Did I make the right decision? My thoughts on the Kemper 6 months later

[@HFSswfl]

I’ve tried all 3 of the big 3 (Kemper, Fractal & Helix) and while they are all amazing in their own right… something about the Kemper for me.. with good high quality profiles, in my ears it’s the closest of all to a real tube amp and ultimately for my purposes it’s exactly what I wanted. Not to mention Kemper as a company is amazing!!! Awesome support and constantly updating and tweaking free of charge.

[@Kbald]

Thanks for your input. I have no experience with the Fractal or the Helix myself but I totally agree with about Kemper as a company. It was after watching an interview with Christoph Kemper on Andertons TV that I was absolutely sold on the idea of buying a Kemper. Really like how they run things.

[@HFSswfl]

@@Kbald you made a great choice! Awesome video too.. check out the TopJimi profiles! They are killer!

[@Kbald]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed the video. Will definitely check those out! 👍

[@lukather1]

Had the stage ! Ok but the fractals effects routing and editor still blow the stage !

[@Johnsormani]

I have my Kemper now for 9 years or so and still love it. I still have many tube amps as well which I also play. One of the profiles I use most is the profile of my mesa Studio pre. But I also have a zillion of other profiles. The bad thing about that is that you don't want to spend time in trying all those. It's better to just select a few profiles and use just them, just as you would with a tube amp that you are playing. This will bring you back to playing instead of just trying out and judging profiles

[@mickdebergerac1143]

That slide playing was great mate!

[@Kbald]

Thank you man 🙏 Much appreciated.

[@threeonamatchventura]

Love the Kemper stage. Using 2-JBL PRX12 ‘s PA speakers . I wrote my own presets using a PA so they sound like I want through a PA. I can bounce to any gig with a PA and so far there are variations but all positive.

[@danielbrewer878]

Love my Kemper stage for both live gigs and studio recording. I also use the Kemper speaker in a cabinet and just power it with a Loudster power amp. That setup is fine for mid size gigs. I'm a weekend warrior so that's all I need. Love the Michael Britt Profiles. I think I have them all. I particularly like the Tophat Royale profiles and the Marshall 68. I think those might have been in the 2020 pack if I recall correctly. The MBritt profiles brought the Kemper to life for me. I've been using it for probably about 5 years (first the toaster, now the stage). Glad that you're enjoying yours!

[@Kbald]

Awesome man, glad you’re enjoying your Kemper rig. I don’t think I got the 2020 pack but I have got quite a lot of his packs already, even the bass pack. Love his stuff. Definitely going to check out these profiles you mentioned 👍

[@willpotere6665]

Bought the Kemper 6 months ago (powered toaster) along with the Kemper Kab. They accidentally sent me the powered version and told me to keep it rather than trying to send it back. It has been one of the best decisions I have made. I was concerned about the age, but it is clear that Kemper really made a quality digital amp that has lasted over a decade and will continue to please.

[@Kbald]

Glad to hear you’re happy with your Kemper rig. I’m absolutely loving mine and the more I use it the happier I am with my decision to go for a Kemper. How do you use the power cab with a powered toaster? Do you use the monitor out or the speaker out on the toaster?

[@SHREDTILLDEAD]

Mine still surprises me. I have all kinds of gear like a modded triaxis I am profiling and it still amazes me how great it sounds. I honestly think the Kemper has less latency than my valve amps and I am guessing it is in their difference in compression, and sag. Yet it still captures the sag of the amp too.

[@satinwhip]

I have a Kemper powered Toaster. I started out using it into guitar cabs but then moved to a pair of Yamaha DXR10 powered monitors. I love this setup and have been using it for about four years. I have not tried the Kemper Kab. I also really love MBritt profiles. I'm a high gain classic rock guy so his Crank N Go pack is my favorite. My "daily driver" profiles are the Soldano SLO 100 profiles in that pack but the Friedman HB profiles are great, too. Love my Kemper. Sold most of my tube amps about six months after I got it and haven't looked back.

[@slashtrio]

Useful info. I’m seriously looking into these now. Curious if I need the powered or non-powered head. I play mostly at home at lower volumes, so I’m assuming having the non powered version with some good studio monitor speakers would be ideal for that setting? However, in the event I ever wanted to jam or play in a band context I’m assuming I would need the powered head to use with a speaker cabinet. Thanks !

