Please Give Me An Objective Breakdown On Kemper

[MistaGuitah]

The Kemper amps are really expensive so I have many concerns. First, I really like what I hear and the reviews are great. People say that they are very good about emulating the feel of real tube amps which is something that turned me off on the Line6 POD XT. I never tried the Helix or HD or whatever version they are on now. People say that Kemper and Fractal are still the best. Here are some question and I'm hoping you can help shed some light with some honestly and objectivity because it's obvious that there are people who love them and use them for everything and other people who just cannot gel with them.

1. Where do you get a Kemper serviced in the United States if there's a problem? Has anyone ever needed a repair, and if so, was it quickly resolved?

2. What about the value of those amps? A tube amp can hold value for decades, but technology moves so fast that I have to ask if it's really worth the investment? I mean these things are $1800 just for an unpowered model. Kemper seems to have a pretty good value retention used, but how long will that last when the new models come out?

3. Do the amp models actually sound and react different like different tube amps? The POD XT was a lot of fun to play with, but it seemed like you could make most of the amp models sound the same with some combination of EQ'ing, stomps, and all. Eleven Rack was even worse by the way. All the amp models felt the same, and the only way to it would feel responsive is if there is a lot of distortion. I don't know if anyone remembers those modular amps that they used to make. They all sounded the same to me too.

4. Reviews have said that Kempers and Fractals still can't cut like a tube amp in live performances, and even with powered speakers cannot push low end the same as tube amps. One review said that they're made to sound like a mic'd amp and not like an amp playing right in front of you. It seems like even a tube power amp does not do much to make it a real tube amp experience.

It seems to me like these units are really for professionals or really talented players who record a lot. They do not seem good for average home players who just practice and play covers or TRY to compose original tunes. I REALLY want to try one but how can you justify the investment if you're not a professional? It would totally suck if you have to sell it for peanuts in one or two years down the road. Lastly, what about the newcomers like the Positive Grid Bias whatever thing? Is that on the same level or is it down with the Line6 and Atomic Amplifire?

 

[Jack Luminous]

Nothing to say about the Kemper as I have no personal experience. But, yesterday night, I was at a bar and a guy did a small blues concert, alone (looper/mic/pedalboard setup), with a Kemper and a cigar-box guitar. The cigar-box had only four string and a cheap single coil bass PU (!!!). It was plugged into a Kemper. As soon as the guy strummed the first chord, a huuuuuuge roaring came out of the small PA box, not unlike a Les Paul plugged into 100W Marshall at full blast. Great slide playing and boogie rythm a la Billy Gibbons completed the thing.

My opinion on this the Kemper is a useful tool and can make a cardboard box sound really convincing !!!

 

[Tone Monster]

I can’t answer all your questions but the different models do feel and sound different. Kempers are LIGHT YEARS ahead of POD XT.

 

[romanianreaper]

I can’t answer all your questions but the different models do feel and sound different. Kempers are LIGHT YEARS ahead of POD XT.

This! Agree with Tone Monster that you can't even put POD XT in the same level as Kemper and Fractal. I have a Fractal AxeFX-II but tried my friend's Kemper a few years ago. I didn't get to really mess around with it much and he wasn't as good at dialing in his Kemper as I am with my Fractal so can't really compare.

To be honest, when the Kemper came out the look alone kept me away from it. I couldn't really figure out what it was trying to be. I'm sure it sounds as good as the Fractal stuff or at least close. I love my AxeFx. I haven't bought a new amp in probably 7 years.

 

[Inearthed]

1. Where do you get a Kemper serviced in the United States if there's a problem? Has anyone ever needed a repair, and if so, was it quickly resolved?

Mine was under warranty, I contacted Kemper via submitting a ticket on their site, I went back and forth with someone who I am assuming was at Corporate, they had me troubleshoot a couple things and came to the conclusion it would need to be repaired, they put me in contact with the USA repairs team which I believe was in Colorado and they took care of everything with Shipment tags and the whole works. Think it took about a week to resolve with the bulk of it being shipment time.

2. What about the value of those amps? A tube amp can hold value for decades, but technology moves so fast that I have to ask if it's really worth the investment? I mean these things are $1800 just for an unpowered model. Kemper seems to have a pretty good value retention used, but how long will that last when the new models come out?

They seem to hold their value decently. I’m sure when the new version comes out the originals will drop in price (see AxeFx). I personally wouldn’t drop $1800 on one but the warranty is pretty important in my opinion. I wouldn’t have bought mine if I didn’t get a screaming deal.

