Kemper vx Axe FX II for PURE AMP tones

[Doughboy]

I'm looking into the Kemper lunch Box unit with built in power amp.

I'm not looking for fancy effects, just pure realistic amp tones & it seems that the Kemper is the unit to get for pure tone.

The AXE FX II has amazing effects & good amp tones, but not as full & realistic as the Kemper.

Has anyone spend enough time with both to give an honest review of with unit is best for just pure basic realistic sounding & feeling amp tones?

 

[Kruegmeister]

I cannot comment on the Kemper, but for me the AxeFX II was awesome, but FRFR Monitoring was where it fell short for me (Full Range Flat Response)
I could not get good musical guitar feedback and when I tried a Diezel D-Moll Half Stack I felt no need for the AxeFX II anymore other than recording.
It records very well, but I could not get the right feel without running it into a Tube Power Amp and Guitar Cab.
I have heard people say similar about the Kemper, that using a Monitor is where it falls short.

After about a Year on the Modeler Train, I went back to a Tube amp and a Pedal Board and could not be happier.

 

[Ventura]

Axe-II slays. Sorry, this statement is all IMHO and YMMV.

This thread will definitely get a lot of divided comments I am sure.

 

[JerEvil]

I think at the end of the day, unless you can try both you are just goin to have to buy one and go with it. Clips and opinions will always fail in comparison to spending that much money and playing it for yourself.

I've wanted both units but realize I will never EVER need access to that many tones. A good versatile tube amp and something like the Two Notes Torpedo is all I need personally, ut again, that's just me. If anything maybe a small watt tube amp for practice.

 

[Elric]

I think at the end of the day, unless you can try both you are just goin to have to buy one and go with it. Clips and opinions will always fail in comparison to spending that much money and playing it for yourself.

+1. I just went through the exercise you're doing and ended up going with the Axe 2 but I could see myself loving either unit. Opinions are going to vary, they are both cutting edge devices and you can hardly say, across the board, X is better than Y in some aspect.

You just have to look at feature set and have a willingness to work with the unit and set things up for it, to make these modelers work... I am confident that I could find stunning tones with either device but there were some extra features on the Axe I wanted. For others those items may not matter much or they may want the profiling stuff.

So, I think you just have to demo them (if at all possible), evaluate features based on what you want to do, and then commit to a decision and don't look back.

 

[Doughboy]

Do any of your Kemper & Axe FX owners run your units into a cab?

I will be running whatever unit I buy into a cab to get the best possible REALISTIC tone.

I like the fact that the Kemper comes with a power amp now as well. Makes life easier.

 

[dsquared]

You can't go wrong with either. If you'd prefer to create something from nothing, go AxeFx. If you want to start with an existing tone and work incrementally, go Kemper. The KPA effects set is growing with each release, but the Axe effects are more mature. Axe has the integrated pedal board solution, the KPA has a power amp option now. To this point, new Axe releases mean your existing patches will sound different. New KPA releases are promised to not change the tone of your exiting profiles.

Both are great. I used to own an Axe, I own a Kemper currently.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

I never tried Fractal
The Kemper sounds awesome in the studio
Also Great going into my Mesa fx return & 4x12
Not good enough going into my Carvin PA

Are you the doughboy from MTS forum?

 

[stratotone]

Kemper duplicates the sound of a miked amp. Not real sure how much 'purer' you can get. Axe II is good also, I just prefer the Kemper because once you have an amp miked, 40 seconds later you have it in the Kemper. When you profile an amp, you can compare the original miked sound to the kemper instantly before you save it. It not only sounds like it but it feels like it when you're playing.

Many touring artists are using axe II and Kempers, difference is some of the axe II guys are still running tube amps and using the axe II for fx only. All the Kemper guys are using the amp emulations.

 

[stratotone]

I never tried Fractal
The Kemper sounds awesome in the studio
Also Great going into my Mesa fx return & 4x12
Not good enough going into my Carvin PA

Are you the doughboy from MTS forum?

I've had great luck using mine for gigs and rehearsals and recording, even direct into FOH in the two bands I'm in that use different PA gear.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

Yes, it probably just seemed a bit weird to me not having the 4x12 blowing my rib cage. I'm sure the tones di to the pa are great for the audience

 

[wizardy]

I say axe fx with a good tube power amp like the fryette 2/90/2 and a good 4x12 cabinet

You get the best of both world ; good preamp simulation with natural saturation and punch of power tubes ( which we all love )

Plus you have the included usb interface with the axe for recording

I must say that I love the axe for his versatility
I can get the best clean tone ever from a special acoustic simulator patch and the most brutal death metal tone 100% tweaked in the same patch !!

