The QC add some highs I don’t really like, and the closed system of storing and sharing the profiles on Neural DSP system is …meh… I mean, I can travel with a single USB key and visit any professional studios with my profiles without wanting to put it on the cloud dude!!! It’s a huge deal breaker and with huge quality profiles Kemper is offering I will stay on Kemper. And it doesn’t have this fizzy highs. Many thanks Leo, again a great comparison, not biased at all :)
Leo killed it with the intro song. I would also add that QC is able to run several profiles at the same time, so you can run multiple amps, profiled pedals, and signal chains (e.g. guitar and bass or vocals) all the same time.
The number 1 reason to stick with a kemper is that the community is 10years old... Almost every amp in the world has been profiled! QC may catch up, but it will take a long time! Great point. The ball is in kempers court to make an even better kemper.
Like your avatar. But profiling is shitty unless you use it to make money (lol, sorry my opinion). I should clarify, it may save a ton of time (which is money) for a professional engineer blah blah but, in the end of the day for a consumer that owns real amps, profiles are like snapshots. It may be great to record easy, fast and retain tone (check the andy sneap story about EVH blowing tubes and the kemper saving his ass). It may be a great tool. But for me, vs a real amp (have played the kemper extensively and I don't find it that good to be honest just to play...) it's like pretty good hd video on youporn and nothing more. Fap to it, it representes the...ahem original material with great detail but it's just like that. A sample played on a screen is nothing like having a real stripper dansing around you 3d and why not, groping her a little. Translate to amp life: Kemper through small pc speakers...sucks. Kemper through headphones. Sucks a bit less. Kemper through very good studio monitors. It's ok if you can't play through an amp, a bit better than a pod (has less weaknesses but there are audio weaknesses in it: treble and muddier bass). Kemper through PA speakers, good luck with that. Kemper through power amp and cab, you are hearing 70% the power amp and cab especially loud. I will put any simlar preamp vs a kemper feeding a good power amp and cab and I will at least match it. REAL AMP and CAB, it will move your trousers, your balls and the sound is 3d and best feature yet, it is the raw original sound. Take what kemper can't do (to answer your original question). Can you profile the tone cut switches/rotary etc of the real amps on it? Nope, it doesn;t know and it can't match the amp for how you shape the sound. You have to find ANOTHER profile that has blah switch on, etc or use post eq or shit. Whereas a real marshall for example can generate a million profiles. So, ...if the process was holistic, with total control you could just, have one profile of one model amp and that be it...you cannot. All those menu searching and refining process really shows the boring aspect of modelling to be honest. At least for me. And I am a fucking born natural tweaker. I love software like amplitube 5 just because you can CREATE with those stuff, you can change one speaker, move the mics, flip the switches, change the bias switch and power tubes on the back of an amp, have the graphic eq on randalls etc... I love changing resistors and impedance curves on revalver 4. The kemper is to me, a bit cold and distant all the time. I have a small tech21 trademark10 amp, the kemper can't even touch that as far as feel goes, especially the way the sound feels analog and how it connects the pressure you apply to the string vs how true and fast it comes from the speaker... Kemper always feels it has a bit of latency. I wonder how the qued cortex feels/sounds in person.
@@wifeapprovedguitars5349 You'd be surprised...some actually do. What I always don't get is that enthusiasm as if these machines are actually better than amps in every way because low volume sound and all... It's a miced amp sound emulation though...
My MAN!!! You nailed it again! Wonderful job a usual brother. More people need to hear about your channel. Your method of comparing and contrasting the products is should be the standard. Grazie mille!
For me the Quad is better. Always liked the rounded, warmth sound quality of the Kemper over the Axe-Fx (sounds a little bit cold for my taste), but the Quad sound soooo good, and the size is almost the ideal. Put it into the backpack, grab the guitar (I use one 7 string Ibanez with fixed bridge, a "do it all" rock tool) and let´s go! Thank you for the video, a "must-see" as always.
I couldn't tell in the demo song when you switched sources. Closing my eyes, they all sounded the same in the mix. On the really light gain, I thought the Quadcortex sounded more like the real deal. Both processors sounded great, but the small size and future upgradability of the Quadcortex scores my money right now. Live use with the touchscreen, and the app would be my choice. God bless and rock on 😎👍🎸
Hi, thank you so much! I'm happy you like the video and that you appreciated the 2 cent section! Let's hope that Kemper modernize it's line up...competition is good! 😊 I also hope that Line 6 and Boss will react somehow...let's cross our fingers!
It’s scary on how Quad Cortex sounds like the original Soldano! If we do a blind test, we wouldn’t be able to distinguish both. Great job, my friend. Very useful!
Great review. In the mix they were hard to tell apart, but solo'd it was easy to tell. Kemper was 90 percent of the real amp. QC was 98 percent. The Kemper still sounds very good but the routing and chain capabilities of the QC make is WAAAAY more functional. Cool video. Great entertainment for a Sunday coffee haha.
Thank you Jacob, your feedback and compliments are important for me! I'm happy you found the video entreating... I'm trying more and more to improve in this area...for instance with the shots at the beginning of the video...so your feedback....is super useful!
Hi Leo, great job again, I really enjoyed it. This one will help to spread some light on this topic, especially for Kemper users, like myself. I agree in every point you said. Yes, the profiled/captured amp sound is comparable, I would also say, or at least very usable in both of them. Let's see how the QC firmware and its added features will evolve, though. And let's see how the preferences will go when we can start gigging again. I posted this video on two forums. Well done again, Leo. Let's all help grow this channel! 👍
Thank you, I'm really happy you enjoyed the video! Thank you also for sharing your opinion and for sharing the video: this is super important! I really appreciated your help and support!!!!
The QC has added more amps effects and captures since this video and recently a fantastic 4 min looper 😊 great video btw thank you for posting this is the first of many I watched where the Kemper sounded as good as the QC
Excellent job with the video. I was listening on headphones, not watching. I thought the intro was taking too long, then I realized that you were switching between the three. I could have stopped right there! All three sound great.
First, thank for the great comparison video. I've owned a Kemper for a few years, and wondered whether the QC was better since its technology is newer. From your extensive review and vetting, I feel that, from a performance (playability and sound) standpoint, both are roughly equal. From my own experience, I still feel that a real amp plays better and is more responsive than a profile amp. And, while the real amp setup sounds better to me, that is only clear when I'm playing all by myself, which is never the case in real life and is rarely the case when I'm practicing. When I'm playing live with other musicians or recording against other tracks, I find that profile amps provide a greater sound consistency throughout and that the marginally better sound of the real amp is only clear directly in front of the real amp (when on stage) and soloing the track when recording. When playing in the mix, the profile amps are much better, more consistent, and more controllable. (By the way, lately, I've been using the Strymon Iridium for tracking (because it's simpler and easier to setup--fewer options) and it has worked great.) Your comparison test has helped me: I am more certain that the Kemper is still the better profile amp for me, than the QC is now or might be in the future. Again, thank you very much!
Hi Bruce, thank you so much, I'm really happy that you enjoyed the video! Your feedback is really important for me! Thank you also for sharing your opinion...good points!
Great Video as always Leo ! I think the Quad Cortex has the edge when it comes to the sound, it sounds more full range to me than the Kemper and a little closer to the original amp, there are many features that i prefer on the QC as well. The Kemper is a very mature platform now about 10 years after release and i remember it was very revolutionary when it came out, the QC still has some development and maturing to do.
I preferred the sound of the Kemper, as the Neural sounded harsh, with excessive highs. The Kemper sounded closer to the real amp. That said, it should be easy to dial in the Neural's sound to one's taste. I prefer its smaller size, larger screen, intuitive interface, and greater future potential. I would purchase the Neural over the Kemper. I believe most guitarists know real amps are usually nowhere as bright as Modelers, and I think that is an important part of why they often prefer the sound and feel of "Real" Amps. As a general rule, Tube Amps are not as bright as Solid State Amps, and Solid State Amps are not as bright as Digital Amps. Just about everything done in the improvements in audio technology and how it affects "fidelity" applies to upper/higher sound frequencies. Sometimes that is great, but at other times it leads to overly and unnatural sounding highs in Modelers. It's emotionally hard to dial back highs, but if you want Classic, or Vintage style Amp tones, that is something worth considering. Just sharing my opinions. Thanks
Sure I'm interested! Good point...high freq are crucial...and I'm very use to how tube amps manage high freq...for sure what you said is something to take into consideration! Thank you!
