Kemper VS Axefx2 shootout through poweramp and mic'd up cabinet. TWO NEW TESTS!

  • Hi all, this is "The_Base_Ace's" brother, and axe fx 2 owner (and previously a kemper owner as well!) :) Cute of my brother to start this thread haha


    Just a quick background from where I'm coming from. I first purchased the axe fx 2 (mark 1) a couple of years ago and have been a happy axe user since then. I did also buy a kemper , i believe 2 years ago (?) and after a lot of hesitation I ended up selling the kemper. (I did put up the axe for sale first lol). Back then I thought the kemper sounded more like a real amp compared to the axe - I was still very happy with the tunes that the axe could produce though -, but because of several reasons like not owning a real amp (so couldn't profile my own amps), and liking to tweak and having a library of more than 100 amps to choose from in the axe, better FX etc, I still ended up selling the kemper and keeping the axe. My brother has always thought I was an idiot for choosing the axe and is constantly insisting on how much better the kemper is, and how much more "real" amp sounds you can achieve with a good profile in the kemper.


    IMHO both the kemper and axe fx are amazing high end products and a wet dream for amateur guitarist like myself, as well as for many professionals.


    In my opinion there is no difference in "feel" anymore between the kemper and axe fx 2, or at least the difference is minuscule now. Maybe, and just maybe I would give a slight edge to the kemper still when it comes to pure gain sounds, but this is comparing my brothers profiles created by professional studio engineers and my 5 minutes of tweaking an amp and cab block in the axe fx 2. I honestly don't think I give an honest representation of what the axe fx 2 can achieve tone wise, not by a long shot.


    So, about this "shootout" that my brother prepared. I didn't even know these recordings would go up on these forums. My brother used like 1 hour to find a perfect mic position for his kemper profile; I spent between 5-15 min finding what I thought was a decent sound through the 4x 12. I didn't even dive in with my ear to really listen to the sound coming from the 4 x 12, and I only used an amp, and sometimes a boost (od 808) block. For example the 5153 was all knobs at noon. That's it. I didn't even touch the advance parameters, sag, crunch, dynamics, parametric/geometric equalizers etc on any of the sounds you hear. And it still sounds decent. I am 110% sure that if I fiddled more with it, used headphones etc the sound would be better, and not as harsh. For me it was just "yeah this sounds good when I sit in front of the 4x 12, let's try a recording". And my brother with his professional profiles is like "hah, the keepers sounds better !11!1337! told you so" kemper > axe !! :D


    So, some people have asked what I did to create the sound. I actually first listened to the kemper, and tried creating something similar sound wise. I just used an amp block (the cab blocks were bypassed since the sound was going through a real cab) and/or a drive block most of the time and just used the basic EQ knobs, bass, treble, gain etc.


    TLDR;
    Both units are awesome; the difference in sound quality between the units is in my opinion indistinguishable, or at the very least the difference is very minor now with the latest FW of both units. The sound if very dynamic from both units and responds just like a real amp and cleans up tastefully when you turn down the volume.


    PROs and CONs IMHO of both units:
    Axe fx 2: PROS: excellent FX, can get good sound right of the box, "fun" (for me at least) to tweak and to choose from 100 of amps. The amps really feel like real amps with the latest FW.
    CONS: dependant on good IRs the get the "perfect sound" since that easily makes up like 50% of your sound if you go FRFR/direct in. Can be a hassle to go through copious amounts of IR/mic positions/mixes to find that sweetspot that you are happy with. There are good IR included in the axe fx 2 already, but then you are limited to those IR/sounds only.


    Kemper PROS: can profile your own amps at home/in the studio to get the exact sound you like (preamp, IR if a included in the profile, and nowadays it can be fully separated AFAIK. Can purchase profiles done by professional studio engineers and have the "perfect" sound right of the bat with no tweaking. You get the full package right away, preamp, IR and you're done, no need to do anything more! Should you choose to do so, you can purchase IR and experiment with that.
    CONS: FX, need to shoot/purchase new profiles (not always, but sometimes) when you change tuning/guitar mics, or maybe taste. AFAIK inferior foot controller and editor; can't record via USB /reamp.


    BOTH UNITS ARE OMFFFGG AMAZING WIN!!! I still prefer the axe fx 2 for my needs. Let the bashing begin!! :D:D:D


    Best regards Jan.

  • It's obvious your brother has really brought the XFX-Kemper wars into your home. I can only imagine the casualties :)


    I'm usually less interested in direct sounds. I'd like to hear what the audience is hearing, that's what i go onstage for in the first place.
    Does it usually end with 'select amp -> select IR -> tweak the tonestack knobs' with the XFX?
    The device got a reputation for being very non plug and play, initially. I know it has gotten better, but i wonder if it really is that simple.


    So, if you didn't touch any advanced parameters on the sounds we heard, what did you do? Really just selected amp models and turn some tonestack knobs?
    Is it that way when you go direct as well?

