Kemper for the third time?

andyg_prs

A bit of ramble....feel free to jump to the *** for the actual questions!

I used to use a Kemper for a prog rock / metal band.  Did a great job.  I had a couple of issues with it doing a 'nasal' half-cocked wah thing occasionally but overall great.  I loved the ability to have each patch (I forget the terms) a completely different amp.  I loved the morph function for controlling mulitple factors at the same time  - eq / delay / gain / volume.

I also found the global eq really great for 'sounding out' a venue......far more in depth trying to sort out the multiband global eq for the AX8.

I recall that the gain pedals weren't great and I didn't have the best luck with musical lowish gain sounds.....

The slow boot was a bit of a worry too.

Sometimes the gain sound was a bit congested and I did some recording with my mate's AX8....but I could just be bad at dialling in sounds.

I changed from the Kemper to an AX8 after the prog band folded and I was in a covers band.  The rehearsal room always sounded awful, I always struggled to hear myself....I changed to the AX8 and for whatever reason, I worked with that and sold the Kemper.

I could never get the AX8 to do the morph thing.....and found the whole patches/scenes thing more difficult to manipulate to my needs.

Ironically I ended up  reverting to my Engl Ironball and pedalboard (with ES-5 and various gain pedals etc) for the covers band, and used a CaptorX for straight to PA.  The sound in the rehearsal room was still awful...but always good on stage.

Currently I play in an Americana 7 piece band....and an orignals band that does everything from pop-ish to heavy.   I use my Engl/pedals/CaptorX. 

I've used the AX8 for the country band for convenience.  Fine for the handful of gigs that we've done but have been using the Engl for that recently in rehearsal.  And the gain pedal settings change between the originals and Americana band and it ends up being a pain in the butt to revert each time.

***The Americana band has its first festival gig....less than an hour slot and I've been wondering about going back to the Kemper.  I find it much easier to use than the AX8 (even with AX-edit).  There are great deals on them these days secondhand.

But should I consider other units?  I borrowed a Helix Stomp and although I only spent one evening on it....it didn't do great things for me.

Big names have moved from the Kemper to the Quad Cortex....but does the price, whatever is needed to have enough switching options and the learning curve make it worthwhile?

And at the same time as all this, I think about things like the Revv series with built in two notes, the PT15IR and even the Bogner 3534 as it sounds intriguing.  But all those things are expensive and difficult for me to try out geographically.

I guess I could just get the Kemper and probably not lose more than a couple of hundred quid in the time it takes me to decide....

But yeah.....ideas / opinions?

Thanks,
Andy

thomasw88

Are you raising the amp off the floor? If you’re struggling to hear yourself with a valve amp, it’s either the position of the amp or your sound that is the issue. Stick the amp/cab on a painters step or similar and get it nearer your ears.. if that still isn’t working then look at your eq. Cut the bass a bit and boost the mids a bit as a starting point

andyg_prs

thomasw88 said:

Are you raising the amp off the floor? If you’re struggling to hear yourself with a valve amp, it’s either the position of the amp or your sound that is the issue. Stick the amp/cab on a painters step or similar and get it nearer your ears.. if that still isn’t working then look at your eq. Cut the bass a bit and boost the mids a bit as a starting point

I have no problems with my Engl and I go with CaptorX to FoH....this thread is more about which modeller to go for....or possibly whether to go for a multichannel IR/two notes loaded amp.

Musicwolf

I have both a Kemper and a Full-Fat Helix, I've gigged both.

To my ears, the Kemper has the better sounds and responds more like a 'real amp'.  The Helix is far more user friendly (both from the unit itself and via the PC Editor), but it's harder to get a sound that I'm happy with.  The Helix also has much better (quicker) switching plus dual amp paths.   Both have benefited from updates so that the gap has narrowed on all fronts.

I always use the Kemper in the studio but, every time I'm tempted to go back to using it live, I get a short way down the path of setting things up only to realise that the compromises that I'd need to make to my way of working renders it a non-starter.  I should also say that my Kemper is the rack version (I have the Kemper switcher plus an expression pedal) so the thought of extracting it from the studio rack, getting a 3u rack case out of the loft, then lugging it all to rehearsal / gig is a further barrier to change.  If the Helix stopped working, then I could gig with the Kemper.  If the Kemper gave up the ghost, then I could record with the Helix.  I couldn't go back to using a real amp in my current bands, YMMV.

andyg_prs

Musicwolf said:

I have both a Kemper and a Full-Fat Helix, I've gigged both.

To my ears, the Kemper has the better sounds and responds more like a 'real amp'.  The Helix is far more user friendly (both from the unit itself and via the PC Editor), but it's harder to get a sound that I'm happy with.  The Helix also has much better (quicker) switching plus dual amp paths.   Both have benefited from updates so that the gap has narrowed on all fronts.

I always use the Kemper in the studio but, every time I'm tempted to go back to using it live, I get a short way down the path of setting things up only to realise that the compromises that I'd need to make to my way of working renders it a non-starter.  I should also say that my Kemper is the rack version (I have the Kemper switcher plus an expression pedal) so the thought of extracting it from the studio rack, getting a 3u rack case out of the loft, then lugging it all to rehearsal / gig is a further barrier to change.  If the Helix stopped working, then I could gig with the Kemper.  If the Kemper gave up the ghost, then I could record with the Helix.  I couldn't go back to using a real amp in my current bands, YMMV.

Strange thing is, I'm OCD about most stuff....but I never had an issue with the speed of switching....maybe it was the way I was using it...I can't recall.

drwiddly

In my experience (owned a Kemper since 2013) the switching in performance mode is pretty much instantaneous but the screen takes longer to change so it can give the impression of being slow.