@@LeoGibsonGtr I have a general suggestion about comparing Modelers to Real Amps. I think it could/would be interesting, useful, and instructive to capture in a DAW the "EQ Curve" of the real amp, and compare that to the EQ curve of the modeled amp. It would help when trying to dial in the amp sound on a Modeler. Do you know if there is a Database of Amps and their tone samples online? I'd like to be able to compare the tones of the Amps on my Modeler with the actual amps. I wrote an email to audiotestkitchen.com suggesting that to them. Their site allows you to "Audition and Compare over 300 microphones." It is an absolutely amazing site, and worth checking out if you haven't before. Thanks
This is a pretty good suggestion...I don't know if there is a database of amp EQ curve. The only issue I see is that if you connect a cab, a mic and a preamp you are gonna for sure alter the EQ curve, so we would need the EQ curve of just the output of the amp, maybe attached to a reactive load...I have to think about it Thank you!
Great video Leo! I own the Kemper stage and have the Quad Cortex on order. When the QC was introduced at NAMM I was not so impressed with the tones. With so many of the RUclips big guns demo-ing the QC in the past few months, I am now confident that this machine is on par tone wise with the other top players in the digital market. That said, the size, weight, touch screen, wifi and multiple signal chain options put Quad Cortex ahead for me. To have a unit as powerful as my massive Axe-Fx lll that is easier to use and fits in a childrens sized backpack makes this a no brainer. I will be selling the Kemper mainly because it doesn't allow multiple signal chains which I need for live performances.
Hi John, thank you! I'm really happy that you like the vide!!! Thank you also for sharing you opinion....and I see you points...that are all good points!
Great video and great points! I love the unbiased and factual standpoint you kept throughout the video and I appreciate the extra lengths you went to in order to ensure the comparison was fair. I totally agree with everything you said and you said it all very well!! IMO, while the QC has some cool new features, it's in its infancy and isn't an established unit with an established 3rd party Profile market like the Kemper is. That alone makes it so much more valuable until the QC can match up in that aspect. The pros of the QC don't yet outweigh the Kemper unless you're buying with the intention of not using Captures and that's one of its main selling points. Another important edge that the Kemper has over the QC imo, is the Kempers Amp section compared to the QC's Capture section. With the QC, you only get Bass, Middle, Treble, and Gain. But with the Kemper, you get 3 band EQ, Presence, Gain, and many more parameters that alter the tone of the Profile in a way that EQ can't. That's such a powerful and important aspect for many engineers and tone-shaping situations. And on top of that, in the Captures equivalent to a Studio Profile (a full rig Amp+Cab Capture), you can't seperate the Amp and Cab like you can in a Profile. So when working with a full rig Amp+Cab Capture, you have no flexibility with the Cabinet like you do with all types of Profiles. You only have the ability to change Cabs when using DI Captures in the QC so, this is a huge drawback to me considering the fact that the Capture market is much much smaller and has less options right now. So that aspect limits the already extremely limited options in the QC's Capture market. I think if someone has a Kemper or is looking to work with Profiles, then the Kemper is still the way to go and it's not worth it to sell your Kempers yet. But if someone's looking for another amp modeler that's comparable to the Helix or Headrush or FM3, then the QC is a good option for those people.
Thank you Sean, I'm super happy that you appreciated the video! Thank you also for sharing you opinion, experience and highlights...all are pretty interesting...you are right, I didn't compare and mention the parameters you can change with the Kemper vs the ones in the QC...good point. And yes, also for me the profile market is gonna be a pretty important factor as regards the success of the QC...we have to wait and see what Neural DSP is gonna decide to do. Thank you once more!
I don't understand your point. There are entries in the chain for heads and cabs, you choose just what you want. 32 modules per preset doesn't sound like "extremely limited options" to me? And it's not even available at the main resellers, they're only sending the preorders for now... Capturing looks so much more easy and accurate than Kemper that the cloud will explode with free amps when the unit is on the main selling sites... No need to refine for 2 days by Tonejunkies et all to get your tone, sounds cool to me.
@@HeadbangoO You don't understand, my friend. You're talking about the Amp models and IR's in the QC and yes there are those and you can use them together. And with a Capture of only an amp, you can use the IRs in the QC. But with a full rig Capture (which is a Capture with an Amp and mic'd up Cab) there is no way to mute the Cab in that Capture or swap out that Cab. And a large portion of Captures will most likely be full rig Captures because that's always been a very common way of Profiling and it saves a block since the Amp and Cab are in one block. Yes, some commercial Captures (whenever some eventually start to sell whenever people figure out a way to do it in the first place lol) will probably be DI Amp Captures but at least half or more will be full rig Amp+Cab Captures and in those the Cab can't be changed. That's my only point friend. It's not an attempt to make the QC sound like a bad unit. Just pointing out a major drawback that people planning on working with Captures should consider. Because those drawbacks aren't present on the Kemper.
@@seanchristopher740 Ok I get it, you’re thinking with the constraints of the Kemper. But with the CPU power of the QC and the vast number of third parties cab sims, there’s no reason to try and save one block. The "complete rig" capture defeats the purpose of such devices anyways.
Great Video as always! To my Ear, Amp and QC were the same - Kemper sounded different! In my opinion the lack of spdif ist a deciding factor against the quad. I have everything setup with my rme interface an i dont want to change everything around. That said, I hat a few versions of the kemper and I really dislike the user interface. So... I really hope for a quad cortex version 2 with spdif in and out (or even better AES/EBU) Until then (and even then) I am VERY happy with my axefx 3
Hi, thank you, I'm happy you like the vide! Thank you also for sharing your opinion and experience...you have a specific use case...that is worth highlighting and sharing! Thank you!
My take away from this channel is you are not an equipment fan boy but a fan of music, guitar and equipment (even though we all have personal preferences) and you really try your best to be accurate in measurements and testing. This really puts the Kemper and QC into perspective (also man that Soldano of yours is epic). What is interesting is that the Kemper is 10 years old and nothing has come along that completely knocks it off the map (sound wise I mean - usability maybe a different story).
Thank you, yes...for sure my priority is music, and these are devices that should help us to create nicer music and easier! Good point about how well the Kemper is aging in terms of sounds...and of course its user interface would need to be modernized... Thank you once more!
Great playing, as usual! Great insights and analysis too! The Quad Cortex is over-powered and almost future-proof. The Stage is a great floor unit too. And I like its looks better than the QC.
We all loved new gear😊you doing great job👌Showing all multieffects but the most important is your playing.All your videos shows great guitarist sounds great on any gear👍😊I would like to thank you 😊because off you I stopped changing gear all the time and start practicing more😊thank you mr Leo👌
They sound alike in the lows. The Quad Cortex has a thinner sound in the higher register. It's brighter, while the real amp is more "pleasing". Still it's incredible how close both units are to the real amp. Could you compare the Helix and the Quad Cortex to the Soldano? Since I own a Pod Go, I'm interested in this. Thanks for your great work! Best channel on this topic.
Thank you, really appreciated!!! Thank you also for sharing your opinion, And yes...I hope to be able to do also a comparison with Line 6 in the next weeks...
Sorry man but the kemper is a bit off in the crunch rythm and has a problem in the highs in the lead sound. I plugged in good headphones and it is very evident in a wtf way.
Fantastic break down of sounds to compare each unit in a very comprehensive and unbiased fashion. In my opinion I feel that the Kemper slightly lacked tonally while comparing with the soldano. It took you a bit more time to get the Kemper to nearly match the Soldano. But still somewhere in the mid range there was a little difference in the Kemper. Every song Leo has given us in each of his reviews, sounds so unique. His very different sense of melody is beautifully haunting and is not your usual run of the mill melodies that had been over used with slight variations. His music evokes emotions in me in a very pleasant way. Something modern music fails to do…..thank you Leo !
Congratulations Leo, your videos are excelents and you are a great player. Today, I would prefer the Quad Cortex because the future plataform and interation tecnology. Thanks for all
Leo make a blind test . I want to laugh a lot with those guys that prefer the one over the over like there is a difference between them ... Ha ha ha what a hype guys. No ears at all... The listen with their eyes...
Great job. You can’t go wrong with either device. I have a QC on retail order that I hope to have a month from now. I do think the a Kemper may have been just a hair lacking in high end but if it’s all you had played it wouldn’t have been noticeable. But I am. It even 100% sure there. It was that close.
I am Mooer GE300Lite owner. In my eyes Kemper sounds a lot more natural in high end. Dynamics is a lot better. Behaves like typical analog unit. Quad Cortex sounds fake in highs and does not behave like the real deal. I hear software here :-).
I’ve had a kemper for 4 years and have a QC on order. Not sure which unit I will prefer, but one thing I am certain about is your reviews are excellent, very thorough and your playing is great! Keep up the good work my friend. How would you rate modellers against real amps with load boxes (eg ox box) in terms of sound and feel?
Thank you, these are great compliments...really super appreciated! Well, I use both...I would need to do a direct comparison to be more assertive.. nevertheless I think they are both great solutions and they both sound greats...both in terms of sound and feel. Obviously with modelers you have a lot more amps to choose, where with load boxes you need the real amp...so maybe the value for money is higher with modelers. Thank you once more!
