The Axe-FX III Has One MAJOR Problem (non metal player’s review) 

I’m a trucker. Every one of your opening jams make excellent “driving music”. Wish I had about 3 straight hours of this.

Pretty spot on to my experience with Fractal. I used an Axe-FX 3 for years as my main live rig (now FM9, which is essentially the same user experience). I’ve gotten to a point where I can quickly make most any adjustment I want live on the unit itself, but it took a lot of time and a lot of repetition to get there. Fractal released an update recently that lets you map whatever controls you want to the main encoders for quick/easy access. They can be different per each preset. It makes making those live adjustments MUCH easier. But again - you have to program it ahead of time. Line 6 just 100% nailed the user interface and experience. Nobody else even comes close, including Quad Cortex (in my opinion). Thanks Rhett!

Nice review Rhett. I have owned several Fractal products over the years, and currently have an FM3. One of my favorite things about Fractal is how they approach modeling more like a 'sandbox' than a mimic. As an tube amp designer and builder it is really neat to see how detailed they get. For example, you talked about bias excursion. That is a real thing that can happen in a tube amp. Take a Deluxe Reverb. The power tubes are biased in fixed bias. This means you set the cathode to ground and apply some negative voltage to the grid. Because the plate of the tube conducts all the high voltage, the electrons generated at the cathode flow past the grid to the plate in a predictable way depending on how the bias voltage is set. Excursion is like a journey. Sometimes if set the amp to a certain setting that really pushes the power section hard, and you play a low E chord that really taxes the power section on top of that - the bias will go on a bit of a journey instead of remaining static and stable. The coupling capacitor separating the power tube grid from the phase inverter will try to deal with this by 'clamping'. This clamping causes the bias voltage to raise. Perhaps from -35vdc at start to something crazy like -70vdc. This occurs for a short period of time and the jolt gets discharged by the grid resistor. In the end this is a small explanation and part of why a tube power section can be so dynamic. Think of the way a note blooms. You play that low E chord. The amp kind of struggles and freaks out for a brief moment, and then as it settles into the sustain it comes back to 'normal'. That's part of bias excursion. The way you play the guitar interacts with the bias of the power tubes (kind of). Some bias excursion can be really pleasant to play. Too much can generate blocking distortion which is not fun and sounds bad. What is really neat and exciting is that in the real world it would be very hard to go into your amp and manually tweak bias excursion like you can in a Fractal editor. Fractal is kind of giving you the ability to 'sandbox' things that really happen in a tube amp, and make it conform to reality or defy it in a potentially desirable way. There are dozens if not hundreds of ways you can do this. It would be really neat to take a famous guitar amp, sit down with an amp tech with lots of cool measuring devices, and tweak a fractal model of that amp to identically match it.

I own an FM3, which is my first modeler (besides the old line 6 "bean!"). When shopping last year, I ultimately decided that the primary goal is to get the best sounds possible - which, as you say, is what makes the Fractal products stand out. Definitely agree on the user interface - it's abysmal when compared to Helix and Neural. And I build all of my presets using the editor. But for live use I'm mainly just tweaking volume and EQ on these, which is fairly easy to do from the device interface.

In over 35 years of playing guitar, the Axe FXIII is by far the best purchase I have ever made. My closet is full of boutique pedals and my amps are gone. Crazy. I go for similar tones as Rhett and the AXE FXIII is exceptional for what I do.

It seems to replicate the sound of a tube amp pretty well, but what about the smell? None of these things are able to replicate the smell of a hot tweed amp.

As a dev / product manager - I really enjoy your user experience testing experience. This is like watching my day job!

Of all the modelers nobody can touch fractal when it comes to reverb.

got my axe fx a little over a year ago. as someone who plays exclusively in a bedroom at the moment in limited space, it was the perfect solution for my needs, easy to dial in a good sound without cranking a real amp, easy to record, no need for a bunch of pedals, tons and tons of options, etc. I agree about the actual user interface on the axe fx being complicated, i always use the axe edit as well but that’s not a problem for me since my whole rig is in the corner of my room

