How good is the kemper really?

  • A KPA + monitor will sound different from a tube amp + cab. Whether it sounds better or worse to you will depend on your personal preferences. To my ears, my KPA + CLR rig sounds better than my old boutique amp + boutique pedalboard rig. Last night with my kids asleep in the next room, I was up until 3am working on some new tunes via headphones using the actual tones I will use in band practice. And when I'm actually playing with the band, my CLR gives much wider coverage than any guitar cab.


  • I agree, plenty of the factory rigs are top notch! :)


    Me too! I've got "my" sound dialed in with a couple of the factory rigs using the cab from my own profile of my modded marshall ! The powerhead thru a trusty Marshall 1960B and I've got cranking live stage sound.... plus all the benefits listed by others: ease of set up, lightweight, easy to down size to 2x12 or my Yamaha DXR10, easy midi, all the effects, direct out for PA/recording - I just wanted a rig to do "my" sound - all the other profiles icing on the cake and I love watching the progress of the KPA on this forum... :thumbup:

  • How good is the Kemper? Well I've played tube amps for nigh on 40 years and it just blows my mind the range of sounds and great tones you can get..I'm selling my amp.

    You're damned if you do and damned if you don't

  • I have one of the early units but it is bang up there with the latest due to up-dates,how many amps do this? that's right none.
    With the KPA you can have any amp there is and modify it to be what you want,it feels and sounds like the amp so it's a no brainer buy, Axe-fx came and went (nightmare experience) mine is at the heart of home studio and all the guys who come in to use it leave determined to get one, my first amp was a Watkins Dominator 15w valve, delta shape? yes I am that old! and since that every vox,marshall,mesa,Kustom (dalek model) Fender,Yamaha I could get my hands on, nothing comes near the joy of the
    KPA it's my NBFF, should you get one ? do the russians invade, is China big? ???? :thumbup:

  • Thanks again all for the replies and sorry for not checking in for a little to look at them;) I am definitely in the market for a Kemper having read everything I can about them and all your comments are really helpful!


    Can anyone give me any advice about whether to get the head or rack? I know they are basically the same bar a soft button or two and leds. I'll be using it mainly for rehearsing and gigging with some recording use at home too. Planning on most likely getting a Yamaha dxr10 based on Ingolf's and other great reviews, so will probably be getting the head without a built in amp. Seems to make sense to me to get the rack as if I put it in a 3u rack case (I believe the size requires a 3u) I know it'd be nice and safe, but I prefer the look of the head unit and read that it's just slightly easier to navigate.


    When you play live, which do you use and how do you / where do you place the KPA so it's safe and accessible?


    Thanks all for taking the time to reply to these posts, I have googled and looked on the forum but was hoping for some more replies from people actually using these rather than just opinions :thumbup:

  • In my opinion, the rack version has (had) just one big advantage: The USB port on the front panel. But since we have the RigManager now, the times of mounting and unmounting the pen drive on the back of the head version is pretty much over, apart from the occasional firmware updates. I really love the lunchbox, I like the LED collars a lot. So for me the decision stands, first unit the head version. If I ever buy a second one, then I might choose the rack version.
    I'm using the frontpanel controls all the time and I'm glad that the lunchbox looks nice, sits right beside me on a table and not somewhere else inside a rack.


    Cheers
    Martin

  • Glad you asked this question as I was just thinking how I usually have outgrown a new gadget after having had it for as long as I have had the Kemper, which is about 6 months. I am not biased as I'm open to any new device and have owned or played most of them and resold them because as BB King stated "The Thrill is Gone". Not happening with the Kemper, and I don't see it happening. Keep in mind as others have said that it's the profiles that make users fall in or out of love with this unit. Highly recommend checking out the best rated on the exchange and doubly recommend buying some profiles from the Amp Factory; they really just bring this beauty to life!!!


    I have the Yahmaha DX10 as well and also have a 4 x 12 cab and honestly prefer the Yahmaha. So much clairty and definition in the notes and tight low end that's surprising! As far as live sound it just blows my soundman away with how powerful and nicely it fits in the mix. This is of course dependent of what system you have for FOH.


    Now with regards to how accurately it mimics,copies,profiles a tube amp? It is just insane. I have owned numerous tube amps and I know how they feel when you play them.The Kemper is uncanny with the feel and dynamics that a tube amp has. If not 100% then pretty damn close to that. I love it and highly suggest you try it and if you don't. Send it back and get your money and then a couple months down the road feel the regret :thumbup:

  • In fact today I just sold my hand built valve amp today...I tired it again before it went and, really, I didn't mind a bit..

