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Post by GuitarAttack Forum on Jul 2, 2018 17:43:55 GMT -6
All -- Yesterday I attended a training session in Nashville covering the Kemper Modeling Amp. The session was taught by Cristoph Kemper and there were about ten people in attendance. Bottom Line: Wow. This thing is amazing. Here is a link to their website: www.kemper-amps.com/It seems like everybody in Nashville is playing these things, and I had to find out more. We took a three hour deep dive/Q&A into the amp, and Michael Wegner, producer of Extreme, Accept, White Lion, and on and on was also there. It is a digital amp that models tube amps. We've heard all of the hype over the years; this one actually responds like a tube amp and the volume knob on the guitar can once again become your friend like the old days! I encourage you to read up on it if you haven't seen one. I also ask if anyone has any experience with them please add your comments. More to follow, John |
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Post by GuitarAttack Forum on Jul 2, 2018 18:04:21 GMT -6
More -- Here is a pretty good four minute YouTube video on how you capture a "profile" of your favorite amp. youtu.be/h0SmSl1aS1wAnd, by the way, there are thousands and thousands of profiles available for download online. John |
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Post by gmanstrat on Jul 2, 2018 18:19:02 GMT -6
I’ve heard great things about these units but I have held off because I’m not sure how useful it would be for an average bar band player like me. Really, am I going to model a bunch of amps and who is going to notice anyway. I’ve tried digital to the PA and in the end it doesn’t cut through like my Mesa/Boogie.
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Post by antares on Jul 3, 2018 2:38:08 GMT -6
No can judge objectively from YouTube clips. I would have liked to have been there in the room myself to listen. I'm not going to exclude this technology but I'm not totally sold because I still think there is some confidence associated with having all the (perceived) "right" gear behind you! If you play regularly, you will be swapping out valves, and I figure it would pay for itself over time anyway?
e&oe...
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Post by chezvoz on Jul 3, 2018 20:32:38 GMT -6
I saw these demonstrated at an amp show I went to some years ago. I think they were brand new them. It sounded pretty good, but was very expensive.
Since then, I've become a little more accustomed to highbred amps, simulations of cabs, rooms, etc in DAWs.
But it was the rig rundown clip of the Lee Brice Band below that made me think "someday."
Also, been thinking it would make recording easier. ANything that does that is gold for a time starved musician.
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Post by GuitarAttack Forum on Jul 7, 2018 12:52:42 GMT -6
No can judge objectively from YouTube clips. I would have liked to have been there in the room myself to listen. I'm not going to exclude this technology but I'm not totally sold because I still think there is some confidence associated with having all the (perceived) "right" gear behind you! If you play regularly, you will be swapping out valves, and I figure it would pay for itself over time anyway? e&oe...YouTube demos are tough, particularly when we listen to them on our iPhones! Considering what the new boutique tube (valve) amps cost, the Kemper - with its versatility - can be had for a competitive price. The gripes I always hear about tube amps is their tendency to break down at the worst possible time, their sensitivity to dirty power (high and shifting voltages), and required maintenance. It seems like the Kemper can prevail in all three. John |
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Post by GuitarAttack Forum on Jul 7, 2018 12:55:02 GMT -6
Also, been thinking it would make recording easier. ANything that does that is gold for a time starved musician.
I agree. The thing I like about running direct with a model when recording is that it gives you the capability to go back and fix a mistake after the fact and match the tone of the original. Try doing that with a tube amp, speaker cab, mic, and the entire signal chain. For a small operation, running direct with a Kemper might be a real money saver. John |
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Post by antares on Jul 7, 2018 14:10:07 GMT -6
I know they can *do* cabinet modeling, but loudspeaker compression is the big enchilada for me. My Yamaha Digi-Stomp is very old technology that holds its own to this day (if you discount the corny goofin' off sounds) but the loudspeaker modeling is what lets it down. In my own view of course!
e&oe...
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Post by chezvoz on Jul 7, 2018 20:48:24 GMT -6
And, by the way, you can reamp through the Kemper to get closer to the sound you want as recording progresses.
