Please stop me from buying an AXE FX III

    Having owned both the KPA and the AX8, I have to say it's a draw. Both sound amazing. But for me it's a matter of which annoys you less.


    For "feels like an amp"... the edge goes to the Kemper. Barely.


    For amp tones... it's a draw for me. I've said for years, the Kemper soars for Fender/Marshall tones, but FAS can do a dead-on Mesa Boogie much better. FAS has an amazing model of the CA Tucana but then there's @rmpachecos AC20 KPA profile. When I got the AX8, the first thing I tried to do was dial in that AC20 to sound like the KPA profile. To my surprise I was able to get 99% there diving into the power amp compression parameters. FAS can do a stellar Plexi in 30 seconds... but Nick's PT20 profiles are hard to beat. With FAS products, the amp controls behave exactly as on the amp, whereas the KPA has the same tone stack for every profile. I prefer the KPA way, but a lot of people like the controls to behave like they do on the real amps because they have experience with those amps. If you let yourself get sucked into all the advanced amp parameters on the FAS units, you'll probably run home to the simplicity of the KPA.


    In the end, having come back to the KPA after having owned the AX8, I can honestly say the Kemper doesn't sound notably better in very many instances. It really depends on how fast you can narrow down the right KPA profile, or with FAS, dial in the amp and find the right IR. Different sides of the same coin in my book.


    For effects... if you're a bread and butter boost/reverb/delay/chorus kind of guy, the KPA is fine. But honestly, the depth and breadth of FAS's FX implementation is truly astonishing. It's not. even. close.


    For remote control & MIDI... if you buy the remotes from KPA or FAS, you're fine. Dialing in 3rd party remotes is easier with FAS, considering they actually <cough, cough> publish their current MIDI implementation.


    Rereading your OP just now, I'd try the AF3, since you already know the KPA. If you're completely thrown for a loop, you have 15 days to return it, or ebay it to Europe for a profit.

    1-Kemper has an open ended platform, amp models sound more realistic and literally you can get any sound


    2-Kemper is cheaper
    3-You can profile your own amps and for the most part, you yourself might not be able to distinguish which is which.
    4-With the New upcoming reverbs, the Harmony and delays are much more advanced in the Kemper. so no advantage in effects in the axe fx.


    5-Kemper doesn't have a signature sound, depending on the signal chain, Kemper has much more variety of various top of the line professional signal paths.
    6-Kemper is a more ethical company
    7-Even if Kemper 2 was to come out. you will still be able to play your current sounds as according to the designer, this is a major point. AXE FX 4 in couple of years will not accept axe fx 3 patches.
    8-firmware updates don't require you to redo all your patches as with the AXE FX platform. Some of the best profiles can be from the first year of release in late 2011 and 2012. Good sound doesn't age and remains good and relevant as it should be.


    I can go on and on but


    the most important part is Kemper sounds like a real amp and you can test that yourself by profiling your own amps. Sure the AXE can sound good but it's truly not as authentic as the Kemper so if you care about amp modeling. Kemper is still King.

    Quote from Dean_R

    4-With the New upcoming reverbs, the Harmony and delays are much more advanced in the Kemper. so no advantage in effects in the axe fx.

    You're joking, right? On an individual basis, sure, maybe some if the KPA FX sound as good as their FAS counterparts, but that's it. In terms of flexibility, routing, parameters, parameter control, etc. they're not even in the same ballpark.


    I looked in my crystal ball it said nothing good would come of it, but I posted anyway.

    Quote from benvigil

    In terms of flexibility, routing, parameters, parameter control, etc. they're not even in the same ballpark.

    That difference is a great example of the kind of thing that could be very important to some guitarists, and not important to others.


    That’s why anyone who wants to decide between two products will be happier in the long run if they fully research and understand the relative strengths, and how those will serve the individual’s needs.

    You said it spot on there paults. Whatever floats a person's boat. 'Delay & reverb' basically, for me, consists of 'time & feedback'. Anymore than those parameters I don't need. There's nothing I'm not able to do exactly as I wish to.
    In terms of routing, The Kemper does that job perfect for me as well.
    Somewhere along the line, ****ing about for the sake of it loses its appeal. I spent hours and days doing it with an Axe FX I had. Life's too short, and in all honesty, long term it never sounds a great deal better, I just got marginally older for my trouble... :)


    But yes, all these things are a choice, if they concern you :)

    Quote from Dean_R

    4-With the New upcoming reverbs, the Harmony and delays are much more advanced in the Kemper. so no advantage in effects in the axe fx.


    You're not basing this on first-hand experience with the Axe FX III, so how would you know?