[@Sako-Taco]

Fantastic playing dude, love it! Been toying with idea of getting a Kemper after 20+ years of playing analog. I think you've convinced me!

[@Kbald]

Thank you man 🙏 I highly recommend it, the Kemper is such a great studio/live solution. It took me a few gigs to get used to it but now I’m feeling happier after every gig.

[@danschloss400]

Hi - cool video! I'm also a Kemper convert, after 40+ years as a tube snob, and I find it's generally working out really well for me, both at home and on the gig. I play a powered toaster thru a VERY old 1x12 cab which contains a crappy 12" Pyle driver speaker which I believe is a 70's era knockoff of a Jensen c12n... and it sounds surprisingly FANTASTIC IMO. Unlike the Kemper Kab, my cab is open back, and frankly, I think that makes a big difference in terms of sound dispersion when I play in a band setting. By comparison, I also play thru a Marshall 1936 2x12 closed-back cab which sounds GREAT at home, but is very directional when I play gigs, so I have to depend much more on a monitor mix. I find the open-back cab just works better for me live. One issue I do have is that the Kemper is less predictable when I play in a group - a real Fender Deluxe Reverb is always "just right" when I plug in, regardless of setting. The Kemper is much more sensitive to "the playing environment" for some reason, and I find that sometimes the dynamics of the amp are just different depending on the playing setting. Sometimes it's "harder" feeling than my tube setup, yet other times it's just right. Hard to explain, but I'm wondering if others experience what I'm trying to describe. Who knows... but overall I'm very happy with where I'm at, and how it just seems to get better and better over time. Thanks again for the video!

[@Kbald]

Hey Dan, thanks for checking out the video, glad you enjoyed it. I think I know what you mean by saying that it can be a bit unpredictable when playing in a band situation. I definitely experienced that a bit, especially when I was playing my first few gigs using the Kemper rig. Luckily I'm getting more comfortable with it now and by placing the cab in a good spot I always hear myself perfectly.

[@Bridging_the_Political_Divide]

Agree on tube amps being very directional. The versatility and efficiency of these high end profilers/modelers can't be denied. The game is changing right before our eyes.

[@grampstries]

The "slide" made me "subscribe". Very nice playing!

[@Kbald]

Thank you very much and welcome to my channel :)

[@bennettshapiro2965]

We're using the Samson RSXM10 on stage with the Kemper. Love it

[@CosmicNed]

Ive used my Kemper Stage both live & in the studio & it’s amazing… For live I tried using a variety of FRFR monitors but didn’t get on with them- I now use a stereo 2x12 (celestion neo creambacks) open back guitar cab with a 75w per channel power amp & couldn’t be more happy… I’ve got lots of professional profiles but prefer to make my own so i can tailor the tone exactly…

[@Kbald]

Awesome man, looks like you’ve got a pretty solid setup there.

[@CosmicNed]

@@Kbald Yes - much prefer the ‘thump’ of a real guitar cabinet… I also use the Neo Creamback impulse speaker response as front of house tones so my monitor reflects what the audience hears too… works for me!

[@stevev63]

What 75w per channel power amp are you using?

[@meteoroz]

I use a Fender Vibro Queen profile with my PRS Silver Sky through the Kemper Stage with Power Kabinet. It gives me that pure Strat SRV type tone that I've never been able to get with analog gear. I've played it live and in my studio, and it sounds great. Live I'd recommend IEMs with the Kemper direct to desk, because the Kemper Kab can't compete with a noisy stage sound, plus none of the other band members can hear it - it's such a tiny directional amp.

[@Kbald]

Yeah I can imagine the Kemper being great live with in-ears. Will look into that for sure. Who made that Vibro Queen profile?

[@table72]

Awesome! I totally agree about the MBritt profiles. They're just right. Interesting to hear the powerkab wasn't loud enough, I've got the power toaster going into a passive kab and it's always got loads of volume. Definitely worth checking that with Kemper support I think

[@Kbald]

Thanks Ollie! The Mbritt profiles are so good. I still haven’t managed to explore all the profiles I bought, there are so many good ones. Regarding the powerkab I might have to give it another go and see if I can solve it with placement.

