Does the Kemper make sense for me?

  • Hey guys, i live in an apartment so volume is a big issue.
    I have a yamaha thr10 , which is oke for my needs but clearelly nowhere near the Kemper, which i've been drooling on for more than 5 years.
    But i wonder, since i only play at home and cant play loud, does it make sense to invest in a Kemper?
    Will i only benefit from it when using headphones or will it still sound good through studiomonitors?

    Anyone else restricted volumewise like me?
    Anyone else using the Kemper in an apartment?

    Thanks for the advice!

  • If you have the money, go for it. The kpa sounds awesome at bedroomlevel with monitors.
    I use 2 rokit rp6 g3 at home and you can pull down the volumelevel like you hear a cd and get cool sounds. If you need it louder, you can use headphones.

    It depends on what he money you'd like to spent.

  • Hey

    Please don't take this the wrong way but I feel you may be asking the wrong question.

    A modeller or Profiler will sound relatively the same at full volume as low volume as you are not using volume to achieve tone. This helps with headphones, running though monitors, PA's etc. Due to this playing in an apartment only means any of the ones on the market will solve your problem.

    I think the reason your question is not what should be asked is you have a lot of options on the market to solve the volume issue, it more depends on how you approach tone and with that in mind anyone saying "buy a Kemper" would, in my opinion, be wrong.

    My view is this:

    Hd500: if I used only clean sounds and wanted a load of mid range effects the HD500 would suffice. You will spend a lot of time trying to get a good amp sound especially if you like high gain amps. These are now really cheap now too.

    Axe: if you need high quality effects with good to excellent amps, depending on how much you want to tweak the amp sounds, then the Axe seems to fit that bill. People rave about the effects on the Axe but opinions divided on the quality of the amp modelling.

    Helix: if you want a lot of routing options, excellent effects with reasonable amp modelling the Helix, or Helix LT may fit the bill.

    Kemper: if you want ultra realistic amp profiling, if you have never played a tube amp then the Kemper may not be able to show its quality to you, excellent effects, excellent routing options, but no dual amp like the Helix, then the Kemper will fit.

    What I am saying is if you are a tone hound then Kemper will do everything you want. If you want loads of high quality effects the Axe may be the best option. If you don't care less about the quality of the sound and it's purely a volume issue then I would save your money and buy a second hand HD500x.

    I play a lot in a converted room, I am in two bands but if I was playing at home only and knowing how my ears are I would still own the Kemper.

    Hope this helps

    Mike

  • Here's an idea.
    If you have only ever played solid state amps go to a music store and play though one at a decent volume. Then plug into a tube amp and play for a while (choose a low watt one and crank it a little) then go back to the solid state amp.

    If you were blown away by the tube amps reaction to your playing buy a Kemper. If you were underwhelmed and didn't care much for the difference then buy any of the other ones....

    If you loved the solid state more than the tube then buy anything Line6 and save about £1300. (sorry couldn't resist)

    Mike

  • I own a bunch of great tube amps. Though I live in town, I find I can crank them quite a bit without bothering the neighbors.

    I recently bought a Kemper in part to use it with headphones during an upcoming out-of-town, apartment stint. Over the last two months, my tube amps have been pretty much gathering dust. To me, the Kemper through headphones is truly amazing, especially when dialed in to one's taste. (It positively obliterates a Star Nova I bought years ago for that purpose.)

    This is my first true foray into the digital realm so will leave to Mike and others to compare options there.

  • If there is piece of gear I had to name as being the best investment my Kemper goes to the top of the list. I went with the powerhead because I knew I would be using a cab instead of monitors to play through. You can't go wrong with it and there is so much help and support by the company and the consumers. They stand behind their product and what you to get the most enjoyment out of it as possible!

  • i live in an apartment so volume is a big issue.


    since i only play at home and cant play loud


    These are exactly the reasons to get a kemper.


    Anyone else restricted volumewise like me?


    Yes, I am, and it's perfect for this situation.

