Switching from Fractal to Kemper Honest Advice

Quote from circletrack15

I’ve been using Fractal sense 2010. For a long time, the sounds of the amps never sounded different after a new update. But, this last 2 years I have noticed that they do not sound the same and there is soooo much deep editing you need to do to fix it so that is true. The amps should never change in tone or sound unless it is improved amp modeling? Also now after a new update you have to go through presets and re-save them for the update to work. I hate that. Biggest thing is now , is that I have noticed some crazy weird things when switching presets after the last 3 updates? Some presets all the switches go blank (scrible strips) and you have to use the editor and switch patch to bring them back? The biggest thing is sometimes switching to a new preset, the tails from your last preset don’t just trail but the volume jumps like 5-6 decibels and live,,,, it’s embarrassing. My point is for me as great as Fractal has been I’m noticing lots of things that just seem off and after reading your take on it, I totally agree with you. My friends who have Kempers say just what you said, the amps never change in tone or sound. It just seems to me that even thou Kemper may not have all of what a Fractal product has, Kemper seems to be very simple but and consistent. Right now I want simple? I sold my Fm9 and I’m getting a Kemper rack thanks for the responce

The complaint I have been hearing is that if you need (or want) the new updated capabilities and bug fixes, you must accept the reworking of all your tones you have setup. As a Kemper user, this is simply impossible to get my head around since this has never been the case with the KPA.

As an example, when the reverb engine was greatly updated (overhauled), it was done by adding NEW reverb modules in addition to the exiting (legacy) reverb modules. If a rig was using the legacy reverb engine, it continued to sound exactly the same after the update.

I very much like this approach :).

Some of the great rigs on the rig exchange (exe the magnificent Morgan AC20) for free are still some of my favorite rigs and they sound as glorious today as they did a decade ago. This is ALSO a big advantage for Kemper as the rig exchange contains decades of great rigs that you can try at a click on the PC screen through Rig Manager. Trying out new sounds off of the Rig Exchange is a great strength of the KPA. If the rigs had been effected over time, then these rigs would now be useless to anyone running up-to-date firmware (like Fractal).

While the Rig Manager is a poor rig editor when compared to the crazy wild routing capabilities of the Fractal editor, when used as a tool to QUICKLY find and tweak a rig to a desired tone.

For my use, if I can't get a rig I try on Rig Exchange into a great tone within a few minutes, I move on to another rig that might more closely meet my needs. I can tell within a few seconds if a rig is even close to what I am looking for.

When you get your KPA, I would recommend immediately getting hooked up to the Rig Exchange, and searching these forums for some of the "best rigs on the rig exchange" threads (there are quite a few). Some people are perfectly happy with the stock rigs that come from the factory; however, my entire gigging performances are made up of a combination of Rig Exchange favorites and paid rigs from Michael Britt.

Welcome to the family

Quote from OneEng1

The complaint I have been hearing is that if you need (or want) the new updated capabilities and bug fixes, you must accept the reworking of all your tones you have setup. As a Kemper user, this is simply impossible to get my head around since this has never been the case with the KPA.

As an example, when the reverb engine was greatly updated (overhauled), it was done by adding NEW reverb modules in addition to the exiting (legacy) reverb modules. If a rig was using the legacy reverb engine, it continued to sound exactly the same after the update.

I very much like this approach :).

Some of the great rigs on the rig exchange (exe the magnificent Morgan AC20) for free are still some of my favorite rigs and they sound as glorious today as they did a decade ago. This is ALSO a big advantage for Kemper as the rig exchange contains decades of great rigs that you can try at a click on the PC screen through Rig Manager. Trying out new sounds off of the Rig Exchange is a great strength of the KPA. If the rigs had been effected over time, then these rigs would now be useless to anyone running up-to-date firmware (like Fractal).

While the Rig Manager is a poor rig editor when compared to the crazy wild routing capabilities of the Fractal editor, when used as a tool to QUICKLY find and tweak a rig to a desired tone.

For my use, if I can't get a rig I try on Rig Exchange into a great tone within a few minutes, I move on to another rig that might more closely meet my needs. I can tell within a few seconds if a rig is even close to what I am looking for.

When you get your KPA, I would recommend immediately getting hooked up to the Rig Exchange, and searching these forums for some of the "best rigs on the rig exchange" threads (there are quite a few). Some people are perfectly happy with the stock rigs that come from the factory; however, my entire gigging performances are made up of a combination of Rig Exchange favorites and paid rigs from Michael Britt.

Welcome to the family

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Again totally agree. The backwards compatibility has been carefully considered in virtually all cases ( I'm sure there is an issue somewhere but I can;t think of 1).

I think the KPA encourages a simple workflow and not "overtweaking"...

