Questions from a perspective buyer

    So after a hiatus of not playing the electric guitar for a few years (just playing acoustic), I'm back playing it. My original plan was to get an audio interface and use some amp simulation software, which I did. I'm currently using Peavey Revalver as the 6505 was the amp I always wanted, I'm playing through regular powered speakers on my PC or through earphones (going to buy a good set of headphones eventually). Honestly, it's all I need, maybe throw a few pedals into the mix. I'm a bedroom player and €2,500 is no small amount of money but god knows what's going to happen tomorrow. I'm on the fence about the KPA and joined the forum to try and help me make my final decision.


    What do you play your KPA through? Audio interface - DAW - monitors or a cab? What monitors would you recommend? Powered cab or other?


    Do you have the version without the power amp and use a separate power amp? Which one? Is there much of a difference between the separate power amp and an internal one?


    Would you consider the remote absolutely essential or a nice-to-have? Are there any other MIDI foot controllers that work with the KPA?


    If you got the rack version, did you also get a small rack to put it into? Which one? What about those things that try to make it look like a real amp head?

    Welcome! Opinions are plentiful and every question you asked has been addressed time over from others thinking of taking the plunge. Well, KPA with remote is my preference. Ask yourself why you wouldn't want the something that will give you practically any tone you would like with plenty of FX to throw in with no extra pedals. No matter what genre, you can have it, from a plethora of different amps. I run the KPA through into Focusrite Scarlett into BX8 monitors and also into a Stealth amp into a Recto 212. Both ways have their place. Mines a toaster version.

    Welcome to the forums!


    If you don't plan to use the Kemper live, and just use it for practicing and recording, then I would just get an unpowered Kemper head and play it through a decent set of nearfiled monitors (not regular computer monitors).


    If you do plan to use it live, then I would recommend getting the rack version instead. It'll protect your Kemper and you can also add a power conditioner to it. As far as which Kemper to get, powered or unpowered, that's more of a personal preference. I went with the unpowered rack version since I wanted to use it with a stage monitor, which would give me a couple of advantages:


    1- I don't have to carry a heavy cabinet to my gigs.
    2- I get the full tone of the profiles, as intended when they were created, since it includes the cabinet as well.


    Anyway, that's what I would suggest. As you said, you only live once so why not get the best if you can afford it? At least, that's how I usually justify my expenses (provided they're not prohibitly expensive, of course). YMMV.

    Welcome to the forum ;)


    First off, the Kemper.


    What you will find if you read thousands of posts (as I did before buying) is that most KPA owners are tube amp converts (mine was a VHT). The most tone discerning players pick the Kemper for a good reason.... it really really sounds good ;)


    Next, what you play through matters greatly .... this is true of speakers and of headphones.


    Through my PA using DSR112 tops, blissful sound. Through an old set of rat-fur 15" 80's speakers ..... ahhh .... not so much.


    I play through headphones quite a bit at home. I previously had a pair of Sennheiser HD280's and found them to be .... eh. I got a pair of Audix ATH-M50x's and wow. What a difference. link: https://www.amazon.com/Audio-T…-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86


    You can get the most bang for your buck with the Behringer FCB1010 and an Uno4Kemper chip that makes it work exclusively with the features of the Kemper. For home plucking, I am not sure that a foot controller is a necessity. For gigging .... another story.


    If your aren't a gigging musician, then I would suggest the toaster vs the rack (I have the rack for exactly that reason). The toaster has more controls.


    Good luck!

    Thanks guys, I will probably get the unpowered version and if needs be I'll get a power amp down the road. Also I will get the rack version regardless because the head is just painfully ugly to look at. I will probably also buy the monitors mentioned by Zapman & headphones by OneEng1. All this of course after I move to a bigger place, I'm stuck for space as it is.

    Quote from tubelube

    Thanks guys, I will probably get the unpowered version and if needs be I'll get a power amp down the road. Also I will get the rack version regardless because the head is just painfully ugly to look at. I will probably also buy the monitors mentioned by Zapman & headphones by OneEng1. All this of course after I move to a bigger place, I'm stuck for space as it is.

    You won't go wrong with whichever version of the KPA you get, I will stand by that. But please by all means, listen to some different monitors and headphones other than what we recommended. Your ears may not like what @OneEng1 and I prefer for our selections. Enjoy your new addition!

    Quote from tubelube

    I can't really. No big music shops where I live!

    Copy that, so on the other hand then there are plenty of threads in here related to headphones and monitors. But don't worry, I bought the BX8's and my headphones (AKG 701's) without a test run. Just by reviews on forums and I'm happy with them but really nothing else to compare with. Good luck, tubelube.

    My son kept "borrowing" my Sennheisers, so I thought I would get something else for comparison instead of getting another pair of HD280's.


    Turned out to be a good move. Much better sounding ..... to my ears ;) YMMV.