    You're damned if you do and damned if you don't

  • I have the head version and usually wish I had the rack version just so it would take up a little less space and weight. I have mine attached to a rack shelf and the shelf adds quite a bit of weight in addition to the whole thing taking up 5U of rack space. The rack version wasn't available when I got mine.


    But, I can say that the KPA is worth any inconvenience. :)


    I am VERY picky when it comes to guitar tones and I can't see myself using anything else. I actually think it sounds better than a real amp. Why? Because a real amp is very hard to get consistent and unless you are blessed to be on a large stage where you can actually turn the amp up to the volume needed for good tone, any real amp in a live situation will have to be reduced to a point where it doesn't sound ideal anyway. I don't think any sound man ever let me turn my Marshall up past 2.5, where it sounded best around 6 (which is head-exploding loud).


    No other amp "simulator" is even close in my opinion--and I've tried them all.


    J

  • Myramyd makes a great point and I agree that it is better than a real amp in that the sweet spot of an amp is obtained at any volume on the Kemper versus having to blow your head off to get that on a real amp.

  • although I think that there is written enough I'd also say, get one. if you are touring get the rack version, add wireless and a custom made 1u panel with the connections on the front side. you can than leave the rack closed on its backside (where it's often dark on stage) and have the rack standing upright. believe me, it's sometimes hard to find a suitable place for the poor, vulnerable, naked toaster.


    powered or not ... if you can afford the powered version and often play live through a cab, get that.


    Btw. my former equipment contained a 13u rack with two custom build preamps, tube poweramp, multifx, rackwah and more. I loved it but hated the weight. the kpa can replace this all (i use the non powered toaster and iem) but - to be honest: sometimes it's real fun to play the way we used to do (i still find myself sometimes carrying a tube amp head and cab somewhere just for personal pleasure :-)).


    And I forget, I also had the super duper modeller with the best algorithms in the universe (including parallel universe, it's parallel universes and those universes in between) sometimes mentioned elsewhere, really tried to like it but could not...

  • I have the rack version. While I think the head would be much more convenient, I believe the rack is more secure. If you are playing shows a few times a month, having your KPA in a secure rackmount case when loading and unloading gear or transporting gear brings more peace of mind. The head can fit in a rack case as well, but it would make more sense to just get the rack version then. But, if you are not using it for performances, the head is definitely the best.

  • I will definitely be using it to gig with, probably with gigging and rehearsing it'll be out of the house at least 7 or 8 times a month. I am leaning towards the toaster just cos I think it looks nicer really;) Where do people put their KPAs when gigging then seeing as I'll no longer have a cab to put it on as I would my tube heads?:) If safety outways appearance I'll have to change my mind and go for the rack....... You lot don't make this easy;) 1/2 saying the head, 1/2 recommending the rack! hehe

  • Quote

    I will definitely be using it to gig with, probably with gigging and rehearsing it'll be out of the house at least 7 or 8 times a month. I am leaning towards the toaster just cos I think it looks nicer really;) Where do people put their KPAs when gigging then seeing as I'll no longer have a cab to put it on as I would my tube heads?:) If safety outways appearance I'll have to change my mind and go for the rack....... You lot don't make this easy;) 1/2 saying the head, 1/2 recommending the rack! hehe


    I was like you when buying my 2nd one rack or another toaster I just couldn't decide. One of the things that did bug me with the toaster was where to put it when at a gig as I didn't use a cab with it. So I had to use a table if the pub had one lol. I'm happy with the rack as it sits nicely under our mixing desk, but I do miss the LED's though :)



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  • I will definitely be using it to gig with, probably with gigging and rehearsing it'll be out of the house at least 7 or 8 times a month. I am leaning towards the toaster just cos I think it looks nicer really;) Where do people put their KPAs when gigging then seeing as I'll no longer have a cab to put it on as I would my tube heads?:) If safety outways appearance I'll have to change my mind and go for the rack....... You lot don't make this easy;) 1/2 saying the head, 1/2 recommending the rack! hehe



    I leave it in its case:
    http://www.thomann.de/de/thon_…_kemper_profiling_amp.htm


    I don't need to fiddle with the profiler when playing.


    If I had to, I'd put it on one of these:
    http://www.thomann.de/de/millenium_as2001.htm