Perhaps that's what John meant,
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Post by GuitarAttack Forum on Jul 8, 2018 9:53:44 GMT -6
Reamping is a great capability. I currently use an 11 Rack and a bunch of plugins for the tones.
I really like the ability to preserve tones for later fixes. For example, a track is killer except for the rhythm guitarists execution during the solo. Going back to the original Kemper preset you used,you could have the sloppy player re-record it and make it sound seamless.
John
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Tom
New Member
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Post by Tom on Jul 28, 2018 18:54:13 GMT -6
Before you read, some grains of salt required. At most, I am a guitar hobbyist (not a professional producer, sound engineer, technician or musician.)
Yes, the Kemper is a game changer for many. The Kemper's capabilities make it an amazing and powerful instrument. So much so, I shook my head in amazement as I demo'd it at British Audio Service & Music (on Charlotte Pike.) Referencing YouTube videos starts to scratch the surface; you have to play it. Only then will you experience and appreciate the depth of how the tool sounds (and what it can do.)
I played it through a guitar cab. I have not tried it with headphones, PA speakers or powered speakers. I would recommend that you test these scenarios too. I didn't have time to experiment with the effects or other features beneficial to both live and studio applications. I walked away easily concluding that the Kemper was ALOT of fun but way too much for me.
Final questions: If you decide to invest in a Kemper, there are other considerations: First, are you willing to sell your current gear to afford the new gear? (In my case, the profiles provided by the Kemper are way better than my rig.) Second, to switch between amp profiles and effect settings in a live setting, are you willing to invest in the Profiler Remote? (Yes, you can include your existing pedals in the signal chain, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of simplifying your rig?) Third, even in Nashville not all situations have its own PA. If you plan to play live in places without its own PA, you may need to bring a PA, powered speaker(s), or a guitar cab for the Kemper. For some guitar hobbyists and professionals, wouldn't that be a zero-sum game?
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Post by chezvoz on Jul 28, 2018 20:49:38 GMT -6
I went to check out a used Kemper that was for sale locally. I really thought it was noisy. Everything I've seen on youtube and read about it was positive, but I was not convinced to drop that kind of cash on something that seemed to have so much noise.
I was listening through headphones, but the noise seemed to be there in almost every patch and at a level that seemed to high for the volume of the guitar. If the profiles are so accurate, shouldn't the noise level change in volume and tone with each different profile?
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Post by GuitarAttack Forum on Jul 29, 2018 7:48:46 GMT -6
Tom --
First, I am not selling my old gear to finance a Kemper purchase! If I buy one it will be for recording only. I think the non-powered version is probably plenty for what I am looking for.
Case in point: I went to see a couple of bands play in Nashville last month. The venue was a smaller club with a decent, small PA and a small stage. The first band was using Kempers through amps, and I thought they sounded pretty good. The next band went old school -- the guitarist was playing a Les Paul through a tube half-stack. His tone was like getting punched in the face. Much more "velocity" and presence...really different.
I think if you were playing through a big PA with little or no stage volume the Kemper would be great. However, I think in a small format the Kemper may be overkill.
John
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Post by GuitarAttack Forum on Jul 29, 2018 7:50:22 GMT -6
I went to check out a used Kemper that was for sale locally. I really thought it was noisy. Everything I've seen on youtube and read about it was positive, but I was not convinced to drop that kind of cash on something that seemed to have so much noise.
I was listening through headphones, but the noise seemed to be there in almost every patch and at a level that seemed to high for the volume of the guitar. If the profiles are so accurate, shouldn't the noise level change in volume and tone with each different profile? Interesting -- need to check this out. A colleague of mine said he loved his Kemper because it had so little noise. John |
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Post by antares on Jul 29, 2018 12:16:48 GMT -6
I admit that I have no experience of this technology, but it does sound very intriguing. Has anyone had the opportunity to make a comparison with the Fractal Audio Systems "Axe-FX 111"?
e&oe...
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