Hi all - new fan

Hi all, great forum. Enough lurking and time to post my views on the Kemper powerhead now I have had it a month and ripped through everything. Also big thanks to Kemper making the Xmas deadline!

Tad about me, I been playing as a hobby for over a decade. I’m a crap bedroom player in a highly stressed overpaid job without the courage to quit and pursue my hobbies of music and drawing haha! However close to retiring at 50 and I hope that’s not too late. Anyhoots I’m a tell it like it is sort of guy no matter how much I spend on something. Sadly, whilst not the best player I have one hell of a good ear and been involved in music production software for decades.

Guitars 1986 RG550 (Fav), Old Tokai TST, Kramer Nightrider, Squire Vibe Tele, Larrivee OM 10 custom. Usual ton of pedals, few mutli effects, the odd tube amp and katana head.

Yes, this is the best bit of kit out there imho, if hooked up to a stereo set up then I sincerely don’t know how you get a bad sound, I think it’s impossible unless all common sense goes out the window with the controls! Bad points for me are, no stereo cab speaker out on Powerhead which makes it well overpriced, the editor whilst great needs a lot of work and crashes often (beta so all is good) I found a fair few so should list them and submit.

Are things much better with a FRFR cab and can that match a good stereo set up? Clearly powered FRFR or amp can sort this but I’d still like the option of head and cab.

The good, I do not know what prestidigitation ole Mr Kemper employed but there must be an invisible tube from another dimension in some quantum realm entangled in this emerald box to be getting this sound! The dynamics, the chime, the grunt, the sag its all there and tweakable! The commercial profiles are something else, just stunning. Going through a stereo amp and speakers just sounds bliss and the instrument comes alive, I literally play better mainly due to the dynamics and tone. Sounds like a well mic’d tube amp – perfection.

Through a cab, those that say its not an amp in the room I’m calling semi bullshit. Really sounds like one to me. The chime on my HK Statesman is pretty brutal and the Kemper and cab gets there. Moves some air. I only have a 1x12 Cel v30 and that’s impressed me but it’s not a patch on the stereo set up but does have room moving air punch. I am curious as to how different an FRFR cab would be hmmm.

Headphone out is amazing and the effects I think are pretty good. The spring reverb is better than my Flint in my opinion and indeed drips. I like how programmable the unit is via midi. Its also solid when using it. Performance mode, fab set up.

Is worth the money? For a stereo set up I would say I wish I never bough any of my amps, pedals and just bought an Ibby RG, Tele and a Kemper, midi controller, in the long run its cheaper and a brilliant set up, what more could you need? So 100% yes save and get one is my view. If going out through a cab then until I get some better cabs to try I’m like hmmmmm not sure. I’m off to a pub I’d rather take my Katana Head and Cab. The sound for that environment can be good enough and I’m not going to cry too much if damaged. Who knows with a better cab or FRFR I might change my mind.

Personally, I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever purchased and it records so well. I hope it last and I will never be selling it. Also thanks for all the info and profiles in this forum and the advice has been great. Phil

Quote from Zappledan

Hi Phil, and welcome to the forum! For those occasions when you don't want to risk damage to your Kemper, you might consider a Helix Stomp. I've settled on that for a backup to my Kemper. It's not the same quality tone, but it's close enough for a jam session

Thanks yip I have had a play with a Helix and did enjoy it.

Quote from deadman42

Welcome and have fun here in the forum and with your Kemper. Sounds like the latter is already going on. Thanks for sharing your story here - great humour in it

Yes, keep that in mind please. It is worth trying and some of the stuff is not overly expensive, e.g the Headrush 108 or 112. Some threads here have widely discussed all that gear, take a look at those threads to get an idea (you might use the search function and put "FRFR" in it).

Anyway way either way which keeps you happy is the right one, there is no right or wrong. And the Kemper's flexibility is so overwhelming that you can do things in parallel pretty well, e.g. guitar cab or FRFR and PA / FOH. Lots of good stuff

Thanks I am defo going to be trying some cabs and an FRFR. I do like the definition setting in the Kemper that does help some with some bottom end, put it with a bit of compression and its defo doing what it needs to at low volumes which is great for me. Will defo be reading up on the FRFR stuff on the forum

Thanks all, plus my cab sound is much better now I've tweaked the global EQ to match my room and did the ole get the cab up against a solid wall, much fuller sounding. My only gripe is that everything else now sounds crap without a ton of tweaking whereas Kemper err plug it in and play. Took me a few days to set up the profiles, performances. I am still yet to make my effects. Plus April I will profile a few of my amps, and probably sell them like most have lol. I should have bought this years ago. Now to buy a stage in the year and tell the wife its the foot controller! I'm telling you I can get away with it, I can I can!

Quote from deadman42

Definition knob is a great tool. I use it very often as a first step when I tweak good profiles even more to my liking. Very powerful.

Regarding low volume: You will certainly come across the warnings not to select or tweak your profiles at bedroom level - this is really a true thing. Things sound different at low volume (google Fletcher/Munson for the details, it's like the loudness effect in HiFi equipment). Once you play at rehearsal or gig volume the real thing comes out and different profiles shine way more than they did before

Thanks will have a read. Yip that's my intention to have 4 banks of performance profiles. SC , HB, House Volume, Gig Volume. I've also set it up via Amps by year with many classics to learn more about the sound of these amps. I'm still blown away by the dynamics and break up of these sounds. I can see why there is no Kemper 2 on the immediate horizon, what could you add lol. Clone effects pedals? I'm going to have so much fun with this puppy, I think a few would scoff at me using a Kemper with Rocksmith lol, in my defense I can make my own tracks and customs with no guitar so it's super fun to practice but now sounds so real. A few of my 'real' players / plankspankers are all nipping around to kick its tires, I usually set up their systems so they are champing at the bit to get at it haha.