My Kemper Frustration

ThePrettyDamned

Also, a wee bit of slapback delay and plenty of spring reverb will help

asimmd

Is that a way of saying I don't need a Kemper?

ThePrettyDamned

asimmd said:

Is that a way of saying I don't need a Kemper?

I'm not sure.

It's a toughie - If you want to sound like Hank Marvin, the best way is with an AC30 turned up quite loud with a spring reverb and slapback analogue delay.  A Blackstar will approximate these things.  A Kemper will get even closer.  

But whether you need a kemper or not is your decision. But with *any* modeller, expect tweaking to taste.  You might need to add an eq, a boost etc.  

Also, you're DI recording, which is not the same as using an amp and a microphone.  DI is good, and can be excellent, but it (in my opinion) is a lot harder to *really* sound great than mic'ing an amp.  However, some folks on here use the Joyo AC Tone, which is a solid state preamp pedal modelled on a Vox preamp.  So you could run that as a DI.  Lots also use the USA one for tweedy fender sounds.  Perhaps some of the recording buffs will have better ideas - I don't have personal experience with a Kemper, but I've heard them in a live context and they're great.  The Blackstar ID is also great.  

The kemper is a lot of dollar for something you might not even like.  A Joyo AC Tone will give you a DI output to record with, but it might be better, worse or not much different to the others.  

But the reverb and delay *are* important for that kind of tone.  In this video you can hear the delay, which sounds like oly 1 or 2 repeats on a pretty fast setting.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB91ayDlQLE  

ThePrettyDamned

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFy-eA-JY3A

I think, with a little delay, that would be really quite close.  He is recording from output straight into the recording device.  

Handsome_Chris

@asimmd, are you after a lead sound like this?

asimmd

It's very nice Chris,it would be another one to add to the repertoire. Now I'm wondering what you are going to say as to how you did it? I use a PSP608 Echo with custom patches from the Echotapper site. Alan

Handsome_Chris

I can't at the mo, my AF2 needs a new PSU. Once that is done then I'll give you the patch breakdown.

asimmd

Well if the Kemper could sound like that I reckon it would be worth getting one. Bet you could get closer with a bit of tweaking. Thanks for posting the clip. Alan

gearaddict

Not really my thing but it strikes me that if you want clean tones only then the Kemper might be overkill? I'd have thought pretty much any modeller would serve.

But if you have the dosh then why not?

ToneControl

OK, at the risk of embarassing myself, I recorded today's warm-up with the KPA and AF2 

I'd usually play a little cleaner,I tried to play a few slower clean notes here and there

here's the KPA, with a few patches. Remember I have had this 2-3 weeks, all I have done is tweak a few patches I have downloaded for EQ, delay , reverb and level

https://soundcloud.com/user527293714/07-test-kpa

first with my old #1 partscaster, EMG SAs DG20 set with a bit of colour added (not just flat SAs), I would normally play on with these

for some reason I player longer on the next guitars:

LP 2008 chambered

VGS strat with Seymour duncan SSL3 hot SCs and a JB4 or somesuch

LP style with Mississippi queens (P90 stylee)

then to be fair, teh AF2m but be aware there are my favourite AF2 patches after 2 years, so very tweaked

https://soundcloud.com/user527293714/07-test-af2

just my trusty ESP partscaster from the 80s with the EMG DG20 set

Not sure why I chickened out of playing Blue Jean blues properly

Either of the AF2 or Kemper will blow away any other amp sim I have ever tried, especially when you are playing them

The cheap stuff is way way better than it was. Personally I think that Amplitube on the PC is the best cheap sim I've tried for clean stuff - the Fender set in particular, but even then, when playing, it is 6 or 7 out of 10 rather than 9/10 like the AF2 and Kemper

Nerine

I'm a producer/engineer by trade.

I know what a mic'd up amp in the live room sounds like coming back at me through the mains in the control room.

The Kemper does the exact same thing.

Sounds like very well recorded guitar.
(Providing the profiles are good)
The free Amp Factory ones are great!
200+ and they're better than most of the ones the unit ships with by quite a stretch.