    Sterling Musicman JP150, Fender USA Strat
    Kemper Powerhead & Remote > ElectroVoice ZLX12-P | Palmer 1x12 Cab(G12M) | Sennheiser HD558
    Audient iD14 > Reaper

  • The KPA will work in live situations to FOH to bedroom levels with headphones or monitors, you won't go wrong either way. I use headphones, studio montors, and a DXR12 depending on my mood. Sold a Mesa Boogie 212 and the Stealth amp cause I just didn't need it and prefered the FRFR route better. You won't be disappointed.

  • The KPA has become basically the core of my little workstation/studio. Any playback music/tracks I ever use or listen to goes in the "aux in" on the back; I record, practice and compose (use the looper for ideas) with it almost exclusively and it's basically turned on all day. I use either headphone or Rockit style small studio monitors.

    I just have to unplug everything whenever I have a gig and that becomes a drag in busy season so I might just get another one at some point.

  • Playing thru a cabinet sounds fantastic. Through headphones is night and day different. (in a thin fizzy way) It was very disappointing when I first got it, and play thru headphones most of the time.
    Expect a lot of tweaking and experimenting to get your headphone sound.

    This is a very long thread to read, but usually applying the advice from the 2nd post on this page helps:
    For millionth time... Why is Kemper profiles so trebly/fizzy??

  • For me it's a strange question!
    Same like I would ask does a Mercedes make sense for me?
    I can tell the answer - no, but if I want I could buy.

    It is a lot of money - collect real informations and specification and then decide for your need.
    Here you will get opinions without having any informations about you and your situation.

  • Get a real amp at room volume
    WONT SOUND AS GOOD AS A KEMPER AT ROOM VOLUME WITH FRFR.
    (as you need to turn up real amp to hear character, kemper has this more pronounced at lower volumes)

    Wont sound as mix ready or polished, amps need volume, the FRFR makes the best room volume TRY IT PROVE ME WRONG.
    I am in a small thin walled apartment.
    WOODEN WALLS
    Im fact i can hear the guy FART next door.
    ow har har but i am not joking!!

    I run 2 kempers with 2 mission frfr;s for now nearly a year and a half.
    Why haven't i been evicted?

    They dont fart next door that loud.(psst its the gear)
    Its the best room sound if you get a good quality FRFR

    Ash

    Have a beer and don't sneer. -CJ. Two non powered Kempers -Two mission stereo FRFR Cabs - Ditto X4 -TC electronic Mimiq.

  • I agree with all of the above...

    Will it sound good, yes.

    Do you need to invest in such a versatile piece of equipment for limited needs? Not sure... I've struggled to get really good sounds from Headphones and its certainly not at its best..

    For just studio, something like amplitube maybe good enough....OR get gigging!!!!! :)

    Let us know if you take the plunge!

  • Well I had my Kemper in my apartment and I could here the neighbour above me pissing and farting from his/or her toilet even in my living room/bedroom so couldn't crank up the kemper. But enough to enjoy and record. Now I live in a house so volume is no problem anymore.

    Think for yourself, or others will think for you wihout thinking of you

    Henry David Thoreau

  • It all depends on if you have the $$ for it (and not break the bank). If you're going to have to eat Ramen Noodles for a year to afford it, then there are probably other cheaper options that will be "good". If $ isn't an issue, then the Kemper is terrific! I was in the same boat (townhouse, and wife that goes to bed early), not to mention being a hobbyist crap off/on again guitar player for 30+ years. Anyway, I got the Kemper, and play it at room volume or lower 90% of the time, in my home office/man cave, through JBL LS305 monitors. I seriously have more fun playing than I ever have, and it sounds great to me. Have a bunch of go-to rigs I love for playing certain songs/bands/genres, just noodling, or practicing scales, etc.

    While I still generally suck, I'm improving fast(er), simply because I can just plug and play and have good tones at my fingertips, and I'm playing as often as I can. I still spend too much time trying out profiles/tweaking, and just goofing off with it, but more in a "wow, cool!" way vs. "damn, I can't get this to sound good" way I used to fiddle with my amp sims.

    I even started learning how to record with it through Reaper, and now can send stuff to my guitar teacher. Was learning solos for comfortably numb (yeah, I know, but this was from a guy who never learned scales or solos before), and sent the recordings (recorded with backing track) to teacher. he pointed out some playing mistakes, etc. but was kind of impressed with the sound and the Gilmour tone I had. :)

    I've had mine for about 5 months, and don't regret it at all!