Is this the right amp for me?

    Quote from guitarchiq

    That's actually a pretty critical insight. So, the profile is not a profile of an entire amp and all the sounds it makes.


    It's only a profile of that amp at whatever time settings it had at the time. Any "tweaking" done on the Kemper, such as adjusting the mid, treble, high gain, is just software by the Kemper. Is this correct?

    Just to expand on this....yes the KPA cannot profile the whole amp. It takes a snapshot at the current setting.


    This is the key bit....


    You can of courser change the eq and gain settings on the Kemper post profiling BUT as most amps have interactions between the EQ settings etc and therefore not linear, the KPA will become a less accurate version of the amp. That doesn't mean it won't sound good though.


    So please don;t think you can;t change the sounds and get good results or that its wildly different. Its also an advantage. I can theoretically dial in more gain on an AC30 profile than a real AC30 ( not that you might want to, but its possible).


    The reason I ( and many others) don;t tweak is because:


    1) If the starting sound isn't good, then there is a good chance you can't EQ you're way out ( not always true - many find the MBritt profiles dark but with a bit of tweaking come to life).

    2) I'm lazy and I often can;t hear wants wrong with a sound, I only know its not right. Therefore is better for me to move on. That's a personal choice.

    A lot of profiles clean up nicely when you roll off the volume of the pups, so you may not need a lot of profiles per amp. Try the free packs in the Kemper site first. There's always time to buy profiles later if you find some vendors you like. And check the rig exchange, cause you may find good profiles there too. Also bear in mind the cab used by the profiler is a very important part of the equation, as well as what styles they tend towards. Metal-oriented profiles you will most probably hate, but as it has been said, many amps have other sweet spots and lots of profilers are into rock, pop and blues, even jazz, rather than metal.

    Never too old for rock'n'roll

    Like 4
    Quote from V8guitar

    I'm lazy and I often can;t hear wants wrong with a sound, I only know its not right. Therefore is better for me to move on.

    Me, too. I kinda suck at dialing in tones, so if it doesn't do it for me not only am I not going to EQ my way out of it, I'll just dig a bigger hole. Time better spent auditioning other profiles.


    Consequently, I have a sizable collection of profiles with a lot of overlap in the areas that I'm interested in. I don't necessarily need a gazillion Fender combo sized amps to get my tones. However, as mentioned, if I have lots of small Fenders, and each one is profiled at a variety of gain settings, it's a pretty good bet that I'm going to find a profile that nails the tone I'm currently looking for. And the Rig Manager software makes that super easy.

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

    Like 2

    I've bought and sold a ton of amps (literally). I've lost $$ on each deal. I've lugged the monsters all over the place . My back remembers each one. It would be cost prohibitive to buy an amp for each tone I want to pursue. Kemper gives me the variety I desire in one versatile and affordable package. For those who have discovered their "sound" and have no desire to change then good for them and they will perhaps only need one amp. My tastes are varied and I love the fact that I can get pro quality tone for more amps than I could have imagined out of that box and Kabinet. I first picked up an electric in 1972 - Kemper is honestly the best gear purchase I ever made. It has simplified my life without compromise. Buy it!


    ...Yes I still have some tube amps, only because I hate losing money on the sell side..

    There are a few reasons why I am thinking on pulling the trigger on a Kemper over tube amps.


    1. I love to play tube amps at LOUD volumes - that's where the magic is. I practice over 4 hours per day, and the wife and kids are home because of Covid crap. I have to practice at whisper volumes. So, I an stuck using attenuators which is okay for practicing alone but never gives me the tone I want.


    2. I have a few amps now, but would like to try a Fender twin, Fender Hot Rod, Peavey 6505, EVH 5150, Mesa Recto, and a Studio Plexi to develop certain tones for the songs I write. We are talking 2020 mid-engine Corvette down-payment prices to get me there.


    3. My first experience with modeling was the cheapo Marshall Code 50 that I plugged directly into my DAW and output thru my monitors and headphones. They have a few nice Marshall amp and cab sims and a couple of Fender-ish sims (I use plugins for the effects). I made some recordings and got the best complements on tone from pro players. They were shocked I was getting that sound from a Code. The only negative was trying to learn to cut out that digital fizz with EQ plugins.


    If the Kemper is twice as good as what I can do with a Marshall Code then I am thinking I would be a good candidate for Kemper modeling. I do like tweaking to get that perfect tone. I kind of consider that part of my practice now - keeps me passionate about my music. I don't think I will have the need to purchase profiles over the default list.


    I also looked up used prices and used availability of Kemper Profilers. The used prices are only a few hundred off retail, and there are not that many actually for sale. Which tells me, if I can't be satisfied with it, I won't loose much selling it. I'd probably loose more selling my Code.


    Sweetwater is ready whenever I am.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

    Like 2
    Quote from BayouTexan

    1. I love to play tube amps at LOUD volumes - that's where the magic is.

    That's one of the things I enjoy. I can get killer tones in low volume situations when needed, and then plug it into the DXR-10 and play at 105db to get that experience. I love options.

    Quote from BayouTexan

    We are talking 2020 mid-engine Corvette down-payment prices to get me there.

    Buy a C7 instead. They still look like a Vette. :)

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

    Like 1

    Couple of other things that might swing it for live playing:


    1) No more miking cabs....sounds silly but for me its now plug in XLR, sound guy goes "yep". Level check is literally 10 seconds.

    2) Convenience - I use no outboard effects so no messing around with power source at the front of stage. I have 3 wires now ( as I'm wireless), power lead, speaker lead and Lead to remote. Set up is the quickest ever

    3) Convenience part 2 - I have the powered rack which is small and lighter than a Valve amp. Means I can plug and play into a venue supplied 4 x12 with ease...

    4) Convenience Part 3 - because I use no outboard effects and can set up my performances the way I want. There are so many options you can choose from but its like a multi channel amp....x10. Switching between fender for clean to mesa for hi gain, with a bit of delay for solos but dry for Rhythm...then a bit of boost via morph for riffs...


    These aren't unique to the KPA but a big advantage of digital.