Hahaha, nice! I’ve had the same thought on a number of their videos. I’d be curious if an A/B switch would work appropriately for speaker level signals, though. It would be unfortunate if a speaker-level signal fried their A/B switch.
Agreed, but this might be on Pete and Rabea for not adjusting the settings to get a more accurate comparison. The Kemper just has more compression on these patches, which the PG can easily match with its transformer modeling section.
I've owned PG stuff I think this video accurately displays what they sound like and I believe +metspin1 stated was well informed, accurate and just plain old true. PG never sounds really like a tube amp to me.
They profiles the Kemper. Didn’t use tone match software on the Bias head, which actually works very well. So fun video, but not a comparison truthfully at all.
totally agree - I find that most SS stuff is flat and doesn't have that same "roundness" of tone or depth that tube stuff does OR the kemper evidently (and apparently Axe too). However, some of the digital stuff through a tube amp sounds exponentially better. Actually, any SS preamp sounds better through tube power. huge difference.
Definitely a long-awaited shootout. THANKS! To my ears, via quality AKG cans, out of the box with no tweaking, the Kemper just seems more "alive", organic and tonally dynamic sounding, especially on the cleaner settings. High gain, both units seem closer in tone though. And yes, I also agree, both Rabea and Pete appeared to respond better when going through the Kemper. I have spent some time not long ago with the Kemper and I was quite blown away across the board...it really did feel quite "real" to me. Only thing I personally would love to see now is the Kemper against the AX8... cheers guys and welcome back!
Both sound pretty awesome! I'd be happy with either one of those I think. The Kemper sounds like it has more of those nuances though that we're used to hearing from an amp. But like I said, both sound great! Excellent job guys, thanks for this!
If you Profile your amp properly on the Kemper, you can't tell the difference between a Kemper and a Tube amp. My friend used my Kemper in church last weekend and I could not tell a difference between his tone and the other tube amp.
Great video guys, thanks for all you do for us guitar nerds. Bea, congrats on getting healthier man, you're looking great buddy. Have a fantastic day team.
Seems like the kemper works better with pedals, but the positive grid seems more versatile and tweakable. Judging by that id say for a more exact match amp tone the kemper is better, but the positive grid is better if you're ultimately looking to create a unique tone. 👍 So I'd personally buy the bias amp because it definitely gets really close to the classic tones, but has more customizable parameters so I could really make it sound exactly like I want.
Hey guys, when you first played the Kemper you had the “cabinet simulator” on so it probably was as accurate as it could’ve been as you were using an actual cabinet, not needing to simulate it as if you were using a PA speaker or monitor. I made the same mistake a lot when I first got mine and once I worked it out it made a massive difference! Super good video. Always love the stuff you guys do!
back in 1984 i had (still have) only a ts-10 with a broken switch and a 1977 marshall JMP master model mkii 50w head with a 4x12 bottom cab with original g12-h30 55hz greenbacks. that's really all there was maybe a ds-1 or another vintage overdrive or distortion. there are now literally thousands of different pedals and tens of modeling and preamp solutions these days. one could conceivably collect guitars and pedals and amps and really never scratch the surface. too much stuff. still playing custom JCM800 I built myself and that old ts-10 is my go to. things never change but they always stay the same.
The more important thing to remember between the two is how the player responds and the feedback between the amp and player. The positive grid seemed to create less inspired playing than the kemper did. Even if you can dial in the tones like they say, the bias amp isn't producing the tonal inspiration the kemper is. I'm sure if you were using it in a recording scenario it wouldn't matter as much, but live I don't think there's a substitute for the kemper.
@@jttech44 exactly,, Kemper brought out the that kid in me that picked up a guitar for the first time and was ecstatic,, it was christmas! Like that... amazing unit.
It seems that the Kemper is still ahead of the game thus I will wait a few years until Bias catches up. Until then I'll stick with my Vinyl, Cassettes, Cd's, VHS, DAT tapes, reel to reels, mini-discs, Wire Recorder, floppy disks, Betamax, microtape, phonograph cylinders, 8-tracks, Umatic, SVR's, Laserdiscs, 8mm, DVDs, Punched Cards, NES Cartridge, TI-85, RCA Cartridge, Quadraphonic vinyl, and Beam Power Tubes! Gas Filled Tubes! Tetrodes! & Pentodes! Glorious diodes & triodes! Tubes Tubes TuBeS! ...........I Want A Kemper.
Kemper is a game changer device. Got myself a KPA and eternal search for tone was done with. Absolutely fantastic sound and customization features. Play a combination of Friedman/EVH5150/Bogner profiles. On top of it, Kemper embedded effects are awesome, and spicing up the profiled amp sound with boosters eq's and the (new) delays makes for heavenly rock guitar sound (hot,fat). Monitor out to a regular cabinet, XLRs into the PA and there you go. The Remote is a perfect companion as well as an ME volume/whah pedal. Highly recommended.
I have had the Kemper for nearly 5 years now and I continue to be impressed by how amazing it sounds. To my ears, the only real competition for the Kemper is the Axe FX. Those two are in a league of their own.
I trade in my line 6 rig 500x and the variax 89f for Kemper and it was the best decision that ever made.I can profile my modded plexi A great tool and sounds and feels the real thing .Great job guys!