Fair review Rhett. I have a Mk I Axe FX III which I bought after auditioning the competition. No reason why a weekend warrior like me should own this for monthly pub gigs - it is like bringing a Bazooka to a bar brawl. I love the fact that I can replicate guitar tones from 40+ Indie classics that we churn through. Once dialed in I would never touch the settings during set. It is essential to have the FC12 controller for my use case. I know that the audience doesn’t care , being an electrical engineer by original training I love it that I can change the “bias excursion frequency”

1960s 70s Vintage Marshall amps, fender twin reverbs, Roland Gp16, zoom boxes, pedals galore, I’ve had ‘‘em all. AXFXIII, is really all I need. It’s why so many top bands use Fractal. I need

I'll be getting one this year. I watch Leon Todd a lot and learned SO much from him and also Marco Fanton and Brett Kingsman. I love all the bells and whistles and I have tons of time to "tweak" it. I'll be running wet/dry/wet guitar onstage and using my midi keyboard and MainStage running through the fractal at the same time. HUGE I/O in the back and it the system itself will be the heartbeat in my little studio. Great machine. Good work covering this. Thanks Rhett.

Love my Axe fx3. Best piece of gear I've owned in 25 years. The tones I get make me smile every time I plug in. I prefer using axe edit, but sure front panel editing can be a learning curve.

Love my AXE FX III. Had it for over two years. Lots of firmware updates. You can really do anything with it. Leon Todd and Cooper Carter are the default experts. BTW, AXE-Edit is much easier to use than the front panel. You can get the floor model, which might be better for live shows.

Another thing to consider about having an Axe FX3 is that is is a fantastic multi-channel FX processor for synths, samplers, eurorack, etc. 4 stereo in/out and non-linear high quality FX routing puts it in the league of an Eventide H9000, but for stacks less $$. You can get far more use out of this box than just guitar processing. And when the day down the road comes that you want to "upgrade" to whatever the fresh new hotness is for your guitar rig, you can keep this in the rack as that awesome FX unit for other gear. If they marketed this device to synth players, they would be out of stock non-stop! Also, while I also mostly use the software editor for speed, I disagree that the interface is hard to use. It's actually really well designed and functional once you learn it. Compared to a guitar amp? Yeah, it's more complex. But compared to a synthesizer? Nah! Anyone who has every programmed a Roland JV series will find this box a dream to use.

Great review, Rhett. Back in my working-band days I bought an Axe-Fx Ultra (original/Mark 1). While I was blown away by the sounds (this was 2011), the interface was terrible. Nonetheless, I got the dedicated foot controller and ended up gigging it. I’d been a die-hard cranked tube amp & pedals guy up to that point. But at the level I was working at, a close-miked cab always sounded small and boxy thru the FOH, however much air it was moving on stage. This MkIII sounds breathtakingly good. Keep up the great work. Your channel is a great resource, much appreciated.

I’ve always been a traditional player. Turn the amp way up. Turn the guitar down for clean. Add effects if you want. The fractal does that. At this point, there’s no other modeler I would buy. And if my fractal broke, I’d buy another one the same day. You get used to the interface if you actually use it. Or just use worse modelers. That works too.

…. it’s not a tube amp *disappears into a puff of smoke*

Very respectable of you taking your time learning it before posting the review. I bought an ultra a long while ago and after working 8 hour shifts on it for a week straight I sold it. It wasn’t for me. The whole using it with a power amp into a cab thing to me just didn’t give me the results I wanted at all. Amp models that I’d owned previously didn’t sound anything like the real thing, probably was great DI but I couldn’t get a usable sound.

I’ve been gigging and recording with helix for 5 years. No question, the UI is tops. I’ve been using Fractal gear (FM3 & FM9) for about a year and a half and it’s phenomenal. I tend to do the heavy lifting with the software editor, and fine tune things with the unit. I don’t find the UI on the Fractal to be bad. While it’s not as easy as a Helix, I don’t find it to be debilitating by any means. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

I couldn’t agree more with this video. I use the effects as outboard effects for all kinds of things in my studio as well. The delays and reverbs on synths and everything . The thing also is a great interfsaxd

My fm3 has been the best money I've ever spent for guitar gear. It sounds incredible, I've owned it for 6 months and still get blown away by the tones I get from it. The amount of amazing amps, cabs, effects are insane and then you can dial them in even further with all the detailed knobs and things. It's nuts and I totally recommend it for tweakers like me or guitarist's who want the best sound possible from a modeler

Best piece of gear I ever bought. I drooled over it for about 2 years. What I didn't expect was how great the Axe FX would work with my computer as a DAW. I use Reaper and that app works great with the AXE. Now I double rack a riff and I experiment with bus mixing. I've also got a couple loud amps and they are best for playing with a drummer in a room...2 at once is nice.

god I adore my axe fx 3, it's been the absolute best thing i've ever spent money on. I also LOVE the amount of detail and options the device gives me and the UI.

