AxeFX & Kemper

[Narsh]

Decided to record all of the different amp models/profiles I use to quad track separately and show the difference between them as well as how mixing different character amps creates a monster rhythm track.

I recorded the profile hard panned L/R with the bass down the middle. This is using my mix/master template so the volume isn't 100% but still good enough. Bass is using Neural DSP's Parallaxe and I used my Schecter Banshee FRA loaded with EMG 81/85's

Kemper Profiles (Mesa 4x12 Cab IR)
0-0:12 - Mesa Boogie Dual Rec RevF
0:12-0:20 - 5150 MK1
0:20-0:28 - PRS Archon
0:28-0:36 - Driftwood Purple Nightmare

AxeFX II XL+ Patches (Mesa 4x12 Cab IR)
0:36-0:42 - Mesa Boogie IIC+
0:44-0:52 - Peavey 6505+

0:52-1:08 - Intermission (To clear up the ear pallete)

1:10-end. Quad Tracked as follows:
Hard Left AxeFX Mesa IIC+
Hard Right AxeFX 6505+
Hard Left 85% volume Kemper PRS Archon
Hard Right 85% volume Kemper Purple Nightmare

Don't think I'll ever stop trying to improve the overall sound which I think is pretty acceptable.

[RockYoWorld]

Thanks for doing this as it definitely helps me with my patches as well. Here's just a couple notes/comments that I had that this inspired:

1. First of all... That Intermission was GOLD!
2. Your final total quad-track mix is fantastic! Far above the "acceptable" that you mentioned. No reason to stop tweaking, though
3. Although many of my favorite records/artists use 5150 or 6505 amps, I've recently noticed that I never found their sound to be great by themselves. The Kemper 5150 here was alright, but once the Axe FX 6505 came in, I did not like it, but I think it is also just lacking in mids. I'm sure it adds a lot when mixed with the other amps.
4 . Overall, I found the Kemper profiles here to be substantially better by themselves than the AxeFX patches. (That's not a final judgement on one system vs the other)

[Narsh]

Thanks for doing this as it definitely helps me with my patches as well. Here's just a couple notes/comments that I had that this inspired:

1. First of all... That Intermission was GOLD!
2. Your final total quad-track mix is fantastic! Far above the "acceptable" that you mentioned. No reason to stop tweaking, though
3. Although many of my favorite records/artists use 5150 or 6505 amps, I've recently noticed that I never found their sound to be great by themselves. The Kemper 5150 here was alright, but once the Axe FX 6505 came in, I did not like it, but I think it is also just lacking in mids. I'm sure it adds a lot when mixed with the other amps.
4 . Overall, I found the Kemper profiles here to be substantially better by themselves than the AxeFX patches. (That's not a final judgement on one system vs the other)

Hehe, glad you enjoyed the intermission!!!
What I was going for here was sharing the combination of patches and their effect on the final mix more than the standalone. Most of these I do not use for bedroom jamming at all. The mesa has an overall thick and crunchy tone, the 6505 has a dry, shrill but punchy tone, the Archon is a scooped mushy tone and the nightmare has the definition to my ears. Truth be told, I mistakenly used the Kemper Nightmare patch that I jam with in the mix so it sounded a bit "boomier" than usual. Either way, adding them all together creates this metal shmorgisborg that you can really bang your head to.

Fact is I created all these patches specifically for the mix so that they don't step on each other and complement the overall soundscape. I gave up trying to put the axefx up against the kemper too. They both sound sick in their own right. The effects on the Fractal are insane while I find the amp/cab combos on the kemper to feel better when I play them. But again, I could make either one sound identical so they are just different.

I think that is where most reviews fail. The demo's we all here are mostly geared for the Amp tone on its own to put the axefx up against kemper, helix or the latest toy. Regardless, in the mix its a different ball of wax and you need to have some sort of idea of how the amps play together and which cab to pair them with.

Anywho, I don't have all the answers but had a ball with trial and error that led me to my "acceptable" rhythm tones which I still think need a lot of work. Hopefully sharing this sort of thing helps others think differently about how they mix amp characters together or at the very least inspire some creative sessions.

[RockYoWorld]

I think that is where most reviews fail. The demo's we all here are mostly geared for the Amp tone on its own to put the axefx up against kemper, helix or the latest toy. Regardless, in the mix its a different ball of wax and you need to have some sort of idea of how the amps play together and which cab to pair them with.

100% True. I've poked my way through some stems of popular songs and the isolated guitar tone can sound pretty bad by itself, but it's all about its place in the mix!

As you know, my main gig is playing live. I don't want to be too processed/EQed that the tone can sound terrible, but I also like making the sound guys' job easy. At this point, most sound guys that run us just put a tiny bit of high-pass filter and maybe a little cut at a harsher frequency that comes in the room. I take that as a huge compliment to my patches.