Yes, and surprisingly, you can turn 'em on together.....and they won't explode!!!!! 
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Posts by SteelEdge
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[quote='SteelEdge
My point is that both the Axe and the Kemper can deliver amazing professional tones and do the tricks for playing live and recording to the highest standards.]
As the owner of both as well, I completely agree with this statement.
Yes, but now the question is: wich one do I turn on?????
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I see where you're coming from. I was referring to your
Clearly this implies a comparison with the real amps. Not necessarily the ability to copy the exact sound, but chasing a credible and organic sound. Better maybe rephrasing my last sentence: "see which one sounds more like an amp".
There are lots of different "amp sounds" in the world, and IME when a player says "sounds like a real amp" they just mean "sounds the way I like a tube amp to sound".
So I ultimately think you might rephrase your "better" with "more to my taste" as well
Please don't feel attacked, I'm just writing for the sake of discussion, and I have nothing against anyone preferring the AFX over the Profiler
Peace and Axes
I see where you're coming from. I was referring to your
Clearly this implies a comparison with the real amps. Not necessarily the ability to copy the exact sound, but chasing a credible and organic sound. Better maybe rephrasing my last sentence: "see which one sounds more like an amp".
There are lots of different "amp sounds" in the world, and IME when a player says "sounds like a real amp" they just mean "sounds the way I like a tube amp to sound".
So I ultimately think you might rephrase your "better" with "more to my taste" as wellPlease don't feel attacked, I'm just writing for the sake of discussion, and I have nothing against anyone preferring the AFX over the Profiler
Peace and Axes
I'm not feeling attacked in anyway, we are just changing impressions and love to debate, really.
First of all, my english is not my mother tongue, so sometimes I don't express myself the way I really want to, but, anyway....
What I wanted to say is, that IMHO, the Kemper is better if you're looking for a referenced tone,a tone that you've heard before or you have in one of your amps...after all, the Kemper is a profiler, you can't build a profile from the scratch as long as the Kemper doesn't emulate any amp, just makes and loads profiles that you can later modify.
And of course, speaking of "tone", as you say, is very subjetive, we should better talk about "the tone, to my taste".I have received bad critics about some sounds from the Kemper in my videos (too high gain/trebly), and a lot of people also loved that same tone because was "very 80s" and asked me for the profiles...so just a matter of taste.
What I wanted to say is that both units sounds really great now, if you're looking for some classic reference tones without tweaking too much or too much effects/processed sounds, the Kemper is the way to go.If you like to experiment more with the sound, and love to tweak and make your own sound, or you have a sound in your head that is, for example, like a SLO100 but with more presence, less mids or something else that a SLO100 doesn't do on by itself, the Axe is the right thing to try.
Said that, I love to load a profile and have the feeling that I have the original amp in front of me, but also love to load a preset in the Axe and find a wonderful killer sound that matches this or that song or that is a good and fun preset to play and make a powerful solo.
For example, if you love Metallica, you can have the guitarjon presets that NAILS the sound of the Metallica songs, literally, sounds like the original recorded guitars in the LP....and you are not so close getting that sound even with the original amps used in the recording, because there are added eq, post-process, etc to that amp recorded tracks.....but with the Axe you can get that same sound, and feel like your guitar is into the original song when playing.For example, in Master of Puppets someone may say "that is not the way an original MKIIc+ sounds....".Of course not, they used a MkiIC+ slaved into a marshall and some equalizers, post processing (and probably some more stuff), so you can't do that just with an amp, therefore, can't profile that sound from a real amp/rig.
The Axe can be tweaked to an extreme of nail that sound, maybe is not "natural" or a real tube amp referenced tone but....man, I like it!!!!
I'm lucky having both units, the only problem I have is that sometimes I can't decide wich one use or wich one take for live sound or wich one delivers a better tone for this concrete recording, because you have sooooo many sonic possibilities that you get overwhelmed.
