Kemper through Katana Air vs TH10 vs Vox Adio Air

[@benbladeeee9973]

I know that the vox sounds the most natural ( in real life ) . It is realy a joy to play through .

[@shadowm3ld]

Agreed… this was years ago so the tech has changed. But at that time, the Katana was really harsh-sounding. So great for metal. But the Vox and Yamaha were much warmer and had tube quality tones.

[@Mike_B.]

1:21 Boss 2:46 Yamaha 5:10 Vox

[@Newnodrogbob]

You can mark this down as a video I never would have expected to see. Tone comparison of a kemper through a thr, katana mini, and adio...wild.

[@shadowm3ld]

Gordon this is a good thing right? 😀

[@Newnodrogbob]

It was interesting, and as far as I can tell really isolates the different qualities of the speakers and power amplification in these little things. I'm toying with the idea of getting one of the little amps, and sure as hell can't afford a Kemper, so it doesn't answer a realistic practical concern for me. But hey, I watched the whole thing.

[@shadowm3ld]

Gordon Roberts using the Kemper I think my favorite sounding amp all around at low volumes is the THR10. But at louder volumes, the Vox is much better - you don’t hear the rattling at the low end as much. The Katana is really harsh on the high, but it’s probably the easiest amp to practice with. For my needs, the Vox is a much better fit. Btw, if you play guitar for gigs or planning on playing for a lifetime and want to try all kinds of amps, I really suggest saving up for a Kemper. I got mine used after about a year after it came out. It’s been the best investment I’ve made and I absolutely love it.

[@Newnodrogbob]

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind

[@danubius7]

Bering fed up to wait of the Katana Air I bought the Vox Air.After seeing your.demo it proves I've done a good choice! Now...bloody Kemper is winking.hard to me but...I don't now...at my level should be too much!..Got an Boss GT 1 which goes bad with Vox air!..Tnx for your demo!!

[@leoothegroove]

One of the best small amp comparison videos in KZbin! And of course I have bought the Vox for my home practicing My cheap 5 or 10 watts (forgotten) Laney amp cannot make crunch sound at small volume so I played acoustically most of the time. I know there are lots of new technology, interface that can plug in smartphone or computer to play quietly but I am not a technology guys, it is kind of annoying for me to set up. At the same time, there is a promotion so Vox is cheaper than a yahmaha TH10 for about 50USD. So Vox is the best choice in my case and I have no regret. I think the Vox could be played for several years in the future unless I moved to a bigger house or have a studio/bandroom that I would upgrade to a real tube amp.

[@shadowm3ld]

leoo lau I agree with you 100%! Thanks for your comments!

[@Philminator]

99% sure if I buy any of these, it will be the Vox because of you. Thank you.

[@shadowm3ld]

Great, I really like mine. It has a lot more power than the THR10 and sounds warmer than the Katana Air. It’s a great powered speaker for my purposes. Just remember that I use it as a stereo speaker for my Kemper. These sounds aren’t native to the speakers... the only drawback I see is that it’s ugly haha.

[@Philminator]

shadowm3ld I wanna run BIAS FX 2 on my Mac through the Vox. THR30ii seems tempting too. I’d be using amp as clean possible to get real tones I dial in BIAS. As a bonus in summer, sure just bring amp and guitar out to jam would be nice.

[@shadowm3ld]

Philminator awesome plan. How do you like your BIAS? Us digital guys have to stick together haha. But seriously the emulation is so much better now than even 10 years ago. The benefit of running a rig like mine into the Vox is that I just run direct stereo out and plug into the Aux input in the amp and it’s going to be as clean as possible. Don’t even bother going into the amp from your Bias. I have a L/R cable out from my Kemper into the 1/8” aux input. There’s no color at all from the amp. I basically use it as a powered stereo speaker that way.

[@Philminator]

shadowm3ld I love it. It’s on sale 40% off. I would be using input as well to bypass effects to get clean sound indeed. Positive grid Spark seems neat as well. You seen it?