[@jackk100]

@@Kbald if you haven’t already discovered it, in the Kabinet output area on the profiler there’s a Power Boost that will give you an up to 12db boost. I thought my powered Kab wasn’t loud enough until I learned about that setting.

[@Kbald]

Hey Jack, thanks for the tip. I will definitely check it out.

[@andyrottiers6096]

@@jackk100 correct, the power amp boost needs to be at 12dB, and your powered cabs need to be at full volume for louder gigging volumes. It's in the latest manual. Otherwise you will not create the correct headroom for the cabs. Still, it only is a 112 cabinet and will not fill the stage as a 412. I bought 2 powered cabs and it helps.

[@scottwalker1860]

Love my stage profiler! I’ve been a hard core analog guy but I got mine three years ago and I hardly play through an amp anymore. I play through a QSC KW monitor or sometimes my Bose L1. Really love it in the studio.

[@ThisMichaelBrown]

I use a Bose Pole as well...and wow, check out Bose S1 - freakishly loud and good tone...15 lbs!

[@Bridging_the_Political_Divide]

Yup, same here. Have sold most of my tube gear. Was just reading Nita Strauss said they play all Kempers on the Alice Cooper tours, just saw Guthrie Govan and John Mayer now play FM9 on stage. The game has changed bigtime. Love my Kemper Stage!

[@Foghat1961]

Hi... I use an old Fender Cybertwin with outputs of the Kemper Stage running into the STEREO!! returns of the effects loop of the amp. I swapped out the original drivers for a pair of Celestion FRFRs.

[@ThisMichaelBrown]

Beautiful tones...I also am in the Kemper camp...toaster for now...thinking about a live rig. Thanks for vid!

[@riffs66]

Great sounds and tasty playing👍🏼

[@Kbald]

Thanks Joe, appreciate it 🙏☺️

[@J.R_Guitar]

I am thinking about the Kemper for a while now.

[@iansimmons735]

Very interesting, thank you. I love my Kemper(s). I also have the Powered Kabinet. I note that at 4:43 you say you're not getting the right monitoring results from it. Are you using the Power Amp Boost? Forgive me if you know this already, but Kemper put an update in the Kemper firmware that boosts the signal to the Kabinet. I found that without this, I, too, don't find it loud enough (if that's what you mean). It's on page 8 of the Output menu ('Pwr Amp Boost'). This works for the Powered Kabinet. You can increase it. They also recommend setting the Kabinet volume to flat out (yes, really!) and linking the monitor out (not the main out) to the KPA's master volume. This gives you more headroom and volume and makes the Powerkab suitable for small gigs.

[@Kbald]

Hey Ian, thanks for checking out the video and thanks for the tip. I haven’t tried this actually and I wasn’t aware of the update on the firmware. I will definitely look into this. Glad to hear that you’re happy with your Kempers. Which ones have you got?

[@iansimmons735]

@@Kbald I have the powered Toaster, which I got back in 2017, and used successfully with a super-light Matrix NL212 cab and cab sim off. Great sound, though different of course to the full profile with cab sim on. I had a Helix LT which I used to use as backup to my Mesa Boogie MKV, but I struggled to get great sounds and feel from it, even after buying professional patches. I was then interested in digital solutions, saving my back after years of carrying valve amps. I was however so impressed by the Kemper (I use mainly Bert Meulendijk profiles, his Friedman and Bogner are amazing), I sold the Helix and got a Stage. That sits on my desk for practice and occasional home recording, and I now take it as a backup to gigs. Because it's not powered, I got the Powered Kabinet to use with my Toaster and Stage and have been very happy ever since. I use imprints which most closely match the speakers in the profile - in my case, V30s. I don't know why Kemper don't make this power tip more obvious, it's like an afterthought, but you will see it on the forums.

[@Kbald]

Sounds like a pretty solid rig. I actually bought one of Bert’s profile packs as well and really like the Bogner profiles. Don’t think I’ve tried his Friedmans profiles yet but might give them a go.

[@SerkanBerksoy]

@Kbald hi, any update about this setting? Does it solve the problem? I am thinking of buying the Powered Kabinet too for gigging.

