glideman Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 ... from Sweetwater. I am such a Gear Hooka Ho........ Former HD500 and HD500X user as well. Still have Tonelab SE and LE, too. HD's are gone pre-Kemper. Liked then fine. My manic bipolar mode is on. :P 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartnettle1 Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Helix is the cure! LOL I like that it can be a hub to other gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glideman Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 It probably won't be a hub... it'll probably be all by itself on the stage. One pedal into some form of amp. I love my Kemp, but the extra gear at small gigs is a pain in the rear. I want the simple life again since it's a hobby, not a primary job. :) I'll keep the Kemp, though... rack, pedalboard, amplification. Now, pedalboard, amplification again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glideman Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 Anyone else own a Kemper and jumping off the cliff on this pedal, too? Not unhappy with my Kemper, either. I just want another option. :) Curiosity definitely has killed the cat as well......... :wacko: :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose7822 Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Haha! I'm actually thinking about getting a Kemper, but for studio work. Helix plus hopefully an Atomic CLR will be my giging rig :-). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbenigni Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Anyone else own a Kemper and jumping off the cliff on this pedal, too? Not unhappy with my Kemper, either. I just want another option. :) Curiosity definitely has killed the cat as well......... :wacko: :D I own a Kemper and pre-ordered the Helix a couple of weeks ago. I've already lined up a buyer for the Kemper. I certainly wasn't unhappy with the way the Kemper sounds (provided the right profile is loaded), and in fact I'll be amazed if the Helix sounds anywhere near as good. But I was getting frustrated with its flexibility, or lack thereof, particularly where floorboard integration, MIDI I/O, and routing were concerned. Enter the Helix - where Line 6 seem to have been specifically focusing on all of the things that were driving me up the wall in Kemper-land. If the Helix sounds even half-decent, I will be in heaven with this new UI and all of the routing options. And I won't have to spend all my time worrying about which footcontroller to use, how to program it, wire it, etc. No knock on the Kemper - if you're in the studio and want uncompromising tones, or you're on stage and don't mind a more complex set up, the KPA is a great solution. But I need something simpler, and hope the Helix delivers. Fingers crossed that the amps will be on par with e.g. Postive Grid's Bias Amps, but with lower latency. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glideman Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 I'd be surprised if they haven't improved the modeling 10 fold after taking so long between the HD line and the Helix. I'll be keeping the Kemper and FCB with UNO4KEMPER chip, but I like the idea of Helix for live use. Simplicity... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbenigni Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 I'd be surprised if they haven't improved the modeling 10 fold after taking so long between the HD line and the Helix. I hope you're right (not that I have any real idea what tenfold would mean in this context LOL.) I am going insane waiting for a product demo that actually includes a variety of amp tones - i.e. the one reason we all use modeling amp rigs in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicked_Truth Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 I also own & love the Kemper profiler, line6 HD pod Pro & just pre-ordered the Helix (rack) version from Sweetwater Can't wait to try the Helix said to be ready to ship in the fall...!!!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbenigni Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Can't wait to try the Helix said to be ready to ship in the fall...!!!!! It's going to be a long, long summer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markybird Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I'm about to come into an inheritance from my dad who died recently. He loved my playing guitar so it feels 'ok' to spend some serious money on getting the rig of my life. So I'm gonna get a helix rack, controller and a kemper to go in the loop. Frankly its mahoosive overkill since I'm a bedroom player but its the one chance in my life to buy top of the range and not feel bad about it. I'm currently rocking a digitech rp500 so I hope there will be a modest increase in feel and tone ;) Plus all those knobs and lights look pretty lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 .... Frankly its mahoosive overkill since I'm a bedroom player but its the one chance in my life to buy top of the range and not feel bad about it. ... My sympathies about your dad, markybird. Since he loved that you play guitar you can rest assured that he would endorse your decision. And don't feel bad about it for a second! Sometimes a person just needs to do what feels good and right for themselves, and indulge themselves despite what a financial adviser might say. You won't regret it, even if it stays in your bedroom. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markybird Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Thanks silverhead - every time I play it I'll think of him and rock out (am a big maiden freak). Hugely excited about the helix (and the kemper). Managed to get some awesome tones out of that rp500 tho :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCproducer Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I'd buy the helix first then decide if you need the kemper. If the helix models are up there you might not need the kemper and could spend it on something else (like a variax or frfr speaker setup). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathiasUlrick Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Selling Kemper, I hate it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Selling Kemper, I hate it. You hate the Kemper, or the fact that you are selling it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbenigni Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Selling Kemper, I hate it. LOL I had kind of a love/ hate relationship with my Kemper, too - now extensively documented on their own forum. More hate than love in the end: I sold mine, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathiasUlrick Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 You hate the Kemper, or the fact that you are selling it? Hate the unit. Can't wait for Helix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fretburner Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 I love my Kemper & Kemper Remote! I do have the Helix on order and it will be used with my Friedman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glideman Posted July 24, 2015 Author Share Posted July 24, 2015 I like my Kemper, but I'd rather have pedal and processor all in one live. Simple setup... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathiasUlrick Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 I like my Kemper, but I'd rather have pedal and processor all in one live. Simple setup... I'm still going with the rack unit and I'll get the pedal later. I do mostly recording anyway so I may not need it for live application for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glideman Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 Is that a left handed Hellraiser guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBGas Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I've had several Kemper units over the years. Just don't like them either. Had issues with two of them (LED's on the early batch and the other was shutting down without warning) Can't wait for the Helix! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey_Man Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Selling Kemper, I hate it. I do mostly recording anyway so I may not need it for live application for a while. I'm a little surprised at this. IMHO the Kemper's impossible to beat for recording, Mathias. Many folks have foregone micing up their amps in favour of the KPA. Perhaps you'll be able to get closer to what you want sound-wise with the Helix. If indeed you do, that's great, man! It's all good. We truly are spoiled for choice these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feinberger Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 No knock on the Kemper - if you're in the studio and want uncompromising tones, or you're on stage and don't mind a more complex set up, the KPA is a great solution. But I need something simpler, and hope the Helix delivers. Fingers crossed that the amps will be on par with e.g. Postive Grid's Bias Amps, but with lower latency. Well let me know how you think it sounds vs Kemper. I Feel the Kemper wouldn't be a hard setup especially with the remote. But I am looking to purcahse either the Helix or Kemper asap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbenigni Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Well let me know how you think it sounds vs Kemper. I Feel the Kemper wouldn't be a hard setup especially with the remote. But I am looking to purcahse either the Helix or Kemper asap. Alas, it will have been months since I've heard a Kemper by then. I'll basically be able to post whether I'm happy or not, for whatever that's worth. I'll probably compare it directly with Bias Amps and offer my opinions there. As for the ease/difficulty of a Kemper, it depends on how you intend to use it. If you're just running one signal path (4 stomps, 1 amp, and some post effects) and using a footcontroller to select presets, it will deliver. And yes it sounds amazing and can be made to sound like just about anything you want through the acquisition of new profiles. I need a few things that 95% of guitarists have no interest in, which made me the token malcontent amongst Kemper-owners LOL. But the KPA might serve you very well. If, on the other hand, you want real flexibility with effects, routing, expression pedal assignments, USB integration, multiple amps, etc... then the Kemper may fall short regardless of how good it sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digital_Igloo Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 If one has the money, Kemper in the FX loop of Helix would be ridiculously powerful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbenigni Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 If one has the money, Kemper in the FX loop of Helix would be ridiculously powerful. Sacrificing the $$$ is one thing, and sacrificing the elegance is another. If I'm going to add another processor, another power cable, a bunch of audio (or spdif) cables, hassle with getting one unit to control the other over MIDI... the difference in tone would have to be so drastic as to imply the Helix itself just made random cartoon noises when I played guitar. I know some guys will go to any lengths and all that, but I put a premium on simplicity - which is why the Helix is so attractive in the first place. Now if Kemper would license the technology and let you guys put a KPR loading block in your OS, that would be another story... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBGas Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Sacrificing the $$$ is one thing, and sacrificing the elegance is another. If I'm going to add another processor, another power cable, a bunch of audio (or spdif) cables, hassle with getting one unit to control the other over MIDI... the difference in tone would have to be so drastic as to imply the Helix itself just made random cartoon noises when I played guitar. I know some guys will go to any lengths and all that, but I put a premium on simplicity - which is why the Helix is so attractive in the first place. Now if Kemper would license the technology and let you guys put a KPR loading block in your OS, that would be another story... :) What CK should have done was in some way charge those who are using his machine to profit from the profiles being made for sale. Free profiles would be no charge, Even a small fee for those selling profiles would have brought him in some huge $$$ that he could put to more R&D for even newer products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensington Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 So...old post, but have any of you kemper guys received your helix, and if so, how does it feel? :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdfitz1976 Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 So old post but it still pops up #1 on Google search Ran through this at a buddy's place...not impressed. Essentially the same amp lineup as the HD500 with some noticeable upgrades but nonetheless at the end of the day...it still sounds like a Line6 version of an amp. My two cents...If you want simple setup, an unlimited choice of amps and a great sound right out of the box then Kemper's the clear winner. If you want to spend hours nit-picking your routing and effects, you want an unlimited choice of amps and a great sound then Fractal's the clear winner. If you want hours of nit-picking your routing, using the same amps that have been modeled for over a decade (the same exact amps BTW), months and months in between updates and an alright sound then Helix is your go to. Congrats, you've saved yourself $500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarrellM5 Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 The routing is a piece of cake and very fast to set up. You say "exact same amps" like it's a bad thing. If they were the exact same models then I would agree. But the HX models sound a lot better than the HD models did. It's also not "months and months between upgrades". Yesterday's 2.0 upgrade was huge BTW. We got all 3 channels of the Mesa Boogie Mk IV, a couple more new amps, several new effects and Snapshots (similar to Fractal's scenes). I'm also a fan of the Kemper and Axe FX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digital_Igloo Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Ran through this at a buddy's place...not impressed. Essentially the same amp lineup as the HD500 with some noticeable upgrades but nonetheless at the end of the day...it still sounds like a Line6 version of an amp. My two cents...If you want simple setup, an unlimited choice of amps and a great sound right out of the box then Kemper's the clear winner. If you want to spend hours nit-picking your routing and effects, you want an unlimited choice of amps and a great sound then Fractal's the clear winner. If you want hours of nit-picking your routing, using the same amps that have been modeled for over a decade (the same exact amps BTW), months and months in between updates and an alright sound then Helix is your go to. Congrats, you've saved yourself $500. Screw it; I'll bite. Unless your ears are somehow more finely tuned than those of the world-class LA recording engineers we invite to double-blind A/B/X shootouts, sounds like user error, a faulty Helix, cognitive bias, or extremely poor trolling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glideman Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 Helix amps sound nothing like HD or other POD amps. Gotta agree with user error. I've owned a ton, Axe FX Ultra, Axe FX II XL+, Kemper, HD500, X3 Live, Helix, Vox Tonelabs, etc... Anyone that subs their noses at Helix modeling is either a fanboy of something else, or doesn't know how to use this gear very well. Fractal, Helix, and Kemper are all operating on a high level, and it's really mostly personal preference and such at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Both the Kemper and Helix rack still have a place in my studio. I will be glad when Kemper gets an official editor released, no offense to the 3rd parties out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris-Beaver Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 I own a Kemper toaster an Axe FX2 XL and a Helix. They are all great devices and all sound great. I'm not saying that because it's the right thing to say, i'm saying it because it's the truth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glideman Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 Yeah, only reason I got rid of the Axe II and the AX8 is I got everything I needed from the Helix and Kemper but with easier interfaces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxnew40 Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 With the addition of snapshots the Helix is now the perfect gigging rig for me. -Max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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