Rig manager seems to be the weakest part of the ecosystem but that has also been improved massively over the last few years. I find it easy to use although just a few little blips around saving and connectivity.

Quote from OneEng1

The complaint I have been hearing is that if you need (or want) the new updated capabilities and bug fixes, you must accept the reworking of all your tones you have setup. As a Kemper user, this is simply impossible to get my head around since this has never been the case with the KPA.

I haven't had a lot of multi-fxs but IMO Fractal is an exception.

I had a Nux MG-30 and a Helix and both added new stuffs with updates but never did that.

When L6, launched 3.7 firmware with new cabs sims, they kept the previous ones and the update didn't replace the speakers by the new ones automatically ?!

The Fractal updates are quick and easy and rumors or having to completely re-do patches are just not very accurate. There are routines built into the software to take care of these things. Now that being said, I still like Kemper way better!

circletrack15 Kemper gives 30 days money back guarantee. You can buy it, try it and return if you don't like it. There are plenty of people here who are using KPA for many, many years, so don't believe us - we are biased Check it out for yourself - this might very well be the last piece of gear you'll buy. It is for me since 2016.

Quote from circletrack15

One thing I already love is the fact that this Forum community is way better than the Fractal site? Not in any way putting down anyone over there, but I get a much better response here and everyone actually will go through in detail what they want to convey to me in a simple fashion rather than answering me like I should know already what I’m needing to know? I guess for me I have come to the conclusion that at the end of the day, Fractal’s are Modelers not Profilers? Maybe this is why now days when Fractal releases new firmware it does sound different and they ad other things that you need to change adjust or tweak to get back to where it sounded? Maybe this why so many love Kemper and even the Tonex? I have a Tonex and as I stated before I play it far more than my FM9? That’s crazy but why? I believe it’s because it captures an amp not models an amp? One of my friends who has a Kemper Rack told me that if I like the Tonex pedal, your going to love the Kemper! This has me pumped to get one!

Yes, we are lovely

I think the approach is just slightly different to achieve the same goal - the best possible sound.

I don;t think you will find anyone on here denying the sound quality of the Fractal stuff, along with Helix and Quad cortex ( although there are differences no doubt) and many users here have both - I think they are just greedy

The bigger differentiation is the workflow, ease of use/editors, ecosystem etc to get to "that" sound.

If Kemper didn't exist I'd probably have no qualms in using fractal or others but the KPA has a really good balance of it all. we also have to remember this is all a huge step up from a regular map set up. I can do all of things I wished for previously and even stuff I didn't think of ( like Morph).

I don't think you can go wrong here, its just finding which platform hits your sweet spot.

As an aside, I had an issue with my Kemper (this has only happened once in 10 years so please don't think there is any quality issue here - I've had more failures with guitar electronics than my KPA!) and I had to use my £500 Blackstar Amped 3....sounded awful. I immediately went and bought a Kemper player as my emergency backup and the sound difference was night and day. I also have never had so many compliments from listeners about my sound...despite my ropey playing!

Quote from circletrack15

One thing I already love is the fact that this Forum community is way better than the Fractal site? Not in any way putting down anyone over there, but I get a much better response here and everyone actually will go through in detail what they want to convey to me in a simple fashion rather than answering me like I should know already what I’m needing to know? I guess for me I have come to the conclusion that at the end of the day, Fractal’s are Modelers not Profilers? Maybe this is why now days when Fractal releases new firmware it does sound different and they ad other things that you need to change adjust or tweak to get back to where it sounded? Maybe this why so many love Kemper and even the Tonex? I have a Tonex and as I stated before I play it far more than my FM9? That’s crazy but why? I believe it’s because it captures an amp not models an amp? One of my friends who has a Kemper Rack told me that if I like the Tonex pedal, your going to love the Kemper! This has me pumped to get one!

Glad to have you. What you won't find here (with very few exceptions), are people who have closed minds. Most of the people here came from high end boutique tube amp rigs (mine was a VHT Ultralead and a Fender blackface). You won't get anyone saying that "Fractal sound sucks" as that is simply not true.

While I personally prefer my beloved Kemper Rack and foot controller, I can understand that others prefer that crazy good Fractal editor and an Axe III Fx.

I also notice that there seems to be more people here that are willing to listen and THEN reply. It really is a very chill and understanding community.

FWIW, there is nothing wrong with the ToneX pedal when it comes to amp capture and reproduction capability AFAIK. It doesn't have crap for efx, but then that isn't its strength.

Let us know when you get a little time under your belt with your KPA! Welcome to the family and to the forum.

Quote from DonPetersen

there seem to be a few misconceptions about a PROFILEs in general and Liquid Profiling

I've been using a KPA since it came out. Not sure what you mean..