Kemper or Axe II - Owners input please

  • Thread starter Thread starter JerEvil
  • Start date Start date
Bob Savage":9usvvehi said:
LP Freak":9usvvehi said:
I use the Kemper live so I do allot of switching rigs throughout the night. On the latest updates they've really got the lag time down to a minimum. It really bothered me early on but it's all good now. As far as the tone, it's great to have consistent tone night after night. I'm not a big fx guy so a little reverb, delay and chorus go a long way with me.

New Years Eve with the Kemper
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That Kemper looks ugly man. You need a decent cabinet for it. Yeah, you do.

If you're interested it's yours for a stupid deal. I want it out of my way.

http://www.savagewoodworks.com/product/ ... t-cabinet/
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Bob that cab you made is awesome! It reminds me of one I made a few years back for my flextone which I thought I would keep for ever! :lol: :LOL:

DSC01758.jpg
 
JerEvil":14tmrpxe said:
crankyrayhanky":14tmrpxe said:
^ I actually have tried them all. There's oodles of solid profiles on the Rig Manager. Super easy to preview (unlike the early days), so even though there's crap it takes a second to move on. Looking at your sig reminds me of the Splawn profiles, somebody uploaded a slew of profiles on that amp with all the gears and other variables. Plenty of 5150s & Rectos too.
"Crap" profiles could also be a signal chain mismatch; ie a super strat guitar tweaked with BK Juggernauts may or may not sound as great with a LP Burstbucker setup.
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Once I get it I'll definitely be combing through those. I've had s few friends send me profiles they have posted that sound amazing so I should have a pretty good basis for comparison. Is there any kind of editor for the Kempet yet? Is it not necessary?
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download the rig manager...makes things much easier
 
What midi controller are you all using? I'm going to be using my VooDoo Lab GCP. Not sure if it'll be 4 preset w/instant access or 10 preset.

I'll definitely get the Kemper controller once it's been out a bit.
 
no controller right now...my new kemper just arrived. I'm waiting on the Kemper controller but if I get in a bind, I'm not sure yet.
 
Vrad":f0sal5d2 said:
JerEvil":f0sal5d2 said:
Vrad":f0sal5d2 said:
So I bit the bullet and bought a KPA about a month ago and I've been profiling the shit out of my amps and some borrowed amps and I will say this... The unit is absolutely dead-on to a miked up cab as far as I can tell. The amazing part is it's not just the sound, but the actual feel of the amp. Alien technology I sez! I'd go so far as to say that the profiled amps sound BETTER to me than the real thing! They sound more polished and professional. They also sit in a mix with absolutely no post-processing. That said, it is a very funny piece of gear in that it's got a lot going on and requires the individual to be fairly adept at miking up cabinets to really get the most out of the unit, which is why there's a 3rd party profile industry that seems to be sprouting up around it. Now I bought the KPA with the full intention of never needing an amp again but I found the profiles it came with to be lack-luster and many of the pro and community-shared profiles were not to my liking either so I went ahead and started profiling. Much to my surprise I enjoy the process of profiling and it's made me think of getting my hands on other amps to add to my profile collection.

As far as the comparison to the Axe Fx, I don't own the Axe but I can say that some of the best sounding profiles I've found were the ones that were profiled FROM the Axe FX (yes you can do that :) ). So there is definitely no compromise when it comes to sound quality between these two units.

Ultimately I think they're both great at what they do but they seem to serve a different purpose. The Axe FX is a preamp and is basically a sound-generating unit. The KPA steals the soul of whatever you want to run it through. When I tell you it's uncanny it really is. I was blown away by the profiling process and the tweaking that can be done afterwards.

Which brings me to another point...
Tweaking EQ, gain etc. is not quite like tweaking controls on a modeler or emulation of an amp. It's also not quite like tweaking the source amp. I would equate it more to post-processing than anything else. While it offers a degree of flexibility, it's designed to be more of a refining tool rather than sound-generating tool. For example, tweaking the amp profile's EQ too drastically, would yield an unnatural sound. While small adjustments really take the profile to the next level while retaining its integrity. Don't get me started on tweaking the actual FEEL of the amp. It's like magic. Adjusting the power sagging and clarity to make the profile more or less in-your-face or to make it softer to play is really cool.

