Do You Need A Kemper Profiler? (With Tone Junkie TV)

[@JCleggy]

I like that Josh is secure enough to embrace this new tech while being heavily invested in physical gear. It’s not a zero sum game. Digital can be great, analog can be great.

[@jhspedals]

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@daaaMook]

So true! Plus a Kemper doesn’t eliminate using outboard pedals, which I don’t believe was a point that was clarified. The Kemper offers good to great emulations of plenty of effects, but you could easily continue to use whatever pedals and pedal board you want with the Kemper.

[@mistersniffer6838]

Just ask Dimebag!

[@PSjustanormalguy]

That's because Josh knows that it's not the size of the pedal that's important 🤣. No pedal-envy here.

[@KelsterVonShredster]

Analog is just better lol

[@houseofshred3725]

0:43 Intro 2:52 The obvious things, let's get 'em outta' the way up front 4:23 Addison compares Kemper to his Matchless Spitfire 5:58 Josh's experience with the Kemper coming in 6:50 HW's take on Kemper's strengths 14:27 I did that right now 18:03 Nick's turn to get all philosophical 19:30 Josh trademarks a new tonephrase ("haunting mids," "takes pedals like a champ," and "my grab-n-go" are already taken) 20:39 Kemper overview 27:32 Model of a '64 Vibroverb (really nice playing) 28:07 right into a jam 28:54 Behold the power of digital, lol 30:07 CSharpmAug5Sharp11b13b9$%*& 32:00 Josh plays a Bassman model (the "Lowman") 37:48 Wait, what? There's another guy in there? 39:06 Sick Burn and dude reads the shat 42:29 Josh makes a great point

[@kebbinator]

What I love about the Kemper is the fact that you can dial in a perfect mix-ready tone with real amps, mics and outboard and profile it, so that whole signal chain can be recalled instantly later for other recording sessions or live performances. What I don’t like is the fact that while it does have basic gain and 3 band EQ controls, they are just generic controls and don’t reflect the way the gain and EQ interact on the amp that was profiled. A profile is just a static capture of an amp signal chain and can’t be tweaked. As a guitarist and a recording engineer I enjoy dialing in real amps and pedals to create unique tones that perfectly pair with the guitar and player and work perfectly for the song, not just cycle through other peoples’ profiles until something sounds good enough.

[@chibisven]

I'm one of those guys who owns my dream amp (AC30 with bluebacks) and yet uses digital 99% of the time. I converted a few years back when I was playing a room where I just couldn't get the master volume I needed to sound good. So today I love saying "A great amp in a great room with a great mic position will win every time, but take away any one of those factors and I'd rather have the Helix/Kemper/etc" And one of the best things I ever did to help convert over, I started practicing with a real mic'd up amp and in-ear monitors so that I learned more about what front of house hears than what I hear in the room. And I started practicing almost exclusively with tracks so that I always hear my tone in context. It doesn't matter how rad my practice tone sounds/feels to me if it sounds like toilets when I actually gig/record. I want to perfect the art of my guitar tone coming out of your speakers, not the art of feeling really cool because I can fill my practice room.

[@Ndlanding]

You've made some excellent points, Sven! WHen I used to use 100W Marshall amps & 4x12 cabs, it was really difficult to get a good sound when "3" was too loud for the venue. (No master volumes, no distortion pedals.)

[@Spidouz]

I also own my dream amp (Two-Rock Studio Signature)… and yet, I like digital too, it’s very practical, I even tend to get an Axe FX III at some point to use it in 4 cable method to use fx, but also have some dry/wet setup with the two-rock for dry and the axe fx for the wet stuff, digital delays, reverbs, looper, etc… that way it’s the best of both world. That’s what is great with gear, it’s not exclusive, we don’t have to “hate” digital to love “tubes” (or the other way around). And we don’t even have to stick to “only” one amp; for instance, I still dream to get a Mesa Mark V (probably the 25W version) and the Hook Wizard (because it’s analog with digital controls… I love it). Long story short: there’s good stuff in both analog and digital and we can accomplish great tones with either… or even both.

[@maschoff69]

Then there are us that never plan to gig and love playing because it is an escape from the world. I get to love my man cave tone ❤️

[@Ndlanding]

@@maschoff69 Despite having a great wee amp (Blackstar), i practically never play other than acoustically at home.

[@maschoff69]

@@Ndlanding I am 99.9% electric and was an early adopter of the Axe-FX. I run real cabs and FRFR in stereo through Matrix power amps. I've always used solid state amps. I was a nuke electrician on nuke subs and always thought tubes were antiquated, like horses. I get it, just not interested in the maintenance and weight.

[@DrKevGuitar]

Josh nailed it when he said "what we think the guitar sounds like is WRONG if it's based on the bedroom". First 25 minutes of this should be required listening for everyone who wants to step on a stage! My goal was always to have the sound engineer thank me at the end of a gig. To get there I audition mic placements in front of the speaker both at home over a backing track of the song I was gonna play and during rehearsals, so I knew that on stage what I was sending to the desk was gonna work without too much corrective EQ at the board. What we like to hear at home in the room is too bassy and usually too much gain too!

[@JordanSeal]

This is a special episode. I don’t know what’s special about it, but something feels deeper, more like what the JHS crew talk about in their off-camera time. Mas, please.

[@glinteastwood]

Absolutely! It’s evidenced in the jams as well. This episode displays an especially synchronized unit. Nice one.

[@jroobz]

After 5 years I sold my kemper and went back to valve amps. Great piece of gear and a fantastic tool to teach yourself about amp tone.

[@bakaroo23]

That’s a good point. You could definitely learn a lot about different amps through a modeller.

[@har234908234]

Guitar player cosplay is such a beautiful description.

[@guitarsimon1]

Nick’s comment about guitar player cosplay has reframed a lot of things for me in a really meaningful and hilarious way, solid wisdom my good dude.

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

Kemper designed and built the amp 11 years ago. Every aspect of it was designed to be both updated and upgraded without the need for a v.2 . In short there is a ridiculous amount of memory not just for more models, but also to add better function, both in just what you can do, but what the unit would in the future be capable of doing to reproduce better and more expressive sound. In short you can update with downloads to make the very first units to be the same as one made today.

[@RogerBarraud]

Aspect. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspic

[@lorenmorgan1931]

But one thing they have never done was expand the dynamic range of processed audio. It always sounds like its being ran through a brickwall limiter. I have been hoping that they would address this and it just seems over a decade later this is just the shortcoming of this device that is here to stay. Oddly even the Line 6 Helix just updated this year to crank up the oversampling to over come this issue, and it made a world of difference to all the amp models. While I'm not disregarding that one can get some great tones out of this, they just dont have the organic dynamics a real, or even a lot of amp emulations have.