I tried both of them. The Kemper sounded a bit better to me. But I think the Bias sounds great as well. I decided to buy the Kemper because mainly because of two reasons. 1. There is a huge community offering free profiles and you can buy fantastic profiles online as well. 2. I dont want to use an Ipad all the time, on the Kemper you can make all changes very easy.
Watching the video, and even through UA-cam audio, it's easy to tell which one you guys prefer playing, which one feels better to play. The Kemper has the bottom end thump of a real cabinet, that "woody" tone, and that feels better to play. The Kemper is substantially better in every way in this video. Btw, excellent video demo guys, very well done! Two great guitar players, no doubt about that!
Kemper sounded better across the board. But the best part of this video was The look of joy on Rabea's face while Pete was playing metal. Great video guys, hope more like this happen!
Great demo. I think the Positive Grid would be more fun to own, really geek out on building amps etc. But the Kemper wins for me in this demo, purely because of the tones. They're just "better", in a word. :-)
what you guys need for this sort of demo is a 1960A with stereo socketry, & put the mic mid-way between the speaker pairs, so you can run both amps at once, & put the A-B switch at the input.
In a nutshell if you got a bunch of amps you like the camper is the way to go and if you're on a low budget positivegrid is awesome to get amps you don't have. I love both.
Oh man, Rabea and Pete's playing is so killer !! You guys inspire me every single time. I end up pausing your videos and playing some guitar hehe.. \m/
While I think it’s pretty clear that the Kemper sounds the better of the two, I’m still convinced that amp modeling will win out over amp profiling in the long-term. Amp profiling is basically treats your entire rig as a black box-all possible inputs have corresponding possible outputs. With amp modeling, every individual component is modeled separately and can easily be swapped out as desired. Most people who own a Kemper will tell you that even changing the EQ settings for a given amp profile will betray the “honesty” of the profile (i.e. even the EQ controls on real amps have analog characteristics themselves that are hard to replicate with profiling technology).
From personal experience it took quite a bit of tweaking to get the right tones from Bias' default profiles. They sound very dry and muted out of the box, but when you play a bit in Bias Amp and create your own amp, suited for your pickups it sounds amazing :D
I agree with the Apples and Oranges comment near the end. Since the BIAS is controlled by an Apple iPad, I'm making the analogy variable that BIAS = Apple. That leaves Kemper to be more akin to Oranges - or Orange amps. I love the tone in both Kemper and Orange products over those from Apple and BIAS.
Not for nuthin' but Radial's Cherry Picker and Gold Digger would be ideal for all the tasks that don't involve loop/pedal switching like the Gig Rig; of course the system's designed for auditioning mics and preamps, but Radial included enough extras to make these boxes useful for your purposes, barring speaker-level switching.
I think the only reason the Kemper sounds better in this demo is because the bias amp isn't being used to its full potential. When you take into consideration the amount of tones you have access to when you use the amp with the software I think they come out equal. My friend uses a Kemper and I was blown away by the sounds he was dialing on it but I've also seen what the bias software is capable of when it comes to recording and DAW interface. I think it all comes down to personal preference, I personally like the simplicity of Bias products their user friendliness. With the tone cloud bias has you can easily match any tone the Kemper can put out.
Besides the Kemper clearly sounding better, a factor to consider bassguitar support. The BIAS is pure guitar where the Kemper sound great for Bass as well.
Andertons Music Co Interesting, that is not what PG told me a while ago. Any if that is 1 bas model on zillion guitar models that is still not convinving. Will have a look. Thank you for letting me know.
I am a kemper owner. I bloody love it. the guy in the shop accused it of being a djent box. i corrected him and said thats the axe fx. (but good god the kemper can djent hahaha) but the kemper is truly a wonderful box of magic mystery and i love it. but i am not a close minded fool. i can appreciate good tones from any source. and i was ready to hear some good stuff from the bias head. i heard some....ok.....stuff. and some utter crap from the bias. and some good stuff and some mediocre tones from the kemper. but the winner for me......kemper. more tones. more natural. and even a bad tone can very quickly be adjusted to a good one on the kemper. plus i have one. and it rules. woah.....wat a load of waffle i just wrote. thunbs up anyone who made to the end. cos i nearly gave up......
Nothing beats the Kemper in my opinion. I've used the Helix, I've used the headrush, I've used the Bias Head, I've used real amps, but nothing is so stable, easy to use and travel with, consistent in any circumstance, and great sounding as the Kemper.
Yes, totally sweet. Closest you can get to Pat Traver's legit double cut les paul........and it's not made by gibson. I guess the SG3000/SGB3000 is the same thing?
bias offers a free demo vst plugin / app which you can run on a pc. It provides quite a lot, but cuts out sound every few minutes for a few seconds. For practicing at home with headphones, it's incredible considering it's completely free
Front of house with a profiler is said to make no difference between tube and modeler heads, but having had a lead guitarist who ran an ultra, compared to my drive stomp driven clean Carvin, there is a real difference in compression, and creaminess between tones
Was about to get a bias head but hearing how well the Kemper takes pedals in comparison it's probably worth the extra money. Probably use the bias head for something a home for great recording tones.