It takes a lot of time finding your tone in the Kemper or in the Axe, setting up your sound to your band and to your setlist, so, having both units, that possibilities really multiply (tge Axe has more tweaking that the Kemper also),so you can get lost finding / enjoying beautiful sounds from both units and lost perspective of what you were really looking for / what suits better for the final result you were after.
I'm going to continue with the Kemper for live playing with my band because I already have achieved the sound and tones that I needed and don't need more tweaking....but who knows, maybe I'll find a tone that blows me out for liveplaying with my band in the Axe in a near future and would think of using the Axe instead of the Kemper.
In the end, we all love tweaking and changing our tone because we use to get tired when we have the same tone or the same gear for a long time, and fond attractive to our ears new tones, just a matter of taste.
My point is that both the Axe and the Kemper can deliver amazing professional tones and do the tricks for playing live and recording to the highest standards.
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I do not agree with that....why should be "better" a tone because is closer to the tone of this or that amp.????
If you do the test you comment, you could say that the Kemper or the Axe are better "replicators" of a determined tone in a determined amp (I'm sure the Kemper is better for that hands off), but what about if you want a tone that is not from an amp you know, or want to blend two differents emulations????
You can only do that with the Axe..and I don't necessary says that is better or is a better tone than the tone that you can get with the Kemper...just another tool for playing and express your music.
What sound better to yours ears????? That's a matter of taste, of course, but the Axe can deliver amazing tones that are not profiles or copy of an amp.....love both things, having profiles of amazong amps and getting tones that you couldn't even achieve with an amp.
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Well, finally after some crazy days at my job, I´ve been able to get some time to A/B the Axe FX II with the Kemper.
I´ve just played a couple hours, but my firt conclusions are:
- Amp tone / dynamics have really improved since Firmware 7 (last time I had the Axe II)
- Now is more difficult to say: The Kemper is way better in amp tones /raw tone / response / dynamics / amp in the room sound.I still think is a little more...."realistic", have to make some more comparisons, but, since Firmware 7, the Axe has got closer to the Kemper wonderful tones.
- The effects are AMAZING at the Axe...I love big reverbs / multidelays / pitch etc for some songs, and the Axe is far superior to the Kemper doing that trick.In more "processed" presets, the Axe has wonderful sounds inside.
- You can get a little crazy with the amp block / cab IR in the Axe....thousands of combinations, I don´t know if that is "good", I guess it is as far as you got the sound you´re after and don´t lose your mind tweaking and not playing.The Kemper is more simple, instant good tones with no cab tweaking.
- I guess I´m gonna keep both unts as I said, as both delivers wonderful tones.When the Axe was in Firm 7 I couldn´t justify to keep the Axe just for the effects, now I couldn´t sell the Axe because I know there are very good tones that I couldn´t get with the Kemper (and viceversa).For example, the Metallica tonematches/patches extravaganza in teh Axe are just INSANE if you love the Metallica tone, and I couldn´t live without some of Andy´s `profiles....why not have both???
- Now I have a problem...wich unit do I to turn ON / wich one use live / wich one for recording.....you can REALLY LOSE YOUR MIND tweaking and finding excellent tones in both units, no kidding, you really got to make your mind and say "OK, no more tweaking, I need THIS and I´m gonna chose this unit and this preset / profile for this concrete work"
- I guess I´ll continue with the Kemper for playing live, as long as I only need 3 or 4 tones that the Kemper really nails and don´t need a lot of effects / different for each song, but who knows, maybe in a near future I could change mi mind.
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I own all 3 (Kemper/ultra/II)
Haven't touched the fractal gear since except to do profiles for people but might revisit the II very soon to port a profile and also give the later FW a try
Always loved the axe for effects but found the IR/so many parameters killed it for meI dunno I just get instant gratification with the kemper! I play rather than tweak
Totally agree about no tweaking / instant tone satisfaction with the Kemper, more playing, more fun.
But with the Axe 15 firm, tone is easier to get, at least to my ears, several stock presets sounded really good, just tweaked to my taste and I never mess with IRs, just the Amp Block and some effects (like I do with the Kemper).
