Helix/Kemper Clipshttp://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/helix-kemper-clips.1629076/Hey guys,
so I got some requests to do some recordings of the Helix and comparing it to the Kemper. So here we go - I will add more from time to time.
In the mp3s (I think a 320kbit/s MP3 is enough - I keep the lossless files though if anybody is interested) you always hear the Helix first then the Kemper. On some recordings I am using the same Ownhammer Cabs for both devices to be able to compare the sounds a little better (
BUT BEWARE: The Kemper's profiles can sound much better with the Kemper Cabs and not using IRs) - but I won't be tweaking the sounds for hours so they sound as close as possible - I tweak to my likings and hit record. I reamp the same recording and there will be only basic chord and singlenote stuff and no "look how fast I can shred" stuff (that's actually because I can't
)
Bassman:Tweed Blues Brt on the Helix, 44-Bassman Clean+ (and44) on the KPA. Ownhammer Mesa 212 SM57+121 (I know, this is not the "right cab" for this amp per history, but I like the sound, so what
)
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/Bassman.mp3https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/Bassman_KPA.mp3 (KPA without IR but with the stock cab that came with the profile)
Deluxe:Us Double Nrm on the Helix, 44-Deluxe Clean (and44) on the KPA. Ownhammer VOX AC30 Cab 421+121
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/Deluxe.mp3https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/Deluxe_KPA.mp3 (Kemper Cab)
Div13:Divided Duo on the Helix, /13 JRT915 84 5 (M Britt) on the KPA. Ownhammer Mesa 212 Cab SM57 + 121. I struggled a bit with this as I never ever owned an amp with Tone and Cut... so basically no idea what I was doing there
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/Div13.mp3https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/Div13_KPA.mp3 (Kemper Cab)
AC15:Essex A15 on the Helix, the famous Morgan AC20 (rmpacho) on the KPA. Ownhammer Vox AC30 Cab 421+121
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/AC15.mp3https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/AC15_KPA.mp3 (KEmper Cab)
AC30:Essex A30 on the Helix, VOX AC30 3 Red (rmpacho) on the KPA. Ownhammer Vox AC30 Cab 421+121
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/AC30.mp3https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/AC30_KPA.mp3 (Kemper Cab)
Uberschall:Ubersonic on the Helix, LL - Bombed! (Lasse Lammert) on the KPA. Obviously Lasse is a better producer than I am....
Helix sounds very flat in comparison I think. Thanks [USER=118482]@mikah912[/USER] for the DI track
Ownhammer Mesa 212 on the Helix. Stock Cab on the KPA.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/UberschallH.mp3 Helix
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/UberschallK.mp3 Kemper
Rectifier:Cali Rectifire on the Helix, SinMix_MH_03 (Sinmix) on the KPA. This time using Line6 Stock cabs ... the 4x12 XXL SM57 and 160 Ribbon (whatever that is). Stock cab on the KPA. For everyone wondering about fizz: on the end of the helix portion of the clip I slowly apply a high cut.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/Rectifier.mp3Fireball:ANGL Meteor on the Helix, Fireball Metal 2 (ZAUBERMAUS) on the KPA. Again Line6 Stock cabs ... the 4x12 XXL SM57 and 30 Dynamic. Stock cab on the KPA. I did the high cut thing again - you will hear it!
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/Fireball.mp3Vox-style (Morgan AC20 Kemper Profile):Stock cab on the KPA. Helix with an IR made of the Kemper Cab. Amp is the A30 Fawn Brt.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/Voxish.mp3JCM800:Brit2204 on the Helix, ManRock800 (and44) on the KPA. This is my favorite KPA Preset and I wanted to use the original Cab that came with the profile. On the Helix we have a Marshall Cab with Chinese V30. Studio Modern Mix.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/JCM800.mp3Another Try with an IR made out of a Kemper Cab:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/JCM800_KemperCab.mp3This is Helix Kemper for all 3 clips...
If anyone wants the IR:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/KemperCabIR.wavPlexi:Brit Plexi Jump on the Helix, WS PLEXI v8 (Simone Bertolotti) on the KPA. Same Cab again: Ownhammer Marshall Cab with an Alnico Blue speaker in it.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/Plexi.mp3Reverse Order of the Clips.
Rose Of Sharyn:Probably take this with a little grain of salt, neither do I have any experience with mixing/mastering nor with metal... I used the Dual Recto on 2 Tracks and the 5150 on the other 2 tracks. For the Kemper I used SinMix Profiles and on the Helix I used ownhammer mesa 212 and 412 IRs. It's probably a little bit useless but well... here are the files if you want to have a listen and guess
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/RoseMix1.mp3 Kemper
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9333867/Helix/RoseMix2.mp3 Helix
Conclusion:So after using the Helix for about a week now I can definately say: it really sounds good.
Personally I will still pick the Kemper over it for any sound though.
Why? The Kemper sounds how you want it to sound, it can easily be made to sound the same as the Helix (just take a profile) ... what someone mentions with the more "direct" sound of the helix... well it would be easy to add this in the KPA as well, but that's just not how the real recorded amp (in the profile) sounds like... if the actual amp would be more trebly/direct sounding then it would be in the profile as well (does anybody wants to hear that?). Or if you would just take a profile of the helix amp the Kemper would this more direct sound have as well. It really is VERY dependant on the profile
If you play it in person (maybe it gets lost in mp3 recordings) the Kemper still has some "magic" that the Helix can't replicate, it's hard to describe, but there is just something in the Strings to KPA interaction (dynamics?) that is just fun to play and couldn't be (at least by me) recreated on the Helix patch, even using the IRs from the Kemper. While the IR brings you in the same region of the KPA in terms of frequency response there still is some difference in feel. Don't get me wrong, the Helix feels good as well, dynamics are there, but it's just a different thing with the Kemper. I made the same experience with the Axe-Fx2 (don't hate me please) - there is something in the Kemper's tone that no other modeller can replicate (in MY opinion, so please no flamewar).
In my opinion it can't really get better than the KPA (I just love this thing, if you didn't determined this yet
), it is (to my ears) in most cases a 100% recreation of the profiled tone. You find something that sounds better? Just take a profile and you have it in the KPA
What I like on the Helix: It really is very fun to use, the big colored screen is awesome
That joystick dial wheel sucks a little bit though - I rotated it accidently when I just wanted to navigate very often. It still sounds really good
Effects are also very good!
TL;DR: Helix sounds very good. Effects are good. UI is fun. I still prefer the Kemper because it has some "magic" in the tone that I couldn't replicate with the Helix yet.
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