AXE FX II vs Kemper Profile Amp

[cinealta]

I've heard the Kemper and think it sounds very good. I don't own one.

Used to own an Axe-Fx II but sold it. IMO, only good for high gain sounds or effects. Here is my review of it:

Two Notes Torpedo or Axe-FX II!?

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/instr...ml#post6835995

[thedommer]

There are endless debates in the forums. Just search and you will get hundreds and hundreds of peoples uneducated opinions. My Kemper arrives in a few weeks. Im sure the AXE is good to. Apparently the new firmware is fantastic.

[Hattrick]

Originally Posted by thedommer

There are endless debates in the forums. Just search and you will get hundreds and hundreds of peoples uneducated opinions. My Kemper arrives in a few weeks. Im sure the AXE is good to. Apparently the new firmware is fantastic.

I am sure for recording purposes they are very close other than the fact that the Kemper does profiling and the AXEII just has programmed amps.

[feck]

Had them both, sold the Axe and kept the Kemper. For realism, the KPA, no contest. For crazy fx/tweakhead stuff, the Axe.

[Hattrick]

Originally Posted by feck

Had them both, sold the Axe and kept the Kemper. For realism, the KPA, no contest. For crazy fx/tweakhead stuff, the Axe.

Cool thanks for the input.

[cortisol]

The Peter Thorn videos on YouTube of the Axe FX II are really great! Some of the cleans and low gain sounds are great and the tone matching feature seems really good.

When ever I hear a comparison between Kemper and the amp it just profiled it seems harsh and bright with a little something missing and that's even with the refining process. But I have never played through them so touch and response might sway things in the Kempers favour for all I know.

For guitar production including FX I would suspect the Axe FX II would be the choice as the Kemper seems to lag behind in that regard. Steve Vai seems to love the Axe FX II.

[cinealta]

Originally Posted by cortisol

The Peter Thorn videos on YouTube of the Axe FX II are really great!...Steve Vai seems to love the Axe FX II.

Pete Thorn & Steve Vai use the Axe-Fx for effects only. Don't buy the marketing hype. Do some research. Talk to people that are directly involved. Endorsees rarely use the products they demo or endorse. See what gear is actually used on their commercial releases...not product marketing ads.

[elambo]

The most valuable reviews come from unsponsored guitar players who've spent time with both in the real world. Of these reviews, the pattern favors the Kemper, and they often read like Feck's above.

So to an extent the "best" option depends upon the style you'll be playing.

For pure sound the Kemper has earned the most praise. For effecty stuff people seem to like the Axe. If the Kemper added more FX it could become the winner in that dept., too.

Steve Vai's endorsement is more of a turnoff than a promotion -- he'd endorse mayonnaise if there was money in it.

[feck]

Originally Posted by elambo

The most valuable reviews come from unsponsored guitar players who've spent time with both in the real world. Of these reviews, the pattern favors the Kemper, and they often read like Feck's above.

So to an extent the "best" option depends upon the style you'll be playing.

For pure sound the Kemper has earned the most praise. For effecty stuff people seem to like the Axe. If the Kemper added more FX it could become the winner in that dept., too.

Steve Vai's endorsement is more of a turnoff than a promotion -- he'd endorse mayonnaise if there was money in it.

Vaionnaise.

[cortisol]

Nope I'm pretty sure Peter Thorn used the Axe FX on the road as a road worthy option for touring. And yes, Steve Vai uses the Axe FX for FX true enough but it's in his signal path and holds up on the sonic integrity stakes for me. I'm pretty good at not falling for marketing hype. After all TV ads are why I no longer watch TV and with YouTube I my little ways to avoid ads on my computer screen. :-p It's a game I play - avoid the ads.

Truth be told, I was anti Axe FX before the Axe FX II hit. But the Kemper just seems like a harsh version of the amp it's trying to imitate and lacks in accurate spectral balance. most of the demos I've seen for it have involved high gain tube amps.

At the moment I'm in lust with the Suhr Badger 35 and the Mesa Mini Rec. As for me I just need something like a Mini Rec, my TC Flashback and a Fuzz pedal and that's it, good to go.

[cinealta]

Originally Posted by cortisol

Nope I'm pretty sure Peter Thorn used the Axe FX on the road as a road worthy option for touring.

Pete Thorn used the Axe-Fx for effects only in his A-Rig:

"Enter the Fractal Audio Axe-Fx. This two rack space digital modeling unit was already a part of my A-rig, for effects only...." [Pete Thorn]:

The Working Guitarist: Your B-Rig - Getting Great Tones With Minimal Gear - Premier Guitar

But may have used the modeling for B-Rig only (Melissa Etheridge TV appearance?).

Pete Thorn's A-Rig sound is a Suhr CAA PT-100:

Suhr/CAA PT100 amplifier demo - YouTube

Spoke, first-hand, with someone close to Vai, he doesn't use the Axe-Fx for modeling, effects only. He uses real amps for sound.

[Rotaholic]

Im pretty sure Fractal doesnt sponsor anyone! they just use fractal gear

[henryrobinett]

I'm a big Fractal proponent, though I haven't compared the two. Recently the Axe Fx II added the ability to tone match, which is their version of profiling. And as good as it was it just got better with the last update. There's a bias against Fractal here, but I think that's just the culture of gearslutz. The tonal variables and control, the tone matching, effects and unwavering dedication of Cliff Chase makes the Axe Fx II a no brainier. It keeps getting better and better.

If it sounds metallic or harsh it's a programming problem of the user. The issue with it is there are too many possibilities.

[ARIEL]

Axe FX is pretty amazing sounding , Had in the studio a couple of time from a previous artists O worked with , The Kemper demos sound very cool and something a May be interested in getting to model a classic VST but with the power tubes cranked to get that Ampeg grind happening that no one has seemed to model yet .