[@dryanbuchanan]

I followed a pretty similar path. I’m happy with the move to digital. I’ve always wanted and searched for a clean and organized all in one solution. I hate the cables and power supplies and pedalboards. But finally we live in a time when you don’t have to compromise on tone to have this set up. Kemper and Fractal sound amazing. I don’t really miss tube amps but they still have a place, especially for small jams with friends where I only need one sound. Great video! New subscriber here

[@Kbald]

Thank you man, glad you enjoyed the video and welcome to my channel! I totally agree, it’s so much more convenient to have everything in one place. Over the past couple of years I was practicing and recording using plugins (before Kemper) and headphones but then used my analog rig for gigs. I love the fact that I can now practice through my Kemer any time of day using headphones and tweak my profiles as I go. Love the Kemper.

[@lavinchi6709]

Thank you🎉

[@TinoSchulz1990]

When it comes to monitoring on stage nothing could beat my Line6 Firehawk 1500. It's just powerful and stays clean even at extremly high volumes. And yes, it can handle Bass like a champ.

[@TinoSchulz1990]

I used it weekly on tour as FRFR for my Helix (in Stereo) + Using the Return Inputs of the FH1500 as input for the Aux-Mix coming from the desk. Guitars + Vocals + some bass and bassdrum. Worked wonders

[@hockeycanada18]

I run my Kemper Stage into the Seymour Duncan powerstage 200 with a Orange PPC 2x12 C Cab with V30s. The sound is absolutely incredible!

[@Kbald]

Awesome man, sounds like a great setup and I'm glad you're happy with it. I've been doing more gigs with my Kemper rigs over the last few weeks and I'm so happy with it as I've now learnt how to boost the Power Kabinet for more stage volume. Awesome stuff.

[@hockeycanada18]

That's so awesome! I can't wait to use mines live! I just got it a few months ago. I'm so happy with it too ☺️

[@simonpyza5270]

I`m using my Kemper with JK Oxygen 1 preamp. I couldn`t use any other gear, I'm able to get perfect studio sound on any stage and in any weather conditions. Also the preamp adds the true valve response to Kemper.

[@EnmandsBand1]

uhh, that edge of breakup Strat sound at 5:36 is exactly what I'm here for, it's a very hard sound to make in a modeller

[@mooseymoose]

I decided to recreate my digital rig in analog by building a vacuum tube computer to emulate the modeler, sounds so warm but the only problem is that it’s the size of a small city and requires a 10 megawatt power supply.

[@Neelo5000]

No problem. Just profile it with the Kemper!

[@SHREDTILLDEAD]

Meh, nobody's gonna listen to your playing anyways.

[@kennethmeeker6369]

Hate it when that happens

[@bolecjestem8202]

Great video!

[@Kbald]

Thank you man 🙏☺️

[@jcspaziano]

I love my Kemper but for me its hard to beat the HX Stomp. Its so compact and versatile but the big advantage is that I can get a much better sound on the HX through my in ears AND my stage cabinet. I also find the interface on the HX so much simpler.

[@giovanigiorgos2955]

What amp do you use to push the stomp through the cabinet.

[@jcspaziano]

Currently an ElectroHarmonix 44 Magnum. Ran with a VHT 2:50:2 for years.

[@markbois1713]

Have a Kemper Powerhead I use a Orange 112 loaded with a Celestion Creme 90 watt speaker. No problem being heard.

[@Kbald]

Sounds like a pretty solid rig

[@gitarman666]

Real Still a tube amp player My band mate uses digital and with the effects I can barely hear the notes Even my lowest watt amp will bury him so his sm57 needs a bigger bump live and then he needs to lose most of his wet stereo Fx or the whole mix washes out Sounds good in the bedroom though For recording its ok

[@andersoncarvalho2475]

After almost 2 years of Kemper Stage, I gave up, and I will go back to valve amps again! Kemper is great, but depends how you will use, for big stages is very practical and for studio too. However it never will delivery the felling, it’s a bit strange maybe, you get the sound, but can’t fell it properly…

[@Kbald]

I think I know what you mean, when you play a small gig you want the amp to work hard and have that presence.

