Kemper Amps Forum

The gain works just fine for me when adding to an already heavy distorted track. Where the gain doesn't work as well for me is for clean and light brakeup. Sounds more solid state. But that's why at this point it's best to take several profiles at different gain staging rather then expecting a single snapshot will represent the amp in all its range. When taking a few profiles it will much more accurately represent the amp. I try not to adjust the gain to far either way.

I personally think modellers like the axe try to "fix" and make perfect the high gain stuff to much that it ends up being too smooth and unnatural. I have always had a problem with high gain patches in modellers until now. I think sometimes if we use moddelers too much, we forget what the real amps sound like, or should sound like. Moddelleritis. Which is why the kemper has some people who generally don't like moddellers, really interested in the kemper.

Besides if you want to smooth out a distortion, aim your mic more off axis...

but i agree that in general for most applications the gain knob can add unpleasantries and certainly not as functional as other modellers, but then again the kemper isn't really a moddeler, its approach is much different.

Quoted from "Radley"

Certainly not wanting to pick a fight here, but I KNOW Mr. Kemper can improve on this 'rather solid-state-sounding' master amp model that stands between today's sales and 'world domination'

no fight picking at all. I just honestly think that people who live with a certain modeller, or modellers for a long time, forget what real distortion sounds like. I love love love raw amp distortion. I used modellers for years and you start to think you know good tone cause you get used to the idealized moddeller distortion at times, but I eventually was noticing my stuff really lacking in comparison to others posting their real amps. so I went back to amps. and like I said I think kemper captures distortion the best.

I mean if moddellers truly had the best sound, then why do most guitar players use amps? they are still very much relavant...

BUT I agree with you that the gain the kemper adds leaves stuff to be desired, and as I said, I really only use it for already heavily saturated sounds where you aren't noticing the solid stateness (then again most pedals are solid state), but def think it sucks on other patches. which is why I am glad users have posted different gain stages to work from...

I have a few patches that I like for leads, specially love the legacy patch.

I would love to hear your lead recordings though with the axe and then kemper and show what you like better about the axe and maybe someone can help you get that sound..

Quoted from "Radley"

there are *many* others who do it better as well: Pod XT, Pod 500 HD, Boss GT-10, GT-8, GS-10 etc...

We all agree with you, Rad.
The Pod XT, Pod 500 HD, Boss GT-10, GT-8, GS-10 etc......are all better than the Kemper, they all have more realistic sounding 'tube amp' distortion than the Kemper....you speak the truth.

And, a Squier is a better guitar than a Tom Anderson.

Here is an example of the Patch I have been using for guitar solo stuff. its one of the legacy patches. I am not a shredder or great at solos, but I like this patch for me personally. I find it plenty fluid and able to do leads... at least for me.. And as I always like to show examples of what I like rather then just talk, here ya go...

http://www.energiestudios.com/Files/Legacy%20Solo.mp3