Thinking about going Kemper

[Spiral]

Are there any Kemper owners here?

I was never really interested in the whole Kemper/Fractal/Helix thing - it interested me, but I've spent years and years building up to what I have now, with a Friedman BE100, old Marshall 1960a cab with 75s, and quite an extensive pedalboard.

But I want more ease of functionality. I want to be able to go to a clean sound + phaser at the tap of a switch, etc, and also have clean, light break up and a higher gain sound right there ready to go. I can probably do that with a decent switching system, like a GigRig G3, as I only have the Individual pedals - but the practicality of the all-in-one Kemper is starting to appeal to me.

Also being able to use headphones, is another bonus for me, as I can't always plug in and play without annoying people around me.

Being in New Zealand, I also don't have access to all these different amps that I'd like to use. I was hoping to get another amp, for an a/b and wet/dry setup, but now I'm just thinking of ditching it all, and go Kemper.


What would you guys do?

 

[cerebral gasket]

Yes.
I use a two amp setup in band situation, one for clean, the other for high gain, and switch between the two with AB switch pedal.

At home I use the Kemper for hi gain and a tube amp for cleans with AB switch pedal. Kemper and tube amp are connected from direct out to audio interface and DAW on computer for practice and recording with headphones.

While the effects on the Kemper are OK, I do not use them.

I connect pedals the same way in band situation with two amps as I do at home with Kemper and tube amp using the FX Loop on the Kemper as though it were a real amp.

I had a rack system in the early 90’s with separate tube preamp, tube power amp, rack effects processor, midi foot switch controller, but did not care for the latency with midi switching between presets.

With stomp boxes everything is real time.

 

[Spiral]

Interesting. Sounds like you have your rig sorted. I don't play in a band anymore, so I guess I'm just wanting simplicity now. It's just me and a drummer, jamming occasionally.

Do (or can you) you use your pedals with the Kemper, say having a fuzz pedal that can be dedicated to switch 3 for example, activated at the same time with a clean profile? For example, you have a Fender clean on switch 1, Marshall assigned to switch 2, and have the same Fender clean on switch 3 + external fuzz pedal?

Although to be honest, I really just want to sell my pedals and use the Kemper for everything.

 

[cerebral gasket]

I have the Kemper Profiler without Remote.

I think if you got the Kemper Profiler with Remote, you would be set. Later on you could get the Mission Engineering Expression Pedal for the Kemper if you use Wah and Volume effects.

Yes on...

Preset 1 - Fender Clean
Preset 2 - Marshall Hi Gain
Preset 3 - Fender Clean + External Fuzz on FX Loop.

But I think with fuzz or any other overdrive, you want it connected to the input of the Kemper and not inserted into the FX Loop between the preamp and power amp section.

There is a Fuzz effect on the Kemper.

FX Loop is good for external modulation and time-based effects pedals such as Chorus, Flanger, Tremolo, Delay, Reverb, etc.

The only reason I have the two-amp setup is for using a Looper pedal to play clean rhythm on one amp while playing hi gain leads on the other amp at the same time.

Before I got invited to jam with band, I used only a Guitar, Kemper, Audio Interface, Computer with DAW and Headphones for many years.

Since I didn't have Kemper Remote, I had a USB midi controller connected from Kemper to computer and used automation in Logic Pro X to switch the Kemper presets automatically within songs. I would use delay and reverb plugins in Logic Pro X with automation, so I basically had no pedals at all.

 

[Go Nigel Go]

I just bought my first digital modeler (a Fender Mustang I V2, not a Kemper). I find it very handy for practicing at home with headphones where I have the time to set it up using the laptop interface. I do find that conventional pedals work, but sometimes "not quite the same" as they do on a tube or solid state amp. You may have to change the settings and how you use it.

I took the modeler to a Jam session the other night for the first time and spent more time fiddling with it than I would have liked. I wound up just selecting the Twin Reverb Preset and leaving it there for everything, so I would probably have been better off taking my little '61 GA-5 Skylark and a few pedals.

The new digital modelers are very impressive, but I am just an old fart who isn't used to the digital "workflow" in a live situation where you don't always know what you are going to need, or have the time to figure out the set up on the fly. I will just keep it at home, and practice with it all day long. I can't wait to get my dedicated practice space built where I can use my older gear without pissing off the other people in the house.

I can also see using a nice modeler in the studio from time to time, but not at a Jam. Digital has come a long way. That Kemper stuff looks really nice by the way.