Musicwolf

I should say that I'm switching using MIDI > USB (I trigger from a backing track).  I've measured the Helix at <20msec vs >150msec for the Kemper.  You wouldn't notice it using the footswitch and, to be fair, there's probably only one song in our set where it's an issue.  It's also not a fair comparison in that I'm switch Snapshots on the Helix vs Slots on the Kemper - they are different things but necessary in order to achieve the desired result.

ElectricXII

It sound like the Engl / pedalboard works for you live whichever band you're using it for, so you might considering abandoning digital altogether. One solution for the gain pedal settings change problem would be to put together a second pedalboard, so you'd have a dedicated board for each band. If you favour boutique pedals, it might end up as expensive as buying a used Kemper though.

fretmeister

Ease of use and what you are already familiar with makes the Kemper a no-brainer decision.

I'd be the same with a Helix. I've had one for 5 years + and I know how to make it sound exactly how I want. I do not have that experience with other units. Even if I liked the sounds of other units more, "close enough" combined with ease of use and problem solving knowledge wins every time for a gig situation.

andyg_prs

ElectricXII said:

It sound like the Engl / pedalboard works for you live whichever band you're using it for, so you might considering abandoning digital altogether. One solution for the gain pedal settings change problem would be to put together a second pedalboard, so you'd have a dedicated board for each band. If you favour boutique pedals, it might end up as expensive as buying a used Kemper though.

You are right....in both cases.....but I have my eye on a great deal on a powered Kemper that the guy is prepared to drive to my house for me to try and buy......so my GAS might be uncontrollable 

and yes.......pedalboard, ES-5, two delays, noisegate, eqs, volume pedals etc.......EBS cables.....it soon adds up!

octatonic

I have a Kemper power rack plus controller for sale. PM if you are interested.

HarryCossey

Just my two cents (not having owned a kemper), but I loved switching from axe fx to quad cortex. For my money its far quicker to find a good sound than fractal, plenty of inputs and outputs, and scenes/stompbox modes are quick to swap between (portability too)

I realise how much this sounds like a QC ad, but I was just excited, got it used for a bargain a few weeks back and haven’t been disappointed

andyg_prs

HarryCossey said:

Just my two cents (not having owned a kemper), but I loved switching from axe fx to quad cortex. For my money its far quicker to find a good sound than fractal, plenty of inputs and outputs, and scenes/stompbox modes are quick to swap between (portability too)

I realise how much this sounds like a QC ad, but I was just excited, got it used for a bargain a few weeks back and haven’t been disappointed

I got a deal on a powered Kemper and remote that I couldn't turn down, arriving Monday.  That said, I would love to try a QC.  Looking at reviews it appeared that it didn't support expression pedals....unless that has changed?  I live for those....I use an EV-5 for master volume, another for monitor volume, another for delay mix or morphing....

I did see a review of a midi device - Morningstar maybe, that had a work around....but of course new firmware may have changed things.  Can you comment?

Also can you set patches / scenes so one switch would be a clean amp, the next a totally different high gain amp etc?

HarryCossey

andyg_prs said:

HarryCossey said:

Just my two cents (not having owned a kemper), but I loved switching from axe fx to quad cortex. For my money its far quicker to find a good sound than fractal, plenty of inputs and outputs, and scenes/stompbox modes are quick to swap between (portability too)

I realise how much this sounds like a QC ad, but I was just excited, got it used for a bargain a few weeks back and haven’t been disappointed

I got a deal on a powered Kemper and remote that I couldn't turn down, arriving Monday.  That said, I would love to try a QC.  Looking at reviews it appeared that it didn't support expression pedals....unless that has changed?  I live for those....I use an EV-5 for master volume, another for monitor volume, another for delay mix or morphing....

I did see a review of a midi device - Morningstar maybe, that had a work around....but of course new firmware may have changed things.  Can you comment?

Also can you set patches / scenes so one switch would be a clean amp, the next a totally different high gain amp etc?

My apologies only just seen this, but yeah QC does support expression pedals (I admit I don’t use one, but I know that mission engineering makes one specific for the QC as well as the other big modellers)

But yeah, as far as modwlling, they all sound great if you can dial in a good tone, so after that its just deciding which one you prefer the UI, or which has thwe special features such as amp capture or different switching you want

Enjoy your new kemper!

andyg_prs

HarryCossey said:

andyg_prs said:

HarryCossey said:

Just my two cents (not having owned a kemper), but I loved switching from axe fx to quad cortex. For my money its far quicker to find a good sound than fractal, plenty of inputs and outputs, and scenes/stompbox modes are quick to swap between (portability too)

I realise how much this sounds like a QC ad, but I was just excited, got it used for a bargain a few weeks back and haven’t been disappointed

I got a deal on a powered Kemper and remote that I couldn't turn down, arriving Monday.  That said, I would love to try a QC.  Looking at reviews it appeared that it didn't support expression pedals....unless that has changed?  I live for those....I use an EV-5 for master volume, another for monitor volume, another for delay mix or morphing....

I did see a review of a midi device - Morningstar maybe, that had a work around....but of course new firmware may have changed things.  Can you comment?

Also can you set patches / scenes so one switch would be a clean amp, the next a totally different high gain amp etc?

My apologies only just seen this, but yeah QC does support expression pedals (I admit I don’t use one, but I know that mission engineering makes one specific for the QC as well as the other big modellers)

But yeah, as far as modwlling, they all sound great if you can dial in a good tone, so after that its just deciding which one you prefer the UI, or which has thwe special features such as amp capture or different switching you want

Enjoy your new kemper!

Bought on sold.....tbf I got a good sound quickly for my Americana band......but the drive pedals on it still annoyed me....I advertised and sold it on within a week!  I've borrowed a QC which I'm getting to grips with.  UI infinitely better....and of course the form factor is amazing......still too early days to know for sure it's 'the one'