Fractal Audio Axe-fx +, -, ? and now Kemper KPA has arrived.

  • Thread starter Thread starter DADA
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Gorehog - I can understand being slightly disappointed by the II coming out but 6 months is a long time. What company lets you know of products coming that far in advance? The only ones that do are companies in markets where they are behind and are trying to get a little FUD out there so folks don't buy their competitor's products.

DADA - your sig contains this line: "Fractal Audio's Ultra and MFC-101=> is pissing over his customers due to monopoly"
You really think Fractal has a monopoly? Seriously? They probably have the smallest market share of all the companies in the modeling business. That's about as close the opposite of monopoly as you can get. If you mean they have a monopoly on the Axe-FX itself, that'd be pretty silly because every company has a monopoly on their own products. If you're so pissed at Fractal, why don't you just move on? I get that a lot of folks are frustrated with Fractal (particularly outside the US) but at a certain point you have to just let it go - it's just a sound processor and there is so much fantastic gear out there to use instead.
 
Hippietim,

Thanks for your opinion! I decided to stop my critical opinion here because a new product is launched which will probably make an end to the fractal attitude and behaviour.

Like many others here in Europe I decided to switch to the Kemper which will be almost 1000 Euro cheaper then the new II.

Bey bey to all the FASsers!
 
I love how the title of the thread is continually edited, like a scrolling text billboard in the city. :lol: :LOL:
 
Mine's incoming. As is a second one. We'll see what this is all about - but honestly, I'm stoked for sure, but my big rig has been really stamping a smile on my face for a couple weeks now.

Peace,
Mo
 
I've got to say, I'm looking at the Kemper and it seems really interesting but I have this feeling that most of the user generated content will be garbage due to crappy hardware, amp settings, lack of recording experience, etc. I also fear that any of the better "patches" will be brought by companies offering their patches for a fee. I'd like to see how the amps, effects and cabinets are going to work. Like the AxeFX, the patches will mostly likely be "gear" dependent where a patch may not sound as they were intended to sound due to difference in Poweramps and speaker cabinets.

What I've found on the net so far sounds good but I just feel it won't offer the flexibility the AxeFX does and will most likely be a pain to nail certain types of sounds if the patches are garbage or if nobody had the chance to record Robben Ford's Dumble through magical speakers nobody can get ahold of or whatever :lol: :LOL:

As frustrating as the whole Fractal situation is right now, I know the hardware is exactly what I'm looking for. It wouldn't make any sense for me to go back to tube amps at the moment. I'm not interested in going through the whole amp/speaker/attenuator/pedal hell that I can't afford anyways.

Ventura, is the AxeFX II from your coupon on the way or has Tone Merchants received some good news? I'll be looking forward to your review.
 
Ventura":2l42uehj said:
Mine's incoming. As is a second one. We'll see what this is all about - but honestly, I'm stoked for sure, but my big rig has been really stamping a smile on my face for a couple weeks now.

Peace,
Mo
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??? How did you get ahold of two???!!! What place were you on the TM list?
 
Avenyr,

I am not going to defend Kemper on this moment in time. But in potential a clone of an amp/cab should always be more accurate then a model based on its electronics. Lots of amp clones will be part of the purchase. I also have acces to 2 professional studio's with lots of amps so just make some clones of the amps and cabinets instead of lots of time dialing a tone which will never be 100% accurate. And working from an exact clone to make your own sound is much more gratifying. Splitting the clone in an amp part and cab part is also possible. So you make your own Red Wirez cab clones. Trying other one's clones will be the same as the axe-fx with the same amount of shit patches.

So here is the ability to have the exact sound and feel of the real deal. More time playing guitar instead of knob fobbling time. And like now with the AFX I only will use a handfull of sounds and a few effects.

I really do not like the looks of it so maybe I wait till a 2U or 3U model comes out. But for most it is almost 1000 euro cheaper here in the EU and you get a 100% accurate sound and feel. I see it as the next big step in the guitar world. What Cliff invented is good, very good. What Kemper invented is in potential even better.

For most I feel sorry for Sussi from G66. Waiting already a year for new products to sell and seeing your european customers deciding for the Kemper. That must me hurting. But this is exactly my warning in my first post in this thread. Time has overhault Cliff that is for sure.
 
Have to admit, Im looking at the Kemper too.

The good:

1. Sounds very life like from the clips (admitedly thats not a true reflection of the sounds in the flesh). Id go as far as to say better than the AFX2 clips Ive heard.

2. The Price compared to the AFX2.

The Bad -

1. If (like me) you dont have amps toprofile that part of the unit is worthless (iod much prefere a 2U"player").

2. The look - god awfull. But again a 2U rack version would be more palatable.

3. Its a "snapshot". There is EQ and gain controls but there not based on the amp - its Kempers own "stack". Basically that means as soon as you move a control your going to be further away from the real amp that the Axe is.


