What's The Best Amp Modeler In 2024? (2024)

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I use the HX Stomp with my PC, a pair of JBL monitors and Seinheser headphones. I still have a Marshall DSL20 head paired with a 1x12 Orange Cab and V30 speaker. I love my tube amp but it's getting dust. HX Stomp sounds so good at low volumes and it's so practical that it's unbeatable for someone who lives in an apartment.

I like my FM3. The fact that Fractal continuously improves the sound and keeps adding new amps, cabs and effects for free is remarkable.

I like that you referred to the Line 6 as "fun." That's the same thought I had. While using a Helix or even something simpler, like the Pod Go or HX Stomp, the Line 6 stuff is always just plain fun. Fun to use, fun to play through, fun to hear. It's cool that you had a similar notion about their gear. As always, a great video. Thanks for keeping it going!

The more I work with my helix stuff (rack, native, stomp and pod go wireless) the more I love this platform.
Sometimes I think I’d like to try a Fractal but then I go to TH-cam and hear helix and fractal head to head It just remind me that i’m happy with the helix and do not really need anything else

I have had my Kemper dialed in for the last 6 years and have not had to tweak anything. I am interested in getting a Quad Cortex for the easier editing. I believe there is something here for everyone and it’s whatever works for you.

Thanks in advance for keeping this reasonably short.

thanks Jon. I respect your opinion and from what I've heard, you make them all sound perfect. I think the Helix is a solid choice for number 1.

I only picked up the Helix Floor maybe 5 months ago, so I'm way late to the party, but I've enjoyed it immensely. I can run it direct, I can use it with a PowerCab, and I've recently enjoyed running it in the loop of a tube amp, bypassing the physical preamp and modeling that way. I can run my vocals through it on a different signal chain, route it to a different output, etc., etc. It's very versatile.

Made my choice before the newer ones came out but for everything I looked at the Helix came out as the best. Have never regretted it. It's fantastic, checks all the boxes.

thanks for video and your opinion! it helps

Awwsome. I knew Helix and Fractal would be in the top 2. Love my Helix LT. Helix UI is much easier to learn for newbies than the Fractal stuff for sure but you can really tweak at the pro level with the Fractal stuff. rock on. Keep it up.

Thanks for this video! Been wanting to grab another one and leaning towards the mx5 just for bedroom/silent use and to travel with

Great list! I guessed your top 3 perfectly. Guess I know you really well!! :)

Just as an fyi, with the hot one stage ii you can change all the parameters of any effect/amp. Scene 1 is the default then any parameter you change in scenes 2-5 is saved in that scene just by changing it. It’s even easier than controllers

Great video! FM9 MKII Turbo user here! ❤️

Been playing and recording since the 80’s. Have the Ox Box, Palmer PDI 03, Captor X. And many speaker cabs. My Neo Creamback 1x12 in a Baltic Birch cabinet blows them all away. The feedback, the richness as the volume rises. Hell Yes 🤘

I went through so many you have shared here.. and I keep coming back to the L6 Helix/HX Stomp. I use it differently than most. I have been using it as preamp, to a power amp setup into real cabs. It just works exactly like I want it to work.

Had them all nothing beats the ease of use and quality of sound of helix plus be fun creating it all. 💯💪🏻

Boss gt 1000 core here. I love the little thing to bits! Now I figured out you can add IRs and it opens the sound even further

I use simple chains, mainly working in studio. From price/quality/simplicity point of view my winner is Amperium. Next is FM3 because of effects quality, but if we consider only amp modelling it's on the same level as Amperium but 3x more xpensive. 3rd is Helix.

I have been using Helix for the past 4 years now, it’s a great device but for me personally I love Fractal audio the most. The amp model features and effects are absolutely top notch. The only thing I don’t like about helix is the tone feel and dynamic response on the unit. It doesn’t feel organic like the fractal

The only one of these i have is the qc and i would have thought it would rank better but ive never tried any fractal stuff so i find it interesting and im going to have to try one out someday to see whats better about them. For my qc, ive had really good sucess capturing all my tube amps and have bought a good amount of captures from reputable guys that just blow me away how real they feel and sound. I cant imagine there being a better platform, but thats why we are all entitled to our own opinions.

Hey John, I'm not sure if you know this but you are able to control different parameters in different scenes on the Ampero 2 Stage. If you use the computer editor, you can adjust parameter values in each different scene and save them. I haven't tried it on the unit itself but I know it's possible through the computer editor. Brett Kingman has a video making a preset with different parameters in the different scenes.

