Kemper is so much better than Fractal

    Kemper user for 2 years now and have loved it in my studio. I recently purchased an AX8 for using live and it is a stellar piece of gear. I was able to dial in some great amp and cab combinations and the effects are very good. The software editor makes editing a breeze (this is something I've really wished for the Kemper). This all-in-one solution for live gigging works extremely well for me. I've been using my Suhr Badger 35 amp and two speaker cabinets and two pedal boards but was getting really tired of hauling all of that and the set up and teardown times involved.
    I have used the Kemper for recording and been very pleased with the results. For live use I am using the AX8 and it's working out great. I think we're very blessed to have so many good options to choose from these days as musicians.

    Duesenberg CC Fullerton, Heritage H535, Guild Starfire 4 ST, Fender American Standard Strat and Tele, Taylor 816CE, Fender Precision bass, Suhr Badger 35 Amp Head, 1x12 cab w/Scumback M75, 1x12 cab w/Celestion G12m-65 Creamback, Fractal Audio Systems AX8, 2 DXR10's, Kemper Profling Amp, Presonus Studio One 3 Pro, Focusrite Clarett 8Pre, Vox AC15, Vox NT G2 and more pedals than I should own.

    Edited once, last by Jammer1 ().

    Like 2

    I play with my buddy who has the FXII. We got together the other day and the Kemper was just silent. My heart skipped.


    I was sweating. I had to plug into his Fender Hot Rod to jam. But after dinner he asked if I was still trouble shooting the Kemper and I decided to try that (I was having a good time with the amp, since I haven't played one in years, haha). So I fiddled around and noticed one of the OUTPUTs was greyed out but I was getting sound out of it. Finally, NOT silent. But why were my other outputs DOA?!? Then I noticed that the main screen said it was greyed out because the KPA was in "Loop" mode. Hmmmmm.


    Then I hit myself in the forehead. I normally have the H9 stuck in FX slot 6 and must have locked it last time I played. I did an Init Globals but that doesn't reset locks, so I didn't catch it right away.


    But once I figured that out, I was in glory again. Had my Thorn SoCal sounding like a fierce beast, double overdrive distortion, the Kemper, going on year 4, is purring along like a well oiled machine (knock on wood) I was afraid I was giving our Brand here a bad name in front of an avowed Fractalite (to his credit, he doesn't get into such petty arguments, it was just the Editor that sold it for him)


    Operator Error tho. Phew!


    As to KPA vs FXII or AXE8, etc, my buddy could play a 1970 Japanese strat knockoff on a Sears amp and sound like a million bucks. The thing that DID NOT surprise me was how much better the FXII has gotten in terms of sound since 2015. We all know these boxes are always pushing their advances. The thing that DID surprise me was my ability to tweak a tone and match whatever he was playing or matching too. When did the KPA get such powerful capability in such a few knobs and menus?!? It's been there a while, I've just been taking it for granted and not challenged to push it's sonic abilities.


    Hence the KPA can tweak with the oft-perceived "best" tweaking box in the industry. And the best part, I didn't need an Editor to do it!

    These Threads are good as the title will show up in a google search ;)


    Ash

    Have a beer and don't sneer. -CJ. Two non powered Kempers -Two mission stereo FRFR Cabs - Ditto X4 -TC electronic Mimiq.

    Like 1

    I never needed an Editor. But for the Kemper "oh yesssss we wants one" ! ;)

    If you use FRFR the benefit of a merged profile is that the cabinet is totally separated in the profile.


    For my edification only... ;) Kemper/Axe-FX III/ Quad Cortex user

    yeah, don't have to have one, but would love an editor for Kemper!


    I'll tweak the heck out of a profile to change the tone. I love what I can do to a profile amp tone wise!

    I am a Profile Whore... Sometimes a Recovering Profile Whore...
    but mostly a Complete and Utter Profile Whore... I want them all... aCk!!! 8|:love:

    I spent 4 months tweaking the hell out of my Axe-Fx II just to get a decent tone.


    Yesterday, I finally got a Kemper. I spent 4 hours from unboxing to recording amazing tones without tweaking a single profile except for moving the gain knob a tad. It was everything I was searching for!


    In my opinion, the Axe-Fx is missing the organic feel and upper harmonics of a tube amp. This may be due to cabinet IR's in general.


    Not really an issue anymore with the inclusion of the Modeling Version parameter in the Preamp section of the amp block, in the XL and XL+ anyway.

    I think OP got the refund because he was starting threads entitled "So frustrated I want to throw the AX8 in the trash" :D Cliff wanted to probably shut him up without "shutting him up"; so to speak.


    I get having issues with a product for sure; but those kind of threads on a vendor owned forum is probably always going to be a no-no. TGP is excellent as are a number of other places I frequent. Including this place :thumbup:


    I dug my AX but was running into CPU limits on what should have been really basic patches. I know I could adjust reverb quality/echo density but that just seemed like I was giving up a lot of what I was upgrading for. Whether I could hear the differences or not 8o I also spent all sorts of time updating firmware and tweaking. All self-induced; totally. If I went back; it would be to a II XL rig. I would buy presets from Fremen and just be done with it :P


    Most of my Kemper time has been spent trying to get all the pieces of my rig puzzle working together. I love it and am still digging what I am hearing every time I fire it up!

    Quote from JiveTurkey

    I think OP got the refund because he was starting threads entitled "So frustrated I want to throw the AX8 in the trash" :D Cliff wanted to probably shut him up without "shutting him up"; so to speak.


    I get having issues with a product for sure; but those kind of threads on a vendor owned forum is probably always going to be a no-no.

    A new Axe FX owner leveled a long critique of the Axe FX on the Fractal forums recently, and he didn't leave out other forum participants in his diatribe:


    "...the responses these people get either end up being condescending or just plain stupid shit like "have you checked the tone knob on your guitar?" !!!!"


    However, not only was his post not deleted, it was met with quite a bit of patience and a very measured tone.

    Quote from DannyEvil

    The non XL models can no longer revert back to older firmwares either on Quantum 6.x. I have heard amazing tones from the Axe-Fx. I just could never seem to dial them in. I had an older MK1 - maybe it was defective in some way.
    I am loving my Kemper.

    Correct, the MK I and II had the Modeling Version parameter removed to allow for continued firmware support.


    As for your MK I, there are potentially a lot of variables that could explain why you were having trouble dialing in tones you liked.

    Quote from ColdFrixion

    A new Axe FX owner leveled a long critique of the Axe FX on the Fractal forums recently, and he didn't leave out other forum participants in his diatribe:
    "...the responses these people get either end up being condescending or just plain stupid shit like "have you checked the tone knob on your guitar?" !!!!"


    However, not only was his post not deleted, it was met with quite a bit of patience and a very measured tone.

    link is dead... :?: I dug my time on the FAS forum. Plenty of cool people. I am sure there were some not so cool but such is life I guess.