3. Do the amp models actually sound and react different like different tube amps? The POD XT was a lot of fun to play with, but it seemed like you could make most of the amp models sound the same with some combination of EQ'ing, stomps, and all. Eleven Rack was even worse by the way. All the amp models felt the same, and the only way to it would feel responsive is if there is a lot of distortion. I don't know if anyone remembers those modular amps that they used to make. They all sounded the same to me too.

Profiles you mean? Yes, they react differently between profiles amps. The Kemper has a better feel than the line6 units and other modelers I’ve tried.

4. Reviews have said that Kempers and Fractals still can't cut like a tube amp in live performances, and even with powered speakers cannot push low end the same as tube amps. One review said that they're made to sound like a mic'd amp and not like an amp playing right in front of you. It seems like even a tube power amp does not do much to make it a real tube amp experience.

I saw a band a month ago at a bar, powered kemper for one guitarist, 5150 for the other, kemper cut just fine without a PA. I feel like it is less “does it cut?” and more “does it work for me?” - that being said I’ve also heard bands where the Kemper didn’t cut. Just like I’ve heard bands where real amps aren’t cutting through the mix.

It seems to me like these units are really for professionals or really talented players who record a lot. They do not seem good for average home players who just practice and play covers or TRY to compose original tunes. I REALLY want to try one but how can you justify the investment if you're not a professional? It would totally suck if you have to sell it for peanuts in one or two years down the road. Lastly, what about the newcomers like the Positive Grid Bias whatever thing? Is that on the same level or is it down with the Line6 and Atomic Amplifire?

If you’re not playing live a lot / touring / recording, i would say that it is a pretty expensive practice tool. I have the Positive Grid Bias on my system and while it works fine I don’t think it is as good as the Kemper. Keep in mind with the Kemper you’ll be paying a lot more for the unit itself and then probably paying for professional profiles.

 

[GtarLover]

This is a HUGE topic of discussion and also harbors MANY opinions.

I have used many of these units and enjoy all of them as tools. You mentioned Fractal, Kemper, and Helix so here’s my take.

FIRST - ANY Pod is old tech, not even closely comparable. Still usable, just not comparable.
SECOND - New tech is always evolving and when updates happen things change. The value will NOT go to zero, yet older tech will always decrease in price as the new tech takes over. It IS an expensive way to go, yet it is also SUPER FUN and really exciting.
Fractal, Kemper, and Helix offer MANY options, regular updates, FREE preset and profile exchange forums, etc. There is ALOT of versatility with these units.

THIRD - It is absolutely not a question of which is better. They do different things, some better than others.
Fractal continues to lead the way in modeling and effects, that’s not only my opinion. The new Axe Fx III is coming out and it is head and shoulders above the rest in terms of almost everything, processor(s), effects, modeling, etc. However, it is NOT backward compatible...that doesn’t mean the other units are “less than” they were a week ago, just that NEW TECH is available and older units will decrease in price.

The Kemper is a profiler that has effects. Meaning the profiling has been the focus. If you have your own amps and the ability to profile those amps, The Kemper KILLS at capturing and reproducing those sounds. There are also some excellent profiles available for purchase, that will save you all the trouble of profiling your own amps. Buying profiles IS another expense, yet it makes TONS more amps available to you.
I don’t own a Helix, yet have used one and know others who use them. Line 6 has come a long way with the Helix. User interface is easy to use and the floor controller has a built-in pedal, which is nice.

I have seen a few touring acts that are using Fractal and a few using Kemper. Both sound great!! I’m sure some use the Helix too, yet I haven’t seen a Helix.

For the at-home player, you are really talking about high level gear. Not making any judgments here, yet if you are starting from the place of resale value, you may want to find other options. Again, these are TOP OF THE LINE expensive tools, yet so are amps and cabs.
For quiet playing and recording, these are AWESOME. I can use headphones and be totally silent if I wish, AND/OR play through a variety of FRFR cabs, AND/OR use a power amp and “regular” cab. Just a ton of options.

So, the biggest thing is you have to choose what is best for you. It’s an investment sure, but playing music requires an investment. Any of the BIG 3 are fine choices and will give you tons of options, great tones, and high level of modeling.
You also have choices regarding form factor. Rack with foot controller(s) or all-in-one unit.
All of these units provide continuous and regular firmware upgrades, some more often than others.
If $$ is your greatest concern, the AX8 and Helix are less $$ and definitely useable tools for live gigs as well as home use.