[@rasm0225]

Seriously, Aspic is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen. If JHS ever makes a Kemper type thing in a stomp box, they should call it Aspic. It covers real tone in a beef gelatin.

[@iwannabeyourshirt]

Lark's Tongue in Kemper

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

@@iwannabeyourshirt I saw Crimson when they did that tour.

[@hisham_hm]

19:03 Spot on! I remember back in the day when I got the Line 6 POD XT and it included a preset for Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker". I was appalled at how bad it sounded, then I pulled my iPod to compare to the recording and it sounded pretty much the same. Turns out my memory of "the guitar" was actually the memory of the full band playing the riff, so that was naturally much fuller.

[@russdesaulniers3112]

And yet, Rush fans are fine with Geddy Lee's backline being washing machines or chicken rotisseries.

[@mal2ksc]

I think the sandwich vending machines had the hungriest tone.

[@nedim_guitar]

LOL! It wouldn't work if they tried being serious and cool.

[@thebestian]

THIS IS WAR NOW. Jokes aside, they did that cause they had full control over their shows and thought it was funny. They probably had some of the best stages I've ever seen.

[@nedim_guitar]

@@thebestian Totally!

[@TempoDrift1480]

Yeah what was up with that?

[@kylehart9726]

This video completely sold me on the Kemper, I bought a stage immediately after watching and have never been happier with a piece of gear. Just wanted to say a big thank you to HW, Josh, and all the JHS guys for all that you do.

[@Simbor-rh1dj]

You should never buy this shit. My friends bought a brand new virus synth and are left holding the bag. They shamelessly sell virus synths on Sweetwater even when it’s not supported. If kemper and his team had some integrity, he would have supported both the amp and synth. Look at Japanese brands like korg, Yamaha, boss, zoom etc. They support their stuff many years after legacy.

[@RustyNotesTV]

I bought the Kemper when it first came out, so I've been using it for 10 years now. I only use it in a home studio. The Kemper was a lifesaver for me because of two reasons. Firstly, living in an apartment, it's hard to crank a full amp at night, thanks to neighbors. Second, I don't have the money to buy all the amps I want. Plus, not all amps I want are available to purchase for me. Those 2 reasons were the reason I bought a Kemper. But there are millions of pros too. One for example is tone stability and consistency like they mentioned. If I record a full album, I'll dial in a perfect tone, profile it and then use the Kemper to record the album. That way, I get the perfect tone and don't have to be scared of a tube going bad, someone bumping the mic of the cab or any other thing that can alter the tone mid album. It's small thing like that that saves time and money too.

[@SeeingColor]

Drummer is laying down some major insights in this episode. Dude is smart as hell

[@kennethlinton4432]

I have watched this show now for 3x times. This is excellent material and wonderfull broadcasting.

[@TeleCustom72]

Consistency is why I started using a Strymon Iridium for gigging. I plug in and get 'my tone' straight away with no messing round, no getting the amp 'in the zone', no crappy electronics in the venue that cause your tube amp to hum and sound gutless - you get the idea. Plus, I don't have to break my back with an amp.

[@Polletross]

Iridium was great sounding but way too limited. I sold that and some other pedals and went fractal fm3 for 1k and it’s the move to make. Just insane tones. Really nice reverb. Still cant get quite as nice delay sounds as timeline but overall it’s so impressive.

[@telecastersRthebest]

Videos like this remind us every time how amazing the JHS channel is.

[@barryterdmaster8504]

Hard core tube amp and pedal guy here. When I had to tour I switched to AxeFX and Kemper for the reason of quick setup, easy to transport, line level, low power consumption, automation, dependability. The trade offs were not even close as modeling won every time. In the studio it is still amps BUT I use modeling also not to replace a tube but create another tone.

[@rlgviz]

I've used a Kemper for years, as a complement to my tube amp collection. I like operating in "edge of breakup" space with my amps, and control dirt via my fingers and the guitar volume knob, with drive pedals for an extra boost. The Kemper not only does the touch sensitivity flawlessly, but really gets the touch sensitivity of _my_ amps, which I've profiled. When I was playing live, the Kemper was a no-brainer to get "my sounds" on stage, without needing to lug around, say, three different amps. These days, I happen to spend a lot of time time living and working and working in a city that's not where my amp collection's home is, and the Kemper lets me continue to use my amps' sounds when I'm not at "home home". I do use pedals in front of it and in the effects loop; I'm not entirely sold on it as replacing all my overdrives and boutique effects. I generally use it as an amp substitute.

[@macsarcule]

Nick is spot on with his assessment of the aesthetic and how important it is to understand what we like vs. what we don’t like and for the reasons why. I can’t deny that Kemper had me feeling weird, like someone was going to say this is the replacement for amps. And it sounds so good, I was questioning why I got the amp I just bought. But then I thought about -why- I like my amp. It’s not only the sound, it’s just like Nick said, it’s part of the cosplay and environment of enjoying music for me. And I don’t feel weird or bad about that, it’s good to remember the reasons I enjoy what I do. Thanks Nick!

[@Haroun-El-Poussah]

Sorry, no cosplay for me, just too good ears, and this is rarely a bliss!!! I even hear the music sheets being turned during a classical concert, and I mean Wagner stuf Moreover, I have serious modulations at work so even if it was perfect, it can't picture the use of e.g. the MoogerFoogers that actually interact with the amp... And I do very good with the Triaxis, the EL84-20/20 and Electrovoice speakers... In terms of the room my stereo amp takes, loool, the Axe-Fx is as big...

[@jorgemartinez42069]

@@Haroun-El-Poussah Ran out of meds that day?

[@Haroun-El-Poussah]

@@jorgemartinez42069 What meds? I apparently don't share your habits! So you think that if your brain can't work efficiently without meds, others are in your case? I pity you

[@jorgemartinez42069]

@@Haroun-El-Poussah I like you

[@Haroun-El-Poussah]

@@jorgemartinez42069 Goodbye. This ain't "au revoir", this is an "adieux"

[@patrickbrown73]

9.5 yrs with my Kemper. Basement player only. Have bought Tone Junky’s Everything pack several months ago. I really really wish you would have played it through a Kemper Kabinet, to get the reactions. Two Kabs with stereo verbs sound huge. Great stuff guys!

[@guitar1067]

One of your very best shows (that's saying a lot) on one of The vital topics. You all convincingly expressed the view that embracing what is great about both profilers and tube amps (or any gear) is the approach that most broadens our creative palette. If it sounds and feels good and works well, don't let tradition limit you. Case-in-point: as late as 1965 using electric guitars and tube amps got Dylan and Bloomfield booed.

