Kemper-Amp out of the box

    Hi Everyone,


    I just spotted this beast whilst looking at the axe-fx, a couple of things before I pull the trigger.. (I'm an amp and mic guy usually so excuse the ignorance).


    I don't have access to any decent amps like diezel's or Engls, does this have preset's that come out of the box?
    Can you just plug and play kind of thing?


    I keep hearing about power amps? If I'm doing direct recording, do I need one? Or will I need one if I use it on a cab? An explanation of why I'm using one would be awesome.


    Thanks everyone..

    Hi There


    - A lot of (excellent, BTW) Diezel and Engl profiles are available at the Rig Exchange on the Kemper website
    - Plug and play is exactly what everybody here did and is WOW! After a while, when you get curious to see what happen when you turn the knobs, the reaction is more like OMG!
    - If you want to monitor your self through a real guitar cab the you'll need a power amp. I personally go direct to FOH and monitor myself with a stage powered monitor. If you just do direct recording you'll just need a couple of XLR cables...


    Edit: Welcome! :thumbup:

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


    Hi Shadow. There are currently 1776 profiles in the rig exchange that are yours for the downloading, with more being added pretty much daily by the forum members. So, you don't have to profile an amplifier unless you have one that you really love and want to preserve with profiles. As for a power amp, no you don't need one if going direct for recording.


    I love my KPA and haven't regretted buying it EVER. :thumbup:

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

    Quote from Zappledan

    Hi Shadow. There are currently 1776 profiles in the rig exchange that are yours for the downloading, with more being added pretty much daily by the forum members. So, you don't have to profile an amplifier unless you have one that you really love and want to preserve with profiles. As for a power amp, no you don't need one if going direct for recording.


    I love my KPA and haven't regretted buying it EVER. :thumbup:

    Thanks guys, so much friendly great advice here and my wallet's not in tears looking at the price :thumbup:

    I just sold my Axe FXII last week because the Kemper has superior tone and thats what is most important to me. The Axe felt too digital and while really good, it just didnt deliver me that authentic amp tone. I tried for about a month of playing the Kemper and Axe II back and forth to see if I should keep the Kemper or the AxeII. I decided to keep both, but I soon realized that when I played the Axe the tone just want there compared to what I was getting out of the Kemper and so I decided to go 100% Kemper and part with my AxeFxII.


    If you prefer authentic powerful in your face tone with simple plug and play then you want Kemper. If you are the type who likes to tweak endless amounts of parameters in search of a good sound then the Axe might be for you. One thing the Axe does have alot of is great effects but the Kemper has the basics covered and more are on the way. That was actually the only reason I was going to keep my Axe. But even the cool effects werent enough to draw me away from my Kemper.


    As for plug and play, the first day I got it, I took it outta the box. Plugged in my guitar and headphones and was taken to a new world I never knew could exist in the world of guitar processors. :) I seriously was shocked at how great it sounded right off the bat. I didnt get that feeling when I first plugged into the AxeFxII.


    Like you I dont have any amps to profile. I am all about hi-gain metal! The kemper SLAYS the Axe Fx in this regard. Diezels, Engls, oh man there are some incredible Engls in the exchange! Look for a user called JUANMA BLANCO. He has 82 insane incredible profiles of various amps. Get them all and prepare to have your face melted! :)



    Good luck with whatever you decide!

    +1 on JUANMA BLANCO presets!!!!!! They are awesome.
    I don't think the KPA tones slay the tones I get out of the Axe-fx. I can get the same type tones but on the Axe it's just less tweaking. Really seems to be the Axe-fx vs. KPA battle is over the "amp tones".
    When you add in usb audio recording, top notch effects and routing capabilities, software editor etc...then the clear winner is the Axe-fx II.
    I have both so that's just my 0.02

    This is a no brainer - go for the AXE FX2.. PM me ive got one on sale :P


    Being serious for a moment - they are both excellent! i still have both, play Kemper pretty much exclusively but am really in the honeymoon period still.. have been trying to figure out if i keep both, or just the Kemper (the Kemper is going nowhere)


    One of the thoughts ive been having (and this could just be a load of BS, so just humour me) AXE has lots of Amp models, and lots of things you can tweak to your taste... All AMP's aren't the same (i believe) some have a certain mojo, some do not (between same brand\model\year etc..) With the Kemper you get a little of that mojo, from that one amp that was a little special.. sometimes hard to know what your looking for until you find it... and thats why i really like the Kemper - i like Marhsalls, i can quickly do a search on the Exchange for JMP's - stick them onto the kemper and quickly identifiy those one's that i connect with, delete the others and off i go.. AXE FX is great if you know what your looking for and how to dial it in... me... often i only have a rough idea what im looking for, say a JMP type sound, but when i hit the right profile, i know ive found it.. takes little time to find it, and so far the experience is superior for me... (this is all just my opinion, which means pretty much nothing) 8|