# My Amp(less) Happy Desk....Kemper Content



## studio66 (Oct 16, 2009)

My buddy...and forum member cale0906...coined the phrase "The Happy Desk" when I first told him what I was trying to set up as a home recording/home amp-less set up.

Tonight I removed my beloved Eleven Rack which has served me well these past 5 years or so...and replaced it with a Kemper Rack.
It took me a couple weeks to crack the code on the Kemper to get what I needed out but once I did...wow!

I have been very vocal as of late on the virtues of the 11R ( over at TGP) and still consider it a massive home run...I really thought the Kemper was going to be returned but then had an eureka moment and the beauty of the Kemper revealed itself









Took a couple pics and for those that like that sort of thing here ya go...

Its essentially a Pro Tools 10 set up Digi003 handles the I/O...the Tascam CD200i drops the iPod into the 003 for a jam buddy so to speak.The Fishman Aura Spectrum brings the acoustics into the 003.The Kemper handles the electrics/bass....all monitored through the Mackie HR824mkIIs.
(Toontracks Superior Drummer and EZKeys fill out the VI's..M-audio midi keyboard for those inspired moments)

Just out of frame is a 65 Amps Lil Elvis head and matching 2x12 cab and a Marshall 2266 head and matching 4x12 cab...neither has been turned on in some time









Its the best set up I have ever had for what I do...which is all at home these days.

What a great time to be a gear head...Kemper,Axe Fx 2,11R...so much cool gear out there...














__________________
Hopelessly Intriqued


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## Guest (May 16, 2013)

D. Amn. That is such a nice work space! Would you unrack the Kemper to take it out live? Or tube amps for live?

I love that desk -- the whole thing is so nice and simple. Everything you need, nothing you don't.

Related: how do you like the Aura? I'm looking for something I can keep my acoustic case to go between the simple piezo system on my J-45 and the FoH. The Axe-Fx works, but it's a lot of gear to haul for acoustic shows. Was debating between the Aura and the new Zoom A3 acoustic pedal.


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## GUInessTARS (Dec 28, 2007)

I have to type fast, I just lit a fire under my desk. Very efficient set-up! Exactly what I was trying to do but better execution.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Nice setup! I haven't had the chance to try out a Kemper, but have never heard anyone say anything negative. 

Congrats on keeping it clean and simple.


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## studio66 (Oct 16, 2009)

iaresee said:


> D. Amn. That is such a nice work space! Would you unrack the Kemper to take it out live? Or tube amps for live?
> 
> I love that desk -- the whole thing is so nice and simple. Everything you need, nothing you don't.
> 
> Related: how do you like the Aura? I'm looking for something I can keep my acoustic case to go between the simple piezo system on my J-45 and the FoH. The Axe-Fx works, but it's a lot of gear to haul for acoustic shows. Was debating between the Aura and the new Zoom A3 acoustic pedal.


Dont really play out anymore but if I did I could go either way...with a decent foot controller the Kemper would be hard to beat  The Aura is pretty cool.It works quite like the Kemper in so far as it is convolution style profiles of mic's.I havent messed with it too much but a couple recordings yielded great results.



GUInessTARS said:


> I have to type fast, I just lit a fire under my desk. Very efficient set-up! Exactly what I was trying to do but better execution.


Lol...Thanks!



ronmac said:


> Nice setup! I haven't had the chance to try out a Kemper, but have never heard anyone say anything negative.
> 
> Congrats on keeping it clean and simple.


Thanks....my overriding goal was to literally have everything at my finger tips....I'm 50 and lazy  don't want to get up to grab anything...lol!
The Kemper is really as good as everyone say's...on par,albeit different,with the Axe Fx 2....I would be happy with either.


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

Whats a Kemper? Google provided no answers.


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## Guest (May 16, 2013)

dcole said:


> Whats a Kemper? Google provided no answers.


http://kemper-amps.com/page/render/...r___KPA___Guitar_Amplification_Redefined.html


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## Moot (Feb 15, 2009)

Nice, manageable set-up, man! Very neat.
Looks like a fun place to be!


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## ElectricMojo (May 19, 2011)

Nice set-up!


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

Great set up!


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## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

Awesome! I have been gassing after a Kemper for several months now, mostly for a live rig. Love to hear more.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

No idea what youre talking about. All I see is a gorgeous LP sitting in Mr. Sulu's seat.


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## studio66 (Oct 16, 2009)

Lolol...you made my day!

The LP is '07 R9 VOS...one of the first VOS issued...it was the Gibson reps sample for artist events...its pretty special 
The Strat is a Fender Custom Shop Wildwood 10 '61.
Between these 2 guitars and the Kemper its crazy how many tones ...historic and new....you can get.

Mr.Sulu considers himself very fortunate


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Wow! that's great! Did you did a full room treatment (sound proof) or just partial?
Looking to do a "sound booth" so I can play a bit more after the kids are asleep.
Beautiful guitars too!


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## studio66 (Oct 16, 2009)

bzrkrage said:


> Wow! that's great! Did you did a full room treatment (sound proof) or just partial?
> Looking to do a "sound booth" so I can play a bit more after the kids are asleep.
> Beautiful guitars too!