Anyway... long winded post here but I figured I'd give people my overall impression.
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Decided on the Kemper. Very much looking forward to getting it. Did you find it relatively easy to get profiles you are happy with? I want my Quickrod profiled first and foremost.
Click to expand...

Some were easy and some were a bit more finicky. But I play my profiles of my amps 90% of time.
Speaking of Quickrod...
here's one of my profiles of my QR. Pardon the slop
https://soundcloud.com/vladimir-berns/kpa-quickrod
Click to expand...
Just listen to your clip about five more times now. Sounds fantastic!
 
Fretburner":uretc4u4 said:
Bob that cab you made is awesome! It reminds me of one I made a few years back for my flextone which I thought I would keep for ever! :lol: :LOL:
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Very nice!
 
danyeo":2qaqscw0 said:
smdb":2qaqscw0 said:
wizardy":2qaqscw0 said:
Id say an axefx or a kemper with a good tube amp is the way to go
Try both and see which one suit your needs the best
As long as you pair them with a good tube poweramp and a guitar cab

You can get good tones out of both box

I'm an axefx guy since 2011 but i could have chosen a kemper at that time if it was available..

I can't justify owning both units
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Tube amps will have a huge impact on your sound with the Kemper. Personally , I did not think the KPA sounded very good with a tube power amp and a guitar speaker cab.. The Kemper is supposed to give a "finished product" type of sound, and the best way to get that is with the FRFR speakers. Tube amps and guitar speaker cabs will color the sound quite a bit. I am not saying you cannot do it and get a great sound, I just prefer the FRFR method for my monitor and go direct to FOH for my sound out front. YMMV
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My friend had the Kemper on a Mesa 2:90 through 4x12's and I thought it sounded like shit. But, we HAD to be doing something wrong because I hear clips and videos where it sounds great. I know we had the cab sims off though so I'm not sure what we did wrong. I had an Axe standard on a Mesa 2:90 and that did sound pretty damm good to me.
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Dan, maybe we can try to work something out in a month or two and I will shoot you my Kemper for a couple of weeks to try out at home. I'll tell you what, I love my Kemper and has easily made me a better player.I think I remember you tried one out previously and had a bad experience. I have some absolutely killer profiles loaded in my Kemper and think you might like it better now.

I'll PM you around March/April if you are interested.
 
gibson5413":3q35pybg said:
danyeo":3q35pybg said:
smdb":3q35pybg said:
wizardy":3q35pybg said:
Id say an axefx or a kemper with a good tube amp is the way to go
Try both and see which one suit your needs the best
As long as you pair them with a good tube poweramp and a guitar cab

You can get good tones out of both box

I'm an axefx guy since 2011 but i could have chosen a kemper at that time if it was available..

I can't justify owning both units
Click to expand...


Tube amps will have a huge impact on your sound with the Kemper. Personally , I did not think the KPA sounded very good with a tube power amp and a guitar speaker cab.. The Kemper is supposed to give a "finished product" type of sound, and the best way to get that is with the FRFR speakers. Tube amps and guitar speaker cabs will color the sound quite a bit. I am not saying you cannot do it and get a great sound, I just prefer the FRFR method for my monitor and go direct to FOH for my sound out front. YMMV
Click to expand...


My friend had the Kemper on a Mesa 2:90 through 4x12's and I thought it sounded like shit. But, we HAD to be doing something wrong because I hear clips and videos where it sounds great. I know we had the cab sims off though so I'm not sure what we did wrong. I had an Axe standard on a Mesa 2:90 and that did sound pretty damm good to me.
Click to expand...



Dan, maybe we can try to work something out in a month or two and I will shoot you my Kemper for a couple of weeks to try out at home. I'll tell you what, I love my Kemper and has easily made me a better player.I think I remember you tried one out previously and had a bad experience. I have some absolutely killer profiles loaded in my Kemper and think you might like it better now.

I'll PM you around March/April if you are interested.
Click to expand...

That would be awesome, I'd love to try it again. I'll pay for shipping!
 
gibson5413":1w1bf4bv said:
Vrad":1w1bf4bv said:
Some were easy and some were a bit more finicky. But I play my profiles of my amps 90% of time.
Speaking of Quickrod...
here's one of my profiles of my QR. Pardon the slop
https://soundcloud.com/vladimir-berns/kpa-quickrod
Click to expand...