Kemper wins every round but I am really impressed with the PG!! I remember when it was first for pre sale and I thought it was gonna suck. I am impressed with the amps they modeled here. Good video fellas.
Having just purchased a Bias powered head, I can say, you must tweak it a bit. Once you do some minor adjustments to match your cab(s) it really wakes up. I have done all my adjustments on the amp face. I am looking forward to hooking it to the PC. Plus, they had WAY too much reverb on the Bias. The newest software update as of Nov13-17 includes reverb, btw.
You both seem to be more pleased when playing the Kemper... at least that's how it looks from this side of UA-cam. Both machines are impressive indeed... and that Yamaha Revstar is phenomenal. Keep playing guys, you rock!
Especially Rabea played better on the Kemper. So I think that the Kemper has a better feel/Rabae prefers the feel of the Kempers playing. Also Pete did, but I heard more difference between the playability of the amps when Rabea played. However. Amazing video guys! Big fan from the netherlands over here
I have a carvin legacy head and the positive grid app had a profile that works to sound 99.9% the same but can run straight into my recording software. If the head is half as good, it’s worth it for the software alone. The Kemper is basically useful if you have a stable of very expensive amps and want to capture them as patches to use live, but for a home recording setup, it’s not worth the extra over the positive grid IMO.
The Kemper wins hands down in my opinion. The PG did not sound bad at all though. I wish they had spend more effort to try to eq both units to sound as close as possible. In this way we were really comparing apples and oranges. I also thought that there are way better profiles for the JCM available then the ones used. Anyways - thanks for an interesting video! You guys rock!
Yeah .. and there's other people profiling all kinds of bizarre oddities by way amps all the time ... And posting up for sale or free download. You'll never have to profile anything yourself should you not want to... Hundreds of amps and tones already available.
I appreciate this honest effort but it's amazing how much these demos can vary.(Perhaps mic placement etc.) E.g. I just watched a U.S.A. Sweetwater demo where the Postive Grid sounded amazingly natural and amp-like compared with most other demos.
great gear needs great guitarists. glad i get to hear guys that can play demoing these heads. im def sold on the kemper. The Bias head looks like a old school head and the kemper looks like a control panel from a mad scientists lab lol.
I'm a happy owner of a Kemper, a Fractal AX8 and Bias Ipad version when I'm on the move. Without taking price into consideration but only the sounds that you can get the Kemper for me comes out as the winner for my studio, competing closely with Fractal but I would rather say the II ultra (with a double processor) rather than the AX8 which is ideal for live use. I didn't feel the need to opt for the Bias head. Of course pricewise there's a huge difference between one or the other but the kemper is sitting right in the middle while its sounds rank high in any preference list. The only recommendation is that you should not trust all the patched that you find on the cloud and base your judgement only on that - the nicest sound that guitarists can get are never shared and in this in all platforms...think about the EVH brown sound.
Just to be clear, the power section for BOTH of these amps is solid state, am I right? It doesn't seem to me that levels between the two amps are well-matched, but most of the time, the broad strokes can be adjusted for, on the gig, and on most gigs, it NEEDS to be adjusted for the room. Most likely, the room and the cabinet are more important than which model, and the difference among models is more apparent at lower gain.
Question for yis: if you buy a Kemper and don't have a "rig" of your own to profile what are your options? Is there a library to choose from? Edit: nvm, they covered it in the video.
Nicely done by one unsavory gentleman and one grimy French dude. Kemper all day for 2 obvious and major reasons - A. Sounds better. and thirdly has way more buttons to push. 🤘🏽😎 Thanks for the video. I am glad I waited to make my decision and watched this video before purchasing.
I use Bias Amp/Bias FX on desktop and I think it's the best practice setup money can buy. $100 for a USB interface, $140 for Bias FX Pro, and $100 for a pair of studio cans. You won't get a better quality practice "amp" for $340 anywhere else. Hell, probably not for double that either. The Kemper sounds better but it's a different beast with a different purpose.
But what about the Helix (with right Ownhammer IR's) vs Kemper vs Ax8, that's my choice at the moment. I can't try them out so i have to order one, and if not happy send it back i guess....
Kemper for days. Both of you sounded more comfortable on it. Positive Grid is handy for the bedroom bros, but that Kemper is putting it to shame when side-by-side!
The Kemper won by miles. Bias sounds good when tweaked, but you always hear dry guitar dynamics coming through, something a real amp changes. Kemper does the tone and the dynamics. I think the bias applications are really nice for recording or just practicing, but they don't really convert over to a live loud amp well. The only difference I hear from a Kemper and a real amp is the impossibly tight 600 watt solid state power amp.
Does the Kemper have a user interface for a PC or iOS where you can adjust the settings of the modeling processor? Is it just the front control knobs that are available after the amp profile is set?
Loved the video, have to say that as you guys mentioned it is to do with what's programmed in, rather than the gear itself that makes the difference. Kind of like your DAW software only being as good as your mixing capabilities. I can't help but thinking that it would have been a fairer comparison if you'd tried the bias matching vs profiling. The Kemper did sound better on the video - even though it probably was closer in the room - as it seemed to have a fuller mid range, but then again it seems like one pre-set vs another pre-set.
