MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

[Hot Octopus]

I find myself in a situation and I feel like I've been here before. I'm thinking of picking up a new amp and I can't decide what to do. I want an amp that can play any style of music, regardless of genre. I want the amp to respond immediately to my playing and to have a very percussive overdriven sound. I had a SigX for 2 weeks in 2009. I remembered that I loved the tone, but for whatever reason, It gave me awful headaches. I haven't played one in so long, I honestly can't remember what it sounded like. I had the mesa last year (I sold it after 3 weeks) and liked 75% of it, but it was hard to dial in and I wasn't amazed by the hi-gain channel. I could go the kemper route, but I've never really liked SS gear, so I dunno. I hear good things about it, but its hard to discern what's hype and what's fact. Is it really THAT good? I'd love to find a good amp I can have for a while without getting tired of it.What's my best bet and which direction should I go in?

 

[VHTJay]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

I have zero experience on the Kemper, so I will just chime in on the Mesa and Fryette. Both amps are very tweakable, the Fryette more-so with the switch layout and obviously, the Mesa has the powerful 5 band eq. For percussiveness and immediacy....really hard to beat the Fryette stuff. I would give a slight edge there to the SigX. That said, the mesa is going to have more of a liquid feel to it....which may/may not matter to you. Here is another one to think about: The Fryette/VHT pittbull UL. That is about the most immediate sounding and percussive amp out there. You can find the old used VHT ones for a few hundred bucks more than a SigX and with the graphic EQ, you can dial it any way you want.

 

[Hot Octopus]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

I have zero experience on the Kemper, so I will just chime in on the Mesa and Fryette. Both amps are very tweakable, the Fryette more-so with the switch layout and obviously, the Mesa has the powerful 5 band eq. For percussiveness and immediacy....really hard to beat the Fryette stuff. I would give a slight edge there to the SigX. That said, the mesa is going to have more of a liquid feel to it....which may/may not matter to you. Here is another one to think about: The Fryette/VHT pittbull UL. That is about the most immediate sounding and percussive amp out there. You can find the old used VHT ones for a few hundred bucks more than a SigX and with the graphic EQ, you can dial it any way you want.

The pitbull is a little too dry for me.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

"I want the amp to respond immediately to my playing and to have a very percussive overdriven sound."

You want the Sig X then. Both amps will do any genre and are very flexible but feel wise they are different. Also I think the Sig X is easier to dial in than the MarkV.
Like stated above the SigX is drier and not as compressed as the MarkV.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

I wouldn't pick a Kemper over either one, but I have to admit, though I never thought would say so, that the Kemper has grown on me. It sounds really good. I still like the AxeFX a bit more at this point, but without both of them in front of me, I wouldn't be able to say for sure.

 

[youngthrasher9]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

Here's the deal.

The Kemper is meant be played straight into a PA or through monitors. You'll get the best results if you know people with really nice amps they would let you profile. It's not meant to go through a cabinet.

Out of those, I'd probably buy a Mark V though, because that thing is jammed full of different tones, and because I don't have access to a crap load of nice amps to profile. If I did, I would buy the Kemper in a second.

 

[Hot Octopus]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

Here's the deal.

The Kemper is meant be played straight into a PA or through monitors. You'll get the best results if you know people with really nice amps they would let you profile. It's not meant to go through a cabinet.

Out of those, I'd probably buy a Mark V though, because that thing is jammed full of different tones, and because I don't have access to a crap load of nice amps to profile. If I did, I would buy the Kemper in a second.

So, can't I just download profiles from the rig exchange and get a FRFR cab?

 

[dominus]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

So, can't I just download profiles from the rig exchange and get a FRFR cab?

You can, but it's the same as getting presets. If you find your sound, great, but it's mostly luck. I had a Kemper, went through hundreds of profiles, and didn't find anything that sounded better than any of my other gear, and since profiling my own gear wasn't an option at the time, I sold it. What Kemper needs for the next iteration is to profile the *amp* itself, and *not* a mic'd up cabinet. That's where the shortcoming is. You're not profiling an amp. You're profiling the mic'd up tone.

