KPA vs AxeFx II

  • Having re-read the previous responses, I will say this: The Kemper is an amazing piece of gear - I will be testing it severely during the next two weeks. I frankly don't care what the fanbois think, nor the hopeless critiques - I just want to see what it can do tonally.


    You can profile with your HC between the mic/micpreamp and KPA in case you like to get rid of unwanted fizz.


    I for myself found that I get about the same fizz as the mic in front of the real amp produces - and that is what I want.


    Btw. it's possible to add an EQ block in 'X' in order to get rid of any unwanted fizz or woofy low end.


    When my profiles do not sound great - then I try not to fix it later but to choose another microphone or mic position ...

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  • Armin - That seems to be the beauty of the process. We can use any additional tone shaping while profiling and it becomes part of the profile, including pre-eq :thumbup: Regarding fizz, I have always felt most guitar amps sounded too fizzy for distortion until the master volume was cranked high (unless additional processing was involved). Ironically, I haven't been able to get serious with my KPA yet because it arrived during our concerts in Hawaii, and as soon as I got home I had to build many of 'the boxes that must remain unnamed' 8o

    All modelers known to man 8o

  • Armin - That seems to be the beauty of the process. We can use any additional tone shaping while profiling and it becomes part of the profile, including pre-eq :thumbup: Regarding fizz, I have always felt most guitar amps sounded too fizzy for distortion until the master volume was cranked high (unless additional processing was involved). Ironically, I haven't been able to get serious with my KPA yet because it arrived during our concerts in Hawaii, and as soon as I got home I had to build many of 'the boxes that must remain unnamed' 8o


    So do you use one of those Harmonic Convergers with your Axe-Fx racks? I thought the Harmonic Converger was done by now, that was the old PodXT days but it sounds like many fully grown men are still using them.

  • So do you use one of those Harmonic Convergers with your Axe-Fx racks? I thought the Harmonic Converger was done by now, that was the old PodXT days but it sounds like many fully grown men are still using them.


    LOL! 8o I prefer my AFXs with the 'box that shall remain unnamed', but have never felt I couldn't get great tones without it - I just find it makes my programming job easier. The 'box that remaineth unnamed' was created for people like myself who actually *break out in hives* at the onset of fizz! 8o


    Regarding the KPA, I probably should have said the *profiles* I have tried sound fizzy (haven't tried that many yet).

    All modelers known to man 8o

  • LOL! 8o I prefer my AFXs with the 'box that shall remain unnamed', but have never felt I couldn't get great tones without it - I just find it makes my programming job easier. The 'box that remaineth unnamed' was created for people like myself who actually *break out in hives* at the onset of fizz! 8o


    Regarding the KPA, I probably should have said the *profiles* I have tried sound fizzy (haven't tried that many yet).


    Interesting. I wasn't very thrilled with either Axe-Fx I owned, Ultra or II. I think I remember reading once where that Cliff man was teasing you about your Harmonic Converger? I may be wrong, I didn't stick around at the forum for long.

  • To come back to the subject...


    The estimated waiting time for an AxeFx II (G66) is reduced from 4 month to 2-3 month ...

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  • Armin - I believe the AFX II has improved considerably since you tried it, but I'm enjoying owning *both* right now 8o Did my first serious tweaking of the KPA today, and it was pretty easy to make it go in my preferred sonic direction :) Gotta wait for the wife to run errands before I can do any serious profiling however - too much noise! 8o

    All modelers known to man 8o

  • I'm glad I've kept the AXE II, otherwise i'd be in trouble using the KPA live for gigs.. I know a few of you are using it live, but I can't even assign MIDI PC #'s without it locking up, and then loosing all the assignments, how the hell are you supposed to change patches live? I think the KPA is a great idea, and works fairly well, but they really need to get this thing reliable, I'm sure they'll get it with time, it's not a huge deal to me because it's only to be used in the studio, but if i had bought it to use live i'd would have returned it, no matter how good anything sounds it needs to be reliable for live use, and it's not there in my opinion.. hopefully soon.

  • Did some profiles of some of my personal OD & SOLO patches on my favorite modelers - they did not turn out exactly like the originals (as the manual warned), but they were easily tweaked to sound as good or better than the originals. :rolleyes: The thing I noticed is a tendency for the Kemper profiling to add a bit of upper mids, while loosing a bit of the ultra lows, but it wasn't a huge thing to make up for. I feel the quality of onboard effects is very good, although it would be nice to have a broader selection. The Reverb in particular is quite good - very natural and full-sounding.


