Throw away-sell ALL your amps

[N_Singh]

The Kemper Profiling amp can profile any rig, more or less exactly. It's incredible! Modeling amps have come along way.

And this is the standard now for amps. No joke.

Check out the YouTube Videos.

I use mine with 2 stereo powered speakers (FRFR Tpe of PA speakers.

Also you don't need microphones to record into your DAW. Just XLR cables into your preamp-external sound card (I use an Apogee Duet). Saves thousands of dollars on expensive mics!

[No Pride]

Haven't heard one, but there's a lot of glowing reviews about it and Fractal Audio's Axe-FX (which I have played through and loved). These two seem to be the top of the line amongst non-tube amps. And they both cost an arm and a leg. :(

[N_Singh]

The Axe FX is supposed to have better effects and stomps. But the Kemper is apparently much more faithful in its amp and cab profiling. Seeing as I use it for only jazz--clean, not overdriven sounds--I don't need all the bells and whistles associated with effects processing, the Kemper works fine. And it still has a ton of stomps and effects I never use --I'm good with just some reverb, delay, and EQ.

The old Fenders (Vibroberb-Princeton-Deluxes) and Ampegs on the Kemper are outstanding. Including stuff from the Amp Factory, which is a third party vendor that sells virtual rigs. It really does sound like an old tube amp. Also you can get small boutique stuff that may not have a lot of wattage, but when you attach it to a 600 watt (solid state) powered speaker, it instantly transforms it into an amp with a lot more headroom.

For acoustic arch tops that may have floating pickups (or just acoustic guitars in general) you can just turn off the amp and just use the cab and EQ/effects, and it sounds like a lot of great solid state jazz amps (Henriksen-Acoustic Image-Polytone-Jazzkat, Evans, etc).

Also the Axe-FX is also supposed to be over $4k, but the Kemper is only half that.

There is, interestingly enough, a Fripp profile built into the Kemper. Called "Early Fripp". I later found out that King Crimson members use Kemper.

Lots of groups do, apparently, I heard that Queen keeps its Huge Marshall Stacks for Their live show, but they're just props --only for show. The amps are now modelers .

[Plasmatopia]

The only problem I have with this type of thing is "too many options". I'm just getting back into playing guitar in the last few months and this is also the most I've played guitar in a band ever. But the most important thing to me right now is finding two or three good, useable, repeatable sounds. There are just too many other details I have to think about already (I do the PA mix as well). I need something to just work when it's finally time to play music. And this is a lot of money to spend if I really only need a few good sounds.

This could be awesome in the studio or if I played in several types of bands though.

[trurl]

Dang expensive though. Positive Grid's BIAS looks really interesting- I've not found a VST for guitar yet that's truly convincing but this may be the one.

[Dean Watson]

And I'm about to go and purchase a 5 watt Blackstar ... Who knew? Actually, I know all about those modellers, but simple simon is me ....

[Soc Prof]

Then there's the analog approach: Sansamp Character pedals. I have the "British" (i.e. Marshall) pedal and I'm pretty impressed. It just needs an overdrive or booster pedal in front of it if you want serious gain.

[N_Singh]

Then there's the analog approach: Sansamp Character pedals. I have the "British" (i.e. Marshall) pedal and I'm pretty impressed. It just needs an overdrive or booster pedal in front of it if you want serious gain.

The best pedal solution appears to be the new Atomic Amplifire pedal

http://atomicamps.com/amplifire-pedal/

[Brian Griffin]

Cast off your garments of fear, replace them with love

BG

[trurl]

Cast off your garments of fear, replace them with love


/thread

[Classic Progressive]

Awww do I have to? I just got used to dialing in the dinosaur sounds I wanted on my Cyber Twin head. I run mine with matching unpowered cabs that I built for the fun of true stereo when I want. I have my foot control finally filled with just the sounds I want. This has been an ongoing process for about 8 years now. Me and my Fender are just getting to know one another.

The Kemper rig does look interesting. The "new amp thang" next year will also I would suppose.

[Dean Watson]

Just lost an old friend ... Sold my 1981 MusicMan RD110 50. I recently haven't used it much, looking for a more modern sound ...

[Kim Olesen]

The Kemper Profiling amp can profile any rig, more or less exactly. It's incredible! Modeling amps have come along way.

And this is the standard now for amps. No joke.

Check out the YouTube Videos.


I use mine with 2 stereo powered speakers (FRFR Tpe of PA speakers.

Also you don't need microphones to record into your DAW. Just XLR cables into your preamp-external sound card (I use an Apogee Duet). Saves thousands of dollars on expensive mics!

Ordered one monday last week :-)

[No Pride]

[QUOTE=Kim Olesen;427939]Ordered one monday last week :

I'm seriously envious of you guys!

BTW, Line 6's newly revealed flagship product, Helix claims to be capable of competing with Kemper and Fractal Audio. I'll believe it when I hear it, but though still a bit pricey ($1500), it's cheaper than those two (not that I can afford any of them, tax write-off or not).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBVT0kDO4n4

[trurl]

Our guitar player says the new Line6 is the same old crap, good for what it is but comically overpriced. I'm interested in the new ReValver software though.

[No Pride]

^
Bummer!

[trurl]

It does sound nice in the video, gotta say... they always had some fundamental dumb issues though, like lack of an input attenuator and no way to level match the outputs of different patches. If that stuff is fixed it might be worth a look for someone willing to pay the extra $$ for a floor hardware unit.

[nosebone]

Just lost an old friend ... Sold my 1981 MusicMan RD110 50. I recently haven't used it much, looking for a more modern sound ...

