A lot of people will disagree with my hardware modeler ranking

FuzzyAce said:
Dude, you've owned 7.
7! Are you sure it's gonna take a lot for you to own one more? :rofl
Click to expand...
It was after the X3 live I got the Axe FX Ultra, so things got better tone wise. I dont really count the Spider Valve, as that was an bad sounding Combo Amp, and not a 'modeller' haha.
So, X3 , Ultra, Axe FX II. So by this I would say, show me the better sounding modeller, that also have the capture tech, and I will take a look.
But am good at the moment with the QC
 
I love Kemper. And I’m off to play my Gibson LP through my TMP

giphy.gif
 
dean701 said:
Since we somewhat agree on your summary, I'll simply add the reliability component and one other thing that will cause this forum to explode.

1) device reliability
-I have had many Line 6 devices and never ever had a problem with hangs or crashes. I did have a Line 6 LT and the pedal broke and Line 6 even fixed it outside of the warranty period
-Kemper - outside of a firmware update crash - it was totally reliable
-FAS - I have had regular crashes where the audio on my AX3 and FM9 will hang due to either too much fiddling with core parameters or high cpu lockout
-QC - I had to return a unit because it was completely unstable. I tried another one earlier this year but felt uneasy because it still seemed too buggy. Audio drops, output level fluctuation. The included power supply is still a joke

2) Can of worms open.
For some reason this is seldom talked about and I'm not sure why.
There are plenty of complaints about the dated UI for Fractal but I don't see much talk about the block versioning.
Before you go shitting on me, I do feel that the Axefx is clearly the most capable device around with respect to effects and routing, and it does sound great...and then better...and then not.. and then better again after re-tooling.

The biggest pain point for the Fractal ecosystem for me is the versioning anomalies and the sheer amount of code changes/revisions. The fine tuning needed to maintain staying current can be overwhelming.
One could also stay on the current code but new versions also include bug fixes so sometimes it may be in your best interests to upgrade despite being completely content with your sounds. Changes sometimes happen that change the behaviors of the underlying algorithms that affect almost everything......and (here it is), after upgrading, you can actually have effects blocks that still show the parameters from the older code versions if you don't manually reset those blocks.

For example if you have a preset that was last saved with older block versions (ex. fw22) they, and that version's parameter controls, will stay in tact until you either manually refresh the blocks or if you are creating a new preset from scratch.
This is tremendously confusing, as there is no way to tell which version of each block is currently running.

Here is my best example. I have a preset that I made 5 copies of so that I could tinker with different things. Over time, this has ended up with one of the presets having a FW22 reverb, another for Fw23 reverb and so on. That's just the reverb. This can happen across the gamut.
There is no visible version mapping per block so I really don't know which version of each of the different blocks are running. More specifically, there are different dials on each of the reverb blocks now. Older blocks will show the controls that were available in that version, newer blocks will show the up to date dials. As I said, the blocks can be manually refreshed to use the new versioning or if you create a new preset and choose that reverb, the new controls will be revealed. However, in some cases, I prefer the preset with the older blocks. ffs.
You can even copy an old reverb block and paste it to a new preset and then it's back on the old parameters. It's mind numbing and the only product that I know that does this.

Like I said, this is my biggest gripe.
For those that create simple presets and/or only maintain a few core sounds that might not seem like a big deal.
Some people just use an amp and cab block. For me, I use kitchen sink presets mostly that are fully populated with multiple phasers, reverbs, chorus, pitch, amps... In the end I spend more time f'ing around than anything else. For those that actually sell presets, I can only imagine how they try to keep up with things for their customers.

This is the underlying reason why I rank the Fractal behind the QC and the Kemper. I would categorize this as an 'ease of use' problem.
Click to expand...
I understand a lot of what you writing, and had the same problems with my presets when owning the Ultra, and then the Axe FX II.
Firmware updates where a lot of fun in the first few years, and I love to get new things but it messes with my presets I had in my bands and as you say we need bug fixes, so I had to update. And if I waited too long without updating the sound would change a lot!

I will say I have read of a lot of problems with the QC, but myself and my other Friends don't have any problems. 3 years owning it now.
I have stopped live gigging, but my other friends are still gigging and they don't have any problems.
With my Axe FX II, I had to repair the value wheel (after 4 years), I had to take it in for modification on the outputs in the first 4 months. I had problems with reamping (the DI level was too low) I tried to get some help but there was none to be had. That bug ed me a lot, As I was recording quite a bit. So that's a lot of problems in my book in just one unit. Axe Edit would crash all the time, with me having to restart the computer. That sucks when you're recording

Like I said so far.. so good with the Quad Cortex.

Ps: I would never ever buy presets for the Axe FX products, as it's too much changes, all the time. And you would have to wait until the maker updates the presets.
 
Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that we have so many digital amp alternatives where I can plug-in and love the sounds but just when I have everything where I want it.....hey, what, there's a new firmware announcement?

Angry Ferris Buellers Day Off GIF
 
OneEng said:
What I would say is that no serious band guitarist would use a 2 or 3 footswitch pedal live..... this is true no matter who makes it.
Click to expand...

There was a time when guitarists of very high standing performed entire shows plugged straight into a single channel amp...
 
I like the live features of a rack mounted digital guitar amp with a foot pedal. I am certainly not alone. Anyone that can't understand the advantages of such a stage setup, hasn't likely played on many stages ..... or is used to doing so with some pretty crappy conditions.

As for all the negative Kemper comments:

As I have already stated, Kemper does not have the most advanced capture capability (I believe that title goes to ToneX). It doesn't have the most powerful editor (that title goes to Fractal IMO), and it isn't the lowest priced full sized stage digital amp either (that title goes to Helix .... but only by $100).