Great review honest and on point - we live in a great time for music gear - not hard to get great tone

Ive tried them all. Landed on the Synergy system with a two notes to sim the speaker and power amp. Nothing beats real tubes.

What a great, concise and honest overview! I started with the line6 HX Stomp and I agree it is an amazing little device that punches way above its weight class. I eventually decided to go with the Fractal Axe FX3 because the flexibility and incredible power appealed to me, but I do miss the simpler and more intuitive workflow of the Stomp.
Ultimately I realized that the Axe FX3 was overkill for my live rig as I seldom exceeded 50% CPU utilization even with dual amp presets, so now I continue to enjoy the Axe FX3 in the studio and I practice and gig with the FM9. My primary motivation for using the FM9 is to have shared presets live and at home, but if I had kept the HX Stomp it would definitely be a viable solution.
Who knows? Had I tried the full sized Helix I may have never even explored Fractal, but I’m extremely happy with my FM9 and love the frequent software updates adding new features like the recent gapless switching… GAME CHANGER!

The ampero does offer parameter settings per scene!

as a professional musician I use what sounds, feels, and is easiest to get consistent tone. For me FM9. I'm very comfortable with the editing either by PC or on the box, but the PC editor is much easier. Tone wise I can use it direct to FoH, direct to my tube or SS amp (depends on which band) and to the front of the amp or 4CM. They all sound great these days.
The layout flexibility of the FM9 buttons and pedals is so deep. I have yet to find a situation or setup I can't achieve.
Best is going to be whatever fits you.

I use the Helix Floor for my main cover guitar gig where I also give bass a path. I also use HX effects for my bass only gig. What you don't mention is that if you are on the platform, you can move effects from one unit to another by drag and drop. Incredibly efficient.

I agree with the Helix being #1. I use mind with a tube power amp and a real 2x12 cabinet. Its always solid for live gigs.

Excellent video, Jon! I agree that the Amperium Live is up there with the best soundwise. I even like it better than the FM3 because I always find the Fractal modeling a little bit too dark and muffled, but that‘s just a matter of taste. Can‘t go wrong with Line 6 either!

I have the QC and couldn’t be happier. It keeps updating and improving all the time. I would choose fractal over it just because of the FX variety, however I would lose the QC’s much easier and faster user interface whenever you need to make some changes.

I own the HX Stomp and the FM3 and love them both. But the options you have with the FM3 are great.

As a line 6 Helix floor unit for 5 years, I bounced between the fractal audio AX8. However, when I got the fractal audio FM 9 turbo it definitely was a game changer. Not that Helix is bad. Helix was so much simpler on the learning curve. Once you get around a learning curve of a fractal audio stuff it's a breeze. The sounds out of this unit are amazing. I've never been so more happier because I'm playing and doing less tweaking.

I have Hx Stomp with additional external footswitch and I enjoy it. Compact device and quite good sound with a good factory support

Used to have a Helix rack and loved it. Downsized when the world changed to a HX Stomp because they say it's the same sounds but it felt absolutely terrible to me. Sold it and tried the Ampero Stomp II and was hooked. Stage is on it's way now.

Great video! Future video idea would be to have the “Ultimate Amp Modeler” shootout! Compare 1-3 “tweaked” amp and IR (or cab) that all the modelers have and then use the real amp compared to all of the amp modelers versions with timestamps to jump around. :)

I completely understand your choice for the first two, especially when considering the Helix interface. I have an FM3 now, but before I had a Stomp HX XL and I honestly think the Helix is further behind in terms of tone. I thought the Helix was very "HI-FI" (if that makes sense), and in the FM3 it's so easy to get a good tone, that it's fun even if the interface isn't that friendly.

Love this list! As always, this stuff is so subjective, but I love hearing others experiences with these things. I went from the axe-fx iii to the ampero, and I couldn't be happier. 1 because I couldn't justify having such an expensive unit. It just felt wrong. And I never used even a fraction of what I needed it for. I'm a simple guy, and the ampero is more than enough to suit my needs.

For me, the ampero and the amperium are really cool through your videos.
I actually own an Atomic Amplifire box, wich I love, but I need some flexibilité and access to parameters on the device to tweak if needed.
Just hope there will be another device from them.

I've been using a Helix floor for a few years now and I have to say that when I don't use it I really miss it. Last night I was in a studio and brought along my little Boss GX100. I use that when I don't want to lug around the big guy. I used a Hughes and Ketner 4 channel amp and hated it. It wasn't my sound and I was tweaking it all night long. I'd love to try the Fractal but the work surface is so much better on the Helix that I can't imagine not using it.

