Thinking About Switching From AXE-FX To Kemper

    Quote from MtotheEikel

    You don't have to buy profiles. There are many factory profiles and there's rig exchange, where users can share their profiles for free.You can also profile amps (or the axe fx) yourself to get the sounds you want.


    However, there are some sound engineers or pro guitar players with great amp micing skills and studio environment who capture the sounds of many amps and make great profiles. They sell them on their homepages.


    Some profiles of a few of those guys are included in the factory rigs and many of those guys offer some sample profiles for free.
    I suggest to check those first befoee buying anything.

    Some commercial sellers offer small freebies on their sites to try, as well. I suggest that route first to try things out. And don't forget the hundreds of profiles that already come stock on the Kemper, which often gets overlooked. There are some really good profiles that come with it, especially the cleans.

    i also switched from the AXE FX II to the kemper about 2 years ago. while the AXE FX is an incredibly deep unit, i found myself constantly tweaking and second guessing myself. it was also a pain in the ass to have to re-tweak all of my patches after every firmware update. one thing that was recommended to me before i bought my kemper was to download a few of the michael britt profile packs and i would make the same suggestion to you. now, i have erased all of the other profiles on my KPA and only use his profiles. i hardly spend any time tweaking anymore. pull up one of his profiles, EQ to taste, add the effects that i want and i'm finished. enjoy your journey!

    MBritt has a few higher gain profiles, but they aren't going to really satisfy the "chugga chugga" most metal guys need. They're still good, but there are other more appropriate high gain profilers out there like SinMix, Amp Factory, and Reamp Zone.


    JEVO has a lot of freebies that he used to sell that are fantastic high gain profiles. Highly recommended.

    Actually, the new 5051 profiles from MBritt are really good for metal. I'm using it to record with my 8 string and it sounds awesome. Another one I really like are the ENGL Powerball II profiles from Soundside. That said, I agree that other MBritt profiles are gonna be too dark for recording with lower tuning guitars though.

    I started wit Kemper, but did add an Axe FX II, not to replace it, but to use together. I also wrote a very long comparative review of the two on some other sites. If you want to see it, msg me, I'll shoot it to you..


    I'll try to summarize the main points, but at the bottom was my 'recommendations' on what to choose. Mind you, its based on the most current Firmwares from both. Oddly, Kemper has been closing the gap it had in it's effects lately with last few firmware levels. But the Axe has been trying to close the gap on amp tone and feel with it's. last firmware's. In fact, it's current one, Quantum 7 Beta 2 closed quite a bit on both tone realism and fullness and complexity of tone , as well as feel, and that extra level of complexity in harmonics I feel the Kemper has. Kemper still leads in these areas, but the gap is really getting slimmer and slimmer.


    That said, the Axe has some definite advantages too. Kemper has more, or less a single, simple signal chain. There is some flexibility. but really its stomps, amp cab, fx and in limited amounts, Granted, it is more than enough for many. The Axe, though can have any signal path you can dream up, with as many stomps, fx, up to 4 parallel paths, really to the limit of the processing power. Axe dirt pedals are a bit better as well, and there are more types and variations of a type of effects as well. Overall, Axe has better effects, with Kemper delas matching at the minimum, and it's pitch shifting actually better. And, because it is a modeler, you have control over almost any aspect of the amp, and it's controls, gain, volume, eq et al react together like the amp or pedal it models, which the Kemper doesn't quite do (and yes, doesn't have to be a detriment). At current firmwares, I've been able to get both platforms to sound pretty close to each others on the same amp.


    In reality, what I plan to do, is use the Kemper as the amp block, connect to the Axe's FX's loop, and use the Axe's superior signal path control and effects, with the Kempers superior amp tones and feel. Also playing with using the Kemper to double the Axe;s amp models.



