Kemper KPA vs. Axe-FX II (Yes, another one...please read!)

    Conspiracy theories aside, I don't think any of mbrown's initial impressions are unfair. I agree with nearly every point he makes BUT I also think every single one of them (excepting perhaps the cheap encoder shafts) can be addressed with easy tweaks. What seem like KPA weaknesses on day one will fade with a few hours of work dialing in your own preferences.


    I personally agree that not just some but in fact most of the available profiles fail to cast the KPA in its best light. Download Rig Manager immediately and start hunting for your own favorites. I was in the process of trying to sell my KPA before doing so; RM completely turned things around for me.

    Quote from meambobbo

    I dont think thats true either. I tested this the other day. Once youre above ~4 on the gain knob, clean sense does nothing. I set a profile to 4.5 and cranked clean sense and tried to see if the tone was any different than clean sense at minimum. There was no change in tone at all. So it has no bearing on input clipping afail


    It does change the input Gain when being below 4 on Gain. It surely results in higher overall volume but this is due to more input gain. Try setting Gain below 4 and crank clean sense up: It will result in input clipping.
    The overall volume increases just like it does, when you play a clean amp setting and change to higher output pickups.

    SPACE:
    Headphones do require a different setting on average than FRFR, Cabinest.
    Space works wonders for having a fun experience.


    COMPRESSOR:
    I also love using a compressor. Don't put it in front of everything,
    but when I do turn it up (3.5-4.5) I tend to love it more than not.


    INPUT
    Every guitar's pickup difference, or hot-ness, natural or otherwise, can be assuaged with the CLEAN and DISTORTION SENSE settings.
    Most guitarists I've ever known know how to use their Volume knob correctly. I don't know many who go full 100% open volume all the time. They reserve that for solo's. Most people who play Jazz don't have their tone knob open 100% so they don't get all that brittle fret noise. So why is the Volume knob not treated similarly, namely, as a tool?


    CONSTRUCTIVE GRIPE
    If the Kemper can't do it, like having a Spring Reverb, complain away.
    If the Green pedal seems hot and you say "I wish it started out with less gain, but I can just use my pinky finger to correct it with my volume knob for now" that's a good wish and nice solution.


    BASHING
    There are ways to offer wishes, opinions, and solutions without coming across as bashing the unit or it's effects. This applies to the FXII as well. Some solutions require the proper learning curve, some imagination, and experience with guitars. Many members here are quite willing to help. Just ask for help with a problem and don't bash a unit until there is no solution available.

    Quote from Hallan

    it´s different in amp section IMHO.. I use 99% on cleans compressor in front + a bit pure boost also ;)


    Yes, it's different. But I find the Compressor parameter to be more "ampish" as it doesn't affect the dynamics going into the front end of the stack.

    Quote from Khaki_Lackey


    Look how many views this thread and that thread have gotten. Everyone that google searches ax2 versus Kemper is going to be directed to these threads. It's pretty damn clever marketing, actually.
    They've accused him of being a Kemper operative in advance to counter the accusations to the contrary. Pretty well thought out.


    Well then people go to this thread, learn about Cliff's unscrupulous nature in a place he cant censor, and read numerous opinions of people who tried both units and decided the Kemper was superior.


    I think it blemishes our collective character to assume the worst. Then people might think we're all fanboys burying our heads in the sand to the blemishes in the imperfect product we own. The thing is, Kemper can fix the blemishes. The Axe seems like it by nature will be more difficult to dial in a great sound, and may never get to the quality of the KPA, and will always be limited to the amps Fractal models while the KPA offers unlimited amps.

    Quote from Inthrutheout

    Yes, but if you are playing in a room, doesn't that reintroduce it?
    Mind blown.


    True! My point is really for headphones only. If you monitor a mic'ed cab through headphones you still have a slight "space" to it but the kpa profile does not


    ...until you turn on headphone space lol

    Quote from Michael_dk

    Cool, congrats on receiving the unit :)


    I've never played much around with the knobs actually - but my very limited experience kind of mirrors yours; not all profiles sound great when turned down. Thankfully, there are tons of great profiles available for free on the rig exchange.


    Yep, I've already downloaded a bunch and will be importing them soon to check them out.


    Quote from Michael_dk

    Btw. do you have any mics so you can try profiling your amp?


    Yep. That's on the docket as well. :)

    Quote from HappyKemper

    Have fun mbrown3!
    Will you share the profiles you take from your own amps here and post A-B clips or audio clips?
    What microphone(s) will you use for profiling? Or profile amp direct only, without mic? sorry if I missed that info earlier.


    I probably won't spend a ton of time profiling my own amps until/unless I decide which unit I'm going with permanently. But I do intend to profile at least one of them, and yes I'll try to post clips. I have a few mic options, but the SM57 is handy, so it will be with that.


