Thinking of moving to Kemper, so many questions

[CakeEater]

Could you clarify what you mean here for me? I find the Helix to clean up very much like the amps it models, meaning the plexi models go from very gainy to clean on the pick attack or volume knob changes and high gain amps clean up some but not a lot (never get to a good totally clean sound). You’re saying Kemper cleans up better, but I can’t tell if you’re talking about high gain amp profiles (Friedman, Rectifier, etc) or drive pedals into relatively clean profiles.

I’ve got access to a kemper I’ve been meaning to borrow and test myself, but I just haven’t had the time.

D

I mostly tried drive pedals into relatively clean profiles. But also tried turning up the gain on those profiles and rolling back the volume.

I just found the entire spectrum across the volume knob more usable. There seemed to be more tonal change and less volume drop, and there were no dead spaces where things felt flat. I can't really comment on high gain head and cab models as they're just not my Wheelhouse. I don't have a basis for comparison.

 

[CakeEater]

You might find this interesting:

This matches my experience. With the profiles I tried I'd often roll back the gain to 12:00 where it would ideally still be crunchy and then moderate the gain with the guitar volume. I also found that a transparent boost into the amp worked well to create more breakup

 

[Random Hero]

The Kemper is still king of amp sounds, and I’ve owned them all. Nothing has the air and thump of the Kemper.

It also still has the best feel.

 

[Orvillain]

A few years ago there was a video that compared Helix Fractal and Kemper in a studio situation using clean to edgy sounds. And at those settings the Kemper was best. Just more like tone you wouldn't question. I love the Kemper. It's been great for years. Better than ever. Once or twice a year, ten or twenty bucks, if need be, and you load an inspiration boost .. like MBritt recently profiled that Komet Constellation ..whoa who wouldn't want that? But .... c'mon .. I can't say firsthand because I don't bother since I don't need to .. but aren't there examples of dudes making it happen on pretty much every modeler and amp and pedal? Life was easier when the rich kid down the block had a brand new Fender Twin. Of course you wanted that. But if you went to sears or the local organ store or wherever .. there were amps from that era with equally great components making their own landmark noises for much less money. Now there's so much information that people 1) buy smart (supposedly) 2) buy best (supposedly) .. and at a distant 3) buy the thing that makes the heart go pitter patter .. That seems backwards to me .. Anyway .. if in two weeks OP had a Kemper and he loved it .. and then four months later there was a new version .. would that "rental" fee of four hundred bucks or so that he loses in his sale .. if the new device was so compelling .. be such a terrible thing? Every sale .. other than my vintage Strat .. that I made on the Emporium was about experimenting and often quickly moving on .. it wasn't free but knowing is usually worth it ..

I think the truth is, more than ever before, the "sonic" aspects of music gear are solved. There are at least two dozen great reverb pedals, two dozen great delay pedals, drive pedals, mod pedals, amp modellers, cab sims, what have you.

And as you say there are many successful people using all of these units successfully.

What really matters is UI and UX.

 

[creative360]

What really matters is

… to just be using the thing that you like the best .. for whatever reason. Right or wrong folks have feelings about what sounds best. Go with it! And people argue about user interfaces too .. also subjective. 99% of the time that I’m tethered to an amp or Kemper or plugin I’m making music, not tweaking. But sure I’m fast on a Kemper for those little two-minute blips. Shrug. OP may love his new Kemper. Love or hate it, if making music is the point that won’t be what holds him back.

 

[creative360]

And as you say

PS I didn’t say, I asked. But yeah I’m kinda presuming .. since I’m even getting deep sounds from UAD/Brainworx/Softube …

 

[JasonE]

If you are buying a new Kemper unit, I would recommend getting the Stage. It is the latest hardware and is a bit of an upgrade from the other models.

I wouldn't get hung up on being late in the life of Kemper. They did upgrade the hardware a little for the Stage. It can do a couple of things that the other models cannot. It has more connection options. They are still releasing updates for the units. If it sounds good now, what is the issue? I think people get too wrapped up in "it is old technology" thinking. There are a good number of professional musicians using these things on tour. They sound good and it will always do what it does today. Someone must have used this as a marketing statement at one point and it somehow stuck. IMHO the Kemper still produces a very accurate profile of the amp it is taking a profile of. It is very dynamic and as you noted, you can really change the tone like with a real amp just by using the volume knob on your guitar.

 

[CakeEater]

Update

Well I've ordered a Stage. I called Thomann and they should be back in stock within the week. Hopefully if Kemper release anything new they'll do it within my 30 day return window .

Thanks everyone for your input, it was all very helpful.

 

[Frank67]

Viz reamping. I had a lot of good luck with that.

I first play into the Kemper main in and then record the Kemper profile via spdif out. At the same time, I send the direct guitar signal via monitor out to the interface and record both into logic. For reamping, I just set the input of the Kemper to spdif and send the direct track from logic to that port too. Simple and convenient and minimizes the number of analog/digital conversions.

If desired one can send front of amp effects via plugins into the Kemper of course and add stereo effects after. Obviously, one can also go out with the direct signal into the analogue world and then back into the Kemper. The options are endless and, in my experience at least, also lead to satisfactory results.

 

[kenlombardo]

I think people get too wrapped up in "it is old technology" thinking.

Amen to that. Especially considering they're all chasing the sounds of old technology in the first place.

 

[DeadLazy]

Update

Well I've ordered a Stage. I called Thomann and they should be back in stock within the week. Hopefully if Kemper release anything new they'll do it within my 30 day return window .

Thanks everyone for your input, it was all very helpful.

I’ve had my Stage for just over two years and I still look forward to playing it everyday.

 

[BrownNote71]

Once you profile your own amps, and go through the A/B process when you’re refining, you realize that Kemper got it right.

 

[CakeEater]

Answers in ITalic Above
A couple of pictures of my Rig. Cables are about 3 foot ( 1 meter) - Right angle on one end, straight on the other.



View attachment 463558 View attachment 463559

This looks great! Where did you get the colourful switch buttons?