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Kemper effects demo video found on YouTube...
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02-14-2015 10:18 AM
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I'll second what Jack stated especially regarding the Fender profiles. I've purchased Fender profiles from 4 different vendors and sampled some of the free ones and I have found the Amp Factory to be the best. Especially for clean. When it comes to other overdriven profiles or amps, I have favored some from Micheal Britt. Had a friend over last week who is a straight up rocker and blues player and he sounded great using my Les Paul Deluxe (Kinman p90 in the bridge) coupled with a CAA PT100 profile (Suhr Amp). Mind you, I've never heard a PT100 amp in person but no matter the tone was super.
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I have and LOVE the Fractal Axe Fx II. As far as I'm concerned there are only two modeling amps: Fractal Axe-FX II and Kemper. If you think you're comparing something else and you think you know something about modeling amps but haven't ACTUALLY PLAYED THROUGH either one of these extensively you don't know modeling amps.
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Just out of curiosity, did you profile your Gries amp before selling it? Or, alternatively, is there a specific profile that does your Gries Very well, if not exactly. Or even exactly.
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I did not profile it because there were several amps that I liked better than the gries after hearing the kemper. The 64 Vibroverb with JBL and the /13 FTR 37 as examples and there were others that captured a similar vibe but sounded even better such as a '64 Princeton and/or Deluxe.
Originally Posted by NSJ
Ironically, the FTR37, 64 princetone and deluxe were unusable for me in real live because they didn't have the headroom but in the kemper you can use a 12 watt amp and use it in a big band setting.
Those 4 amps alone are about $10k worth.
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I think this is really intersting aspect which hasn't been mentioned that much and those low-wattage amps can be very sweet sounding. I don't have a lot of experience with good tube-amp's, but low-wattage-amp's always worked better for me, especially with sound enforcement and with the kemper, I can imagine that you don't even have to argue with arrogant sound tech's anymore - you just plug in your kemper and your are in total controll of your sound. Originally Posted by jzucker
Last edited by hans halmackenreuter; 02-15-2015 at 03:54 PM.
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Not only low wattage amps but also low wattage speakers... it's great to be able to use them for jazz without headroom problems.
Hans don't underestimate the ability of sound guys to ruin your sound..
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i forgot to mention the '57 tweed deluxe. Could never use one in a live setting but now I can.
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It's my favorite amp so far, that's why I've got a handwired 5E3. So many sounds in this little amp. Are profiles for each channel or can you dial the different channels on the amp? Do have the same control knobs or a bmt gain and volume? Originally Posted by jzucker
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unfortunately, you do not have multiple channels in a profile, nor do you have the original controls but it hasn't seemed to bother me. If you need multiple channels you just create 2 profiles. Originally Posted by hans halmackenreuter
The bigger issue is the knobs may be slightly different which might be an issue if you use an 80's mesa with 15 knobs.
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That is one of the cool things about the Fractal Axe Fx. It has two stereo channels. And you can have two DIFFERENT amps on the grid. And the controls pretty much duplicate the amp with behavior that mimics the original. But the really cool thing is you can alter the original anyway you wish. I can blend two different amps, or use the tone stack from a Boogie with a Deluxe Reverb or Dumble etc. I'm not limited to a profile. With midi foot controllers I can make changes in gain, eq, effects, volume.
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Oh yeah, and I can make changes in EQ, volume, various gain stages from all kinds of angles and ways either gradually on the fly with expression pedals or snaps shots by way of "scenes." It's extremely versatile.
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Hi
Nice that u are happy Jack.
I bought one and gave up on it after 3 months. I both like it and hate it.
I like that is simple, it works pretty much as a ordinary amp with knobs for anything. The Effects are nice sounding and EQ functions are nice. A down side is that those values are not all controllable via expression. You need either a midi board or the new Kemper pedal board that use its own protocol. Also i wish there was more routing options.
The sound is very dependent on the quality of the profile. And it is a profile, not a modeling of a amps behavior. So the micing, cab, guitar will make impressions on the profile. Also, the Input/output sense control is another factor that is very different from what you are used to. It is hard to know how the difrent parts of a rig affect the sound.
I sold mine for 3 reasons. 1 - The speaker u use affects the sound of the profile/rig VERY much. In my experience you have to use a Full Range Flat Response speaker to get it to sound right. Still, the size, brand of speaker will have a huge impact in the sound. 2- I spent one hour on every practice session to mess with the sound. 3- The feel, attack is different from a real amp no matter how you configure the input sense.
Now these things are not necessarily bad things. But once i started to notice them there was no way for me to work around it or accept it. If you are able to, then the Kemper is Awesome!
Im back with Polytones and Fender amps.
If anybody are interested in the profiles i have backed up, shoot me a private mess.
/P
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I'm in the same boat. Love it and hate it but the love is winning out so far. The hate comes from it hanging several times where I've had to reboot it.
Regarding the feel, I was extremely adamant *AGAINST* FRFR speakers in the beginning but I've switched and don't notice any feel issues so I think that argument is overrated. And it sounds just fine going through a guitar cab, just not as versatile and of course the profiles don't sound like they were designed in that case.
I don't mind not having parameters assigned to midi foot pedal frankly. The only things I want to switch in/out with a pedal are stomps and amp models.
I'd definitely be interested in some of your profiles!
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And I'm up to $40k + now in the set of amps I've got profiled and am using. Bottom line is that I'm happy with it so it doesn't really matter whether it's better or as good as the real thing. I think it's easy to forget that the goal of all this is to make music with it.
