guitarguitar were doing a little Kemper / Helix demo over the weekend. I was in looking at acoustics next door so popped in for a listen.
They had the Kemper running in stereo through two QSC monitors (I think), and had it loaded up with MBritt profiles and a footboard hooked up. It sounded pretty good in stereo with mild chorus and a shimmery reverb. They hooked me up with a strat and a Matchless model and I gave it a blast. The Matchless model was pants, but the Trainwreck was ok. I tried a few other patches they had setup and was left with the same sensation I get every time I play one - playing guitar through one is like manipulating the control device for a recording of an electric guitar. You could just as well be triggering it with a keyboard. For me there is no feel at all, the whole thing is uncomfortably synthetic. Do not like.
The Helix frankly sounded insipid in comparison but I didn't spend any real time with it, so it could be down to the sounds dialled up by the demonstrator. it's an ugly piece of kit too.
Im glad I tried them again because the level of discussion recently had me considering the Helix and the demo killed the gas stone dead.
I came home and fired up my real amp and was reminded how happy I am with it and a couple of pedals.
I can see the attraction of the helix for cover / wedding / function events though, where convenience is the USP.
Comments
Sounds to me like you just don't like the mic'd up tone back at you through a full range system. Nothing wrong with that but it's definitely completely missing the point if you're comparing it to an amp and a cab, apples to bananas. You need to imagine your amp mic'd up in isolation with the sound fed back at you through the QSC's, that's a fair comparison.
You should have a listen to a powered Kemper through a traditional cab, that might be more your thing.
There's also tons of pro touring musicians running Kemper/Axe Fx/ Helix, probably a lot more than you realise.
And anyway, most people are really drunk when you play originals shows as well.
I've just finished producing a record for a band I'd previously done an album for, only whereas before we used a good selection of amps, this time to save time and therefore money it was almost all Kemper. I found myself wanting to run it into cabs in the live room constantly so I could at least mic the room properly and get some real depth in there, and mixing the record became an exercise in frustration - especially when I revisited an old track to remix it and there was all this glorious weight to the guitars that I'd been missing, and I could pan the room mics wherever I wanted.
For me, having spent a good few weeks with them, I have to say I think they still have a long way to go before they replace a great amp setup.
I think I agree. I have tried the modeller/FRFR set up twice, once with AxeFX and once with Helix and it left me cold both times.
Modeller direct into audio interface for recording and played back via studio monitors, I get it, it's a great and neat solution and in the mix the high quality modellers are superb.
But, as a replacement for amp and effects played loud in the room they haven't done it for me, especially through an FRFR speaker.
In my mind, modelling recreates great recorded tones and traditional amps create great recorded tones.
Does the Kemper sound & behave like an amp in the room if using a guitar cab & not using cab sims ?
I must know ffs. I'm thinking of buying one !
Im running my Kemper through a stereo poweramp and 2 2x12s
It sounds very amp like
the matchless model sounds amazing
This very small sample set proves nothing, of course, but hopefully you can see that the concept works - given the right amp profile, when played through the same cab, the difference is small enough not to matter to most people.
It's not the same as owning the real amp though - the profile only captures one snapshot of the amp, it doesn't model all the controls at different positions, and of course, if you go the cab route, you're effectively playing all the different amps back through the same cab / speaker. For example you can read many online comments from people saying they much prefer their Carr Rambler (with it's nice finger jointed pine cabinet) with the new Elsinore speaker than the old Eminence wizard, whereas you're going to be listening to a Rambler amp profile through your vintage 30 in a plywood cab, just the same as you'll be playing a JCM 800profile through a V30 with a 1x12 plywood cab....(just as an example)
Given the contraints of the above though, yes, the best profiles sound (and feel) just like an amp through a cab.
Given all the constraints on volume at a lot of venues these days, you probably won't be able to get your valve amp to the levels where it is sounding at its best. You also run into the old problem of the people at the front getting deafened by the backline amps while the people in other parts of the room can't hear it clearly. Like it or not, modelling through a decent PA does give a better sound for the audience most of the time.