I just spent an amazing day in studio. I had started recording a solo project a couple months ago. I know these Nashville guys who like my stuff, and they're often trying to get out from the style that they play day in day out. So they cam own to play. But man oh man are these guys good. Just humbling haha..
Anyway, they're all playing through these Kemper rigs now. They told me that in the big time no one uses amps anymore. That even Keith and Ron e.g. probably have those Tweeds up there for either looks, or/and back-up.
That it is the Kemper mods (powered or not powered) with thousands of presets, and then unlimited samples of your own, that go into your inner ear monitor, and this is what the audience hears. And even if the artist is still using the amp for real sound it is just for on stage, for himself, and maybe other guys up there, but the audience is hearing non of that.

….. wanna hear ya solo album Palace …
Where does a guy find it ??? …. wanna own a copy ….



ROCKMAN

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Rockman
….. wanna hear ya solo album Palace …
Where does a guy find it ??? …. wanna own a copy ….

Still working on it. This time I'm going to sing it all too. I have two good notes; going to make them earn their money too. found this incredible Gospel singer who is also adding a lot. So far it has been great because everyone has come in to contribute.

Okay Palace I'll wait here ….
Tell me when I can buy a copy …. wanna hear it …



ROCKMAN

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Palace Revolution 2000
I just spent an amazing day in studio. I had started recording a solo project a couple months ago. I know these Nashville guys who like my stuff, and they're often trying to get out from the style that they play day in day out. So they cam own to play. But man oh man are these guys good. Just humbling haha..
Anyway, they're all playing through these Kemper rigs now. They told me that in the big time no one uses amps anymore. That even Keith and Ron e.g. probably have those Tweeds up there for either looks, or/and back-up.
That it is the Kemper mods (powered or not powered) with thousands of presets, and then unlimited samples of your own, that go into your inner ear monitor, and this is what the audience hears. And even if the artist is still using the amp for real sound it is just for on stage, for himself, and maybe other guys up there, but the audience is hearing non of that.

________________________________________________



I've recorded with them before. I'd say they are a recording tool .. not a live sound device. That has been my experience. Neat devices to toy with ..but live amps also still very much have their spot.

It is true that lots of live rigs of professional musicians consists of amps like Kemper, Positive Grid's Bias Amps and so on.

But I doubt a purist like Keith will use these digital amplifiers. These amplifiers are more likely to be seen among session musicians. Today's stage technology is so developed that even with conventional amplifiers you can get a great sound without big problems if you have people who know what they're doing.

However, the quality of these digital amplifiers has become so good in recent years that there are hardly any differences. I myself sometimes use a Bias Mini. It fits in my backpack. So I don't have to carry a heavy amp around anymore.
Since nobody of the Stones has to carry their own amps, that's probably no argument for them.

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John1982
It is true that lots of live rigs of professional musicians consists of amps like Kemper, Positive Grid's Bias Amps and so on.

But I doubt a purist like Keith will use these digital amplifiers. These amplifiers are more likely to be seen among session musicians. Today's stage technology is so developed that even with conventional amplifiers you can get a great sound without big problems if you have people who know what they're doing.

However, the quality of these digital amplifiers has become so good in recent years that there are hardly any differences. I myself sometimes use a Bias Mini. It fits in my backpack. So I don't have to carry a heavy amp around anymore.
Since nobody of the Stones has to carry their own amps, that's probably no argument for them.

That about sums it up .

Some musicians are happier with digital modelling for the initial sound than others ...but there's no doubt that live sound reinforcement has been greatly aided by digital technology .
It's no longer necessary to have high sound levels on stage for either the artist or the audience to be satisfied with the results .

A far as digital modelling for guitar amps is concerned.

We're past the stage where the listener can spot the difference... but not quite to the point where the models feel & respond to the player exactly like the real thing.