Another great video! What I hear with my Sennheiser HD6XX headphones is that the Soldano sounds a bit more "natural" (or pleasing), the QC is quite close but seems to have more bass in the demo song isolated section while the Kemper sounds less gainy and "narrower" especially in the lead section. I think people are a bit too anal about if they sound exactly the same when all of these are good tones in their own right that I would be happy to use. For this usage the real SLO is not worth the extra 1000 euros but I am sure for playing at louder volumes through a guitar cab sounds phenomenal.
Hi, thank you for sharing your opinion! Let me just say that the real Soldano is 4.1k euros, to which you should add a cab, a mic, a preamp and an audio interface...you are gonna reach nearly 10k... Thank you once more!
Great Video and it makes me think about my Kemper! I love the Workflow with the Rig Manger, but the Rig Manger is not running good always. When the QC Editor is out then it will be a hard time for the Kemper!
QC or Kemper .... they are both good. De Kemper has been out for a decade. Made great progress from day one. This will also be the case with the QC. I am still very satisfied with my Kemper. I love the ease of use at the QC! The display, turning the footswitches and the dual amplifier do draw my attention. Anyway, the development is not standing still. There will be more good things to come in the future. The most important; when are you satisfied?
I don't see any unit so much better than the other. If you have a Kemper Stage, I don't think you need to replace now. Maybe, in future QC will be way ahead to Kemper but now is not, really. Profiling in Kemper can be "tricky" but is possible to make really good profiles. Anyway, at this point considering even price, I would prefer Fractal FM3 over both units since that I don't have access to nice amps or equipment to do good profiles, so I would rely on keeping buying profiles. Fractal had proven it self over the years, think that QC just started. Also, I do believe that Kemper might get some nice response to all of this in the next months or year.
Thank you for sharing your opinion and experience...yes...the QC has just started...and it could become ever better in the next months...and I really hope that the competitors will react with something new....Kemper, Line 6 and Boss....with need you back in the game....😊
I think many people have been swayed by the hype. To me, the difference is huge in favor of the Kemper. It just sounds much more like a real amp vs the QC. The QC sounds really bad to me especially in the high end. I own all the modelers Kemper, Axe Fx, Helix, DVMark, etc...I was going to sell one because I do like the power and portability but after hearing many reviews of the sound, I’m not impressed.
Humm... 10.3 K subscribers? If I'm not mistaken, that mean more than ten thousand! It appears that you have a promise to keep. You didn't think I would forget, did you? 😂 😂 😂
Hi Roberto...you are 100% correct! 😊 I'm working about it...but I need some time for two reasons...the first one is that in these days there is the QC hype pretty high so I needed to give some priority to these videos...the second is that I wanted to do something funny...and I need time...thank you for your patience!
Excellent video. I have a Quad Cortex on order. Honestly, both sounded dead and two dimensional compared to the Soldano at times. The Soldano will be my next purchase.
Great comparison Leo. For me, it comes down to the sound and QC sounded closer to the Soldano "real deal" and fuller and less crackly sharp. The quad cortex sounds really promising. Those of us who have spent $$$$ buying profiles from Michael Britt etc for Kempers are going to be reticent doing it all again. Looking forward to seeing what model NeuralDSP offers. Will Michael Britt & Tone Junie give us a low price upgrade!
Thank you, really appreciated! ...Maybe they did for keeping the unit cooler...nevertheless it's the only unit in this price range adoption and external power supply....
I messed with the Neural for a while and returned it. Kept my Kemper. The Neural to me had more of a digital sounding noise than a distortion especially on break ups. Plus my Kemper rack was so much easier to hands on dial anything in as far as simplicity.
If you used a budget guitar usb interface (like focusrite scarlett ) do you think it would affect the quality of your videos or recordings or comparisons? Which interface are you using right now? This was a great demonstration (as always) thank you.
Hi John, thank you, I'm happy you like it! I'm using an Apollo X16. And, well, yes I think that the quality of the converters affect the results...I'm pretty nerdy as regards converters... Thank you!
Once again I agree with your analysis, provided I own the Kemper only, thus I’m curious to try the QC in person, as anyone else ;-) I would add one more point: profiles tweakability. Using an equation I would say, at this point in time: Line 6 : Fractal for modeling = QC : Kemper for profiling. In other words it seems to me that Kemper has way more parameters to tweak in order to improve a profile, than the QC has right now. This for me is a pretty important deciding factor, since everyone owning such tools is basically a guitar/tone nerd. I mean, if my interest is in profiling, I feel I have more tools to sculpt the sound with the Kemper. Same goes for modeling: I feel I have more tools with Fractal than Helix or QC.
Thank you! I see you points...I also thing that the tweak-ability of the Fractal is far superior, and you are right saying that the Kemper has more parameters than the QC. Let me just add that the QC profiling process is easier than the one of the Kemper, I mean with the Kemper you really have to go through the refining process few times in order to improve the profile, while basically the QC profile (in my case) needed just few tweaking with eq.
@@LeoGibsonGtr Actually I'm glad that Kemper has the refining process because it's not automated in any way and I can focus the refinement on what I feel the profile is lacking. The point is: the more you refine, the better the profile. And the quality of the profile is strictly dependant to It. C Kemper himself wrote on the K forum that they could have made the refining process automatic, but I'm happy they didn't. Yes, it takes more time, point taken. But you currently have no choice on QC: the profile is what the machine choose to provide. Maybe the best of the both worlds would be the Kemper to add auto refinement, to save time if you're in hurry ;-) QC would always be a better choice if you can afford only 1 unit, tough. That's because of all the nice new features you've listed and because it's also a modeler. In my humble opinion, jack of all trades, master of none. Still ;-)
Good points Fabio! I would suggestion you also to check out the "PWC profiles" comment (few comments above): I think he also add some other clues to this interesting conversation. Thank you!
@@LeoGibsonGtr [edit] I’ve read it, it’s just speculation unless you can prove it with an A/B A/C comparison, as you did. So it’s my statement: just speculation because I still have to try a QC in person and maybe I’m totally wrong. At this point in time the only truth is what you’ve stated at the end of your comparison: Kemper’s profile market has a 10 year advantage over QC and many studios and professionals added it to their arsenal. That alone is a huge advantage for the lifespan of a digital product. Time will tell and maybe in a few years everybody will be using QC live and in studio. High quality profiles will be available all over the world and I will be an even happier guitarist ;-) If the assumption written in the other post is correct, it means we will have to deal with less “garbage” profiles. Unfortunately, having an easy way to create a good profile (or closer to the original sound) is just a part of the process. I mean: the QC/Kemper is not part of the signal chain. They just capture it and, if the signal chain is poor, the profile will be poor as well, no matter how close it is to the original sound. Chances are that professionals will deliver the same (or better) results in less time. And that would be good, of course. On the other hand, as of today, many good profiles already exist, profiles have already gone through a long refining process, but that’s transparent to the end-user: you can buy and play with close to perfect reproductions of the original signal chain. And you can choose between thousands of them! QC may achieve the same results in less time. That’s for sure something that Kemper is already aware of. Let’s see, I like all these tools :-)
Hi Fabio, yes I agree...the possibility to make some money with profiles in an easy way is gonna be a key factor for pushing professionals to make good profiles using great signal chains...honestly my Soldano signal chain is very expensive (amp, cab, mic, preamp, audio interface) and I think it should be possible for me to charge just few €$ for my profiles...Let's see what's gonna happen in future. Thank you!
Ciao Leo. Your reviews are exceptional and very informative. Keep on doing the good work. I was wondering if you can help me out. I want to buy a modeler and I am on the fence: fractal fm3 (cygnus update), kemper, QC or iridium. Basically I use Fender, Friedman or Marshall amps. I really am about the quality of sound and effects. Which one would you advise to buy? I'm only playing for fun at home. By the way, ls there any lag between picking the guitar and getting the sound? Grazie mille dall'israele
Ciao, thank you so much, your feedback is really important for me! Well, these are machine in very different price range: may I ask you which is your budget? As regards latency, I did a video few months ago about latency that I will update as soon as many units will get firmware upgrades, nevertheless I have no problem with latency with any of these units. Thank you!
If you want also effects, I don't think the Iridium is gonna be the right choice...so I would go with the QC or the FM. To decide among these two you can check out this video: ruclips.net/video/xwHVa_jAUU0/видео.html Thank you!
In this example: Amp (of course) > QC > Kemper. The Soldano Model of Neural is very good, even the plugin. But I have seen Kemper outshines QC in other cases, specially profiling drive pedals (more detail).
Great video as always. I suspect you left the pure cabinet setting turned on in the Kemper. Its sounds too different from the amp in the high frequencies, which is typical of the pure cabinet function, could you please check? Thanks.
Both are very good. No one could distinguish the Soldano, QC or Kemper in a blind test, specially in the mix. For practical live use, leave the Soldano at home and carry only the small profilers!
