Kemper - what's the point?

[devastone]

Re: Kemper - what's the point?

Yes, that was kinda the point of my post.

Perception is pretty important in acoustics, and it changes very easily. The sound you hear is going to change, even if your amp is profiled perfectly . . . so if you think that a Kemper will reliably give you exactly a particular sound, you're likely wrong. You might have a perfect profile but it won't sound right the next day, not due to a problem with the Kemper, but because one of those other variables has changed.

If you are using IEMs, like most touring bands are these days, the sound will be much more consistent to you, and probably much more consistent coming out of the PA, your amp isn't being stuck in a corner, or against a back wall, or the humidity isn't changing, etc... Again, whether that is a good or bad thing is a matter of opinion.

[justFred]

Re: Kemper - what's the point?

Like someone said earlier: Kemper is the sound of an amp mic’d in another room...
There is not a mic or a mic setup on the planet that will capture the full robust sound of an amp you are hearing in the same area with you...
Live, Kemper will never do it...it is an MP3 amp sound...a very, very good one...good enough for Mark Knopfler to tour with...
Personally I just love that real deal in the room with me sound a tube amp creates...
For a recording thing it would seem that the engineers and techs would love the Kemper...they are working in an MP3 environment anyway...to have the sound profiled and be able to fine tune it up the ying yang is a big advantage...
My take...if your working in a studio or a very large venue then Kemper is a potent tool...for anything less than a large venue outside the studio you get the real deal by lugging that 65lb tube amp around and it is absolutely worth if...

[devastone]

Re: Kemper - what's the point?

In my IEMs at church, it doesn't matter, I'll take consistency. We don't have any amps onstage, we had an amp mic'ed offstage, but it was constantly getting messed with, the mic would get knocked around, no thanks, I prefer being in control of my sound.

If I was still playing clubs, I would probably be using an amp(?), although I can run my modeler through a power amp and cab through one set of outputs w/o cab sims to get the feel of an amp onstage and still feed the mains with the XLR outs so my sound is consistent.

[justFred]

Re: Kemper - what's the point?

I can dig consistency but that is not my thing....sometimes accidental thises and thats turn out to be great new things never expected...admittedly more often than not they just sound like crap but to me it's worth a shot...
You will never get all the music coming out of say a Super Reverbs 4 speakers with an open back with a modeler...the sounds massive combinations are just way to complicated...that is the beauty...
but as someone else said...the audience mos likely doesn't even know who is playing much less if it's a real amp or a modeler...

[Mincer]

Re: Kemper - what's the point?

Consistency is a real thing for me. My Mesa sounded great, but about 1/3rd the time, I couldn't get the right sound in the room, and 1/2 the time it sounded different in the PA than it did onstage. So I use my Fractal and I am happier now.

[kingsnake]

Re: Kemper - what's the point?

I am old as dirt (35) and I want to hang on to tradition too, but I don't get why there is so much hate aimed at this amp. Don't like it? Don't buy it.

I welcome innovation in guitar products because we as guitar players are now more and more on the wrong side of history. We are becoming stewards of the past.

[LLL]

Re: Kemper - what's the point?

We are becoming stewards of the past.

This.

We are currently living in a golden age of gear, but don't let that fool you: "this thing of ours" is dying.

Our generation (at least, those who grew up with r'n'r) will carry it until we're gone... and then it will slowly fade out.

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Kemper - what's the point?

I wouldn’t say it’s out to pasture just yet.
Sure, it’s not what it was 30 years ago but these thing have a way of recurring. Nostalgia has a way of coming back again and again albeit in slightly different variations.
Will we see 80’s metal rule the airwaves again? Probably not but I think in some way, shape or form guitar playing will survive.
Just look at the plethora of amazing players on YouTube and Instagram.

[devastone]

Re: Kemper - what's the point?

I can dig consistency but that is not my thing....sometimes accidental thises and thats turn out to be great new things never expected...admittedly more often than not they just sound like crap but to me it's worth a shot...
You will never get all the music coming out of say a Super Reverbs 4 speakers with an open back with a modeler...the sounds massive combinations are just way to complicated...that is the beauty...
but as someone else said...the audience mos likely doesn't even know who is playing much less if it's a real amp or a modeler...

Off the top of my head, I've owned Marshall Superleads, JCM800s, JCM900s, Soldanos, Mesa Mark IV and Recto, Randalls MTS and T2, Fender Prosonic and Champs, Peavey Classics and ?, and stereo rack systems (the Kasha Rockmod preamp sounds glorious, best tones I've ever had and that was through a MosValve power amp), so I do have a little experience with real amps. I love amps and I miss them, but pretty much any of those other than the Champ would be impractical for what I do now, and mic'ing is a lost art for a lot of sound guys now days, and we don't really even get a sound check anyway so not worth the hassle.

[devastone]

Re: Kemper - what's the point?

I am old as dirt (35) and I want to hang on to tradition too, but I don't get why there is so much hate aimed at this amp. Don't like it? Don't buy it.

I welcome innovation in guitar products because we as guitar players are now more and more on the wrong side of history. We are becoming stewards of the past.

Nah man, in another 20 years you will be approaching dirt status. But I totally agree with you, if you don't like it, don't buy it. If we all liked and used the same thing what would be the point. Granted, with modelers, everyone approaches things different so there is pretty much an infinite palate of sounds in any of the upper end boxes, but I think the OP (Ace) of this long thread was more talking about the profiling abilities of the Kemper, and to start a, uhm, discussion.