For example, the Sweet Child O'mine stock preset sounded very good to me, also a MarkIIc+.
Cleans with effects like shimmer, pitch crystals, multidelay, etc sounded killer as always.
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Thanks lasvideo!!!!
What are your thoughts about each unit strong/weak points about tone (we all know about effects, ruteability,easy of use, profiling capability,etc), wich is your oppinion about clean tones / overdrives / lead tones, interaction with different guitars or even concrete amps being reproduced in both units???
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Used to own the ultra, then the Axe II.
When the KPA arrived, I played it as well as the Axe II in the same room for a few hours.
After that I decided the Axe had to go.I did the same thing (but had both units playing for long time) and took the same decission....
But this topic is about people who owns both units right now, the AxeFx II firmware seems to be improved a lot, and would like to discuss the actual tone of the AxeFx II and the Kemper, I think that both units have their own pros and cons, but are perfectly usable in different situations.
Say like having a Les Paul and a Stratocaster....
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Well, as some of you may already know (or can read in my old posts) I used to be an AxeFx user...first official Axe Standar user in Spain, also owned the Ultra and one of the firsts AxeFx II units..........till the Kemper came out.
I owned both, compared and reviewed them for a while and decided to continue with the Kemper and sell the AxeFX II.That was when AxeFx II was firmware 7.
Some months ago I got an used Ultra at a good price, wanted one because of some effects (Crystal pitch, multidelays,etc) and mainly for playing ala U2 stuff.
I love the Axe FX effects, but can't justify to have it just for playing some songs, and to my taste, the Ultra effects didn't blend well with the Kemper, being in the Kemper loop, or puting the Kemper in the Ultra loop.I don't know why, but some magic of the Kemper get lost when you put it in the AxeFx loop.
Well....I sold the Ultra, but some friend told me that I should test the AxeFx II with the latest firmware, because the amp sounds has really improved.Some tone matching presets from Metallica, some friends that uses the AxeFx and get good tones and, again, the AxeFx wonderful effects, has made me buy an AxeFx II MkII (can't justify the XL extra dough).
I've just tried an hour, but the AxeFX II has really improved the raw amp sound, now it has some very good tones, I still have to dig it a little more, but I've really enjoyed some of the sounds.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to sell the Kemper, love the tone, flexibility, profiling functions and is my main option for playing live right now...but I'm gonna also keep the AxeFx II and get good sounds from it, don't want to choose between both units, I've been blowed away with the Guitarjon Metallica tone match presets, also Michael's U2 presets, and a lot more, so I'm gonna experiement and try to find sounds and tone from both units.
I would like to know who of you also own an AxeFx II so we can share impressions, thoughts, ideas, conclusions, etc.I think is great if you can have both units, it doesn't have to be a gear competition and choose wich one is best and get rid of the other unit.
Peace!
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You're absolutely right, even with a very good timing and no other skills, you won't become a session-player. Versatility is very important and also a fast, creative imagination to know what to play and what sounds to use. Very often there are just lead-sheets or no notes at all, so you have to "invent" a lot of stuff spontaneously. At the end a lot of session-work is improvisation, maybe on a more commercial and different basis than playing jazz in a club.
It's important to be fast, nobody will hire a session-player, who needs hours and hours for just one track.
It's also essential to have a relaxed and balanced character, many producers and artists are a PITA, but you always have to stay calm and friendly. After 7 years of playing 100% sessions and nothing else, I had to "escape" from that, I just couldn't be that "calm" anymore. I also missed playing live and the direct response from an audience, so I started to go on tour and I never had regrets about this decision. My work now is a mixture of everything, touring, playing sessions (90% in my home-studio), producing and releasing my own music, for me it's the perfect mixture.
You lucky dog!!!!!
Wish I could escape from my job (wich is a good one, can´t complaint!) and play guitar for a living.....