As a fellow owner of the top 3 on this list I’m gonna have to agree with you. Even though I play with my Axe III 90% of the time, for the money, having the floor unit and expression pedal of the Helix for a much cheaper cost. I don’t play out anymore and play at my desk and slightly prefer the modeling and built in cabs from fractal but I’d be happy knowing I’d have a top dog if I just had my Helix. The QC sounds great and I love the form factor and toughness of the unit but like you said, it just doesn’t sound and react in the “real” way that the other two do. I can dial my Axe(especially) and Helix to sound virtually identical to my 50w 5150 6l6 with 412 Recto cab with basically the same knob settings. Neural uses their own scale or something.

Yes it is, i got a Helix 6 years, and it rules for me too, bro!!! And i use the Pod Go and like it too!

Probably the best rig rundown I have seen yet as it pertains to modelers.

I think i actually agree 100% on that list, for the same reasons you outlined. The fractal devices are unmatched in sheer capability, but the thing is that at least in my experience that doesn't translate into better final results than using helix, and the helix is just a more streamlined platform. Native is the ultimate cherry on top of it.
As a little aside, i think the new helix cab block is absolutely incredible and far better than most helix users realise. I stopped using 3rd psrty IRs cause it's so intuitive, and imo the only cab sim suite that surpasses it is Mikko 2. I use helix cabs with my NAM captures and my real preamps these days.

Like others, I went through some of them (helix, QC, FM9…). I prefer the FM9, then I would pick the Helix in 2nd place. With the physical unit, I would love to have a Fractal plugin like what Line 6 offers. Helix Native is a great all in one solution for recording.

I liked your list of the awesome Modelers we get to choose from, and as a Subscriber to your Channel fro many years, value and trust your opinions and objectivity.
I have an HX Stomp, and Helix Native, and it's an awesome combination. I watched the John Cordy and Leon Todd reviews of the new Fractal seamless switching update, and that's cool. As a tip, I love the "thick" sound of Fractal Modelers, and so far I find the best way to emulate that on my HX Stomp is to just roll down the Tone Knob a bit on my Strat. Thanks

I would agree with the ranking. Sure, as far as end results go, Fractal wins hands down but it has a steep learning curve, not the easiest availability and quite a hefty price tag so I kind of agree with the number 2 spot. My only disagreement is about the QC: it deserves the third place but I gotta say I'm quite happy with it's modelling and find it more "ready to go" than the Helix where I rely on my heavily tweeked favorites for quite preset building, however it lacks in the FX which are really kind of basic compared to the competition and sound competent rather than inspiring. But yeah having played most of those modellers featured here I agree with your ranking

Fractal Audio is the G.o.a.t!

Still my axe fx3. Owned it for around 3 years now and haven't wanted or bought an amp since. It just keeps getting better with updates and the more I learn about it, it's always fresh and new. I won't be replacing it until it dies. I've never felt that way about a piece of gear in my 27 years of playing

Gast... nooit gedacht dat line 6 een 1ste plaats weet te bemachtigen in een lijst als dit. Inderdaad ze zijn van flut naar top gegaan in hun ontwikkeling zeg.
Helix, mooi apparaatje hoor ;)

Appreciate the video, your expertise far surpass mine, but I still prefer the quad cortex for the interface, the captures and I think the stock models sound better than the helix. Just me I guess. I agree with the top three choices but just not in that order
lol. 1. Fractal 2.
Quad cortex 3.Helix

Interesting to see the Helix still impressing in 2024.

What's your Amp system? Valve head with Cab? Solid State with Cab? FrFr like the Fender Tone Máster Fr12? A video about It'd be really helpfull!!

Line 6 at 1 makes sense to me. Native has been a game changer for recording for me, being able to use it on any track, not just guitar, is amazing. I also really like the Amperium but the UI definitely needs work. I also like that its high gain heavy with it's amp models. I also like that out of all the modelers its the easiest to use live like I do with one signal to the front of house with an IR and another to a real cab without one.

The A2S does have scene control, you can assign different parameters to each scene.
What it can’t do is name scenes and assign a custom led color to different scenes.

I think this has been a fair assessment and ranking to be honest. While I think the sounds from the Fractal stuff are better overall, the workflow on the units isn't that easy compared to the Line6 stuff.
Agreed very much on the Quad Cortex assessment - great concept, form-factor, routing but so-so implementation.
I'm so itching to try the Amperium though.