Do remember though, that any amp you get is going to depend on your cabinet too, so you're going to want to try out a lot of different stuff. Your problem with the SigX could have been frequency related that just hit you a certain way.

See if you can try an ISP Theta. It may change your mind about Solid State gear. (The Kemper is digital, btw, not solid state.) Also, there's lots of good Solid State amps out there if you're looking for a real heavy tone. The earlier Marshall Valvestates, Ibanez TBX150, H&K Warp, Peavey XXX... and they all can be found in the $200ish price range, sometimes less.

 

[Jeff5]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

I'm going to recommend you an alternative option, especially since you're open to something like the Kemper. (And I'm assuming rack gear) A Triaxis/2:90 might just be what you need. Great cleans and mid gain tones and great metal tones. (Especially if you can land a 2.0 version with out the fat mod) All at the push of a button.

I tried a Mark V last year, and I had the exact same experience as you. Very versatile amp, but I wasn't in love with the high gain sounds. I was comparing it to my Triaxis/2:90 set up, especially since I recently got my Tri back with the fat mod removed by Mesa. The Tri/2:90 had better high gain tones and almost equally good low gain and clean tones. (Actually the cleans are amazing on it)

You can get some great deals on the Tri and 2:90 these days too.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

I will admit to being a big fan of the Mark V, but I know it's not for everyone. I could probably do an entire album on just the clean channel. I've had mine about six months and I'm not even close to exploring all of the tones available. It IS one of the most tweakable amps out there, but I was able to get great tones on all three channels in about five minutes, and could have easily gigged it right then.

I thought the ElectraDyne had some of the punchiest clean and overdrive tones I've heard, but I realized that the Mark V would get those same tones, plus the Mark IV tones I like, so the Mark V was a no brainer for me. BTW, I have the 112 C-90 combo, BUT...I'm using it with a 112 V30 Widebody Closed Back Mesa cab underneath. This cab is Theile-ported, and I like the punch and projection I get from this rig, and it's more portable than a head and 412 for me.

I will say that while I am in love with the Mark V's clean channel and its lead channel, the crunch channel has been a little mystifying to me. I don't use a lot of crunch rhythms in my current band situation. But make no mistake--there are lots of cool tones in this channel--I'm just having a hard time trying to figure out the ONE tone that will work best as my go-to gig tone. That's on me, not on the amp. The amp is far more capable than I am.

Other thoughts... I don't know the Fryette at all, but if Steve is building his new stuff as good as his old stuff, it should be pretty good. I've played on the old VHT gear and liked it, but I never pulled the trigger on one. I have no experience at all with the Kemper, but I have tried a friend's AXE-FX. I really thought a lot about getting one, but decided that the learning curve was too steep for this old dog. The Mark V is just a natural extension for me; I've been using Mesa amps since about 1995, and not much else out there seems to fit my needs as well. Of course, YMMV.

I did look at a couple of Rivera amps this weekend. I don't know their line as well any more, but I have liked these amps in the past. Seems like they have a more percussive sound than the Mesas; again the word "smooth" describes the Mesa, but they are certainly capable of handling many genres. Might be worth looking into.

Good luck!

Bill

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

I have a Mark V and a Kemper. The Mark V is currently up for sale. Reasons:

- I don't play live enough to justify owning a big amp
- I can't play the Mark V at home - I live in an apartment
- The Kemper through a powered wedge sounds great live anyway
- I got some awesome profiles of the Mark V that sound just as nice as the real amp (side note: if you do go with a Kemper I'd be glad to send you my profiles)
- There are truckloads of amazingly good profiles out there (there are truckloads of terrible profiles too, though)
- The Kemper is ideal for home recording, which is primarily what I'm doing these days
- The Kemper is incredibly versatile, which I like

In terms of build quality, sound quality, and manufacturer support, they are on par with each other (i.e. they are both excellent). I will give the Kemper a slight edge here, as the company is continually improving the firmware and are very responsive to user requests for features/changes.