Ciao Leo ammiro moltissimo tutto quello che fai e le informazioni che porti sul canale, volevo chiederti una cosa, sarebbe possibile profilare con il kemper stsge un suono digitale preso da una helix e/o quad cortex? se si come?
Ciao Francesco, grazie mille...è un compliment molto bello...te ne sono grato! In teoria si...l'uscita del Kemper che dovrebbe andare all'ampli fa alla Helix / QC, l'uscita di Helix / QC la fai entrare nell'entrata del Kemper dove dovresti inserire l'out del preamp del microfono che riprende la cassa....Non l'ho mai fatto, quindi non sono sicuro che funzioni. Grazie ancora!!!
@@LeoGibsonGtr grazie, avevo già immaginato questa soluzione nella mia testa, ma sempre meglio chiedere a chi ne capisce un po' di più, continua così buona musica!!!!
Thank you Leo! How was the "Feel" of the QC? I own a Soldano and the feel under the fingers is why I bought it. You can feel the squish of the amp in the strings. I have tried the Kemper and it was kind of flat 2D. What is your opinion?
Hi, you are more than welcome!!! With "feel" I mean dynamic response (how the modeler breaks up and cleans up) and note envelope (how the modeler manage your touch). To me they both sound good and I don't think there is a noticeable difference between the QC and the Kemper: I've tried to exemplify these topics in the more sound section of the video. Thank you for your question!
I really wanted to love the QC or the Kemper but I still hear the real amp as preferable. Even though no one will care in a live situation. Eventually the ease of bringing a modeler to a gig over a half stack with win the day. (for me)
I'm.a long time Kemper user and the QC is on the way. It seems that the QC really need less work, time and skill to get close to the original sound. That's great since it allows for more accurate captures from the community on the future. I trust a lot in professional profiles and I spend quite some time perfecting my profiling method. Still the capabilities of the QC are amazing. I'm sure that the community profiles will be mich more accurate than the Kemper ones. Yet the Kemper probably has almost every amp available on the rig exchange and the QC almost nothing. That will change once more users her their units. Mine will arrive by April the 6th.
Hi, this is a good point...that I didn't mention...I also think that the QC profiling procedure is easier...with the Kemper you need to go through the refine process many time...good point...thank you!
15:60 -- IMHO, this comparison was very telling, particularly when comparing the organic transition from clean to overdriven, while adjusting the guitar's volume pot. The Quad Cortex does not handle this well -- at least not as compared with the Kemper. The Kemper's timbre and note decay also sounds much more faithful to the reference Soldano. To my ears, the Quad Cortex also decayed quicker, and sounded a bit thinner and choked off, as compared to both the reference amp and the Kemper.
IR... is the impulse response of a system to an impulse function. In linear, time invariant systems theory used to describe a mechanical thing or electrical thing this is an idealized mathematical function that is infinitely short in duration to examine how it behaves over time and complementary it's frequency response.
I have both. I prefer Kemper on the sounds ect… when playing live Kemper ease of use I really love it’s like playing with my old pedal board. If Kemper changes to their interface with touch screen that would be game changer for Kemper. I will definitely prefer Kemper over the Cortex any day of the week. Kemper still my go to as it sits
Hi, thank you so much for sharing your experience and your findings!!! I agree about the user interface of the Kemper....a larger touch screen would be really helpful in terms of user experience. Thank you
Most important part of this test now in 2022 since things have opened up. Is the QC road worthy? Will it hold up on a tour, road wear and tear? The kemper has proven to be road worthy, and also has a large community with probably every amp being profiled out there available.
Hi Fritz, I would say that it is road worthy, and on the other had the Kemper still has a larger community with many more profiles... Thank you for sharing!
@@LeoGibsonGtr I’ve heard otherwise about the Neural QC. So far 3 people I know have had multiple issues with it on the road, midi, power and patch changes.
Surprised this channel isn't bigger by now - no one on RUclips does more thorough comparisons. Great work Leo!
Thank you, this is a great compliment...really! I'm happy you like the channel!
That is also my opinion .... your demo's REALLY RULE !!!!!
Thank you Claude, your feedbacks are super important for me!!!
I agree with you ... and there is great music !! :)
Thank you!!!
The tones were virtually identical to me. However, I love the idea that the QC is easier to use. Great job!
Thank you, both for the compliments (really appreciated) and for sharing your opinion!
When you compare the crunch channels for feel etc, the kemper is muddier and gainier...Why?
The QC add some highs I don’t really like, and the closed system of storing and sharing the profiles on Neural DSP system is …meh…
I mean, I can travel with a single USB key and visit any professional studios with my profiles without wanting to put it on the cloud dude!!!
It’s a huge deal breaker and with huge quality profiles Kemper is offering I will stay on Kemper. And it doesn’t have this fizzy highs.
Many thanks Leo, again a great comparison, not biased at all :)
Thank you, really really appreciated, I'm happy you like the video! Good points also...thank you for sharing!
Leo killed it with the intro song. I would also add that QC is able to run several profiles at the same time, so you can run multiple amps, profiled pedals, and signal chains (e.g. guitar and bass or vocals) all the same time.
Hi Victor, thank you so much! When you like my music...I'm happy! Good point...and useful info! Thank you!
This is actually one of my favorite guitar channels in YT!! You are making a amazing work Leo!! Cheers from Brazil!
Thank you so much Fernando, this is really a great compliment that makes me happy!!!
I will try to do my best!
Thank you!
Literally the best music gear review I have ever seen. This is how it should be. Thanks a lot!
You are welcome and this is a great compliment, really appreciated and super important for me! Thank you!
After settings well done, the Quad Cortex sounds so close to the original. Really amazed!
Hi, thank you for sharing your opinion!
The number 1 reason to stick with a kemper is that the community is 10years old... Almost every amp in the world has been profiled! QC may catch up, but it will take a long time! Great point. The ball is in kempers court to make an even better kemper.
Let's hope that QC will push forward the amp modeling market!!!
Like your avatar.
But profiling is shitty unless you use it to make money (lol, sorry my opinion). I should clarify, it may save a ton of time (which is money) for a professional engineer blah blah but, in the end of the day for a consumer that owns real amps, profiles are like snapshots. It may be great to record easy, fast and retain tone (check the andy sneap story about EVH blowing tubes and the kemper saving his ass). It may be a great tool.
But for me, vs a real amp (have played the kemper extensively and I don't find it that good to be honest just to play...) it's like pretty good hd video on youporn and nothing more.
Fap to it, it representes the...ahem original material with great detail but it's just like that. A sample played on a screen is nothing like having a real stripper dansing around you 3d and why not, groping her a little.
Translate to amp life: Kemper through small pc speakers...sucks. Kemper through headphones. Sucks a bit less.
Kemper through very good studio monitors. It's ok if you can't play through an amp, a bit better than a pod (has less weaknesses but there are audio weaknesses in it: treble and muddier bass).
Kemper through PA speakers, good luck with that.
Kemper through power amp and cab, you are hearing 70% the power amp and cab especially loud. I will put any simlar preamp vs a kemper feeding a good power amp and cab and I will at least match it.
REAL AMP and CAB, it will move your trousers, your balls and the sound is 3d and best feature yet, it is the raw original sound.
Take what kemper can't do (to answer your original question).
Can you profile the tone cut switches/rotary etc of the real amps on it? Nope, it doesn;t know and it can't match the amp for how you shape the sound.
You have to find ANOTHER profile that has blah switch on, etc or use post eq or shit.
Whereas a real marshall for example can generate a million profiles.
So, ...if the process was holistic, with total control you could just, have one profile of one model amp and that be it...you cannot.
All those menu searching and refining process really shows the boring aspect of modelling to be honest. At least for me. And I am a fucking born natural tweaker.
I love software like amplitube 5 just because you can CREATE with those stuff, you can change one speaker, move the mics, flip the switches, change the bias switch and power tubes on the back of an amp, have the graphic eq on randalls etc...
I love changing resistors and impedance curves on revalver 4.
The kemper is to me, a bit cold and distant all the time.
I have a small tech21 trademark10 amp, the kemper can't even touch that as far as feel goes, especially the way the sound feels analog and how it connects the pressure you apply to the string vs how true and fast it comes from the speaker...
Kemper always feels it has a bit of latency.
I wonder how the qued cortex feels/sounds in person.
@@81giorikas As long as you're happy with what you got ! I don't think anyone i selling their amps because of the QC or kemper.
@@wifeapprovedguitars5349 You'd be surprised...some actually do. What I always don't get is that enthusiasm as if these machines are actually better than amps in every way because low volume sound and all...
It's a miced amp sound emulation though...
nut kamper profole wrk on quad cortex no ?
My MAN!!! You nailed it again! Wonderful job a usual brother. More people need to hear about your channel. Your method of comparing and contrasting the products is should be the standard. Grazie mille!