All sound good, depending on the user's tone, playing, knowledge capabilities of their music, and their influence.
I had two guys playing the same rig setup with different skill levels they both don't sound the same lol. Just enjoy the choices.
Grateful for the gear industry and the innovation 😃

I had them all and for some reason I liked my Kemper better overall. Line 6 helix second and axe fx iii 3rd place

For me it comes down to the quality of the impulse response in any modeler.
Also how well does your tone mesh with a great drum and bass sound is paramount.

Personally I would choose the Fractal over the Helix. Especially with the new firmware that gives us gapless preset changes and more amps and the update also somehow made all my presets sound even better. The Helix is a great unit though, and I have been using that for 6-7 years and I still use Native alot. Awesome video as usual.

I tried several units, and only the Kemper felt like I was playing a real amp. Although a QC of Line 6 sounds really awesome, but for some reason it isn't the same. That said, I don't own any of these kind of units, but played around with them a lot.
Also, it might be fun to make a similar video but only with small units. Tonex, hx stomp, blu amp and others. Small units you can simply put in your guitar bag with two cables, and you have your complete rig ready to go :)

I cant argue with your choice of Helix. I've had mine since 2020 and it just delivers the sickest, illest, most rupturous tone _ever!_ I completely pulled the tone I've had in my head for years, but could never quite nail down, out of the Helix. Just straight _rippage!_ 🤟

If it’s tone (which is what pros want) it’s fractal hands down I have the top 3 and it’s fractal way above the other two for me.

I have owned most of the ones on the list except the quad cortex and tone master. Currently have a stomp, helix and Axe Fx 3 and imo the Fractal stuff is leaps and bounds above the Helix, especially the amps and reverbs.

I think the price point at each tier, coupled with the overall fun factor of tweaking and tweezing sounds (I’ve literally lost hours doing that, and didn’t mind at all) puts Line6 Helix ecosystem at #1 for me. But then again, I’ve always found a way to find good usable tones on a budget. I even used an original POD 1.0 live for a while, and it sounded amazing considering the simplicity. But different aspects make different products appealing. I mean the sheer affordability of the Hotone makes it hard to beat, especially for a beginner or part time hack. But Modeling is as divisive as the whether or not to use modelers debate. It’s all really dependent on what meets your needs best, and that includes your budget.

I am a Helix guy, b/c it has a ton of "external" support, is continually being improved by Line 6, STILL sounds great (IMO) even though it is one of the older ones on the list, and I generally run a Variax guitar and a Powercab Plus speaker. Any other modeler would just not fully utilize either of those to the full potential.

Helix for the win! My floor is my main rig and haven't found reasons to switch.

Do you send the FM3 to an amp? I was reading in FRFR speakers but don’t understand what they mean. What amp would you recommend for the FM3? Thanks!

Fractal for the win. Helix makes for a nice compact backup.

I agree with Helix Native, I use it every day. The only thing better would be if Fractal was available as a plugin.

From my studio and live experience QC and FM series are tied for best in class sound, everything else is a step beyond. It is virutally impossible to tell if its them or an analog amp in a blind comparison. Everything else you can, Line6, new Fender, Kemper etc. Those 2 are basically user preference they are equally good (some say effects are a bit better on FM). Ampero stuff on the other side holds incredible value, the quality and quanitity you get for that price is absolutely outstanding. I would use Ampero II on stage as a backup unit without a second thought.

EXCELLENT...Thanks!!!

Jon, I hate to say this, but I think everyone got it wrong when they said the English v30 was the best v30 in the rockbox collection. Just got the Mesa v30 a couple weeks ago and modern mix 3 on that has become my number 1 IR and I’m not even a v30 guy I always prefer greenback style speakers. This 1 IR mix works for everything every rock style every gain level it’s 100% perfect. It’s just smoothed out more in the areas that makes me not like v30s so much normally. It’s really amazing. Hope to see more speakers hitting Rockbox soon!

I have the Ampero stage ii its pretty good unit i love the tone of it & if you use IR its just go insane i love the unit

Well... I bought a TMP anyway. Just... I don't know. It is inspiring. The UI is very pleasant. And the sound from what I've heard is not bad at all. Can only become better and better with time like a good wine bottle. Finger crossed 🤞. First ever fender product for me.

Hard to argue with your list! My favorite now is QC due to ease of use, quickly dialing in sounds, and form favor. Axe 3 close behind as it’s so powerful and good although not the best form for me. And Helix is third, great overall but not my favorite for amp tones.