I'm pretty sure the big bands that use this (Metallica, Def Leppard..etc.) don't have to worry about tweaking it, they have roadies/techs to do it. I'm going to buy one, I think they sound incredible. Awesome review Btw

Hi Rhett, i'm an Axe-Fx III user too, there are some shortcuts to adjust the amps and effects by double tapping the A-E encoders. I'm also into similar tones to you and have been debating over a Kemper.

Nice balanced review. And I do mean review not demo. Don’t get to see much of these on channels this size. I salute you! 🤘🏻🎸

The Helix is amazing but you’re absolutely right about how bad the stock presets are lol

For live playing I use a Helix floor in combination with a mesa triple crown 50. I have set it up in a 4 cable method and a midi cable to switch between channels from my amp and to control the amps reverb, fx loop and solo function (on and off). This works absolutly amzing for me I have my setlist set up in the helix so that every song has his own snapshots. and when I want a clean sound with the reverb from the amp I just hit the food switch and it is instantly there. But for example if I want to switch to a lead tone with a reveb from the helix. I hit the lead snapshots, and the midi cable switches the reverb from my amp off put the amp on the lead channel and that happens instantly. Also if I put a amp model from the helix on the block from the fx loop my mesa will act as the cabinet for that ampmodel. The flexibilty of this setup is just amazing. And super easy to setup. I will never part from this.

At this point, I think they all have really good sounds. It's just a matter of which UI you bond with the best and spending some time with it. To me, Helix is the best UI.

We are using an Axe3, our singer/rhythm owns it, but we are all blown away by what it can do. We took a bit of time to emulate our rigs, a Carvin 100w and 4x12 and my SVT-CL 4x10-1x15. We actually can't tell the real from the axe's version of them apart when A vs B-ing them with the amps miced in the booth. Me and the lead player (I'm bass) are eating our words about modelers this evening 😮. The rack controls suck though, and I don't see us ever using it live.😊

Also want to add, looking at the reverbs you have in parallel; you actually want to have the mix set to 100% and then use either level or input gain on the reverb block to mix to taste. Having it in parallel with the mix set to less than 100% is actually introducing more of the dry signal to the overall output. Just something I noticed watching the video. And, great vid as always.

We use Fractal for our live guitar and bass sound exclusively and it's a must to have either the FC6 or FC12 foot controller to get the most out of them because the unit controls themselves are more difficult if you're trying to make changes on the fly. Fractal more than makes up for this with their app and when you add the foot controller it gives you so much more than just buttons to push. The depth of options is second to none.

I have Kemper and love to go always anywhere with my real amps on his best settings sounding really organic.

Rhett, amazing knowledge and you bring out great sweet guitar tones, and inspires, thx man Been following since that strymon deco video (and I bought the pedal, it's great and i love it)

Happy New a year Rhett! Thank you for this. I knew the Axefx sounded the best, but. I would not be able to cope with its complexity. I can forget about it. My Blackstar Silverline 100watt is perfectly good enough for me. Cheers.

I've been using a Helix for about 2 years. I got an FM3 two weeks ago. Helix nails the UI. They totally blow the FM3 out of the water there. That said, once you get used to the AXE, it's not that big a deal. I do dislike the disparity between ease of use in the Editor vs. the front panel. I don't really play live so the control aspect isn't much of an issue for me and I was able to record with the FM3 with literally zero tweaking out of the box using a couple stock presets. That's a new one for me. I think the thing folks should keep in mind with any of the Axe products is yes, you can get option paralysis from everything you can tweak but you really don't have to. After some crazy experimentation, I feel like you get a better sound from the amp models when you keep it simple and tweak it like it's a normal amp. It's nice to swap tubes and diodes but not necessary.