Kemper Amps is located in my hometown, I've known Christoph Kemper for years, since school. A great guy, a genius, a great company.
If you have any questions regarding Kemper Amps we could collect them here and I will try to pass them along or conduct a Q&A.

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John1982
It is true that lots of live rigs of professional musicians consists of amps like Kemper, Positive Grid's Bias Amps and so on.

But I doubt a purist like Keith will use these digital amplifiers. These amplifiers are more likely to be seen among session musicians. Today's stage technology is so developed that even with conventional amplifiers you can get a great sound without big problems if you have people who know what they're doing.

However, the quality of these digital amplifiers has become so good in recent years that there are hardly any differences. I myself sometimes use a Bias Mini. It fits in my backpack. So I don't have to carry a heavy amp around anymore.
Since nobody of the Stones has to carry their own amps, that's probably no argument for them.

Although in the studio, Keith the purist used an amp simulator already in the early nineties. Just for the record.

Yep, amongst other things, he used the Sans Amp.

I think Keith is happy to use whatever is to hand and will give him the sound he wants.

He's never adopted new technology for the sake of it but neither has he projected an especially Luddite attitude towards it.

[...and he did find quite a novel use for those new fangled cassette recorders back in 1968 didn't he ]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-04-12 13:07 by Spud.

I think, like Z says, Keith is also smart. he has always gone with the times on his won rigs. And re the live set-up I don think it is so much about what we want it to be, or what he perception is. I;m just relating some stories I heard from a bunch of guys who do nothing but play at the top level with A'smith, BoyzII Men in Vegas, Sheryl Crowe. We may see amps, and even think we hear them, or they may have them for stage sound, but the PA is emitting the rigs.
I agree - I resisted all those mods. But the quality, and just the convenience is undeniable. These things have their own 100 W amp of power, so after that it becomes a matter of speakers. And even those are another matter. Was at a club recently and saw these PA "columns". Those things were TINY! these slender little pea-shooters of piezo looking jokes, and I;m thinking 'how are they going to work?" Once they started pumping it was BOOM BOOM. The earth shook.

If you are ever down front in the pit you can clearly hear Keith's guitar sound coming out of his tweed Twin(s) on stage and then it is feed into the PA system to project the sound all across the stadium/arena . I do agree with the post about Keith being a purist of tone .

Keith is certainly a connoisseur of tone ...some of his sublime guitar sounds down the years are testament to that.

I don't think anybody is suggesting that he no longer fires up the pair of twins on stage ...and yes, you can occasionally catch the direct sound from them FOS.

Yeah I was pretty much just relating what I heard yesterday, and kind of blew my mind. But I also agree very much with guys here saying that Keith is most likely still using his own amps in some capacity.

PS More than anything I am just so high after playing with those guys because they upped the ante so much. I couldn't sleep at all last night. I am telling all my friends "Man we thought we were up there, but there's a ways to go" LOL

Keith was for a while kind of behind the times in the development of sound reinforcement for large arenas and stadia.

Traditionally he was always very loud on stage...the necessity for which should have disappeared with improving PA & monitoring systems

But on the SW/ UJ tour for example his Fender Twins effectively had their own "onstage sound reinforcement system" , consisting of big solid state power amps & Boogie 4X12 cabs.

To be fair, this was because... although he wanted to be loud... he also wanted that clear, defined ,just at the edge of break up kind of sound which you only get with Tweed amps [or any single cannel tube amp] in the sweet spot of the volume range.

So the amps were set to sound at their tonal best, with the additional stage volume then provided by the power amps & extra cabs.

[Bill had commented that standing in front of keith's amps would literally make your trousers flap. I think he was joking...but the implication remains that Keith played freakin' loud ]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-04-12 16:21 by Spud.

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z

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John1982
It is true that lots of live rigs of professional musicians consists of amps like Kemper, Positive Grid's Bias Amps and so on.

