I posted this message on both TGP and Fractal. I will put what I posted in quotes, and then provide my additional thoughts afterwards.
I will say that the unit in a recording sounds great, but in terms of just general bedroom practice, there has always been something missing. I play through JBL 305's. The type of music I play is all over the place, but usually defaults to John Mayer/SRV style blues. I can never get that bell like tone that is possible with a good fender tube amp in the same room as you. I have been on the hunt to be able to get srv/john mayer style tones at bedroom/apartment levels. Sometimes even recorded, the unit doesn't come near some of the videos I see of people playing a tube amp in the room. take this video for example. John Mayer playing a tele through a dual professional. Even through the recording you can tell that the tone is bell like and that it sounds great in the room.
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All I can get through the axe fx is a "hi fi" type of tone, if that makes any sense. There is just something missing. No "omph" like you can hear through that video. I think the issue is that I'm just not satisfied with playing and having a "close mic'd guitar tone" coming back at me. I am too used to the amp in the same room as me. The problem is that I live in an apartment, and can't play loud. I've been trying to find some kind of solution but haven't been happy about the modeling route to me honest. A tube amp in an apartment setting is unusable. |
Many people at the other forums were telling me that what I am looking for is amp in the room, and that I won't find it with modelers. I don't know if I necessarily am looking for amp in the room, rather than just a more realistic sounding and feeling tone. I'd like to hear that "Tube like" sound coming from the tone if that even makes sense. So far after using the axe fx for a while, It doesn't necessarily feel or sound like that.
I've listened to a lot of kemper clips and I generally am very impressed by all of them, because it actually sounds like a recorded tube amp, and not necessarily something that is direct and super close miced, like the axe fx seems to sound like.
My theory is that with the kemper, its the actual amp that is recorded and stored, where as with the Axe Fx, it is a programmed simulation of the amp.
With the axe fx, I find that I never use it anywhere near its potential. Mostly just loading up a basic amp, cab, and reverb. What I like about the kemper is that it seems to be basic, follows the general pattern of an actual amp head and has all the basic FX that I would need. 98% of the time I am just using delay and reverb, and I'm not even particularly picky about that.
I guess another bonus is that I could get the kemper with the power amp built in, so if I do want that "amp in the room" tone, I can plug in to a cab. Seems to be more flexible.
I'm just worried that I am hyping myself up, and it will just be more of the same in the end. Guitar Center has a 45 day return policy though, so I can have more than enough time to compare both units. Who knows, maybe I'd keep both?
I just want to hear people's thoughts here. Anyone else who went from Axe Fx to Kemper, and their experiences, etc.