Received my Headrush Prime a week ago, but with work, hadn't had time to explore it, but am now. For reference, I also have an AX8, HR Pedalboard original, and a Digitech RP360XP. While I haven't used the Antares (which I will love for the harmonies), or the amp capture (which will be capturing my Ecstacy, SLO, and 69 Superbass), here are some initial thoughts. First, the Prime is a big, heavy, well-built, beautiful piece of kit. From every angle, this thing exudes quality, everything first class! The screen is beautiful, the controls smooth and silky, and it looks beautiful. Maybe it's big and heavy, but big and heavy usually equates to tough and durable, which I think it will be. Quality construction!! Truly a beautiful unit.
On to the tones! With tons of HR amp models, good Revalver amp models, good cab models, and 300 IRs, plus access to the cloud for free downloads, there isn't any amp/effect you can't recreate with very high quality. However, the more I use modelers from all brands, the more I realize modelers have characteristic voicing tendencies just like tube amps. My Soldano SLO is nothing like my Bogner Ecstacy. Soldanos are bright amps, voiced mid high, the proverbial Ferrari shriek. Bogners are darker, woodier tones voiced bigger, more low mid, the American muscle car. Bogner and Soldano players are very different camps, because each have characteristic voicings, and so do modelers! Line 6 products always have that characteristic Line 6 voicing, usually bright and gainy (which I love!). Headrush products in contrast, definitely lean smooth and round. People who love brighter products will love Line 6 voicing and Soldano stuff. People who love more rounder tones and low mid woodyness love Bogner stuff, and will love Headrush stuff! There is definitely a characteristic difference in voicing with modeler companies, a big factor that will determine if you like the tones to me. My Fractal AX8 splits the difference tonally btw HR and Line 6 stuff, striking a nice balance. Steve Vai, someone I really look up to, hates bright amps, which is why his Legacy amps (which I have) are similar to Bogner and Headrush stuff, not bright, and more soothing tones than the "Ferrari Shriek" of other amps. And of course he plays a very bright Ibanez Jem which matters as well. The tones in HR products are absolutely beautiful, the tones in my AX8 are absolutely beautiful, but they are different in voicing. I never look at tone as better or worse, just different! Unique tones get me thinking of songwriting ideas where I can showcase unique tones and sounds. Is a Bogner Ecstacy better than a Soldano SLO...no. Is an SLO better than an Ecstacy, no, they are just different, very different. Even my Digitech RP360XP can generate unique tones none of my other units can, all gear has contributions to make! I think people should take this mindset into judging modelers as well. Not everyone will like the more low-mid roundness of HR stuff, but not everyone likes the brighter, gainy voicing of Line 6 stuff either. Different strokes for different folks. One man's heaven is another man's hell. There will never be a "best" amp as people's tastes range so greatly. In closing, the HR Prime is a beautiful product capable of so much, but understand no one product will ever be everything to everybody. Just my 2 cents.....
On to the tones! With tons of HR amp models, good Revalver amp models, good cab models, and 300 IRs, plus access to the cloud for free downloads, there isn't any amp/effect you can't recreate with very high quality. However, the more I use modelers from all brands, the more I realize modelers have characteristic voicing tendencies just like tube amps. My Soldano SLO is nothing like my Bogner Ecstacy. Soldanos are bright amps, voiced mid high, the proverbial Ferrari shriek. Bogners are darker, woodier tones voiced bigger, more low mid, the American muscle car. Bogner and Soldano players are very different camps, because each have characteristic voicings, and so do modelers! Line 6 products always have that characteristic Line 6 voicing, usually bright and gainy (which I love!). Headrush products in contrast, definitely lean smooth and round. People who love brighter products will love Line 6 voicing and Soldano stuff. People who love more rounder tones and low mid woodyness love Bogner stuff, and will love Headrush stuff! There is definitely a characteristic difference in voicing with modeler companies, a big factor that will determine if you like the tones to me. My Fractal AX8 splits the difference tonally btw HR and Line 6 stuff, striking a nice balance. Steve Vai, someone I really look up to, hates bright amps, which is why his Legacy amps (which I have) are similar to Bogner and Headrush stuff, not bright, and more soothing tones than the "Ferrari Shriek" of other amps. And of course he plays a very bright Ibanez Jem which matters as well. The tones in HR products are absolutely beautiful, the tones in my AX8 are absolutely beautiful, but they are different in voicing. I never look at tone as better or worse, just different! Unique tones get me thinking of songwriting ideas where I can showcase unique tones and sounds. Is a Bogner Ecstacy better than a Soldano SLO...no. Is an SLO better than an Ecstacy, no, they are just different, very different. Even my Digitech RP360XP can generate unique tones none of my other units can, all gear has contributions to make! I think people should take this mindset into judging modelers as well. Not everyone will like the more low-mid roundness of HR stuff, but not everyone likes the brighter, gainy voicing of Line 6 stuff either. Different strokes for different folks. One man's heaven is another man's hell. There will never be a "best" amp as people's tastes range so greatly. In closing, the HR Prime is a beautiful product capable of so much, but understand no one product will ever be everything to everybody. Just my 2 cents.....
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