Think I'm off to the Dark Side...............

  • The Helix arrived earlier today, and I've been having a play with it for the last hour or so. Had to stop in the end as it was hurting my ears and giving me a headache (which I've still got). What do I like about it? Very, very little at the moment. The build quality is very robust. The main screen, showing the current signal chain is quite nice, and the scribble-strips are great. I thought a couple of the chorus's were nicer than the Kemper. But, as for the rest of it................................................ I hate it!!


    It sounds harsh and brittle, and there is a constant hiss/buzz going on irrespective of gain level (there is probably a global noise gate somewhere, but I've yet to find it). I've been playing it through headphones, and I feel so fatigued now. I'm sure I could play around and get it eq'd to sound better, but it's soul-destroyingly bad "out of the box". I'm a bit loathe to start editing the parameters in case I have to send it back, and that looks incredibly likely at the moment. I've been through all of the presets, and had a play around with some of the effects. It's no Kemper, that's for sure :(

  • By the way, here's a live recording of my strat using Guido's XTC and using @DonPetersen 's whipple wah settings. Forgive the rusty intro and the singer forgetting the second verse; this was only the third time we'd played together since 2003 and we hadn't rehearsed at all, as the drummer was flying in from another tour in the US

    Love the track, @sambrox!

  • By the way, here's a live recording of my strat using Guido's XTC and using @DonPetersen 's whipple wah settings. Forgive the rusty intro and the singer forgetting the second verse; this was only the third time we'd played together since 2003 and we hadn't rehearsed at all, as the drummer was flying in from another tour in the US


    Clickety click here

    Great track as usual.

  • Yes, awesome, Sammy!

    Ain't that the truth :)


    On the bright side, it's made me dig deeper into the Kemper, and I've just had the last hour, or so, with the best sounding rig I've ever created. Tonal bliss, jamming along to some youtube backing tracks. One of Top Jimi's '74 Superlead profiles, with the Green Scream, and Phaser Vibe in the pre-amp section. And a good chunk of delay, with some reverb sprinkled on top. God it sounds good. Even with my sh!t playing. Some kind of sonic heaven :)


    I solemnly promise to not look elsewhere for my goodly sounds. What's the point? It don't get no better :)

  • The next time your Kemper goes wrong (if it does), please make a backup in a USB stick, then contact support and send them the files in the stick. That will at least give them a fighting chance of seeing what's going on with your Kemper in the absence of the unit itself.

  • The next time your Kemper goes wrong (if it does), please make a backup in a USB stick, then contact support and send them the files in the stick. That will at least give them a fighting chance of seeing what's going on with your Kemper in the absence of the unit itself.

    Even better yet, make an additional backup with your present glorious Profiler status NOW to give support something to compare in case it will behave strangely again.

  • Not surprised at your findings. Helix is all bells and whistles (and a great company presence on other boards which I dig); but did absolutely nothing for me tonally speaking. Couple of solid clean amp platforms. None of which I could use as we don't do anything requiring clean tones.


    When I can't dial in a basic Marshall sound that doesn't sound like grainy nails on a chalkboard; that's a bad sign. Kemper all the way.

  • Most of us are hard wired to live in the reactive mind which cripples and underlines every thing we do.
    Thing is we know its not the KEMPER thats doing this,(on a whole) its THAT TOASTER thats the problem (not the kemper technology)
    or all of us would be posting the same thing :)


    Now if thats the case, then you would just buy another kemper (not a helix)
    and replace that. BUT, support and every thing would have to be exhausted first.


    BUT, if it is only that toaster, give that toaster the ass if support cant fix.
    I bet if you borrowed or played a second kemper would you have that issue?


    doubt it...sounds to me like THAT TOASTER Bra...
    Sorry if this is generic and not a help.


    Ash

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

  • Did you ever manage to get the 2 audio clips of the Kemper profile sounding good and bad? It would be very intersting to hear what the difference is.

    Karl


    Kemper Rack OS 9.0.5 - Mac OS X 12.6.7

  • No, sorry. I'm exceptionally disorganised, and incredibly lazy :| Kicking myself a bit as I had to perform another reset this morning. I guess I'm just lucky that I'm not a gigging musician, just a bedroom player. So I have the luxury of playing with it until it sounds shit, and then performing a reset and then playing some more.

  • Yep had a Helix nice unit but the sounds are not even in the same league a the Kemper. I also had an Atomic amplfire pedal again nice but sound wise way below the tone of the kemper and decent profiles.

  • An update on an old thread............ My Kemper went bad a few times again, each time I was able to restore it, and get it sounding good again. Until the last time, whereby it went bad, and stayed bad. I had been in contact with Kemper for a week or two prior, and was able, finally, to send them a sound-clip of the problem. They suggested a Return to Base, so it's on it's way now. Andertons were excellent, and arranged for the collection of it yesterday. Just have to be patient now, and hope it's fixed upon it's return. With it having been an intermittent problem, there is always the worry that it will behave itself on the day. Here's hoping that it stays bad ;)