[@shadowm3ld]

Philminator yeah I think I was thinking of the Positive Grid Spark. There are really great alternatives out there now. I actually have something called the Mod Duo, which is basically a virtual pedalboard. You should look into it if you like to have a visual interface on your Mac... the beauty of it is that it loads the plugins into the pedal and you can operate it straight out of there without having to bring a laptop on stage.

[@Amiga1200_Juicer]

A comparison for flat response, very nice mate. İ dont own a kemper but i have a tube amp/fxsend/cabsim/fx processor setup, am using logitech z623 atm and i am pretty happy with it , am a sort of boxy tone lower, hate open sounds, would u suggest vox ? or should i go for something like moorer silvereye, since i dont need any preamp or fx. SStudio monitors arent portable so yeah , nice review, thanks for your time

[@SuperGDOG3]

Thanks for your review.I own THR-10 and Vox ADIO GT Air and I thoroughly agree with your results.I run a Boss GT 001 through the AUX in and use either of the Amps along with it. Great Stereo with especially one clean channel and one driven.I must say that I have been looking at the Kemper lately so it's great to see someone actually do this.From previous experience I have learned to play more and spend less time on sounds and tinkering.I find the Vox and THR both help with this.Do you find the Kemper easy to use in this regard?Thanks again for your review.

[@shadowm3ld]

SuperGDOG3 yes absolutely! The Kemper is very easy to use once you understand the signal flow. I’ll tell you, after having started on the Boss GT3, then several Line 6 emulator floor pedals, the Kemper was light years ahead in terms of tone. I was never a “tone guy,” but I knew what I liked and didn’t like on everything I used previously. With the Kemper, I realized that I actually did care about tone because the Kemper sounded incredible in comparison. The downside is that it can only handle one amp at a time, so be aware of that. The only way around this that I’ve seen is to have 2 Kempers! But for my needs, the Vox Adio Air was the perfect combination of size, power, and accurate representation of the Kemper headphone tone that I was looking for.

[@KilliansGuitarPlaying]

Little bit late to this but did you put your Kemper into the aux input of these?

[@shadowm3ld]

Yes… I put the Kemper main outs into the stereo input of these using 1/4”/XLR right/left into a stereo 1/8”

[@KilliansGuitarPlaying]

@@shadowm3ldBrilliant. So basically you bypassed all the portable amps preamp section. I plan to do this maybe with a Boss GX 100 multi fx unit which is stereo. I am also hoping to use that VOX Adio Air amp as a power amp.

[@shadowm3ld]

@@KilliansGuitarPlaying I used the Adio Air basically as a powered speaker, yes. And did not use any onboard speakers or effects of the smaller amp (Katana Air, TH10, and Adio Air). Note that the Adio Air eventually crapped out on me and became bricked somehow. I got ZERO support from Vox… sad

[@KilliansGuitarPlaying]

@@shadowm3ld Oh sorry to hear, what do you mean the vox crapped out on you? Did the speakers blow from the Kemper pushing it too hard?

[@shadowm3ld]

@@KilliansGuitarPlaying haha I wish! No, eventually the unit wouldn’t stay powered on while plugged in. I tried different power adapters and even tried running on batteries. Nothing worked and I got no support from Vox. So it basically got bricked.

[@johncecilia4517]

Cool video How does running Kemper through the Vox compare to FrFr speakers soundwise? I have a vox and ordered an Fm3 Fractal not sure if should get FrFr speakers or just go through Vox. Just playing at home

[@shadowm3ld]

I got the Vox because I didn’t want to carry around FRFR speakers. I think it sounds great just running through the Vox aux input. Essentially all of these amps should act as FRFR speakers through the aux input, at least that’s my thought. I think there is a little coloration in the Katana aux in compared to the Vox aux in, that’s ultimately why I stuck with the Vox. But to answer your question, I preferred the Vox because it was small but powerful and it plays in stereo! So instead of 2 larger FRFR speakers, I have the 1 Vox that I can use in a small space. But honestly, it’s so loud that you could actually perform with it as long as you’re not playing with a huge band. It’s plenty powerful in my church where I have my Kemper go through our PA speakers and my Vox as a monitor. It’s so loud that it competes with the PA speakers!

