AxeFx "Profiling" vs. KPA

    Quote from DigitalTube

    I agree with you that all that matters is what comes out of the speakers, but no matter how great any programmer is, if the engine doesn't have the power, there will be limitations in what you can do, like playing back 2 amps at the same time, while using high quality effects etc, all at the same time, you need processing power, I admit most of my patches are very simple, but occasionally i might need a few patches that really push it to the limit, and it's good to know it's there, for some players who like to use lot's of effects it can make a difference.

    Edit:

    Well the axefx2 (2nd one lol) arrived.
    Spent last night and a lot of this morning playing on firmware 5.07.
    Not a lot of difference between what I remember of FW 4 and this one. I suppose I could go back to compare, but thats not why I got it or what this thread is for.
    Awaiting the axefx profiling to give an overview of how the 2 compare.
    FWIW, without profiling, it feels like a major step backwards compared to my last few weeks on the KPA.
    Very nice (sometimes icky sweet) amps, all of which respond very well to your playing, but it makes no difference what amp you are on, they all 'play' the same. Its so easy to play it should almost play itself, but loses a lot of personality in the process.
    And those IRs....yeeeuch.
    FX are as great as ever though and I may keep it for them. We'll see.

    Quote from Lukather

    Just go my axefx rack finished.. sounds great.. just need somewhere to put the kemper..


    Love peace and guitarification ... got some tweekin to do...


    You should paint your AxeFX with red & white stripes and rename it Waldo (or Wally in the UK), took me a while to actually find it in there...

    Quote from dean_fry

    My tascam dm 3200 also has them knobs with the lights that change via what fader layer your on.

    I always wondered why this awesome feature with the LEDs was already in place of my first V-AMP(!) from Behringer
    but Line6 still hasn't thought of it?! :thumbdown:

    Quote from DigitalTube

    I'm holding on to both the AXE II and KPA, the KPA has a lot of good things, I like how easy it is to profile, and the results are excellent when the amp is miced properly, i like having all the knobs to quickly edit, i like being able to save and load patches with USB etc, BUT the AXE II wins for me in pretty much all effects, i think it will be very hard for KPA to compete on the effects side of things, i like that is also a rack format, and the support from Fractal is incredible, I like how Cliff spends time on the forums and is very responsive to people's feedback, this isn't happening here yet from KPA, but it could change, also I think if Fractal does add their own type of profiling, and if it works as good as the KPA, with the power inside the AXE II, it will be a very very hard device to beat, like i said i own both, and i'm no fanboy on either side, just have my opinions and obviously will choose to use whatever sounds and works better for me, since this is how i make my living.

    I'm really interested in the development of the axe to, mostly because of its versatility. I'm really interested in how will there tone matching works out, but I'm just as interested in getting the kpa cause of the knobs and what looks like to be a faster way of getting that magic tone. I currently have a axe fx version 1 and i dont know maybe ill consider selling it and trying out a axe II since i got the coupon already (not sure how long it last).

    FWIW, I still get great sounds from my Boss GS-10 processors.... very old technology and slow processors, but still very capable of great sound - I believe this demonstrates the fact that the size of the processor is not as important as the effectiveness of the algorithms used.... in the end, it's all about getting the best sonics to the outputs.

    All modelers known to man 8o

    Quote from Radley

    FWIW, I still get great sounds from my Boss GS-10 processors.... very old technology and slow processors, but still very capable of great sound - I believe this demonstrates the fact that the size of the processor is not as important as the effectiveness of the algorithms used.... in the end, it's all about getting the best sonics to the outputs.


    You have to define the term "great" when referring to the GS-10. While of course I can't presume to tell you what "great" should mean to you, I can unilaterally say that the unit is nowhere near "great" in my experience. To each their own, but that is like saying "a Western Sizzler steak tastes great". While the unique perspective of the individual is pointless to argue, there is an intrinsic quality, or lack thereof in comparison to the alternatives... :)

    I bought a second axefx2 (I returned the first one) ebay just to see how their version of amp matching goes.
    Couldn't help myself but to try it out again anyway esp. since its now at firmware 5.
    To be honest Im having real problems getting along with it.
    Works very well FRFR (although I prefer the KPA as Im not an IR fan), but as a processor using only the amp sims, going into my atomic frfr and guitar cabs Im distinctly underwhelmed. Im a power amp/guitar cab kind of guy so this is a biggy for me.
    Im still working at it but it doesn't have anything like the juice or thump of a real amp.
    The same setup works excellently with my KPA (direct profiles) and reamping my real amps via my palmer load box.
    Its disappointing as the atomic was touted as the perfect marriage with the axefx when it came out.
    So to bring it back to the thread topic, Im very heavily preferring the KPA profiling to the axefx2 in the power amp/guitar cab configuration.
    Amp matching may make a difference, we will see.
    Funny thing is, Ive got the KPA pretty much how I want it, although I enjoy trying out new profiles. Just plug it in and grin.
    Ive spent several hours every day since Thursday last week playing about with the axefx trying to get a usable sound/response using nothing but the amp block. Its like an addiction, trying to beat into submission.

    Could you try to capture the cab with the axe-fx II ir capture feature and then route a kemper profile through it and compare?

    Hi Brick,


    ckemper has clearly stated that is not using IR, though it could think about an import routine to transform an IR in to whatever the KPA is using

    "Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" Serghei Rachmaninoff


    First of all let me say im a tube snob,i have a great amp(really great amp,Swart head) but i had a lot of other tube amps before this one.


    But i live in a apartment and 90% of my playing time is done at home,and like a lot people who live in apartments noise levels is a concern.
    While the amp sounds good at low levels,it doesn't sound as glorious as it does when is really loud and cranked.


    After experimenting loadboxes/di, attenuators etc i had to face the facts and just stop fooling myself because i would never get that sound in these conditions.



    Like i said in the begin of my text im a tube snob so i never had interest or used digital modeling amp gear(i was too snob for that ).
    But i had to face the facts and i came to the conclusion this was the only way i could get a decent sound,so i putted my snobbery aside and searched the market for the best options.


    It's not surprising that the Axefx and Kemper were the first ones to sparkle my interest.


    So for the past months iv'e been reading a lot of information on both units and listening to a lot of sound clips. I must say at first i was a little skeptical about this profiling thing,it seemed to good to be true but after listening to a lot of user clips i was astonished how good and life like this unit sounds.Because in the end this is what mater at least for me,it as to be the most
    faithful reproduction of a tube amp and the kemper seems to this better than anything else.



    But the Axe also has other stuff that it's better than the kemper,im also a guitar effect freak and i love the quantity of effects the Axe have.
    That said im buying in the next months a Keper unit for myself.You guys will find this funny but also one of the reasons beside the unit itself sounding of course so tube amp like were some people reactions to this product.


    Im not talking about the kemper fans,im talking about Axefx fans!


    In other public forums(cof cof tgp cof)some of them sound almost bitter when commenting this unit,and it even get's worst if people say "it sounds so much better then..."then they get really crazy and stop making any sense(if they did any before...).They are trully great fans of the product they have,but by sounding jealous and bitter you can't stop asking yourself if they are truly happy with their Axefx unit.


    By behaving themselves like this in the end they are giving a bad impression of the product they use,i don't think they even realize this.


    So that's my story,forgive me for my bad English and the big post.

    Hi and Welcome, Rick. Nothing to forgive, interested to hear what you think about when you get the KPA. ;)

    "Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" Serghei Rachmaninoff