[@didifischervideo]

...in those times acoustic folk singers where identified with "truth", and a rebellish point of view to see the world - and the electric thing with more like selling out to commercial music. Today everything (!) is commercialised - there ist no little inch of space NOT used for economic purpose. IMHO

[@ryanlayton3868]

This has been my favorite of all your live streams. Great conversation and really great playing.

[@larryseyer]

Amazing Jam at 54Min.... Geez I was impressed! That drummer is rock solid BTW. Everyone is playing great. Just nice. Thank you.

[@chrisdavies9143]

Not familiar with Tone Junkie but will definitely be checking out his work. This was a really great conversation. As someone who has been using modellers for a while now, for pretty much all the reasons spoken about here, I very much enjoyed this. Really fantastic to hear people who are so passionate about tone and gear still be able to explain the virtues of modern technology. It comes back to something I've been saying for so long, you don't have to choose between one or the other, there's value in it all.

[@tomcoryell]

I first saw this model being used by Skid Row. They were driving Marshall 4-12 cabs with them and they sounded phenomenal. Because of their stage setup, the audience never sees amps or cabs.

[@DrJeebles]

"You always come up with the wrong answer if you ask the wrong question." Brilliant and true. Another great episode, as always.

[@TheChadPad]

It can sound good. It does its job, and that's just what it is. A genius piece of kit. I'm just wondering what it could do that the real things can't, sonically speaking, of course, not practically. The synthesizer, when it was first invented, was looked at as a way to replicate sounds of other instruments, and people wanted it to serve just that role, but it didn't become popular until people realized its potential to make sounds that no one had ever heard before. So I'll say it again, what can the Kemper do that an amp can't? THAT is what I'm interested in. This technology fills a role, but to me, the potential of this technology is largely untapped

[@derekoliver7083]

Portability of the tube amps you love is what it can do. You can bring every amp and pedal board you love with you in one back pack.

[@russellives6069]

@derick oliver, I think you are missing his point. What can it emulate besides common amps? How can it be something different than it was perhaps intended? Interesting thought.

[@spencerkoch1]

it has pretty good acoustic guitar emulation. i have no idea what it does but it can make your electric sound like an acoustic. not sure how many people find that useful or not.

[@rasm0225]

This is a question I think Ben Levin could answer.

[@ska4dragons]

@@russellives6069 you're speaking to guitarheads. They worship tubes. They know nothing else. Other gear is just there to emulate tubes. * *injects tubes into veins*

[@TheTVstew]

One of the most intellectually stimulating podcasts(?) I’ve ever listened to. Great stuff!

[@mikemorrisonmusic]

HW and JHS: Two of my favorite things on earth!

[@AndrewJohnClive]

The boss of Kemper previously created Access Virus Synthesisers. The most successful “virtual’ synth. The guy knows his sh*t!🤘🏽

[@michaeltan_]

yes 👍

[@mistermcclain8178]

From what I’ve seen a lot of those major acts save literally thousands of dollars a year in shipping gear/storage fees/ or renting random gear for international tours. Consistent sound, Small size, And it keeps your vintage gear safe at home. Also they usually don’t bother with the rack mount version even on tour.

[@darrylportelli]

This converation has SO MUCH TRUTH AND KNOWLEDGE !!! ... what a lot of people don't understand about modelers is that they expect a modeler with a cab model to sound like an amp - it will never happen as it is modeling a MICED amp sound , so you have to imagine your amp , how would it sound like if it were miced .... I play overseas shows and obviously I cannot take my tube amps BUT I love the feel of an amp on stage , so I get the best of both worlds - I run a DI feed to front of house to get consistent tone from gig to gig and I run the modeler through the backline amp's return without cab sim into the provided cab --- the tone onstage will not be consistent from venue to venue because it will depend on what cab they provide , BUT it provides something that SOUNDS LIKE AN AMP and not like a MICED amp which is a totally different thing

[@thetallestmanonearth]

I watched the whole thing. Finally understand why I only write break up songs.

[@twitcheyspleen]

hahaha

[@RobertButler1]

Why is that?

[@hnryjmes]

I finally understand this comment

[@TribalScience]

Hanging out, relaxed, talking about music gear, taking breaks to jam... I want my life to look like this some day.

[@HotRodSprint]

52:30 - 54:35 is a SUPER jam that I just can`t stop listening to!

[@matthewmcclure3181]

Taking the leap into home recording is a pretty good way for guitarists to get educated on a lot of these other factors (EQing to fit in the very crowded 250-3000 Hz range in the mix, cutting freq and rolling off lows to accentuate the best parts of tone, learning what those knobs on a compressor are meant to do, learning to tame the room with treatments, listening critically to how a guitar contributes to the overall song (and where it detracts) through flat response monitors, etc). Obviously this is important for recording your music but it's also helpful for communicating with a sound man in a way that might make him actually take you seriously.

[@silkysoy1794]

11:25 Consistency of tone and playing the room. So important and yet so underestimated. Thank you for talking about this. I’ve played my setup in a living room, in an empty warehouse at my work, and in a guest bedroom and the sound is so wildly different it is crazy (like I’m playing through different gear). Even in a small room if I stand in a different place the tone changes dramatically. If I hang up a quilt on the wall it changes even more. “Sound is a physical thing” is so true!

[@ropeswingify]

I landed on this guys channel one night by accident. I ended up buying 3 of these kemper things.. Apparently they're for electric guitars. Im not sure. Ive never held a guitar before. But after 10 minutes listening to this guy I'd have bought anything he was selling. Whatever kemper is paying this guy its not enough. One of the most well informed..well spoken cats ive ever heard. Im glad the JHS guys brought him in. Good stuff.

[@ektopia]

“Miked it up with a 57... like god intended” quote of the show

[@timgosney8664]

I love Nick’s style. That little lead in roll on the first jam couldn’t have been better. Good instincts.

[@musicproductionvideos5019]

Great show guys! Surprised the Editor App wasn't brought up at all. If you do daily studio work... you can have the Kemper connected at all times (MAc/PC/iPad) and have instant access to 20k profiles. AND editing/designing patches/fx chains etc is a breeze.

[@satinwhip]

My favorite thing about my Kemper is the ability to purchase well made profile packs from TJ and MBritt and others of amps that I will never be able to own due to price or availability. I have a Kemper powered toaster and foot controller, two Yamaha DXR10 monitors, a Mission expression pedal and numerous profile packs. I have about the same money in this rig that I might have spent on a used SLO 100 (before Mike retired and the prices shot up) and I have so many other great amp tones available. SLO. Dumble., Plexi and Super Lead amps. Vintage Fenders and Vox. Bunches of newer boutique amps. It's all there at the touch of a button and it sounds great every time I plug in. That said, it's a tool just like every tube amp ever designed and no one tool is right for everyone or correct for every job. I'm really pleased that I got on board with Kemper.