[@johncecilia4517]

I have the Vox and the stereo echo and chorus effects sound really good at the practice amp distance and bedroom levels. Better than a 2x12 amp at that distance. Surprised they didn't come up with these types of desktop amps in the 80's when they used more effects.

[@shadowm3ld]

Yeah it’s even better with the Wide Effect on! It’s actually powerful enough as a stage monitor at a raised height - that’s how I use mine. It’s pushes a surprising amount of air.

[@johncecilia4517]

How do you set Vox when you run Kemper? Like flat amp with eq at 12 or something?

[@shadowm3ld]

John Cecilia actually I run it through the Aux input to take advantage of the stereo output. I would run it through the Flat amp, but that’s just a mono in, so I figured the Aux is supposed to be flat, so why not? My whole aim with the Vox is to have a portable stereo speaker to use as a monitor. The Vox fits perfectly in the case I use to transport my Kemper.

[@einfussganger]

Wild. I thought I was the only one who was interested in doing this. Was thinking of getting a pair of HS5 monitors for $399 for my Kemper. The THR10 is cheaper, plus I can take it where I can’t take the Kemper. What do you think of the THR on its own - as a Kemper owner?

[@shadowm3ld]

It depends on how you use it. If you use it just for a bedroom amp for your Kemper, it’s great! But if you use it in a live situation with drums and bass, it’s going to distort at higher volumes, that’s why I switched to the Vox Adio Air - to handle the higher volumes. The THR10 itself is nice and has pretty good tones apart from the Kemper, but as a powered stereo speaker for the Kemper is really nice and it is really warm. The Katana Air was way too shrill for my tastes (there was no way to tweak the EQ as I used the Aux in for my Kemper output). I haven’t tried the updated THR10 as I need the louder volume, but I’ll tell you, the Bluetooth connectivity to play along with songs is a real benefit, which the original THR10 doesn’t have, but all the others have (including the new THR10)

[@shadowm3ld]

I forgot to add that I thought I was the only one too! Figured videos like this might actually be useful to people like us. Hope it helps!

[@einfussganger]

@@shadowm3ld Super helpful! I am waiting for Amazon to deliver my THR10 and then I'll try it with the Kemper, and then alone. Honestly, I have only about 3 rigs on my Kemper (that I love), but it may be overkill for my use. I also pre-ordered a Spark amp from Bias a while back. When the dust settles, I hope to have only one practice amp.

[@shadowm3ld]

einfussganger remember to get the right cable to connect the Kemper to the THR10. I used a dual 1/4” male (L/R) to stereo 1/8” male to go direct out from the L/R output to the 1/8” stereo Aux In to the THR10. I also bought a dual female XLR (L/R) to stereo 1/8” to go out of the XLRs if I need. This way you could go direct out using either the 1/4” or XLR outputs.

[@shadowm3ld]

einfussganger let me know how you like the THR10. Did you get the updated version or the original?

[@ronnysuarez3257]

Could you pls do a comparison Between the three amps? Or which one is your favorite?

[@shadowm3ld]

Unfortunately, I returned the Katana Air, but I still have the Vox and Yamaha. I don’t use these amps like you would traditionally, so all I can tell you is which one I like as a stereo monitor for my Kemper. Along those lines, I think the best overall sound is from the Yamaha, then the Vox, and then the Katana. But the Yamaha is the least powerful, so for my use, I prefer the Vox for the power (loudness) and tone. But if power wasn’t an issue, I would say the Yamaha has the best tone and the Vox is close. Again, this would be as a stereo monitor. I’ve used them very little as pure practice amps, but I would say the Vox is more flexible than the Yamaha, but they just released a new THR10 too that is more in line with the Katana.

[@taki384]

Good choice the Vox hands down!

[@shadowm3ld]

Agreed. It’s the best for my purposes, that’s for sure. If only it didn’t look like a gawdy women’s purse!

[@shadowm3ld]

I agree. It’s hideous but it gets the job done!

[@TOPMOSTPOP]

I would have included a Fender lt or gt. I currently play a Blackstar LT-ECHO 15. Stereo Analog.

