I have used both a Kemper and Fractal products (AX8, XL+ and now Axe III). I prefer the tone, effects and overall operation of the Axe to the Kemper. Don’t get me wrong, the Kemper is a great product and with it you have the ability to profile your favorite amp, then gig with the Kemper and leave the behemoth amp at home. Kemper’s effects are good, but the Fractal effects are better, at least to my ears. Plus Fractal gives you an editor whereas you have to do all the Kemper configuring on the front panel of the Kemper which I never could quite get the hang of doing. I must say that my new Axe III is hands down, far and away much better than my Kemper was. The Axe III has a fidelity and quality to the tone that I have never heard before on a digital product.
 
Personally, i liked the Kemper more in the video.
The Axe sounded kinda harsh, in comparison. Though, it would probably cut more in a mix.

Listen to the Marshalls. You like the Kemper better? Not even close, the III is clearly far beyond the Kemper in those clips
 
Listen to the Marshalls. You like the Kemper better? Not even close, the III is clearly far beyond the Kemper in those clips

I wasn't impressed with the Kemper's Marshall profile(s) in this comparison, but that's the thing. You can't judge the quality of the KPA based on a couple of profiles because the quality thereof can vary wildly depending on who created the profile(s), how the cabs were mic'd, etc.. For example, check out the Top Jimi Brown Sound pack for the KPA.
 
Same story every time, why people cant understand that single tracks comparison is "shitty" same way can compare single track from even ampsim with same IR and result will be also very similiar.

Peavey 5150
http://www.sinmix.pl/2018/02/07/peavey-5150ii-evh212-g12h-real-amp-axe-fx-ii-kemper/

Man, this is a perfect illustration of why I struggle so much getting good recordings as a one man metal project. I still have no ear for what sounds good in a mix vs sounding good alone. When I listened to the single guitar, all 3 recordings, I'm like...this sounds pretty bad. Then I listen to the quad tracked guitars...hmm maybe not so bad after all. (Are they all the same presets/settings? Doesn't sound nearly as dark as the single tracks.) Then I listen to the full mix, and it sounds awesome. Heavy as balls!
 
Awesome video! Would be awesome if the comparison used the same IR's for the tones so it would be easier to just hear the amp modeling. :) Can also be done by recording the amp sims and then adding the same IR's in post?
 
I always found it hard to compare the units because if one sounds better over the other (and you want to compare the units themselves)-what´s the reason?
Quality of the IR? Quality of the profile? The Firmware/Algortihms? Programmingskills of the User?
Regarding the fact that sometimes not even two identical amps sound equal, how will you be able to compare two vastly different pieces of gear that in addition modelled two identical but probably different sounding amps?

I´d say in Europe you find more KPA than FAS users but i think the main reason for that is not in the sound, but that a lot of people are also a bit afraid of the possibilites of the AXE FX and dialing something "wrong", whereas once you have a profile that works, you just set it and forget it. One reason more for offering quality proven, buyable presets for the Axe Fx;)
I really love the Axe Fx way more but i guess that´s a question of your gear mentality.
 
I always found it hard to compare the units because if one sounds better over the other (and you want to compare the units themselves)-what´s the reason?
Quality of the IR? Quality of the profile? The Firmware/Algortihms? Programmingskills of the User?
Regarding the fact that sometimes not even two identical amps sound equal, how will you be able to compare two vastly different pieces of gear that in addition modelled two identical but probably different sounding amps?

You remove the IR from the equation by using the same IR for both units, then try to dial one of the units in as close as possible to the other. In this case, the KPA generally can't be dialed in to sound indistinguishable from the Axe because it doesn't have the flexibility to do so, whereas the Axe can almost always be dialed in to sound like the KPA.
 
I always found it hard to compare the units because if one sounds better over the other (and you want to compare the units themselves)-what´s the reason?
Quality of the IR? Quality of the profile? The Firmware/Algortihms? Programmingskills of the User?
Regarding the fact that sometimes not even two identical amps sound equal, how will you be able to compare two vastly different pieces of gear that in addition modelled two identical but probably different sounding amps?

I´d say in Europe you find more KPA than FAS users but i think the main reason for that is not in the sound, but that a lot of people are also a bit afraid of the possibilites of the AXE FX and dialing something "wrong", whereas once you have a profile that works, you just set it and forget it. One reason more for offering quality proven, buyable presets for the Axe Fx;)
I really love the Axe Fx way more but i guess that´s a question of your gear mentality.
I totally agree!
I love my XL+ too and I would like to add two more points:
price difference - FAS is more expensive than KPA (in Europe) and
availability - I don't know at what time the III is available for instant puchase ....
 
with a little EQ tweaking and volume adjusting, those KPA patches can sound much closer to the Axe FX III
 
The Kemper overall sounded brighter and crisper but was missing some of the nice lows/mids in the Axe III. Maybe that was due to difference outside the core amp models. On a few presets, the Axe sounded muddled, but it's all relative and the Axe has a million ways to adjust it. That's why I love the Axe. You get all the effects and you can make the amp sound exactly the way you want to.
 
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