Pretty much agree with everything you said. The newer companies have some questionable amp modelling but capture features are amazing. Helix wins for usability reasons but Fractal Audio has had the best amp modelling for like a decade and no other hardware unit can even be compared to that high standard. The downside is usability and price for Fractal... but an Axe-Fx II has better amp modeling than any other non-Fractal hardware unit so there's that. 🎉

Hi John! In this video are you talking about the fm3 turbo or the the previous model as well.
I’m asking because I’m searching for delas on both, and I’m not that sure if I should aim only for the turbo model? Thanks and hugs from South America!!

Helix Native is a very good tool, but even after a few minutes of using it you realize that the feeling and sound are not there. It still has that "fighting with the strings" feeling of the POD HD, but improved. The amplifiers are very 2D and although with external IRs it sounds much better, you can't get more than an average sound out of it. I only use it to put on the Minotaur before going to Tonex, which has better feeling and more realistic amplifiers, although you also have to put external IRs on it. I still have faith in the next generation of Line 6 if they can improve the critical problem of feel and response. On the other hand, Fractal seems to have the most real feeling and audio, respects more the "in your face" audio of real amps, responds to the tone and volume of the guitar, but is much more expensive as well. Greetings from Argentina!

BTW, something nobody ever seems to mention, but that is really really cool about the Line 6 stuff is that you can switch the Line 6 Guitar model of a Line 6 guitar when you’re using one of their foot pedals to switch your amp models!!!!
So, in other words, with the push of one button, you can change your left and right amps and effects And the model on your Line 6 guitar!
Absolutely incredible.

İ ve used line 6 x 3 live for many years. İt was so hard to sell it even it had very bad sims. Only dual rec sim was usable for me. But i think the effects , Expression pedal , user interface was unrivaled. İt was like a dream journey when you are creating a tone. :)

Thanks for this video.
Entry: ME-90
Intermediate (can also be used professionally): Helix
Pro: AxeFx

Is it intended that all presets in the Fm3 sound so muffled?

Honestly that Amperium live seems like such a cool unit! Shame about the UI, and would love some 1/4” outs for running straight into a power amp. Does it have some clean amps as well?

Can’t deny your number 1. They’ve been at the game for 20 years and their effects modeling is first class. The price is decently good and below the “devastating if broken/stolen at a gig” dollar amount, and the form factor of the Stomp and XL only needing 9 volts, 1 amp of power (yes, multiple L6 engineers have said the Stomp/XL only needs 1 amp instead of 3 that’s on the box) means it’s a lot easier to power on a pedalboard with other pedals than the bigger units. The amp models are great too!

Great , usefull and helpful 😃🤟🍺

good vid btw u dutch bro ?

While it's not a modeler, my pick is the ISP Theta Pro DSP. With no USB, no FX loop and a lcd screen straight outta the 90's, it still blows away all of these units with sheer tone and a chorus to absolutely die for. Well worth checking out.

I have a podgo now but all the research that I have done is making me save up for a FM3

Helix Native is the reason I keep coming back to the Helix. I’ve tried to convince myself to sell off my FM9 and just go with the Helix since I am at a point in my music life where it’s hard to justify keeping both but honestly, every time I think, ok maybe I can do with just the Helix, I plug into my FM9 and it’s a difference sound and feel.
Plus Helix has this silly limitation that’s hard to get past, I can’t understand why they will not implement the ability to do “channel switching” on an amp model. You have to use 2 amp blocks and switch back and forth to go Clean/Gain in the same preset.

As someone who uses (and has only tried) the Line 6 Helix, I knew that it would be at least in the top 5 but didn't expect it to beat both the QC and Fractal! This video may come off as an "unpopular opinion" but it kinda reassures me to just stay with the unit and not splurge my money to buy another unit that I don't need to hahaha

I’ve got the prime and the helix, honestly I’d swap the prime and the hotone in your list, the prime needs work for sure, but I think the models sound great and the captures are better than tonex. Not sure if you’ve updated it recently or not. That said, my helix is still here for two reasons, metal amps and running them through a mimiq. 😂

best affordable one is boss me90! the number one top definitely quad cortex

It's like the JB and 59 pickups, at the end of the day it's all about the already classics Fractal and Line6.

The Helix rules. All the different units that can fit any budget and size/power requirement, Helix Native, frequent updates that continue to add loads of great stuff, intuitive editor... What's not to love? Meanwhile, Neural have still not delivered on promises they made when the unit was released several years ago.

Jon, I don't get it... If the price of the FM3 at €1469 (G66) is labeled "not really affordable", why doesn't that apply as well to the Helix at €1465 (Bax)?

Most trusted. Love you!

I wished you had a Gt1000 or a gt1000 core. I love my core. The 32bit processing really makes the tones sound more high resolution to me. I can’t describe it. You can just hear it.