Never and end to gas, though it lessons or changes.
Since the axe-fx, I don't even look at pedals anymore. I also don't buy any more tube amps and have sold almost all of them.
I still look at modellers though, axe2 and kemper in the house, still got a G5 to mess with. Just another tool in the toolbox.
Sold 2 and bought 2 guitars in the last month.
Posts by carydad
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There's not a huge difference between the two when you think about it. For me, the bigger difference would be if there was at least one pedal on it - now that would be a difference worth voting on ...
True dat! I'd love a 1 pedal version so I don't have to mess with an expression pedal and cable on top of this.
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EHX 44mag works great. Very loud. I have a crate powerblock around somewhere as well, but I much prefer the little EHX. I shove it in the back of the kemper, though I need to get some velcro or something. The power brick it comes with is almost as big, but I stick that to the 1x12 cab I use it with.
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Smaller the better
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Yep, axe2 does the same thing. Pretty standard-turn off the power section first/turn it on last.
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Keep both! Always good to have a backup rig, and you can decide which is A/B on an ongoing basis.
I use both FRFR(RCF monitor) and non(Matrix 1000/EV12L speakers in 1x12 cabs-power amp sim on, cab sim off). I mix and match for the gig/situation and I do that for both KPA and AXE-same support hardware.
I use the MFC for the axe, and usually a midimate for the KPA. I have an old all-access laying around as well. The MFC also works really well with the KPA. So that one hunk of hardware can support both boxes-though a bit of pain flipping it back and forth.
Tweaking? I think that is more person dependant than hardware. I dont tweak either unit much. The KPA is more amp-like to tweak while playing because of the knob layout. That said, when you get used to the axe, you can hit a lot of keys pretty quickly to get done whatever it is you want to get done. I actually spend more time messing with profiles in the kemper than I do tweaking the axe-I have the setup for the axe pretty nailed down. Just too tempting to try out that latest cool profile. With the axe, I don't really use other folks presets at this point. I did for a while, but now I have things set the way I want them and I would have to completely redo any patch anyway-at least to add an FXLOOP so out goes to the matrix.
Other stuff-what the axe gives you is the flexibility etc. You want to assign 10 different things to ext2, knock yourself out. Normally, the first pedal is volume, second is wah by default. I don't plug into the 1st, and use the 3rd instead-mainly for rate of different things like trem, leslie or whatever. For oddball presets, like the moog, the wah is volume and the other is still rate-but you can make when what you want. With auto-engage it gets even better. I have a GEQ near the end of my string that engages with the wah pedal to give me a sculpted boost. Since wah and lead are usually the same for me-it means less button pressing. I fully expect the kemper to grow into this sort of stuff.
Tones-both amazing-which is why I have both. Just great tones from them both. If I didnt need the cello,violin,flute and all the ambience stuff I need for the current band, I'd really be torn which to take to practice. The KPA, the little EHX magnum stuffed in the back and a 1x12 cab make up a very cool little rig that is ultra transportable and sounds amazing for that small of a package.
KEEP BOTH! -
I dropped a zoom G5 in front of the KPA the other night. Really quick way to make it a full rig. And the G5 doesnt cost much for what equates to a full backup for the kpa.
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I bet he already has one on order
Did you let him pick it up? And then carry his head home? Sold! -
I've used the R300, 1U newer model with the 11R, HD500, KPA, Axe2 and gsp1101. It sounds really good, and the two controls can really help you shape it to your cab. The only negative for me---freaking heavy. Like 18 pounds heavy.
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Nevermind...found the specs and converted those to inches...aint gonna fit. Still, it would fit in a cab with a little bit of scroll saw work.
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Ughhh.....
I think I will be buying the AXE II to go along with the Kemper. I really really love the Kemper and I will be patient with the development and I think in the long run it will win out, but I also want the advancements that are available with the AXE II now and in the future.
Same here. I have both, and love both. I see them as different tools, and the more tools the better. The foot controller took the axe2 to pro level for me. Before that, it was good, but with it-over the top. I hope to see the same from kemper. Anyone stuck a Matrix GM50 in the back of a KPA yet? Kinda curious if it fits and what it sounds like. I like the small-head form factor of the KPA. The axe2/matrix in the 4U is bulky, so the KPA is my grab and fly rig. Looking for alternatives to the EHX pedal thing. It works, I just want a little more power on tap(headroom)
http://matrixguitaramplification.com/products/gm50/ -
Wish I was local, if only to haul stuff for you. Any patch I get that doesnt sound right, I either stick in the Tills recto or marshall cab and I am good to go. If the patch doesnt sound great as is, or with one of those 2 cabs-it's toast. Even the good profiles usually sound better with tills cabs.
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Very odd. I back up one kemper and dump it on the other and havent lost a setting yet. The only goofy stuff I get in midi-i do to myself, like nuking a preset I had set-then when you press the foot controller it doesnt change-because there isnt a preset to change to, so it just stays where it is.
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That would be very cool.
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The only thing I can't do with the KPA that I did with the axe is play violin on two songs. So I guess a synth effect, but I can live without that.
Beyond that, I really don't miss anything. It would be nice to de-couple the wah from a stomp since it is always in my presets anyway. That would free up another stomp block which would be nice. But that is nit-picky. I dont use a lot of effects anyway.
If there were to focus on anything-I'd say the foot controller(that took fractal a long time) and that pop-in power supply (fractal probably never will have). They don't want to be seen as playing catchup, like fractal-in a way-is now. The foot controller will flat out sell the unit as a live rig(make sure it doesnt cost the same as the MFC!). And the power unit turns a preamp into an all out amp-which would be a competitive advantage. -
Even just 6 or 8 steps of settings would be cool.
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'Soon, the axe will grab any amp, modeller or quality recording of a guitar.'
I bet kemper are working on this as we speak (released just before Fractal Vers 6?), they obviously do not want to be left behind in a technology they have pioneered.
I hope so! The best thing for all of us is some healthy competition. Both camps have been quiet with the new stuff, which I get because we all keep asking when...and you can't ask the when when you don't know the what. What?
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Well timing is important. The axe2 almost 6.0 ready to drop, it changes the landscape a bit. Today, the kemper can grab any amp (or modeller if you like). That has been a competitive advantage for a while now. A huge advantage. Positive reviews are flowing in. People are digging it.
Soon, the axe will grab any amp, modeller or quality recording of a guitar. So as folks liked to say they profiled everything on the axe, guess what-the axe will cop anything on the kpa, or any other amp, or any recorded guitar track you can get your hands on. Then, of course, you could profile the model of that recorded guitar track. And then cop it again on the axe...ahhhh!
Yikes. I'm glad to own both horses in this race. -
Since the top rig threads usually like rigs I nuked, I doubt a rating thing would work well. I guess it couldnt hurt, but like the line6 ones-rarely agree with me. Same for any modeller. Some axe2 patch is all the rave and sounds like mouse nuts to me.
Now a folder sort by amp type would be great, as would the live audition. I'd assume that that is coming. Click a rig on the laptop-audition it thru the kemp. The folder thing would be cool and educational both on the rig download area and the unit itself.