I was a MASSIVE skeptic, but it really does sound great.

I'm usually the first to knock digital emulations and all that crap.

asimmd

ToneControl Wow,first off thank you very much for posting the demo's,and you did not embarrass yourself at all. I must say I preferred the Kemper to the AF2,though both are very good. I have Guitar Rig 3 - Amplitube 3 - Waves GTR3 and of course my Blackstar ID30. I don't use any of the Software Sims,I only use the Blackstar,but none of the Sims nor the Blackstar comes close to the Kemper or the AF2. While the software sims don't get updated very often,they were the best when they were released. At least with the Kemper,when a new amp is released,it will be profiled and then everyone can have it,so the Kemper will never be out of date. Having heard the demo's on my iPad I can say I have been impressed,I will listen again tomorrow on my Mac through my monitors,they will sound even better. Ok,I think it safe to say I Want One. May I ask where did you download the sounds from,was it Amp Factory,or the Kemper Site? Alan

[Deleted User]

the audio files you provided are the same file 3 different times, the md5 sums on the files match identically when you download them, which means they are the same file, which is why they sound identical, because they are the same file 3 times with different audio descriptions on the website.

ToneControl

asimmd said:

ToneControl Wow,first off thank you very much for posting the demo's,and you did not embarrass yourself at all. I must say I preferred the Kemper to the AF2,though both are very good. I have Guitar Rig 3 - Amplitube 3 - Waves GTR3 and of course my Blackstar ID30. I don't use any of the Software Sims,I only use the Blackstar,but none of the Sims nor the Blackstar comes close to the Kemper or the AF2. While the software sims don't get updated very often,they were the best when they were released. At least with the Kemper,when a new amp is released,it will be profiled and then everyone can have it,so the Kemper will never be out of date. Having heard the demo's on my iPad I can say I have been impressed,I will listen again tomorrow on my Mac through my monitors,they will sound even better. Ok,I think it safe to say I Want One. May I ask where did you download the sounds from,was it Amp Factory,or the Kemper Site? Alan

KPA feels and sounds more like an amp when you play it, GTR3 was good in its day a few years ago, AT3 and Fender pack better, but KPA and AF2 are way better than all the in-PC/Mac ones I've tried

I got the factory rigs, paid about £8 I think to get a USB from Thomann with it containing a load, but almost all were from the Kemper sharing site. I got some other free ones from the Lasse Lamert site  that are exceptional, but are all metal, so not in this demo

The ones I played were I think:

Matchless HC30, Ceriatone OTS, Dumble 78, Matchless Chieftain, Two Rock (not good that one)

Handsome_Chris

@Assimmd, please may I have a copy of the DI track so that I can have a potter aboot with it. I do enjoy reamping.  I've been playiong that game where you strip the power amp sim out of on amp block and use it as an extra gain stage.  I've recently been trying to capture that Tony Iommi sound.

asimmd

Handsome_Chris said:

@Assimmd, please may I have a copy of the DI track so that I can have a potter aboot with it. I do enjoy reamping.  I've been playiong that game where you strip the power amp sim out of on amp block and use it as an extra gain stage.  I've recently been trying to capture that Tony Iommi sound.

Hi Chris

Here is the link to the original file

http://app.box.com/s/nis6v3gskck37zwlmbmt

Let us know how you get on - thanks

Alan

57Deluxe

can't help thinking the YT Kemper demo tones in this thread just sound like a BOSS GT-10... over-processed

Fiftyshadesofjay

Kemper doesn't have a signature sound itself, if it sounds processed then that's how the original amp sounded or it has been tweaked within the Kemper to sound that way. 

rockmonster

I don't know why but I still fancy one!

asimmd

Well after all the discussion i still want to try one,i think it's the old musician's failing that it just might be something

better than what i have.

That's what keeps us buying more gear and suffering from the dreaded GAS.

Luckily no-one seems to have stock of the rack version at the moment,so the pressure to make a decision is off.

Will we be able to resist once they are available again???