Vlog - Axe-Fx vs. Amplifire | Which One I Chose & Why

This is a sit down, heart to heart vlog where I talk about my experience with the Axe-Fx and Amplifire. I tried them both and posted the head to head clips. If you're looking for those videos to hear the sounds for yourselves please go to those clips on my channel. This video is simply my opinion and explanation of why I ended up going with the unit I chose in the end.

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[KelsterVonShredster]

Awesome video, could not have said it any better. Kemper, Fractal, Amplifire, Line 6, Zoom, and the list goes on...all excellent depending on their application. Why people have to fight about it and berate each other over it is beyond me.

[greatvanzini]

Wow! That is a big statement. Appreciate your honesty here. Refreshing. The Axe-Fx sounds like my old Vox Tone Lab. Layer upon layer of parameters. I still couldn't get it dialed in.

[lchown]

Thanks for putting these vids up Kley....very helpful!

[misticformula]

this kind of explanation is really helpful. thanks for taking the time to make this video.

[fadejmg]

Great choice, and great vlog. Congrats for your decision! Cheers from Argentina.

[haraldkal]

I am a happy Axe-FX II owner and I have seriously considered getting an Amplifire simply due to the small form factor, especially after watching your videos. I would probably still keep kill the Axe-FX for studio use. The Amplifire is so small that you can seriously take it with you in a gigbag and the three buttons are more than enough for me.
I can so relate to most of what you said. Thanks for sharing! :)

[speedyu]

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I look forward to seeing your pedal board.

[TempleOfFive]

Well said Kley, i'm loving my Amplifire so far and am looking forward to going home tonight and trying what Paul Provost put below because i'm using the Tech21 PowerEngine also.

[timgittar]

Thanks for this. You hit on all the points I've been reflecting on.

[stub]

This vlog has stopped me making an expensive mistake! I have an Atomic Amplifire and an Eventide H9 so I'm in a similar boat to you. Was thinking about checking the Helix / AX8, but am now convinced the tone "improvement" would be miniscule. Also, it would mean learning a new system.

[penge]

Very useful info, thank you for sharing!

[jaredw]

I can see you really considered these two. From your comments and some youtube sound comparisons I'm going to order an Amplifire...when they get back in stock...

[MMike]

Kley...Well thought out comments as usual...I understand why you're making the move...

Last fall I got and FX8 instead of an Axe Effects for basically the same reasons you've stated...I didn't need a Ferrari...But I did

need a Lexus...The FX8...Again, great comments on your part...I'll stay tuned to your channel!

[PhiLikeFlying]

I got the Amplifire 12 arriving tomorrow - i currently use a Kemper profiler, but even that i found to have too much going on that i dont need.. so after a lot of research, and after checking out other floor units such Helix/AX8 and headrush, the amplifire is what im going for - and i cant wait.. :D

[RunawayThumbtack]

Great insight at the core: there are many modelers out there now that can all do the job well enough.

I do have a (minor, and-to [hopefully] prevent it from degrading into the abyss that is YouTube comment bickering- _friendly_ ) bone to pick with the idea that a company that specializes in something (e.g. the Strymon/El Capistan) necessarily does it better because it sounds close-minded and reminiscent of the old absolutist "you just can't get that tone without tubes" thinking that prevents progress from gaining support. Of course, there's no reason why one company can't be the best at everything-and as it attracts the best talent, that _should_ eventually come to be the case (especially when one company only has to innovate on the software algorithm, and the other is bogged down with making new hardware to go with it...though that again comes down to how much the company is investing in it).

I'm not implying that people who favor Strymons are "wrong", of course, but I am suggesting that we're at a point where we should be on the lookout for the "old winners" getting overtaken by folks whose technology is simply better-suited to innovate quickly, and we shouldn't be reluctant to call the winners as we hear them if that's what our ears tell us (if/when that becomes the case).

[cheeseUout]

for those that are offended that the Amplifire is slightly better than the Axe FX 2, remember the Axe FX 2 came out in 2013, and amplifire came out in 2015. so theres 2 years of improvement in technology

[AndersonCustomGuitar]

Great Vid!! I just sold my AXE II + for the same reasons. I found myself only using one patch live with two effects. The delays were alright but IMO they don't sound as good as a Timeline or Flashback. You have me curious about that zoom.

[DeadRoman]

For twice the price you can get rid of all your pedals and run the ax8. If the amplifire was closer to 300 it might be on my radar.

[deadasfak]

Damn I should have bought the Amplifire instead of a USED axe fx ultra. While I enjoy the abilities of the axe (routing options effects etc), it's an unsupported model, and it cost more than this rig. I was saving up for it and even went into a little debt to buy it. If I had known about the Amplifire I probably wouldn't have gone through the hassle last year.

[superjarri]

great video man, I will go for the amplifire too. But, what the fuck is happening behind the scenes? lol