Prego Randy, these are all great compliments...that I really appreciate and that push me forward to make more content! Thank you!
You have become my go to channel for awesome comparisons, great playing, great work!
Thank you, this is a great compliment, that really makes me happy!!!!
Thank you Leo, this was a really good comparison. You have definitely sold me on Quad Cortex, the profiling seems better to my ears in this case.
Thank you, your compliments an feedbacks are really important for me!!! I'm happy to have been of some help!
For me the Quad is better. Always liked the rounded, warmth sound quality of the Kemper over the Axe-Fx (sounds a little bit cold for my taste), but the Quad sound soooo good, and the size is almost the ideal. Put it into the backpack, grab the guitar (I use one 7 string Ibanez with fixed bridge, a "do it all" rock tool) and let´s go! Thank you for the video, a "must-see" as always.
Thank you, this is a great compliment, I'm really happy you like the video! thank you also for sharing your opinion and experience!
I couldn't tell in the demo song when you switched sources. Closing my eyes, they all sounded the same in the mix. On the really light gain, I thought the Quadcortex sounded more like the real deal. Both processors sounded great, but the small size and future upgradability of the Quadcortex scores my money right now. Live use with the touchscreen, and the app would be my choice. God bless and rock on 😎👍🎸
Yes, also in my opinion is super hard to tell the difference in the mix! Thank you for sharing your opinion!
Well done Leo, nice video. Very thoughtful 2cents.
Kemper definitely needs modernisation in closest year-two to withstand competition with QC
Hi, thank you so much! I'm happy you like the video and that you appreciated the 2 cent section!
Let's hope that Kemper modernize it's line up...competition is good! 😊
I also hope that Line 6 and Boss will react somehow...let's cross our fingers!
It’s scary on how Quad Cortex sounds like the original Soldano! If we do a blind test, we wouldn’t be able to distinguish both. Great job, my friend. Very useful!
You are welcome and I'm happy that you like the video! Thank you also for sharing your findings!
Great review. In the mix they were hard to tell apart, but solo'd it was easy to tell. Kemper was 90 percent of the real amp. QC was 98 percent. The Kemper still sounds very good but the routing and chain capabilities of the QC make is WAAAAY more functional. Cool video. Great entertainment for a Sunday coffee haha.
Thank you Jacob, your feedback and compliments are important for me! I'm happy you found the video entreating... I'm trying more and more to improve in this area...for instance with the shots at the beginning of the video...so your feedback....is super useful!
Thanks again for your attention to detail, and the quality of these videos. I appreciate your opinions. I'm still stuck between which unit to choose.
Thank you Matt, I'm happy that you like the videos!!
You are SUPER Leo!!!
Thank you so!
Thank you Andy, really really appreciate!!!
Hi Leo, great job again, I really enjoyed it. This one will help to spread some light on this topic, especially for Kemper users, like myself. I agree in every point you said. Yes, the profiled/captured amp sound is comparable, I would also say, or at least very usable in both of them. Let's see how the QC firmware and its added features will evolve, though. And let's see how the preferences will go when we can start gigging again. I posted this video on two forums. Well done again, Leo.
Let's all help grow this channel! 👍
Thank you, I'm really happy you enjoyed the video! Thank you also for sharing your opinion and for sharing the video: this is super important! I really appreciated your help and support!!!!
The QC has added more amps effects and captures since this video and recently a fantastic 4 min looper 😊 great video btw thank you for posting this is the first of many I watched where the Kemper sounded as good as the QC
Yes, the platform is growing....
Thank you for sharing!
Excellent job with the video. I was listening on headphones, not watching. I thought the intro was taking too long, then I realized that you were switching between the three. I could have stopped right there! All three sound great.
Thank you Jeffrey, your feedbacks are super impotent for me!
First, thank for the great comparison video. I've owned a Kemper for a few years, and wondered whether the QC was better since its technology is newer. From your extensive review and vetting, I feel that, from a performance (playability and sound) standpoint, both are roughly equal. From my own experience, I still feel that a real amp plays better and is more responsive than a profile amp. And, while the real amp setup sounds better to me, that is only clear when I'm playing all by myself, which is never the case in real life and is rarely the case when I'm practicing. When I'm playing live with other musicians or recording against other tracks, I find that profile amps provide a greater sound consistency throughout and that the marginally better sound of the real amp is only clear directly in front of the real amp (when on stage) and soloing the track when recording. When playing in the mix, the profile amps are much better, more consistent, and more controllable. (By the way, lately, I've been using the Strymon Iridium for tracking (because it's simpler and easier to setup--fewer options) and it has worked great.) Your comparison test has helped me: I am more certain that the Kemper is still the better profile amp for me, than the QC is now or might be in the future. Again, thank you very much!
Hi Bruce, thank you so much, I'm really happy that you enjoyed the video! Your feedback is really important for me!
Thank you also for sharing your opinion...good points!
Great Video as always Leo ! I think the Quad Cortex has the edge when it comes to the sound, it sounds more full range to me than the Kemper and a little closer to the original amp, there are many features that i prefer on the QC as well. The Kemper is a very mature platform now about 10 years after release and i remember it was very revolutionary when it came out, the QC still has some development and maturing to do.
Hi Stefan, thank you, I'm happy you like the video! Thank you also for sharing your opinion...and yes, I also think that QC has a great potential!
Thank you for the unbiased review. I loved this video. Thank you!
You are welcome! I'm very happy you like it!!! Thank you for your feedback!
I preferred the sound of the Kemper, as the Neural sounded harsh, with excessive highs. The Kemper sounded closer to the real amp. That said, it should be easy to dial in the Neural's sound to one's taste. I prefer its smaller size, larger screen, intuitive interface, and greater future potential. I would purchase the Neural over the Kemper.
I believe most guitarists know real amps are usually nowhere as bright as Modelers, and I think that is an important part of why they often prefer the sound and feel of "Real" Amps. As a general rule, Tube Amps are not as bright as Solid State Amps, and Solid State Amps are not as bright as Digital Amps. Just about everything done in the improvements in audio technology and how it affects "fidelity" applies to upper/higher sound frequencies. Sometimes that is great, but at other times it leads to overly and unnatural sounding highs in Modelers. It's emotionally hard to dial back highs, but if you want Classic, or Vintage style Amp tones, that is something worth considering. Just sharing my opinions.
Thanks
You are welcome, and thank you for sharing your interesting point of view!
@@LeoGibsonGtr I just added a few more opinions, if you're interested.
Sure I'm interested! Good point...high freq are crucial...and I'm very use to how tube amps manage high freq...for sure what you said is something to take into consideration!
Thank you!
@@LeoGibsonGtr I have a general suggestion about comparing Modelers to Real Amps. I think it could/would be interesting, useful, and instructive to capture in a DAW the "EQ Curve" of the real amp, and compare that to the EQ curve of the modeled amp. It would help when trying to dial in the amp sound on a Modeler.
Do you know if there is a Database of Amps and their tone samples online? I'd like to be able to compare the tones of the Amps on my Modeler with the actual amps. I wrote an email to audiotestkitchen.com suggesting that to them. Their site allows you to "Audition and Compare over 300 microphones." It is an absolutely amazing site, and worth checking out if you haven't before. Thanks
This is a pretty good suggestion...I don't know if there is a database of amp EQ curve. The only issue I see is that if you connect a cab, a mic and a preamp you are gonna for sure alter the EQ curve, so we would need the EQ curve of just the output of the amp, maybe attached to a reactive load...I have to think about it
Thank you!
Great video Leo! I own the Kemper stage and have the Quad Cortex on order. When the QC was introduced at NAMM I was not so impressed with the tones. With so many of the RUclips big guns demo-ing the QC in the past few months, I am now confident that this machine is on par tone wise with the other top players in the digital market. That said, the size, weight, touch screen, wifi and multiple signal chain options put Quad Cortex ahead for me. To have a unit as powerful as my massive Axe-Fx lll that is easier to use and fits in a childrens sized backpack makes this a no brainer. I will be selling the Kemper mainly because it doesn't allow multiple signal chains which I need for live performances.
Hi John, thank you! I'm really happy that you like the vide!!!
Thank you also for sharing you opinion....and I see you points...that are all good points!
Great video and great points! I love the unbiased and factual standpoint you kept throughout the video and I appreciate the extra lengths you went to in order to ensure the comparison was fair.
I totally agree with everything you said and you said it all very well!!
IMO, while the QC has some cool new features, it's in its infancy and isn't an established unit with an established 3rd party Profile market like the Kemper is. That alone makes it so much more valuable until the QC can match up in that aspect. The pros of the QC don't yet outweigh the Kemper unless you're buying with the intention of not using Captures and that's one of its main selling points.
