Anderton's YouTube video comparing Kemper -vs- old Line 6 POD -vs- Atomic Amplifire

    I was alerted to the subject YouTube video by a similar thread that has been posted on TGP Digital Amp forum. Here is the video:


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    I will be curious to hear everyone's impressions.


    I posted my own impressions with the following comment in the YouTube video comments section:


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    Wow, not even close, IMHO. The Kemper blows both the AmpliFire and the POD away. What is quite interesting , however, is how poor a showing the Atomic AmpliFire made as compared to the old Line 6 POD, especially in the lower gain VOX AC30 comparison. As Rob Chapman and Mr. Anderton have plenty of experience with the AmpliFire (especially Chapman), I don't think one could use the excuse that they didn't have the AmpliFire "properly" dialed in. Another dead give-away is how accurately the Kemper responds to volume and dynamic changes when the guitar's volume pot is rolled back. The POD sounded thin and anemic when the guitar's volume pot was rolled back. I any event, the real interesting (and confusing) aspect of this video comparison was the relative poor showing of the AmpliFire, IMHO.


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    Cheers,
    John

    Quote from Tritium

    Anyone here own an AmpliFire? I am curious what is going on, here.

    seems to me they were aiming to show off the best of the pod against the poorer KPA and AF presets.
    Best to treat this a light entertainment with a hint of nostalga. Yes the pod was a ground-breaker back in the day.
    i've owned all 3 units and this is an unfair comparison with lame examples from the modern devices. Anyone with a bit of time can get far better results from the KPA & AF (i do!) So, we all know what the real verdict is...
    next week they will be comparing how a sony-walkman is comparable to an ipod :S
    i do miss the streams of cassette tape that used to be seen along the side of motorways X/

    3 quick conclusions for me:
    1. Pod has aged extremely well. I almost regret I sold it long ago.
    2. Amplifire sounds extremely bad throughout the whole clip. I can't believe it can't be dialed in to sound much fatter and not this anemic.
    3. Kemper (expectedly) sounds best.


    That said, this is only about the sound. Feel- and playing- wise we all know what an improvement the Profiler is over everything else.


    Lastly, it's not a good idea to mike up a CLR. They should have captured the direct sound of the devices instead. Therefore the video is semi pro at best.

    I think they all sound terrible, reason being that the player wasn't the one he made the patches. I heard the captain saying that he made all the patches and profiles, but then he didn't play them.


    This is one of the worst videos I've seen in how it shows digital modeling. It's hard to believe that anyone who's not already using digital modeling will even consider buying any of these based on video.


    Thanks for posting though, it's always fun to watch these two guys, but I'm surprised that the captain didn't play even though he prepared all the sounds.

    Quote from Ingolf

    Actually I find they don't speak slang and I can understand well (as a non- native- speaker). ;)


    Indeed. They have a very neutral, English accent, and are perfectly understandable (IMHO). It's not like they are speaking in a thick Geordie accent, lol.

    I've never owned a POD, but I have owned an Atomic Amplifire (AA), and (now) a Kemper. The stock patches on the AA are horrible, like most modelers. But the Amplifire stock patches are almost scary bad. Once you learn to tweak it and learn a few things, you can get great sounds out of it. The whole IR cab functionality brings it to a whole new level.


    With that said, the Kemper seems like a whole new level from the AA.

    Those guys are salesmen that also play guitar well. Nothing wrong with that, but you should assume that they're trying to influence your thinking rather than making you fundamentally better informed. Funny guys too, but all good salesmen are. :)

    Nobody can deny the Pod was a reference. I still have the rack version and recorded with the two generations feeling then it was as close as you might get. The tones were mostly good and it was the dynamics or rather the lack of it that was frustrating. I suppose the Helix will beat any Pod, though it may be by a small margin. I don't know in that case, but the Axe fx Ultra does and the FX II most probably beats the Ultra. I own a Vox Tonelab that has a few good sounds too, and there's a Digitech preamp that can deliver the goods for a song or two. If you choose a crappy tone in the Kemper any of the good tones of the above devices will beat it. Feel is something else. The Kemper reigns even with a bad tone. But thinking the good old Pod can be a contender to most later siblings in digital modeling is nostalgic nonsense. Still, anybody wants an Xt rack version Pod? I'll trade it for a bit less than a 59 LP. :thumbup:

    Never too old for rock'n'roll

    Like 1

    chappers said the Kemper is the best out of all, of cause with out a lengthy fair investigation of the other 2, but we know who would win LOL he also said the kemper works best through a guitar cab and an not FRFR (power version)


    They (Rabea) also state that the reason they use victory amps live is because they push more air through the cabs :rolleyes:
    but again they BOTH have deals with victory and they both have signature victory amps


    Ash

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

    Edited once, last by ashtweth ().

    Like 1

    I understood every word!


    The Amplifire was terrible. The Pod sounded equal to the Kemper on some parts, which is amazing.


    I played a pod recently and it was obviously showing it's age.

    "I understood every word!"


    Datz Becauz UR from Da UK? Bruv :D


    Ash

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

    Edited once, last by ashtweth ().

    Like 1
    Quote from mnewse614

    I would of liked to have seen a digitech rp added in there, I always felt digitech was ahead in the game when it came to amp modeling.

    The GSP 1101 was (and is, somehow) very good for the price. I still keep it though the Kemper has made me forget about the good old bloke.

    Never too old for rock'n'roll

    Like 1