Display MoreThanks everybody for some really good feedback. I will try my hand at the profiling at rehearsal this week and see how that goes. To answer some of the questions raised...
The reason I decided to gig the KPA over the Rectifier was mainly down to convenience, I was using a Midi controlled pedalboard along with a Midi switcher on the amp and everything was just getting way too complicated. As said by somebody else, it was also a huge relief on my back as that rig is heavy!
I think the comment about haptic feedback is interesting. There does seem to be a big difference in feel although there's definitely something in the sound delivery at volume too. I don't think it's all an EQ thing, thats easy to change on the fly and I've tried that a lot. I find I like to use the definition parameter fairly high, I also prefer the 'diode' mode over using the valve rectifiers on the Mesa, these two seem to have a very similar effect on the overall results.
I don't use noise-gate any more, I removed that a while back after reading about it here.
I'll let you know how profiling the Mesa goes, I didn't realise you could use the slave out to do this or I would have tried earlier.
Many thanks.
Last Saturday I've just played my first outdoor gig with the Kemper. We play mainly hard rock and metal (Metallica, SOAD, Iron Maiden, Volbeat). There are three guitar players in the band.
My previous setup was a Mesa TriAxis in 4cm with an Axe-FX Ultra into a Marshall EL34 50/50 into a 1960a cab boasting G12T75's, the other guitar players use a Marshall JCM900 Half Stack with a Boss GT-10 in 4cm and Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo into a 4x12 Oversized Mesa Recto cab using all Analog Pedals with an CGX loop switcher controlled by midi.
Before buying the Kemper, I had the opportunity to try out a Matrix GT1000FX side by side with the Marshall EL34 power amp and I could not believe it at first but in a blind test I actually preferred the Matrix over the Marshall (we used a db-meter, just to make sure one wasn't louder than the other). Then I saw a rig rundown from Metallica where they were using Matrixes to power the on stage cabs specifically for adding the kick next to IEM from the fractals they use. So I bought the Matrix and boy I'm glad I did.
Just for fun, I compared the Axe-FX Ultra USA Lead 1 model (replicating the TriAxis Lead 2 Green mode) to my TriAxis v2 non-phat on the Matrix GT1000FX. Whilst the definition on the TriAxis was better, the low end, the 'chunk', the growl was all there... I never was satisfied with the Axe-FX Ultra models on the EL34 power amp, just no 'ooumpf', and no bloom from the clean models either... The TriAxis sounded glorious through it though: amazing cleans (Rhythm Green is just amazing) and sheer gain heaven with the Lead 2 Green and Red modes (with an outboard EQ since the Dynamic Voice is just not good enough). The clean models in the Ultra were not on par but sounded a lot better through the Matrix to....
That's why I chose the non-powered Kemper since the Matrix was so convincing with the Ultra and the TriAxis. The Kemper is just another level: all shortcomings from the Ultra are taken care of. I'm using CiliLabs direct Profiles into the Matrix into the 1960 cab and it just sounds immense.
When I use the Recto profile (a merged profile from the red channel) from the Michael Britt Heavy pack into the real oversized Recto Cab, It sounds better than my bandmate's real Dual Recto Head. Better meaning: same chunk, low end, feel and balls but greater clarity, nicer definition from the Kemper...
Just to say: if you think that the Kemper is not on par with the Roadster, you may need to rethink the Power Amp side of things...