Another important edge that the Kemper has over the QC imo, is the Kempers Amp section compared to the QC's Capture section. With the QC, you only get Bass, Middle, Treble, and Gain. But with the Kemper, you get 3 band EQ, Presence, Gain, and many more parameters that alter the tone of the Profile in a way that EQ can't. That's such a powerful and important aspect for many engineers and tone-shaping situations. And on top of that, in the Captures equivalent to a Studio Profile (a full rig Amp+Cab Capture), you can't seperate the Amp and Cab like you can in a Profile. So when working with a full rig Amp+Cab Capture, you have no flexibility with the Cabinet like you do with all types of Profiles. You only have the ability to change Cabs when using DI Captures in the QC so, this is a huge drawback to me considering the fact that the Capture market is much much smaller and has less options right now. So that aspect limits the already extremely limited options in the QC's Capture market.
I think if someone has a Kemper or is looking to work with Profiles, then the Kemper is still the way to go and it's not worth it to sell your Kempers yet. But if someone's looking for another amp modeler that's comparable to the Helix or Headrush or FM3, then the QC is a good option for those people.
Thank you Sean, I'm super happy that you appreciated the video! Thank you also for sharing you opinion, experience and highlights...all are pretty interesting...you are right, I didn't compare and mention the parameters you can change with the Kemper vs the ones in the QC...good point. And yes, also for me the profile market is gonna be a pretty important factor as regards the success of the QC...we have to wait and see what Neural DSP is gonna decide to do.
Thank you once more!
Thats a good point!
I don't understand your point. There are entries in the chain for heads and cabs, you choose just what you want.
32 modules per preset doesn't sound like "extremely limited options" to me?
And it's not even available at the main resellers, they're only sending the preorders for now... Capturing looks so much more easy and accurate than Kemper that the cloud will explode with free amps when the unit is on the main selling sites... No need to refine for 2 days by Tonejunkies et all to get your tone, sounds cool to me.
@@HeadbangoO You don't understand, my friend. You're talking about the Amp models and IR's in the QC and yes there are those and you can use them together. And with a Capture of only an amp, you can use the IRs in the QC. But with a full rig Capture (which is a Capture with an Amp and mic'd up Cab) there is no way to mute the Cab in that Capture or swap out that Cab. And a large portion of Captures will most likely be full rig Captures because that's always been a very common way of Profiling and it saves a block since the Amp and Cab are in one block.
Yes, some commercial Captures (whenever some eventually start to sell whenever people figure out a way to do it in the first place lol) will probably be DI Amp Captures but at least half or more will be full rig Amp+Cab Captures and in those the Cab can't be changed. That's my only point friend.
It's not an attempt to make the QC sound like a bad unit. Just pointing out a major drawback that people planning on working with Captures should consider. Because those drawbacks aren't present on the Kemper.
@@seanchristopher740 Ok I get it, you’re thinking with the constraints of the Kemper. But with the CPU power of the QC and the vast number of third parties cab sims, there’s no reason to try and save one block.
The "complete rig" capture defeats the purpose of such devices anyways.
nice review Leo. i love my kemper since the day i got it
Thank you, I'm happy you like it!!!
Nice vid Leo! Where as the amp sounds are similar, the QC seems to take the cake because of its size, ease-of-use and Price, compared to the Kemper.
Thank you, I'm happy you like the video! Thank you also for sharing the most important selling points for you!
Great Video as always! To my Ear, Amp and QC were the same - Kemper sounded different!
In my opinion the lack of spdif ist a deciding factor against the quad. I have everything setup with my rme interface an i dont want to change everything around.
That said, I hat a few versions of the kemper and I really dislike the user interface. So...
I really hope for a quad cortex version 2 with spdif in and out (or even better AES/EBU)
Until then (and even then) I am VERY happy with my axefx 3
Hi, thank you, I'm happy you like the vide! Thank you also for sharing your opinion and experience...you have a specific use case...that is worth highlighting and sharing!
Thank you!
That demo song!! Brilliant playing and composing, made me very happy! Im beginning to suspect Leo is Vai’s distant cousin..
Thank you, I'm really happy you like the song, really appreciated...it really means a lot to me!... unfortunately I'm not a Vai parent....😊😊👍🏻🎸
My take away from this channel is you are not an equipment fan boy but a fan of music, guitar and equipment (even though we all have personal preferences) and you really try your best to be accurate in measurements and testing. This really puts the Kemper and QC into perspective (also man that Soldano of yours is epic). What is interesting is that the Kemper is 10 years old and nothing has come along that completely knocks it off the map (sound wise I mean - usability maybe a different story).
Thank you, yes...for sure my priority is music, and these are devices that should help us to create nicer music and easier! Good point about how well the Kemper is aging in terms of sounds...and of course its user interface would need to be modernized...
Thank you once more!
Great playing, as usual! Great insights and analysis too! The Quad Cortex is over-powered and almost future-proof. The Stage is a great floor unit too. And I like its looks better than the QC.
Hi Andrei, thank you so much for the compliments! Thank you also for sharing your opinion!
We all loved new gear😊you doing great job👌Showing all multieffects but the most important is your playing.All your videos shows great guitarist sounds great on any gear👍😊I would like to thank you 😊because off you I stopped changing gear all the time and start practicing more😊thank you mr Leo👌
Thank you, this is a great compliment!!! And you are right....we all should practice more....😊👍🏻
They sound alike in the lows. The Quad Cortex has a thinner sound in the higher register. It's brighter, while the real amp is more "pleasing". Still it's incredible how close both units are to the real amp. Could you compare the Helix and the Quad Cortex to the Soldano? Since I own a Pod Go, I'm interested in this. Thanks for your great work! Best channel on this topic.
Thank you, really appreciated!!! Thank you also for sharing your opinion, And yes...I hope to be able to do also a comparison with Line 6 in the next weeks...
Sorry man but the kemper is a bit off in the crunch rythm and has a problem in the highs in the lead sound. I plugged in good headphones and it is very evident in a wtf way.
Great job! It's really hard to do comparison like this. Well done!
Thank you so much I'm really happy that you like the video!
beautiful demo song
Thank you so much....when you like my music...I'm super happy!!!!
Fantastic break down of sounds to compare each unit in a very comprehensive and unbiased fashion.
In my opinion I feel that the Kemper slightly lacked tonally while comparing with the soldano. It took you a bit more time to get the Kemper to nearly match the Soldano. But still somewhere in the mid range there was a little difference in the Kemper.
Every song Leo has given us in each of his reviews, sounds so unique. His very different sense of melody is beautifully haunting and is not your usual run of the mill melodies that had been over used with slight variations. His music evokes emotions in me in a very pleasant way. Something modern music fails to do…..thank you Leo !
Thank you so much, these are really great compliments that push me forward to make more and better music!!! Your feedback is super important to me!!!
Congratulations Leo, your videos are excelents and you are a great player. Today, I would prefer the Quad Cortex because the future plataform and interation tecnology. Thanks for all
Hi Gabriel, thank you so much for the compliments...your feedback is really important for me! Thank you also for sharing your opinion!
Leo make a blind test . I want to laugh a lot with those guys that prefer the one over the over like there is a difference between them ... Ha ha ha what a hype guys. No ears at all... The listen with their eyes...
Yes...a blind test would be very funny...sooner or later...I will do it...😊👍🏻
Great job. You can’t go wrong with either device. I have a QC on retail order that I hope to have a month from now. I do think the a Kemper may have been just a hair lacking in high end but if it’s all you had played it wouldn’t have been noticeable. But I am. It even 100% sure there. It was that close.
Hi Ralph, thank you for sharing your opinion and good luck with your QC order!
Thank you Leo! Quad cortex is closer to soldano in your examples.
Thank you, I'm happy you like it! Thank you also for sharing your opinion!
I am Mooer GE300Lite owner. In my eyes Kemper sounds a lot more natural in high end. Dynamics is a lot better. Behaves like typical analog unit. Quad Cortex sounds fake in highs and does not behave like the real deal. I hear software here :-).
Hi, thank you for sharing your opinion!
QC has harsh highs, Kemper has funky lows. Amp sounds the best.
Hi, thank you for sharing your opinion!
Glad to see that Leo knew that you can tweak Kemper parameters BEFORE making the Profile. 👍
Hi, thank you for sharing!
Thanks Leo,Im already order FM3 DA Bset!! The Intro song is very cooool~~Best Intro ever! If you can offer me some recording lesson will be better!
Hi, thank you, I'm happy you like it!!! For lessons (if you are interested) please drop me an email...thank you!
Awesome comparison !!! Finally an unbiased review
Thank you, this is a great compliment! I really appreciate it!
I’ve had a kemper for 4 years and have a QC on order. Not sure which unit I will prefer, but one thing I am certain about is your reviews are excellent, very thorough and your playing is great! Keep up the good work my friend.
How would you rate modellers against real amps with load boxes (eg ox box) in terms of sound and feel?
Thank you, these are great compliments...really super appreciated!