No real soundproofing at all...some Auralex 2'x4' Studiofoam through out the room.The opposite end is a home theatre.I have a very understanding better half when it comes to making noise so all I have done is a little absorption to tame inside the room.With this set up I can play from silent with headphones to blasting...I generally keep it fairly low and detailed.I play quite often while she is asleep upstairs and never a complaint.
An interesting development with a set up like this is that I dont miss the volume.The Kemper still gives me the feel and tone of a tube melting assault at volumes down to a whisper and since everything is being monitored through the same set of speakers (even the iPod) then it all stays relative and the lower volume has become quite comfortable and enjoyable....less ear fatique and much more detail and nuance is heard. YMMV


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

I'd be interested in hearing more about that "eureka" moment!


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## studio66 (Oct 16, 2009)

davetcan said:


> I'd be interested in hearing more about that "eureka" moment!


I really expected the the Kemper to be as tweak free as my 11R and it hasn't been for me.I could get a pretty cool tone out of the 11R in seconds with a cab switch,off axis mic and my favorite reverb.
With the KPA I find I'm tweaking so much more and the secret sauce for me lay within the GEQ.The extra tweaks all end up adding to the realism and it just has that something extra.
My set up as you can see is super controlled so every nuance is accentuated and enjoyed.

The second moment of clarity came from being a bit frustrated at how many profiles sounded...well...the same.
I wrapped my head around the same player...the same guitar...and the same basic approach to tone would in fact leave you with only subtle differences between the profiles.
I then took 2 of and44's free profiles...Teeny Tiny Feet (Deluxe Reverb) and Man Rock 800 (JCM 800) and got surgical....stripped away everything and started messing with the GEQ and a bit of ambience...and there it was.
I have 2 crazy good profiles that cover my needs in spades so anything else I develop over time is a bonus.

I had an Axe Fx 2...insanely good box....just too much for me (at the time).
I had the Eleven Rack...insanely good box....ease of use and tone...win/win.
I have the KPA and it just seem to work the best in my set up...I wish it had the on screen editing that both the others have but I actually used my 11R this way for 3 years before I installed PT.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Thanks! I had the 11 rack for awhile and really liked it. Best modeling amp I'd tried since my Johnson Millenium. I was just using it for recording at home so it was a bit under utilized. The Amp FX has always interested me but I've convinced myself I'll always have a tube amp or 2 so why bother  I may come over to the dark side again one of these days.



studio66 said:


> I really expected the the Kemper to be as tweak free as my 11R and it hasn't been for me.I could get a pretty cool tone out of the 11R in seconds with a cab switch,off axis mic and my favorite reverb.
> With the KPA I find I'm tweaking so much more and the secret sauce for me lay within the GEQ.The extra tweaks all end up adding to the realism and it just has that something extra.
> My set up as you can see is super controlled so every nuance is accentuated and enjoyed.
> 
> ...


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## studio66 (Oct 16, 2009)

davetcan said:


> Thanks! I had the 11 rack for awhile and really liked it. Best modeling amp I'd tried since my Johnson Millenium. I was just using it for recording at home so it was a bit under utilized. The Amp FX has always interested me but I've convinced myself I'll always have a tube amp or 2 so why bother  I may come over to the dark side again one of these days.


Its only recording and jamming here in the room for me and the 11R was more than enough....so perfectly integrated with PT that I really had to talk myself into even trying the Axe Fx2 and the Kemper.Glad I did 
I have a 65 Amps Lil Elvis head & 2x12 matching cab and a Marshall Vintage Modern (2266) head and matching 4x12 cab that just dont get turned on...anymore ...at all 
If I could crank the amps at any time at at any volume I would not use the modelers but its just not practical or even desirable for me at this point so my current set up is a beautiful compromise and exciting new paradigm


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

It looks great. I'm sure I would have a lot more positive things to say if I understood it all.


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## studio66 (Oct 16, 2009)

Steadfastly said:


> It looks great. I'm sure I would have a lot more positive things to say if I understood it all.


Looks more complicated than it is  
The Kemper handles all the guitar/bass amps...no microphones or volume required.
The Fishman handles the acoustics...no micophones.
The Tascam handles the iPod/CDs if I want to learn or play along to something pre-recorded.
The Digi003 takes all the above and feeds it in to the computer and Pro Tools.
Inside the computer Toontracks Superior Drummer and EZKeys handles all piano and drums....as they are or write my own parts with the midi keyboard.

Somedays I write/record songs or backing tracks with the whole set up.
Other days I simply use it as a very controllable (spouse/neighbour friendly) guitar amp


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## studio66 (Oct 16, 2009)

davetcan said:


> I'd be interested in hearing more about that "eureka" moment!


Just a little bit more on this...
The other part you need to decide or wrap your head around going down this path is...."amp in the room" or "recorded tone"?

There are endless battles about this over at TGP and they get quite heated...go figure 

For years I judged all these type units by the "amp in the room" standard and they never measured up so I would give up....I've been on board since the original Pod.