    IF You
    Prefer a straight forward interface, and just want a very simple to use, bevy of great
    guitar amp tones and response that you won’t be able to tell from the ‘real’
    thing, enough effects to get the job done, just need enough ‘tweaks’ to make the
    presets/profiles sound and feel exactly how you want, willing to give up 100%
    accurate complete controls reaction for the best overall amp tone, AND/OR have
    conventional amps you want to capture and leave at home, then get the
    Kemper.



    If You
    Prefer a lot of FX, complete control over the signal chain, ability to
    create a preset from the ground up, create a unique model or almost any tone,
    ability to tweak just about every aspect of the virtual amp’s/pedal’s circuits,
    want to create your own IRs, be able to tone match from songs and clips, want an
    editor, want amps that sound and feel about as real as it gets, are willing to give up
    a little bit of amp tone, and a tiny bit of feel, for completely accurate control action on a single
    preset, OR you need multiple signal paths, then get the
    Axe.



    If you
    Want the best of both worlds, and the ability to just have the best amp
    tones and playing, bar none, with an endless supply of the best amp tones, then
    get both like I did.

    Sure. Any advice I can get!
    Thanks, MementoMori!

    Quote from Jose7822

    To give another perspective, I own a Helix and find myself tweaking for long periods before I am satisfied with the tone I want (The recently released Celestion IRs help a lot though). But, even then, I am never 100% satisfied with the Helix. That's why I decided to get the Kemper. Now I just browse my profile collection, make a couple of tweaks, and I'm done! Takes all of 5 mins or less to get a great tone. I'm not a tweaker, so the Kemper is the perfect fit for me. I also don't use a lot of effects, but the new Delays are just amazing! All that said, YMMV.


    Take care!

    What's a YMMV, Jose7822?

    Quote from Jose7822

    To give another perspective, I own a Helix and find myself tweaking for long periods before I am satisfied with the tone I want (The recently released Celestion IRs help a lot though). But, even then, I am never 100% satisfied with the Helix. That's why I decided to get the Kemper. Now I just browse my profile collection, make a couple of tweaks, and I'm done! Takes all of 5 mins or less to get a great tone. I'm not a tweaker, so the Kemper is the perfect fit for me. I also don't use a lot of effects, but the new Delays are just amazing! All that said, YMMV.


    Take care!

    What's a YMMV, Jose7822?

    Quote from MtotheEikel

    You don't have to buy profiles. There are many factory profiles and there's rig exchange, where users can share their profiles for free.You can also profile amps (or the axe fx) yourself to get the sounds you want.


    However, there are some sound engineers or pro guitar players with great amp micing skills and studio environment who capture the sounds of many amps and make great profiles. They sell them on their homepages.


    Some profiles of a few of those guys are included in the factory rigs and many of those guys offer some sample profiles for free.
    I suggest to check those first befoee buying anything.

    Good to know. Thanks, MtotheEikel!

    Quote from jabromusic

    i also switched from the AXE FX II to the kemper about 2 years ago. while the AXE FX is an incredibly deep unit, i found myself constantly tweaking and second guessing myself. it was also a pain in the ass to have to re-tweak all of my patches after every firmware update. one thing that was recommended to me before i bought my kemper was to download a few of the michael britt profile packs and i would make the same suggestion to you. now, i have erased all of the other profiles on my KPA and only use his profiles. i hardly spend any time tweaking anymore. pull up one of his profiles, EQ to taste, add the effects that i want and i'm finished. enjoy your journey!

    True that. I'm tweaking more than playing, for sure.
    Thanks, jabromusic.

    If you can afford to buy the Kemper before selling the AXE FX, id recomend buy one from somewhere with a decent return policy, then spend that time working with the Kemper to see if it works for you better than the AXE FX, im doing that at the moment - i have an AX8, had a blast over the weekend with the Kemper (which arrived Friday) but last night went back to Ax8 for comparitives, selected a blank preset, added an amp, cab, some plate reverb and was very happy noodling away for a couple of hours. I have until next week to see if i send the kemper back, keep both or choose the kemper over the axe - currently my mind is keep both or the ax8.. but who knows where i will be next week!

    I have several commercial profiles but I seem to always end up using freebies.