I have an AX8 and love it. Even with the the new generation I don't see a need to upgrade. These units stand the test of time. You just have to use the software for editing.

Nice review. I've been through so many multi effects pedals! Zoom 505, DOD tech 4, Digitech rp 50, 250, 255, Vox Tonelab, Zoom g3xn. So glad the newer ones have separate buttons to turn effects on and off without needing to scroll through patches. My biggest worry is if you're going directly into an interface or a p.a. and the unit goes down your whole rig is gone! I'm seeing more guitarists not even using actual amp's anymore. I did have to finish a gig with a modeling pedal after my tube amp blew out. But that's all I'd ever use it for, as a backup.

Jeez, yeah the effects are amazing. Coming from a GT-1000, seems like the Axe-FX platform is really the only modeling unit that's a step up, plus it's got way better amp modeling. And totally agree with you, just AB'd the effects on some other videos on the Quad Cortex, and the Axe-FX is just leagues ahead. I see an FM9 in my future.

Looks and sounds amazing. For me, a used kemper + the tone junkie everything pack can get you almost any sound you need.

Very interesting and helps me with choosing my upgrade after the Line6 POD xt pro rack. That thing is pretty ancient now and I love to see where all this great companies have taken their modellers.

Thank you for the candid and balanced review! I'm looking at a modeler and this confirms my impressions.

Lots of good info here. I’ve run into a lot of the same things. In the amp block, don’t sleep on the Speaker tab, though! Lots of actual* tone shaping possibilities.

Of all the "flagship" multi-effects/modeler devices like this, the Helix is still my favorite. Simply because it is by far the easiest to use and has the most user friendly interface. There have just been too many times I was in the middle of a rehearsal or gig and and had to adjust something on the fly. So ease of use really counts for a lot

As a recording engineer from the 70s-90s. Nothing touches the FX3! I’ve worked in and at many world class studios in their prime! And the Fx3 is everything I wanted in a well stocked amp room, pedal board and FX rack! Now they started to add midi and synths! As an engineer/classic rock gtr player who spends most of his time in a Cntrl Rm, it’s all I could ask for! PS: I do have a second fx3 at home plugged into a home stereo sys! It’s been running 24/7 for 2yr! I use a Shure Wireless system with multi transmitters attached to 3 or 4 gtrs. I can walk in pick up a gtr and have sound with in seconds!

Thanks you for this honest review, talking about sound (quality sound) amplifiers for example, do you recommend a axe fx 3 mk2 over a kemper? Thanks you!

Honey Bee has to be one of Tom Petty’s greatest overlooked riffs in his catalog. I always have a blast playing that riff/song on guitar.

i have an fender tonemaster deluxe reverb , that's how far i want to go with this digital /modeling amp thing , i get confused by all the options on these modelers , it's just not practical for gigging in a pub with my classicrock / blues coverband .

Appreciate the info. I’m always surprised that people even go directly with the stock stuff. You have to tweak no matter what modeler you use.

I absolutely love my FM3 and FM9. Sold my Kempers and won't look back. I use it on the road every week and also at home in the studio. It's fantastic and gets the sound that is in my head and to the people. Great video Rhett, agreed that the interface could use some work. I have it down to a science at this point and can make changes rather quick during a gig. The new screen update with quick access parameters is great for a quick change. My band uses IEMs so it's always exactly the same tone, and everything is in one preset using scenes to get my different sounds. You don't really need access to everything during a gig, like you're not swapping IRs like real life cabs on the fly, same with amps (you're not bringing 200 amps to a gig). I just leave a separate EQ on my Output 2 signal path for my onstage FRFR or backline amp that I can make quick adjustments to during sound check. I ditched the Kemper because you're stuck with 4 fx before or after the amp and you can't re-route like the Fractal, QC or Helix. I also find the stock cabs in the Fractal to be leagues above the Line 6 IRs. I like the flexibility and the fact that everything I need is right there. It just works for ME personally.

Agree with UI, as without Axe-Edit, it’s a pain; however, it’s my fav out of all the products out there as well. Good review!

