Very interesting view of Michael Wagener on the Kemper amp

[stephen sawall]

Thanks for reply's to my question ....

Just looking at the forum & the stuff over at TGP about the ax is some of the strangest behavior I have ever seen on the internet..... really interesting.

 

[Splinterhead]

I have an AXE FX standard and coming from a POD XT it was quite a jump up for me. I'd really like to try the Kemper to see the other side of the equation.

I think another difference between the two is that the AXE simulates the actual tone stack of the amp sim while the Kemper doesn't. The Kemper profiles a specific setting on an amp and if the setting is altered via the Kemper's tone controls the simulation loses validity. Kemper/AXE guys please validate this for me. This is a big deal to some. To be honest I really don't care what amps it can or can't emulate, for me its all about whether I like what's coming out of the speakers.

 

[eljodon]

That's one thing I like about my Axe Fx Ultra, I can tweak a lot of parameters within the amp. I'm happy with it for gigs because all the different amps it has. It also has a ton of effects and they sound good. I used to bring my Avalon VT 737sp and used it at the front end of the Axe Fx and it sounded really nice. But I wanted to slim down on my live gear since I'm not allowed to lift more tha 8 Lbs due to a couple of hearniated disc on my neck. So the Axe Fx Ultra has been a life saver since I don't have to carry 4 amps, a refrigirator rack of fxs.etc. I also switched to a Crown XLS-1000, a class D power amp instead of my Mesa Boogie 2 90. Together with the Fractal MFC101 it's perfect with 3 volume pedals.

 

[polaris20]

I'll buy the Kemper when I can buy the Wagener multi-amp mix profiles to go with it!

Steve

I totally see Kemper teaming up with top producers to either freely release, or sell at a very small cost, artist and producer profiles. Just like How I have paid for Toontracks producer kits etc, it would bother me nothing to drop a little coin for the producers work. Already kemper teamed up with amp factory and released 25 FREE profiles that they released together. Keith Marrow posted a profile a long time ago and it is Killer.

Kemper needs an "app store" model for profiles, where people can upload profiles and sell them or give them away.

 

[Aztec]

I'll probably get one in the future if something better doesn't pop up and they make a rack version.

 

[smellfinger]

So what's up with all this crap?:

http://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index. ... eadID=7525


If it didn't alias and all the sampling rates or whatever were fine why did they fuck with it? Ya got a real winner, leave it alone.

 

[ratter]

Rack version was just announced. I prefer the lunchbox look actually...

I see a Kemper and one of the new Atomic Jay Mitchell Linear Condescension Cabs in my future...

 

[smellfinger]

Rack version was just announced. I prefer the lunchbox look actually...

I see a Kemper and one of the new Atomic Jay Mitchell Linear Condescension Cabs in my future...

That's all I was waiting for! Sweeeeeeeeet.

 

[Gainfreak]

So what's up with all this crap?:

http://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index. ... eadID=7525


If it didn't alias and all the sampling rates or whatever were fine why did they fuck with it? Ya got a real winner, leave it alone.

The way that I see it is that the Kemper did have Aliasing issues. Some people who are audiophiles heard it because they were looking for it and other people could care less, because they already they liked what they heard. In order to appease everyone, the Kemper crew fixed the aliasing issue, but what they didn't count on is that the "GOLDEN EARED GURU's" would still have a problem with it or might find a problem with it. It's bound to happen and those guys reported it. (and they were correct for doing so!)

This is the main problem that any software tech is going to have or any amp builder is going to have as a matter of fact. YOU ARE NEVER GOING to please everyone, because we all hear differently and we all have a different idea of what sounds good.

 

[thegame]

Pertaining to audio, is digital aliasing akin to that horrible flanging effect evident on low bit rate MP3s ? That static-y, whooshing sound ?

 

[ejecta]

So what's up with all this crap?:

http://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index. ... eadID=7525


If it didn't alias and all the sampling rates or whatever were fine why did they fuck with it? Ya got a real winner, leave it alone.

