Considering a Kemper - coming over from Eleven Rack...

    Evening All,


    I've been a happy user of the Eleven Rack for the last two years, and still really enjoy using it - it's just hard to get that 'amp in the room' feel and the lack of user IR's is killing it for me.


    So, I'm looking to consider saving up for a Kemper as for me, it represents much better value for £ that the Axe Fx.


    1) Does anyone here have experience of using an Eleven Rack and how it's sound or 'feel' compares to the Kemper?
    2) Is a usb record mode going to be available for the Kemper?
    3) If 2 is not available, can I record either via Spdif or normal XLR? Does any have an advantage over the other?


    One last thing, I don't own any amps atall - so would be using the Kemper as my sole piece of gear for recording and live use. Are profiles very hard to tweak to match your own guitars?


    Sorry for all the questions - been on the fence for ages with this - would appreciate some feedback whilst I get saving!


    Cheers,


    -Riff

    Quote from Riffmagus

    1) Does anyone here have experience of using an Eleven Rack and how it's sound or 'feel' compares to the Kemper?

    I tried the Kemper on my setup ( Atomic Reactor Active Wedge) and it was a HUGE improvement over the 11Rack. So much feeling, 3D, just unbelievable!! Had no idea the Kemper would be such an improvement.
    If money wasn't an issue I had already bought a kemper and sold the 11R ;)

    I had an 11 Rack for about a year and half. I ditched it when I started seeing the infamous "Avid abandonment" or as I used to call it....the "Digidesign dump" which is defined as when they stop developing any updates for a product in a much shorter than anticipated time frame. I was able to sell mine at a higher value, thankfully.


    That being said, with the expansion pack it was a great setup and had some excellent features on it as well as being very intuitive. It's just too bad that Avid chose not to develop it any further. Truly a gem.


    However, once I got the Kemper, I realized that the 11 Rack gem was not really as polished as I thought it was. The Kemper really has a much clearer and more realistic sound of the various and wide assortment of amps that come with it and that you can download on it. The other most obvious piece is the fact that this can profile amps as well, so you aren't just limited to what it has as a one trick pony. I find the effects in the Kemper to be far better as well.


    That being said, a year later with Kemper being released and we still have lots of updates and people daily dropping new profiled amps.
    I've had my Kemper since September 2012. I would have had it much earlier but it wasn't available in my area until that time. I absolutely still love using it. I love the amazing tones that I get out of it.
    It bascially solves many issues for me. I use it as my live rig with an FRFR solution with great success. I can port the output to the house so as to eliminate micing issues. I use it in my studio and recently completed a piece for a small production company that bought several of my clips for their movie. I simply brough the Kemper to the main studio and we plugged it in and rolled from there. The studio loved it and purchased one for themselves. Next time I go it, I simply bring in my USB key and upload my preset to the unit. So easy!


    It also is a great late night recording solution where my small children can sleep without me having to shake the walls down.
    From what I can see, it looks like they will keep developing and updating this product. At least I hope so. I mean, at the end of the day, how much closer or better can you really get? I really hope they add it a drop tune type effect. I know we are all waiting on the footboard and performance mode so there is some great things to come still.


    :thumbup::)

    Hey Riff,
    Welcome here :)


    ... Wrong place to ask such a question? :D


    Jockes apart, I do not think you'll regret the quantum leap :thumbup:


    Yes, you can use both digital or analog output for recording. Theoretically the digital output will save you some conversions, but TBH there doesn't seem to be a huge perceivable difference.


    According to Eng. Kemper himself, audio over USB is not going to happen.


    Last but not least, amps are not hard at all to tweak for your instrument!
    You might find more usage infos about the KPA here (Tips & Tricks for the KPA (wiKPA) - For those who want to get to know their KPA far above what's in the manuals :))

    My brother was over for Christmas and I was showing him what the Kemper could do from YouTube clips. He asked why I didn't use my 11R and I said it doesn't inspire me and it took a lot of EQ tweaking to get it to sound realistic enough in my mixes. And I was having trouble finding the time to record when I had to spend hours engineering (setting mic placement, levels, etc)


    He said to me "Sell the 11R, Purchase the Kemper, profile your other amps, sell half of them or maybe just keep your favorite one for now, that thing appears to be amazing, I can't believe they can do that"


    So I did just that and this is my impression:


    1) The 11R is like a kids Casio keyboard and the Kemper is like a Grand Steinberg piano.
    2) The Kemper is exactly like playing an amp in my headphones, and sounds the same recorded too.
    3) I sold my amps after profiling, no regrets, and haven't pined for a new amp in 2 months. Cure of GAS.
    4) It takes me less than a minute to setup and record. Most of that setup is while the Kemper is booting up (takes about 45 seconds)
    5) This is the first product I've bought that did exactly what it claimed to do: profile my amps.


    That's about the only drawback, waiting for it to come on. And for you, no USB.


    I record both SPDIF and XLR and you can use balanced or unbalanced 1/4" jacks too.


    I smiled for about two weeks, and since I take it for granted I can get amazing amp tones anytime, anywhere, headphones, lovin' it.

    I don't have much to add that hasn't been said. 11R had some great features but I bailed when I realized that expansion pack was all that was coming. I had some great patches on the 11R but I have thousands for the Kemper - literally. It absolutely is a jump in sound and feel. I just said it in another thread but in 20 years of playing, at worst the KPA would be tied for first place in terms of best gear purchase I've ever made. The 11R could still serve as an audio interface - btw.