[@kere92]

Hi, have you ever ran the Vox Adio through a looper? I have sold my Yamaha THR10C because it gets farty and cuts out if you try and play over loops. I do miss it, and I have a Line 6 Helix now, but I am looking for a similar setup in terms of a small, compact stereo speaker solution to run my Helix through, however in low volumes as opposed to your purpose which was higher volume. The Vox tones you had sounds great!!!

[@shadowm3ld]

I do run a looper through my Adio. It works fine to my ears. I’m not sure what you mean by “farty “ haha, but I think anything with too many loops gets super muddy fast. If you’re looking for something small and that sounds good at low volumes, I would think the Vox would be great for you... I would actually say the THR10, since you want low volume, but then again, it gets farty!

[@sboistan]

Is there a particular amp model in the adio that works best with the kemper (and/or pedals)? I played with pedals going into the flat setting for a short while but it sounded a bit lifeless/subdued. Maybe I dialed it in wrong...

[@shadowm3ld]

Honestly, I haven’t tried going through the regular input of the Adio. I use it going into the Aux input in order to take advantage of the stereo in/out. If I didn’t care about stereo in/out, then I guess I would use the cleanest amp model (AC 15/30). But just remember that you will lose any stereo output from the Kemper. And I also really believe you need to have the right profile. I would do a headphone comparison of profiles. I use the MBritt Dumble profile and it sounds pretty amazing through the Adio. Even better through the Yamaha THR10, just not loud enough.

[@sboistan]

@@shadowm3ld thanks. I don't have a kemper but I am sorely tempted. I'll try the cleaner channels next time I plug pedals into the input. I haven't tried running into the aux with an interface but I'd like to. maybe in order to run pedals through the flat setting you need to have a cab sim, that would explain why it sounded so terrible. I had a thr10 and also a thr10c for a while but didn't like the gain sounds, although the effects (especially hall reverb) were great.

[@shadowm3ld]

sboistan you’re right, the hall reverb was quite nice. Thanks for reminding me of that about the THR. I’m guessing the flat setting maybe doesn’t have any emulation at all, like you said. But if you are in search of the ultimate amp tone, and you want to try all kinds of amps, then I would highly recommend the Kemper. It’s the one piece of guitar gear I have that has not decreased in value and remains relevant year after year. If you just like the standard amp sounds and don’t care about the ability to download any imaginable amp at will, then you would be fine with the Helix. But if you are in search of tone, then either would be better than any of these small amp/speaker combos. I just use my Adio Air as a stereo monitor and in order to play along with tracks over Bluetooth.

[@sboistan]

@@shadowm3ld I'm probably going to pick up a pair of Iloud MTM powered studio monitors when they're released to use with Sgear on my computer, but I think they would work with your kemper. You might want to look into them for practicing, I know a lot of bedroom players like the older generation of ilouds. The new ones go down to 40 Hz and have one button room correction built into them.

[@shadowm3ld]

sboistan you’re the 2nd or 3rd person to tell me that! I have heard good things about them, but for my purposes, I need something with the footprint of these amps. One of my videos shows my rig and what I transport it in, so that will probably be self-explanatory, if you want to watch it.

[@chtojeetovsezanyali]

Which one gives more low ends-bass- yamaha or vox?

[@shadowm3ld]

I think the Yamaha might, because it feels warmer. But I think the volume on the Vox is louder, so I think it’s a trade off at louder volumes.

[@Alexander_Pisklov]

Hello) Please tell me how loud VOX Adio Air GT ? Can it be used with acoustic drums? Or is it not loud enough for this?

[@Alexander_Pisklov]

@roger rogerson I want to play the guitar with the drummer)

[@shadowm3ld]

Again, I don’t know why I didn’t see this comment... sorry for the late reply. I have used it with acoustic drums and it’s loud enough for the drummer to hear me, so I’m guessing it’s plenty loud to use with drums.

[@Alexander_Pisklov]

@@shadowm3ld I understand you, thank you very much for your answer) I decided to buy Boss Katana 50 and I like it. But sometimes I think about Wox)). It's portable

[@byates59]

Have you tried the new Yamaha THR10II?