Well, I use both...I would need to do a direct comparison to be more assertive.. nevertheless I think they are both great solutions and they both sound greats...both in terms of sound and feel. Obviously with modelers you have a lot more amps to choose, where with load boxes you need the real amp...so maybe the value for money is higher with modelers.
Thank you once more!
Another great video! What I hear with my Sennheiser HD6XX headphones is that the Soldano sounds a bit more "natural" (or pleasing), the QC is quite close but seems to have more bass in the demo song isolated section while the Kemper sounds less gainy and "narrower" especially in the lead section.
I think people are a bit too anal about if they sound exactly the same when all of these are good tones in their own right that I would be happy to use. For this usage the real SLO is not worth the extra 1000 euros but I am sure for playing at louder volumes through a guitar cab sounds phenomenal.
Hi, thank you for sharing your opinion!
Let me just say that the real Soldano is 4.1k euros, to which you should add a cab, a mic, a preamp and an audio interface...you are gonna reach nearly 10k...
Thank you once more!
@@LeoGibsonGtr Oh for some reason I thought it was the 30W model which is about 2700 euros. Even more price disparity then!
Yes!!! Thank you!
Great Video and it makes me think about my Kemper! I love the Workflow with the Rig Manger, but the Rig Manger is not running good always. When the QC Editor is out then it will be a hard time for the Kemper!
Thank you! Yes, if QC releases a good computer editor and opens the profiles ... it's gonna become a very cool machine...
QC or Kemper .... they are both good. De Kemper has been out for a decade. Made great progress from day one. This will also be the case with the QC. I am still very satisfied with my Kemper. I love the ease of use at the QC! The display, turning the footswitches and the dual amplifier do draw my attention. Anyway, the development is not standing still. There will be more good things to come in the future. The most important; when are you satisfied?
Hi Dave, thank you for sharing your opinion, and yes, I'm sure the QC is gonna improve a lot ...being already a pretty compelling unit!
Thank you!
A decade yes, but also a decade of improvements that others are STILL trying to match including Neural.
Very fair Review, i think QC sound more close to Soldano for me
Thank you Pablo, really appreciated! Thank you also for sharing your opinion!
I love the opening song! Beautiful!
Thank you Antonio....when you like my music...I'm super happy!
Amazing work mate!! Thanks for doing this for us!
You are welcome, I'm happy that you like the video!!!
Fantastic comparison and a fantastic channel, well done.
Thank you so much, your feedback is really important for me!
I don't see any unit so much better than the other. If you have a Kemper Stage, I don't think you need to replace now. Maybe, in future QC will be way ahead to Kemper but now is not, really. Profiling in Kemper can be "tricky" but is possible to make really good profiles.
Anyway, at this point considering even price, I would prefer Fractal FM3 over both units since that I don't have access to nice amps or equipment to do good profiles, so I would rely on keeping buying profiles. Fractal had proven it self over the years, think that QC just started. Also, I do believe that Kemper might get some nice response to all of this in the next months or year.
Thank you for sharing your opinion and experience...yes...the QC has just started...and it could become ever better in the next months...and I really hope that the competitors will react with something new....Kemper, Line 6 and Boss....with need you back in the game....😊
Really Great Comparision!
Thank you Joey, I'm happy you like it!!!
Honest and transparent ......
Thank you, this is really important for me!!!
Nice and useful Leo. Thanks.
You are welcome! I'm happy you found the video useful!
Bravo! thanks! Amp sound is alike? really? 12 years later and Kemper is still same level than modern emulators!
Grazie mille!!!
Thank you for sharing your findings!
I think many people have been swayed by the hype. To me, the difference is huge in favor of the Kemper. It just sounds much more like a real amp vs the QC. The QC sounds really bad to me especially in the high end. I own all the modelers Kemper, Axe Fx, Helix, DVMark, etc...I was going to sell one because I do like the power and portability but after hearing many reviews of the sound, I’m not impressed.
Hi John, thank you for sharing your opinion!
Humm... 10.3 K subscribers? If I'm not mistaken, that mean more than ten thousand! It appears that you have a promise to keep. You didn't think I would forget, did you?
😂 😂 😂
Hi Roberto...you are 100% correct! 😊 I'm working about it...but I need some time for two reasons...the first one is that in these days there is the QC hype pretty high so I needed to give some priority to these videos...the second is that I wanted to do something funny...and I need time...thank you for your patience!
Excellent video. I have a Quad Cortex on order. Honestly, both sounded dead and two dimensional compared to the Soldano at times. The Soldano will be my next purchase.
Hi Nathan, thank you, I'm happy you like the video!!!
Thank you also for sharing your opinion!!
Fantastic work, subscribed!
Thank you so much!!! Your compliment and your sub are super important for me! Welcome to out community 😊👍🏻
Great as always Leo !
Thank you, really appreciated!!!
Thank you again for your effort.
You are welcome Thiago, thank you for your message!!!
Great comparison Leo. For me, it comes down to the sound and QC sounded closer to the Soldano "real deal" and fuller and less crackly sharp. The quad cortex sounds really promising. Those of us who have spent $$$$ buying profiles from Michael Britt etc for Kempers are going to be reticent doing it all again. Looking forward to seeing what model NeuralDSP offers. Will Michael Britt & Tone Junie give us a low price upgrade!
Hi Paul, thank you so much!! Thank you also for sharing your opinion and experience!
Amazing review. The only thing I don’t like about the QC is the external power supply 🙄
Thank you, really appreciated! ...Maybe they did for keeping the unit cooler...nevertheless it's the only unit in this price range adoption and external power supply....
I messed with the Neural for a while and returned it. Kept my Kemper. The Neural to me had more of a digital sounding noise than a distortion especially on break ups. Plus my Kemper rack was so much easier to hands on dial anything in as far as simplicity.
Hi Roger, thank you for sharing your opinion and experience!
If you used a budget guitar usb interface (like focusrite scarlett ) do you think it would affect the quality of your videos or recordings or comparisons? Which interface are you using right now?
This was a great demonstration (as always) thank you.
Hi John, thank you, I'm happy you like it! I'm using an Apollo X16. And, well, yes I think that the quality of the converters affect the results...I'm pretty nerdy as regards converters...
Thank you!
Amazing playing!
Thank you sooo much, I'm really super happy that you like the playing!!!
19:02 Soldano
19:43 Quad Cortex
20:24 Kemper
Hi Elias, thank you for the markers...pretty useful!
Once again I agree with your analysis, provided I own the Kemper only, thus I’m curious to try the QC in person, as anyone else ;-) I would add one more point: profiles tweakability. Using an equation I would say, at this point in time: Line 6 : Fractal for modeling = QC : Kemper for profiling. In other words it seems to me that Kemper has way more parameters to tweak in order to improve a profile, than the QC has right now. This for me is a pretty important deciding factor, since everyone owning such tools
is basically a guitar/tone nerd. I mean, if my interest is in profiling, I feel
I have more tools to sculpt the sound with the Kemper. Same goes for modeling: I feel I have more tools with Fractal than Helix or QC.
Thank you! I see you points...I also thing that the tweak-ability of the Fractal is far superior, and you are right saying that the Kemper has more parameters than the QC. Let me just add that the QC profiling process is easier than the one of the Kemper, I mean with the Kemper you really have to go through the refining process few times in order to improve the profile, while basically the QC profile (in my case) needed just few tweaking with eq.
@@LeoGibsonGtr Actually I'm glad that Kemper has the refining process because it's not automated in any way and I can focus the refinement on what I feel the profile is lacking. The point is: the more you refine, the better the profile. And the quality of the profile is strictly dependant to It. C Kemper himself wrote on the K forum that they could have made the refining process automatic, but I'm happy they didn't. Yes, it takes more time, point taken. But you currently have no choice on QC: the profile is what the machine choose to provide. Maybe the best of the both worlds would be the Kemper to add auto refinement, to save time if you're in hurry ;-) QC would always be a better choice if you can afford only 1 unit, tough. That's because of all the nice new features you've listed and because it's also a modeler. In my humble opinion, jack of all trades, master of none. Still ;-)
Good points Fabio! I would suggestion you also to check out the "PWC profiles" comment (few comments above): I think he also add some other clues to this interesting conversation. Thank you!
