Kemper or real amp for shows??

[Splawnman90]

I am thinking of buying the "Kemper" profiling amp - Not to sure if it beats the real thing? I have seen alot of bands run the Kemper to front of house but was wondering how this machine would handle going through an actual cabinet? if it were you, what would you go with for live performance? ive heard it can sound like shit but obviously can amps if not dialed in right :{

thoughts, concerns and tips

(I plan to run the profiles through the built power amp or maybe another one bought)

 

[squank]

I've used them through guitar speakers and also through FRFR/FOH. They can sound great either way.

In a band setting, there is no amp that sounds better than a Kemper. I've owned a lot of boutique amps, and at a gig, in the mix, dialed in correctly it's indistinguishable. Add to that all the different amp tones you can fit inside a Kemper, and the choice was easy for me.

 

[LP Freak]

They're great if you can get over the feel. Most guys eventually end up going back to their tube amp for a reason.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

Kemper is awesome if you play a lot of gigs
Did not work well for me in a loud rehearsal setting (which is where I always am lol)

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

Okay, I do not own one so take this with a grain of salt:

Working at a 1000 seat venue, I have seen a lot of bands, and a lot of kemper racks roll through. The only bands that sounded good to my ear were Trivium, and Amaranthe.

Testament sounded much better first time through with 5150III and Buddha. Queensryche, although close in sound, something was missing.

So, I guess it all depends.

 

[JerEvil]

Sound guy is a HUGE part of the live equation. Can be awesome and like all modelers, can be terrible live. At least with an amp, you have SOMETHING pushing sound from the stage.

I loved mine but it was a PITA as I brought tube power amps and 2x12 guitar cabs. For something simple, I made it very complicated. Here are some clips of my Quick Rod profiles

 

[TheWhiteShadow]

I haven't tried a Kemper but am always in this conundrum. Would like to get a Fender for blues, already have a Marshall for rock, so why not get a kemper?
Switch between 2 heads and all that? Or all in one? But will it sound as good? Do I want to carry all that stuff? And I'm in the middle of a refret!

 

[TheWhiteShadow]

Sound guy is a HUGE part of the live equation. Can be awesome and like all modelers, can be terrible live. At least with an amp, you have SOMETHING pushing sound from the stage.

I loved mine but it was a PITA as I brought tube power amps and 2x12 guitar cabs. For something simple, I made it very complicated. Here are some clips of my Quick Rod profiles

Oh I remember this clip. This is what got me started on contemplating a Kemper.

Edit: How did you record this clip? Was it very elaborate? It's an awesome tone over the computer.

 

[Monkey Man]

The Kemper eliminates the variables, many of which wreck your tone at FOH, that, well, vary from venue to venue (acoustics, mic placement and noise levels on stage).

It's like running your amp, perfectly-mic'd-up, in a studio, rather than the generally-crappy environments one endures whilst gigging. Even the best of venues cannot compete with top-notch studio environments.

You can run your favourite cab or FRFR box on stage and send the aforementioned "studio-quality" mic capture to FOH.

Also, the much-lighter load to be lugged around might extent your gigging career.

 

[maddnotez]

I've owned a lot of boutique amps, and at a gig, in the mix, dialed in correctly it's indistinguishable. Add to that all the different amp tones you can fit inside a Kemper, and the choice was easy for me.

They're great if you can get over the feel. Most guys eventually end up going back to their tube amp for a reason.

You can see it will come down to what do YOU prefer. I have never had a Kemper but I did have an AX8. I know it is apples to peaches BUT they are kind of similar in the fact neither are classic tube amps and both go FOH with FRFR and/or tube amp and cab.

I want a Kemper pretty bad. I would say if you can find a good deal then snag it up because it should not be too hard to unload if you do not like it.

The thing that really sold me on the Kemper is that it can in fact be indistinguishable from the real amp but it can also do more. I sold the AX8 but still say it is an amazing unit I just feel the Kemper would be more amp like.

