Kemper Profiling Amp
I'd been interested in the AXE-FX and Kemper for a while (had never played thru one)... but was resigned to mic'ing tube amps for recording & live playing... as nothing gave the same sound/feel. Certainly didn't want to spend $2k+ to realize it was yet another "poor imitation" of the real thing.
My wife's maiden name is Kemper...
She's on the morning show of the local Classic-Rock station... so all the local musicians know her.
Kemper (recently) released the controller pedal... and a couple of guitar players were teasing me.
"You need this to control your Kemper."
Ironically, this got me thinking...
The Kemper is expensive, but when I started to factor in live use, studio use, and the fact that it made recording guitar *and* bass so easy (with a much smaller physical foot-print)... it was something I had to checkout.
Talked to a local guitar player who's been using the Kemper live... and he's very pleased with it.
One of the better local audio engineers chimed in and mentioned the Kemper sounds good running direct to FOH.
On stage, I could use a powered-wedge (much lighter than the 2x12 over-sized guitar cab I'd been using).
With In-Ear monitors, I could get by without any guitar cab. Less cartage and less clutter on stage.
Got the Kemper... and played thru some of the included Profiles.
Many of the included Profiles just aren't my type of tone. They're not bad... just not my thing (Fender Twin, Bassman, etc).
Bridge Humbucker into a Mesa, Marshall, 5150, or Engl... and I'm set
Till's Mesa Profiles were some of my favorites. Sounds and feels like playing thru the actual mic'd amp/cab.
Response to dynamics (and guitar volume) is like playing thru a tube amp.
The Kemper is a keeper (both the wife and Profiler)!
Started profiling my own amps... and this is where it gets exciting (to me).
Profiled my bass rig... mic'd many different ways... and also nabbed some direct (no cab) Profiles.
The results are outstanding! Recording bass with a great "amped up" sound is now simply plugin and play.
I'd been searching for a solution like this for the better part of a decade.
Next, I started profiling the 5150-III thru a 2x12 with vintage 30s (my live guitar rig).
It's easy to capture a good profile (good amp, cab, and quality mic/s positioned well), but the "refining" process took a while to figure out. The refining process is where you play the guitar and the Profiler adjusts the profile to more closely respond like the original (dynamics/tone). I finally figured out a combination of dynamic chords/chunks and single note runs that worked well.
To achieve consistent results, I recorded those bits (straight DI) into my DAW. This way, the refining process is consistent.
When profiling, the Kemper sends out a set of test-tones thru your amp. Note that the sounds aren't particularly pleasant.
Interesting that the Kemper doesn't capture the sound of the room itself (impulse-response/ambiance) when profiling... so you'll have to experiment a bit with mic position. Mic position affects tone... but not ambiance.
The Kemper has quality reverb and "air" (room ambiance) EFX, so it's not a show-stopper.
Oddly, the Kemper doesn't currently offer a "spring" type reverb. I suspect that'll come in a Firmware update.
So how does it sound?
Nearly identical in sound/response to the original mic'd amp.
Response to dynamics makes you forget you're not actually playing thru a tube amp.
I picked up a Yamaha DXR-12 powered-wedge to use with the Kemper.
700w continuous power... so it can keep up with a loud band.
Tried QSC K-12 (great speaker but huge hole in the mids) and EV ELX112P (only 250w continuous)
The EV sounded good... but just didn't have the power to keep up with a loud band.
The Yamaha DXR series may not wow you as a PA speaker, but it excels in this capacity FRFR (full range flat response).
Last rehearsal, I used a profile I created of the 5150/2x12 (running thru the DXR-12).
Sounds very similar to the original mic'd amp/cab (sound and response to playing).
So much so... that I don't even think about it.
The DXR-12 had no issue keeping up with the full band (plenty of headroom to spare).
To me, the coolest part of the Kemper is Profiling your amps/cabs (your sound).
As good as some of the included/optional profiles are... they're not your particular choices/sound.
Once you take the time/effort to profile your amps, you've got all those sounds ready to plug and play.
The Kemper isn't perfect, but it's so close that it's a non issue.
When you factor in the versatility/convenience and quality of results, the Kemper's cost is reasonable (if not affordable).
Never saw a single Kemper in my life... let alone two!
But hey, Kemper works for me.