Kemper Profiling... Guitar cabinets or monitors?

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TrueTone500

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I ordered a Kemper Profiler rack today. Is a full range monitor setup best, or should I use a stereo tube power amp w/guitar cabinets?

I would have liked to try the Kemper before buying, but there are no merchants in my area that stocks them. I spent all day reviewing opinions on Axe Fx vs. Kemper... In the end it came down to YT clips:



Here's an incredible sounding Kemper VOX AC30 profile.



Cornford MK50H II here. A bit heavy on the reverb...

 
I honestly think the Kemper sounds best through monitors...however, I'm speaking about studio monitors while recording... when I tried mine with a power amp and cab I didn't like it near as much...

BEST is a really tough thing to judge obviously, because when talking about a live show, it can mean so many different things... monitors are never going to give you the feel of a 4x12 cab pushing air behind you...

... not sure if any of this helps, just my experience!
 
I played one at a guy's house through M audio monitors and they were active so they powered the kemper. Sounded unbelievable, and I've always been wary of modelers.

I basically *need* one now. While I haven't played one through a separate power amp or through a cab I can't imagine that sounds better as I think the other two variables would color the tone some and take away from the accuracy of the kemper amp's profiles.
 
I prefer using a powered monitor - because then you get more of the flavor of each amp/cab combination. If you play a good fender twin profile through a powered monitor, it sounds like a fender twin. If you play that profile through a guitar cab and power amp, it sounds like a fender amp plugged into that guitar cab.

If you do the guitar cab route, consider using profiles taken from the line out or preamp out only - you might prefer the tone. I just did a set of Mesa Quad Preamp profiles (60) and Kemper just released some amp profiles taken from the line out or fx return. I think direct out profiles are the way to go if you run a guitar cab.

BTW, once you get your kemper, if you decide to use a powered monitor, take it to guitar center or a place like that and audition everything in your price range. I really like the Alto10TS speakers - they are cheap and rugged. And sound great for guitar IMHO.
 
Thanks for the replies. :)

So I can do DI amplifier profiles then? Can I go: Cornford RK100>Rivera Rockcrusher line-out>DI to the Kemper vs. setting up mics in-front of a cabinet? I want to profile my RK100 with various mods. My plan is to list modded (and stock) RK100 profiles as downloads on the Kemper website. By example, I'm waiting on some WIMA Black Box caps, so that profile will be titled: "Cornford RK100 WIMA BB". Another will be titled: "Cornford RK100 33K Slope". I just hope the learning-curve isn't too steep? I don't have a lot of patience when it come to programming, but the Kemper appears quite user-friendly.

I'm also going to check-out the Liquid Foot midi boards... I've read that they are making a board that's designed specifically for the Kemper.
 
I would go the powered monitor route. Lots of good options. Sounds fantastic through my desktop monitors. I just purchased an Atomic CLR powered wedge. Love it!! Takes advantage of the amp/cab profile the way my desktop monitors do but gives me stage volume. Tried it with my band and it sounded awesome. I can use it as a backline cab or a traditional wedge monitor. It is super loud!
 
a friend has had one since day one, and sometime last year gave me a demo of some of the tones he had on there (AC30 , plexi , XTC profiles) , first through the return of his Naylor half stack/4x12 which sounded decent, but it absolutely destroyed through a powered monitor he had

all the profiles sounded as they should with more of each amp's character and not to mention tone

you can disable the cabinet on the various profiles, but i'm not too sure how effective it is seeing as the profiles are in essence capturing the whole micing process/cab etc.. , tried a kemper through a power amp/cab recently and wasn't too amazed by it

Kemper have released 'preamp' profiles recently, which i think are in response to people who run it into power amp/cabinet ,

does anyone here know how a powered monitor stands up in a band rehearsal? (where either no PA or just used for vocals..) ie. how does it sit in the mix etc..
 
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