Helix Side By Side with Kemper

    Made this video today playing the Helix alongside the Kemper with similar amp profiles/models for those interested.
    Enjoy


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    Quote from SteelGuitars

    Made this video today playing the Helix alongside the Kemper with similar amp profiles/models for those interested.
    Enjoy


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    What we can observe from this clip is that the Helix can produce very good tones and the Kemper can sound the same. But if you really want to compare Helix and Kemper capabilities you should choose a good example of each real amp then profile them with the Kemper and try to match them with the Helix. A world of difference! ;)

    Or, he could set up five amps at once in Helix, and send Variax electric pickups to three of them, and the modeled acoustic to the other two. with spring reverb on three of the amps, and a sixth channel used for his vocal mic ;)


    Specific feature direct comparisons only go so far - these are both very capable products that can deliver quality tones for recording and performance.

    Quote from paults

    Or, he could set up five amps at once in Helix, and send Variax electric pickups to three of them, and the modeled acoustic to the other two. with spring reverb on three of the amps, and a sixth channel used for his vocal mic ;)


    Specific feature direct comparisons only go so far - these are both very capable products that can deliver quality tones for recording and performance.


    Yes, but it was not the purpose of this comparison! :)

    Quote from SteelGuitars

    Made this video today playing the Helix alongside the Kemper with similar amp profiles/models for those interested.
    Enjoy


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    Thank you for this SteelGuitars - I watched it this morning - it was something I had been waiting to see. From what I can hear the Helix sounds very nice - especially clean where I could barely tell the difference. With high gain I think the Kemper sounds more natural (less plastic top end) but the Helix is very respectable.


    I would love to hear more - especially clean to mildly overdriven fenders compared - thanks.


    Also how do the FX compare to the Kemper?

    Quote from Pick909


    What we can observe from this clip is that the Helix can produce very good tones and the Kemper can sound the same. But if you really want to compare Helix and Kemper capabilities you should choose a good example of each real amp then profile them with the Kemper and try to match them with the Helix. A world of difference! ;)


    I dont agree with this approach... Although Kemper woud be unbeatable here.
    The goal of each such guitar gear is to get a good sound. For some reason, many people think, good sound can ony be produced, if it is hardwired in an analogue way - or modeled after an EXISTING ananlogue model.
    I dont agree... You can get good sounds of a digital device (Kemper, Helix, Axe, ..) even if this sound does not exist in the analogue world. And mybe YOUR sound was never build analogue but can be done with one of these devices... In this case, this device would beat the others, although it does not sound at all like a "real" amp model...


    We, guitarists, made our life too simple here by just sticking to existing models. However, maybe even the Kemper sounds " better" to some of us, if we would use the countless possibilities to tweak it. Maybe even tweaking it away from existing analogue models...


    Who cares, if the helix (or Kemper) sounds EXACTLY like amp model XY if it sounds good? Or even better than this real amp XY?


    (Just to make clear: I dont care how the helix sounds, cause I will not buy one. I have the Kemper and I am more than happy with it. Its just the generall approach that I wanted to question here.)


    Again, you are right, but it was not the purpose of ''this'' comparison which was to compare Helix and Kemper replicating great known real tube amps. So using the procedure I suggested makes a lot of sense in ''this'' case.

    First things first: Thanx for sharing! It feels like testing both tools myself in a shop. That being said my 2 cents

    • Helix patches can sound very good AND almost identical to KPA rigs
    • I returned the POD HD after two weeks, so this a positive surprise.
    • Still, if you choose a real good profile (MBritt plexi, Dill FriedMen, and so on) you will IMHO notice a difference in quality
    • In a mix - i cannot prove this, but still - you are going to hear a lot of subtle differences, or not so subtle in favor of the KPA
    • At last. but not least: if i have a look at the price tag of those two products, really, sorry, the discussion is over before it has begun
    • 45 Amps, 30 Speakers, 16 Microphones and 70 Effects is not so overwhelmingly much, considering the possibilities u have got with the KPA
    • But this only me. cheers

    My occupation: showing teenagers the many hidden secrets of the A-minor chord on the guitar.

    Like 1

    While they do sound similar, to me it sounds like the Kemper just doesn't sound as 2-dimensional as the Helix. There's a real amp sounding compression and more overtones to the Kemper clips, especially on the Marshall sounds. Tone… it's like the phrase, "It's always the last place you look." I just don't feel the need to keep looking since I got my Kemper. Perhaps I'm a tad biased. ;)

    Quote from Geraldo7

    At last. but not least: if i have a look at the price tag of those two products, really, sorry, the discussion is over before it has begun


    Quote from Geraldo7

    First things first: Thanx for sharing! It feels like testing both tools myself in a shop. That being said my 2 cents

    • At last. but not least: if i have a look at the price tag of those two products, really, sorry, the discussion is over before it has begun
    • 45 Amps, 30 Speakers, 16 Microphones and 70 Effects is not so overwhelmingly much, considering the possibilities u have got with the KPA


    I think that if we have a look at the price tag, Helix is much much cheaper. Kemper costs 500 euros more with the remote plus 100-150 for a nice pedal...and also Helix is more portable.
    Very nice video!
    Congratulations Line6!

    Quote from okstrat

    I always say the strength of the Kemper is it's ability to duplicate a real amp. I have a roomful of tube amps, I can take them to a gig now with the Kemper. I can't do that with any other modeling amp because it's THEIR amps they are modeling, not mine - and mine sound better to me, just sayin'.


    Pete


    This

    mmmmm ... there is something strange is this video ... I don't know ... want to check something better with some spectrum analyzer ...


    Apart the fact that the comparison is few amps models vs thousands clone of real amp ...


    A question: what is it Helix + Kemper sounds, same mono? One right the other left?
    Can you tell us the coordinates/names of the Kemper Profiles you use in the video? Thanks!

    Quote from allegretto


    I think that if we have a look at the price tag, Helix is much much cheaper. Kemper costs 500 euros more with the remote plus 100-150 for a nice pedal...and also Helix is more portable.
    Very nice video!
    Congratulations Line6![/quote]


    In Germany the difference between the two products is 111.- Euro at Thomanns. The difference at Sweetwater is 489 Dollar, not Euro. Buying in the US is possible, but problematic here, because of custom duty which eats away most of the savings. Just for the record. If the gap were bigger like in the US, would be better for the product which will find its niche anyway.

    My occupation: showing teenagers the many hidden secrets of the A-minor chord on the guitar.

    Edited once, last by Geraldo7 ().