    Quote from HappyKemper

    Don't forget to adjust the clean sense on the kemper to your guitar also download the full kemper user manual + additional profile packs from the kemper homepage.
    http://www.kemper-amps.com/pag…mplifier___Downloads.html
    And search this forum for all the recommended profiles.
    http://www.kemper-amps.com/for…8-Free-rigs-and-profiles/?


    Thanks, will adjust clean sense, though I haven't experienced any clipping or anything like that. I've downloaded all of the additional profile packs.

    Quote from nightlight

    I got to disagree with OP on a couple of things too. While the Kemper's effects may not be many, lousy they aren't, I just have to look at a few presets done by guys like Bill Ruppert, Paults and Meambobbo to underline that. Heck, even the presets I've made aren't too shabby. Perhaps things like delay and reverb are worse than on the Axe. But the pitch shifter and harmonizer on the Kemper are better and I daresay other effects too.


    I'm not comparing the effects to the Axe, as I haven't played one yet. I'm also not saying they can't be tweaked to sound good. These are just my impressions of them right out of the box. I have very little use for harmonizers and pitch shifters, so I can't even speak to their quality. Reverb and (especially) delay are my meat and potatoes effects, and those were disappointing (again: right out of the box, with no tweaking).


    I'll check out headphone space. I don't have FRFR speakers at home, so that will have to wait until next week.

    Quote from Khaki_Lackey

    Guys, this thread and the one over at the Fractal forum is a marketing campaign, plain and simple. Our pal mbrown3 (who has been a Fractal forum member since 2008) has scheduled a side by side comparison of the two units with a member of the Fractal forum.


    This is idiotic. I wish the ignore function here worked.

    Quote from Guitartone

    First of all, NEVER do a review on day one, always wait a day or two until you've spent a few hours on day one and day two playing on the unit.


    It's not a review. It's "first impressions" of things, right out of the box. I do the same with all of my gear, and have for years. Thanks for the input though.


    Quote from Guitartone

    The Clean Factory Profiles that you say sound "lifeless and dead"...keep in mind, they were Profiles done in 2011 in Nashville.
    They are pure Profiles, no tweaks no nothing.


    Don't be fooled by "Volume"....they might sound "weak and lifeless" at low volume.
    Turn them up to gig volume or even loud in the studio volume and they won't sound weak and lifeless any more.


    Here's the problem: on any normal amp, when I turn the volume down, they don't sound weak and lifeless. I get what you're saying, I'm just pointing it out.


    Quote from Guitartone

    I like a Compressor upfront on almost all Clean Profiles.
    Go to Stomp A and add the Compressor stomp.
    Turn the "Intensity" to around 4.5 or slightly less.
    Now how do the Clean Profiles sound, even at low volume?


    I'm simply testing this right out of the box, intentionally, with no tweaking or adding of effects, etc. I'll get to that in due time.

    Quote from Guitartone

    Oh I forgot to mention...


    Take the headphones and hide them away in a cupboard where hopefully you'll forget where you hid them. :)
    You cannot do a review (especially you first review on day one) of the Kemper based on the tones coming out of headphones...


    It's not a review. It's first impressions. But these are one of the best sets of flat response headphones you can get. I'm aware of the difference, I just don't have access to FRFR speakers at home, and I don't have individual power amps to go through my guitar cabs. In the meantime, this is my only option. I wouldn't hold the unit's sound through headphones against it.

    Edited once, last by mbrown3 ().

    Quote from db9091

    BASHING
    There are ways to offer wishes, opinions, and solutions without coming across as bashing the unit or it's effects. This applies to the FXII as well. Some solutions require the proper learning curve, some imagination, and experience with guitars. Many members here are quite willing to help. Just ask for help with a problem and don't bash a unit until there is no solution available.


    I agree with everything you've said...but I hope the bashing section wasn't directed at me. I wasn't intending to bash the unit, at all. Just offering my initial impressions. I know that almost every piece of gear needs to be tweaked for it to sound its best...everyone's guitar is different, ears are different, physical spaces are different, and so forth. I wasn't trying to give a final word on the product...simply my impressions right out of the box.


    I often find it's helpful to later go back and see what my first thoughts were. For example, when I first got the Road King, right out of the box the gain channels sounded super muddy and flabby. But now that I've had it dialed in for a few years, it sounds great. Sometimes I forget that right out of the box it had that issue, and it reminds me that I have to tread lightly with the lower-end controls. I noted that in my initial impressions of it. But I certainly wasn't bashing it; it's one of my favorite amps ever.

    Quote from Trazan

    Ah, but use the Rig Manager. Then you'll have axess to the complete exchange, and there's no need to import anything.


    I'll do that. Don't they still need to be imported, though? Or do you mean with it connected to the computer? I'm not sure I have one of those old-school USB cables lying around, and one didn't come with the unit. I do own a few for various audio gear, I'm just not sure where they've gotten to as I haven't used one in quite a while. I'll try to do some digging, especially if that will allow the rig exchange to automatically load profiles.