I have a AXE-FX III and I absolutely love it. It really has everything you could want, my pedals have not been touched since I have acquired the AXE. However, I have the FC-12 and expression pedals and it is insane how much you can customize the lay out of the foot controller. I will say you can dial in a tone that you desire with pretty much any genre of music but at first it is extremely overwhelming, especially when you get into the selecting cabs. I feel like once you find you cabs for certain styles of music or cab that produce desired tones, you can really get some good tones and use out of it. I would recommend any of the fractal products, especially if you are someone who like to chase tones and play around with developing sounds.

I have been all across the board in the quest for tone and I found my favorites and preferences... But I also want to keep session and gig equipment to a minimum. My EVH 50 watt head and 212 cab are lighter compared to other “gig worthy” equipment, but I gotta say, bringing a an FM3 or HX Stomp centric mini board, and a PA wedge have been just amazing. I’ll definitely agree that Fractal’s on board UI is really clunky compared to Helix and by a huge margin. But there have been significant improvements where you can double press the A,B,C,D,E buttons and they’ll instantly go into the parameters of the amps, drives, and other key effects which has made on the fly changes substantially better. Still doesn’t beat turning a knob that’s right there, but the workflow has been improving. All I can say is that ever since Ive got my FM3 and now Axe FX III, is that they are phenomenal units for all types of musicians where they want pretty much limitless possibilities. Even for the guys who keep it simple. It just takes a mindset adjustment when coming up with presets and tones. You always gotta dive in with a goal in mind, and don’t stray from it, or else you’ll just do more tweaking and adjusting instead of playing which would understandably a turn off. Once I got past that, it’s definitely my number one piece of equipment even above my traditional tube amp and pedalboard.

Great video, Rhett! How can you get audio from the AXE FX III as well as audio from your Mac through your studio speakers? Also, what type of speakers would your recommend to maximize the tonal quality of the AXE FX III? I’m just looking for great guitar tone and versatility, so I can play along with my favorite tunes. Thank you for your time.

Man, I've had all of the major amp options, Kemper, Iridium, ACS1, HX Stomp, Fractal, Real Tube Amps. In my experience, it's the only one that's finally, truly fully captured the tone of the tube amps it models. Full stop, absolutely mind blowing. It comes down to whether or not you love using tube amps or not, but your tone is never compromised. Don't know how they did it, but I'm happy they did :)

I use Fractal for many reasons. Tone is first and most important. I feel if you’re a guitarist in 2022 part of your gig bag tools should be an old MacBook Air or some PC equivalent. I have the AxeFx-III as well as an FM3. If I have a fly gig I use a small 12x12 laptop bag that holds my FM3, an EV-5, a Mosky, all necessary cables and a MackBook Pro or an old Air. Gigging without a laptop is like playing a gig in the 80’s without zebra striped spandex! 😂 It's only a "MAJOR" problem if you make it one. After two years you should know the front panel a little better. 😜

Excellent review! I have to agree on all points, especially the user interface on the unit itself, I literally couldn’t change anything if I needed to…BUT… I do all my set up at home on my computer, which literally gives me the most amazing sounds I feel are possible in todays world and completely eliminate any need to tinker with the front panel in a live setting. With that said, I agree with the blinding options, way too many things to think about, but on the other hand, that’s what makes it able to achieve the most amazing sounds I’ve ever heard. Now onto my biggest single complaint about the Fractal Axe FX III: while it’s a good thing that they’re in constant product development and release lots of updates, sometimes an update completely screws with every one of my presets. When you consider that I have 50 or 60 painstakingly dialed in presets that need to be reevaluated each time there's a major update, I view this as a HUGE negative. With that said, I’m also looking to sell all of my previous gear and amplifiers and just move forward with this incredible device. Thanks again for the awesome review!

Hey Rhett, great video. I'm still using the Axe FX II from 2012 in my studio which I love as a writing tool and for scratch guitar tracks for sessions, but I'm wondering if you could provide an opinion between the II and III (Assuming you've played through the II before). :)

I like my Kemper Stage and being able to profile any amp out there. You just have to know how to Mic a cabinet correctly to get awesome sounds. Then some minor tweaking.

