I have no doubt it may be the same underlying code/technology but as far as human beings working on it, it's different teams based on my understanding of what was said by Dan and a tool is only as good as the person using it.
Thanks for finding the quote !
Maybe it's what he means by "some crossover in research and sound".
The models aren't made by the same people who made the plugins, it's a completely different team. That's according to Dan over at NDSP. I always wondered why basically every youtuber put all their focus into the capture feature and almost none into the amp models or effects: it's because IMO they aren't really that great but who knows what updates will bring. I never buy a piece of gear based on "future promises" though, my only experience with one has been a few hours messing with it at a buddies studio and messing with peoples "comparisons" they've been posting.
As far as the captures it's less effort for basically the same result to me. Kemper profiles don't come out the gate screaming "look how close I am" you have to do tweaking after the fact to get it there but if you just take the extra few minutes to do that you end up at the same result. It's one of those things where with a good ear you can tell there is a slight difference between a capture and a well made kemper profile of the same thing if it's just a solo guitar in mono but once you double track and throw it in a mix you're just taking wild guesses at that point which is which. The QC is really good for someone who doesn't already own something high end like a Axe-FX or a Kemper but I wouldn't rush off selling either of those units for a QC just yet.
On TGP doug said that the same engeeners who worked on the plugins worked on the models.
He later said on the SLO model that it was the same technology that was used in the plugins.
Also he said the the cab models were the same as in the plugins.
I read so many different reviews on the quad cortex, I can't wait to try it by myself...
Previously had a headrush 108 and a powercab 112,
The headrush sounded too boomy and very smooth in the bad way, and I sent it back after a day of trial ..
Powercab was more convincing but I found it to be harsh after a while, even after trying to eq it.
I find the Kab to be far more pleasing for the ears, from loud bedroom levels to very loud ... Honestly I don't mind anymore if it sounds like a cab or not. Used at small gigs levels it rocks.
At low levels it is less precise than my studio monitors + sub but, that's easily understandable ... and It feels better, fills the room in a good motivating way.
I prefer the frfr mode with any profile (clean to high gain) but it's a pure matter of taste ...
I got my Kab 2 days ago, bought a ritter camplifier studio to play with.
Before the Kab I played on a Line 6 PC, and before the power cab I had a heardrush 108 that i did'nt like at all.
TBH I didn't love the Kab immediatly:
- Like mcuz51 I felt like some of my fav profiles seemed to be muffled. I'm used to the PC that is quite bright with the tweeter. But I also felt that it could be my room acoustic because with more volume (I'm locked in my appartment because of coronavirus) I could hear more details from the profiles and it started singing more. I play with a strat and the sound felt clearly fatter than with the PC or my monitors.
- I think that dynamics vary very much withs speakers and I had to adapt my playing style to this, just find how to sound good with it.
- I was dumb and forgot to unlock the INPUT section, I locked it because some profiles had compression there and I did'nt want that with my monitors. Thanks to the man here who said that it could be part of the problem.
I know that my hears need to adapt to new things and I kept trying and now I'm very happy with it, and like it more and more every hour I play on it.
I just had to try again about 100 profiled amps (~ 300 profiles) to find the best fit for the Kab (to my ears).
For low gain - strat with SSL-1 , found that some of the TAF profiles work well -+ to my ears+- for a quite loud day-bedroom volume (I also like tonejunkie's). I play with st-plexi-clean+, st-plexi-push, st-morgan-clean+, st-vibroking-clean, st-65amps, I have some packs from them and it's funny to see that these are all from the pack 1! (I made this selection without knowing that). And amps from pack 1 are quite nasally voiced but some of them have something that feels very alive.
For high gain I play with a LTD with SD JB in the bridge, for Adam Jones stuff I had a Tonehammer profile of a Diezel Hagen that felt to bright with the powercab, I love how it sounds with the Kab now ...
I play in FRFR mode (I also like the celestion blue but I prefer FRFR in a small room). Sweetening to 0. I don't like the pure cab parameter as I feel like I'm loosing something, with the sweetening I don't have the same feeling but I don't hear what it adds, I play with an EQ.
Backing tracks also sound very good with the kab, and the thing is quite pretty with the toaster on it.
Honeslty I think that this whole thing - Kemper + Kab + Remote + pedal rocks. Simple, multi-purpose, reliable, good sounding.
The KAB also sets a standard for profile makers, maybe that could homogenize the way amps are profiled?
Same here, delivery on friday - EU
Same here, ordered at 4pm the 16th.
I live in France and don't know about the situation in germany, but here it's quite complicated ?, would not be surprised if there were some delay.
Anyone got a shiping confirmation from EU store?
Kemper Kab will be out within weeks, maybe the best is to wait and see how it could perfom in different situations / environments ...
Always hard to recommend profiles because everyone has different tastes but if you like the JMOD from tone junkies (one of my fav from them) you could also like the tone king imperial profiles from the amp factory. They made 2 packs, the first with the rig pack 1 (these sound more nasal), and a second one with the rig pack 11 voiced differently (more clear/transparent), some are made for strat, tele or lp but they sound good with a strat and gives you many different options). They are by far my long term favorite profiles for fender style amps with a strat.
If you buy other monitors/frfr try if possible before buying because it can give very different results and noone agrees on what is the best ...
Display MoreSome comments from my side without trying to sound agressive or anything, just in an educational note : )
Ok, first off, there is not such thing as "texture" for tone, there is texture for music composition and appreciation, but not for tone, as texture is a combination of characteristics in an arranged piece of music.
