I do have the computer ampless setup too. The take away for me is there are so many ways to get it done and have some fun. Top shelf vid! Later!
Haha! I'm just super stoked to see you buddy. I gotta admit it. lol Yeah man, multi effects are really really good nowadays, no one should argue that. But when we're talking about a pedal + amp setup, there are emotions involved too. And that costs (as always) extra. It's just the nature of things. Thanks for the kind words Steve, take care! //cheers, Kris
I try both, digital and analog....and ended up with analog, with digital its easy but i got "option paralysis", and i hate sub menu but i love my old ax8 for recording stuff. And for gigs my analog rigs is fun altough im goin direct nowdays. But it do the job very well
It’s crazy how close that board is to mine. I have the Pantheon, Cab M+, Collider, Terraform, and SSS on my board, but have a Tumnus Deluxe instead of the Archer, and a Protein instead of the other drives, along with a KMA noise gate, tuner, looper, and EXP pedal. It’s amazing. Although, I recently switched from the Collider to the Metaverse pedal. Part of me does wonder if I should just use a few drive pedals with a GT1000 core and a EXP pedal though. That would save a ton of space. :)
@@niloben659 Agree. I switched to the GT1000 Core for all my modulation now, and love it. The only other pedals I have on my board now are things that are not in the Core, such as Dumble pedals, buffers, a Volume/Wah pedal, etc. Otherwise the GT1000 core handles most of it. So much simpler and more portable.
@@IamMusicNerd Yes indeed, how good do you think the Core's fuzz's and drives are? also are the cab sim's enough for you or do you need something like a Cab M?
I’ve tried so hard to love multifx units but the endless tweaking is just too much for me. I think the sound examples show that you can get just as good tones using pedals but in an easier fashion. I like the convenience of a rig I can use at home and live without lugging a million pounds of gear and this just sealed it for me. I love my pedals…now to just score a cab m+ and a great clean preamp pedal and I’ll be happy!
I preferred the sound of the proper board here, but that's subjective (and being heard through RU-vid). What I want is the analog stuff with the "presets" ability. I REALLY dislike sub-menus and the analysis paralysis that come with some of these "do all" options. Like most things, there's give and take. Of course, I should probably worry about being able to play before worrying about any of this stuff. Also, there's just something wonderful about individual pedals and the artistry and creativity with each one.
It's crazy how those two guys fit together and soo funny to See Kris try to defend the Multieffect although he loves Pedals 😂 And Guillaumes sound is definetly better for me.
It's hard to judge really 😅. Some pedals sounded super awesome on the board - The triple S and the Bogner. Cleans rocked on Line 6 - you can beat solid state or digital cleans 😜. Also the metal tone on stomp was TIGHT! Can we go for a tie ...? 😁
For Guillaume Pedalboard which btw. as of rn (13.01.2021) costs 2.077€ you can literally get the big Helix for about 1500€ so i would choose the Stomp which costs way less and like i said even the Big Helix costs less ^^
The Line 6, if it came with an Audio Engineer to every Gig, would not be a problem... but just in case, there had better be a back up plan cuz "Elvis just left the building"? Meantime? I'm on B-O-A-R-D. Pedal Board that is. As you highlighted, too much tedium before "Happy". Simply don't have or desire to spend that amount of time just "programming". (Great work guys - truly appreciate the integrity and the fun of your reviews.)
I think you showcased the point of the video very well however it sounded like you were using Line6 Stock Cabs on the HX Stomp right? Would have been a fairer comparison using the same IRs because imo Two Notes just has way better stock Cabs loaded and both units are capable of using third party IRs. On that part Chris had a disadvantage.
Guillaume: "Do you have a delay?" Kris: [Sits on floor for an hour reading the manual...] Is that long enough delay? Gotta say, good choice on the pedals... got the Torpedo CAB M and Terraform on my wish list. I thought K's metal tone was killer, until I heard G's, nicely done. I'll take either rig, though I'd prefer knobs over menus.
Not sure but does anyone use the hx stomp stand alone? Cuz mine is on a pedal board like the one in this video. I just use it basically in place in the two notes.
Guillome I love that it looks beautiful Kris I confess I love both setups Sorry but I wish you’d both played strats Being a kemper man .. I love Digitalbut guillomes tones were soo warm That collider is lush
HX sounds good. Real nice piece of gear. But part of the fun of playing guitar and creating is with the gear. I love pedals! I love holding them and looking at them and twisting the knobs. Everything now a days is how cheap can you get something and if it does the job sorta ok its worth it. Nobody is paying their dues lugging a half stack to a gig anymore. And all the modeling stuff and multi effects and home studios on a computer is dumbing down everyones ears.
Can you recommend a cheaper alternative to the Vertex SSS Overdrive as a clean/blues preamp? I already got the CAB M, a Fulltone Fulldrive as a TS alternative and a Boss delay, so I would only need a preamp style pedal to run directly into the PA
Hey Vin :) My other favourite is the Two notes Le Clean but I'm afraid it's not a lot more budget friendly :/ You could try some of the AMT stuff? I've head good things about their preamps but I've not played one yet! Cheers // Guillaume
@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses thanks for the answer :-) I will have a look at the AMT stuff. However, I just found out that Two Notes provided a free software update for the CAB M to make it the CAB M+ including the preamp. I will install that and check, if I get a good sound with that already. PS: thanks for the great content, keep up the good work! Always love to watch your videos, whether it's gear corner, tech tips or hot the tone!
Points to Guillaume for the clean tones, butter the rock and metal I vote for Chris ( great execution of in tour face by the way, big fan of children of bodom, alexi RIP)
Didn’t Simon the magpie hook up All the pedals in the shop ? Or was it just all the metal zones from the warehouse? Wha,tuner,Comp, low grit, mid grit, ALL THE GAIN,a bit of mod, dly, reverb, and of coarse a Two notes for All The cabs. Or just buy an acoustic and save a ton of cash 🤣
I’ve got my big podHD and a “butt ton” of gain pedals and a few wha’s and a couple rack units so a bit of everything seems best. Again I’ll ask if y’all need a shop troll to guard “play with stuff and make b stock items” the shop at night?
I think this was a bit unfair, he obviously had spent time with the analogue pedals, if you spend time with the Stomp once you have your presets it easy. But I do enjoy the tweaking element
Haha! Of course, you're right. We over exaggerated it a little for comedy purposes. Still, if you have the right pedals for your taste, you'll spend less time tweaking than if you were setting up a multi effect. That being said, i you know your multi FX really good already, you can be really fast with that so. Sooo... it's all about personal preferences at the end. :) //cheers, Kris