The Kemper vs AX8 Shootout That Never Was....

O

oceantracks

Member
Ordered a Kemper the other day, due to arrive today.

Ordered the AX8, due to arrive Tuesday.

Planned a shootout, and to return the loser.

Many more hours listening online, looking at the AX8 software on my Mac a bit, looking at the Kemper software, and being haunted by a voice inside that kept saying ("The AX is a much slicker device overall and kills the Kemper on clean tones, which you use a lot").....I finally said, "Enough."

Called the Kemper dealer and told him I would be refusing the delivery at the door, which he was fine with.

Fractal wins without a fight.

Looking forward to Tuesday!!

Tom
 
oceantracks said:
Ordered a Kemper the other day, due to arrive today.

Ordered the AX8, due to arrive Tuesday.

Planned a shootout, and to return the loser.

Many more hours listening online, looking at the AX8 software on my Mac a bit, looking at the Kemper software, and being haunted by a voice inside that kept saying ("The AX is a much slicker device overall and kills the Kemper on clean tones, which you use a lot").....I finally said, "Enough."

Called the Kemper dealer and told him I would be refusing the delivery at the door, which he was fine with.

Fractal wins without a fight.

Looking forward to Tuesday!!

Tom
Click to expand...

I love my AX8, but you really should've given the Kemper a shot. No way I can say the AX8 "kills" Kemper cleans (nor Kemper necessarily "killing" anything AX8). If the Kemper made a floor unit at a competitive price, I'd definitely be tempted to revisit Kemper-dom for sure.
 
Well we all hear differently, for example here I think the cleans are no contest:



And if the Kemper doesn't "kill" anything the AX8 does then I'll enjoy saving 800 bucks, and without question get superior FX.

This is only for studio, so the only thing I don't need is all the foot controls, buy hey who knows?
 
oceantracks said:
Well we all hear differently, for example here I think the cleans are no contest:



And if the Kemper doesn't "kill" anything the AX8 does then I'll enjoy saving 800 bucks, and without question get superior FX.

This is only for studio, so the only thing I don't need is all the foot controls, buy hey who knows?
Click to expand...


I've had both. Neither kills the other in terms of tone. Now, getting to a tone is way easier on the AX8 than finding a profile for the Kemper and then tweaking it, but that's all about workflow. If I was one who was planning to buy presets and a bunch of IRs anyway KPA is clearly worth a look. Superior effects...that's actually tough. Mod is about the same IIRC, but IMHO the Kemper's pitch effects are better than the AX8. However ODs, delays, and verbs the AX8 is significantly better (though they just upgraded the verbs for the KPA I've heard). You also get the grid with the AX8 adding flexibility...each is a great device, just suggesting if it's on it's way you ought to give it a play just for fun. For a studio though...being able to profile client's amps would be a great benefit.
 
Ordered the ax8 a month or so ago, no regrets.great cleans and dirty tones. Try the supertweet with a tele and use your guitar volume . Been in bliss for the last 2 weeks.
 
Well yeah it's a huge temptation to just listen to the Kemper this weekend, but I haven't heard clean tones from any Kemper demo that sounded like the one I posted comparing the two units. Almost consistently every Kemper demo sounds thinner than the amp they profiled, and others have commented on that too over the years. I'm sure it's a great unit, and I probably should at least listen to it....but I just have a feeling based on the Fractal examples that it's the unit more in my style. Pop, modern country, oldies, no real metal stuff though some alternative rock. I get hired to do a lot of soundalikes by companies, and finding sounds quickly is a must...

That said I have not met anyone who hated the Kemper who owned one, most swear by it, but many have their own amps they have profiled.

With the Kemper I'd be paying for a section of the unit I'd never use (no amps to profile), plus giving up what most consider superior effects compared to the AX8.
 
I think the OP made a smart move. Not that the Kemper isn't a great unit, but he determined the AX8 met his needs and decided to get on with making music rather than wasting time with another shootout.

Bottom line, if the Line6 Pod was the only amp that existed, I'm sure we all could still find ways to make great music and get sounds we love. But fortunately we have many excellent choices these days. Just don't get so absorbed with the choices that you forget what really counts.
 