@@LeoGibsonGtr [edit] I’ve read it, it’s just speculation unless you can prove it with an A/B A/C comparison, as you did. So it’s my statement: just speculation because I still have to try a QC in person and maybe I’m totally wrong. At this point in time the only truth is what you’ve stated at the end of your comparison: Kemper’s profile market has a 10 year advantage over QC and many studios and professionals added it to their arsenal. That alone is a huge advantage for the lifespan of a digital product. Time will tell and maybe in a few years everybody will be using QC live and in studio. High quality profiles will be available all over the world and I will be an even happier guitarist ;-) If the assumption written in the other post is correct, it means we will have to deal with less “garbage” profiles. Unfortunately, having an easy way to create a good profile (or closer to the original sound) is just a part of the process. I mean: the QC/Kemper is not part of the signal chain. They just capture it and, if the signal chain is poor, the profile will be poor as well, no matter how close it is to the original sound. Chances are that professionals will deliver the same (or better) results in less time. And that would be good, of course. On the other hand, as of today, many good profiles already exist, profiles have already gone through a long refining process, but that’s transparent to the end-user: you can buy and play with close to perfect reproductions of the original signal chain. And you can choose between thousands of them! QC may achieve the same results in less time. That’s for sure something that Kemper is already aware of. Let’s see, I like all these tools :-)
Hi Fabio, yes I agree...the possibility to make some money with profiles in an easy way is gonna be a key factor for pushing professionals to make good profiles using great signal chains...honestly my Soldano signal chain is very expensive (amp, cab, mic, preamp, audio interface) and I think it should be possible for me to charge just few €$ for my profiles...Let's see what's gonna happen in future.
Thank you!
I have owned the Kemper stage, but in all the comparisons on youtube The Axe Fx sounds the the clear winner to me in most of them .
Hi, thank you for sharing your experience!
Great video, as usual
Thank you, I'm happy you like it!
Very helpful!
Thank you!!!
Great video!
Thank you, really appreciated!!!
Ciao Leo. Your reviews are exceptional and very informative. Keep on doing the good work. I was wondering if you can help me out. I want to buy a modeler and I am on the fence: fractal fm3 (cygnus update), kemper, QC or iridium.
Basically I use Fender, Friedman or Marshall amps. I really am about the quality of sound and effects. Which one would you advise to buy?
I'm only playing for fun at home.
By the way, ls there any lag between picking the guitar and getting the sound?
Grazie mille dall'israele
Ciao, thank you so much, your feedback is really important for me! Well, these are machine in very different price range: may I ask you which is your budget?
As regards latency, I did a video few months ago about latency that I will update as soon as many units will get firmware upgrades, nevertheless I have no problem with latency with any of these units.
Thank you!
@@LeoGibsonGtr thanks, my budget is as high as the Kemper or the QC. The FM3 is cheaper and the Iridium is the cheapest.
If you want also effects, I don't think the Iridium is gonna be the right choice...so I would go with the QC or the FM. To decide among these two you can check out this video: ruclips.net/video/xwHVa_jAUU0/видео.html
Thank you!
@@LeoGibsonGtr
Thanks a lot for your help
In this example: Amp (of course) > QC > Kemper. The Soldano Model of Neural is very good, even the plugin.
But I have seen Kemper outshines QC in other cases, specially profiling drive pedals (more detail).
Hi Felipe, thank you for sharing your opinion and experience...a video about pedals profiling would be interesting indeed...thank you!
Excellent video.
Thank you, really appreciated!
Great video as always. I suspect you left the pure cabinet setting turned on in the Kemper. Its sounds too different from the amp in the high frequencies, which is typical of the pure cabinet function, could you please check? Thanks.
Beautiful demo song . You are great musician. ❤️
Thank you, this is a great compliments....and when you like my music....I'm super happy!
Another great comparison, thanks Leo!
You are welcome Alex, I'm happy you like it!!!
Both are very good. No one could distinguish the Soldano, QC or Kemper in a blind test, specially in the mix.
For practical live use, leave the Soldano at home and carry only the small profilers!
Hi, thank you for your message and for sharing your opinions!!!
Ciao Leo ammiro moltissimo tutto quello che fai e le informazioni che porti sul canale, volevo chiederti una cosa, sarebbe possibile profilare con il kemper stsge un suono digitale preso da una helix e/o quad cortex? se si come?
Ciao Francesco, grazie mille...è un compliment molto bello...te ne sono grato!
In teoria si...l'uscita del Kemper che dovrebbe andare all'ampli fa alla Helix / QC, l'uscita di Helix / QC la fai entrare nell'entrata del Kemper dove dovresti inserire l'out del preamp del microfono che riprende la cassa....Non l'ho mai fatto, quindi non sono sicuro che funzioni.
Grazie ancora!!!
@@LeoGibsonGtr grazie, avevo già immaginato questa soluzione nella mia testa, ma sempre meglio chiedere a chi ne capisce un po' di più, continua così buona musica!!!!
The tones are awesome! Any chance to get your Quad Cortex captures of the Soldano?
Thank you, I'm happy that you like the tones! I always forget to upload them...
@@LeoGibsonGtr I would pay fot those profiles they sound just amazing! Also your Plexi profiles sound great!
Thank you Leo! How was the "Feel" of the QC? I own a Soldano and the feel under the fingers is why I bought it. You can feel the squish of the amp in the strings. I have tried the Kemper and it was kind of flat 2D. What is your opinion?
Hi, you are more than welcome!!!
With "feel" I mean dynamic response (how the modeler breaks up and cleans up) and note envelope (how the modeler manage your touch). To me they both sound good and I don't think there is a noticeable difference between the QC and the Kemper: I've tried to exemplify these topics in the more sound section of the video.
Thank you for your question!
leo consider looping the same rif to test these out more evenly...
Yes, I have in mind some further comparison video looping the same riff.
Thank you for your message!
The Kemper's Frequency curve seems quite different. Almost scooped in the upper mids.
Hi Clayton, thank you for sharing your opinion!
@@LeoGibsonGtr hey no problem, Leo! Thanks for doing a very thorough video! Great content!
Well done!
Thank you, really appreciated! Your feedback is important for me!
FALTO ALGO IMPORTANTE QUE NO DIJO ES QUE KEMPER TIENE MEJOR EFECTOS MODULACIONES QUE NEURAL Y ESO HACE MEJOR AL KEMPER POR AHORA
Hi, Christian, thank you for sharing your opinion!
I really wanted to love the QC or the Kemper but I still hear the real amp as preferable. Even though no one will care in a live situation. Eventually the ease of bringing a modeler to a gig over a half stack with win the day. (for me)
Hi, thank you for sharing your opinion and experience...and yes, the convenience of the modelers for live situation is hard to beat...
thank you!
I'm.a long time Kemper user and the QC is on the way. It seems that the QC really need less work, time and skill to get close to the original sound. That's great since it allows for more accurate captures from the community on the future. I trust a lot in professional profiles and I spend quite some time perfecting my profiling method. Still the capabilities of the QC are amazing. I'm sure that the community profiles will be mich more accurate than the Kemper ones. Yet the Kemper probably has almost every amp available on the rig exchange and the QC almost nothing. That will change once more users her their units. Mine will arrive by April the 6th.
Hi, this is a good point...that I didn't mention...I also think that the QC profiling procedure is easier...with the Kemper you need to go through the refine process many time...good point...thank you!
in the feel and sound test, QC and the amp are at the same volume, but kemper is lower. It's hard to say if the difference in bass is due to this.
15:60 -- IMHO, this comparison was very telling, particularly when comparing the organic transition from clean to overdriven, while adjusting the guitar's volume pot. The Quad Cortex does not handle this well -- at least not as compared with the Kemper. The Kemper's timbre and note decay also sounds much more faithful to the reference Soldano. To my ears, the Quad Cortex also decayed quicker, and sounded a bit thinner and choked off, as compared to both the reference amp and the Kemper.
Hi, thank you for sharing your opinion! really appreciated!
IR... is the impulse response of a system to an impulse function. In linear, time invariant systems theory used to describe a mechanical thing or electrical thing this is an idealized mathematical function that is infinitely short in duration to examine how it behaves over time and complementary it's frequency response.
Hi Christopher, thank you for sharing!
I have both. I prefer Kemper on the sounds ect… when playing live Kemper ease of use I really love it’s like playing with my old pedal board. If Kemper changes to their interface with touch screen that would be game changer for Kemper. I will definitely prefer Kemper over the Cortex any day of the week. Kemper still my go to as it sits
Hi, thank you so much for sharing your experience and your findings!!!
I agree about the user interface of the Kemper....a larger touch screen would be really helpful in terms of user experience.
Thank you
Most important part of this test now in 2022 since things have opened up. Is the QC road worthy? Will it hold up on a tour, road wear and tear? The kemper has proven to be road worthy, and also has a large community with probably every amp being profiled out there available.
Hi Fritz, I would say that it is road worthy, and on the other had the Kemper still has a larger community with many more profiles...
Thank you for sharing!
@@LeoGibsonGtr I’ve heard otherwise about the Neural QC. So far 3 people I know have had multiple issues with it on the road, midi, power and patch changes.
Kemper is better...
Hi, thank you for sharing your opinion!
Mmmmmm, nope
It's 2021 I shouldn't be surprised if they sound like a tube amp by now! Is it just me, but parts of your song sound like Super Mario??
Super Mario? really?...I don't know...😊