So...I received today Kemper....

[Karl Houseknecht]

IThe only possibility for me to keep it would be if I were touring musician, with rare and expensive amps, which then I would profile and keep on my USB.

That was the draw for me. Not that I have rare amps, but when I profiled my own amps they were light years better than most out there.

That said, 2/3 of my real amps have direct counterparts in the AX8. And it's the whole amp. Not just a snapshot of somebody's idea of what it should sound like.

 

[bishop5150]

That's what I like better about the Fractal gear is that it's the whole amp not just a snapshot of the way an amp is set at a certain time. You can totally customize the amp with the Fractal gear.

 

[pat6969]

I've been playing all morning with Kemper and Rig Manager (I'm shipping back on Monday). There's so many useless profiles there. I smirked seeing line 6 POD profiles there as well as those of Eleven Rack. The only possibility for me to keep it would be if I were touring musician, with rare and expensive amps, which then I would profile and keep on my USB. Other than that there's too many seaweeds among public profiles out there.

I find the best way around that is to use the search. If I want to try some exotic amp I search it and try the profiles. If I find one or two I like, I download it. Just scrolling down from start to finish would take weeks. Both units are great, the one thing I like more about the Kemper is knowing the amp I load is the actual amp that was profiled. When I use the other units I have to trust the modelling is done right. Either way I like them both. I find a tone I like in the AX8 and don't really care if the model is right on the original.

 

[dbun]

Both units are great, the one thing I like more about the Kemper is knowing the amp I load is the actual amp that was profiled. When I use the other units I have to trust the modelling is done right.

In the same vein I'd argue that you are trusting that the profiling process has captured the amp fully/correctly.
At the end of the day it all comes down to algorithms - one uses algorithms to model the amp, the other uses algorithms to clone (profile) the amp.

 

[rickgk]

I just purchased a Kemper and am waiting for it to arrive, I still love my axefx and ax8 but I'm looking forward to using the Kemper as well. The attraction for me is the profiles made by professionals with better ears and more knowledge than me profiling the amps at various sweet spots.

 

[bshaw92]

The attraction for me is the profiles made by professionals with better ears and more knowledge than me profiling the amps at various sweet spots.

Don't assume that the paid profiles are the better ones. This is not the case the majority of the time. Just Saying....

 

[mmpete]

SNIP ... This is decadence, my friends. It is the All You Can Eat Buffet of guitar gear in a single To-Go box. ... SNIP

I like that line ... and I loooooooove being "amp/tone" decadent

Rock on peeps!

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

one uses algorithms to model the amp, the other uses algorithms to clone (profile) the amp.

psssst.....

They both use algorithms to model an amp. The Kemper has underlying amp models that are selected and have parameters set by the profiling process.

 

[Will Chen]

While I love the AX8, I had the Kemper when it first came out and held on to it for quite a while. IMHO, it is an incredible piece of gear (probably borderline heresy saying that on this forum). It is a giant time suck to find the good profiles (IMHO, the paid ones are typically away better than the free ones). I completely disagree with criticisms of the effects as well, specifically reverbs which I found fantastic covering everything from realistic sounding rooms to lush soundscapes (missing spring though). Of course, everyone's entitled to their own opinions. But IMHO, having competition improves the customer experience and I hope both Fractal and Kemper continue to push the envelope.

 

[cragginshred]

I love my Ax8 but I will say I have heard amp tones from the Kemper I cannot replicate with my Axe -listen to Chris Brooks on You tube

 

[ksandvik]

...I rather have an option to tweak an amp emulation via various parameters than using a snapshot.

 

[fourtet]

I strongly disagree with "pay to play" concept and I'm not going to dispute anybody's prerogative to voice opinion despite myself having $150K invested in various gear. or $1M or $500...... who really cares??????

 

[Molekiller]

I don't agree that we should be assessing each other's abilities and or motivation with our gear of choice but I kind of do like the analogy that Kemper is like collecting and using sophisticated photographs to express something and FAS is like buying a sophisticated camera so that we can create our own photos that are used in our expression.

(Sheesh, sorry for the deep moment. Everybody just use whatever you like and please post respectfully, ha

 

[bshaw92]

I have a confession to make. I profiled my AX8 Urban Tweed preset with my Kemper and it sounds great on both devices.

@Will Chen - I wondered where you went.

 

[guirarist1977]

I just purchased a Kemper and am waiting for it to arrive, I still love my axefx and ax8 but I'm looking forward to using the Kemper as well. The attraction for me is the profiles made by professionals with better ears and more knowledge than me profiling the amps at various sweet spots.

True. But you and the professionals probably have a different idea of a good tone.

I tried M.Britt profiles and while I found them good, I would definitely go for a slightly different, more sparkling tone. I also have not found any good (from my point of view) plexi tone there . I own a plexi and the way I set it up is completely different from the profiles that I got.

 

[rickgk]

I own a plexi and the way I set it up is completely different from the profiles that I got.

Have you not tried profiling your own plexi set the way you like?

 

[bshaw92]

I tried M.Britt profiles and while I found them good, I would definitely go for a slightly different, more sparkling tone.

Agreed. Many other paid are not so good, lacking bottom end etc. Changing speaker cabinets and adjusting treble and presence brought many back to life, but the shifting process Will noted above is tedious on occasion.

Have you set up your AX8 with the exact settings of your Plexi? Curious what you think about those results if you did.

 

[guirarist1977]

Have you not tried profiling your own plexi set the way you like?

No I have not. I use it for recording only through Torpedo Live. Anyway to profile it I need to rent a studio with isolation booth or what not. It sounds good when turned up and at home it will make my ears bleed at this level.

 

[bshaw92]

Not so. Use your setup and profile as you have it through the torpedo. I have done many using my two notes cab and like the results better because I can A/B back and forth through the PA rather than worrying about a cabinet and verify the authenticity much better.

 

[Will Chen]

I don't agree that we should be assessing each other's abilities and or motivation with our gear of choice but I kind of do like the analogy that Kemper is like collecting and using sophisticated photographs to express something and FAS is like buying a sophisticated camera so that we can create our own photos that are used in our expression.

(Sheesh, sorry for the deep moment. Everybody just use whatever you like and please post respectfully, ha

This is a common misconception about the Kemper. While a profile is indeed a "snapshot" of a given signal chain, it can just as easily be viewed as a starting point rather than the endpoint. I thought of profiles more like default settings and wasn't afraid to touch the knobs.

I have a confession to make. I profiled my AX8 Urban Tweed preset with my Kemper and it sounds great on both devices.

@Will Chen - I wondered where you went.

I always around somewhere!