The user interface of the axe fx is very easily learnable it takes a little time but when I went from the 2 to the 3 I didn’t even have to look at a manual the interface was planned out so well and I do all my programming on the front of the unit most of the time . Most people just don’t take the time to try because of the software

I recently purchased the FM3 which just so happens to be my very first modeler. You got it right about how much unfriendly the UI is and I'd be lost if it wasn't for the fact the FM Editor makes up for the dismal user interface. On the plus side the sound from this box is definitely great and is the main reason for me getting it. First impressions do make a difference. As always, keep up the great work and many thanks for your honest review.

I own the AxeFX II (and the MFC101 fott controller with a 4 switches extension box that i made myself and 2 Mission Engineering pedal) and totally agreed with your review on all the point you covered! My workaround about the user interface in gigs are: - the iOS version of the editor that i use on a big iPad Pro (but less big than a laptop) via a midi bluetotth adapter - the RAC12 box (1u rack) that is a midi controller with 12 encoders/push knobs and a little color lcd made by very smart french guys... so you can map to the knobs the most important control of the amps or the effects (you can map much more than 12 controls because each knob can have a "pushed" and "not pushed" function and even there are serveral "pages" of controls mapped... but in this case i'll go back to a too crowed device... so select the - say - 12 o 24 mandatory physical controls you need and you are set.) Unfortunately this RAC12 controller is discontinued - what i call "bracket scenes"... where i set the "central" version of a patch... and two + and - scenes... say... more bright... more dark. The combo of these solutions (all or just two of them) can turn the AxeFx in a more usable gig gear!

I think the Axe FX 2 is actually becoming drastically under appreciated considering now you can get it in good condition for a lower price than the Helix (If you refresh reverb everyday lol) I got my Axe FX 2 XL+ in 2021 for $1200 which included the foot controller and it was *The* best investment I have Ever made as far as amp emulators go. I like it better than the Helix and most other alternatives. I know some people who refuse to buy used items but you can not go wrong with it if you can find one in good condition for a low price. After a year of gigging with it on tour it still holds up like the day it arrived, and I have no issue getting any tone I want. The user interface is *not good* but the default sounds make it worth it and it's easy to change virtually any surface effect /tone I personally usually wait until the new model is out before I buy anything so that I can save money and still get a great product that isn't obsolete

I got on the Fractal train a few years back with the AX8, I now have an AXFXIII and an FM3, and may get an FM9 in the future. Simply because they give me all I need. The amp tones, effects and options are fantastic Yes, they're very complex bits of kit, but you can keep things simple and set up great sounding basic rigs. My presets are generally very straightforward, it's just there's all this horsepower there to go nuts if I want. I find the front panel OK to work with. I had the III on my desk when I got it and used it a fair bit off of the front panel,. Once I've set up the preset I don't really do loads of tweaking on them anyway., and the editor is so much better than anything else I've tried Having had a HX Stomp I'd say there's pretty decent difference in quality of tones between the two systems. The Fractal for ME is just way better and not anywhere near as frustrating as I found the Stomp. I certainly agree that Fractal is the best in terms of options and I think it's like any piece of gear, if you know what you're doing you can get the most from it. Thankfully the Forum are super helpful and channels like Leon Todd give you all kinds of help. So some might call me a Fractal fan boy, but it's simply because they give me the results I want for the music i want to play Enjoyed your video Rhett

Hey Rhett fantastic video. Question do you have a video on ear healthSpecifically towards inears? I don’t remember seeing one and I can’t find one in the video list. I’m 49 primary gig is church. Prefer to stay away from most of the halo he sounds Ha. Recently we were able to update our inner system and I’ve noticed my ears ringing although I don’t like my inner is being loud so I was wondering if there are specific frequencies that need to be pulled out of your ears for ear health reasons. Thank you for everything you do and your honesty.

Thanks for this review, super helpful. I appreciate the clear pros and cons that you outline. I wouldn’t ever use something like this love anyway, so this could be the one for me.

Not a fan of anything “all in one”. I can appreciate this for what it is. I could not, for myself, justify the cost. I do love the deep dives. I liked the plexi video from the other day as well.

I'm a Helix user myself simply for the reason Rhett stated: the Fractal is just way more than I need. My Helix is also more of a routing unit to outboard pedals and amplifiers so I'm not even that concerned with the quality of it's modeling (which is still great). As someone who designs UI's professionally, none of the interfaces are great the the Axe-FX is unforgivably bad. I do have friends who use their Axe-FX to great success tho so go with Rhett's recommendation and figure out your needs before making such a big purchase.

