So... I got a Kemper and an Eventide H8000 & Austin Buddy...

Jeries

Power User
I'm a firm believer in that demo-ing at home is the way to do it. Trying something at a store or watching youtube isn't the right environment to truly get a feel for something. But once you own it, it's different- especially with money involved... I don't have to worry about selling this or that to cover the expense, or saving up to get it- and then whether it's good or not, I just fooled myself for months it's the best... anyway...

A friend was selling some gear, so I bought among other things a Kemper Lunchbox unit.

I've since the beginning have been an Axe fx guy. The idea of a multi band compressor in a guitar unit just made me have to have it. I got an Ultra used shortly after the II came out- it was good, I didn't think it lived so much to the hype after the halo effect went away after the excitement of finally getting it- but it was a great unit. BUT, it needed work and tweaking and time- I thought- this is going to take so much time/work/effort- Let me just sell this and buy the newest unit. Got an Axe 2 Mark 1, and within 30 seconds knew it was lightyears beyond the Ultra.

I've tried Kemper before, at NAMM- several times. Not the best conditions to try anything out- but still-- I felt it wasn't on par with Fractal.
I felt it sounded alright, but had a bad feel- and a sterile feel and sound. I've also said I thought an Eleven Rack had a better sound and feel than a Kemper.
I also repeatedly felt and heard digital artifacts even on nicely dialed in profiles. Then touch any knob from where it originally was- and it behaves worse and sounds more digitally and weird.

BUT- I always said- I want to try one at home/in the studio/on my own- and I'd eventually buy one to try in the conditions I like to test/try things out in.

So, I got one.

My thoughts on the Kemper
1. The digital artifacts and issues went away significantly
2. They still sound unrealistic anytime you touch a knob or setting or EQ
3. It sounded good for Djent stuff- but not that great
4. Everything just sounded overdone, over cut high end no breath or life in the sound, no overtones- just overdoing a close mic'd channel strip with all the top rolled off big time.
5. The unit had some sought after profiles, but everything was just-- disapointing.

To sum it up... I felt after trying 600-800 presets- putting more time in one night than I've probably put into my Axe 3 since I got it-- I'd be hard pressed to live with it and use it as a guitar player live or in the studio. It seemed to be like a burden or a struggle than a luxury. I could see myself getting further with guitar amp plugins out there than the Kemper unit. It just didn't deliver and there wasn't much I could live with in it.

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Similarly- I got an Eventide H8000

More so to help a friend sell it, but of course I wanted to play with it.

Used the Axe 3 for the amp with no effects- and ran it into the loop.

After an hour of getting no signal- I discovered the wonders of the OUT 3 LEVEL knob of the front of the unit- and I was in business.

The Eventide is amazing- super powerful. Quality, versatile presets- that cover anything/everything- cool atmospheric stuff similar to factory Fractal presets.

While the unit is super impressive- it's meant to handle 8 channels in and 8 channels out of effects galore- not really designed for guitar for sure.

Really well done- was the distortion effects, very cool for a mutli effects processor- it was basically what I dreamed a TC Nova Drive would have been in real life.

But here's the amazing part--- I felt I was missing so much on the Kemper.
The Eventide is so amazing and mindblowing- but I also feel like- I'm not missing anything that I don't have/can do already with the Axe Fx 3.

The Fractal stuff is so on point- and it has 4 ins and 4 outs, which is incredible for a guitar processor- I feel like it could do anything the Eventide can do, and I'd be seriously missing nothing not keeping the Eventide. In a much more accessible/user friendly way too.
----
Last,

While on sale earlier this month- I think it's still on sale- I picked up the Austin Buddy Naked Amps set for the Axe 3.

I didn't use it until yesterday. Wow, Holy shit.

I hate Fender amps, I never used Fender amps- I skip all of those presets- I played through 10-12 presets of just Fender amps with scenes- 11 out of 10.

Everything is dialed in on point with so much thought and care.

The time I was using the Kemper I felt limited and like I was missing so much... You take one preset on an amp I don't even like- and I just felt like I could do anything with just that preset even. There was more I could do with the worst setting in the Fractal than the best sounding in the Kemper. I couldn't find a sound I didn't like out of it, or see how I could use it in the future.