But I doubt a purist like Keith will use these digital amplifiers. These amplifiers are more likely to be seen among session musicians. Today's stage technology is so developed that even with conventional amplifiers you can get a great sound without big problems if you have people who know what they're doing.

However, the quality of these digital amplifiers has become so good in recent years that there are hardly any differences. I myself sometimes use a Bias Mini. It fits in my backpack. So I don't have to carry a heavy amp around anymore.
Since nobody of the Stones has to carry their own amps, that's probably no argument for them.

Although in the studio, Keith the purist used an amp simulator already in the early nineties. Just for the record.

Do you mean the Palmer Simulator he used on “999”? That was tremendous. Keith is a purist, but has never been a Luddite about it. He always says technology is a “tool.” If it helps him get the sound he’s after, he’ll use it.

How can he still hear? I get modern players know how to get sound and have reasonable hearing protection. But haw does Keith, Ronnie or anyone on stage with them still hear????? Have you ever tried to crank a v4 or svt to the point of break up??? Not to mention he seems to always run two amps up front then several more on he keeps on reserve. And then to do that night after night and not be deaf?!??!? Hot pot of coffee, Mr Burgundy!!!

Go Dawgs!

I’m sure he’s got some mild hearing loss. Lucky it’s not worse.

Relatedly, I’m not a fan of his simplified setup since 2012. The Tweeds sound dry and brittle and gnarly, especially with the Les Paul Juniors. I thought maybe it was the PF-90 pickup. But I don’t care for the sound he gets from the 335s either.

I much prefer what he was getting from the Boogie cabs in the ‘80s, but that’s just me. Others no doubt would beg to differ.

I've often wondered about this.

I think there's some pot luck or genetics involved here.

Some folks develop significant hearing loss with long term exposure to fairly modest dB levels of noise...

...whilst others seem to remain unaffected by years of loud industrial noise and painfully loud music on a nightly basis.

Amps like Kemper compare to "real" amps like word processors to fountain pens.


C

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liddas
Amps like Kemper compare to "real" amps like word processors to fountain pens.


C

Have you ever heard or played through one in person?

I always wondered how Charlie’s ears survived. The cymbals and snaredrum are devasting to your ears in the long run, even unamplified.

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MelBelli

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liddas
Amps like Kemper compare to "real" amps like word processors to fountain pens.


C

Have you ever heard or played through one in person?

Not a Kemper, but something similar yes-

C

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paulspendel
I always wondered how Charlie’s ears survived. The cymbals and snaredrum are devasting to your ears in the long run, even unamplified.

His very light touch prevented him from going deaf?

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dcba

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paulspendel
I always wondered how Charlie’s ears survived. The cymbals and snaredrum are devasting to your ears in the long run, even unamplified.

His very light touch prevented him from going deaf?

I dont think Charlie's touch is all that light. he definitely has that lethal snap in his left snare hand. In those L&G clips he is playing hard.
What strikes me nowadays is, how is he playing, period? You see him off stage, and he is pretty much a frail old man by now. Then you see him behind that kit with the Stones, and he leans his whole body into those fills. especially something with flair, to end a song - you see him kind of rise up from the throne, and just bend into the fill. Stones are amazing. Unparalleled. No one can touch them.

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Palace Revolution 2000

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dcba

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paulspendel
I always wondered how Charlie’s ears survived. The cymbals and snaredrum are devasting to your ears in the long run, even unamplified.

His very light touch prevented him from going deaf?

I dont think Charlie's touch is all that light. he definitely has that lethal snap in his left snare hand. In those L&G clips he is playing hard.
What strikes me nowadays is, how is he playing, period? You see him off stage, and he is pretty much a frail old man by now. Then you see him behind that kit with the Stones, and he leans his whole body into those fills. especially something with flair, to end a song - you see him kind of rise up from the throne, and just bend into the fill. Stones are amazing. Unparalleled. No one can touch them.

Love it. Gives me chills. That's why they are the Stones.