Originally Posted by jorgemg1984
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Jack, Thanks for the review. I have a Fender Reverb Deluxe with some simple DSP which gets me what I need, which is for the moment next to nothing other than clean sound. When I'm in the market I will definitely be tempted, by both the Kemper and the software collections which are out there. The advantage to software is that the library can be ported forward (through computing paradigms) and the realtime processing power gets cheaper and cheaper as the days go by, which effectively raises the bitrate of the result. The other 'advantage' is that the marginal cost of production of the next unit of software is, well, effectively zero. But the Kemper has coolness sitting on top of a stack that the software and a laptop just doesn't provide...
Bringing the CD vs vinyl argument into the guitar amp world creates multiple comparison 'issues' starting with the fact that the goals are different.
1) By definition, a profiling amp or software will effectively be adding layers upon layers of distortion before sending it out to be 'cleanly' amplified. This ends all reason to compare.
2) But if you wanted the cleanest possible output (i.e. no modeling/profiling, and no crunch or other), guitar amps are still designed to have ridiculously high output with acceptably low noise floor, not have a ridiculously low noise floor with acceptable output like a home audio system. For the same potential power (for avoidance of doubt, let's say assuming similar number and type of tube), the amplification circuit will by design be different. That will, by definition, create other issues.
For the digital vs analog guys, as it is, the Kemper takes an analog input, then converts it to digital, then mashes it around in digital space - including a deliberate distortion overlay of one or more types, then converts it back to analog, then amplifies the signal to output it to the next stage, presumably with a feedback loop to keep power up and weight down, and possibly with a transformer possibly not. I can find no specs whatsoever on either the digital conversion (either end) or the DSP so cannot tell you what the minimum degradation of dynamic range would be (assuming no distortion effects) but it would be non-negligible end-to-end, and the distortion at each level of conversion and feedback is non-negligible (and let's not go into jitter). Then you will likely have solid-state amplification odd-order harmonic distortion issues, which are then layered on top of each other, which is grating. If you have old-school tube amps and analog effects, you end up with a pile of second-order harmonics which are much less 'offensive' to a lot of people, but you have to cart the whole truck with you to get all you can get in the Kemper. And in any case, in most venues, there is so much other crap going with reverb and other noise that much of it won't matter.Last edited by travisty; 02-18-2015 at 11:54 AM.
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Jorge, how does the epsi sound by itself just going into the powered cab?
I wonder if this would be a good way to improve the reverb on the kemper? Have you found a good spring reverb program?
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The epsi actually has t0ne controls but I never tried them... by itself trough my cab it will sound like a guitar cab with no eq and no reverb.. it really needs at least a preamp and reverb. Originally Posted by jzucker
I breifly tried the reverbs and found they sounded very good but since I only have obe unit in order to have reverb I loose the cabs... but I tried the Barber, epsi spring reverb and an ada gcs-2 trough my cab and sounded quite good.
It has 10 spring reverbs and they sound realistic to me but I know you've gone trough several spring pedals and not really bounded with them..
What I would say is if you don't like it you can always change to the IR firmware and with the showman preamp and the digiverb you would have a backup rig for the Kemper.
I can try to post clips later tonight with a cheap Zoom recorder (best I can do now, still can't record properly trough my laptop).
PS - About TGP, I've been following the Amplifire threads and I am not sure if I should laugh or cry... After the release of the manual, which seems pretty clear to me, what one guy had to say was he didn't liked the font... seriously!!Last edited by jorgemg1984; 02-18-2015 at 01:51 PM.
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So Jorge, if I'm understanding correctly, I can either flash the epsi for effects or cabs? Just not both at the same time? That seems a fair compromise. Sounds like a cool product.
I actually haven't gone through a lot of reverb pedals. I bought a digiverb a long time ago to use with an AI amplifier that didn't have reverb.
I was an endorser for neunaber for a while so I had a wet reverb and it was very good. Later on, I bought the topanga and loved the reverb but eventually sold it when I realized how much treble it added to the sound!
Wish I still had the wet reverb but it sounds like the epsi would be a better way to go.
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Guys, and I ask this in all sincerity,
What do all these pieces (reverb, cab simulator, preamp, powered cab, etc) do for you that a Fender Mustang III V2 or Mustang Floor doesn't?
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It just sounds and feels good (right) to me . And all I'm using is the kemper into a powered speaker. The other stuff is just icing on the cake. Don't have to have it. Originally Posted by boatheelmusic
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Well first going modular allows me to change more easily each part of the equation if I want. Assuming effects are fine on the Mustang Floor, I can bet I like my preamp and my cab simulator a lot more. Except for the big two, no modeler can get the sounds I am getting... Originally Posted by boatheelmusic
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Thanks, do you use sounds beyond "standard jazz tone" often? Originally Posted by jorgemg1984
Bill
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Funny enough no... but maybe my idea of jazz tone is a little modern. I always use delay and sometimes overdrive but it's basically a blackface preamp with a 400hz boost and a 2x12 Jensen C12N cab. If I just used reverb it would be a pretty standard jazz tone. I do play other stiles of music but I always use my jazz sound
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I've enjoyed the heck out of this thread.
At some point, I'm going to get around to selling my AI / Redstone setup and I'm debating the Henriksen/Polytone route versus something more cutting edge that gets along better with my solid body guitars.
I know that it needs to work in the house at low volume with low hassle. It needs "one darn good tone" that appears when you turn it on and no real need for anything else. It needs to be easily cartable when I get the call to play out. It needs reverb of some kind as part of the chain.
Honestly, I'm leaning toward a gently used Henriksen.
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