Is a Kemper like a super THR?

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ROOGROOG Frets: 554

Im a home player, and I really like my THR, I use it much more than my "proper" tube amp + pedals.

At nearly10x the cost of a THR 5, a Kemper would be a big investment for me, question is, and I appreciate that I may be missing the point of the Kemper, but does it work like a 'super' THR?

I would be interested to hear your user views on this.

 

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Comments

  • no ones answered or they are like me, would like an answer too (but too shy to ask).
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  • HeartfeltdawnHeartfeltdawn Frets: 22096
    It's a cross between a super THR, a fandabbydoozy Peavey Bandit, and the world's greatest Spider II. 



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  • ROOGROOG Frets: 554

    He, he, may be :0)

    It was a long shot as I don't suppose there are that many Kemper owners here.

    The THR was an easy call, I paid £155 for mine new and it has been the single best purchase I have made for guitar.

    I do however have a hankering for something amp wise that can drive a big speaker and as I like the THR I wondered if the Kemper served up similar usability?

    I have no doubt that it would sound better, at least I would hope so for the cost, but one of the key attractions of the THR is ease of use. I assume the Kemper can be used as a typical modelling amp, with its preset profiles installed, but also that it has effects and verb just like the THR. 

    What I would like to avoid is masses of embedded menu driven trickery, once down that route I never get any playing done. A quick look on the Kemper forum suggests Kemper + Yamaha DXR 10 active monitor is a good match.   

     

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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    I would have thought the Kemper would be the other end of the "complicated" spectrum, given that it profiles actual amps (i think with microphones and some clever analysis stuff) rather than being based on preset programming etc...that said i presume it does come with an array of sample profiles. I would probably suggest a Kemper would be huge overkill and at great expense, if you are just after a louder amp than the THR there would be lesser mammoth beasts than a Kemper that would probably be good for you that feature amp models and fx, the new line 6 ones spring to mind. I think you have to be pretty serious about knowing what you need out of it to justify the expense of a Kemper
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
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  • or just buy a couple of nice amps you like the sound of.
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  • ROOGROOG Frets: 554
    or just buy a couple of nice amps you like the sound of.
    I suppose one of the attractions of the thr and hopefully the kemper is the small one box solution, but that the kemper might be more adaptable? In terms of cost, well most of the normal amps I hanker for are about the same cost as the kemper, including; mesa, lone star, mark V, something fendery.

     

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  • drwiddlydrwiddly Frets: 911
    I own a Kemper but I've never tried a THR so couldn't answer your original question. The KPA is a serious bit of kit and has the best amp tones of any digital unit I've heard (not heard an Axe FX II since v.9 and new firmware is apparently the biz). The FX are very high quality too. The worst thing about it is profile overload. There are several hundred profiles on the unit when shipped, several packs available for download from the Kemper site and something like another 6k on the Rig Exchange. Then there's commercial profiles that you can buy from specialist sites - e.g. The Amp Factory - some of which are amazingly good. Very easy to get bogged down in auditioning profiles and forgetting to play the guitar!
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  • ROOGROOG Frets: 554
    Agreed @drwiddly I find it easy to get distracted but if the kemper can be set to give say 5 or 6 good profiles with simple access to on board effects it might be just the job.

     

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  • drwiddlydrwiddly Frets: 911
    It can very easily (as long as you can decide which 5 or 6 profiles ;-)). Simplest control method would be a Behringer FCB1010 with an Uno4Kemper EPROM chip which I believe is plug and play. That would give you 5 presets, 5 effects stomps and 2 expression pedals for say volume and wah (wah can be touch activated) per bank.

    If you were using it for home only then a pair of powered monitors would probably work best. For live use either a power amp and cab or a powered PA speaker. I haven't had much opportunity to experiment with mine at gig levels so I'm still not sure of the best set up. Some users are saying a combination of FRFR and amp/cab is the way to go but it's more kit to carry. I'm lucky enough to have a selection of power amps but I'm still not sure whether SS or valve is best with the KPA.
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  • ROOGROOG Frets: 554
    The people on the Kemper forum certainly seem to favour high power flat response powered monitors

     

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  • drwiddlydrwiddly Frets: 911
    edited April 2014
    Mine sounds really good through my studio monitors but it does lack the thump you get with a guitar cab. I've not tried it with a good PA speaker like a Yamaha DXR10 so that might be the answer. The combination of studio monitors + a power amp and two 2x12 cabs is really, really good though ;-).
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  • ROOGROOG Frets: 554
    I gather that a single DXR 10 has a 750watt digital amp built in, I imagine that a pair would be ample! LOL. 
    I want to try this. He he.

     

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  • drwiddlydrwiddly Frets: 911
    Yup, I keep thinking about my current KPA set up (Matrix GT1000FX + two 2x12 cabs) with two DXR10's either side on stands. Would that be a touch over the top for the average pub gig? :-)
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  • PVO_DavePVO_Dave Frets: 2364
    edited May 2014
    The DXR is insanely loud! Seems to do a very good job of reproducing the profiles, but short of buying an atomic clr you do lose the feel of the amp in the room, only you will notice though, I'm very happy to make that sacrifice in place of the tone I now have :D I've only paid for one set of profiles from 'Top Jimi' the Marshall Super Lead '68, amazing! There are tonnes of excellent free profiles on the rig exchange too :) http://distilleryimage7.ak.instagram.com/7a9087aca39c11e3be431213a9d130e3_8.jpg
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  • ROOGROOG Frets: 554
    edited May 2014
    Neat solution @PVO_Dave, I really do need to stop watching youtube vids of these things and try one.

     

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  • PVO_DavePVO_Dave Frets: 2364
    @ROOG - It really is an amazing solution, never tried a THR, but I suspect it's more like amp emulation, rather than amp profiles.

    I previously had a Line 6 POD HD 500 rig with a Tech 21 Power Engine, it was convincing enough 'live' but didn't sound realistic enough under any scrutiny. The Kemper is the best guitar purchase I've made to date :) 
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