 

[ampjunkie]

I cannot comment on the Kemper, but for me the AxeFX II was awesome, but FRFR Monitoring was where it fell short for me (Full Range Flat Response)
I could not get good musical guitar feedback and when I tried a Diezel D-Moll Half Stack I felt no need for the AxeFX II anymore other than recording.
It records very well, but I could not get the right feel without running it into a Tube Power Amp and Guitar Cab.
I have heard people say similar about the Kemper, that using a Monitor is where it falls short.

This never became more clear to me than at the LA Amp Show. FRFR sounds fake .... too even, no punch.

Tube power amp and guitar cab and some decent volume, and you'll be hard-pressed to hear a difference.

 

[dallasb]

I cannot comment on the Kemper, but for me the AxeFX II was awesome, but FRFR Monitoring was where it fell short for me (Full Range Flat Response)
I could not get good musical guitar feedback and when I tried a Diezel D-Moll Half Stack I felt no need for the AxeFX II anymore other than recording.
It records very well, but I could not get the right feel without running it into a Tube Power Amp and Guitar Cab.
I have heard people say similar about the Kemper, that using a Monitor is where it falls short.

This never became more clear to me than at the LA Amp Show. FRFR sounds fake .... too even, no punch.

Tube power amp and guitar cab and some decent volume, and you'll be hard-pressed to hear a difference.

I have the AXE2 and KPA. KPA is far more amp like. AXE still has that weird modeling feel to it. I cannot do FRFR. I bought into it even with a CLR and anything they seemed to sucker me into buying. LOL. Once I went to guitar cab and power amp even on VV or GSP1101 it was night and day. FRFR sucks if you want raw guitar amp power. FRFR is vegetarian to me and I like steak and potatoes. You still can hear plenty of difference though. I won't go that far. Modeling units even with tube power amps are not as raw as the amp. It's not even close. It's a compromise. My MKIV or MKV sound very different compared to AXE2 or KPA's version. My 2204 sound is Marshall, the version on the AXE is not. The gain is all wrong. The Peavey 5150 or 6505 sound nothing like their modeled versions. Sorry I just completely disagree.

If you are after real amp sound for recording or live, KPA does the amp and guitar cab sound better. AXE2 has been doing everything it can to copy or offer its own versions of what KPA does. Tone match, MIMIC and other features are direct results of Kemper competition. Good for FAS fans.

I think I may sell my AXE2 and go with the new Eventide H9 pedal for FX with the KPA. Nobody does cabs better than Two Notes Torpedo or VB. I have head so many IR's and the IR's make thinks sterile imo and again more a compromise in sound than the claim better than or as good as the real thing.

Honestly if the OP or anyone is looking for real raw tube amp and real guitar cab sound, keep your amps or save for better ones. Digital is cool, but still too synthetic to say its like an amp.

 

[duodecim]

Axe-II slays. Sorry, this statement is all IMHO and YMMV.

This thread will definitely get a lot of divided comments I am sure.

But does it slay enough to murder some of the amps in your collection?

 

[mniel8195]

From what i have hear and read about both it sound like the axe is harder to get to sound perfect but the effects are as good as it gets "routing etc..." The Kemper sounds identical if dialed in correctly but if you need absolute state of the art effects and routing options your out of luck.

 

[supersonic]

I'm looking into the Kemper lunch Box unit with built in power amp.

I'm not looking for fancy effects, just pure realistic amp tones & it seems that the Kemper is the unit to get for pure tone.

The AXE FX II has amazing effects & good amp tones, but not as full & realistic as the Kemper.

Has anyone spend enough time with both to give an honest review of with unit is best for just pure basic realistic sounding & feeling amp tones?

Real amp tones are not perfect. The Axe sounds different to valve amp, dare I say sometimes better! Don't get stuck on this "realistic".

 

[gkinsingapore]

I tried both before buying the Axe FX. I thought they both sounded very similar and either was capable of getting amazing results with a decent set of ears dialling them in.

I am an idiot when it comes to midi and programming patches so what swung it for me was 1. having a foot-controller (MFC) that is pretty much plug and play, over having to chip mod then program a Behringer FC and; 2. the immense amount of online resources available for the Axe which was very much lacking for the Kemper when I was buying.

I have dialled in some amazing sounds on the Fractal and love controlling everything through axe edit (another plus for the axe)and a macbook in rehearsal. Upgrading to a CLR changed everything as I am finally able to get controlled feedback that is very musical. I like it better than amp and cab now and wouldn't bother going back......

 

[steve_k]

 

[rlord1974]

The way I see it, lunchboxes are for, well, lunch.