More of an observation than anything… How are touring musicians not using Kemper (or other brands) on fly gigs and touring

  • More of an observation than anything… How are touring musicians not using Kemper (or other brands) on fly gigs and touring…


    in these days of bands touring..why would you not have “your rigs” profiled and just bring two stages or racks for the powered version into just a provided 4x12 back line…especially since many or most use IEM


    the amount of wasted $$$ after just a few shows to recoup the Kemper costs…

  • Some are using them. I live close enough to Daytona to ride there for the bike events twice a year. I see a lot of Kemper racks on the stages when I am there. I have also seen some Helix rack units.

  • Lots of touring artists do use them.


    Metallica did some years ago and Mark Knopfler used one on his most recent tour. I believe The 1975 use them live as well.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • Lots of touring artists do use them.


    Metallica did some years ago and Mark Knopfler used one on his most recent tour. I believe The 1975 use them live as well.


    I figured they do…especially the festivals… I have noticed Kempers sitting behind amps or on the side..

  • I think a lot guys are just too proud/scared to ditch the tube amps for a piece of gear that is pretty much superior in every regard. They've been their trusted amps for decades, but if you get to know these guys, they talk endlessly about tube inconsistencies, repairs, re-tubing, tones changing from day to day, etc. But they continue with them, year after year.


    My best friend is a Mesa Boogie Rectifier guy. Has been forever. He has a Single, Double, Triple & Mini. After playing my Kemper for 4 hours two days ago, he literally started looking up prices of used Mesa's & Kempers to see if he could afford one. He was blown away by the Kemper's tones.


    To see him light up like an xmas tree & start the process of getting a K was like seeing a hardcore vegan go grab a medium rare steak & devour it with glee.

  • Hi, Ccunningham99.

    More of an observation than anything… How are touring musicians not using Kemper (or other brands) on fly gigs and touring…


    in these days of bands touring..why would you not have “your rigs” profiled and just bring two stages or racks for the powered version into just a provided 4x12 back line…especially since many or most use IEM


    the amount of wasted $$$ after just a few shows to recoup the Kemper costs…

    Inertia - "a property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force"


    That is - If it ain't broke, don't fix it.


    Or - If it ain't broke enough to motivate you to seek an alternative, why consider alternatives?


    Or - To some people, the Profiler or Modelers are a solution looking for a problem: a problem they don't perceive.


    Or the Sunk Cost Fallacy
    The sunk cost fallacy reasoning states that further investments or commitments are justified because the resources already invested will be lost otherwise. Therefore, the sunk cost fallacy is a mistake in reasoning in which the sunk costs of an activity are considered when deciding whether to continue with the activity.

  • I think a lot of it has to do with what I call stage presence and "wow factor". They need to have a stack or better yet a wall of Marshall cabs directly behind them along with the amps to impress the audience. I remember years ago reading some articles stating that most of them are not even hooked up, just there to fill the stage. Another article I remember seeing with pictures as proof showing a hidden Soldano SLO back stage behind the front stage show amps and cabs being played to either not give away their "secret sauce" on how they get their sound and tone. I forget the player and band. But it does happen. So I think a lot has to do with a Kemper toaster behind them not being impressive enough. It wouldn't surprise me if some bands have them hidden back stage like the previous example I've stated. IMHO

  • There is the concept of "being authentic". Some people still think digital/light/compact is not authentic.


    Some people don't really need more than a "decent" sound, because they don't play in a guitar based band or they just need one sound, or don't need distortion, or... They just need a guitar (sometimes they rent it locally).


    Living in an island, I fly (well, I used to, before Covid) a lot. 30 or 40 flights per year. And I noticed I couldn't trust local backlines. That's why I started using modelers. Well, and the band was too loud and noisy on stage and we needed a solution. It was the modelers. Now I also use them locally and at home. Life is, paradoxically, much easier and simpler with modelers.

  • As a touring musician i prefer renting an Orange rig from a backline service and load in and out myself my own gear.
    i have had Kemper for bit of time at "home" but i prefer the sound and feel of tubes and mic's and preamps.
    i also prefer to have all the rigs located behind the stage,were all using in-ear monitoring
    so i prefer less gear and visible tech on stage but the other two guitar players want the rigs on stage for the look and feel.
    i find it annoying but it aint ruining my mood or anything,it is how it is and i understand their preferences.