    PS: I will not be posting my 'personal sound' profiles, but I may later post some 'all-around use' profiles to add to the ever-growing stockpile. :thumbup:

    All modelers known to man 8o

  • I also felt the KPA distortion was not quite as smooth/seamless as the original tones. My OD presets are designed with smoothness in mind, and that's probably why I notice a bit of difference...

    All modelers known to man 8o

  • Well after dipping my toes in and buying an axefx2 for a second time (I returned the first one) Ive put it up for sale.
    My original intention was to keep it until the amp matching on the axefx2 came out and to give it a whirl. I got it at a good price on ebay and figured I could always sell it on if I didn't like it.
    Just spent a week with it (spent 2 weeks last time) on firmware 5 and I just can't get on with it. Its been bugging me since it arrived. Spent 3-4 hours a day just using the amp block out to my atomic power amp and guitar cabs and frankly I thought it just sounded flat and lacklustre compared to my real amps reamped through the same rig or my KPA. I thought it sounded much better through the atomic as an frfr unit, but I dislike IRs. They always sound and feel a bit fake to me and irritate my ears after about 10 to 15 minutes.
    The difference was enough for me to just give up on it. I can't see that amp matching on the axefx2 will make that much difference for my use as Im just not that keen on the core sound of it.
    So there ya go, its up for sale.

  • Well after dipping my toes in and buying an axefx2 for a second time (I returned the first one) Ive put it up for sale.
    My original intention was to keep it until the amp matching on the axefx2 came out and to give it a whirl. I got it at a good price on ebay and figured I could always sell it on if I didn't like it.
    Just spent a week with it (spent 2 weeks last time) on firmware 5 and I just can't get on with it. Its been bugging me since it arrived. Spent 3-4 hours a day just using the amp block out to my atomic power amp and guitar cabs and frankly I thought it just sounded flat and lacklustre compared to my real amps reamped through the same rig or my KPA. I thought it sounded much better through the atomic as an frfr unit, but I dislike IRs. They always sound and feel a bit fake to me and irritate my ears after about 10 to 15 minutes.
    The difference was enough for me to just give up on it. I can't see that amp matching on the axefx2 will make that much difference for my use as Im just not that keen on the core sound of it.
    So there ya go, its up for sale.

    LOL, maybe you will get it a third time and sell it again. I also have one and was very tempted to sell it, but I finally decided not to do it. I am using the KPA for amp emulation and the Axe FX II for the effects. I connected both through SPDIF with a Beringher SRC2496 in between. The combination sounds incredible. Best tone ever. I am also curious about Axe Fx amp matching thing.

  • I also own both units 8o , and am hoping that Cliff will include something that 'listens & builds a cab' without using any static IRs. I would agree that the Kemper method of duplicating a cab is a bit more natural and easier on the ears than IRs, and that this is the biggest sonic difference I currently hear between the two platforms. On the other hand, the AFX II sounds & feels beefier for me in the lower end...

    All modelers known to man 8o

  • Well after dipping my toes in and buying an axefx2 for a second time (I returned the first one) Ive put it up for sale.
    My original intention was to keep it until the amp matching on the axefx2 came out and to give it a whirl. I got it at a good price on ebay and figured I could always sell it on if I didn't like it.
    Just spent a week with it (spent 2 weeks last time) on firmware 5 and I just can't get on with it. Its been bugging me since it arrived. Spent 3-4 hours a day just using the amp block out to my atomic power amp and guitar cabs and frankly I thought it just sounded flat and lacklustre compared to my real amps reamped through the same rig or my KPA. I thought it sounded much better through the atomic as an frfr unit, but I dislike IRs. They always sound and feel a bit fake to me and irritate my ears after about 10 to 15 minutes.
    The difference was enough for me to just give up on it. I can't see that amp matching on the axefx2 will make that much difference for my use as Im just not that keen on the core sound of it.
    So there ya go, its up for sale.


    Well I've got the Axe on pre-order...was supposed to come in my room few months back but they're playing being 'The very precious' guys (hence the long wait perhaps ) --not for much longer I'm afraid.......will probably cancel the pre order and give it to someone else...it's a lot of money just for some effects I can achieve anyway using some good DAW sequencer crazy thing. From the reviews I've read KPA wins big time over the AXE for sound quality ..and that's all I'm concerned with :thumbdown:

  • I would also add that the AFXII overdrive & distortion sounds a bit more connected and smooth, IMHO.

    To me it sounds with too much clarity and thinner in general. Not as warm and round. In other words less like a real tube amp.

    Edited once, last by MadH ().