Essential Tips and Tricks for ANY Modeler - Quad Cortex, Helix, Axe FX and the rest....

Thanks for doing this. You are soo right! Awesome playing btw. I've used all these units and will say line 6 seem the easiest to dial in no matter which unit. Great playing 🎸 btw ! 🤘😎

What I like about modeller is it allows things to happen like I can put multiple amps in one sequence to get a ridiculously harsh tone

I totally agree with plugging into the return of a tube amp. I’ve done this with QC, incredible tone, and you still get the amp in a room sound

John, Most updated Helix sounds vs. Axe Fx 2 would be a great video imo. I think the current Helix firmware gives me sounds that are as good (arguably better) than the older Axe Fx2, just easier to dial in. Of course, this is based on my signal chain, etc. But I really can't hear an audible difference. Thanks for all your videos!

It’s kind of a rabbit hole, but using a real cab and power amp is an awesome way to get the best of both worlds depending on what you are in the mood for. Logistically, sometimes you want to have the feel of a real amp (playing with buddies for example) and the pa / frfr thing can be a bit sterile. It requires a lot of tweaking to get the best tone out of your cab through a modeler, but if you do it right it can sound damn near identical to a real tube amp. At the very least it mimics a solid state amp running the best models available (fractal)

I've been using modelers and multi/fx for about 20 years : Yamaha DG Stomp, Boss GT-9, Vox ToneLab LE and now Helix.
I agree with 90% of what you said except for the High Cut. In a live situation, let the sound guy (that you pay good money for) dial in your sound in the mix.

If you cut too much, you will take the ability to properly "sound good" in front of the house.

Remember, you play for the audiance, not yourself.

I need help and an frfr my MX5 is strangled by my Vypyr VIP2 on a Trace Elliot acoustic model. Into the front end no effects loop, a modeler into a modeler and it sounds nothing like you!

Great video! At home i plug my hx stomp into the power amp in on my fender hrd.

So helpful. Thank you for reinforcing the maxim "If it sounds good to you, it IS good!" Going through the power section of a tube amp with the cabs and IRs still on is against the conventional wisdom, but if it gives you what you want, problem solved. I've got an FM9 that I haven't gigged with yet and want to run it through the power section of my Doctor Z Stang Ray (30 watt EL 84 circuit, essentially an American AC30) and I'm going to rent a large space and dial in tones at gig volume and try every option with regard to cabs, power amp section and IRs in the FM9.

All I know is that you now have me wanting a good modeller. The tones you get are awesome 👌.

Man i’d luv to hear you and Rabea do something together…please??

Man did you nail my problem. And it's nice to know I am not crazy. I have bought and sold 5-10 modelers and always go back to my amp. Also have finally accepted the fact that buying patches, while educational, is not a solution. Currently have the HX stomp and I sound like a rock star using my headphones but live it totally sucks. I will continue to try your very practical videos and tips. Thx

Thoughts on modulation in the chain? After cab?

Going into the return of your amp with an output of say an FM9 instead of the typical full range modeling cab? And keeping the IR block? I have to try this. I want to get into a modeling device like FM9 but want to keep my Fender amp.. really works? Thank you

Sick tones bro

Your strat looks exactly like mine -- mine is a warmoth build from the eighties, had it forever so it's crazy watching you holding my guitar. Paint scratches and whatnot.

Cool man. Thanks

what i would like is for people to understand that solid state amps and "modellers" are not always interchangeable as they are not one and the same.

love your videos, always super informative

What about the input signal on the quad cortex? Is there anything to consider, like lifting the input to get better sound or something?

spot on, as always. This is what we come here for

Fletcher Munson Curve is key understanding for any modeler when playing live and running direct.

Great video. You sort of reiterated what I’d been doing for a while with my Helix, but you also made me understand why it sounded good. Subscribed! 👍

What do you think about using tube amp power amp(fx return) with helix preamps?

jason sadites catchin strays left and right lmaooo

Brilliant vid & advice! Maaan your playing is always so dreamy, hope you’re well.

I’m one of those people who fast forwards the intro jam. Not on this channel.