Finally, I will just say that most crappy sounds from ANY of these units is most likely some sort of user error. If you can’t get great tones from ANY of these, then the unit is NOT the problem

Best of luck

 

[Fitrocker33]

I had a Kemper Power Head for almost a year and just recently went back to a tube amp.

I agree that the Kemper is a very good product And many profiles do indeed sound amazing, but for me I got lost in the black hole of constantly searching for the next “best” profile, wondering if the next one would be even better than the previous, to the point where you wind up with 20+ profiles of a single amp, some sounding great, and some sounding like the amp is under a blanket and played through an alarm clock speaker lmao.

In the end, I was tweaking and dicking around with profiles more than I was playing, so I decided to go back to a tube amp and focus on my playing again.

Also, I realized I was constantly looking for and using 5150 profiles, so I just went out and bought a real 5150 and put the remainder of the money in the bank. Done deal.

 

[PBGas]

They are great units. They work well. Many pros using them on tour. Profiling is somewhat of an art form. It is a very easy unit to use and navigate through.

I had a couple of them...one was from the first year they were released (I think I had the first one up here!) and the other was a power rack I got a couple of years later.

My first unit had to be sent back to Germany to be repaired. I had the LED rings of death and from what I can remember, the alternate output in the back didn’t work. They repaired the LEDs but did not repair the output and I got no explanation for it. I ended up selling it for more than it was worth because in that time it took to repair (close to 3 months), the price jumped.

I used an amp for a while and when the power racks were released, I was really looking forward to that. I did get one and used it through some gigs for the better part of a month. It literally shut down on my just before we started the the second week gig. I did the emergency reboot and re-start. That worked for a couple of weeks. Then it did it again. I borrowed an amp for the remainder of the gigs that I had. I brought the unit back and returned it.

Either way, there are so many profiles that you can play on this unit through the rig exchange and they seem to be adding and improving it every year.

 

[MistaGuitah]

Here's the way I see it. The Kemper has been a pretty consistent amp. Unlike Microsoft, they don't come out with a new version every year. That's an important thing. I really want to make the investment into a Kemper or AxeFXIII, but without having a localized and fast repair network here in the states, it's not worth it yet. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that they're professional units for people who need different sounds to do a lot of recording. I'm sticking with my tube amps as I can pretty much fit any musical style with just the two amps I have. If Kemper or AxeFX repair shops start sprouting up around the U.S., I'll consider one again just because they're so cool.

 

[Shark Diver]

I just sold my Kemper after getting the Synergy. I run direct, so my slant is coming from that arena. I'm one of the people that could never get it to cut very well while using the Amp Models. Sounded great in the room just practicing, but always had issues Live. I stopped using the models and ran a pedal or a preamp through it and that pretty much solved that issue.

Had really great profiles, even some exclusive ones, but with the band, just never was the same. I got the Synergy just to try, and took the Kemper out of my rack after about 15 minutes with the Synergy. There is just something not there for me with digital amp models. And if it's user error, then it's user error. But I've had a lot of great gear through the years, and think I can dial in what I like fairly quickly.

I had the same issue with the Axe Fx. If I start out playing it that day, it sounds great, until I turn on an amp right next to it. Just something missing from the digital. And I loaded my amps and ran them direct as well - so apples to apples.

But I see videos all the time where the Kemper sounds great. So who knows? Have never seen any bands using digital Live, so don't have anything to compare with my experience with cut.

 

[Mattfig]

Kemper is a great tool and sounds amazing with the right profiles loaded. My advice would be to avoid the FRFR wormhole and use DI profiles and a traditional cab.

The KPA is indistinguishable from the actual amp when done properly.

 

[GtarLover]

I just sold my Kemper after getting the Synergy. I got the Synergy just to try, and took the Kemper out of my rack after about 15 minutes with the Synergy. There is just something not there for me with digital amp models. And if it's user error, then it's user error. But I've had a lot of great gear through the years, and think I can dial in what I like fairly quickly.

Interested in the Synergy and how it may be different from say the Egnater M4. Some modules look almost exactly the same.
Obviously, the Synergy is a tube preamp, so it will act and react like a tube amplifier, correct??
Maybe that’s what you want to hear, or are used to hearing.

The Kemper can definitely re-produce some amazingly close, if not exact profiles.
The Axe FX, while different, also produces some AMAZINGLY close if not exact models.

There are many parameters available for tweaking, especially with the Fractal stuff. Kemper has some, yet basically you have the snapshot of an amp...if you want a different sound, use a different snapshot.