It does do a tube amp better than Helix though.
It is much easier to understand than a Fractal Axe III Fx (and much less expensive)
It has the most advanced on-line sharing system of any digital amp
It doesn't change the sound of your patches/rigs when the software us updated or new features are added
It is more stable and more ergonomic to use live than the QC

Anyone that can't see how there are lots of live gigging musicians that would find a Kemper the best-in-class simply aren't being level minded about the discussion.

Best for everything and everyone? Certainly not. Better for many people? Certainly so.

FWIW, I have heard enough people having issues with the QC that I wouldn't even think about buying one. If you play live, one of THE MOST IMPORTANT aspects of your rig is that it is reliable ..... every night ...... and tough and road worthy.

I do agree that too many Kemper owners try relentlessly to explain away why it doesn't capture as well as other options in the market (or why it doesn't matter). This doesn't matter to me (I don't do captures at all), but for those who do, it should be a consideration in their purchasing decision.
 
Frodebro said:
There was a time when guitarists of very high standing performed entire shows plugged straight into a single channel amp...
Click to expand...
Yes, and it is still a perfectly valid way to gig for many. Nothing wrong with a Vox and a Les Paul.

But .......

Anyone who is in the market for a digital amp isn't likely going to be satisfied with a single tone .... don't you think? Seriously, just because you can listen to music on a record player doesn't make a record player a good reason not to subscribe to a streaming service..... and anyone looking to subscribe to a music streaming service isn't likely to go out and buy a record player instead.
 
OneEng said:
Yes, and it is still a perfectly valid way to gig for many. Nothing wrong with a Vox and a Les Paul.

But .......

Anyone who is in the market for a digital amp isn't likely going to be satisfied with a single tone .... don't you think? Seriously, just because you can listen to music on a record player doesn't make a record player a good reason not to subscribe to a streaming service..... and anyone looking to subscribe to a music streaming service isn't likely to go out and buy a record player instead.
Click to expand...

The presets I use with my band all center around the same basic amp and cab for the sake of consistency. Things start to get freaky in a hurry if you're changing everything up for each song.
 
OneEng said:
Yes, and it is still a perfectly valid way to gig for many. Nothing wrong with a Vox and a Les Paul.

But .......

Anyone who is in the market for a digital amp isn't likely going to be satisfied with a single tone .... don't you think? Seriously, just because you can listen to music on a record player doesn't make a record player a good reason not to subscribe to a streaming service..... and anyone looking to subscribe to a music streaming service isn't likely to go out and buy a record player instead.
Click to expand...
I’m not going to say you’re wrong, but you are making big generalizations. I’ve done plenty 3 button device rigs. Because some people just need clean, dirt, lead. But they want a device that’s tiny AF.

The one guy I did a GT Core rig for is running it into the return of an old solid state head. But we’re redoing his board (basically the bigger nano size) to be his Core, Boss wireless, and a SD PS170. His entire rig (sans cabinet) will fit on a tiny board.
 
SeeD said:
I understand a lot of what you writing, and had the same problems with my presets when owning the Ultra, and then the Axe FX II.
Firmware updates where a lot of fun in the first few years, and I love to get new things but it messes with my presets I had in my bands and as you say we need bug fixes, so I had to update. And if I waited too long without updating the sound would change a lot!

I will say I have read of a lot of problems with the QC, but myself and my other Friends don't have any problems. 3 years owning it now.
I have stopped live gigging, but my other friends are still gigging and they don't have any problems.
With my Axe FX II, I had to repair the value wheel (after 4 years), I had to take it in for modification on the outputs in the first 4 months. I had problems with reamping (the DI level was too low) I tried to get some help but there was none to be had. That bug ed me a lot, As I was recording quite a bit. So that's a lot of problems in my book in just one unit. Axe Edit would crash all the time, with me having to restart the computer. That sucks when you're recording

Like I said so far.. so good with the Quad Cortex.

Ps: I would never ever buy presets for the Axe FX products, as it's too much changes, all the time. And you would have to wait until the maker updates the presets.
Click to expand...
Wow, you're like a walking, talking billboard with your bad luck with Fractal.....sorry to hear about that!

I started with Fractal in 2011 with the Axe-Fx II, and moved on to the Axe-Fx III when it came out.......my experience is 180 degrees from yours....never had anything but perfect performance out of the hardware and software.

Luckily, experiences like yours seem to be in the minority of owners, as the majority seems to be positive. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a Fractal device to anyone. That being said......enjoy your QC!
biggrin.gif
 
Frodebro said:
The presets I use with my band all center around the same basic amp and cab for the sake of consistency. Things start to get freaky in a hurry if you're changing everything up for each song.
Click to expand...
Yeah for "FRFR", I strongly urge people to keep the same IR for their stuff. Otherwise it sounds disjointed as hell. Unless, you’re going for that I guess.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
New Ampero 2 Modeler with Tone Capture (2024) Thread
Replies
4
Views
265
timbuck3
timbuck3
GuitarJon
Mesa Dual Rectifier vs 8 modelers!
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
dk_ace
D
Jarick
Modeler Shootout Clips - Axe 3, Helix, Kemper, NDSP Plugins
Replies
17
Views
711
OneEng
O
laxu
How complex are your go-to presets?
2 3
Replies
44
Views
2K
Joshual-L
J
Jarick
Amp Modeler Tier Ranking
11 12 13
Replies
241
Views
34K
JCW308
JCW308
Back
Top