Helix or Kemper?

[Cameronj279]

Curious to hear thoughts of those who have used both and which they preferred? 

 

Long story short im trading a guitar for another guitar + a Kemper rack. 

 

Currently I have a Helix Floor but am get to gig it. Still very much getting back into playing music properly. 

 

Either the Helix or the Kemper will be getting sold at some point but would love to get options from you lovely lot. 

 

 

[Jack]

For what is worth I had a Kemper, bought a Helix, then sold the Kemper. 

 

The Kemper seemed hyper focused on exactly capturing the sounds of 'proper' rigs and I just wasn't that interested. I just wanted good sounds, didn't really care about how authentic they were. Both units sounded great, so I picked the Helix as the effects and the ui were much better. 

[BigRedX]

13 hours ago, Jack said:

I just wanted good sounds, didn't really care about how authentic they were.

 

This is very much my thinking too. 

 

For the bass I rarely use any of the amp or cab sims and when I do it's normally a guitar one chosen for the sound it produces in context with the other instruments in my band. I've yet to use the Helix with the guitar, but as I'm selling my guitar amp this weekend that will change in the next few weeks. However given that there (IIRC) over 100 different amp models in the Helix I'm sure that I can find one or two that make my guitar sound howe I want.

[fretmeister]

I use my Helix for guitar and bass and I love it.

 

Obviously both units have their fans and I've seen both on stages for guitarists, but I can't recall every seeing a bassist with a Kemper. I've never used one, but perhaps the Helix is better suited for bass?

 

I'm not fussed about "authentic" sounds either. Just good ones.

[alinbassplayer]

I was never a full helix user, had the hx stomp and loved it, but moved to a kemper power rack because it was easier to move things around, we had everything(as a band) in one rack, i didn't have to carry a amp, a pedalboard and bass and all that with me. I liked the stomp but honestly the fact that it didn't have an xlr out really bugged me, sand because we had our own mixer we lugged around it was easier to just have something always plugged in, rather than move around with me.

 

Sometime last year we realized we didn't need a 12U flight case rack with us at all the gigs, with our own mixer, channel splitter, iem's, wireless and full kemper racks, so we decided to go for Kemper Players, both me and the guitarist, and i'm happy with it so far, however, i am seriously tempted by the new anagram, smaller footprint, and yes the ui seems way better than the kemper rig manager. 

I think the kemper's main issue has always been the rig manager and interface, too complex for me, i preferred the Helix edit, and am a more visual person.

 

Honestly i would stay with the helix and sell the kemper, unless the kemper has a power amp, and then keep that one and sell the helix and your amp...you can profile it and keep it as a rig/profile and add more effects.

Whatever's more comfortable for you. hope all the above makes sense