The Upshot:

Kemper have stated that if profiles are taken with all controles at noon, there will be in the future the ability to download the tonestack data for that amp - meaning tweeks will reflect tweeks on the real amp. Theres no info on a possible rack unit. IF the AFX2 finally becomes available in the EU (more pertinant - available to me) before the "downloadable tonestack" is available for the Kemper (so probably) then Ill go for the AFX2 as I know Fractals units (having used a standard for 3 years now). IF a Rack unit is announced by Kemper before the AFX2 is available Ill have to SERIOUSLY consider it - I could get the Kemper AND kleep my Standard. If the "downloadable EQ profiles" ABND a rack is announded before the AFX2 availabililty it will be (for me) a no brainer and Ill be jumping ship.
 
Paul,

I already decided against the AFXII anyway. To my opinion to much money for just a small step forward. Maybe Andy from Matrix should contact Kemper because that would be the next question. Also the Kemper must be amplified for stage use. The third question is the cab and drivers.

Man the thought; taking your favorite tube amp hook it up with your cabinet/drivers (in my case TT-Cabs with EVM 12L) dial in your favorit tones from that amp (in my case low, mid and high gain) and clone these sounds in the Kemper. You are done and have a 100% accuracy and feel.

Much more time playing and enjoying your tone!
 
DADA":2m16b9wm said:
Like many others here in Europe I decided to switch to the Kemper
Click to expand...

Many others, Dada? The Kemper isn't even available yet. ;)

It certainly looks promising. What bothers me about the design that it operates on the basis of "one moment" snapshots. Profile with fixed settings. A clone: yes. Until you start to dial the tone gain/tone controls, because Kemper doesn't model these.

Kemper site: "That's why we've decided to go with our own, original design which is based on a traditional tone stack but delivers what you expect from a modern pro-grade equalizer."

So say I've got a great Kemper profile of the Bogner Ecstasy I owned. But the profile has too much gain and too much bass for my liking. As soon as I turn the dials it won't react like my betrusted Bogner anymore. Solution would be to create another profile, but that way I would end up with lots of profiles for a single amp, hardly convenient.

I realize this is all theory, because it isn't here yet. I'm just discussing design principles.
 
He another friend,
Yek long time no see!

Well, if you ditch in some german guitar forums there are at least 5 guys who cancelled their AFXII order in just 1week. Today starting from 18.00 in Hamburg till Saterday this apparatus is firstly explained by Kemper himself in Hamburg and after that people can try it out by themselves. So one can expect more news after the weekend and prob more AFXII cancelations. It would not be a surpruse to me that G66 will also be there to check this thing out. Know your competition you know.

This tonestack behaviour is looked at like Paul Mapp said. But if you made, for example 3 profiles, a low gain, mid gain and high gain (like I do with the AFX) of 1 amp your done also.

Even better Yek, imagine, getting your favorite Bogner Ecstasy head combined with your great new speakers from TT-cabs, dialing in the 3 profiles of your amp, you can start altering different aspects of that sound starting from the 100% clone instead of searching for 50 sweet spots in the AFX. Less consuming knob fobbling.

I like the concept very much. Although I have still questions about the form factor and that it is mono.

One thing is for sure. It will change the industry and for a very compatitive price.
 
Yeah, I'm very curious about the first user experiences.
If it delivers, everyone wins.
 
:) I hope everyone cancels their axe2 orders and gets the Kemper.
 
In any case, if the Kemper turns out to a serious contender to the AxeFX II, given the price they'll be selling it at, I think it'll make a fine addition next to my AxeFX II that is if I ever receive it! What do you think ?!
 
Avenyr":3pbkv95m said:
In any case, if the Kemper turns out to a serious contender to the AxeFX II, given the price they'll be selling it at, I think it'll make a fine addition next to my AxeFX II that is if I ever receive it! What do you think ?!
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NO THAT IS TOO REASONABLE!

You must spurn the Axe-FX II and at the very least sell it, if you're unable to burn or smash it.
 
Yek":1ebg8elv said:
So say I've got a great Kemper profile of the Bogner Ecstasy I owned. But the profile has too much gain and too much bass for my liking. As soon as I turn the dials it won't react like my betrusted Bogner anymore.
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Hmmm...this means a player may have to use ears to dial in a sound as opposed to eyes :poke:

J/K...I think your speculation is spot on. I'm interested to see how this thing works in the real world...it has its work cut out for it in order to equal or exceed the Axe-Fx.
 
Gorehog":1lu6kb52 said:
:) I hope everyone cancels their axe2 orders and gets the Kemper.
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I doubt it. At the end of the day, the Fractal product is still a perfect 2U in size and boasts a shitload of studio grade effects IN ADDITION TO its over-the-top models/emulations. They've really got it going on, as upsetting to some as that might be.

Peace,
Mo
 
Depends what Kemper has in mind. For the time beeing the combination Kemoer for the amp/cab part and the Ultra for effects could be a welcomed solution. It al depends of the effects Kemper has. And to be honest I do not use a shitload of effects anyway. Back then I decided for the Utra because of the larger memory.
 
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