tube amp 1-kemper 0

What are you monitoring through/how are you amplifying live?

The biggest take home from owning a Kemper should be that the cab is the biggest differentiation between any amps tones. This translates in real life just the same.

Also yes, you need to profile your own amp. It's not the Kemper's fault if you don't find your own amp on the profile exchange.

Agreed. The Profiler has got no signature sound. Signature comes from

• the guitar
• the rig/profile you're using
• the settings
• the cab/monitor you're using
• its placement
• your placement related to it.

I have a room full of tube amps. Literally - I have vintage Marshalls, Vintage Fenders, rare Mesas, a Bogner XTC, over a dozen tube amps including even a VH4 half stack. I prefer the Kemper over any of the tube amps for live use - because I can mic one up, get the best tone I can pull from it, and save it to the kemper. Then call it back at will live. Sure a tube amp sounds great onstage, but have you ever used a wireless to get front of house and hear what your sound is like from the audience's perspective? I'm in bands that play gigs from a few dozen people to a few thousand - and my main concern is how I sound out front.

The Kemper sounds like my favorite amps miked just right every time. My sound guy gets a more consistent signal, I don't have to worry about whether or not my cab was miked properly, or if my tube amp is sounding different because I'm playing outdoors or inside or the temperature or the humidity is affecting the amp and cab... profile your amp and I think you'll be surprised how great it sounds. Or look at the rig exchange, there are several free VH4 profiles there, or check out my free profiles on the second link on my homepage, there are some VH4 and other profiles there. You might dig my VH4, was built for Slayer and I used a Diezel front loaded cab.

Pete

I'd suggest doing a DI profile of your amp and then running it through your cab. Other users had the same experience as you but changed their mind about the Kemper's live capabilities when they did so.

Ah, the old topic with the paradigm shift.

I will admit playing through an FRFR, even a very good one, is not for everyone.
Personally I have made the transition to FRFR exactly like Pete has described above.
I haven't looked back.
My sound on stage is glorious with my DXR 10.
Last weekend we shared the stage with a band whose guitarist played a JCM 800 half stack.
While he sounded good my rig sounded much better.

Pete (okstrat) is right on the money.
If you think you can do better with your VH4, go ahead and profile it. If you were to go onstage with your amp you'd likely get no better than a 57 on axis, so it's an easy setup to profile.
You'll still deliver a cleaner, more consistent sound with no stage volume for your soundman to worry about with the Kemper onstage.

Only place i struggle with is rehearsals, where everyone (me included) is used to a cab sound rather than a miked one.

Quote from okstrat

You might dig my VH4, was built for Slayer and I used a Diezel front loaded cab.

Pete

Those profiles are unbelievable.

I also love my tube amp, but the Kemper does not disepoint me! I was playing a consert yesterday and the sound engineer came up an looked at my amp and wondered what tis was with all the fancy lights I told him it was a German Profiling amp. I am using in ear and a Yamaha DXR8 for stage monitoring.
After the gig the sound engineer came and told me that all guitar sounds i had used for the condert was good! I have to work a bit more on my clean sounds, and cut some frequenses, because trough PA it sounds a bit to much.. This little DXR8 rocks the flor almost as good as my CAE 2x12 cab does!

When I have stage room, I will use my Boogie every time. I can turn it up a bit and Iit's just a fuller, more natural sound. When I have NO room (the band has to set up in the corner of a room) I will use the Kemper. It supplies a great tone in situations where an amp can't be turned up.

Fortunately, I can have both tools. Variety is great!

Quote from Lash

Those profiles are unbelievable.

+1 - I am so totally in agreement with you here! I have other VH4 profiles including those that Andy did (which are great BTW) but those from Pete are hands down my favorites for the VH4 sound I am looking for.

Quote from HCarlH

When I have stage room, I will use my Boogie every time. I can turn it up a bit and Iit's just a fuller, more natural sound. When I have NO room (the band has to set up in the corner of a room) I will use the Kemper. It supplies a great tone in situations where an amp can't be turned up.

Fortunately, I can have both tools. Variety is great!

I have not found a situation where the Kemper plus the right monitor setup didn't work as good as or better than any of my real amps in the same situation.

Quote from TheUntuned

I have two gigs this weekend and wanted to take the kemper. Did a lot of tweaking, presets, cabs/monitors etc but a couple of minutes on my tube amp Diezel VH4 and Kemper was out. I like it a lot as a studio device, but for live it is not THE solution for me. The Diezel is so much more in you face, cuts through the mix and responsive to my playing. Never could find a profile that resembles the VH4 I know (I will try to profile my amp and see how that goes).

you're not saying anything about the way you compared the tube amp to the Profiler, but for a meaningful comparison, you'd have to play a preamp profile of your Diezel into the effects return of your amp (using the very same 4x12 cab)
otherwise you're comparing "the amp-in-the-room" sound with a close mic'ed profile of another amp through another cab as heard by a microphone.

and what say the audiance?