[@shadowm3ld]

I haven’t tried it, but I wish I visited the Yamaha booth at NAMM this month. I loved the original THR10, but just wish it were louder.

[@byates59]

@@shadowm3ld ... Thanks for the quick reply!

[@shadowm3ld]

Bill Yates it’s amazing what you can do from your phones now, am I right

[@byates59]

@@shadowm3ld ... Yes Sir, you are definitely right! If you don't mind, I have one more question for you! Do either the Vox or Katana have an acoustic guitar mode similar to the THR10?

[@shadowm3ld]

@@byates59 sorry I don’t know why I didn’t respond... The Vox does have an acoustic sim, and I would hazard to guess that the Katana does too. Sorry for the late reply, I’m sure you already figured it out.

[@andriebayuajie6503]

Are you going from the kemper main out to thr10 input? Which amp setting?

[@shadowm3ld]

Yes, Kemper Main Out L and R into the stereo Aux inputs. I’m using Michael Britt’s Dumble profile.

[@andriebayuajie6503]

@@shadowm3ld i am considering yamaha thr 10 for tweaking my kemper stage at home before bringing it back to the gigs. I'd use a boss katana 50 before but it was too noisy especially at high gain profiles.

[@shadowm3ld]

Andrie Bayuajie yeah it’s perfect for that. It’s plenty loud enough for a small room. But at higher gain, you will hear some rattling. But honestly, I love the THR10 as it sounds so transparent and warm.

[@cullyculkin5960]

These are practice amps not gigging amps, they lack bass response and do not have enough volume for a gig. I use a Kemper with a Yorkville 75 Watt Monitor with 10 “ speaker that has three inputs so i can sing play keys and guitar through it for on stage sound. I dial back the Yorkville Treble on the seperate eq’d XLR Yorkville input to cut the harshness of the kemper. Think I got the monitor for $50 and its about the same size as my kemper four space rack and sounds Awsome!

[@shadowm3ld]

Honestly, I just use mine as a monitor (pre-covid obviously), but people say they can hear the Vox even when plugged into a PA system. It’s very loud and does the job just fine. If you’re playing metal, then maybe I would use something more powerful.

[@cristiannaser2205]

How to connected kemper to katana air?

[@shadowm3ld]

I just connected the Kemper’s L and R outs to the Katana Air’s aux in

[@cristiannaser2205]

but when connecting the kemper via L R to the aux of the katana air, it is possible to use the wireless transmission connected to the guitar, but working with the kemper effects

[@shadowm3ld]

@@cristiannaser2205 sorry I forgot to reply to your question. The short answer is that you can’t do it because the wireless transmitter goes directly to the Katana Air. You would need the receiver to connect to the Kemper, but the receiver is built into the Katana itself. I guess in theory, you could output from the Katana to the Kemper and then back to the Katana, but I don’t know if it can do that. You could probably output from the Katana to the Kemper, and then output to another amp, and I’m pretty sure that would work, but I don’t think it makes much sense. If you want a wireless solution, I might go for the Line 6 Relay wireless system.

[@motavaper2613]

katana has an eq in there app if u like the bass

[@shadowm3ld]

I didn’t play around with the app as much as I should have. It just didn’t do it for me...

[@danielguitar5150]

It might be of interest to you that the Boss Katana Air is the only model in the Katana line up and these three amps you compare that has a FRFR speaker.

[@shadowm3ld]

Thanks for your comment. When I plugged into all of these amps, I always went through the Aux In and bypassed the amp - that way there should be no coloring of the sound. Isn’t that right? All of these were supposed to sound great as plug in speakers for music, so that was another consideration for me when I bought these amps. To my ears, the Katana Air sounded the worst - when I went through the Kemper direct with headphones, my sound was amazing. The closest I came to reproducing that sound was through the THR10, then the Vox, and then the Katana Air.

[@KarlSheridan]

Vox for me

[@hectors8355]

NICE VIDEO!! I own also the thr 10 and vox adio air, both are great. Yamaha has better "valve" tones but Vox adio has more amp types and still with good tones. Perhaps in terms of versality i prefer the Vox.