[elambo]

Originally Posted by henryrobinett

There's a bias against Fractal here, but I think that's just the culture of gearslutz.

Is it a bias against Fractal or simply a preference for the Kemper? Pro-Kemper opinions seem to come with experience behind them. Anti-Kemper opinions have been based largely upon sound clips.

[henryrobinett]

It seems to me it's a bias against Fractal. Gearslutz seems unduly hostile towards it because of perhaps over the top love for it from some very excited Axe consumers. I've posted a few things to have either no responses or just disinterested dislike. Much more than other forums I've seen. It might just be MY biases showing and this is entirely possible. I'm not an anti Kemper person at al. I have no experience with it one way or the other. I've never said anything untoward about the Kemper.

[mdme_sadie]

The AxeII firmware 7.0 clips sound pretty good to me now.

Honestly though, if you can't sound good with all this modern tech then you can't sound good full stop. Once upon a time amp sims had terrible feel, now they're even more immediate, more responsive to pick attack, playing style and volume adjustments on the guitar than real tube amps. Once upon a time amp sims sounded like fizzy high gain phasey crap, now it's nearly impossible to distinguish which is a real amp and which is a sim on record or live. This is all that's important really. The onus is back on the guitarists with both these units.

IMO Your decision for one over the other isn't going to be based so much on the quality of the amp sims anymore, but cost, fx usage, deep editing, connectivity, noise in use etc. They both have advantages and disadvantages.

Personally I went with the KPA because at the time it was a clear leader in terms of amp sim quality, as mentioned at this time though it's much closer between the two, right now I'm not sure which I'd pick given the choice and money, you wouldn't go wrong either way.

[henryrobinett]

yes mdme sadie - What seem ridiculous is the amount of hostility between camps. Both are, apparently, great pieces of gear. I hear from so many people hostile towards one or the other, who very often can't really play, that it just makes me smile and scratch my head. It's about playing the guitar and whatever moves you to play it.

[elambo]

This 'bias' pursuit is a defense in search of a cause. There's no hostility in this thread, only varied but civilized opinions. That's every thread, every conversation about two pieces of gear which handle their tasks differently.

These two both sound great - that's the good news - but they're different in several ways so there's bound to be a division of opinions. There are no losers -- if you buy your preferred option then you win!

[henryrobinett]

There definitely is a negative bias on these boards towards the Axe Fx. They are both great pieces of gear. I don't know why either one would engender hostility.

[Yuri Kogan]

Originally Posted by mdme_sadie

The AxeII firmware 7.0 clips sound pretty good to me now.

Honestly though, if you can't sound good with all this modern tech then you can't sound good full stop. Once upon a time amp sims had terrible feel, now they're even more immediate, more responsive to pick attack, playing style and volume adjustments on the guitar than real tube amps. Once upon a time amp sims sounded like fizzy high gain phasey crap, now it's nearly impossible to distinguish which is a real amp and which is a sim on record or live. This is all that's important really. The onus is back on the guitarists with both these units.

IMO Your decision for one over the other isn't going to be based so much on the quality of the amp sims anymore, but cost, fx usage, deep editing, connectivity, noise in use etc. They both have advantages and disadvantages.

Personally I went with the KPA because at the time it was a clear leader in terms of amp sim quality, as mentioned at this time though it's much closer between the two, right now I'm not sure which I'd pick given the choice and money, you wouldn't go wrong either way.

You can sound bad with anything, true. You can sound better with one tech over the other. Also true

You think how quickly the unit responds to the pick attack defines the feel? It how the amps respond to the variation of the picking, touch... that defines responce.
Well KPA is coming shortly so we will see. I may even give the AXFX2 a second try if I can borrow one - already lost $$$ on the Ultra.

[henryrobinett]

The Axe Fx II is a long way from the Ultra. Have fun with the Kemper!

[Hattrick]

After reading all these great posts I seem to be leaning towards the AXE FXII. My reasons.

1. Great Amp sounds in the box.
2. More Effects
3. 2 space rack mount
4. Midi controller option.

[elambo]

Originally Posted by Hattrick

After reading all these great posts I seem to be leaning towards the AXE FXII. My reasons.

1. Great Amp sounds in the box.
2. More Effects
3. 2 space rack mount
4. Midi controller option.

The Axe would be a good option for all of those reasons.

[henryrobinett]

Also has the ability to profile or tone match any guitar amp similar to the Kemper. Also has fantastic routing capabilities and several output configurations, including USB, - though it's stuck at 48k, which is a real PITA, though I understand more about why, - for simultaneous stereo effected and dry signals for built in reamping. And has amazing flexibility to control and alter every aspect of the guitar amp and tone, in manners way beyond those of the actual amp it's modeling.

The draw back to the Axe Fx II is that it has possibly way MORE flexibility than you may want. It's a tweak heads delight. And now it can sound fantastic right out of the box. Previous versions required you tweak until you found your sound. Now it sounds great almost from the start. But there's still an amazing amount of tone sculpting possibilities.

[feck]

GC Pro just put out our episode of "The Top Shelf" featuring the KPA, and an interview with Christoph Kemper. Check it out here -

GC Pro's The Top Shelf Presents The Kemper Profiling Amplifier EP2 - YouTube

[SEA]

Dang... NOW I gotta get BOTH!!!

[Johnkenn]

I just got a Kemper and I'm freaking blown away by it. It came with a ton of great profiles, but I downloaded a HotCat, Two Rock, Divided By 13, Fender Tremolux, Fender Princeton...the list goes on...for under $40 and they sound unbelievable. I could just live with those tones and it would be worth it. I'm obsessed.

[Dr.Wu]

get one and clone the other!