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For sure everybody can improve his playing all the time, nevertheless there are some standards I would set, before releasing videos of my guitar-playing. If the videos are on YouTube, they will be there for a long time or maybe forever... I'm really wondering how fast guitar-players put out their videos nowadays, some of them with a severe lack of self-criticism. But self-criticism is essential to become an excellent player someday.
I don't want to put somebody down, but uncritical compliments won't help at all, it's better to give constructive criticism without discouraging somebody. I understand that everybody wants to be nice and friendly, but if somebody is asking for my opinion, I'll often tell him: "shall I be polite or honest?"
My advice for SteelEdge: you have to improve your timing a lot, you often hurry up and play much faster than the playback. A good timing is essential to be a good player, just take a drum machine / metronome / loop ect. and play along, try to play as close to the beat as possible, play MORE rhythm guitar than solos and choose different tempos, including slow and very slow ones. Record what you play and listen to it all the time. It has nothing to do with being a professional or an amateur, it's about becoming a better player, that's all. I know excellent amateur guitar-players and horrible professional players, who are in the business because of their hair, youth, outfit, whatever. Just one example: years ago we had this terrible, but very successful teenage band called "Tokio Hotel", they never played one note in the studio, it was all done by session-players.
When I wanted to become a professional guitar-player, I bought a Roland TR-808 drum-machine (at that time the most fancy one...) and I trained my timing several hours a day for 1 year. I knew that I was already a virtuosic player, but my timing needed improvement. After one year of practising I got my first studio-job and after a while I became one of Germany's most hired session-players. That's a story to encourage you how important timing can be.
Hi guenterhaas,
Thank you for the comments, I don't get mad or whatever for any kind of criticism, au contraire
Of course I know I have to work a lot of things as a guitar player, and I will really pay attention to your advices, I know timming is basic, but anyway, as is said, these videos are not for me to expose myself as a good guitar player or whatever, didn't want to make a point of my playing, I did these videos just for the pleasure of doing 'em, and posted 'em here because I want to borrow some ears and have some oppinion about my overall Kemper tone on that songs, not about my playing or technique.
They're not "look how good I play" videos, mostly, if not all, is the result of one week learning the solo for the first time, we propose a new song to add to our setlist in our cover band, STEEL, we work individually in that song and then we rehearse that song in the next weekly rehearsal, so these videos are the result of that week of learning the new song.
I began to record myself to push me to learn the new stuff every week, but mostly of time they're not mastered solos, and I don't intend them to be, I'm recording 'em for the first time-just-learned .I also record the videos because sometimes I literally forget how this or thats solo was played, as we do little rehearsing because lack of time, and sometimes I forgot how I played some licks in the neck.
I don't have or need any standars or minimum to upload and show a video on youtube as far as I enjoy doing it or want to.
I'm 35, 2 sons and a very complicated/stressing/time consuming job, guitars and playing are just my hobby,I don't make a living out of it, and I can't dedicate as much time as I would like to.
I give up paying attention to what any other players could think about my playing, my guitars, my tone and myself.....but I always appreciate constructive comments like yours, that kind of comments helps to improve, I'm not looking for approbation or show off myself in the forum, I just posted these videos here because I was looking for oppinions/help about the tone for that kind of songs in my cover band, I wasn't asking how's my playing, but nice or help intending comments are always welcome.
Is like that old joke: How many guitar players do you need to change a bulb?.....At least 100, one for changing the bulb and 99 to say that they could have done it better
Peace!
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Clips and playing sound great!
Thanks, I LOVE your videos and tone also...any advices about what profiles are you using for that 80´s hard rock tone???
I remembered you used the 1987X for You Got Me going, that´s one of my favourites, but would love to know wich profiles are you using.
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Thanks!!!!
Gonna try some of them this afternoon.
Also tried the Djemass MarkIIc+ And sounds GREAT!!!!
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BTW, I tried and love the 1987X from the Bundle 2....
The Marshall Toolkit seemed too much dark/muddy...maybe is just my ears...will try again, or maybe re-EQ....
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The TAF Marshall Toolkit is awesome
Any specific profiles???
Yesterday I was messin' around wuth the JCM800 Hot Mod from Bundle 1 (or 2) and the Satriani JVM...cool ones.
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Hi guys!
As someone of you already know, I have a cover band (STEEL) where we play mostly 80's Hard Rock / Hair metal stuff ( Dokken, Whitesnake, Scorpions, Van Halen, Ratt, Bon Jovi, Europe....).
I put some videos playing some of the songs/solos asking about the tone, etc ( Some 80 Hard Rock/Hair Metal covers with the Kemper (Van Halen, Guns N Roses, Bon Jovi, TOTO...): Oppinion about my overall Kemper sound ), you can see some more videos in my youtube channel.
I want to re-new my sounds and profiles, as someone of them seems to trebly/high gain/commpressed, and playing live the other guitar "eats" my presence in the mix.I go directly from the Kemper to Mixer to PA in stereo.
Wich profiles from TheAmpFactory would you recommend for that kind of stuff??? Or if you know of any other commercial profiles really good for this kind of stuff, I'm open to other brands, but I really love Andy's work.Even if you know of a specific free profile to try, please let me know.
I'm searching mainly for 2/3 rythm profiles and 2/3 solo profiles to cover from Iron Maiden to Dokken, Firehouse, Van Halen, Europe, etc.
I mainly play with a Suhr Modern, Aldrich pickups and a Suhr Reb Beach with EMGs.
Oppinions / advices welcome, and thanks in advance!!!!
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I say: It's hard to judge the guitar tone because you can only hear backing tracks
But well played. I see that you enjoy the music. This is important! Stay Metal! Sometimes
Funny/curious comment......mostly people complaints about that the guitar is too loud compared to the backtrack volume in the videos....
Your damn right in the last comment, I really enjoy playing these songs....that's really what playing guitar is about, enjoying music!!!
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Sorry, but I would say (saw only first three videos), to much gain. It sounds like a cheap multi-fx.
And you need to work – among other things – on your timing ...Thanks for the comments!
Some people told me the same about too much gain/trebly.....I have to agree in part,as well as I like too much high gain sounds, wanna begin to change my palette of sounds, because too much gain usually compress the sound and rest dynamics....thu I like that kind of sound too, check the Dokken Tooth and Nail, FireHouse, Ratt, etc LP's and you'll hear sound is kinda high gain/trebly.
About the playing....I'm a very poor guitarist, have to improve a lot, thu is just a hobby, and I can barely practice 2 hours a week....but I improved a lot in the last year, because I had been without playing electric seriously for like 8 years.
Here is a quick link to the same solo I did with a Cornford profile from Andy, sure you'd like it more than the old one, is just one take "plug and play" recording, some mistakes, but just to show the change of tone:
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I find that Eddie has quite a trebly sound anyway for my taste. but I always find tone very subjective. What one person loves another person hates it's just a matter of taste!! I lthink the sounds are great in your video especially for the songs
Thanks for the kind words about crazy train !!!! It's very much appreciated
I guess so....Some people said that the sound was kinda the old ZOOM 505 xD
And about your Crazy Train cover....really really awesome, not just the tone or sound, is very well/tasty played, I really like it, its gonna become one of my favourites tone, I´m thinking about getting the Pack 9 just for the Bogner!!!!
I used to buy all Andy´s Bundles, but I had so much presets that stopped at Bundle 6....I think never is enough, but I´m gonna get broke buying profiles, muahahahaha.
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Nice tones Steel edge as well as playing I think the tones fit the songs really well
interesting to see you play Jump in the key of C# not C like the original any reason for that.Thanks Raoul23!
I,ve been getting some oppinions of good friends of mine saying that my tones in the videos are very trebly/compressed/metallic, with lots of gain and lack of dynamics, that´s why I want to check my tones on the Kemper....I´m mostly after Van Halen / Lynch / 80´s tone, maybe that is the problem.
About Jump, we play in C# because of the singer, as well as my band preffers to play that tone....
BTW, your Crazy Train cover is AWESOME! One of the best things I´ve heard lately, congs!
