Thinking about letting my Kemper go for another tube amp

Quote from V8guitar

Like you I only use 5 or 10 sounds and only a couple of effects but these effects nearly always need pedals and the hassle that goes with it ( power, patch leads etc). So glad I don't have to mess around with that stuff.

So I see the KPA as WAY more convenient over a valve amp. No messing with mikes, consistent sound and total sound control to give me an Ac30 to instantly switch to a Dual Rectifer etc...and all with 3 leads....

I sort of agree with option paralysis but it takes courage not to get dragged into it. what i like about the KPA is you can get a good sound almost instantly, but you can tweak endlessly if you want to...

I would never go back to a Valve amp due to hassle, weight, limitations etc.

Totally agree with that.

The alternative (to me) ist not a tube head + pedalboard, but a small board (think Iridium + Collider + drive pedal.) straight into mixer or foh. No more thinking about settings. Still, I just consider this...

Quote from Fireloogie

Totally agree with that.

The alternative (to me) ist not a tube head + pedalboard, but a small board (think Iridium + Collider + drive pedal.) straight into mixer or foh. No more thinking about settings. Still, I just consider this...

Yeah the only issue is, then you find you need a Wah or Whammy or....etc.

Plus I like the option to drive a cab, be it FRFR or regular. For me the KPA is the right balance of flex, convenience and sound

Quote from jfischer518

I think I am over the idea of selling my Kemper. I have moved on to building my next Tele. Thanks for the input all

Well, that didn't take too long. Welcome to the Hotel Kemper. Good choice.

Quote from Fireloogie

I think what makes some of us rethink the latter (me at least) is option paralysis. In the end I personally need 3 sounds and only delay & reverb. Finding the right sound for a recording takes so long thanks to millions of options, that in the end I don't record. Maybe there is some better profile matching the song even better somewhere out there... let's go and find it.

I can totally relate to that analogy but it isn’t really that different from real amps and pedals. Its just quicker and cheaper to try searching for that potentially better tone. With real amps and pedals I still found myself thinking maybe if I bought a Soldano I would find a better tone than my Mesas. Maybe if I stuck a TS in front of my Mesa that would be better. No wait, just switch over to a different cabinet. Nah, different mic(s)...........

If the thing limiting us from chasing this imaginary better tone was lack of access to the amps/cabs/pedals/mics etc required then all we need to do is place a similar limitation on ourselves in the digital domain. By simply saying “I won’t spend any more than 15 minutes selecting basic rigs to load onto my KPA” then limiting the actual loaded rigs to say 5 we are back in the same place as the analog analogy but with a lot less debt ?

Quote from Wheresthedug

I can totally relate to that analogy but it isn’t really that different from real amps and pedals. Its just quicker and cheaper to try searching for that potentially better tone. With real amps and pedals I still found myself thinking maybe if I bought a Soldano I would find a better tone than my Mesas. Maybe if I stuck a TS in front of my Mesa that would be better. No wait, just switch over to a different cabinet. Nah, different mic(s)...........

If the thing limiting us from chasing this imaginary better tone was lack of access to the amps/cabs/pedals/mics etc required then all we need to do is place a similar limitation on ourselves in the digital domain. By simply saying “I won’t spend any more than 15 minutes selecting basic rigs to load onto my KPA” then limiting the actual loaded rigs to say 5 we are back in the same place as the analog analogy but with a lot less debt ?

Totally!!!!!

Less is often more!

Quote from V8guitar

Yeah the only issue is, then you find you need a Wah or Whammy or....etc.

Plus I like the option to drive a cab, be it FRFR or regular. For me the KPA is the right balance of flex, convenience and sound

I'm with you, it is. Maybe I am just GASing. But: I don't need a Wah since K. Hammett took this to the max already

Quote from Wheresthedug

I can totally relate to that analogy but it isn’t really that different from real amps and pedals. Its just quicker and cheaper to try searching for that potentially better tone.

Good point.

Quote from V8guitar

If the thing limiting us from chasing this imaginary better tone was lack of access to the amps/cabs/pedals/mics etc required then all we need to do is place a similar limitation on ourselves in the digital domain. By simply saying “I won’t spend any more than 15 minutes selecting basic rigs to load onto my KPA” then limiting the actual loaded rigs to say 5 we are back in the same place as the analog analogy but with a lot less debt ?

Tried this of course... I ended up recording 15 sounds that I liked for a certain song (actually my basic rock tone) and compared them.

Problem: A sound seems right, I switch to another sound, seems wrong, play, suddenly seems right, go back to first sound, seems wrong

This is not the KPA's fault of cource, it's mine

Quote from Fireloogie

Good point.

Tried this of course... I ended up recording 15 sounds that I liked for a certain song (actually my basic rock tone) and compared them.

Problem: A sound seems right, I switch to another sound, seems wrong, play, suddenly seems right, go back to first sound, seems wrong

This is not the KPA's fault of cource, it's mine

Oh I get this all the time!! I find a new sound, really like it and prefer it to my current sound. Come back following day and don;t like the new sound and go back to previous sound...

after 7, going on 8 , it’s still working for me

For everyone having a profiler..any GAS should only involve additional high class guitars IMO..

Maybe this is the strongest point of the Kemper..how it reacts to different guitars.Which is (imo) very unique.Not really like a real tube amp but also not in the slightest way like any other modeler.Very strange issue.But also very interesting.