The H&K cab from sinmix has just blown all my previous favourites right out the door at the moment,but i also like various tills cabs and lasse lammerts.
I'd have to agree. In fact, prior to picking up the Kemper I was shopping for cabs and came across a YouTube video featuring a Marshall played thru an H & K. Freaking stunning it was. I had no idea.
I doubt if more expensive is always better.
Have you actually compared the less expensive FRFR solutions to the more expensive ones like Atomic? Because I did.
I think of the term "budget FRFR" sort of in the same way I think of "budget open heart surgery". My advice is, if you possibly can, save up for an FRFR solution that doesn't involve any compromises.
I have the Kemper PowerHead as well but I still went with the active Atomic CLR. As has been mentioned many times in here the built-in power amp on the CLR is engineered to work with that specific monitor and so it produces the optimum audio quality. Of course if you go this route do be sure to switch off the power amp in the Kemper and run your connection from the Monitor Output into your FRFR monitor rather than out of Speaker Output. Also make sure you have Cab Simulation set to on (it would normally be clicked off when running to a guitar speaker cab).
Not really sure about the real difference in audio quality between the active and passive CLR but for the relatively small difference in price (to me anyway -- I realize to many it isn't very small at all) I went for the best. I am really happy with the results. It is noticeably cleaner than my Earcandy 1x12 with a Scholz Sugarcone, a great guitar speaker in its own right.
Search the forum for other ideas on FRFR as there are a number of other good options as well.
OK, just to close out this thread (from my perspective anyway) here was the ultimate solution for a great lead tone minus all the noise. The primary tool for achieving this turned out to be Master Volume. The Gain has to be cranked up high, that is a given. But in the end I didn't really need a TS in the front of the chain. As for the Noise Gate, it can affect tone if set too high. I found that turning it up until the noise disappears and then backing it off a touch works well. Volume I have set at about half. Then I adjust the Master Volume down until I get the loudness I want (apartment level for doing this drill). Since the Kemper is not a tube amp, turning the Master Volume down doesn't adversely affect tone (one of a number of huge advantages to owning a Kemper I think over a tube amp). Now I have a strong distortion tone and when I do the legato exercise without picking I can get a good sounding tone going and maintain it easily.
OK I finally got a semi-decent result by simply taking the Silver Jube profile and adding a TS in front of it with the gain cranked. I get a lot of extraneous noise however. Adjusting the noise gate helps but dulls the volume when playing repetitive legato with no picking. It's not a great sound but it serves the purpose for the drill.
I experimented quite a bit with the gain control. You really have to crank it high to get gain to sound when playing legato like this. When picking it is much more pronounced and as one would expect. But unless it's set very high hammer-ons come out sounding clean.
Eriks Legacy rigs are a great basis for that kind of sound. Another Rig Exchange profile that can be used for liquid, singing gain is ACM-JSX C3 MEMO5. I think I pulled the gain back quite a bit, and may have tamed the high end, but you may not need to do that as much as I did.
OK, thanks, I'll try that. I'll also haul out my Jackson SL1 and see what I get using the Duncan JB and '59 pups on that. Appreciate the input.
Perhaps silly, but did you try to turn input noise gate down?
Yes, I adjusted the noise gate. It removes a lot of the hiss sure, but the tone remains very thin.
The Silver Jube and the Legacy profiles do give me a nice fat tone but when I hammer down on the high e it's still thin and sharp, not at all like the tone in the video. Years ago I had a series of DVDs by a guy who was using a Peavy amp with some pedal in front of it. Had the thickest, sweetest, tightest distortion and lead tone I've ever heard. The video I cited isn't quite that good but that is what I'm after and I can't seem to achieve it. I'll keep experimenting but would appreciate suggestions. Right now when I hammer on it's icepick city.
You're using a $6300.00 Custom Shop R9 and you can't find one clear and fat high gain lead tone?
What studio monitors are you playing through?
a. I am playing through an Atomic CLR active wedge. Outstanding tone for cleans. Nothing wrong with the monitor.
b. As I said, I am looking for a fatter tone when doing legato, not picking.
c. I found your post to be extremely rude. Mentioning the price of my guitar coupled with your restatement of my inability to find a good lead tone. Once again, I am talking only about when using legato as in the example I cited. Take your condescending attitude somewhere else pal. It doesn't belong in here. Understand me?
JUBILEE OPEN sm57+C3 - this is one of mine, so it has been Les Paul tested If it has too much gain with your guitar, turning the Gain knob down a little will mellow it out.
Yes, in fact this is my favorite profile for cleans. Nice and fat. But if I want to get this with distortion or a lead tone just cranking up the gain doesn't do it for me without getting buzzy. What would you suggest? Adding a TS on the front end?
I have been using clean profiles for the most part so far and have found some great ones. But in going thru a few of the lead and distortion profiles I keep getting a lot of background noisy, high gain stuff that sounds icepick thin on my high e string when I do the following drill:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUcm0Pq3McI
2:44 mark
I am playing a '59 Gibson Les Paul Standard (R9) so it may be the pickups are too hot, I don't know. Anyway the sound is thin and when using legato barely audible. What I'm looking for is a clear fat distorted tone as in the video.
Any suggestions as to rigs or perhaps using a TS on top of a good clean profile? I've been trying everything I can find but can't get the tone I'm looking for. Basically I want to be able to hammer down on the high e and get a clear fat tone like pressing a key on a keyboard.
This thread gives me an opportunity to announce my upcoming one-man shows at the Royal Albert Hall. I just this morning signed a £2,000,000 contract to appear three consecutive nights next month.
Now, if I can just get THEM to sign it ....
I have the Kemper PowerHead but use the Atomic CLR active wedge. Heavenly sound. 
I've tried contacting Atomic several times about a CLR but no one has gotten back to me for 2 weeks so I'm just going to write them off. They obviously don't need my business.
Keep trying. It took me a couple of attempts before I got Tom King's attention. I ordered my active CLR wedge in late Oct and received the email letting me know they were available for purchase on Jan 1. There is a waiting list for this product because it is a damn good product. I am loving mine. It's a perfect match for the Kemper IMHO.
Given the money involved, you'd do well to audition the monitors live if you possibly can. In my case, I couldn't see passing on what I considered to be the best for a few hundred dollars and I have been amply rewarded.
I have a Mac and run Windows inside Virtual Box. No problem.
I had no problems with this whatsoever. If your head is spinning thinking this is a complicated process then you're doing it wrong. On page 41 of the Kemper Profiler Basics & Profiling Guide there is a section titled Updates, backup and sharing sounds. Follow the simple directions for formatting the USB stick. On the next page (pg. 42) there is a section titled Importing rigs, performances and local presets. Follow those instructions to copy any rigs you'd like to import to your USB stick and import them into the system.
It is a very simple process.
If you're still having trouble, find a friend who's comfortable with computers to help you. Once he shows you what to do you'll do a face-palm. 
If everything is working as it should, then after playing thru a CLR check your pants. They should be wet. 
I haven't noticed a problem playing at apartment/bedroom levels. One of the main advantages to using the Kemper I think is that turning down the volume doesn't compromise the amp tone any where near as severely as it does with a tube amp. No tubes to swap out every year either.
I'd recommend the PowerHead and the Active CLR. Gives you the most flexibility. Sure it's a little more money but so what? Who wants to compromise on their sound? For live use you could play thru your favorite half-stack kitted out just the way you like (V30s criss-crossed with EV12Ms in my case) and switch to the CLR for specialty tones like Fender/Vox cleans, an acoustic profile or the killer metal rig of your choice.
No compromise 
