Yes, this is a clickbait title, but in my humble opinion, supported from a friend who recorded his last album through both AXE FX2 and Kemper, this is quite close to reality.
After a lot of struggling in recording with microphones, Torpedo Cab and an AMT SS11 tube preamp, I'm considering one of this two machines. Apart from the different concept (amp modeler vs. profiler) and the different use (build your tone piece by piece vs. download your complete tone from the web), the impression that I had after hearing the same songs played on both machines, is that Fractal is more hifi and polished, while Kemper more raw and dirty.
I cannot post any URL as this is my 1st post, but go on YT and try to hear the Comfortably Numb solo played through both machines, and tell me your impressions...
My friend who had both Kemper and Fractal in studio, told me something like this:
I recorded all the rhythms parts with Fractal, I think it has more definition, then the solos with the Kemper which seemed to me much warmer and raw. Basically, I think I understand why Fractal is used by the new metalheads, its definition and precision lead you to be at ease in those contexts. As well as I understand why some guitar legends carry the Kemper with them; bigger, dirty and rough, it leads to sound more visceral, more rock.
In fact, Fractal is more used by metalheads (Dream Theater, Metallica, Trivium, Peryphery, Mesuggah) looking for precise and sharp tones, very tight palm-muting rhythms and high gain soloing, while an old bluesman like Knopfler, a jazzman like Pat Metheny and a '70s rocker like Steve Morse, they all preferred the Kemper.
In my opinion if you are looking for the subtle nuances of the tubes, that tones ranging from clean to crunch to the classic marshall tones, those very expressive Gilmour/Santana/Gary Moore-like bendings that give you goosebumps, the Kemper wins.
This is why I believe the Kemper would be the best option for me. I'm not a metalhead, I don't play with 10/10 Gain all the time, I'm more into prog-rock and classic-rock stuff.
Among other things, this feeling of hifi and polished tone that I feel on Youtube, I felt it amplified x1000 last year at a Brit Floyd concert here in Italy. And I wasn't in an unhappy listening position, like front row or last seat on the right side of the theater. I was in the top center position, very close to the control console, so the sound came to me from all sides.
And as I watched the concert goes by, the question that came back to me was:
these are professional guitarist that played any sort of tube amps and speakers in their life, they are Fractal endorsers so they have maximum support from the company to solve technical issues, get more informations on the machine, hard tweaking, etc. ..and this is the best they can do. So, what John Smith can do by himself in his bedroom? John Smith that has never played the 99% of the amps loaded on the AX FX, without the direct support from Fractal, and the maximum help he can get is through a forum thanks to some American metalhead that has no idea what clean tone is...Will it do much better than them? Will it sound very different? More realistic?
That concert for me represented the maximum of what AX FX can do, the machine squeezed to 100% of its potential.
As mentioned at the beginning, I am only interested in the recording, in fact I will not take any power amp or FRFR cab, and I don't want to replace my tube amp. I'll keep my Laney and Blackstar amps. Whether it's Fractal or Kemper, it will go on my desk between the Audient ID22 and my stereo speakers. I will see it more as an extension of my soundcard, a phonic outboard like an LA-2A compressor or a NEVE preamp, rather than the magic box that have all the existing heads on the planet into it.
Many people get disappointed while switching from their tube amps to a digital modeler/profiler, they miss the feel of a real amp and cabinet, so I will not do the mistake of re-selling my tube amps. They're both great, but they have different purposes.
If you have had both machines, have you ever noticed these differences? Do you agree the AXE FX is more defined and clear, while the Kemper is more raw and dirt?
What's the best to play all the classic rock stuff like Pink Floyd, Santana, Queen, Beatles, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Gary Moore, Eagles, and so on?
Thanks
That said, compared to a lot of other forums, people here seem to be more open minded and less captured by whatever gear they are using at the moment, which is one of the things that makes this place great.
