Kemper Love Thread

I would love to hear how it handles Marshall territory. Not super-overdriven, but the crunch thing. Or how it reacts to backing off the guitar volume knob - how it cleans up.

I've been using the KPA for a good while now... I recently fitted the UnOforKemper firmware update in my Behringer FCB1010 MIDI footswitch and everything has been revolutionised for a second time. The first being when I first started using the Kemper, obviously. I strongly urge you guys to run your Kemper in the same way as it's truly incredible.

re: Marshall... I've found every amp model matches up as much as it needs to. My mere human ears are unable to distinguish between the KPA and original amps, and let's face it, it's more about the general feel and tone, rather than an exact match anyway. Since the KPA actually models on impulse responses, it's pretty damn accurate and truly impressive. Oh and the advantage of the development team being part of the Access Virus lot means that you can go super-quirky with "synth effects" like bit crusher, ring modulation, vowel filtering, frequency shifter, the recently added pitch effects (transpose, harmony, pedal pitch etc) and all the usuals that we see on regular amps and stompboxes.

I would agree the only two things the KPA can't really do for you are [1] write your parts, and [2] cook you eggs

Darnit, no way for me then. I require my eggs over easy. And the head needs to get hot enough to cook them.

I tend to steer on Mesa Boogie, Danelectro and Vox tones. So, it seems we're all about to start fighting. Have at you, tone nemeses!

The selection of stompboxes is pretty good, though they mostly only allude to famous names (rat, muff for example) or skip over that entirely, so it's hard to tell how close they are to other famous units without digging in and doing some blind A/B comparisons or by hunting down some production notes. One thing I'll say is that they seem to be leaning more towards actual effects such as reverb, delay, flanger etc, rather than distortion, boos, compression eq. They're definitely there but the selection is much slimmer pickings. Obviously there's decent control on what they've got, but it'd certainly be an excellent improvement as they release new versions to beef out the stompbox section. It seems that until now they've been focussing on developing more important features of the product though, such as Performance Mode and laying some more base-effects (recent addition is the pitch stuff). I'd certainly like a wider selection of distortion stomps, as I tend to mainly use one or two from the there and the rig gain from whatever amp is being emulated, which almost always seems to sound better at the moment.

The phasers are brilliant... the delays and reverb sound great with a nice hands-on control. Flangers, while I don't use them as much, are pretty good. The "quirky" effects I mentioned above are really fantastic. Pitch effects are up to standard, but as they're newer, I think Kemper are still working out the kinks on them - trying to better manage polyphonic signal, as sometimes you get warbles when the pitch effect is trying to work out what to follow. The tremolo is simple and effective, the gate and compressors do the job, the EQ stompbox has some options and do the job well, whilst every rig has it's own EQ as well... though I think it's a KPA EQ and not an EQ that's intended to follow control of the modelled amplifier (another potentially neat feature depending on what amp you're talking about). It's a shame that the effects-loop currently has to be used as a stompbox, but perhaps one day they can find a way to utilise that in the form of a single button to turn the insert/return on and off so that using your actual, real pedals on stage doesn't mean limiting your digital options.

I feel like I'm forgetting something worthwhile, so if anyone has any questions just shoot 'em over. The Kemper and I have gotten pretty well acquainted since we met and I hardly even use my "analogue" setup these days because it really is amazing. Digital amps are, one step at a time, muscling in as the future of guitar production and performance.

I'm in the weeds right now, but I'll see if I can throw some things down...

I've had mine for about five months now, and I feel that it is the greatest piece of gear for the recording guitarist to come along in years. I have never gotten along with any kind of amp simulation until the Kemper. Feels like you're playing an amp.

I use it all the time on non-cartage sessions, and I also end up using it for some stuff even when I have my cartage rig there. It has made non-cartage sessions so much easier and better for me... I walk in with the Kemper, a pedalboard, and a handful of guitars, and in that little box are more great amps than I could ever use.

I profiled my stuff at Oceanway when I was there for a 2-3 day project. I had the engineer and second engineer try to guess which was which during the profiling process and they could not do it. The real beauty of it is that you can have your own amps plus a nearly unlimited number other rigs at your disposal without having to lug a pile of amps/cabs around. And it is much easier on the back.

There are several guys here using it, and I would imagine a lot more will start jumping on the wagon as word gets out. A lot of people have never heard of it. I just became aware of it about six months ago.

Yeah... we were just comparing notes last week.

I am glad to hear you guys like this thing. When it first came out, I recall watching the videos and even the company's own demonstrations turned me off toward it. I just felt like the the sim lacked the clarity of the original. It does seem like amp sims are getting closer, but I still haven't been convinced. Maybe I just had gremlins in my head, but do you guys think this thing sounds amazing or is it more along the lines of "good enough?" I have a lot of amps in my basement that I don't use all that often and they could easily fund this thing if it's the real thing. No local retailers for me - unfortunately.

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