Sooo.... After watching the video: I was right. The Bias Head doesn't sound bad at all, but the kemper just does everything better. It really sounds and feels to me like listening to a real tube amp whereas the bias sounds like you run it through, well, Bias software. I always feel like they're boxed - I hope you get what I mean by that - , like if there was a "sound spectrum" the kemper would have 10% - 20% more on either end. Even if you mess with the EQ you still get this boxed sound on the Bias products, just with more top or low end. The (Hi -)Gain structure sounds very noisy too and not nearly as defined as the Kemper. I'd say you had a little more fun with the Kemper, especially Rabea :) But then again: The Kemper is quite a few bucks more and this is just my opinion.
Except for the high-gain sound with the Friedman I preferred the Kemper on this recording. With the Friedman guitar I preferred the PG sound... Function-wise I would go for the Kemper, because with the optional Footswitch you get all you ever need in one package, so no more big, heavy floor-boards etc...
Both amps have excellent high-gain tones, but I think I very slightly favour the base tone of the Kemper. I think with some tweaking you'd have a great tone from the BIAS Head.
To use the bias, gain should be full, the sound will be thick. Control the gain with the guitar volume. My fav setting is Vox AC30 normal channel with 2x12 greenback cab sim.
Frankly, I'd be deliriously happy with either one of them. Marty Friedman's video on the PG sold me on its potential and well, we all know what Kemper can do. It's a great time to be a guitar player, that's for sure. Technology is just exploding.
kemper all the way, hands down. much more dynamic and lifely sounding (and I'm not letting my ownership get in the way of my ears, thank you very much ;-)) suggestion: it would have been a good thing to play close to the same thing on both amps to REALLY be able to judge the tonal differences. Still a very informative video, of course. thanks for that!
Don't know if it's just me that has noticed but when Rabea plays a lick on the neck pickup, as soon as he finishes, he knocks the toggle to the Bridge position and then turns down the volume. I do the exact same thing. Not exactly sure why I do it but it's nice to know I'm not the only one 😂
Gotta say the Kemper blew away the Bias. Kemper is an amazing piece of gear, the clean and overdrive tones all sound great. You honestly have to tweak Bias Amps to get a better sound. Not sure if it can be better than the Kemper, but closer than whats displayed here.
Kemper was better but I didn't like the kemper tones either. When you consider how sweet the playing is the Kemper tones are nasally/notched IMO. Sounds like a great amp through a cheap speaker. Plus when you consider I have a lawn, and you need to get off it with your fangled devices, you have my honest review.
the only thing they don't sell at andertons is an A/B switch
seb rozo ikr
seb rozo 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. Best comment I've seen on this thread!
A speaker level A/B switch capable of switching 100 watts or more is pretty rare to find at a music shop. But some music store should carry them.
HAHA! Love these guys and these reviews. UA-cam has completely transformed how people shop for gear.
Hahaha, nice! I’ve had the same thought on a number of their videos. I’d be curious if an A/B switch would work appropriately for speaker level signals, though. It would be unfortunate if a speaker-level signal fried their A/B switch.
I personally preferred the Kemper. Sounded great.
Kemper sounds more natural and rounder. I like Kemper more.
agree
Agreed, but this might be on Pete and Rabea for not adjusting the settings to get a more accurate comparison. The Kemper just has more compression on these patches, which the PG can easily match with its transformer modeling section.
I've owned PG stuff I think this video accurately displays what they sound like and I believe +metspin1 stated was well informed, accurate and just plain old true. PG never sounds really like a tube amp to me.
They profiles the Kemper. Didn’t use tone match software on the Bias head, which actually works very well. So fun video, but not a comparison truthfully at all.
totally agree - I find that most SS stuff is flat and doesn't have that same "roundness" of tone or depth that tube stuff does OR the kemper evidently (and apparently Axe too). However, some of the digital stuff through a tube amp sounds exponentially better. Actually, any SS preamp sounds better through tube power. huge difference.
This video makes me so proud of my Kemper purchase. I like that they addressed the FEEL part of the demo.
The Kemper is in a completely different league to the BIAS head. BIAS has a weird resonant frequency or some ting isn't it though.
Definitely a long-awaited shootout. THANKS! To my ears, via quality AKG cans, out of the box with no tweaking, the Kemper just seems more "alive", organic and tonally dynamic sounding, especially on the cleaner settings. High gain, both units seem closer in tone though. And yes, I also agree, both Rabea and Pete appeared to respond better when going through the Kemper.
I have spent some time not long ago with the Kemper and I was quite blown away across the board...it really did feel quite "real" to me.
Only thing I personally would love to see now is the Kemper against the AX8...
cheers guys and welcome back!
Someone put a mug down and there was no glass breaking effect...The end of an era
Different channel... :)
I am so lusting after that black Reverend P90 guitar! To my ears, the Kemper sounded better across the board.
That's a Yamaha Revstar. Lokks ave though!
My bad! I still think it looks & sounds sweet!
JH Scofield Oh. Hah! I thought it was a Reverend too.
It's apparently Yamaha's "take" on the Reverends, hence the name REV-star.
I have one and I really dig it
Both sound pretty awesome! I'd be happy with either one of those I think. The Kemper sounds like it has more of those nuances though that we're used to hearing from an amp. But like I said, both sound great! Excellent job guys, thanks for this!