After consideration, I finally thought, "What could it hurt?" and accepted the Kemper delivery (knowing I can still return Monday).

I spent about 3 hours with it. Cleans were indeed better than I thought from listening online, overall sounded very good.
But I found myself having flashbacks to the 80s when I used an EMU-Emax sampler, another similarly shaped (I got the rack Kemper) unit that had me squinting all day adjusting things. No Mac editor for the Kemper. So I hated the workflow.

I think the AX8 will be faster (for me) to work with, and I love everything I've heard from Fractal.

Coming Tuesday.

But glad I got to see a little of what the fuss about Kemper was all about. It's good, but not 800 better than the AX8, I'm pretty sure.

Thx all!

Tom
 
Super, thanks!

Main likes/needs are Fender cleans (Twins, Showmans, Brown Concerts, etc), the infamous crunch sounds (Matchless, Vox, etc) and once in awhile some high gain stuff. I think I saw a Brown Concert mentioned as being in the AX8 which if true is amazing;)
 
You're spoiled for choice in the Ax8

I play in a chic-esque disco band and use way too many different clean amps as I can't make up my mind which ones I like the best!

oceantracks said:
Super, thanks!

Main likes/needs are Fender cleans (Twins, Showmans, Brown Concerts, etc), the infamous crunch sounds (Matchless, Vox, etc) and once in awhile some high gain stuff. I think I saw a Brown Concert mentioned as being in the AX8 which if true is amazing;)
Click to expand...
 
Brian Coonan said:
So true - I was (and am still) blown away by how much better the AX8 sounds in person than on the videos- and there are a LOT of really good videos out there.
Click to expand...

I bought my AX8 in the first batch when it was “Made in USA” and used to cost more and the waiting list was months worth.

I got it just to test out of curiosity and re-sell for more money. Almost like a free / profit rental.

Based on demos online I was 100% sure it would never sound better than my tube amps and boutique pedals.

I plugged in my monitors and played for 1h. I had a moment of anxiety because I knew I was about to abandon my tube amp and pedals and I would never sell that unit.

The rest is history and I kept my amp and pedals in my studio so I cannot have a GAS reverse attack and re-buy them, but, I never sold my AX8 unit and it is my main rig since that day.

I always play my old rig once in a while to “remember it” but when I plug the AX8 back I just instantly realize why I switch.
 
Dude, I've owned both for quite a while now. I got rid of my previous AX8 to take care of something temporarily, then reacquired one again about a month ago. Honestly, I like the Kemper better overall in sound and feel because it's easier to get there. However, the same is all there in my AX8, but just takes more time to get. With the Kemper, I have been largely unsatisfied with downloaded and purchased rigs. I have profiled several amps and do not understand how the commercial profiling pros can charge for their profile packs because they're always off somehow.

If you're looking to compare them and get rid of one or the other, and believe me because I've been down that road, then you are making a mistake. I find that the AX8 is much pickier about speakers and such for live sound and practicing through studio monitors or speakers than the Kemper. Comparing by recording is the best way because that's where they're ultimately the most useful, but that takes time and you won't be able to do it fairly in a 2 week period. It will take a couple of weeks just to get use to dialing them in and getting the right live and recorded sounds.

Also, Kemper's latest OS update with the new reverbs (currently a beta release), so you need to download that and update your Kemper OS. I say if you bought both, then keep both. I think no matter which one you decide to let go, you're going to have regrets or miss it. Keep them both. Lastly, I will tell you that having owned an Axe FX II XL+, I thought it sounded and felt a little better overall than the AX8. The only reasons I went with the AX8 is because of the portability of having an integrated footswitch, and the Axe FX II is being phased out, so I didn't want to dump that much money on something that is already considered out-of-date. The AxeFX III is just crazy expensive and I won't spend that much unless it's a tube amp.
 
I think it's a great idea to have both and compare. You need to get past the "what if..." of the other device. Just make sure it works for you and you really enjoy it. And be okay with it not being the greatest thing ever, but a great tool that works for you!
 
Is it still true there’s no preset/rig editor software for the Kemper?

Like bsas I kept tube amps and competing gear around for reference specifically to keep me from rebuying reGASing for stuff I no longer use.

I’d be tempted to keep both but then again the price of both would of paid for an Axe3.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom