My Kemper Frustration

ToneControl

Walking through the factory and free rig profiles, there is a lot of dross. Youtube vids confirming this do not mean there is anything wrong with the KPA. A minority of free rigs and I would hope most commercially made ones are excellent, certainly better than a lot of mic'd up amp recordings I have heard

All my amps are top notch classics, and the KPA is very very close to them, but of course, without issues like weight, micing, as well as being hundreds of amps at once

I cannot think of anyone reason why a serious guitarist with £1300 to spend should not want one of these now. I sold a Matchless to buy this, and I am very pleased I did.

btw I am not sure that the rack one ever gets "in stock", I just ordered it and waited 2-3 weeks

asimmd

I retired last year and have plenty of time to play now,I don't gig anymore just play and record at home for my own pleasure.

I used to be able to use an Amp,Cornford Harlequin miked with a Beyer 1000,i have tried playing the same

stuff using any of my Amp Sims,Guitar Rig - Amplitube - Waves GTR3 but i can't get anywhere close to the Amp sound.

There is just something missing,can't put my finger on it but it's not the same.

I am hoping the Kemper will put back the missing part of the guitar,and i am looking forward to trying amps like

the Morgan AC20 - Two Rock and Mesa Boogie to name just 3.

There are plenty more i would like to try,and if the reports from users are correct i should be spoilt for choice.

I may even be converted to try and play something using the Overdrive amps,but that's not for now.

I get all my gear from Andertons who are expecting stock at the end of January.

ToneControl

I own Guitar RIg 5, amplitube 3, GTR3, Eleven, Amp Farm. Some of them are "adequate" for some sounds, they are all pretty long in the tooth

both the AxeFx2 and KPA are way better, and are comparable to my favourite amps, and other good amps, as in: sometimes they sound nearly as good, sometimes they sound better

Make sure you have serious monitors though, preferably powered, and with a separate sub. Otherwise it will sound weak and/or blow up the speakers. I'd recommend 5 or 6 inch nearfields, e.g. Focal CMS 65, with the bass rolled off and a sub to pick that up

asimmd

Thanks ToneControl

It will be going straight into my Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 Interface - Into Logic Pro then mixed on monitors.

My monitors are quite old,Spirit Absolute 2's but they are flat,no coloration at all.

ToneControl

asimmd said:

Thanks ToneControl

It will be going straight into my Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 Interface - Into Logic Pro then mixed on monitors.

My monitors are quite old,Spirit Absolute 2's but they are flat,no coloration at all.

it's the power rating that I've had trouble with- smaller drivers have no bass, and seem less realistic, and it can be very easy to blow up speakers if the amp is weedy, or if the speakers are overloaded, I've blown a few up myself

hywelg

ToneControl said:

Walking through the factory and free rig profiles, there is a lot of dross.

@ToneControl, could you tell me which are the good stock patches to try if I get the chance to demo one. I might have an opportunity to pop in to Andertons or GuitarGuitar in Epsom on Friday so knowing which patches will show it off to best advantage would be good. No heavy metal stuff, cleans and plexi types would be great. Ta

asimmd

If you do manage to try one perhaps you could come back and let us know what you thought of it.

ToneControl

most of the Kemper-supplied patches seem to be rubbish, really 6/10, I have deleted most of them

if you log onto the rig exchange, there are plenty of good ones there

http://www.kemper-amps.com/sharerigs?login=1

It may be that you need to register a serial no to access that, in which case I can email some if you PM me your address

The Lammert heavy metal free ones are exceptional if you like metal http://www.kemper-amps.com/page/render/lang/en/p/170/do/Kemper_Profiling_Amplifier___Downloads.html

other excellent free ones that vary in type are the demo free ones at http://www.theampfactory.com 

hywelg

@ToneControl, I will possibly be able to try one in the flesh, but of course unless the shop has installed some better patches I'm going to have to try it with whats installed in the factory setup. If they're all crap then I might struggle to get a good idea of what its really capable of.