[@shadowm3ld]

Yeah, I am very happy I got the Vox! In terms of the Kemper tones, I think the Yamaha is probably just ahead of the Vox at low volumes, but the Vox can handle much louder volumes and still sounds pretty amazing. Plus it's got the bluetooth capability that the Katana Air has (but no wireless transmitter). The worst thing about the Vox is that it's pretty ugly, haha.

[@TOPMOSTPOP]

Good read: *GUITAR AMPS* (finally &accurately) *EXPLAINED* (See vid link below) Perfect. Hugely useful video. As I am wndring is 1x12" celestion no stereo superiour to 2 6" that (has) stereo. What d'you think?? ThMarshall seemed totally inappropriate not being stereo which was perfect in illustrating verifying a stereos MASSIVE leverage. Was extrodinarily helpful vid. People need 2stop buying flat mono amps I was th1 began preaching stereo 35 years ago. (U cant even make this stuff up. Mono amps mercillesly worshipped entire past century? Really?) I want true (TRUE) stereo not psuedo marketing snake stereo. I want (MUST also have) also SURROUND SOUND technology. Didnt think i would make out thstereo thru a you tube vid but especially in a couple modes i... definitely... could... oh yea that Fender stereo vs thflat sounding 1speaker Marshall. I think Grid 40 too muddy lower notes? How d'u spell duh. As if company dont know that. In contrast Fender boys seem especially crisp in studio quality sensitivity amps. 2many amps dont pickup th absolutely massive detail embellishments i pack in2 only 1note. I mean they downright ERASE THEM. (Neither does my potatoe mic. but see my attempt play Buckethead vid Y.T.) "As th amplifier king of kings..." ..i can define definition of a benchmark epicentre amp in 1 word. "Studio speakers." U want that in an amp. Fender, i think seems 2grasp this "concept" more then other (idi*ts) I been hearing. Seems obvious there4: Grid 40 amp personnel? ..deliberately downloaded 2much unanimously acknowledged thumbs down muddiness 2cripple buyers delibetately as a means 2 materialize a demon they could later delete, quench& or "upgrade." Plus their so called apps smtimes more ads 4paid upgrades then apps that actually wrk. Stop buying from companies that divide ideal in 12 slices of pie each1 lacking so as 2keep customers hungry in2 buying yet another slice of "ideal" = factory stocked with 12 comprimised models 2increase stock& profits. These are egineer "appetizers" advertise with marketing sugar highs that once u buy in2 them, product only function 2increase hunger. Lol there should be 3sizes amps only period worldwide engineered 2 th overwhelmingly obvious (by now, after 100 &*$#ing years?) ...ideals. (Re read the above "definition of an amp.") Note an amp needs2 speakers that... seperate. Get it? ITS A STEREO. Speakers either side u head. Period. Everytime. Positive Grid butted 2speakers 3mm apart in their Spark Mini. I think I know deliberate snake engineering when I see it lolmost. Note an amp needs a feature wherein u can upload/record/save any sound or song BOTH via a mic., and via a wire/bluetooth so u can play along it. Wow. "What a concept." (4Practice &so as u can play along with it while simultaneously uploading a video 2You Tube? Hello??) Oh noooo... but these devils need u 2buy an entire army equipment b4 u are able do that. Snake engineers, they always about seeing how many Polacks they can trick in2 screwing in 1lightbulb more Polacks they can horde in there pattented fence they built th more paychecks filtering in 2amass max customers max cashflow. 95% on earth are not humans. Lol they Satans tares. Tare race ALWAYS build fences. Did u know? Th(good) indians were Yahwehs people? Yep thats why Satan annihilated them. They had NO FENCES. Yep. They had endless too much buffaloe meat swarming just past they nose like army annoying giant mosquitos. Did u know? In heaven there is no money. They BUILD a house 4 thpoor. Demons think they so smart in bulding, selling with copyright fences. Lol all they (get) is hell on earth. U recieved free give free. Quit snaking your customers 4cash u not foolnhg any1. Every person u snaked quietly said a prayer 2God cursing your snake oil company.