    "Tone is in the fingers" is not a necessary response to anything that I might type on any internet forum threads. Thank you.

    Ulike most I've kept my 11R after buying the KPA, call me crazy but I like PTLE8 and the KPA works well into the 11R SPDIF for recording (drawback, 44.1kHz only).


    IME the perceived difference in tone quality from 11R to KPA is more pronounced depending on how used to tube gear you are, and how dynamic your playing is. In my case it was a reasonable leap, in fact the profiles I took from my preamps and amp are nearly indistinguihsable from the real thing, and obviously a lot more portable and easier to recall and reproduce at any time.


    So in short, was it worth it, and would I do it again knowing what I know after a couple of months of using the Kemper? Definitely yes.

    Quote from Deny

    Ulike most I've kept my 11R after buying the KPA, call me crazy but I like PTLE8 and the KPA works well into the 11R SPDIF for recording (drawback, 44.1kHz only).


    IME the perceived difference in tone quality from 11R to KPA is more pronounced depending on how used to tube gear you are, and how dynamic your playing is. In my case it was a reasonable leap, in fact the profiles I took from my preamps and amp are nearly indistinguihsable from the real thing, and obviously a lot more portable and easier to recall and reproduce at any time.


    So in short, was it worth it, and would I do it again knowing what I know after a couple of months of using the Kemper? Definitely yes.

    +1 on this.
    I got the 11r for the protools 10 and the easy way it burns a third clean track.
    (all I got out of them at Namm was a t-shirt, and the mention of an 11R "to Do" list)


    I own a number of Tube amps, and have Collected Tubes since I was a kid.


    After playing the KPA at winter Namm, I am a believer.



    I will now be able to Archive My tube Collection in yet another way.
    I can bias them waaayyy hot, and then save that profile,
    (as well as the lifespan of the irreplaceable tubes in My collection)


    I am saving My pennies for a white KPA Lunchbox & will spidif out thru the 11R
    into My PC.


    I will probably sell off most of My amps after I profile them correctly.


    (so I can Buy and profile and sell some more,lol)

    "Every Coin Has 3 Sides" - Rae

    I'm not selling anything until they've perfected the (yet to be released) multiple tonestacks, maybe not even then - not a big fan of the current one, if I have to tweak I either use post-amp Para/Graph EQ or tweak the original and make another profile.

    I have both and to be honest have barely touched my Eleven Rack since I got my Kemper. I actually like the Ui better on the Eleven but for me It doeds not cpme clost to touching the sound and frrl of my KPA. Just my humble opinion. Paul

    Quote from Deny

    I'm not selling anything until they've perfected the (yet to be released) multiple tonestacks, maybe not even then - not a big fan of the current one, if I have to tweak I either use post-amp Para/Graph EQ or tweak the original and make another profile.

    Are you talking about the KPA having multiple tone stacks, If so, how would that be dialed in?

    Edited once, last by db9091 ().

    Quote from db9091

    Are you talking about the KPA having multiple tone stacks, Will? If so, how would that be dialed in?

    Exactly, I'm assuming rigs will have one or two extra parameters, ideally "tone stack type" and "pre/post amp" - as far as I know this feature is already in the works, maybe even in beta for a few lucky KPA users.

    Quote from db9091

    I've been overworked today, sorry if this sounds like I only have 1 neuron firing: What would be examples of tone stack types?

    From the top of my head, as far as I know the tone stacks of a Vox AC30, Marshall JCM800, Fender Twin and Boogie Mark IV are all very different, to name a few. On the other hand I'n sure there are several amps which have very similar if not identical tone stacks. So I'd guess they'd throw in the most common ones that are different enough from each other that they're worth including in the KPA.

    Quote from Deny

    Exactly, I'm assuming rigs will have one or two extra parameters, ideally "tone stack type" and "pre/post amp" - as far as I know this feature is already in the works, maybe even in beta for a few lucky KPA users.


    Very, very interesting!!!! 8) ......and so exciting!


    Deny!
    Do You have some relations in the industrial espionage teritory? ...or You are a kind of James Bond? ;):thumbup:
    Can You give us more infos about the next step of KPA upgrade?
    ....or at least a date for the next one? :?:

    Quote from guitarmania62

    Very, very interesting!!!! 8) ......and so exciting!


    Deny!
    Do You have some relations in the industrial espionage teritory? ...or You are a kind of James Bond? ;) :thumbup:
    Can You give us more infos about the next step of KPA upgrade?
    ....or at least a date for the next one? :?:

    Hahaha no, I'm not a spy and have no inside info whatsoever, all I've said was taken from bits given by Mr. Kemper himself and some wishful thinking :)


    People speculate firmware 2.0 must be right around the corner, probably to be released in beta form a few weeks before Musikmesse, personally I have no idea. There are rumors that this next firmware will also have "Performance Mode" working, and probably a few other goodies. I'm just as anxious as you ;)

    have to agree with everyone ! i actually sold my 11r to rise money for the kemper. being an avid valve amp freak i promised myself that this would be my last venture into the digital world having tried most of them previously! and not liking any of them but falling for the hype surrounding them all.
    turned out there is no hype for the kemper, it does exactly what it says on the tin! i have never played so much since i got the kemper, i cant put my guitars down!... buy the kemper you will not regret it..... although the wife hates it!

    Brian Thesnail