[@markbois1713]

I've played a Kemper for about 4 years and I love it. It's a powerhead and I run it with a cab and direct live. I also set up a whole bank per guitar starting clean and getting progressively dirty. This way my Strat is as loud as my Les Paul ect. As far as being complicated to use I didn't feel it was hard to learn how to use. The editor made it even easier plus they keep updating and improving unlike other companies that just come out with new products making your old unit obsolete.

[@sergiobollana]

I enjoyed this a lot... didn't know what Kempers were. Now I also enjoy a lot checking the Angus Young rig rundown where they go through 62 Marshall heads before a tour. To each his own.

[@maxhocks2006]

I’m just a guy playing guitar in my bed room. So all this is waay over my head. But I’m of the opinion that you use the tool that’s right for the job. Acoustic guitar straight through a P.A. or mic’ed can create a master piece. For some situations a full pedal board, huge stacks and even rack effects are the right tool. If kempers do what people need they’ll stick around. If they don’t they’ll disappear. Simple as that.

[@mikesharpsongs]

I have been in a parallel world to the whole Kemper thing for a while. I play a Godin Multiac Jazz SA w/three outputs: humbucker/piezo/synth. For the past few years I have tried many combinations of signal paths and effects on each and combinations of those outputs. I have also used different combinations of amplification: tube amps, PA, mixer, floor & mic stand mounted monitors, iems and different configurations of all the above. For the past couple of years, in addition to the synthesis signal path, I have added the Iridium to my humbucker signal path and blended the two outputs (alongside the piezo signal path) into a mixer that feeds iems and a powered speaker for the audience. You guys touched upon so many of the discoveries I have made as well. It has been a perpetual revolution of tonal environment and I love it all. I would love to try the Kemper out as well; the price point is prohibitive, given all that I have already invested. How are the acoustic amp models? Can you run two separate amp/signal paths?

[@jgpennies8642]

I learned a lot from this simply by still liking this guy despite the fact that he’s committing 3 acts of guitar cringe all at once: playing a pink John Mayer PRS Strat with a cigarette on the headstock, indoors with clearly no intention of smoking it and then plugging into a kemper?!? Sheesh. It is obscene. It is preposterous but nonetheless he seems like chill bro. 4 stars.

[@ToneJunkieTV]

Thanks dude!

[@alphanumeric1529]

Seriously, I've heard on back channels that the Atomic Energy Commission was on standby to drop a rod of god on JHS headquarters, the potential for cascading runaway cringe was so high. I think a Hawaiian shirt, or something similar, may have been involved. The recklessness of it all is staggering. A very serious defcon dookie sitchiation. But it all worked out okay, in the end. Now, though, I don't know if I don't like that first profiled amp, the name is escaping me, the 15" speakered Fender... I don't know if I don't like the sound of that amp, or of the Kemper doing that amp. Lol, the foncusion.

[@Ndlanding]

@@alphanumeric1529 You took the words right out of my mouth.

[@JohannesLabusch]

If I had to judge this guy's expertise in profiling based on his taste in shirts and haircuts, I wouldn't be quite so tempted to buy a Kemper ...

[@jaykay0401]

I appreciate everything about it!

[@mad7stringer]

This is for HW though he may never see this comment. I am a death metal guitarist playing 7 strings and I LOVE the Mesa Mark 7 pack from Tone Junkies. Yes I have to tweak the rigs slightly for a bit more gain...... but don't sell yourself short HW. You may not be a death metal guy...... but good tone is good tone. Thank you for being such a great ambassador for the Kemper. I bought one based on watching your channel

[@joel.website]

As someone who does a lot of live sound, I thank God every time a guitarist brings in a Kemper/Helix/AxeFX/etc... I know they're gonna get the sound that they actually want AND the modeler's going to be so much less finicky than tube amps. Tube amps rule, but modeler's are so trustworthy.

[@misakiyoshida]

That's really the bottom line. You can get whatever amp you want in this thing and people expect me to still drag around a heavy JCM-800 at the airport for the sake of "muh tubes"? Fuck no!

[@leomonster1973]

Perfect description I am a tone snob asshole tube amps rule guy… got a Helix, haven’t turned on any of my amps for well over a month

[@algrundau9441]

What about a good Solid state amp, good cabinet, analog pedals, and a Shure 57 micing the cabinet?....Nothing Tube OR Digital about that.I have got good sounds out of that. ....Or at least I think I got good sound. ...anyway, I am serious, as someone who does live sound a lot...what if someone shows up with an Orange Crush (Solid State) Boss Katana, Roland JC--120 or Blues Cube, or even Marshall Solid state....with good pedals?...why not? Just asking.

[@Mr.D34]

That bedroom sound is so true, it's also my thing. I haven't jammed with anybody in ages that i forgot about it. Even when i try new gear in a guitar store i notice how it sounds different once it's home. That's also probably why most guitar stores have closed spaces for trying out gear. This is the reason i love watching JHS videos even if it's about a gear or subject that i absolutely don't care about, i always learn something. Also because JHS guys are great musicians with great sense of humor 😀

[@Rawkabilly57]

One downside to the Kemper is when I go see my favorite band and look on stage to figure out what gear they use, it's much harder.... because a Kemper can be anything.

[@Dylan-Juhan]

At some point it'll become a trade secret.

[@samuelhatman8995]

Ohhhh my... just finished. Big pic.... y'all are jus' doin' the right thing. Heart aflutter. Bless you! Sammy.

1:46:00 I LOOOOOOVE Stereo Rigs, that is why i loved the Line6 vetta so much, also helix and axefx here are sooo good just mix two amps one a bit midforwards with more gain, and one fatter with more highend and a bit less gain and it is sooo much easier to get an amazing tone by mixing two amps instead of finding the perfect spot on amp that need to do everything

[@lenbones7940]

Awesome that you did a collaboration wit tone junkie I love people finally are stopping the hate... I myself get alot of it since my amp set up is a wet dry wet with 3 quilters a pedal and analogue spring reverb and old Answering machine box I converted into a tape slap echo the tone police arrest me on a weekend basis but what can I say I being able to carry my whole set up on one moving dolly yet still have a wet dry wet set up... the more people just experiment instead of waste time blues lawyering lol

[@Dionsilberman]

I like the chat guy, completely different to everyone on the team adding another perspective. Should speak more!

[@juzzybassgrove4354]

Love Chat Guy. He is so cool. Keep it up Dude.