The way that I see it is that the Kemper did have Aliasing issues. Some people who are audiophiles heard it because they were looking for it and other people could care less, because they already they liked what they heard. In order to appease everyone, the Kemper crew fixed the aliasing issue, but what they didn't count on is that the "GOLDEN EARED GURU's" would still have a problem with it or might find a problem with it. It's bound to happen and those guys reported it. (and they were correct for doing so!)

This is the main problem that any software tech is going to have or any amp builder is going to have as a matter of fact. YOU ARE NEVER GOING to please everyone, because we all hear differently and we all have a different idea of what sounds good.

Posted via Donbarzini.

 

[ejecta]

Here is Mr Kemper's response to the tonally "enlightened" ones making a ruckus in that thread.

Wow guys,


Congratulations for more than 200 posts in an incredible thread.

Fully grown men hunting a witch.

Only one attempt to make a more scientific comparison (MatH) with reamping.
More posts addressed to me to chime in.
Even more posts refering to the A/B comparisons that were not done by reamping.
Some say, the 1.60 gained high end, some state it lost.

I was of course able to hear vast differences in all A/B comparisons, that were not made by reamping.
What else could I hear? Both tracks were played with several minutes of pause for the upgrade or downgrade.
The second track were played with a different energy, often less. That resulted in a duller spectrum.
But by the attacks it was clearly noticable that both have the same colour.

The only valid track is the reamped track of MatH. Fredboardminer applied an EQ at 6 kHz by 2.5 dB, which is a lot.
This drove the sound way off from the original, it changed the whole balance. Fredboardminers attempt helped me to tune my ears for MatH's A/B comparison.

I checked intensively through studio monitors and headphones and I can say, that both tracks sound absolutely identical.
We had a number of producers and pro guitarists checking these tracks. Same result.
We have made a spectrum analysis of both tracks. No difference in the high end.

I have asked Andy (Amp Factory). Heard no difference, saw no difference in the spectrum. Felt no difference when he switched on 1.60 earlier as a beta tester.

We have not changed the code in terms of sound. Only the aliasing issue and the Green Scream were addressed. There was no need to change the anti-aliasing filters.

I was out of the house and busy for two days, so I am late here.

Armin, you are an engineer. Any comment to MatH's A/B comparison?

CK

 

[tfridgen]

Here is Mr Kemper's response to the tonally "enlightened" ones making a ruckus in that thread.

Wow guys,


Congratulations for more than 200 posts in an incredible thread.

Fully grown men hunting a witch.

Only one attempt to make a more scientific comparison (MatH) with reamping.
More posts addressed to me to chime in.
Even more posts refering to the A/B comparisons that were not done by reamping.
Some say, the 1.60 gained high end, some state it lost.

I was of course able to hear vast differences in all A/B comparisons, that were not made by reamping.
What else could I hear? Both tracks were played with several minutes of pause for the upgrade or downgrade.
The second track were played with a different energy, often less. That resulted in a duller spectrum.
But by the attacks it was clearly noticable that both have the same colour.

The only valid track is the reamped track of MatH. Fredboardminer applied an EQ at 6 kHz by 2.5 dB, which is a lot.
This drove the sound way off from the original, it changed the whole balance. Fredboardminers attempt helped me to tune my ears for MatH's A/B comparison.

I checked intensively through studio monitors and headphones and I can say, that both tracks sound absolutely identical.
We had a number of producers and pro guitarists checking these tracks. Same result.
We have made a spectrum analysis of both tracks. No difference in the high end.

I have asked Andy (Amp Factory). Heard no difference, saw no difference in the spectrum. Felt no difference when he switched on 1.60 earlier as a beta tester.

We have not changed the code in terms of sound. Only the aliasing issue and the Green Scream were addressed. There was no need to change the anti-aliasing filters.

I was out of the house and busy for two days, so I am late here.

Armin, you are an engineer. Any comment to MatH's A/B comparison?

CK

To be honest, when I first heard the direct comparison(one of the clean ones) I heard a difference. After listening back though, I think it may have been my ears playing tricks on me cause I really can't tell a difference in any of the sound clips...

 

[ejecta]

Here is Mr Kemper's response to the tonally "enlightened" ones making a ruckus in that thread.

