I went Kemper... and now I question my loyalty to tube amps

  • Thread starter Thread starter PhloridaMan
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I've been interested in these units, Kemper, Axe Fx, etc, but decided against picking one up due to the endless tweaking options that I think would have me pushing buttons more than I'd play. I'm also not a fan of anything I'd have to continually update firmware on and work around potential software glitches. Deal with enough of that bullshit with my computers.

That said, I have to say I'm starting to feel that all too familiar rumble in my lower gut.....GAS :aww:

I wouldn't sell my tube amps (or maybe I would :dunno: ), but the numerous amps that come preloaded and the ability to profile a bunch more is really starting to appeal to me.
 
The Kemper is pretty solid and the updates at the right level of frequency. They rarely, if ever, mess with the sounds themselves.


The tweakability is definitely there, I definitely fell into a black hole of messing with settings for a while. I found a groove and since then it's been mostly playing.
 
I'd invest in a decent modeler if I did a lot of work in the studio or toured.
I mirror some of the sentiments above about the modular aspects of pedals & amps & the way they have their own intrinsic character & sound. It was almost a good lesson owning the AxeFX to teach me just how little I need as a player. I'm a fairly seasoned musician & I found the almost infinite tonal spectrum of the Axe pretty overwhelming & ear fatiguing.
I think amps & modelers have their place. I don't think modelers are a replacement for amps.
 
How does one find the list of amps that come preloaded on the Kemper? I googled it and found a link on the Kemper forum, but the link they had posted did not load. Maybe I'm just not seeing it on their website :dunno:
 
MetalHeadMike":3rqj6z4i said:
How does one find the list of amps that come preloaded on the Kemper? I googled it and found a link on the Kemper forum, but the link they had posted did not load. Maybe I'm just not seeing it on their website :dunno:
Click to expand...

I’ve had 3 or 4 Kempers
The preloaded profiles change
The most recent one had a decent & varied collection; there’s also free packs to download from the site
 
crankyrayhanky":xyvgwq1r said:
MetalHeadMike":xyvgwq1r said:
How does one find the list of amps that come preloaded on the Kemper? I googled it and found a link on the Kemper forum, but the link they had posted did not load. Maybe I'm just not seeing it on their website :dunno:
Click to expand...

I’ve had 3 or 4 Kempers
The preloaded profiles change
The most recent one had a decent & varied collection; there’s also free packs to download from the site
Click to expand...

I think the ones that came with it were alright, the ones on the Rig Exchange like mentioned above will cover just about any tone you want. Super easy to load. Just right click on your mouse, click preview and it sends it to the Kemper via USB cable and you can tweak it from there. If you like it, store it, if you don't, preview another profile and go from there. I have over 600 on mine that I need to sort out :doh: There are over 14000 currently on the Rig Exchange so yeah....
 
The stock profiles are nothing to write home about, though they've been loading them with 3rd party profiles provided which are a step up. My recommendation is when you get a Kemper for the first time, hit up the Rig Exchange and find some profiles of amps you like, and then also hit up Google for some free ones. I found some great free profiles of the Engl Savage and 5150 III when I first got my Kemper. That should settle you until you can either buy some higher quality 3rd quality ones or make some yourself.
 
When I got my Kemper, I backed up every profile that was on it, then deleted everything and did a factory reset on it. I then saved the stock kemper files, removed them and one by one built a library of ones I found, a couple I purchased and ones that existed previously.

It took me about 2 weeks to go through every profile and decide whether I liked it or not. I also came to the quick conclusion that I like DI profiles best because (to me at least) they have the best clarity and definition. Every profile I use is a DI profile that I added a cabinet IR to for recording purposes. The number of BAD profiles available on the rig exchange is absolutely astonishing.
 
Does DI profile mean that it meant to be used thru a guitar cab?
 
Thanks for the info guys/gals :thumbsup:

I pm'd another member on this, but I'll ask here as well.

For a guy that just wants to use a Kemper just like a tube amp and simply plug into a 412 or 2x12 (whatever), are these things gonna plug and play just like a tube amp, assuming you buy the powered unit? Do they drive a real cab just like a tube amp?

Also, if a guy just grabbed the non-powered unit, I assume that can be played using a tube amp as the power amp right? I assume that will sound different than the powered unit straight into the same cab?
 
peterc52":2vwp95ri said:
Does DI profile mean that it meant to be used thru a guitar cab?
Click to expand...

Yes, when you do a DI profile, you are profiling the amp's output signal rather than a mic'd up rig.

I personally feel like you get a more accurate profile that way. Just my opinion though.
 
MetalHeadMike":3lvuytir said:
Thanks for the info guys/gals :thumbsup:

I pm'd another member on this, but I'll ask here as well.

For a guy that just wants to use a Kemper just like a tube amp and simply plug into a 412 or 2x12 (whatever), are these things gonna plug and play just like a tube amp, assuming you buy the powered unit? Do they drive a real cab just like a tube amp?

Also, if a guy just grabbed the non-powered unit, I assume that can be played using a tube amp as the power amp right? I assume that will sound different than the powered unit straight into the same cab?
Click to expand...
I have a powered Kemper, I think it works just like a tube amp. Just run the power amp out to your cab and you're solid. I get the same functionality I did out of my tube amp and rack of pedals and effects within a much smaller, lighter 4U rack case. Just make sure to use either DI or Merged profiles; while regular Studio profiles will work just fine, the Kemper basically guesses what is the cab and what is the amp, so it won't be accurate. Thankfully, DI profiles are the easiest to make and there are a lot out there.
 
I had an unpowered Kemper and I grabbed a Carvin TS100 Tube amp to drive the Orange 2x12 I had. I used a 500 watt class D power amp similar to the built in Kemper power amp and it was great I just preferred the warmth of tubes.
 
I just sold off my last tube amp. I can't say I miss any of them. I get everything I need out of the Axe FX II.

That being said, I still think tube amps are great, even though I don't have a use for one.
 
I stick to real amps but I'd love to have a kemper.....I actually think the debate about Kemper vs. real amps is very healthy. Guitar tech moving forward while keeping the original tech relevant is the ideal thing, it's awesome....it would be very bad for the guitar as an instrument to get stagnant because new technologies are ignored. Very healthy for interest in the instrument.
 
I think the kemper is a great tool for someone looking for a lot of different guitar tones in one box and I think it has it's benefits. After playing and hearing one I like the sound and feel of a real tube amp.
 
Is backing up your files from within the kemper unit easy? Can you just plug an external hard drive in to it and back it up? Or do you have to use your computer as an interface between the kemper and a portable hard drive?
 
MetalHeadMike":2oz7c3la said:
Is backing up your files from within the kemper unit easy? Can you just plug an external hard drive in to it and back it up? Or do you have to use your computer as an interface between the kemper and a portable hard drive?
Click to expand...
You can back up to a flash drive, I have no idea about external hard drives. You can also hook it up with USB and use Rig Manager. I'd recommend doing that as well as the flash drive. Rig Manager is super useful.
 
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