I have to disagree with one thing, but that thing is taste. The tones I like are not super smooth, so where I put my cuts is quite different from yours. I generally don't like going lower than 10k, even with a 6dB slope. It makes everything quite dull, even with bright amps.
That said, I mainly go for studio recorded tones, not live tones, or in the room tones. For those I have my amp and speaker, running in 4CM. That same amp with a loadbox into the stomp has some IRs and cuts at 12k :p

As a near-boomer myself I'd like to affirm that I get fantastic tones from my modelers once I realized this simple truth: The tube-amp snobs are ALSO applying a huge hi-cut -- by simply pointing their cab at their knees. That vintage Deluxe with a tube screamer in front that sounds so fat? Get down on the floor and actually stick your head in front of the speaker. Yup. Harsh and fizzy.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
I applied a high cut on a few of my drive tones in my recently acquired Pod Go! Sounds WAY better to my ears. Tried it so far through Bose PA at home (at high volume) INSTEAD of studio monitors to try to replicate my performance set up. Also dropped the compressor.
I’m working with a new Fender American Acoustasonic Strat and Line 6 Pod Go. I chose the Pod Go in order to try to get the best acoustic sounds possible AND the best electric sounds possible from the hybrid guitar. Of course each “sound” (acoustic vs electric) needs its own amplification and processing to sound “right” and real. Instead of building a pedalboard with a few ABY boxes, multiple pedals and signal chains and DI’s and a cab sim, I figured a modeler would offer way more versatility, be less headache and less expensive.
I’ll probably eventually integrate the Pod Go into my regular band gig which is primarily electric guitar as opposed to my solo and duo stuff. I’m looking forward to applying more of the info you have shared in the near future! Thanks again from a new subscriber!

I run an axe fx 3 through a pair of Line 6 Powercab 112 +, and they are every bit as fun and "roomy" as my traditional amps were over the years, except that I don't need to damage my hearing to get great tones. Nowhere near as fun when listening through my studio monitors. I think if more people ran modelers through 12 inch speakers there would be less aversion to using them.

What a helpful, clear video. Thanks for the tips!

Amps are really expensive and not cost effective for a variety of sounds to money. Sure an amp can get more realistic sounds but you have tubes and other maintenance issues to deal with. It's nice to have a modeler in a studio through studio monitors for what I do but I have to admit that amps can do better in a live with a band situation for the most part.

Nailed it.
Modelers are modeling miced up amps. Not an amp in a room.
All these boomers and boomer brain washed young people that criticize modelers for not sounding like an amp in a room should know that they are doing nothing but demonstrating their own ignorance of this simple and obvious fact.

Phoning a Music Store: Do you have Jim Marshall in a Box?
Yes, we have many things like that...
Well, you better let him out.

It was funny a hundred years ago.

Beautiful intro as usual, which I try not to take for granted, but damn you always seem to improvise something awesome.
This video is a GREAT practical guide, and something I will be making use of in the baby step modeler I am currently on (NUX Amp Academy) regarding the Cabinet Hi Cut, especially..
Great stuff, Mate!

It might be a good idea to pursue the Compressor myth, and alternatives, further. I have found that what most guys believe, is that them are emulating speaker compression. Getting a punchy, clean, Strat tone…

Spot on advice! I mainly play with the Helix, just recently bought the Ampero 2. Hoping for more videos on this, too, happily dialed in your John Mayer sound… 😀. About the boost, I got my four main Snapshots: Clean, Break Up, OD and Lead, and one foot switch for an extra boost (went for 6 dB). Just a gain block at the very end of the signal chain. Recently I also added the volume pedal at the end of the signal chain, for more flexibility. (For gigs without anybody actively controlling the mixing board… )

Good advice John!

A more shallow hi cut is something I hadn't tried. I'd always heard to try the sharpest cut. I'm going to try this!

A multi-compressor and a good filter/eq you can mostly do everything you want. Compress low freq. and add/subtract in different freq. ranges will help you a lot.

I have an sp compressor on my board, thinking maybe i dont need it, as i can use hx. Maybe worth keeping it as a clean boost? Amp1 >hx stomp xl >expression pedal into foh and a cab

One of the only people talking sense🙌

Do you use amps at all anymore, or are you strictly using modellers?

I have only just stumbled across this channel 40 minutes ago. Good lord! Stellar content, superbly presented. Thank you. Subbed.

Thanks man! Would you recommend me for use it for studing with studio headphones?
Have a nice day!!!!

Thanks for this!! Could we get some more headrush gig board videos please? It’s a very “undemoed” modeler

Just what the dr ordered 😊

More importantly, the Input control of the amp sim is NOT and should NOT be set like the input gain of an audio interface. It's NOT a level control.
After setting the input gain of your audio interface correctly, the amp sim no longer can distinguish between low and high output pickups, they all are pretty much equally loud. Therefore, you lower the Input control to tell the amp sim that this is a low output pickup or you increase it to tell it that this is a high output pickup. That changes how the amp sim responds.

Great video man

Mr. John!!!! Why not a Wet Dry Wet set up video wide for those modelers?(Actually QC specially could be interesting)
Cheers!!!