[@chunkycheese73]

Yeah, in my world everyone loves Kemper, but I've found that even the small blues junior has a more magical vibe, esp in the mix than the kemper

[@GeoZero]

For studio I use many amp plugins - they work just fine for what I need. But I really love my stomps and Vox AC15 for my sound. If I was playing a top-40 band maybe the Kemper would work to emulate sounds. But for original music, I'm still old school and let the playing, the guitar, the amp, the stomps, the room and the mics bring out the magic.

[@chunkycheese73]

@@GeoZero amen

[@MS-Patriot2]

@@chunkycheese73 amen amen. I’m a small gig player. But what should I get for direct recording (no mic/cab)?

[@aneyesky]

Cool engineering! Reminds me of my fender mustang gt100 - love your music

[@Kbald]

Glad you like my music 🙏☺️ Thanks for checking out my video.

[@theblowupdollsmusic]

Nice review. Are you recording with the power cabinet? Like Setting up a microphone in front of the cabinet. Or are you recording direct out?

[@Kbald]

Thanks Matt. No, I only use the cabinet for monitoring. I always record direct out. I’m actually filming a new video as we speak where I will be talking a bit more about the power cabinet and how I use it live now. Should be up in a few days.

[@theblowupdollsmusic]

@@Kbald Awesome. Thank you. I am excited to watch that video as well!

[@jackshittle]

I noticed a nice SWR bass cabinet in the video. I couldn't quite tell which model it is. I have a SWR 8x8 and an SWR 2x12 I had two Eden WT-300's powering each cabinet but now have a single SWR SM400+. What's the difference between Fractal & Kemper? As a bass player they seem like they do pretty much the same thing, no?

[@DutchGuitarDude]

What kind of profile did you use for that hendrix semiclean bit

[@spillemusicstudios8515]

I Iove kemper. I will say though, while their amp+cab profiling is phenomenal and their modulation, delay, and reverbs are great, their overdrives are incredibly lacking, as is the case with fractal and other modelers as well. My current setup is running a kemper player on a board with other pedals, and that's the sweet spot for me.

[@357armen]

Was waiting for this review. Glad its working for you. Good idea with getting 2 pedals. Try this if u like yaya. I use digitech and with the expression pedal set to hi and low ya parameters it almost sounds like a talk box- great for Frampton! Cheers

[@Kbald]

Thanks for checking out the video 🙌 That definitely sounds like something I’d like to try. Would love to be able to do something like that. Thanks for the tip.

[@diegowacker]

Very good video! Thank you! I am in doubt whether to buy a combo amplifier for my Kemper Stage (for example JC120) and go through the loop return, or go directly for a Kemper Kabinet. What do you think? Aid!!!

[@jasonmccann257]

I went with a Laney LFR-112 over the Kemper Powered Kabinet. It has a "guitar in room" feel.

[@Kbald]

Thanks Diego, glad you enjoyed the video. The reason I went for the power kabinet is that it doesn’t really ‘colour’ the tone and should therefor work as a great monitor. I’m sure there are many great options out there.

[@hosoiarchives4858]

Can you get the U2 strat sound from the Joshua Tree?

[@Foghat1961]

I use an old Fender Cybertwin with a pair of Celestion FRFR drivers! Works great... and stereo

[@3ngi_n33r]

How about the actual profiling experience? Same as the others? The connections seem a little different. Thinking of replacing my toaster with the stage. Btw- running my toaster into a fryette power station with a custom LICKLITER 4x12 front loaded with V30’s. The rig is an absolute beast! Great vid my dude👍

[@Kbald]

I actually haven't tried doing any profiling myself. Been planning to try it out for a while. Will post a new video once I've tried it out.

[@3ngi_n33r]

@@Kbald i actually bought a stage today haha.

[@anthonykenny1320]

I’m using HK Audio Polar 8

[@IlijaArev]

Hey guys, i'm new here and i'm about to make some change with my rig, so i would like to buy a kemper stage profiler (unpowered) and not sure should i get a powered PA as well or should i keep my tube amp Mashall 2266C?

[@Hi-levels]

Does it make sense to use wnalog pedals with this

[@ZozoneZ]

whats the track ta 5:26, beautiful

[@Kbald]

Thank you man, this is just something I came up with and recorded for this video ☺️

[@al23x56]

What's the make /model of your black studio monitors? Thanks

[@Kbald]

Those are Yamaha HS8. Got those used a few months ago.