This is a very lengthy podcast and I cannot remember what section talks about the Kemper but Keith Merrow sold me https://urm.academy/ep103-keith-merrow/

He talks about what I said above. You can capture the actual amp and nobody will ever know the difference but if you profile right you can also add more to the already awesome amp. Plus you can store tons and tons of killer stuff. Obvious he is referring to studio setting so live may be different Idk.

As far as the "Feel" idk. Wouldn't a powered Kemper and a guitar cab feel like a tube amp? Since technically it is a tube amp. I have never played one so I cannot say for sure.

 

[ejecta]

They're great if you can get over the feel. Most guys eventually end up going back to their tube amp for a reason.

Depends... if someone goes in to using one with the right expectations where you see there are pluses and minuses just like with any rig... you'll be fine. It's when people buy into this "it's exactly like a tube amp" business that people will have differing reactions. Some of those will not care due to the advantages meaning more to them than it not being dead nuts on like a tube amp and to some people the difference will be enough they don't see it's advantages in other areas as worth it and use a traditional rig.

Playing my AX8 isn't exactly like playing a real amp and probably never will but for some gigs it's better than a traditional rig so for me it depends on the gig. IMHO it's best to have both real amps and the digital units... that way you always have a choice. Then over time you can see if one rig isn't getting played at all. It would be only then I'd consider going just digital or traditional.

 

[ProgFree]

For me tube amps, always. Want consistency cab/mic wise just plug a cab sim device between the amp and the cab and it's done. I use a Two Notes torpedo Live for that purpose now, but used the Palmer stuff in the past.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

I tried to like the Kemper for gigs. Preferred my tube amps. It was lacking something. Like it needed 10%. Peeps said I needed a different neutral cab or whatever the hell they are called. Uh no, I have 9 4X12s. Promptly sold it.

YMMV

 

[Norton666]

I gigged 4 nights a week with a country band for all of last year with my Kemper. The other guitar player used a Matchless combo. I can tell with 100% certainty that out front , it was indistinguishable between the two. I loved the Kemper. I profiled an Orange Rocker 30 and I never once felt like my tone was lacking .

 

[squank]

They're great if you can get over the feel. Most guys eventually end up going back to their tube amp for a reason.

No, most guys don't eventually go back to their tube amps. Most guys I know stick with the Kemper.

Like any new system, there is a little learning curve (although much less than there was with my Axe-FX). You have to understand how to get it to do what you want. Out of the box it sounds great, but if you want it to sound amazing, you'll have to learn how to tweak it.

We spend years learning about how to get the best out of our tube amps, guitars, pedals, cabs, etc. The only people I know who go back to tube amps from the KPA are the ones who don't spend a little time figuring out how to dial it in. It's not even that hard, and there are TONS of resources online. But some old dogs don't want to learn new tricks.

 

[squank]

For me tube amps, always. Want consistency cab/mic wise just plug a cab sim device between the amp and the cab and it's done. I use a Two Notes torpedo Live for that purpose now, but used the Palmer stuff in the past.

After 20 years of playing tube amps live, my biggest complaint was their inherent tonal inconsistency. The Torpedo is great, but it's not changing the way the tubes act at different temperatures and humidities, varying AC power voltage, etc.

 

[ProgFree]

The Kemper EQ does not have the same Q, Phase factor etc of my amps, and that kills it for me when I want to eq in the Kemper. I can live with the small ac power differences and their effects in my tube amps, but the Kemper eq being far off from my amps eq is a no go. In fact ac power effects in my tube amps are negligible when I compare with just trying to get the low end right using the Kemper eq. IMHO. Ymmv.

 

[zuel69]

They're great if you can get over the feel. Most guys eventually end up going back to their tube amp for a reason.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Badronald]

In a band setting, there is no amp that sounds better than a Kemper.

Ok. Thanks for your input.

 

[Badronald]

The Kemper eliminates the variables

Do Kempers kill soundmen? I want one!