 

[Spiral]

I have the Kemper Profiler without Remote.

I think if you got the Kemper Profiler with Remote, you would be set. Later on you could get the Mission Engineering Expression Pedal for the Kemper if you use Wah and Volume effects.

Yes on...

Preset 1 - Fender Clean
Preset 2 - Marshall Hi Gain
Preset 3 - Fender Clean + External Fuzz on FX Loop.

But I think with fuzz or any other overdrive, you want it connected to the input of the Kemper and not inserted into the FX Loop between the preamp and power amp section.

There is a Fuzz effect on the Kemper.

FX Loop is good for external modulation and time-based effects pedals such as Chorus, Flanger, Tremolo, Delay, Reverb, etc.

The only reason I have the two-amp setup is for using a Looper pedal to play clean rhythm on one amp while playing hi gain leads on the other amp at the same time.

Before I got invited to jam with band, I used only a Guitar, Kemper, Audio Interface, Computer with DAW and Headphones for many years.

Since I didn't have Kemper Remote, I had a USB midi controller connected from Kemper to computer and used automation in Logic Pro X to switch the Kemper presets automatically within songs. I would use delay and reverb plugins in Logic Pro X with automation, so I basically had no pedals at all.

So what's the deal with cabinets or speakers? Can you just plug straight into it? My city is in Covid lockdown atm, so I can't go try one. My big half-stack cabinet wouldn't be needed?

 

[Spiral]

I just bought my first digital modeler (a Fender Mustang I V2, not a Kemper). I find it very handy for practicing at home with headphones where I have the time to set it up using the laptop interface. I do find that conventional pedals work, but sometimes "not quite the same" as they do on a tube or solid state amp. You may have to change the settings and how you use it.

I took the modeler to a Jam session the other night for the first time and spent more time fiddling with it than I would have liked. I wound up just selecting the Twin Reverb Preset and leaving it there for everything, so I would probably have been better off taking my little '61 GA-5 Skylark and a few pedals.

The new digital modelers are very impressive, but I am just an old fart who isn't used to the digital "workflow" in a live situation where you don't always know what you are going to need, or have the time to figure out the set up on the fly. I will just keep it at home, and practice with it all day long. I can't wait to get my dedicated practice space built where I can use my older gear without pissing off the other people in the house.

I can also see using a nice modeler in the studio from time to time, but not at a Jam. Digital has come a long way. That Kemper stuff looks really nice by the way.

Yeah I've been thinking my largely analog rig is just better, but I've been listening to YouTube clips, and they're good enough for me.

I was wondering how pinch harmonics translate also, if there's any difference there. I'll definitely need to try before I commit.

 

[cerebral gasket]

So what's the deal with cabinets or speakers? Can you just plug straight into it? My city is in Covid lockdown atm, so I can't go try one. My big half-stack cabinet wouldn't be needed?

There's two versions.
Powered and Unpowered.

With powered version, it has a built-in 600W power amp and you use a full-range, flat-response (FRFR) speaker cabinet.

With unpowered version, it is a preamp only and you can connect to an external power amp and use FRFR speaker cabinet.

You can also use an unpowered version connected to audio interface, mixer console and play through front of house (FOH) PA system.

Unpowered version can also be connected to regular amp and cabinet or combo and turn off the cabinet switch on the profiler and use only the preamp and effects.

 

[Go Nigel Go]

Yeah I've been thinking my largely analog rig is just better, but I've been listening to YouTube clips, and they're good enough for me.

I was wondering how pinch harmonics translate also, if there's any difference there. I'll definitely need to try before I commit.

Sound wise, I totally agree, the latest generation of modelers is more than just "good enough". You can dial in most any sound you want with enough time. The response to pick dynamics and assorted playing techniques (like pinch harmonics) is getting downright uncanny compared to just 10 or 15 years ago. Any complaints I have with digital have little to do with how good they can sound these days.

One piece of advice if you do plan to take it out and about, audition all of the sounds you plan to use in the session using the speakers and volumes you plan to run. Some of my modified pre-sets that sounded so good in the headphones for practice had issues when I tried using them in a group setting with the built in speaker. I could have fixed all of it mind you, but farting with your gear isn't what jamming or gigging is all about. So word to the wise, changing speakers is just like changing speakers in any other amp combo. Adjustment may be necessary.

 

[Turned Into a Martian]

I have the newest generation of Line 6’s POD. It’s based on Helix and it’s quite good. I’ve ended up scaling back on my gear because of that.