Is the KPA for me?

    Looking forward to buy/try the KPA once it's back in stock in the US. I owned 2 AFX Ultras before but let them go and settled for the cheaper 11Rack which I still use. The ultras sounded better than the 11Rack but they still sounded far from the real thing to me to justify the cost, that's why I kept the 11Rack and waited for a better solution (I pray that day is now).


    I looked at the AFX II but the KPA got my interest and I need to make a choice between the two. My problem with the KPA is that I don't have access to high-end amps. I am aware they come loaded with profiles and a user database exist, my questions are actually related to these. I can't find clear answers since the KPA seems to be marketed more as a tool/profiler instead of a complete/standalone modeler.


    #1. How often do we get new profiles from the KPA team themselves?


    #2. How's the quality/accuracy of user submitted profiles, are there high-profile users participating/submitting profiles as well?


    #3. I won't be able to contribute much if not at all with the profile database given no access to high-end tube amps, will I get a penalty for this? I can at least make a donation I guess to submitted profiles that I really like.


    #4. Does anybody have information as to when the KPAs will be in stock in the US?


    Thanks, I really like to test the KPA first before the AFX II (hopefully not anymore).

    Hi and welcome, Stringlord, see my answers below

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


    Are you the kind of player who can easily use another player's rig? Do you generally like presets that come with a device? You can tweak the Kemper, but you're starting with a profile of another player's gear.


    That said, there are some good factory and user profiles out there. There are some users who are developing their skills and techniques and delivering some great profiles - this should continue. I think the amount and diversity (different mics, direct, preamp only, etc) of profiles will continue to grow.

    As I own both units, I see the differences as these:


    The KPA does a very accurate job of capturing the sounds of miked amps - hopefully in the future it will be possible to get better distant miking profiles, as they tend to have a bigger, more natural sound and a smoother high end. Although the effects selection is somewhat limited, the quality of the effects provided is quite good - I especially like the Reverbs. Think of the Kemper as a very accurate snapshot of an amp sound with a fair amount of post-variation available as needed... The OS is still incomplete as certain buttons on the front do nothing, but we are told this will be remedied soon....


    The AFXII is full of excellent amp models (two at a time in stereo if you desire) that can be transformed in an amazing number of ways - the emphasis here is not so much on taking a single snapshot, but starting with a basic sound source and 'bending' it in whatever way fits you and your playing style. It is common knowledge that the effects in the AFXII are excellent and infinitely tweakable, so that aspect is a no-brainer. The AFXII lies somewhere between a Kemper and an 'Amp Synthesizer on Steroids', as it can create totally new sounds, as well as replicate standard amps.


    Hope this helps.

    All modelers known to man 8o

    Thanks for the replies, I know the difference between the KPA and AFX (not the II), I owned 2 Ultras before. I was just concerned that since the KPA is more like an amp tone grabber (for lack of a better description) that without these high end amps (I won't be able to profile my own settings) I'll be forced to use settings from different users. While the AFX is a simulator where I have the luxury of dialing my own presets, the only problem is I wasn't happy (at least with the Ultras) and settled for sub-$1K real amps and the 11R (much cheaper).


    I have already ordered a KPA though (should be here early next week) since I've learned for every amp snapshot you are still given some basic buttons/parameters to tweak to at least fine tune this to your needs. Now my only worry is the bugs being reported, I know it's a new equipment but reports are saying that fixes are released somewhat slow, I hope this is inaccurate.