Great video. I was considering getting one of these, but I was super concerned about it being overly complicated. I actually paid $240 for a boss katana and while it’s technically not a modeling amp, It’s super easy to use and sounds surprisingly good on stage and recorded. You just have to make sure to dial out some of the treble. Maybe I will get a kemper though at some point in the future.

Fair comments on the usabilty and depth of functionality on the Axe III, I love the sounds but tend to only use settings I am most familar with. I have to have all my presets baked in before I dare leave the house with it, editing on the fly is not something I want to deal with! I think Fractal understand their target market, providing authentic settings so you dont have to go deep if you dont want to. 🙂

I went through the same dilemma. I've owned the Axe FX Ultra, the II XL, and have both the Helix Floor and Helix Rack. I loved the quality of the tones out of the Axe FX, but the user experience won out for me and I kept coming back to the Helix. With good IRs, and after spending some time to dial in the tones that work best for you, the Helix is still a professional unit and I know several artists that use it in their rigs. That said, the real difference between all of these units is minimal when you put the time and effort into learning how to use them. You're never going to be in the front-row of a show saying to yourself, "Oh, that guitarist is definitely using an Axe FX." I know there are fanboys on both sides of the Helix/Axe FX fence, but real musicians don't care about brands, they care about the efficacy of tools and getting the job done, and at the end of the day that's what matters.

Had the axe 3 over a year now and it's awesome and easy to use via Axe Edit. Editing on the unit itself is silly given how many thing you'll actually want to fine tune.

Hey bro, great video as always! What are you using for your drum sounds on your recordings?

Hi, in what cases would you prefer to record with a real amp into a loadbox vs a modeler unit? I've been using Helix for 5 years now and I like it, but as all digital modeller, i found it so much... compressed? when you make an open G, for example, i don't really found it blooming out of the speaker, meanwhile in my real amp, yes it does!!

I own the FM9 (one of the lucky ones who got into the wait list on day one) and all of my last videos are recorded with the FM9. I agree about the usable sounds comment. Owned helix and kemper and most of the preset are not usable (understatement). The FM9 effects are amazing. The best out there. Sold my H9 pedals don’t need them anymore. Overall that’s the best modeler / stomp box I had ever and speaking from experience. One issue which is common to all modelers. The sounds has a bit too much high end so this needs to be modified to your liking.

This was a great sanity check! I bought this unit when it came out and have struggled over the years to want to use it compared to something even as simple as the HX stomp. Yes, it’s got amazing sound, but I’m a local player and don’t need to get my tone 100% like John Mayer to get the point across. Glad I’m not the only one who thinks that way!

Hey Rhett, long time AxeFX III user here. Definitely agree with your assessment of the front panel. I will say that I travel with my laptop every weekend and so I just always use the editor. I will say the most I’ve been frustrated with Fractal was when they released v. 18 and it drastically changed the way my presets sounded and it’s taken me hours to get back. I will say I love my FC12 controller and they way it integrates with the unit as a whole. One of my favorite things about the rack unit is global blocks and how they allow me to sync settings (amp and drive settings) across different presets (songs).

Great review, I have had an AxeFX2 for years and, whilst it can sound awesome, I just never found it fun and inspiring to use. Recently I've been using an ampless pedalboard setup with the Revival Drive compact as the 'amp' and the Two Notes Cab-M as the' cab' (plus a bunch of other pedals). It's nowhere near as flexible, and it probably worked out just as expensive, but it's so much more fun to play that I'm barely touching the AxeFX any more!

Nice review. I haven't tried a Fractal. I own a Line6 Helix and, in my experience, it's totally possible to get it to sound amazing, if you really work hard at it. The problem is that it's far easier to get it to sound like crap. I'm not 100% happy with any of my presets, and I'm not happy with any of the presets I've downloaded either. I also agree that the factory presets aren't very good. They are, however, useful for learning how the signal chains put together.

The funny thing is I had the complete opposite opinion. I only used the front panel for the first few weeks with the unit and although it did take a bit to learn once I got it I was like "oh wow its so intuitive" haha.

a couple years back sold my pedals and easily bought a fm3. Steep learning curve for most people but the wealth of videos now on you tube really helped. Best tones ever, really. Especially if you need a quiet stage and use in ears.