ToneControl

you can take some in on a USB stick, they should let you install them. You just put it in the front panel, and press 2 or 3 buttons

I still say to everyone: just buy one on mail order, you can send it back after a few days - much better than a shop test.

tbh what is a shop test going to clarify? There is pretty universal agreement that the only current pro amp sims are the AxeFx2 and the KPA, both good enough, AF2 better at FX, KPA better at amps. Since there are no other contenders, what can you compare it with? AF2 is not in any shops

ToneControl

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/8645/fs-ft-kemper-profiler-white-toaster-model#latest

Handsome_Chris

@ToneControl, I have to ask, as you've actually got both.  Can you "mod" the amps on the KPA? 

If I had £900, I'd consider buying a KPA as a backup to the AF2.

ToneControl

mod?

erm you can adjust bass, mid treble, presence

then there are a handful of tweaks, 8 I think, more like what you'd see on a tweaker boutique amp, see p30 in the deep manual (Sag, pick, compression etc), rather than the page after page you get on the AF2

http://www.kemper-amps.com/page/render/lang/en/p/170/id/27/cat/30/do/Kemper_Profiling_Amplifier___Downloads.html

Handsome_Chris

ToneControl said:

mod?

erm you can adjust bass, mid treble, presence

then there are a handful of tweaks, 8 I think, more like what you'd see on a tweaker boutique amp, see p30 in the deep manual (Sag, pick, compression etc), rather than the page after page you get on the AF2

http://www.kemper-amps.com/page/render/lang/en/p/170/id/27/cat/30/do/Kemper_Profiling_Amplifier___Downloads.html

Yeah that sort of thing.  "Mod" is probably the wrong word to use, but that is how I think of it.  I don't too much of it though.  I know that some people really get deep into into it, I'm usually quite satisfied - well I may fiddle with the input trim at times - with the amps and pedals in there.

I think that it's a great time to be guitarist, what with all this tech 'n' stuff flying about.

guitarfishbay

Handsome_Chris said:

I think that it's a great time to be guitarist, what with all this tech 'n' stuff flying about.

Agreed.  If you can afford them the options available today offer so many possibilities.  It is either reaching the point or arguably already there where the limiting factor is the creativity and technical skill of the player not the capabilities of the equipment.

Handsome_Chris

@Asimmd, I've had a potter about with the AF2 and reamped your dry track with a virtual AC-30 'n' stuff.

timmysoft

I finished my first "kemper" recording session a few weeks back. I was very impressed with the tones available and how they responded to pick attack and guitar volume changes. In a recorded mix i'd say its incredible, i think 99% of people would find it hard to tell the real guitar from the kemper guitar, but i do think that for just jamming around it perhaps lacks the interactive feel of a guitar amp. Its only going to sound as good a your amp/monitors allow, but through a decent studio rig its very good. I've never been against digital or modelling, infact i quite like the idea, but if someone could combine the idea of the kemper with an interface like the old Peavey Transformers i'd be all over it. I liked the old tranformers because they were still very much an amp, they sounded a bit shit but they played like an amp!

drwiddly

I've combined my KPA with a VHT 2/50/2 power amp and a couple of 2x12's. It sounds and feels a lot like an amp to me.

DLM

Bumping this old thread because I too bought a Kemper and am frustrated. I'm going a bit deaf after all those years of no-master volume Marshalls, but have to say I find the Kemper disappointingly quiet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/Pepi4/Funny photos/kenmore57goldtop.jpg

simonk

DLM said:

Bumping this old thread because I too bought a Kemper and am frustrated. I'm going a bit deaf after all those years of no-master volume Marshalls, but have to say I find the Kemper disappointingly quiet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/Pepi4/Funny photos/kenmore57goldtop.jpg

Powered or unpowered? Either way, just stick it through a beefier power amp - it'll be as loud as you want then.