I had the 2x12 100 version from 1980.

I put a master volume and and new Groove tubes in it , and I swear that thing sounded as good as a Boogie from that era.

[No Pride]

It does sound nice in the video, gotta say... they always had some fundamental dumb issues though, like lack of an input attenuator and no way to level match the outputs of different patches. If that stuff is fixed it might be worth a look for someone willing to pay the extra $$ for a floor hardware unit.

I have a lot of experience with Line 6 products and I've found that you generally have to tweak the hell out of them to make them sound good, much more than with good old tube amps. For one thing, there's too many options; you have to audition every amp model with every cabinet sim and microphone sim just to decide what'll get you in the ballpark of what you're looking for; then you have to spend ample time EQing and figuring out how much or little gain you want, etc. Then you're auditioning which effects sound best with which amp models and on and on. And if you're planning on using the gear live, you have to do all of this at the volume you'll be using on the gig because of the Fletcher Munson Curve (the way we perceive frequencies differently depending on volume). I spent countless hours tweaking up my Line 6 Vetta (which was once their flagship product, now discontinued) at gig volume. I enjoyed doing it at first, but I gradually grew to hate it (and my already tinnitus afflicted ears didn't care for it much either). These things can sound rather good if you put the work into it, but is it worth it? I once thought so but I don't anymore. I can get a good three channel tube amp to sound great after 5 minutes of tweaking; the Vetta took me months... and it didn't help that 90% of the presets suck, making you have to build patches from scratch.

I still love my Line 6 M13 (virtual pedalboard), but that thing behaves more like a real pedalboard with analog effects; no menus or save buttons and it "remembers" where you last set the effects, so it's a breeze to tweak on the fly. And with the 4 cable setup, you can route whatever effects you want to the front of the amp and whichever ones you want to the effects loop. I use it on the road with backlined Mesa/Boogies. I think it'll always be my favorite product of theirs.

I think the Helix may very well have improved the realism of their digital modeling now that they're using dual DSP engines. But I don't really care. :)

[trurl]

Me and him both go back and forth almost every day between "F**K it, I'm throwing my laptop (Pod) in the trash and just buying a Rhodes (Fender Twin) and never dealing with the tech crap again" and "But dammit I want to have all those great options without paying $10,000". I'm soooo done with the time curve on the tech stuff and being rudely anally fisted by it live- because dammit if it ONLY EVER SCREWS UP IN FRONT OF 1,500 PEOPLE, not once in three months of rehersal, oh hell no... but old school tech costs a lot of $$$$ and breaks down and needs tender loving care and can be a major hassle as well. I think the solution is to just play a flute. Through a fuzz box, at least.

[No Pride]

I think the solution is to just play a flute. Through a fuzz box, at least.

Except for the face you have to make when playing flute. ;)

[Kim Olesen]

Except for the face you have to make when playing flute. ;)

And standing on one leg etc etc etc..... ;-)

[trurl]

Or posing for album covers kind of greasy and shirtless (more of a jazz thing apparently...)

[Rarebird]

I think the solution is to just play a flute.
Sounds like my dad, who sometimes complains: "Why keyboards, why didn't you choose trumpet, saxophone, or clarinet."
My answer is mostly: "With keyboards I don't need to look for other musicians, who share my musical ideas. I can do everything on my own, especially with the computer and MIDI."

[Onomatopoeic]

In a couple of weeks, Yamaha will be releasing a pair of THR100H model heads.

These are NOT digital modelers. These are 100% analog amps that can emulate many combinations of tube preamplifiers and tube power amplifiers.


http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical-instruments/guitars-basses/amps/thrh/?mode=series


http://data.yamaha.jp/sdb/product/image/main/raw/t/thr100hd/4F65014FF9E14C298658B6DD7A2254C7_12073.jpg

http://data.yamaha.jp/sdb/product/image/others/raw/t/thr100hd/FF0854D47A2D4D0A80DFAA5328D17921_12075.jpg

http://data.yamaha.jp/sdb/product/image/main/raw/t/thr100h/A460A6D9D8E64440956C956847278DEB_12073.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=7&v=CQ8O-QKc88w

[Guitarplyrjvb]

You can now get a 12 year old Fractal Ax FX Ultra for $600. Is it worth it to get one of these or has modelling progressed to the point of making this unit obsolete? Apparently, you can download edit software which makes it easier to edit the sounds. There's also apparently lots of user patches available for download. I am really tempted to get one of these even though they're no longer supported.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

My Zoom 9050 just gave up the ghost and I replaced it with a Line 6 Pod X3 for $100. Wow! You can go down a rabbit hole with this thing. Cabinets, heads, mic's, effects........ I find it easier to scour the presets that everyone else has done and then tweek one of those to my liking. It's really damned amazing what these things do. The technology in this unit is 15 yrs. old, but hell, it sounds pretty damned good for the money!

[MudShark22]

Our guitarist was using a line 6 pod back in 98/99 and it was amazeballs then!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

[hFx]

These modellers are getting really really good and many established artists swear by them, not the least on the road but also in the studio and not only HiGainMetalHeads. Though the better Fractal, Kemper, NDSP Quad Cortex and Line 6 Helix are as expensive as a boutique combo or head. The older models are still quite good though.

[Gizmotron]

I do it all…clean sounds though my Hughes & Kettner amp, dirty, modeled sounds through it (it has it built in), traditional pedals, and also a Line 6 POD XT Live.

Life is too short to cut an option out. :)