If you Profile your amp properly on the Kemper, you can't tell the difference between a Kemper and a Tube amp. My friend used my Kemper in church last weekend and I could not tell a difference between his tone and the other tube amp.
Great video guys, thanks for all you do for us guitar nerds. Bea, congrats on getting healthier man, you're looking great buddy. Have a fantastic day team.
Seems like the kemper works better with pedals, but the positive grid seems more versatile and tweakable. Judging by that id say for a more exact match amp tone the kemper is better, but the positive grid is better if you're ultimately looking to create a unique tone. 👍 So I'd personally buy the bias amp because it definitely gets really close to the classic tones, but has more customizable parameters so I could really make it sound exactly like I want.
Hey guys, when you first played the Kemper you had the “cabinet simulator” on so it probably was as accurate as it could’ve been as you were using an actual cabinet, not needing to simulate it as if you were using a PA speaker or monitor. I made the same mistake a lot when I first got mine and once I worked it out it made a massive difference! Super good video. Always love the stuff you guys do!
Kemper all day. Kemper has the warmth and compression of a tube amp.
back in 1984 i had (still have) only a ts-10 with a broken switch and a 1977 marshall JMP master model mkii 50w head with a 4x12 bottom cab with original g12-h30 55hz greenbacks. that's really all there was maybe a ds-1 or another vintage overdrive or distortion. there are now literally thousands of different pedals and tens of modeling and preamp solutions these days. one could conceivably collect guitars and pedals and amps and really never scratch the surface. too much stuff. still playing custom JCM800 I built myself and that old ts-10 is my go to. things never change but they always stay the same.
Kemper kinda makes the positive grid sound like a line 6 spider.
Agreed. There is no comparison really
Axefx is the only thing that comes close to kemper. Even then amp tone is better on kemper.
evidently you get what you pay for
The more important thing to remember between the two is how the player responds and the feedback between the amp and player. The positive grid seemed to create less inspired playing than the kemper did. Even if you can dial in the tones like they say, the bias amp isn't producing the tonal inspiration the kemper is. I'm sure if you were using it in a recording scenario it wouldn't matter as much, but live I don't think there's a substitute for the kemper.
@@jttech44 exactly,, Kemper brought out the that kid in me that picked up a guitar for the first time and was ecstatic,, it was christmas!
Like that... amazing unit.
Such an amazing duo, and amps!
Hey who is that skinny guy on the left
Professor Brand Are you trying to make a joke about Bea? Are you really that funny?
It's most likely a compliment.
Mikolaj N Ribeena is a cool guitarist.
Aight good
Ikr, Bea is losing so much weight. It's really great to see!
It seems that the Kemper is still ahead of the game thus I will wait a few years until Bias catches up. Until then I'll stick with my Vinyl, Cassettes, Cd's, VHS, DAT tapes, reel to reels, mini-discs, Wire Recorder, floppy disks, Betamax, microtape, phonograph cylinders, 8-tracks, Umatic, SVR's, Laserdiscs, 8mm, DVDs, Punched Cards, NES Cartridge, TI-85, RCA Cartridge, Quadraphonic vinyl, and Beam Power Tubes! Gas Filled Tubes! Tetrodes! & Pentodes! Glorious diodes & triodes! Tubes Tubes TuBeS! ...........I Want A Kemper.
Don't forget to blow into your NES cartridges if the game has crashed! ;)
You forgot original lime flavored Starburst candy
I need duck hunt
not anymore with the new Axe FXIII just came out.
@@luiseduardogomezdearandaju723 Blowing into the NES cartridge gives the music a better tone ;)
Kemper is a game changer device. Got myself a KPA and eternal search for tone was done with. Absolutely fantastic sound and customization features. Play a combination of Friedman/EVH5150/Bogner profiles. On top of it, Kemper embedded effects are awesome, and spicing up the profiled amp sound with boosters eq's and the (new) delays makes for heavenly rock guitar sound (hot,fat). Monitor out to a regular cabinet, XLRs into the PA and there you go. The Remote is a perfect companion as well as an ME volume/whah pedal. Highly recommended.
Really awesome video guys! I was waiting for a shootout between these two, and I think you both did a terrific job. Keep it up.
I have had the Kemper for nearly 5 years now and I continue to be impressed by how amazing it sounds. To my ears, the only real competition for the Kemper is the Axe FX. Those two are in a league of their own.
I trade in my line 6 rig 500x and the variax 89f for Kemper and it was the best decision that ever made.I can profile my modded plexi A great tool and sounds and feels the real thing .Great job guys!
Hey everybody, now that bias amp 2 is out, I want a revenge round ! Bias changed a lot since version 1
I tried both of them. The Kemper sounded a bit better to me. But I think the Bias sounds great as well. I decided to buy the Kemper because mainly because of two reasons. 1. There is a huge community offering free profiles and you can buy fantastic profiles online as well. 2. I dont want to use an Ipad all the time, on the Kemper you can make all changes very easy.