[@jhspedals]

Thank you. 🙇🏻‍♂️

[@geoffreymerrifield5666]

Excellent viideo and great points. Honestly these type of vids are usaully a snooze for me, but this one kept my interest. Liked the mod's thinking and only caring what works and sounds good. Simply brilliant. HW is a very kind and quite brilliant young man. Kemper is very blessed to have him as a creator, educator and profile maker.

[@JorgeLetria]

These fights are always about different people with different needs and setups talking as if they all did the same thing. Metal guitar players will tell you all pedals suck, that distortion must come from the amp. Well yea, high gain distortion *usually* sounds better from a high gain tube amp than a pedal. A rock/blues guitarist will not agree, because that's not the sounds they're after. And they'll fight about it without realizing they're comparing apples to oranges. Owners of some pedal will swear by it while others will hate it. They'll fight about it, without realizing they're hearing the same pedal through completely different amps, speakers, instruments and rooms. I play at home through small tube amps. That's my thing, it covers my needs, I don't need a Kemper. I'd hate to have to use a Kemper, but nobody is forcing me to. But it's pretty easy to see how great it is for a touring musician. Do your thing people, stop wasting your life in pointless internet squabbles.

[@StratsRUs]

But that means people will have to just play their guitars and *practice*

[@stanislavmigra]

Great post. Ps: I love just to sit down and practice guitar whole afternoon.

[@jwmcmillenii]

@@StratsRUs "Shut Up And Play Yer Guitar." Wiser words were never spoken.

[@paulmiller9023]

Hi Josh and team. First, love the channel and pedals. I have a Line6 for recording. I find that an amp in a room, digital or analog moves air differently. It has a deepness that my studio monitors cannot replicate. However, I have 4 amps. They all sound different and I love them. When I record, I love the Line 6. No matter how much effort, the line 6 sounds better and is easier to use. I like to record with effects on but not on tape (recorded). I like to add effects when mixing so I can control the tone. I like to write with pedals in hand. The tone inspires me. My pedals sit on a raised pedal board so I can dial in tone until it fits the song. Then I try to rebuild it in the mix. Love the show. Feedback is like looking into the Psyche of people. Many are just angry. Love the show!!!!! Keep up the great work. Also, I do like stereo pedals.

[@FelipeTellez]

Let's be honest, the only reason I watch The JHS Show is for Nick's jingles

[@SrNutritivo]

I'm not even a guitarist

[@lbcsrw]

Hey there, guys! I wanted to let you know that I finally watched this live stream, today, and it was perfect. I was exhausted, and the endless blathering eased me into a peaceful slumber. I was awakened about 75 minutes in, by an eruption of hysterical laughter. I guess four people won a million dollars, each? Kudos to them. Anyway, I feel well rested, now, so thanks for that.

[@joshyg12]

That’s cool.

[@mattcarnevali]

PLEASE make a Klon ashtray. Funniest part of this episode.

[@skobywankenobi]

I've been playing for coming up on 30 years now. I've been through 5150s, Mesas and Various Marshalls over the years, then to a modelling amp. now I use Amplitube 5 and either a Windows Laptop (preferred oddly enough) or an iPad, and a DI box. I have my sound, the soundman plugs it in and I get way more control over my tone than I'd have traditionally. Add to that rig a floorbased midi controller I assign profiles and pedals to and I have every thing I need to play any size of gig. It really worked for me, I have the exact tones I want and when I get the itch I just load up another amp and start building a signal chain till I get something new. As a player, the versatility is amazing and is worth the trade off to having an amp in the room, especially when I'm reduced to headphones when the wife and kids are in bed.

[@OldSkaterDude]

Story time! During my earlier days of finding tone (I'm 36 - so, maybe 16ish), I grew accustomed to the sounds I'd get from my analog pedals plugged into my amp. After seeing one of my friends play through one of those Digitech multi effects pedals, I thought, 99 (I don't remember how many but you get the idea) different effects in one package?? Where do I get mine?! Anyways, that was my gateway into multi-effects thus led to a lot of trial and error on finding what suited me best. For a while I was turned off from these units due to the many menus and crappy software that you had to endure just to get a semi-decent tone. It wasn't until I purchased my Boss GT-1000 - and actually sat down to figure it out - that I gained a lot of respect for these multi processing boxes. I mean, just last night I was able to figure out the midi function! Needless to say, it's taken me a while, but I feel like I've crossed over to loving this thing! Thanks for reading and have a great day! P.S. I recently found out that the band "The Expendables" use the Kemper device and their tones are killer!! 🤙

[@slickcross]

With the Kemper, it all starts with a good captured amp. From there, you just add your effects and you are good to go. Tone Junkie and Michael Britt have the best captures but there are definitely others that do a good job.

[@stanislavmigra]

POD - it sounds just like tubes AxeFX - now it sounds like tubes Kemper - now it can capture tube sound Helix - now it really souds like tubes QuadCore - oh no no no, NOW it sounds like tube ... Give me break guys ...

[@ileutur6863]

You don't believe in the improvement of technology? Christ guitarists are dumb sometimes

[@stanislavmigra]

@@ileutur6863 carrefull, who you call dumb ;). I dont bash technology, I bash marketing. Maybe you are dumb, when you dont get the joke ;).

[@skatertrev7]

I agree, but it would be ignorant to believe there haven't been VAST improvements in each stage.

[@Imokyourok440]

@@ileutur6863 Most mainstream music audiences won’t stand for anything less than a tube amp. Lol😂😂😂😂

[@jtn191]

Windows 95: it can do everything you need Windows 98: no it's a little better Windows XP: this is the best, it does everything Windows 10: This will do everything--last windows Windows 11: hmb

[@jamesprosser7236]

Have to say I really enjoyed this episode! Great vibes, good humour and interesting discussions, nice

[@stevensiwinski]

Did a double take on the Klon ash tray. lmao

[@BeesWaxMinder]

THATS how ya get that Special Smokey Tone(TM)!!

[@beauedwards5572]

Killer video, guys! I've never used a Kemper, but all of the sound guys I've worked with at the clubs say I should get one and that I'm behind the times for not having one already. I guess I'm old fashioned! I love my silverface Princeton, my limited edition Deluxe, and my pedalboard. It would take a lot for me to want to stray from them, but I can see the advantages of a Kemper rig. Space and ease of setup at a gig, for sure. You guys are great! Thanks for all you do!

[@red1173]

It’s the same with electric drums. The drummer doesn’t like playing them as much as an acoustic set but in a smaller church they work miracles and when everything recorded it sounds studio quality. So I guess I get where you guys are coming from.

[@schlo9358]

yes right (: i play kemper in church and i had problems with loud amps.

[@Ndlanding]

Jesus fuck! What's with all the church-playing in the US? And Kemper being JC and working miracles (in small churches).