The 11R helped me get out of that mindset and into the "recorded tone" head space.
"Amp in the room" for me is an impossible goal...I run my system through 2 studio monitors with 8" speakers at ear level....they will never replicate a cab with 12" speakers aimed at the back of my leg with a 57 stuck in the cone.

To me...again...to me these machines are best suited to direct recording or injection into a PA/FoH set up.
My buddy as mentioned earlier has an Axe Fx 2 set up with a Matrix power amp into a 2x12 cab....he also has FRFR set ups (RFC & QSC).He plays with real humans (lol) and the matrix/2x12 sounds better to my ears as the FRFR has such a broad spectrum that eq sculpting becomes a university level endeavor.
The full spectrum is great for a system like mine as I'm not trying to massage a raw amp tone totally but rather a tweaked version of the finished "recorded tone" I hear in my head...besides the voices 

I'm probably not describing this the best way but if you do follow than the the learning curve wont be as steep when entering the modeling domain....but if you still crave the amp in the room mic in the cone vibe at all levels I would probably pursue an amp and attenuator set up.

Its a bit of a mind [email protected]@k at first but really quite satisfying if your realistic about your goal.


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

I have a few questions for you:

1) Are you rich? All this gear seems to have high price tags on the net. 
2) Whats the purpose of running all the DI's into the Digi003 instead of direct into the computer?
3) Whats the purpose of using the iPod for band tracks instead of using the computer itself to play them?
4) Is the Kemper rack mountable?
5) Do you have everything mounted into racks on your desk?

I hope someday to build a system up like yours. Mines pretty janky right now but its fun to play along with songs on.


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## studio66 (Oct 16, 2009)

dcole said:


> I have a few questions for you:
> 
> 1) Are you rich? All this gear seems to have high price tags on the net.
> 2) Whats the purpose of running all the DI's into the Digi003 instead of direct into the computer?
> ...


1) Certainly not rich...a lot this came together over a long period of time and quite a few pieces were grabbed at pretty good prices.I also rediscovered the old adage that in fact you do get what you pay for.If I could have gotten the tones and facilities that I wanted for less...I would have...I tried 

2) The 003 is the brain/mixer/interface/converters and doorway into the Pro Tools end of the system...think of the 003 (or whatever interface you would use....and you would need one) as the glue that binds it all together into one system.

3) The Tascam...I wanted to be able to route prerecorded material from both my iPod and CD collection into Pro Tools for those times I just want to play along with something/learn a new tune.I'm not all that computer savy so if there is another way to do that it just didn't occur to me.

4) They don't call it the Kemper Rack for nothing 

5) The desk itself was an integral part of my design as it had an 8 space rack built in....the last one space left open will be filled this week with a Furman single space power conditioner.The plan was always to have everything rack mounted and I picked my gear accordingly.

Hope that answers it....
I wanted everything I do in my room to come through the Mackies...in order to do that I route everything through Pro Tools/003.If I'm playing along to some Warren Haynes from the iPod and I have a great profile going on the Kemper its all mixed and coming through and from the same source and the same speakers and therefore to my ears....more enjoyable.Its also my full recording set up.Its all in one space no matter what mood strikes me I can act on it in seconds.I have fully formatted/templated session set up in Pro Tools that I can simply jam/play or record if inspiration hits without even closing the session....its pretty cool


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

studio66 said:


> 4) They don't call it the Kemper Rack for nothing


Thanks for the answers. In all my research I kept seeing that goofy looking lunch box version.


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## studio66 (Oct 16, 2009)

dcole said:


> Thanks for the answers. In all my research I kept seeing that goofy looking lunch box version.


I held off getting it an extra year as I heard/hoped a rack version was coming... my 11R kept me happy while I waited 
Pics at the start of the thread show it "racked"


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## fatherjacques (Sep 17, 2006)

Great set-up


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## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

great set up 66. 

I have read many good things about the KPA over at TGP. I have been a Fractal AXE FX user for some years now and I am into the digital revolution big time. It has so many advantages for at home and live playing. 

You had an AXE so you know what it does, does the KPA also have effects/pedals on board?


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## studio66 (Oct 16, 2009)

bluesmostly said:


> great set up 66.
> 
> I have read many good things about the KPA over at TGP. I have been a Fractal AXE FX user for some years now and I am into the digital revolution big time. It has so many advantages for at home and live playing.
> 
> You had an AXE so you know what it does, does the KPA also have effects/pedals on board?


I did have an Axe Fx 2 and actually just borrowed my friends again for a side by side comparison with the new FW10 in the Axe 2.
We both agreed that in my type of set up the Kemper was just more alive and amp like...very organic and dynamic.
Live I think I would possibly lean towards the Axe as its just more complete with the MFC101 and you lose some of those subtleties at gig levels.

The Kemper has great effects....everything you would need in my opinion.They are easier to use than the Axe Fx and on the same level tone wise.Where the Kemper really leaves the Axe Fx wanting is the od/dist/boost pedal emulations.My friend I both agree that the od/dist/boost "pedals" in the Axe are not to our liking at all.The Kemper ones on the other hand are completely useable and pretty inspiring.
The modulation stuff,delays and reverbs are rich and deep.

If only the Kemper had Axe Edit and the MFC101...it would be complete


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