Watching the video, and even through UA-cam audio, it's easy to tell which one you guys prefer playing, which one feels better to play. The Kemper has the bottom end thump of a real cabinet, that "woody" tone, and that feels better to play. The Kemper is substantially better in every way in this video. Btw, excellent video demo guys, very well done! Two great guitar players, no doubt about that!
I was waiting for such a video, thanks so much! Awesome quality as always! Ciao from Italy!
MPK 4K Ciao dude. P
listening through hi end Dac, Amp, And speakers the Kemper sounds really lively, authentic. The positive grid at times sounds like a line6 spider.
To my ears to Kemper sounded better.
Kemper sounded better across the board. But the best part of this video was The look of joy on Rabea's face while Pete was playing metal. Great video guys, hope more like this happen!
Kemper, absolutely sounded way more alive and definitive!
Great demo. I think the Positive Grid would be more fun to own, really geek out on building amps etc.
But the Kemper wins for me in this demo, purely because of the tones. They're just "better", in a word. :-)
I recently gigged with the BIAS Head and worked fine.... I've also heard BIAS's tone matches that sound as good as any
Leonardo DiCaprio sure can play!
what you guys need for this sort of demo is a 1960A with stereo socketry, & put the mic mid-way between the speaker pairs, so you can run both amps at once, & put the A-B switch at the input.
I could watch Andertons videos all day year
Well I think you both own Kempers right? So I guess youre _biased_. Eyyy.
Ayy
J583 Ooooo, ouch
ZING!
Eyyyy boooooy
* Cue Drum Rim Shot. Bah-da-da-tsssss*
Can I just say I don't know what you changed/improved but I love the sound mix of this video! Voices are really clear now
In a nutshell if you got a bunch of amps you like the camper is the way to go and if you're on a low budget positivegrid is awesome to get amps you don't have. I love both.
Oh man, Rabea and Pete's playing is so killer !! You guys inspire me every single time. I end up pausing your videos and playing some guitar hehe.. \m/
What happens if you profile the bias grid with the Kemper? Is it even safe to try....
That's a great idea...well, I don't know, the problem is what do you put it against, they would sound the same. :-)
It's like googling Google
Like playing with your doodle )
While I think it’s pretty clear that the Kemper sounds the better of the two, I’m still convinced that amp modeling will win out over amp profiling in the long-term.
Amp profiling is basically treats your entire rig as a black box-all possible inputs have corresponding possible outputs. With amp modeling, every individual component is modeled separately and can easily be swapped out as desired. Most people who own a Kemper will tell you that even changing the EQ settings for a given amp profile will betray the “honesty” of the profile (i.e. even the EQ controls on real amps have analog characteristics themselves that are hard to replicate with profiling technology).
From personal experience it took quite a bit of tweaking to get the right tones from Bias' default profiles. They sound very dry and muted out of the box, but when you play a bit in Bias Amp and create your own amp, suited for your pickups it sounds amazing :D
I agree with the Apples and Oranges comment near the end. Since the BIAS is controlled by an Apple iPad, I'm making the analogy variable that BIAS = Apple. That leaves Kemper to be more akin to Oranges - or Orange amps. I love the tone in both Kemper and Orange products over those from Apple and BIAS.
adertons need one of the radial pedal that can switch 2 amps into one speaker cabinet ASAP
We have one coming.. :)
Andertons Music Co alright.. alright alright (^^)
Not for nuthin' but Radial's Cherry Picker and Gold Digger would be ideal for all the tasks that don't involve loop/pedal switching like the Gig Rig; of course the system's designed for auditioning mics and preamps, but Radial included enough extras to make these boxes useful for your purposes, barring speaker-level switching.
love you guys picked two out of the norm guitars. Great choices on both.
I think the only reason the Kemper sounds better in this demo is because the bias amp isn't being used to its full potential. When you take into consideration the amount of tones you have access to when you use the amp with the software I think they come out equal. My friend uses a Kemper and I was blown away by the sounds he was dialing on it but I've also seen what the bias software is capable of when it comes to recording and DAW interface. I think it all comes down to personal preference, I personally like the simplicity of Bias products their user friendliness. With the tone cloud bias has you can easily match any tone the Kemper can put out.
I'm in a bit late on the discussion, but there is the "amp match" in the Bias which is pretty accurate
Besides the Kemper clearly sounding better, a factor to consider bassguitar support. The BIAS is pure guitar where the Kemper sound great for Bass as well.
The Bias head also does bass..
Andertons Music Co Interesting, that is not what PG told me a while ago. Any if that is 1 bas model on zillion guitar models that is still not convinving. Will have a look. Thank you for letting me know.
Tough to decide between the two. Both are album worthy
I am a kemper owner. I bloody love it. the guy in the shop accused it of being a djent box. i corrected him and said thats the axe fx. (but good god the kemper can djent hahaha) but the kemper is truly a wonderful box of magic mystery and i love it. but i am not a close minded fool. i can appreciate good tones from any source. and i was ready to hear some good stuff from the bias head. i heard some....ok.....stuff. and some utter crap from the bias. and some good stuff and some mediocre tones from the kemper. but the winner for me......kemper. more tones. more natural. and even a bad tone can very quickly be adjusted to a good one on the kemper. plus i have one. and it rules. woah.....wat a load of waffle i just wrote. thunbs up anyone who made to the end. cos i nearly gave up......
