NAD: Kemper

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Mattfig

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Yes, the title says it all....After years of avoiding it, I have broken down and bought a Kemper....

I have read mixed reviews about the sound being digital and etc. My findings are that it is really solid. I'm kinda blown away after loading the MBritt and Wagener profiles...That's what this thing needed...I was sold on the included rigs but when I downloaded the Wagener stuff I knew it was next level stuff...

I should also mention that I picked up a Mission Engineering 2x12 FRFR cab which allows me to use a cab and cab sims effectively...The cab is built just for modeling amps and allows you to use it as Flat Response or as a Standard cab, or a blend of each...Pretty cool and part of why this rig sounds so good....

Why did I buy it? Live rig. 14 lbs....Need I say more?

How does MTS compare? MTS wins. The feel and sound are dialed in and the sweet spot is easier to hit...Granted I'm more familiar with MTS and love my tubes and tube feel...I will probably only record using MTS and "real" amps at this point but I can see why people go to Kemper...

Ethics? I see why it is questionable. The Kemper effectively steals the soul of the amps it profiles with no $$$ going to the creative minds and companies that made that sound in the first place....I look at it like this, I'm using it live and will make my own profiles...The profiles I bought don't give any royalties to the creators...Even the Salvation Mods are profiled in Wagener's stuff....Pretty good too....But Anthony sees nothing from it....Kinda unfair....Definitely questionable...I got them to get comfy with the Kemper and also to hear what some of the amps sound like...It's kinda like Guitar Center full of good amps to try....Bottom line, I wasn't too torn to avoid buying it...
 
I can really see the appeal of the Kemper weight-wise, but its only a 14lb rig if you use the house sound system / PA. Isn't the Mission Engineering 2x12 FRFR cab an extra 60lbs or thereabouts?
 
CrunchBunch said:
I can really see the appeal of the Kemper weight-wise, but its only a 14lb rig if you use the house sound system / PA. Isn't the Mission Engineering 2x12 FRFR cab an extra 60lbs or thereabouts?

The Mission Cab is 60 lbs but stays at the studio....Just the Kemper will go to the gigs...
:D
 
good for you. it's always interesting to know about new and different gear. Would you be up for doing an A/B with a well known MTS mod vs the Kemper profile?

That would be a nice thing to know although A/B comparisons don;t mean anything in recording situations or sometimes even live.

These are all tools to help us make more music, whatever it takes.

I'm debating whether to buy a digital synth over analog.
 
withmittens said:
good for you. it's always interesting to know about new and different gear. Would you be up for doing an A/B with a well known MTS mod vs the Kemper profile?

That would be a nice thing to know although A/B comparisons don;t mean anything in recording situations or sometimes even live.

These are all tools to help us make more music, whatever it takes.

I'm debating whether to buy a digital synth over analog.

Thanks...Digital has come a long way...It ain't perfect but it can fool 98% I'd bet....
 
Update:

Captain's Logg
I am deep in a bitter struggle within myself. I love this freaking Kemper. I don't want to even like it.

In all seriousness, I haven't tweaked it much for recording and A/B'd against MTS in a good room- MTS still wins...Granted I'm VERY familiar with MTS by this point and have it pretty dialed in....But this Kemper is something...It....Somehow....Makes....Me....Want.....More......MODS......

******!
 
always want more mods, amps, digital thingys, do wops, and beer. I bet that even if you sell off some of your many many MTS holdings you will still keep enough to cover the lineup and have your Kemper and whatever else comes along. and i bet you'll still be here

I'd love to hear that Kemper
 
withmittens said:
always want more mods, amps, digital thingys, do wops, and beer. I bet that even if you sell off some of your many many MTS holdings you will still keep enough to cover the lineup and have your Kemper and whatever else comes along. and i bet you'll still be here

I'd love to hear that Kemper

Oh yeah, I'm here for good...lol....I also won't be selling off my mods...I love them still and they record better (for now) than the Kemper so I'll stick with what I know...

I'll be making some vids here very soon....
 
Whoa, you finally went digital, Fig! I never thought I'd see the day hehe

While you're experimenting, I'd highly recommend trying the AxeFX out, too, if your GAS is revving. It doesn't vampire any profiles, and (I found) it's very easy to dial in, especially nowadays. I prefer real tubes, too, but these modern day digital rigs are just so easy and so flexible and, as you noted, very easy to bring to gigs.
 
I've been tempted. It does seem perfect for gigs. Joe Blow who came to see your show isn't going to hear a difference. It's just tone nerds like us!
 
Yeah, I've been seriously into the Kemper, I have to admit. I use it for gigs and it's splendid....I have my mods all loaded in perfectly and I can't tell the difference anymore...Through a FRFR cab, it can arguably sound better in some applications where a tube amp can't be opened up (and I hate attenuators)...

Yes MTS is still superior but it takes a rack of gear for me to get it sounding good for gigs...Gotta have noise redux, FX, etc... The Kemper walks right in and is plug and play....I have like an extra half an hour before each gig I can spend chilling watching the rest of the band cable up..

At the end of the day, the Kemper has silenced most critics once they hear and play it...It responds perfectly like a tube amp and sounds as good as the profiles you play which can be excellent.
 
Yepp.. for live gigs it is unbeatable IMHO. I had issues with hi-gain metal profiles only in studio. Somehow the feeling was lost..became sterile. Made profile with a dual recto and tracked both miced and DI, then reamped with Kemper. The tone is the same, but something was missing..after mastering the difference became more present. Now I prefer MTS in studio, but for gigs Kemper is the best solution.

Mattfig said:
Yeah, I've been seriously into the Kemper, I have to admit. I use it for gigs and it's splendid....I have my mods all loaded in perfectly and I can't tell the difference anymore...Through a FRFR cab, it can arguably sound better in some applications where a tube amp can't be opened up (and I hate attenuators)...

Yes MTS is still superior but it takes a rack of gear for me to get it sounding good for gigs...Gotta have noise redux, FX, etc... The Kemper walks right in and is plug and play....I have like an extra half an hour before each gig I can spend chilling watching the rest of the band cable up..

At the end of the day, the Kemper has silenced most critics once they hear and play it...It responds perfectly like a tube amp and sounds as good as the profiles you play which can be excellent.
 
I'm a professional audio engineer, been doing live sound for years now and a while back the guitar player for a band I was doing sound for had a Kemper. It was my first and only experience with it. I was pretty surprised at how good it sounded. I mic'd the cabinet instead of going DI because I was pretty convinced it would sound better going through a real cabinet.

I only wonder how it "feels" when playing through it. To me thats one of the biggest draw backs of digital emulations.
 
Tbone81 said:
I'm a professional audio engineer, been doing live sound for years now and a while back the guitar player for a band I was doing sound for had a Kemper. It was my first and only experience with it. I was pretty surprised at how good it sounded. I mic'd the cabinet instead of going DI because I was pretty convinced it would sound better going through a real cabinet.

I only wonder how it "feels" when playing through it. To me thats one of the biggest draw backs of digital emulations.

It feels like the real thing....It's all very confusing to me still...The Kemper is a hard machine to beat.... :)
 
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