[@mattcooper1840]

I've used a tone master twin since they have come out. It's great... I can turn the speaker off if I need to be quiet. Some sound guys want to mic an amp. I can give them. I can do out. I can use the inbuilt irs. It attenuates well for what ever situation. My home sound and gig sound is pretty much the same. And it does break my back. I'm so interested in the keeper floor tho...

[@johnbehan1526]

Working "miracles" in a church is a bold claim indeed!

[@Magic_Man916]

That was the absolute perfect line from Josh.. "it's the living brochure". To me, that's the absolute perfect way to describe the Kemper.

[@RobertFisher1969]

Playing guitar since around 1986, I’ve never found the magic of tube amps that people talk about no matter how many I try in any context. I still have a tube amp and enjoy it, but I don’t find it better or worse than my models or solid-state amps. And while I love the feel of air moving in the room, even then I’ve always wanted to get closer to a produced/recorded sound than the raw sound. I’m not interested in a Kemper not because I don’t think it will sound as good as a tube amp but because I’m happy with the non-tube stuff I already have.

[@TheRealWalkingDude]

Agreed. I feel like there must be something wrong with my hearing or something because I feel like my solid state Fender amp sounds just as good as tube amps I’ve played

[@peteytwofinger]

@@TheRealWalkingDude nothing wrong , you just discovered the emporers new clothes effect of the internet guitar player syndrome .

[@philspill6854]

Corksniffers aplenty

[@J.C...]

Hmmm. I can tell the difference between even what I have, which is a Laney Cub 12R with EL84s and 12ax7's and a couple of different solid state modeling amps. One from Fender, one from another company and a 3rd that came with my guitar. It's obvious the moment I hit the first note that they're solid state. They just don't react the way the tube amp does. It's such a difference that I can't even really use the ss amps anymore because they sound so stale and plain. It's almost like there's some sort of compressor doing wonky things no matter how clean or lightly I play. Now they aren't the newest stuff out but they're not real old, either. A Mustang and a Spider and a Frontman 10g type amp.

[@rogerkaputnik4760]

I have a huge emotional attachment to my tube amps, but believe it or not, I have abandoned them for a Line6 Pod 2.0. A million miles away from Kemper I know, but one thing I love is that I get a perfect "recorded" tone without any hassles of mic placement, and that aspect of consistency no matter where you are or when you turn it on makes all my tube amps obsolete.

[@loganressler9173]

Nick's "Guitar Player Cosplay" comment might be the most astute thing I've heard about the guitar gear community.

[@weedywet]

I can set my favorite tube amp just the wayI like it, mic it with a great mic just the way I like to, put it through a great preamp that I like, and then capture that as a profile. Then, every time I want that sound, two weeks or two months later on a record, or every night live on any stage, it's right there with no variables to go wrong. If it's not EXACTLY like the original it's 99%. And I can tour with a Hiwatt and a Vox and an Ampeg all in one rack, and have them all instantly recallable. Something there's no way I'd do with the real things. And for me, with no disrespect to the excellent Tone Junkies profiles, that's the real beauty of the Kemper; it's making MY profiles of MY amps sounding the way I like them, not some company's modeling idea of what THEY think an AC30 (or whatever) sounds like.

[@Gniff85411]

“Ambien” E minor wasn’t ambient Wonderwall, it was more like ambient ‘80s Cortez the Killer. Sounded awesome!

[@philgallagher1]

More like Pink Floyd meets U2.

[@brokenegg4714]

it is Cortez the Killer. end colonialism today!!!

[@lerxst88]

I thought it sounded like the bridge from lines in the sand by dream theater

[@g-man7687]

It’s amazing digital modeling and profiling is in its infantsy Solid state and tube Amps have been in production for 70 + years great things are going to come really liked this show I think we all have been having an internal struggle with this subject Thanks for shining some light on this subject guys very well done !!!!

[@OrangeMicMusic]

I don't own a Kemper (yet :) ). But to me it's enough proof, if Metallica, Megadeth and Avenged Sevenfold are using modelers live (AxeFX and Quad Cortex), Salyer used a Kemper to record Gary Holt's parts on their last album, and Andy Sneap doesn't hear any difference between his collection of tube amps and his profiles on Kemper. There are even more artists using modelers on stage or studio, you just have to search....so many that I cannot remember now. Guitar tone evolution is so amazing, you just have to embrace it, not fight it. (PS: I love tube amps soooo much, I've playing them since the '90s, but I don't deny the power of technology)

[@schlo9358]

Rammstein and Eric Clapton use kemper live

[@VodkaSelekta]

Metallica is the same band who decided to use the st anger snare and cut the bass out of and justice for all. I guess the rest of those names count though.

[@OrangeMicMusic]

@@VodkaSelekta that's true, but I wouldn't diminish their ability to choose a good guitar sound because of bad mix decisions they did in the past.

[@spencerkoch1]

I have the kemper stage which I think is probably the most useful tool for a home studio. I bought the ToneJunkie everything pack on sale. I have every classic amp available in seconds with little to no tweaking involved. It is just dead easy to use when you already have good profiles available. It's also been great for covid with staying at home a lot and making it easy to get great tone while practicing. I also have a 64 black panel deluxe reverb and and ox amp top box. it sounds really really good too, but the kemper is just faster and easier. if you look at the economics, a kemper is way cheaper to get a versatile studio up and running if you factor in the cost of good mics (like a royer 121 is the same price as a kemper) not to mention the amps themselves.

[@bartlettpsj]

I have tone junkie everything but prefer mbritt. But tbh they’re all good after you adjust to taste. I hear folk complain about some profiles, but 95% great once you adjust.

[@spencerkoch1]

@@bartlettpsj MBritt makes great profiles too!

[@JonKaneshiroGuitar]

Played a kemper for three years. The intent was because we had a daughter and I knew I would be able to play loud. Also, playing at church they wanted a silent stage. Playing through in ears for years prior to getting a kemper made the adjustment quite easy. I was used to the sound of a mic’d amp. Now running a Fractal. Still love Kemper and HW is a great dude!

[@IrLosin]

I love people like Josh who don't just go: this is a thing, this is how you dial it and this is how it sounds, but they tell you the history. Josh is the George Motz of pedals.