Thank you for this, Rhett. Overall, a pretty positive review of the Axe-FX III. I do get the frustration with front-panel editing, to a degree, though in the studio it's not an issue, and I suspect most live players would not need to do much deep editing in a live context. Still, I love the tones and huge flexibility and versatility of the Axe-FX III, and am very, very happy with my purchase - best guitar/studio gear purchase I've ever made. I won't be selling my Marshall JVM and pedalboard anytime soon, but I expect they will see a lot less use going forward, judging from the incredible tone qualities and versatility and spot-on amp emulations I get from the Axe-FX.

Theres a reason big touring acts are using axe fx3s through tube amps....it sounds just as good as the old preamps....

I love my Stomp, but the Helix line has too many amp options. It's a pain sorting through them all.

I prefer my Quad cortex because of portability and the fact you can do everything on the QC without a computer. Rhett's cranked fender stack profile is actually my go to presets. It sounds amazing! I just wish they had a way to charge money for the captured so professions like Rhett and Michael Britt would get involved and make presets and captures

What is your recommendation for a modeler. Is it possible to make a video comparing the different modelers. I am deciding between an AXE-FX rack or a Helix rack. Thx Rhett.

Great video as usual!!! I would like to see you Reviewing an Headhush unit if it's possible. I don't know if it's as good as Helix but seems to be easy to setup as the Neural Link.

I’d really love to hear you try a headrush or headrush MX5, and give your thoughts compared to the Axe FX and Helix.

So, when you are on a gig do you often decide that you need go buy new pedals and wire them in on stage or add resisters with a soldering iron while the opening act is playing? Or do you set your gear up ahead of time and then just use it?

thanks for the video, Rhett! Love your insight as always.

The concept I use is to be sure all programing is done before heading to a show. Never a need to adjust presets. Set up the performance tab to look like an amp front and you adjust your bass, mid, treble at the show along with volume or whatever else you need. Best machine out there. The target all others aim for!

Just purchased the presets. You did a great job, Rhett. All VERY usable and real. No silly high gain stuff, which is just my cup of tea. You nailed those Bluesbreakers JTM 45 all the way! :) Thanks!

I agree. The sound is second to none but the user interface is a nightmare. I have an AX8 and love it but my biggest complaint is the learning curve. I wish it had a user mode that mimicked the user interface or controls of whatever pedal, effect or amp you were using. Then maybe an expert mode if you were a tweaker.

Do you have a preset pack for the Helix stuff? Thanks for all the good videos

very interesting, thanks; i love your channel, i watch almost everything you share with us, i wish you had done a complete review of the distortion , and gain type effects, and all the types of stock distortion sounds available, this axe fx III unit seems very intimidating to me, i will agree, i just want to dial in a great distortion sound and jam away, so much tweaking is a headache right off the bat, i am old school and analog style knobs seem natural and intuitive to me, this thing is so complicated. definitely an engineers tool,..

I've had my Axe-FX II for years now and honestly have 0 plans to "upgrade"/change it. There's always going to be something "better" out there...the Axe-FX sounds great and works great for me. And, no one in their right mind would try to do anything on the front panel, man...just plug a computer into it, dial in your stuff and you're done!

People SEVERELY underestimate how important an "intuitive" interface can be. Apple has been programming us since 2007 to use a touchscreen and get real time, haptic feedback. That's why the QC has the best interface, bar none.

How do you have the Axe FX plugged into your interface? Are you going digitally? Or are you hitting an analog preamp on the way in? Also, I heard the AXE FX can only record at 48k in/ out digitally, which is a bummer as it limits its usage as a stand alone AD/DA converter. With the Helix you can record at any sample rate digitally over USB as long as you download the Line 6 Core driver.

I play one JMP-1 preamp, on OD1 since 1997. I now have two JMP-1's. Takes seconds to create a patch. I've gotten left behind for sure, in the meantime, I've spent more time working on my playing, than tweaking endlessly. Looking at the Axe III looks like a complete ball-ache to navigate around. NO doubt the axe stuff is good though, but most of us just want a handful of tones. for me, I only need two, clean and dirty. great video and it's shown me that I'm probably better off not getting anything new.