Kemper vs. Helix as a straight preamp only

  • I've got a project coming up that I'm trying to put together focused on the music of the Stones & Black Crowes. I'll be handling some of the guitar duties. In the past, I'm mostly played my Kemper straight into the board. The other guitar player is going to use a tube amp+cab with pedal board. I have a Matrix GT1600FX power amp in a head enclosure that I can pop on top of a Port City 2x12 OS Vertical. But...I have the toaster version of the Kemper so that means sticking that somewhere behind the cab and using the remote plus a cable run for the guitar (if I'm not wireless). The cleanest set up would be a device that has the guts up in the pedal board and then I can just run to the GT1600FX head with one cable and I'm good. I won't be able to do that with the Kemper. I'm contemplating adding a Helix to do this. Actually, I've been contemplating buying a Dr Z Remedy head but that has no effects loop and I'd be back to a pedal board, etc. but I have this jones to hear a real amp again.


    For those who have compared the Kemper vs. Helix in a preamp only mode, what did you find in terms of tones and feel? Were the differences evident between the two?

  • Well compare for yourself, i profiled every helix amp DI without a cab and there are slight differencies

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    i recorded the kemper and the helix without a cab and added in cubase the same cab to both


    ultra creamy sounds didn't not turn out the same and the line 6 is more compressed and focussed... the kemper on the other hand
    let the pic attack more through and adden more subbass ... but yeah overall it worked out fine profiling it ...
    but if you add a low cut and a bit compression with fast attack you end with a very similar sound


    but the strength of the helix imo are fuzzy and creamy sounds if you're into that kind of sounds give the helix a try :)


    so if you already have the kemper, check them out https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ta4…tdXbZBBdE2jIRStSXb0a?dl=0


    other then

  • This is great. Thank you!