    Quote from Dean_R

    5-Kemper doesn't have a signature sound


    Neither does the Axe FX III, although I (and others) can generally identify the Kemper in blind tests.


    Quote from Dean_R

    7-Even if Kemper 2 was to come out. you will still be able to play your current sounds as according to the designer, this is a major point. AXE FX 4 in couple of years will not accept axe fx 3 patches.


    There's a converter that allows users to convert presets from the Axe FX II and AX8 to the Axe FX III.

    ˄˄˄˄ This. ˄˄˄˄

    Quote from paults

    That difference is a great example of the kind of thing that could be very important to some guitarists, and not important to others.


    That’s why anyone who wants to decide between two products will be happier in the long run if they fully research and understand the relative strengths, and how those will serve the individual’s needs.

    Agree 100%

    You'll find a lot of people have both units. There is no doubt from anyone that Axe, Helix and Kemper units are all excellent but just have their own strengths.


    Yes its nice people are not overly biased on this forum, its one of its strengths!

    Quote from ColdFrixion

    There's a converter that allows users to convert presets from the Axe FX II and AX8 to the Axe FX III.

    My guess is that it would be an approximation at best. As far as I know there's no guarantee that the sound of a patch will remain the same between the many various updates and Kemper is the only device, that I'm aware of, where you don't have to rework your patches whenever an update comes out. I can only imagine the nightmare scenario for a gigging musician using AXE FX platform if they're going to keep up with the updates. I would imagine they rarely ever update but then they would be missing on the constant never ending improvements.


    Quote from ColdFrixion

    Neither does the Axe FX III, although I (and others) can generally identify the Kemper in blind tests.

    Yes, I'm sure that you and others can also tell the difference and identify the never ending improvements to the modeling between the almost weekly updates of the AXE FX.

    Quote from Dean_R

    My guess is that it would be an approximation at best. As far as I know there's no guarantee that the sound of a patch will remain the same between the many various updates and Kemper is the only device, that I'm aware of, where you don't have to rework your patches whenever an update comes out. I can only imagine the nightmare scenario for a gigging musician using AXE FX platform if they're going to keep up with the updates. I would imagine they rarely ever update but then they would be missing on the constant never ending improvements.


    You stated, "AXE FX 4 in couple of years will not accept axe fx 3 patches", the implication being that the Axe FX III cannot use Axe FX 2 presets, which isn't true. Whether they sound exactly the same is a separate issue, but yes, you can use Axe FX II presets with the Axe FX III.


    Quote from Dean_R

    Yes, I'm sure that you and others can also tell the difference and identify the never ending improvements to the modeling between the almost weekly updates of the AXE FX.


    No, because the changes to the amp modeling are often extremely subtle from firmware to firmware, and a lot of updates contain no improvements to the amp modeling at all. This is especially true for the Axe FX III The differences far more noticeable over the long haul, and even when changes are recognizable, they're not connected with any sort of signature sound. There have been several people who've claimed the Axe FX has a signature sound over the years, however none of them have ever been able to correctly identify it in a blind test.

    Axe Fx III likely an excellent product; I just think its overkill.


    Being able to run two guitars through it? Are two guitarists really going to want to be running through the same piece of gear at the same time and whatever headache of programing that they'd have to agree on to coordinate? Does one of them do all the stomping and the other just hangs out? At least not the sort of guitarists that are the type to buy a $3500 axe fx.


    Worrying about a KPA 2? Kpa is still in the process of rolling out new firmware updates with fancy reverbs coming any day now. Axe FX has history of rolling out a new version every few years. Just as likely that Axe Fx 4 comes out before a KPA 2. And when it does, it will likely take a steeper dive in value than the current KPA would if a KPA 2 were to come out.


    I don't believe the Axe does automatic volume matching on its presets the way the KPA does. I'd never want to go back to worrying about matching preset volumes. I also have never assembled a real pedal board with more complexity than the KPA and can't understand why some guitarists "need" their multi effects rig to have such ridiculous complexity that they forgo so much convenience. The KPA is so simple to dial up and get all the sounds that 99% of guitarists use without a steep learning curve. The Axe sounds like a programing nightmare and a lot more work to get sounds you like than auditioning profiles in the KPA.

    Quote from Grooguit

    I don't believe the Axe does automatic volume matching on its presets the way the KPA does.


    You can find numerous profiles on the Rig Exchange with volumes that are all over the place.


    Quote from Grooguit

    I also have never assembled a real pedal board with more complexity than the KPA and can't understand why some guitarists "need" their multi effects rig to have such ridiculous complexity that they forgo so much convenience.


    Well, some people (like me) prefer the flexibility when recording. There are tones and sounds I could never achieve with the KPA alone specifically because its effects capabilities are extremely limited by comparison.