Torn between Torpedo Live + amp and a Kemper

[Dimebag11]

I loved my Kemper, and as good as plug-ins/WoSIII can sound in a mix...it's just not as fun to play. Now I'm torn between purchasing a Kemper again (rack) or getting a tube amp and torpedo live.

I don't need the versatility of the Kemper as I played on a QR 99% of the time. Just looking for the absolute best recorded tone, and an amazing feel.

and go......

 

[guitarist1977]

Never had Kemper, but my chain is Friedman Pink Taco -> Torpedo Live. It is everything that I need. At least now until I get another GAS attack

Although stock IRs in Torpedo Live are not that good. I got much better IRs from ownhammer and one from Scott Henderson

 

[Dimebag11]

You can load in ownhammer IRs though, right?

 

[guitarist1977]

You can load any IRs you want as long as they are in supported format. Torpedo supports .wav format so you have a broad choice of IRs. And yes you can load ownhammer IRs.

They also have a tool called BlendIR where you can blend together several IRs. Pretty cool.

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

5150III and Two Notes WOS with own hammer IR's. DONE. No need for the live.

 

[Dimebag11]

I'd need a load box still. Also , not huge on the evh

 

[nigelpkay]

Kemper is great if you want to cure amp GAS, but I always gravitate to the same few profiles (Marshall or Marshall-like). I'm always most happy when I do my own profile because it's my tone.
I've never tried the Torpedo Live, but everyone raves about it if you love your amp and you want the best way to silently record direct and keep the feel. Plugins take up too much CPU and memory for my liking when recording to a DAW.

 

[Dimebag11]

I literally stayed on a Splawn Quickrod profile 90% of the time, so I figure I may be happier with a Quickrod/Torpedo Live rig.....not sure what I'll do for FX (other than the vst plugins I have already on my PC, but I'll figure that out....I really only use 'verb/delay anyways)

 

[gibson5413]

I've got both.

I will never get rid of the Kemper. I absolutely love it for home recording and with the band. We all play (for the most part) direct and the Kemper is perfect for that situation. I have used my Mesa Boogie Electra Dyne and it sounds great too. It is so easy to take the rigs I love to our shows and have it sound consistent. It is invaluable to me.

I really like the Two Notes Live as well. I agree with the above that I don't love the included IRs. I grabbed some Ownhammers and agree that they sound great. I felt that the Two Notes IRs in some way choked the life out of my amp. The Ownhammers sound much better. I use the CL80 IRs in addition to some new Free V30 IRs. They sound great. I can't wait to try the Henning Bottle Rocket with my Two Notes!

Both solutions sound great but I am not willing to give up either. I love playing through tube amps but the Kemper easily gets the lion's share of my guitar playing time. If you had to put a gun to my head I would keep the Kemper because of my situation. I am not playing arenas anytime soon (or ever). If you spend 90% of your time on the QR then I think you have your answer.

This probably doesn't help you at all. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[Dimebag11]

Appreciate the insight!

 

[Hung Huy Tran]

I usually would say Kemper, but based what you are going for my vote would be for the Torpedo Live. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[PBGas]

Man....tough choice indeed. I've had one several times and am now back to it with full force (Kemper) and I had the Two-Notes Live when they first came out and loved it as well.

At this point, with the new 3.0 firmware, I'm finding that I am desiring the real amp less. I really have to play through phones now with two small kids at home and the majority of my playing is done at night when the kids are asleep. I have a few gigs every month and to be honest with you, I don't like carrying a lot of crap with me.

It works nicely and has everything built in.

That doesn't mean that I am not absolutely gassing for an XTC or a Stealth right now.
I flip back and forth between them daily!

But at this point, if I was to get an amp, I can easily sell my Kemper but I'm talking about a substantial investment to get the amp, Two-Notes, pedals. To me, the difference just isn't worth it.

 

[Dimebag11]

I may go with a Splawn Street Rod (as it'd be nice to jam a tube amp that sounds great at reasonable levels) as I stuck on a QuickRod profile 99% of the time anyways. Then I'll probably grab a Suhr Reactive Load Box and run it with WoSIII. Or, if I can get a great mic'd tone at bedroom volumes through a 2x12....I'll do that.