Second, what you describe as a richer sound, is called tone coloration, the "hi fi" sensation you feel from the amp its caused by the treble, that might be too high for the intended porpouse of the gear, an FRFR
Dynamics come from the kemper if you are using the FRFR section of the powercab, and very few dynamics come from the amp simulation, which I did not find impressive, the "amp in the room" sound is just a bass heavy EQ with a sharp cut on the 120 Hz area that makes the sound more omnidirectional without too much boomyness (You can get the same trough some EQing with any FRFR cab).
I did test the powercab when hunting for a FRFR, it was an instantaneous no-no for me.
As a recommendation, you should always try gear at rehearsal volume, as the powercab sounds tiny with a band (heard it before) and starts sounding digital with the amp cab simulations at higher volumes.
On the other side, glad you found something you liked : )
No one here has the same ears, and I can find something displeasing, you might find it just about right for your tastes. The powercab is a fine cab for modelers and kemper, but for me it was too expensive and also bulky for my needs. Try to tame the highs from the EQ out from your kemper a bit down to get the sound as flat as possible, compare with your reference monitors, you will enjoy having more uniformity on the eq across all your profiles, as most of them are pre-eqed to a perfectly usable sound.
I'm not a sound expert, all I can give is an advice based on 1: My ears 2: My tastes 3: My use (mostly home, as I'll only try it with my band next month, Tonejunkie/TAF presets mostly + RZ for high gain..) with - 4: My weak english level that makes me use terms that may not me very acurate.
I've seen many likes for the HR108 for home use, I've read them before buying it, and I could'nt get close of the tone I have with an amp + cab in the same room.
I felt the HR108 to be too smooth in the bad way, soften, I expect a gainy sound to be granular and a part of sound complexity and beauty comes with this. Furthermore the sound was very bassy and what I described as "colored", maybe the term was not well chosen: as if I was using a TS9 with gain on 0.... As I play 80% with the neck pickup of a strat, I just could'nt get used to that.
I agree that the high's are more (maybe too much) pronounced on the line 6, but I can get a similar tone and playability in FRFR mode as I get with my head+cab, at home friendly volumes, I'm not surprise I could sound tiny loud, and It could be for the same reason as it sounds good quieter..
Also, there is a huge difference between
1: Kemper merged profile taken with a head+greenback with the powercab in FRFR mode
2: Kemper same merged profile with cab disabled, with powercab in greenback mode
I could have thought it would be quite equivalent ... but the powercab cab sims seam to filter more highs than the Kemper cab section does. Powercab sims feel unnatural to me. I also get to the conclusion that the FRFR mode of the line 6 PC could not be so FRFR even if I like it.
Finally, nothing new here, as 3 Kemper profiles of the same amp can sound and play very different, 3 FRFR will also sound a feel different, tone seeking can be complex. I'm glad I kept my real amp, at least I have something to compare ...
And that said, even If i'm quite satisfied, these 2 FRFR are so different that I will try other solutions if I can, maybe the asc10, or the kemper active cab when it comes out...
Bought one a month ago. I went from a pair of 305 JBL + 10' sub.
Tried at home at different volumes, with a strat for hendrixy stuff and a ltd 1000 with JB for grunge / metal tones.
For me the headrush did'nt match:
- tone seemed to be washed, to loose texture. Mid gain stuff felt like light Crunch tones.
- tone was very coloured. With the neck pickup on my strat it sounded like a middle pickup to me. Very nasal.
- tone was quite muddy at home volumes.
- same problems on the floor or on a stand, did'nt change much to my hears.
I returned it and bought a line 6 powercab (the basic version).
The Line 6 is not perfect but much more usable at home for me:
- the texture is there, maybe a little to much, can be harsh on some tones
- I feel the sound to be much richer, complex, maybe because of the highs that are much more present and hi-fi. Tone is not washed at all. It seems that the Line 6 even adds it's own texture, again not anyone could love that.
- For me it fits perfectly for a home use: even as whisper volume you have that sound texture, you can play at the volume of an acoustic guitar with a great tone, that's pretty cool for a home user .. bass are not exagerated, the sound has a nice presence, not muddy at all.
- dynamics are very good, the sound feels really "3d" to me.
For me the real problem could be the twitter that is a little harsh with pronouned highs, but I think it helps to keep all the sparkle and consequently to get a good sound at home volumes...
So I kept the line 6...
Just my own experience....
The 1987 black jmp mk2 seems to have thicker / more textured sound that the red one. Don't really know how to describe it. It works quite well with a strat. Can get a thick and percussive sound, great for old stuff.
Hello,
I just want to share my experience with theses profiles,
I own many topjimi, Mbritt, and Tonejunkie stuff,
These profiles are my favorites of the moment with TAF's Toneking Imperial, and TAF's Hiwatt clean.
I finished by buying near every profiles of Katzbach, love the 2245 HW and the 1987 black for Hendrix-type strat crunch, the JCM2000 for more versatile straty tones, and the red JCM 800.
They just sound so good with my setup that I stopped searching for better profiles. Not only the sound but the feel and dynamic.
I use them mostly for home playing with a pair of studio monitors (2 lsr 305 with the 310 sub - the importance of the sub is critical for the fullness to me), I can't wait to try them in gig volume with a frfr ...
They sound best for me with a SSL-1 loaded strat ... did try 4 setups (Van zandt, V-mod, and CS 69' strats), and with fender pure nickel strings (good compromise for me between modern and vintage). I keep the purecab OFF as I feel that we loose some character with it ON.
I hope the will sound as good with frfr and more volume (overall sound balance could be different). I guess they are !
I would love to see other profiles, and maybe other brands!
