Kemper Profiling Amp Thread

[guy in latvia]

can the kemper profile bass amps? can it be used for bass guitar?

[Fred the Shred]

It can profile them, yes. Some dude at the forums profiled some SVT head and it sounded great. Direct outs seem to work best there with a few amps, pretty much like you'd do live in quite a few situations.

[BadBovineNickel]

Originally Posted by TimothyLeary

On topic: I'd like to see a clip of a kemper with poweramp and a cabinet, instead of straight kemper to DAW. But apparently I'm alone.

Isn't Ola's first video - where he's setting the profile of the Mesa - using a poweramp and cab??

[BadBovineNickel]

Originally Posted by HighGain510

Did Ola end up selling off his Axe though? I thought he had posted on another forum (maybe TGP?) that he was keeping his Axe-Fx still?

In his comments below (on youtube) Ola addresses Chimp Spanner to say that he still has his Axe-Fx.

[Fred the Shred]

Ola sold it not too long ago. Trust me on this...

[Animus]

Originally Posted by technomancer

Yup, Cliff mentioned a bit ago that this was coming to the Axe

I thought it was more going to be to do your own convolution impulses of cabs? I remember reading even on the new Axe FX II there wasn't much rom memory left to play with and he was saving that for new amp models, and I imagine the sophisticated resource requirements of something like Kemper profiling couldn't fit.

[Deadnightshade]

Originally Posted by Randy

Didn't see it posted anywhere else in this thread but this is about as in-depth as I can find:

Kemper Profiling Amp Review inside and out with video and audio - www.tonymckenzie.com

I've read this some weeks ago.This review annoys me for 2 reasons:

1)The video could have been better.It does show the profiling procedure,but they don't stress the A/B procedure as much as they should,IMO.I've seen only one video though i don't know if they've done another about the profiling process.

2)The review at some parts sounds like a BUTTHURT hipster bitch when it refers indirectly to the axe-fx.For ....'s sake.

[HighGain510]

Originally Posted by Deadnightshade

I've read this some weeks ago.This review annoys me for 2 reasons:

1)The video could have been better.It does show the profiling procedure,but they don't stress the A/B procedure as much as they should,IMO.I've seen only one video though i don't know if they've done another about the profiling process.

2)The review at some parts sounds like a BUTTHURT hipster bitch when it refers indirectly to the axe-fx.For ....'s sake.

Jeez, it's unfortunate that this is the ONLY video on the internet of the Kemper! Seriously, one review really isn't the end of the world, there are plenty of other, better, videos of the Kemper that seem to more accurately display what it is capable of doing.

[technomancer]

Originally Posted by Animus

I thought it was more going to be to do your own convolution impulses of cabs? I remember reading even on the new Axe FX II there wasn't much rom memory left to play with and he was saving that for new amp models, and I imagine the sophisticated resource requirements of something like Kemper profiling couldn't fit.

Won't talk about this more here as it's off-topic for this thread, but the new feature in the Axe II is in addition to custom cab impulse creation which I believe was already added to the firmware.

[Animus]

Originally Posted by technomancer

Won't talk about this more here as it's off-topic for this thread, but the new feature in the Axe II is in addition to custom cab impulse creation which I believe was already added to the firmware.

Cool. The more the merrier.

[USMarine75]

So glad my Axe-FX spot finally arrived exactly when I now have no idea which one to buy...

[Deadnightshade]

Originally Posted by HighGain510

Jeez, it's unfortunate that this is the ONLY video on the internet of the Kemper! Seriously, one review really isn't the end of the world, there are plenty of other, better, videos of the Kemper that seem to more accurately display what it is capable of doing.

I know there are better videos..It's just I can't stand the fact that the author had time to write this wall of text instead of summing most of this stuff on a nicely made video,in conjunction with the indirect attacks towards fractal ,and the unconvincing over-the top extolling.

Anyways ,as you said there are better reviews.I didn't actually learn anything more from this one than 2-3 other videos and a quick browsing through the unit manual.

[Krucifixtion]

Originally Posted by USMarine75

So glad my Axe-FX spot finally arrived exactly when I now have no idea which one to buy...

Hey wanna give me your Axe-FX coupon?!????! Cause I just got on the wait a few weeks ago. How long did you have to wait? This Kemper seems cool, but I don't think I would want it for live. No one has really shown the capabilities of switching different "patches" and with different FX settings. To me it just seems like a better studio item. I also thought it was gonna be slightly cheaper than $1,850.

[slapnutz]

New KM vid... so good.

Needs to be listened at at LEAST 480p ... dunno how to force 480 in embed.



It sounds awesome, the only area i'm unfamiliar with is how it compares to the AxeFx effects side of things.

[drmosh]

Why does it always have to be X > Z or whatever? Can't they just co-exist and you choose what you like rather than starting some petty argument over which may be better?

[USMarine75]

Originally Posted by Krucifixtion

Hey wanna give me your Axe-FX coupon?!????!

Only if you can give me some petty reasons why the Kemper is totally > than the Axe-FX

And I'm OK if it is a better studio product than live device... I'm old and have a family/job/school so I don't have time to play shows anymore... I'm relegated to my music room and pissing off my neighbors now.