[@EsharpGflat]

I typically don’t chime in on things like this, but here’s your “data.” Lol. The Kemper is fantastic. Is there a difference in profile sound, vs sound of the entire rig? Under sterile scrutiny yes, but it is negligible in usable conditions, and can always be tweaked through various means as well. The versatility, consistency, ease (excluding the learning curve), and efficiency it offers well outweighs the 5% of tone your psychological response is telling you your missing. In other words, it sounds good and has a plethora of use cases. Without great tube amps, the Kemper would actually suck. No one is trying to bash tube amps. But for the skeptics, I think what HW says around the 1:23:09 mark actually applies to the Kemper as well, if you actually get play around on one and get used to “recorded” guitar sound vs “amp in the room” (which there are remedies for), then you would never say it sounds bad. Keeping in mind the recorded vs in the room takeaways, one caveat to consider is the quality of profile you are using. Before sharing/selling of profiles became the popular use base with limited users actually profiling, people had to profile their amps themselves. So if you’ve got a poorly treated room, low quality mics, or no knowledge of micing up an amp, then you will get a bad sounding profile. If you use someone else’s bad sounding profile (for these reasons or just because it is not a usable tone for your use case), then the Kemper will still not sound good. Most profiles out there I will never have a use case for (coming from someone who has thousands, there is A LOT of profiles out there). I love my silverface Fender Bassman. I love my Kemper. I love my Quad Cortex. But I love them all for different reasons.

[@Ndlanding]

And the Paralympics closes, with the very last and ultimate gold going out to Esharpfnatural (ooh, the irony!) for "Longest Paragraph Ever Written" using elbows, knees or earlobes. CONGRATULATIONS! Your medal is in the post. Please note: the term "gold" may be used as a description of any metal near (+/- 0.072 mm) Gold in the Periodic Table. The judges' final is decision.

[@EsharpGflat]

OMG, guys isn’t he the funniest?! I forfeit my medal unto you, the high and mighty with SUCH wit! Not to mention classy and on topic! Who needs a gold medal when they have a JHS heart?

[@RolyZavala]

17:57 Facts! Had to learn that the hard way. Went to play with a band, hit my lead channel and I had to look back at my amp wondering what happened because my sound ended up getting lost in the mix.

[@lukehouglum4731]

This one was really good, guys

[@budgetbarista]

I grew up in my guitar life a gear snob. My first exposure to tube amps was at 17 when my older friends like my play their original '68 Fender Super Reverb, '67 Vibro Champ and '72 Princeton Reverb. I was convinced that not only were tube amps superior to everything else but specifically if it wasn't hand-wired, it must suck. After years of touring and owning the spaceship pedalboard with the Strymon pedals and boutique overdrives, I was convinced all tube, analog rigs were the only thing that could possibly sound great. Then I discovered the Kemper. My fellow tone snob friends made fun of me at first but I persisted and thoroughly enjoyed not lugging around everything. The simple equation of plugging in direct and having great sounding tone never changing is fantastic. I still own a '59 Bassman Reissue and Morgan AC-20tb and play those at home but I exclusively gig with my Kemper. I've even sent live recordings of me playing my Kemper to my tube amp enjoying friends and they always guess wrong that I'm playing one of my amps. As far as playing with little or no stage volume, there really isn't much that can beat the Kemper or Fractal units. Even the FX sound great.

[@ElektroCuration]

Gotta love HW! This was such a fun and informative stream. I’m a little conflicted though-it featured no pedals per se, and yet it was probably my favorite jhs live stream to date!

[@Ndlanding]

I think the floor controller unit might count as a pedal. And they did mention that the Kemper had some built-in "pedal-type" effects (my words).

[@frankhoogendijk8760]

There was a Klon-ashtray at least..

[@RLB221]

5:35: I think Kempers shine in live situations because they make things convenient. You can switch from a great blackface profile for cleans, to an overdriven Tweed profile for solos, and a plexi profile for some cool riffage. The average musician will not be able to tell that it’s not the actual amp. I think conventional amps will still be used more in recording situations because the real thing carries a 5% advantage over a Kemper profile.

[@StratsRUs]

The Edge has only one fault. Giving the world church players. The Edge wrote classic songs.

[@jwmcmillenii]

Think wrenches. The '59 Bassman might be a 7/16". A '62 AC30 might be a 3/8". The Kemper is an adjustable wrench. (For the non-handy folk, that's the one that has the screw thing on the side that widens and narrows the jaws of the wrench to work for any size.) It may be imperfect and slip a little, but that nut is getting turned.

[@eriksantana7249]

A kemper used as a preamp into a tube amp is amazing. From my experience and seems like the obvious norm is that it depends on the profile and who made the profiles. A good profile sounds amazing. I have noticed that i think the “feel” of something tricks your ears. But i will say, alot of the Class D power amps have some sort of weight missing. Someone should just make an actual iron transformer based power section for a kemper. I almost 100% think the sounds fake thing is an illusion and has something more to do with how it feels different... and i think that has something to do with the weighty sound and feel of projection that a big fat transformer makes.

[@anthonysthellhammerg4388]

I do that with my hx stomp to a hd100 tube head , do you run through the front of your amp or do you go through the effects loop as i do with the stomp?

[@eriksantana7249]

@@anthonysthellhammerg4388 into the front

[@clintvaughtvaught1955]

Absolutely one of my favorite live episodes and I have no reason whatsoever to own a kemper.

[@WawakGuitar]

A Kemper, Fractal, Line 6 or other great modeller or profiler allow you to take the great stuff we like about tube amps and get rid of the stuff we don't like about tube amps. And in a band situation mixed in with the other musicians nobody is going to be able to tell the difference. Especially if you are running your unit through some amplification on stage.

[@Haroun-El-Poussah]

Except that my A/B tests showed that these don't sound like the real things in A/B tests... Electrovoice speakers are MERCILESS...

[@WawakGuitar]

@@Haroun-El-Poussah what tests are you speaking of? I have seen the opposite. All of these units handle very well in true blind tests. But once you add vocals, bass, keys and drums you definitely are not going to be able to tell the difference.

[@Haroun-El-Poussah]