If I were you I would base my decision on what the amp will mainly be used for. Although the Kemper and the Mark V are both great amps, they are very different devices with very different use cases. And since you can get great tone from either one, there's really no point in using that as the deciding factor. It's all about what environment you'll be using it in.

If you're playing at home or recording at home, get the Kemper - it will make you much happier.

If you're gigging quite a bit, and don't need something that works at home, get the Mark V. You could definitely also use the Kemper in this situation, of course, but keep in mind you will at minimum need a powered FRFF monitor and a MIDI foot controller in addition to the profiler.

 

[Hot Octopus]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

You can, but it's the same as getting presets. If you find your sound, great, but it's mostly luck. I had a Kemper, went through hundreds of profiles, and didn't find anything that sounded better than any of my other gear, and since profiling my own gear wasn't an option at the time, I sold it. What Kemper needs for the next iteration is to profile the *amp* itself, and *not* a mic'd up cabinet. That's where the shortcoming is. You're not profiling an amp. You're profiling the mic'd up tone.

Do remember though, that any amp you get is going to depend on your cabinet too, so you're going to want to try out a lot of different stuff. Your problem with the SigX could have been frequency related that just hit you a certain way.

See if you can try an ISP Theta. It may change your mind about Solid State gear. (The Kemper is digital, btw, not solid state.) Also, there's lots of good Solid State amps out there if you're looking for a real heavy tone. The earlier Marshall Valvestates, Ibanez TBX150, H&K Warp, Peavey XXX... and they all can be found in the $200ish price range, sometimes less.

I've got 2 cabs right now. An EVH 4x12 and a Mesa Recto 2x12. About a month ago, I tried a cab loaded with EV speakers and would gladly trade the Evh for a 2x12 with EV speakers, it was that good. When I had the SigX, the EVH was my only cab. As for heavy sounds, here's the deal- I love gain, but besides playing in Eb or dropped D, I'm not much for drop tunings. I'd like a gain'd out sound, but I play Hard Rock and Punk. I have a hard time relating to the modern metal world of today. My brain just doesn't understand the whole chugga-chugga djent thing.

I have a Mark V and a Kemper. The Mark V is currently up for sale. Reasons:

- I don't play live enough to justify owning a big amp
- I can't play the Mark V at home - I live in an apartment
- The Kemper through a powered wedge sounds great live anyway
- I got some awesome profiles of the Mark V that sound just as nice as the real amp (side note: if you do go with a Kemper I'd be glad to send you my profiles)
- There are truckloads of amazingly good profiles out there (there are truckloads of terrible profiles too, though)
- The Kemper is ideal for home recording, which is primarily what I'm doing these days
- The Kemper is incredibly versatile, which I like

In terms of build quality, sound quality, and manufacturer support, they are on par with each other (i.e. they are both excellent). I will give the Kemper a slight edge here, as the company is continually improving the firmware and are very responsive to user requests for features/changes.

If I were you I would base my decision on what the amp will mainly be used for. Although the Kemper and the Mark V are both great amps, they are very different devices with very different use cases. And since you can get great tone from either one, there's really no point in using that as the deciding factor. It's all about what environment you'll be using it in.

If you're playing at home or recording at home, get the Kemper - it will make you much happier.

If you're gigging quite a bit, and don't need something that works at home, get the Mark V. You could definitely also use the Kemper in this situation, of course, but keep in mind you will at minimum need a powered FRFF monitor and a MIDI foot controller in addition to the profiler.

I just want the amp to play at home and experiment with loads of different tones.

 

[Hot Octopus]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

I'm going to recommend you an alternative option, especially since you're open to something like the Kemper. (And I'm assuming rack gear) A Triaxis/2:90 might just be what you need. Great cleans and mid gain tones and great metal tones. (Especially if you can land a 2.0 version with out the fat mod) All at the push of a button.