Anyway, I’m curious about what you feel like you’re missing. Many people say it’s the “air moving” and the “feel” of the amp...yet when digital can reproduce the almost exact replica of an amps sound curve, I just would like to know what the Synergy is giving you.
No judgment, just really curious. Glad you found what works for you, that’s the most important thing as far as I’m concerned. I use ALL of the above, so each for different reasons.

Thanks

 

[Shark Diver]

I just sold my Kemper after getting the Synergy. I got the Synergy just to try, and took the Kemper out of my rack after about 15 minutes with the Synergy. There is just something not there for me with digital amp models. And if it's user error, then it's user error. But I've had a lot of great gear through the years, and think I can dial in what I like fairly quickly.

Interested in the Synergy and how it may be different from say the Egnater M4. Some modules look almost exactly the same.
Obviously, the Synergy is a tube preamp, so it will act and react like a tube amplifier, correct??
Maybe that’s what you want to hear, or are used to hearing.

The Kemper can definitely re-produce some amazingly close, if not exact profiles.
The Axe FX, while different, also produces some AMAZINGLY close if not exact models.

There are many parameters available for tweaking, especially with the Fractal stuff. Kemper has some, yet basically you have the snapshot of an amp...if you want a different sound, use a different snapshot.

Anyway, I’m curious about what you feel like you’re missing. Many people say it’s the “air moving” and the “feel” of the amp...yet when digital can reproduce the almost exact replica of an amps sound curve, I just would like to know what the Synergy is giving you.
No judgment, just really curious. Glad you found what works for you, that’s the most important thing as far as I’m concerned. I use ALL of the above, so each for different reasons.

Thanks

Well, for me it can't be the air moving, because I load the amp and use FRFR speakers. So, not using a power amp and cab. Feel, I use a Lectrosonic's wireless, so no direct amp feel anyway.

I really can't describe it. If I could I have no doubt I could dial it in digitally. I would guess it's there in the mid frequencies somewhere. Some complexity that digital hasn't recreated yet. Or at least I haven't been able to recreate it. Not bashing digital, just not there live yet for me. I would have kept the Kemper, but I think it would sit for quite a while, and I only see it going down in value as a newer version will eventually come out. And with my preamps or the Synergy dialing it in is so easy. Possibly if I found an amp model that sounded, to me, just like one of my preamps dialing it in might be as easy. But trying to dial in 20 different parameters to recreate a certain sound just is daunting.

I had some one-off, exclusive profiles from a pretty major source. So, I don't think it is as simple as a different snapshot. I've used the Axe Fx, Kemper, Scuffham, UA, Two-Notes among others. Again, they sound great recorded, and I think great Live as well when I'm dialing them in. But when I play a great tube amp immediately after I hear a measurable difference. Is that difference enough for me to haul that gear around again? nah.

I am on the waiting list for the AXEIII, but am looking at it for fx mainly. (I'm using a 2290 now) I am hoping the boost models are usable, and I would just run it with the Synergy. I'm sure at some point I will try a few IRs and Amp Models, but not a high priority for me. The Synergy is one rack space, and easy enough to change modules in that if I want a new snapshot.

Not bashing anyone's gear, I've heard amazing tones from great players using gear that I couldn't do anything with but make it squeal. I'll most likely try new Kemper products as they come out. Would love to see one of these companies get with Steve Fryette and a preamp tube and juice it for power amp tone. But for my purposes, a core tone, with a few variations of that, and maybe one or two very different tones and I'm done. So, it's a lot of ability for not a lot of need.

And you could be very correct - the tube side may just be what I'm use to hearing. I'll always take vinyl on great system over digital. But I'm sure many would think I'm tone deaf.

 

[GtarLover]

Thanks for your reply.

I get what you’re saying. I’ve been playing around and using ALL of the options as well. Sometimes I love each of them and then sometimes I can’t get or hear what I want, so I plug into one of my amps for a it and BLAST away, LOL.

I’m know my ears aren’t what they used to be either. It’s an interesting time to be a guitar player. I am certainly having a great time experimenting.

Enjoy...

To the OP, sorry for the brief hi-jacking and diversion of your thread.

Kemper is great, I pulled mine down from the shelf yesterday and am going to spend some time with it over the next week. Maybe profile a few more amps and put some things together. See if I can’t get what I want out of it. It would be a lot lighter than carrying 2 heads to gigs. Even if I still use a cab, I could leave my heads at home once in a while.

Definitely worth your time and a good week or two with a decent variety of “GOOD” profiles. You most likely will find a bunch that would be great, live AND at home.
Best of luck!!!