    "But dignity is difficult to maintain
    stamina requires constant upkeep
    repetition is boring
    and you pay for grace."

  • [quote='lasvideo','http://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index.php/Thread/19854-Kemper-VS-Axefx2-shootout-through-poweramp-and-mic-d-up-cabinet/?postID=218479&#post218479'


    Was the Axe running the latest FW 18? The new G3 modeling is a dramatic improvement on previous FW. If not, its not an accurate comparison of the current capabilities of these 2 great pieces of equipment ; )[/quote]


    LOL they were claiming it was 120% realer on FW1
    I'd love to see a blindfold test of FW1 to 18......


    If you can't do a comparison with the kemper on any of the last FW's than it just shows the AFX has always been behind in the amp sims....seriously

  • I've just listened to the v18 demo by Scott Peterson on TGP and IMO doesn't sound real.
    http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1559649

    I own a Fuchs ODS and have listened demos of AxeFX's Fuchs ODS model and profiled the amp with my Kemper.


    With the KPA, there is something missing in the lows but it's the same amp and you can compensate that with some eq. The same happens with Britt's Fuchs profiles. They sound like my amp. There is a difference due to the cab, but I can hear my amp there. I don't hear my amp in any of the AxeFX demos I've listened.


    Maybe some models are ok but that one is really bad.

  • It's obvious your brother has really brought the XFX-Kemper wars into your home. I can only imagine the casualties


    Younger brother (Kemper fanboy here)
    Haha yes we do have a axefx2 vs Kemper war going on in our home LOL. :thumbup: Countless hour of debate.


    I have added two more tests we did today in the first post.

  • I've just listened to the v18 demo by Scott Peterson on TGP and IMO doesn't sound real.
    http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1559649
    .



    That has more to do with the guy making the clips than the unit.
    id take anything he does with grain of salt


    of and las the same "fruitcake" who has done a ton of afx patch conversions privately and on the rig exchange (some of which are the most downloaded profiles)


    i know now who the fruitcake is...

  • I wonder how much your self admitted bias to the Kemper is influencing your "objective" tests and comparisons of both units ; )


    Maybe your brother has some thoughts on this : )


    (younger brother)


    Haha well i was only joking ^^ . We did those tests together and i have my brothers approval. I honesty believe that we did try to make it fair for both units. We didn't have a lot of time and yes the axefx2 would probably sound better had we put in more time tweaking it. This is the result of about two hours of testing.


    IMHO I believe that kemper sounds about 96% accurate when playing through poweramp and cab. 90% for Axefx2.
    Tone knob dynamics: Kemper was 95% accurate. Axefx2 about 85%.
    Cabsimulation: kemper 98% accurate. Axefx2 85% accurate using standard cabsim. Axefx2 using tonematch: 92%.accurate.
    FX: Kemper 85% quality. Axefx2: 95% quality.


    This is only my opinion of what i've heard so far. Not really wanting to start a war or anything :whistling:

  • It's like the equivalent of the Coke vs. Pepsi battles!!!


    Personally, I love the use of clips and friendly brotherly differences in preferences. These are different types of tools and an artist with a tool they prefer will make art.....the ones who find the tools cumbersome are likely to criticize the tool and praise their own preferred machine.....simple......


    Still watching though :P)

  • [quote='pacocito','http://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index.php/Thread/19854-Kemper-VS-Axefx2-shootout-through-poweramp-and-mic-d-up-cabinet-TWO-NEW-TESTS/?postID=218916#post218916']I've just listened to the v18 demo by Scott Peterson on TGP and IMO doesn't sound real.
    http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1559649


    Just a comment based upon Scott Peterson's engagement.....Scott's an AxeFx web mod, endorsee, and beta-tester. I know him from over 10 years on the TGP (my primary gear site for many years) and he's as stand up as they come. His gigging rig is an Axe and he's really knowledgeable about his tools to that end. So hard to capture the real sounds of these pieces of gear on a laptop speaker.....or even headphone outs. Scott's a good and legit guy....I'm sure he can make any darn sound he wants via that unit........


  • Just a comment based upon Scott Peterson's engagement.....Scott's an AxeFx web mod, endorsee, and beta-tester. I know him from over 10 years on the TGP (my primary gear site for many years) and he's as stand up as they come. His gigging rig is an Axe and he's really knowledgeable about his tools to that end. So hard to capture the real sounds of these pieces of gear on a laptop speaker.....or even headphone outs. Scott's a good and legit guy....I'm sure he can make any darn sound he wants via that unit........


    Thank you for the comment. I know who is Scott Peterson, but that demo doesn't sound real to me no matter what equipment I use to listen to it... and I have some good equipment.

  • Lol These threads always end up so bizarre. Axe FX and Kemper brothers posting from the same user name...I can't wait to see what the next ax2 vs Kemper thread brings.


    (younger brother)


    Well my brother did create a kemper forum account but he couldn't post anything since this is a "private forum". You have to be a registered user to comment private forums so he just used my kemper forum account. :P