Fractal or Kemper

BobDoubleJack said:
I got a Harley Benton GPA 400 last week and it’s going to run my ax8 into either a Marshall 1960 4x12 or 2x12. It sounds great, and will be ample for a back line or stage monitor if there’s an option for FOH (not often the gigs I play). And it was only 170 euros I think new.
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I take it they are only available outside the US? Looks like a real good deal.
 
My first post ever here on the Fractal forums was about this very question. I got flamed a little, about "this has been talked about to death", but there were some really helpful people (especially M@tt) that helped honestly answer my questions, so I'll try to do the same.

I've owned the Kemper, AxeFX II, and AX8. The Kemper had some great amp tones and great "feel". With the constant firmware updates, Fractal products have caught up in that regard, IMO.

And while, in contrast to most other people, I struggle with Fractal's effects (especially the delays, coming from a TC G-System, which has the best effects I've ever heard in a multi-unit, particularly the delays), they far blow the Kemper's out of the water. EDIT: a bit more about the Fractal's effects: I believe that the Fractal is capable of delivering effects close to (or, in some cases, equal to) the G-System. But they are a lot harder to dial in. The G-System, I could just hit up the basic parameters and it all sounded amazing. I've gotten some amazing effects on the Fractal but it took a LOT more dialing in. Even then, I still haven't quite been able to mimic some of the most useful effects from the G-System, even though the Fractal probably has a lot more options and a broader range of parameters. I don't typically use the more out there extremes of any effect. But the basics are harder to get on the Fractal units, IMO. Either way, the Kemper's effects have been improved over the last couple of years, but are still a joke in comparison, and don't come anywhere close.

The Fractal units are also FAR more flexible...you can pretty much tweak everything if you want, and it all sounds good and works like "real" amps. The Kemper, as soon as you start tweaking away from the core built-in sounds, loses fidelity and feel.

If you're comparing the Axe II or III with the Kemper, the above alone is helpful. When you throw the AX8 into the mix, you also have to factor in portability. For me, the AX8 has become my main gigging rig and I've traveled all over with it. It goes FOH and sounds awesome.

For practice/home use, I have a CLR Neo that sounds amazing, but you could get away with pretty much any FRFR powered speaker with it.
 
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I agree.
I also had Kemper (shortly) and now I have Fractal. These are completely different approaches to emulating sounds.
At the moment I do not need hundreds of presets. In Fractal, one well-modeled amplifier is enough.
One thing is for sure. Kemper is much easier to use. Much simpler. Basically you have an amplifier with effects in front of you with access to its basic functions.
Fractal is a Tower of Babel. And it can discourage some.
But the most important is the sound. Here the Fractal is better for me.
 
I had sympathy for Kemper. I was told it's easier than Fractal and I liked its concept more than Fractal's.

But I really wanted something very portable and all in one, so when I noticed the AX8, I went straight for it. Somehow I "knew" it would be great for me.

Now, my mind have changed with all the info I've found about both systems. I prefer Fractal concept. Complicated? Yes. Very complicated for me. But it has all I need.

Would I like a Kemper? Yes. But I'm not tempted at all to buy it and its foot controller. There's no need.

And this forum is so helpful and nice that I consider it a very essential added value. It wouldn't be the same without it.

Only thing I regret, as I've said many times here, is that I knew about AX8 2 long years after the release. Those 2 years I've giged more than ever and I've spent more money than ever trying to get a consistent sound on stage. Specially when playing overseas, where I can't carry my amps and have to play with whatever I find on stage.
 
These things are always subjective. I don’t find the ax8 that difficult to play about with but the ax8 edit software is a godsend for going deep into what it can do. My main reason for getting one was it’s versatility. Do I have experience with kempers? Not really. Do I still love my Marshall jvm410hjs? Yes, and I’ll still probably use it on occasion with ax8 as an effects unit.
Each to their own I say. Can’t wait to belt out my first gig with the ax8 tomorrow
 
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