So, I'm so happy to own the Axe Fx 3, it just does it all, the best.

And buy the Austin Buddy Amp pack- I should note- I don't know him, I didn't get anything free- I paid for it, I'm not getting anything out of saying it either. If anything I'd suggest he release one preset with scenes free so people could see/try his work than hear it on youtube. It's really good work. Exactly what I hoped it would be and 1000x more.
 
well im not agree with you about the Kemper,Kemper is an awesome piece of gear,i guess you didnt learn how to tweak the Kemper,since i get the Kemper Stage havent touch the Axe 3 because i wanted to spend time learning how to tweak the Kemper and now omg i love the Stage,i learned how to tweak profiles,how to use the cabs,how to set the right outputs,right now im even thinking to sell the Axe 3 but but still loving the Axe 3,what im doing now is to play with the Axe 3 in the morning and play with the Kemper in the night time,by the way you can play any style of music with the Kemper.

 
Two things to that...
1. The first - in your video- that gain structure sound, pretty much is how everything sounded- kinda like a fancier Line 6 pod- where it sounds different but still all the same. There's difference in composition of the gain and sound of a Fender/Friedman/Marshall/Engl etc in the Fractal

It also exhibits that high cut that kills articulation and also limits natural overtones that make it sound like a guitar. Do it with an Axe Fx

2. My unit was owned/used by one of Kempers top artists with the best in the business pro sounds on it. Aside from that- factory settings weren't that great. I also know how to get something to sound like I want it- I know how to tweak anything, I know how to get what I want out of anything- and I felt like given what was there to work with- I couldn't do my job as a guitar player adequately.
 
@NightWalker

I just watched 1 minute each of 20 of your videos - the Axe 8 videos sound 10000x better than the rest.

I'm willing to take a blind sound test too- send me audio that I don't know which is which
 
saying that the Kemper sound like a line 6 pod OMG

guess what i used on this track fractal or kemper?


I'm going with Kemper.

To add to this (no win) conversation. I own both, I love both.
Kemper is amazing for profiling an amp in your basement. Simple and quick. My Marshall rig will never get turned on again because the Kemper sounds identical.
Axe III has so much variety and flexibility though, so you can dial anything to your heart's content.

(this will be a very unpopular statement) - I used my Kemper to profile my Marshall JMP-1 into Marshall 100/100 power amp. It sounds spot on.
I could not get the same tone out of my Axe III. Likely because the by Marshall rig isn't available by default. I'd have to tweak the right advanced parameters to get it. So I tone matched my Kemper, to get my exact tone. Worked perfectly. Now my Axe III and Kemper sound identical to my Marshall rig.

My overall point - Kemper can do some stuff extremely well. I've never been able to get a Line 6 product even close to a Kemper or Axe III tone.
 
I'm going with Kemper.

To add to this (no win) conversation. I own both, I love both.
Kemper is amazing for profiling an amp in your basement. Simple and quick. My Marshall rig will never get turned on again because the Kemper sounds identical.
Axe III has so much variety and flexibility though, so you can dial anything to your heart's content.

(this will be a very unpopular statement) - I used my Kemper to profile my Marshall JMP-1 into Marshall 100/100 power amp. It sounds spot on.
I could not get the same tone out of my Axe III. Likely because the by Marshall rig isn't available by default. I'd have to tweak the right advanced parameters to get it. So I tone matched my Kemper, to get my exact tone. Worked perfectly. Now my Axe III and Kemper sound identical to my Marshall rig.

My overall point - Kemper can do some stuff extremely well. I've never been able to get a Line 6 product even close to a Kemper or Axe III tone.
is there any chance you can share your JMP-1 profile?and yes i love both units.
 
Absolutely.
Do you want to send me a PM with your email? Happy to send it over.
I have one version to go into a guitar cab, and one set up for FRFR (I think I used a MBritt cab).
 
Update- I got an Eventide H3000, and it's a keeper. I found all the secrets of Steve Vai and everything 80s and 90s
 
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