I tried a Mark V last year, and I had the exact same experience as you. Very versatile amp, but I wasn't in love with the high gain sounds. I was comparing it to my Triaxis/2:90 set up, especially since I recently got my Tri back with the fat mod removed by Mesa. The Tri/2:90 had better high gain tones and almost equally good low gain and clean tones. (Actually the cleans are amazing on it)

You can get some great deals on the Tri and 2:90 these days too.

Never heard of a triaxis, what is it?

As far as other amps go, I've looked into the other Fryette stuff and an Engl morse.

 

[speed2dirt]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

It's Mesa's flagship preamp. James Hetfield is notorious for using the Triaxis. Even to this day, he mixes it with a Diezel VH4 for their live shows.

http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Rackmount-Preamps/TriAxis/triaxis.html

 

[dominus]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

As for heavy sounds, here's the deal- I love gain, but besides playing in Eb or dropped D, I'm not much for drop tunings. I'd like a gain'd out sound, but I play Hard Rock and Punk. I have a hard time relating to the modern metal world of today. My brain just doesn't understand the whole chugga-chugga djent thing.

Chuck Schuldiner of Death used the Valvestate and was definitely not a chugga chugga djent guy.




I believe this album was done on Valvestates as well:

 

[everdrone]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

I want an amp that can play any style of music, regardless of genre.

that is a tall order! I would go with the Kemper or AxeFX2

also consider that a great PA would disperse your sound better, I like this idea:

 

[Jeff5]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

Never heard of a triaxis, what is it?

As far as other amps go, I've looked into the other Fryette stuff and an Engl morse.

As stated, it's their flagship Preamp. It emulates many of the Mark sounds. It doesn't sound exactly like them, but overall it sounds great. It does everything from pristine cleans to modern metal and anything in between. Of course you must like the general sound of Mesa.

There are some versions that have what's called the Recto board as one of the Preamp circuits. It's supposed to emulate a Rectifier, but whether it does or not is up to debate. Mesa added a mod to this board to make it more "Fat" and recto sounding which, imo, actually made it sound like crap. I could never get a good sound out of that mode (It's Lead 1 Red) until I got the fat mod removed. With it removed, it is now my favorite channel for all out metal, along with lead 2 red.

That's why I recommended a version 2.0 (this has the Recto board) without the fat mod. It will give you the most tonal options. Combined with the 2:90 and it's voicings you can get almost any sound you want. However, they will ALL sound like Mesa, so you must like Mesa tone or it won't work for you.

I've seen used Triaxis for as little at $700-$800 and 2:90s for $600-$700. So for around $1500 you can get an extremely versatile rig that will sound good with any type of guitar, pick ups or style.

Here's a link to the Triaxis manual.
http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/Triaxis.pdf

 

[Jeff5]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

Also, you mentioned experimenting with tones and using it at home. The 2:90, despite being load enough to peel paint, sounds great at low volumes due to the simulclass design. As far as experimenting with tones, the Triaxis and 2:90 is perfect for that due to the amount of options you have. Add in a GMajor (you can find version 1 really cheap) and your options are really limitless.

I'm not a Mesa sales rep or anything lol! I've just had great experience with this set up and it is often overlooked. I wanted to give you enough information so that you can do some research and make an informed decision.

I hope this helps.

 

[Hot Octopus]

Re: MarkV vs SigX vs Kemper

I keep looking at all the options, but its so hard to make a decision without being able to demo everything. While I like the idea of the SigX, there's something about the tone that bothers my ears, and I dunno what it is. I've looked at the other VHT/Fryette stuff and like the Deliverance, but could benefit from it being more than just a single channel. The guys on the fryette forum have said that while similar, the Pitbull and deliverance don't sound the same.

I almost want to find a lovechild of a Fryette Deliverance and a Mesa Mark V/ Triaxis, but not a sigX. Any ideas on what that amp would be?

The kemper, the power amp and the FRFR speaker that I'd need to make it sound good all cost a bit more than I want to spend, so unless I can find a great deal, I might have to pass it up for now.