Kemper with poweramp VS Mesa Rectifier ?

[Clark Kent]

Sure I don't mean to bash this product but just tell my honest opinion which is that some of the Kemper thing is hype but I've said good things about this product also... it's WAY better than Line6 HD modeling for example. The things that made me not want to buy one are things that some people don't even count as deal breakers.

Honestly, everyone who's had negative things to say about the Kemper have never produced tones I've liked in the first place, and everyone who's raved about them and used them on albums successfully have consistently put out tones that I'm into. I don't take gear criticism seriously from people who's opinion on tone I don't trust.

Yes, I'm into middle focused guitar tones since guitars are a middle frequency instrument. Bass frequencies are for bass players and treble frequencies are for vocals so if middle frequencies are not focused guitars won't sound punchy in a mix. Ofcourse some people don't want guitars to be punchy but more on the background. I have listened to your work and those guitars tones. To me they have way too much gain to ever sound tight. When there's that much gain the guitar tone isn't focused anywhere on the spectrum... but that's just the way I hear tone and obviously we don't agree. I'm sure Kemper will have no problems replicating that.

 

[Deuteronomy]

Kemper is not bad,but if you can buy the rectifier then go for it.

 

[webstersp]

well let me give my honest opinion without bashing anything here.
I first bought the axe fx ultra 3 years ago. I liked it very much, you could do almost any sound with this beast but the problem is that I was not playing and recording i was always trying to create or replicate sounds, the more I was recording and playing with it I was never satisfied. Tried it for a few rehearsal with my band trough a mesas 50/50 and frfr. Sounded great but something was missing comparing to my mesa dual rectifier multi watt that was sounding more 3d if I can say it like that.
Then the axe II came out, I didn't see it coming but I needed that thing, sounded even more accurate they say.... Well sold my axe ultra, ordered the axe II.
First impression, a lot easier to dial in great sounds. Effects are still top notch but same thing for me.... stil creating sounds, downloading every free user patch I can, still there was something missing.
I had great high gain sound for really heavy 'djent' type of guitar but for the everything else's this was not that good.
Better than the line 6 stuff for sure but the eleven rack and amplitude 3 were almost as good has the axe ultra for a lot less $$$$$

Then another new device.... The kemper
I had to try this new thing..
Finally received it 2 months after i order it.

There are lots of profiles in it but not what I was really looking for...
First I tried to capture my dual rectifier multi watt and our other guitarist EVH III 50 watt.
Wow just wow, for home studio this was what I was looking for. My sound without miking my amp at our rehearsal space, I can now track guitars at home and they sound just perfect everytime. We also profiled my bass player rig, same result just perfect!

Now for live playing I only played with it twice, once trough a mesa 50/50 and yesterday with my new matrix GT1000fx and if I wasn't afraid of it's reliability I would gladly sell my amp.
Not because it is perfect but it is 98% there! You have to add a bit of bottom with the eq but that's about it. But you also get lots of amps, I tried yesterday few different amps, a jam 800 hot rod, a mesa mark v and my guitarist evh III profiles and they all fired in different songs!
And yes the perform mode works.....

And Clark Kent, I went on your youtube page, you got great sound with your axe, but even if you a re using the same ir they almost sound the same. Me and my guitarist have the same mesa cab and our amp really sound different, even in the kemper!
For me for pure guitar sound the kemper is way in front of the axe fx II for less money!
It really feel like you are playing an amp. If you don't have access to lots of great amps go buy some on sites like http://www.theampfactory.com and http://sonicunderground.bigcartel.com

 

[Lasse Lammert]

There's a Krank Profile in my pack, Jeff.
Granted, doesn't sound much like AILD though.

the performance mode had been working for months now, no idea what you guys are talking about.
I'm not using it though, just gigging with it in Browser mode, using a MIDI mouse....
same as Accept, Hell, Carcass, Saxon, Trivium......
#

 

[webstersp]

thanks Lasse just found your pack on keeper's site! Wow some great amps in there!
Just tired it pretty fast and also just tried Keith Merrow packs you guys seems to have done a perfect job!
So guys check out this free profiles for sure before you buy like I did!!
Thanks once again!!!!

 

[B36arin]

I've been gigging with performance mode but to be perfectly honest I don't really need it, I could easily set it up for gigging in browse mode.

I've been using it at rehearsals through my Triple Recto power amp, and while it does sound great it doesn't sound as good as the Recto. That's no slight though, my Recto is my favourite amp in the world in the room, it sounds amazing. When running DI vs mic the difference disappears.

 

[webstersp]

I didn't like mine with the mesa 50/50, have you tried matrix power amp?
Like I said it is not 100% there but I can say 98%. Play with the eq a bit and voila!
I'm keeping my mesa anyway, great amp and I love it, same thing for the kemper!

http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa466/domdauphin/DSC_0203_2.jpg

 

[Mago]

There's a Krank Profile in my pack, Jeff.
Granted, doesn't sound much like AILD though.

the performance mode had been working for months now, no idea what you guys are talking about.
I'm not using it though, just gigging with it in Browser mode, using a MIDI mouse....
same as Accept, Hell, Carcass, Saxon, Trivium......
#

OP was sept 2012 dude

I'm leaving Jevo's video here for the poweramp/cab same sound/feel discussion...altho you can't say aynthing about feel through the video.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFtNVbdwqiY&feature=c4-overview&list=UUdZznSR9H2YizHjSiPEkg1A[/ame]

FWIW, and I don't know if it even still counts since the op is more than a year old, but I've been playing through the kemper with cab off into my 6505+ poweramp into the Mesa OS, and it felt awesome.
Tried it with various amps, also alot I already played through, and on everyone the feel rang a bell.
Can't say if it was 100% accurate, but it was 100% awesome