[USMarine75]

Originally Posted by slapnutz

New KM vid... so good.

Needs to be listened at at LEAST 480p ... dunno how to force 480 in embed.

It sounds awesome, the only area i'm unfamiliar with is how it compares to the AxeFx effects side of things.

I like but...

1. What about if I don't own an Axe-FX (or Diezel, Bogner, etc)... is there a user forum for swapping presets? I'm sure people on here will start sharing, but wondering if it will be like my Vetta where it's easy to log on and download/upload updated factory and user presets...

2. I'm curious how this would integrate with real amps as far as FX go.

[cyb]

Originally Posted by drmosh

Why does it always have to be X > Z or whatever? Can't they just co-exist and you choose what you like rather than starting some petty argument over which may be better?

agreed! It reminds me of the 360 vs ps3 fanboy wars.

Originally Posted by USMarine75

I like but...

1. What about if I don't own an Axe-FX (or Diezel, Bogner, etc)... is there a user forum for swapping presets? I'm sure people on here will start sharing, but wondering if it will be like my Vetta where it's easy to log on and download/upload updated factory and user presets...

2. I'm curious how this would integrate with real amps as far as FX go.

The kemper site has a place where you can download user presets. I hope they add user ratings eventually.

[HighGain510]

Originally Posted by cyb

The kemper site has a place where you can download user presets. I hope they add user ratings eventually.

Yeah I agree with this. A lot of the guys who have been uploading/downloading stuff there have been saying they are hit or miss, and since there is no real "format" it would be a great idea to add user ratings to help weed out the "meh" profiles from the good ones.

[loktide]

so, i'm returning the kemper today. it is a killer unit for what it does, but it's simply not for me.

since i'm a metal player, my main tone is obiously high gain. i made some profiles of my VH4, my SLO100 clone and my bandmates 5150, but none of these captures the feel of the original amp. they sound great, dynamics are also not bad, but the gain structure is very alike on all high gain profiles i've played on the kemper, i'm afraid. it seems to me like there's an internal distortion algorithm that is matched to the source amp, creating a VERY similar (or even undistinguishable) sound to the listener. unfortunately, the feel on the player's side is still lacking, imo. it's a small difference, but enough to notice it immediately and to go back to using a tube preamp + impulses.

of course you can tweak the amp profile with VERY usefeul parameter like clarity and definition, but it always feel like playing ONE amp sim that adapts to match the EQ and partly the transients of the amp being profiled.

i just can't justify spending 1500€ for something that doesn't feel significantly (or any) better than my axefx (which i've grown tired off after 3 years), or other hi-gain amp sims. the best results to capture the 'feel' of an actual amp for direct recording is still a tube preamp + impulses in my experience. i really hope the kemper improves gain and distortion profiling in future firmware upgrades. who knows, i might be getting one again sooner than i think.

btw: clean and crunch sounds were simply amazing. i've never got so good clean tones with so little tweaking (stock presets and Hoss's ones). unfortunately, these are not among my priorities. for what it's worth, i'll be getting a 1x12 isolation cabinet for my main tone, and a pod HD for cleans and silent recording.

[cyril v]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts man, always good to hear different perspectives on these things. Did you happen to record any comparisons before you shipped it off?

[Andromalia]

Originally Posted by slapnutz

New KM vid... so good.

Needs to be listened at at LEAST 480p ... dunno how to force 480 in embed.



It sounds awesome, the only area i'm unfamiliar with is how it compares to the AxeFx effects side of things.

They both sound good but they do certainly sound different.

[loktide]

Originally Posted by cyril v

Thanks for sharing your thoughts man, always good to hear different perspectives on these things. Did you happen to record any comparisons before you shipped it off?

unfortunately i can't do any A/B clips. i made the profile with my amps on my band's rehearsal room, and i can't record guitars there

the recorded sound is great, though. it's just missing the 'feel', which is why i wasn't fully convinced. i have absolutely zero doubt that it can sound great recorded.

also, the kemper has a slight but noticeable latency compared to my axefx. they said they'll address this on future firmware releases, though.

all in all, the kemper is still in beta stage. which unfortunately is noticeable on many accounts, as little as they may appear at first (crappy noise gate, poor tube screamer model, etc...). therefore, i'd recommend anyone planning on buying one to wait a bit until it's technology matures. still, i'm convinced the kemper will hit big.

[loktide]

here are some clips i recorded with the profiles i made:

selfmade SLO100 clone

Diezel VH4 ch3


i made both profiles with the either head through my Diezel 4x12 (V30s, rear-loaded) and one SM57 (on axis) really close to the grill, about 1 inch from the cap enter.

oh, and i used my maxon OD808 in front of the kemper

[Animus]

Originally Posted by loktide

here are some clips i recorded with the profiles i made:

selfmade SLO100 clone

Diezel VH4 ch3


i made both profiles with the either head through my Diezel 4x12 (V30s, rear-loaded) and one SM57 (on axis) really close to the grill, about 1 inch from the cap enter.

oh, and i used my maxon OD808 in front of the kemper

Sounds pretty damn good if you ask me.