[@ludovicduclos8481]

Bonjour. Je suis en possessions d'un Kemper stage. Je voudrais brancher un louper de type BOSS RC10 Merci de me dire si cette option peut être envisageable. Merci de me préciser comment brancher ce type de pédale qui contiens des pattern de batterie. Merci par avance

[@Bognerman14]

Only problem with Kemper is the lack of tube feel. Sounds amazing but just lacks any real feel. The Fractal has more feel than the Kemper, yet the Kemper has a more realistic sound. I think you can mediate this a bit by running the Kemper unit into a tube power amp. This will make it much more like a true tube amplifier. I think the fix for Kemper is to use a good tube power amp and real guitar cabinet. For me that is Kemper into tube power amp and 412 guitar cab.

[@alemvelagic9371]

Is there any difference tonewise between stage and rack version?

[@LieuNoir]

While there are some differences on the connectivity and knobs point of view, the sound engine is the same in both machines, afaik.

[@clausscholeitner3015]

hy i have also a lot of mbritt profiles but could not figure out which 72 marshall 50 1 you have there, in which pack is this special 72 marshall 50 1 profile?

[@Kbald]

Hey Claus, the 72 Marshall profiles are from the Vintage Pack by Mbritt. I use the cleanest one and then add some Kemper drive (Klon 1) to add some dirt to it. Love that profile.

[@clausscholeitner3015]

@@Kbald thx for fast response👍

[@kingjb99]

Run the Kemper Powered Kabinet flat out and adjust level from the monitor out

[@Kbald]

Thanks for the tip

[@impydies9485]

can you use this with a regular tube amp and analog distortion pedals?

[@Kbald]

I did try using the Kemper with a tube amp once and it seemed to work fine. I just needed to turn off the ‘amp’ and the ‘cab’ in the Kemper signal chain. That way I could use the effects from the Kemper with a tube amp. There are some people who connect analog pedals to their Kempers. You would just have to place it in the right spot in the signal chain and use the Kemper as the amp/cab.

[@LIGHTintheHALLS]

I use a 1000 watt QSC full range monitor. It weighs about 30 pounds and I can blow the windows out of any place if needed.

[@reskykombongpadang6929]

Bolehkah di gratiskan untuk gereja saya?

[@matthewearl9824]

got rid of my kemper and got an axefx 3

[@417altavista]

It’s a baritone guitar

[@hosoiarchives4858]

Looks like an old GNX 3 from Digitech 😂

[@googleprofile9893]

. Kemper is old system. Fractal is much more flexible and quality of sound is better too

[@mimimmimmimim]

Did I make the right decision selling my kids in order to buy Kemper?

[@esz-tamquartetdemo8938]

beautiful, you seem to be happy with this... no more noise, no more surprise...ok not my stuff, I hate this! sorry... viva Tropical Fuck Storm !

[@shawn2571]

Price is too ridiculous on these. Be different if they sounded like real tube amps. Add $700 to the price and you could have a real tube marshall half stack

[@lperry65]

I use mine with a Laney LFR-112

[@einrey90]

Ertu íslenkur?

[@elfiemontague3936]

$2700 don't think so. And still nothing to a real valve amp .but good video

[@ivanpipinicpipomusicandles4934]

I use yamaha dxr 10 frfr, and know i will use in ears...

[@Kbald]

Yeah man, in ears are without a doubt great with a Kemper. Gonna look into that myself.

[@FrancescoFerrara81]

Cool, until footswiches start to fail.....

[@Kbald]

That is always a possibility

[@FrancescoFerrara81]

@@Kbald everyone i know owns the stage had that problem, i had it too, several footswitches started to fail after one year more or less, really annoyng.

[@Kbald]

Sounds like it, fingers crossed that mine will survive a bit longer

[@elfiemontague3936]

There ok for people who carnt play well. But not for the real player

[@Kbald]

You mean people like Mark Knopfler? Lol

[@banjominer9682]

i feel like alot of people are backing this because they dont want to admit they got duped out of alot of money.ive been an engineer for 30yrs.these are not allowed in my studio

[@javiervega923]

en español please!!