Wow guys,


Congratulations for more than 200 posts in an incredible thread.

Fully grown men hunting a witch.

Only one attempt to make a more scientific comparison (MatH) with reamping.
More posts addressed to me to chime in.
Even more posts refering to the A/B comparisons that were not done by reamping.
Some say, the 1.60 gained high end, some state it lost.

I was of course able to hear vast differences in all A/B comparisons, that were not made by reamping.
What else could I hear? Both tracks were played with several minutes of pause for the upgrade or downgrade.
The second track were played with a different energy, often less. That resulted in a duller spectrum.
But by the attacks it was clearly noticable that both have the same colour.

The only valid track is the reamped track of MatH. Fredboardminer applied an EQ at 6 kHz by 2.5 dB, which is a lot.
This drove the sound way off from the original, it changed the whole balance. Fredboardminers attempt helped me to tune my ears for MatH's A/B comparison.

I checked intensively through studio monitors and headphones and I can say, that both tracks sound absolutely identical.
We had a number of producers and pro guitarists checking these tracks. Same result.
We have made a spectrum analysis of both tracks. No difference in the high end.

I have asked Andy (Amp Factory). Heard no difference, saw no difference in the spectrum. Felt no difference when he switched on 1.60 earlier as a beta tester.

We have not changed the code in terms of sound. Only the aliasing issue and the Green Scream were addressed. There was no need to change the anti-aliasing filters.

I was out of the house and busy for two days, so I am late here.

Armin, you are an engineer. Any comment to MatH's A/B comparison?

CK

To be honest, when I first heard the direct comparison(one of the clean ones) I heard a difference. After listening back though, I think it may have been my ears playing tricks on me cause I really can't tell a difference in any of the sound clips...

I really couldn't hear much difference in those clips either. I honestly haven't even loaded the new version yet. I'll wait until it's out of beta.... as a long time user of software for my profession I've learned not to be an early adopter of new versions.

That said I'm sure it's hard for any builder of modelers or amps for that matter to have to put up with really anal people with their heads and spectrum analyzers stuck up their speaker's asses.

 

[Gainfreak]

So what's up with all this crap?:

http://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index. ... eadID=7525


If it didn't alias and all the sampling rates or whatever were fine why did they fuck with it? Ya got a real winner, leave it alone.

The way that I see it is that the Kemper did have Aliasing issues. Some people who are audiophiles heard it because they were looking for it and other people could care less, because they already they liked what they heard. In order to appease everyone, the Kemper crew fixed the aliasing issue, but what they didn't count on is that the "GOLDEN EARED GURU's" would still have a problem with it or might find a problem with it. It's bound to happen and those guys reported it. (and they were correct for doing so!)

This is the main problem that any software tech is going to have or any amp builder is going to have as a matter of fact. YOU ARE NEVER GOING to please everyone, because we all hear differently and we all have a different idea of what sounds good.

Posted via Donbarzini.

 

[Gainzilla]

I was sold when Ralphie told me about the Kemper. Ive known him for a long ass time and anything that hes told me about has never failed when I got to play it. I played and heard the Kemper this weekend and as expected, I loved it. Ralphies setup makes so much sense, its hard not to love the damn thing...

As far as MW's input, I think thats awesome and will definitely sway those on the fence into taking the plunge or making others feel better about the KPA's that they already own but in the end, None of that matters to me because my opinion is the only one that counts in this regard..

 

[dsquared]

Kemper needs an "app store" model for profiles, where people can upload profiles and sell them or give them away.

Kemper does have a rig exchange with hundreds of free, user uploaded profiles: http://kemper-amps.com/page/render/lang ... nload.html

For commercial profiles, there are sites like The Amp Factory and soundside.de.

 

[Schaf]

I've never heard the aliasing on my unit, done lots of gigs with eagle-eared sound guys that would have mentioned it too, also done some studio work with it - no aliasing complaints there either. Apparently 1.6 firmware 'fixes' the alias issue that I never noticed, but for some folk it's been the fix.

Yeah man, most everything I've heard has sounded fantastic. And, for a guy like you to be blown away by it just adds to the credibility. You've had a ton a high end stuff.