Any way we could get the chords for that lick between 10:30 and 10:40? I've been trying to replicate it but I am off on some frets😭
Nothing beats the Kemper in my opinion. I've used the Helix, I've used the headrush, I've used the Bias Head, I've used real amps, but nothing is so stable, easy to use and travel with, consistent in any circumstance, and great sounding as the Kemper.
21:30 Bea says everything he can't say with words here ;)
Thank you for the video brothers!
Love those Revstar's.. Great video, guys.
Yes, totally sweet. Closest you can get to Pat Traver's legit double cut les paul........and it's not made by gibson. I guess the SG3000/SGB3000 is the same thing?
bias offers a free demo vst plugin / app which you can run on a pc. It provides quite a lot, but cuts out sound every few minutes for a few seconds. For practicing at home with headphones, it's incredible considering it's completely free
Front of house with a profiler is said to make no difference between tube and modeler heads, but having had a lead guitarist who ran an ultra, compared to my drive stomp driven clean Carvin, there is a real difference in compression, and creaminess between tones
Was about to get a bias head but hearing how well the Kemper takes pedals in comparison it's probably worth the extra money. Probably use the bias head for something a home for great recording tones.
Kemper wins every round but I am really impressed with the PG!! I remember when it was first for pre sale and I thought it was gonna suck. I am impressed with the amps they modeled here. Good video fellas.
any chance you could tell me what song was that intro to the video 0:00 to 0:15?
Having just purchased a Bias powered head, I can say, you must tweak it a bit. Once you do some minor adjustments to match your cab(s) it really wakes up. I have done all my adjustments on the amp face. I am looking forward to hooking it to the PC. Plus, they had WAY too much reverb on the Bias. The newest software update as of Nov13-17 includes reverb, btw.
You both seem to be more pleased when playing the Kemper... at least that's how it looks from this side of UA-cam. Both machines are impressive indeed... and that Yamaha Revstar is phenomenal. Keep playing guys, you rock!
I would like a comparison of using the Bias FX amp match vs Kemper profiling
Especially Rabea played better on the Kemper. So I think that the Kemper has a better feel/Rabae prefers the feel of the Kempers playing. Also Pete did, but I heard more difference between the playability of the amps when Rabea played.
However. Amazing video guys! Big fan from the netherlands over here
Rabea mate those face gains! Looking good brother. Keep up the good work.
I have a carvin legacy head and the positive grid app had a profile that works to sound 99.9% the same but can run straight into my recording software. If the head is half as good, it’s worth it for the software alone. The Kemper is basically useful if you have a stable of very expensive amps and want to capture them as patches to use live, but for a home recording setup, it’s not worth the extra over the positive grid IMO.
The Kemper wins hands down in my opinion. The PG did not sound bad at all though. I wish they had spend more effort to try to eq both units to sound as close as possible. In this way we were really comparing apples and oranges. I also thought that there are way better profiles for the JCM available then the ones used. Anyways - thanks for an interesting video! You guys rock!
So the PG lets you design the sounds and the Kemper makes you have to have axcess to the equipment you want to profile.
Easy one for me. PG wins!
The kemper comes with like 400 profiles of different amps and you can buy more for cheap.
Yeah .. and there's other people profiling all kinds of bizarre oddities by way amps all the time ... And posting up for sale or free download. You'll never have to profile anything yourself should you not want to... Hundreds of amps and tones already available.
I appreciate this honest effort but it's amazing how much these demos can vary.(Perhaps mic placement etc.) E.g. I just watched a U.S.A. Sweetwater demo where the Postive Grid sounded amazingly natural and amp-like compared with most other demos.
Which type of chords in 31:55?
great gear needs great guitarists. glad i get to hear guys that can play demoing these heads. im def sold on the kemper. The Bias head looks like a old school head and the kemper looks like a control panel from a mad scientists lab lol.
I would personally go Bias for studio, it really cuts through. While I'd desire the Kemper for live.
I'm a happy owner of a Kemper, a Fractal AX8 and Bias Ipad version when I'm on the move. Without taking price into consideration but only the sounds that you can get the Kemper for me comes out as the winner for my studio, competing closely with Fractal but I would rather say the II ultra (with a double processor) rather than the AX8 which is ideal for live use. I didn't feel the need to opt for the Bias head. Of course pricewise there's a huge difference between one or the other but the kemper is sitting right in the middle while its sounds rank high in any preference list. The only recommendation is that you should not trust all the patched that you find on the cloud and base your judgement only on that - the nicest sound that guitarists can get are never shared and in this in all platforms...think about the EVH brown sound.
Just a little info here. You can amp match any amps with Bias amp with the pc or mac software.
Just to be clear, the power section for BOTH of these amps is solid state, am I right? It doesn't seem to me that levels between the two amps are well-matched, but most of the time, the broad strokes can be adjusted for, on the gig, and on most gigs, it NEEDS to be adjusted for the room. Most likely, the room and the cabinet are more important than which model, and the difference among models is more apparent at lower gain.
Question for yis: if you buy a Kemper and don't have a "rig" of your own to profile what are your options? Is there a library to choose from? Edit: nvm, they covered it in the video.
Nicely done by one unsavory gentleman and one grimy French dude.