@@WawakGuitar : MY tests in MY studio, and I'm the knd of people to hear music sheets being turned during a Wagnerian concert or people speaking in the street 40-50m away from me... Actually, even by running the Axe in peamp copy alone versus a Triaxis, it didn't made it while amplified by a tubey and the preamp weights only 25% of the tube-sound!!! Actually, using a Marshall stereo Tube-amp, guess what? The Roland's COSM sounds better than the Axe-FX BTW, question yourself about who organized the blind tests you're speaking about! When it comes to a mix, just listen how King Crimson sounds DULL now, and so does Adrian Belew, Steve Howe used to put all your body hairs straighten, now, nothing like this happens! Vernon Reid had the worst sound of all his career on Spectrum Road, Holdsworth sound was lifeless while he used to own the most gorgeous live sound ever heard with the amps he self customized, hopefully, both Vernon and Allan came back to their senses, re-using tubeys and... So did I because, guess what? Geek as I am, I didn't waited for you, I even was in the early modelling users! In fact, modelling stuff is exactly like yachts : you're happy twice : the day you buy it and the day you sell it!!!! Except you won't lose a lot of money selling your yacht while digital stuff re-sells for peanuts... And I'm not only speaking about guitar amps : so is it for VSTis : I can't point a single VSTi sounding as good as the real synth! The only ones that will make you happy are sample based, e.g. to reproduce the Mellotron's tapes, thus I couldn't compare with a real Mellotron, any way, you're unlikely to find a fully working one and even less perfectly conserved tapes banks for this... Actually, modelling is great... for the poor. BTW, on what gear do you listen to your mixes? Yamaha NS-10M or HS-50? Surely not on Dynaudio, PMC or some Klipsh Heritage (€7800 a pair when I checked the prices a few years ago) : on such gear, even the CD's 16/44.1 format sounds like SHIT compared to 24/96 or serious analog recorders like the Studer A800... On such gear, your modelling stuff sounds as good as .mp3 128k... Which is absolutely horrible!!! Note that I don't use low-end speakers on my guitar cabs : I got rid of Eminence and Jensen ones, I only keep 1 Celestion Gold Alnico to use with the Vox AC15 and one Greenback. My workhorses are EVM12L, I also use JBL or their Weber replicas... You surely know how Mogami cables are praised, actually, you even find these rebranded with €120 for 6m super-hyped guitar cables... Do an A/B test between a 3m Mogami and a 5m Sommer Spirit XXL Hi-End and you clearly notice the Sommer sounds better in your EV speakers. Won't happen with Celestions while the JBL ones were also used for high-end HiFi... Eminence ones are even worse. Hopefully, I started with Audax guitar speakers. These little 30W ones with their red paper cones and yellow fabric domes may lack basses, the sound was way more accurate than any Celestion or Eminence and you had gorgeous harmonics, bandwidth going as high as 9kHz... You're so accustomed to Lo-Fi that anything sounds good for you? GREAT! I offer you €300 for your Mesa/Soldano/CAE/Alessandro/Dumble/Trainwreck (including cabs) and €200 for your Plexi/JCM800/Twin Reverb/Dual Showman... I agree to pay €50 per MoogerFooger or Schulte stompbox, €25 for Boss/Ibz-Maxon/DOD/MXR BTW, why don't you get one of these modelling guitars, e.g. Variax or VG-99? Don't they sound the same as your regular one? So you can get a cheap €300 Ibanez RG and shred with a Strat sound. I agree to pay €300 for any pre-CBS Fender Strat, Tely or JazzMaster, maybe some Mustang too and pre-1968 LesPaul, SG, Flying-V, Explorer, L-5, Super-400, as long as they're still effective players... I'm also interested in analog synths, especially from Moog, Oberheim, Sequencial Circuits, EMS, Buchla, Roland, Korg, as well as analog recording gear (Neve, SSL, Suder, Otari, Trident, Harrison, etc) And don't worry, I know what I am doing! I will help you getting rid from your obsolete analog gear... You don't need this, it's just for cosplay, isn't it?

[@WawakGuitar]

@@Haroun-El-Poussah I am sorry that you are so sensitive about this subject. If you think tube amps are better, more power to you. You have an opinion, but you state it as if it is fact. I personally don't have time to have internet arguments.

[@ChieUbaldo]

@@Haroun-El-Poussah Are you mad? That's one hell of a response 😂.

[@schlo9358]

Before i had a kemper stage, i had an padelboard and vox ac15. I love my kemper. it sounds every time the same, no mic problems and loud amp. And i like the kemper free software updates. They still improving effects or adding new.

[@ytrichardsenior]

When I look at the warm glowing tubes in the back of my Marshall JCM 800 2x12 combo (in purple tolex), I often think... Yeah I'd rather have a small computer at 3 times the cost, because you know, it sounds nearly as good.

[@seizethemeansproduction]

how does it feel to miss the point so completely?

[@markhammer643]

I had a lovely chat with Chris Kemper when I attended Summer NAMM a few years ago. One of the things he expressed great pride in with the Profiler was the balance he struck between control and usability. As he conveyed it to me, he *could* have included gobs more parameters, variations, and accompanying sub-menus, but wanted it to be *usable* , so he held off on those. I like that attitude. I'm normally a guy who will mod pedals up the wazoo to extract more "tricks" from them. But ultimately, all that capability has to be readily accessible and not feel like you're desperately trying to remember your high school locker combination from 5 years ago. So even though I *know* more could be done and options included, I ask myself "What few changes would yield the most value to me as a player?", and leave it at those. Same thing with guitar electronics. Too many options makes for an unplayable instrument. I bought a 3-pickup Tele clone off a guy. Nice axe, but it has one toggle per pickup. I'd rather forego some of the exotic options and just have a 5-way switch.

[@paulcowart3174]

Just get a replacement wiring harness Done deal

[@markhammer643]

@@paulcowart3174 Appreciate the suggestions, but I make my own pickups and do my own wiring. The 3-pickup Tele would unfortunately require much routing and a custom pickguard to accommodate a 5-way switch. Fortunately, I have another 3-pickup Tele that *does* have a 5-way. Problem solved! :-)

[@Slowdyek4]

"Mic-ed up with an SM57, the way God intended."

[@mattermolecules6767]

Amazing. HW and JHS. I really look at my kemper a little different. I try to go thru profiles and find my "tone" / "sound". I noticed I was shaping my tone to sound the same regardless of what amp profile I was using. That memory tone. It's a great tool.

[@garycorde994]

I haven’t used an amp for rehearsal or gigs in years. Basic pedal board into a Strymon Iridium.

[@DGB18]

what does your iridium go into next your bands pa ? .

[@queencabbage3689]

Lmao same

[@desmondmyers]

I feel like the iridium gets left out a lot in these discussions maybe because it’s new? I use that pedal for so much of my sound now. From festival to club it’s just perfect. It also marries the tube amp simplicity thing we guitarists like. Also the ROOM REVERB is scary realistic lmao love mine.

[@garycorde994]

@@DGB18 yes, the iridium goes direct. As far as the audience is concerned I’m playing through a Fender Deluxe, AC30 or a Marshall. And that’s another nice feature, with the optional remote selector, I can have 4 heads and cabs preprogrammed.

[@queencabbage3689]

@@DGB18 yeah if you want it to. Or set it to instrument level to go to your amp/2 amps in stereo

[@timchalmers1700]

I always appreciate the idea of using the best tool for the job. The weight of the amp and how loud you are allowed to play it certainly are factors that need to be considered. Maybe someday I'll get a modeler but kind of I doubt it. So far, I haven't been convinced to put it on my GAS list.