New Kemper User coming from a Fractal

  • Welcome! You absolutely cannot do anything wrong with a Kemper, tone and feel wise.


    But I am initially curious what your experiences were with the fractal and will be in comparison with the Kemper. I have been a very happy Kemper user for many years and will always be. But I also bought an FM9, last October. I must say that, yes, I still prefer my Stage for an immediate amp sound and feel without big tweaks. Period. But I can come pretty close with the FM9. I mean very close. Yes, It took me some months (not very talented, maybe) to get there and I almost sold it again. And I am only talking about one satisfying live AC30 and one Plexi sound, as I was used from my Kemper. But once you understand what you are doing you can get almost the same results regarding amp tone and feel (if the last 1% is not that important 8o). Anyway. Have fun!

    I have been able to get in the neighborhood with my FM9 after a lot of tweaking and I have owned a Fractal product for many years. I still have my Axe FX Ultra. The thing I cannot get from the FM9 is the touch sensitivity that I get from the Kemper. The Kemper just has a better sound and feel to me.


    I find the Fractal units have much more gain than the actual amps they are modeling. That really affects the touch sensitivity of the amps for me. It is like having the gain cranked up on a pedal. If you lower the gain on the pedal it cleans up much faster with a smaller downward turn of the volume knob. I have an amp that is modeled, 2 models actually, in the FM9 and I have profiles of it from TJ. The Kemper profiles sound and react like the amp. The FM9 does not. I can get pretty close in tone but it still feels like the gain is too high when rolling back the volume. I also find that the Fractal models of my amp have way more gain than my actual amp has. I have tested this next to the amp and at the same volume I would use for a gig. They say the models are the most accurate on the market. I brought up how the models have a lot more gain than the actual amp. I was then told that is the beauty of the Fractal models. They give you everything the amp has and more. How is that accurate?

  • I have been able to get in the neighborhood with my FM9 after a lot of tweaking and I have owned a Fractal product for many years. I still have my Axe FX Ultra. The thing I cannot get from the FM9 is the touch sensitivity that I get from the Kemper. The Kemper just has a better sound and feel to me.


    I find the Fractal units have much more gain than the actual amps they are modeling. That really affects the touch sensitivity of the amps for me. It is like having the gain cranked up on a pedal. If you lower the gain on the pedal it cleans up much faster with a smaller downward turn of the volume knob. I have an amp that is modeled, 2 models actually, in the FM9 and I have profiles of it from TJ. The Kemper profiles sound and react like the amp. The FM9 does not. I can get pretty close in tone but it still feels like the gain is too high when rolling back the volume. I also find that the Fractal models of my amp have way more gain than my actual amp has. I have tested this next to the amp and at the same volume I would use for a gig. They say the models are the most accurate on the market. I brought up how the models have a lot more gain than the actual amp. I was then told that is the beauty of the Fractal models. They give you everything the amp has and more. How is that accurate?

    Yep, if accuracy and no, or very much less tweaking is important for you then Kemper is a no brainer. I only bought the fm9 (... sounds like an excuse ^^) for its much superior FX and routing, all of which I really need for one of my bands. For everything else - from recording to "simpler" chains with less fx - I always prefer my Stage. Have fun, the Kemper will always sound do perfectly what it does.

    Better have it and not need it, than need it and not have it! - Michael Angelo Batio

  • I am also a fractal and kemper user. As they both react completely different, try and not expect the same tweaks to do the same thing. I recommend tweaking the profiles as little as possible as the more you tweak it the less genuine it sounds. I recommend always adding a tubescreamer pre amp. It gives it some extra dimension.

  • I am also a fractal and kemper user. As they both react completely different, try and not expect the same tweaks to do the same thing. I recommend tweaking the profiles as little as possible as the more you tweak it the less genuine it sounds. I recommend always adding a tubescreamer pre amp. It gives it some extra dimension.

    Some like to tweak and don't care if it sounds less genuine. If it sounds good for them, it is good. Not all use a tubescreamer either as part of their sound and there are countless profiles with a ts baked in in the profile.

    Think for yourself, or others will think for you wihout thinking of you

    Henry David Thoreau

  • Hello and welcome ✌️

    As far as my experience goes, I can say that especially with distorted sounds, the "Distortion Sens" parameter in the input section is my first choice. Try to turn it up and see what happens (and read the manual for this parameter 😉). I also like to add some gain (0.5 - 1.5) if I think it's necessary.

    Kemper Stage - Macbook Air 2017 - macOS Catalina 10.15.7 - Logic Pro X