Wow dude, these sound great! That is the best sounding QR profile i have heard. Your playing is awesome too!
Click to expand...

That would fool me if I took the Pepsi challenge.
 
JerEvil":hsi0nq5u said:
Vrad":hsi0nq5u said:
JerEvil":hsi0nq5u said:
Vrad":hsi0nq5u said:
So I bit the bullet and bought a KPA about a month ago and I've been profiling the shit out of my amps and some borrowed amps and I will say this... The unit is absolutely dead-on to a miked up cab as far as I can tell. The amazing part is it's not just the sound, but the actual feel of the amp. Alien technology I sez! I'd go so far as to say that the profiled amps sound BETTER to me than the real thing! They sound more polished and professional. They also sit in a mix with absolutely no post-processing. That said, it is a very funny piece of gear in that it's got a lot going on and requires the individual to be fairly adept at miking up cabinets to really get the most out of the unit, which is why there's a 3rd party profile industry that seems to be sprouting up around it. Now I bought the KPA with the full intention of never needing an amp again but I found the profiles it came with to be lack-luster and many of the pro and community-shared profiles were not to my liking either so I went ahead and started profiling. Much to my surprise I enjoy the process of profiling and it's made me think of getting my hands on other amps to add to my profile collection.

As far as the comparison to the Axe Fx, I don't own the Axe but I can say that some of the best sounding profiles I've found were the ones that were profiled FROM the Axe FX (yes you can do that :) ). So there is definitely no compromise when it comes to sound quality between these two units.

Ultimately I think they're both great at what they do but they seem to serve a different purpose. The Axe FX is a preamp and is basically a sound-generating unit. The KPA steals the soul of whatever you want to run it through. When I tell you it's uncanny it really is. I was blown away by the profiling process and the tweaking that can be done afterwards.

Which brings me to another point...
Tweaking EQ, gain etc. is not quite like tweaking controls on a modeler or emulation of an amp. It's also not quite like tweaking the source amp. I would equate it more to post-processing than anything else. While it offers a degree of flexibility, it's designed to be more of a refining tool rather than sound-generating tool. For example, tweaking the amp profile's EQ too drastically, would yield an unnatural sound. While small adjustments really take the profile to the next level while retaining its integrity. Don't get me started on tweaking the actual FEEL of the amp. It's like magic. Adjusting the power sagging and clarity to make the profile more or less in-your-face or to make it softer to play is really cool.

Anyway... long winded post here but I figured I'd give people my overall impression.
Click to expand...
Decided on the Kemper. Very much looking forward to getting it. Did you find it relatively easy to get profiles you are happy with? I want my Quickrod profiled first and foremost.
Click to expand...

Some were easy and some were a bit more finicky. But I play my profiles of my amps 90% of time.
Speaking of Quickrod...
here's one of my profiles of my QR. Pardon the slop
https://soundcloud.com/vladimir-berns/kpa-quickrod
Click to expand...
Just listen to your clip about five more times now. Sounds fantastic!
Click to expand...

When you get your KPA, let me know. I have a couple profiles you might dig.
 
gibson5413":19lsn0k9 said:
Vrad":19lsn0k9 said:
Some were easy and some were a bit more finicky. But I play my profiles of my amps 90% of time.
Speaking of Quickrod...
here's one of my profiles of my QR. Pardon the slop
https://soundcloud.com/vladimir-berns/kpa-quickrod
Click to expand...


Wow dude, these sound great! That is the best sounding QR profile i have heard. Your playing is awesome too!
Click to expand...
Thanks man!
My playing has been terrible as of late due to work, family... and now tweaking this fucking thing.. :D
 
danyeo":2a3k07kq said:
gibson5413":2a3k07kq said:
Vrad":2a3k07kq said:
Some were easy and some were a bit more finicky. But I play my profiles of my amps 90% of time.
Speaking of Quickrod...
here's one of my profiles of my QR. Pardon the slop
https://soundcloud.com/vladimir-berns/kpa-quickrod
Click to expand...


Wow dude, these sound great! That is the best sounding QR profile i have heard. Your playing is awesome too!
Click to expand...

That would fool me if I took the Pepsi challenge.
Click to expand...

Danny, honestly... it's the amp. It's like you're playing a recording of your amp.
 
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