Kemper all day for 2 obvious and major reasons - A. Sounds better. and thirdly has way more buttons to push. 🤘🏽😎
Thanks for the video. I am glad I waited to make my decision and watched this video before purchasing.
The positive grid head sounds amazing to me for the high gain stuff. Really full and fruity.
I use Bias Amp/Bias FX on desktop and I think it's the best practice setup money can buy. $100 for a USB interface, $140 for Bias FX Pro, and $100 for a pair of studio cans. You won't get a better quality practice "amp" for $340 anywhere else. Hell, probably not for double that either.
The Kemper sounds better but it's a different beast with a different purpose.
But what about the Helix (with right Ownhammer IR's) vs Kemper vs Ax8, that's my choice at the moment. I can't try them out
so i have to order one, and if not happy send it back i guess....
Kemper for days. Both of you sounded more comfortable on it. Positive Grid is handy for the bedroom bros, but that Kemper is putting it to shame when side-by-side!
The Kemper won by miles. Bias sounds good when tweaked, but you always hear dry guitar dynamics coming through, something a real amp changes. Kemper does the tone and the dynamics. I think the bias applications are really nice for recording or just practicing, but they don't really convert over to a live loud amp well. The only difference I hear from a Kemper and a real amp is the impossibly tight 600 watt solid state power amp.
Does the Kemper have a user interface for a PC or iOS where you can adjust the settings of the modeling processor? Is it just the front control knobs that are available after the amp profile is set?
Used my Kemper to profile my Dumble Overdrive Special ..... and then I woke up :)
one day buddy, one day...
There are some sick ODS profiles around though! Even free ones on the rig exchange.
Well, ,I bought a professional Dumble profile for me Kemper,,, next best thing.
Loved the video, have to say that as you guys mentioned it is to do with what's programmed in, rather than the gear itself that makes the difference. Kind of like your DAW software only being as good as your mixing capabilities. I can't help but thinking that it would have been a fairer comparison if you'd tried the bias matching vs profiling.
The Kemper did sound better on the video - even though it probably was closer in the room - as it seemed to have a fuller mid range, but then again it seems like one pre-set vs another pre-set.
I've been awaiting this since Rabea posted a picture! My money is on the Kemper ;)
Sooo.... After watching the video: I was right. The Bias Head doesn't sound bad at all, but the kemper just does everything better. It really sounds and feels to me like listening to a real tube amp whereas the bias sounds like you run it through, well, Bias software. I always feel like they're boxed - I hope you get what I mean by that - , like if there was a "sound spectrum" the kemper would have 10% - 20% more on either end. Even if you mess with the EQ you still get this boxed sound on the Bias products, just with more top or low end. The (Hi -)Gain structure sounds very noisy too and not nearly as defined as the Kemper. I'd say you had a little more fun with the Kemper, especially Rabea :) But then again: The Kemper is quite a few bucks more and this is just my opinion.
What model is the purple tele fender at 26:10?
That is Pete's own Custom Shop 1952 heavy relic'd Tele... It is one sweet guitar...
Except for the high-gain sound with the Friedman I preferred the Kemper on this recording. With the Friedman guitar I preferred the PG sound...
Function-wise I would go for the Kemper, because with the optional Footswitch you get all you ever need in one package, so no more big, heavy floor-boards etc...
Completely unrelated, but do Andertons sell those stools you guys sit on? If not where could i pick one up?
Both amps have excellent high-gain tones, but I think I very slightly favour the base tone of the Kemper. I think with some tweaking you'd have a great tone from the BIAS Head.
if I had to pick between those, I'd pick kemper. But considering that you can have the PG sound with a laptop and 100$, I think PG wins.
To use the bias, gain should be full, the sound will be thick. Control the gain with the guitar volume. My fav setting is Vox AC30 normal channel with 2x12 greenback cab sim.
Frankly, I'd be deliriously happy with either one of them. Marty Friedman's video on the PG sold me on its potential and well, we all know what Kemper can do. It's a great time to be a guitar player, that's for sure. Technology is just exploding.
kemper all the way, hands down. much more dynamic and lifely sounding (and I'm not letting my ownership get in the way of my ears, thank you very much ;-)) suggestion: it would have been a good thing to play close to the same thing on both amps to REALLY be able to judge the tonal differences. Still a very informative video, of course. thanks for that!
Don't know if it's just me that has noticed but when Rabea plays a lick on the neck pickup, as soon as he finishes, he knocks the toggle to the Bridge position and then turns down the volume. I do the exact same thing. Not exactly sure why I do it but it's nice to know I'm not the only one 😂
Gotta say the Kemper blew away the Bias. Kemper is an amazing piece of gear, the clean and overdrive tones all sound great. You honestly have to tweak Bias Amps to get a better sound. Not sure if it can be better than the Kemper, but closer than whats displayed here.
Rabea's looking fit and trim. Well done mate!
Kemper was better but I didn't like the kemper tones either. When you consider how sweet the playing is the Kemper tones are nasally/notched IMO. Sounds like a great amp through a cheap speaker. Plus when you consider I have a lawn, and you need to get off it with your fangled devices, you have my honest review.
Waiting on the "How to profile" video!
Watch this space....