Brand new user - coming from helix

    I've mostly played acoustic guitar, and recently added to electric guitar to pick up new styles/lead.

    I'm very proficient in acoustic/finger style/slap - but electric is an entirely new game.


    I used helix for a few months and casually liked it. When I first plugged in, I spent awhile trying to 'find' things that sounded good. I bought some presets and IRs - that helped. But I got encouraged to try Kemper. I just got my stage. The difference is night and day (to my ear). I spent time on every factor preset - just playing around. The tone/warmth different was extremely noticeable. To each their own. I'm happy to join the community.


    A few questions:
    #1. Everyone says buy other IRs/peformances like mbritt. Are there others? Right now I'm pretty happy with the factory presets. They blow away the helix factory.

    #2. Anyone have advice on iOS apps/etc to work on lead/scales/electric style? There are *tons* out there, and there wasn't in the past. I'm proficient in theory, but am not a good 'jammer' or lead person yet. Rhythm was my main game for many years.

    Personally - I wouldn’t spend a dime on Profiles for a while. If ever. The factory content, free rig packs in Rig Manager and the community-created Rig Exchange have plenty to explore and sort out what you like/don’t like.


    As for iOS apps for learning - Tom Quayle and David Bebee released an app called Solo.

    App Store Link


    Not cheap, but not tragic. A great tool for ‘seeing’ the fretboard as more than just patterns.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

    Like 2
    Quote from Ruefus

    Personally - I wouldn’t spend a dime on Profiles for a while. If ever. The factory content, free rig packs in Rig Manager and the community-created Rig Exchange have plenty to explore and sort out what you like/don’t like.


    As for iOS apps for learning - Tom Quayle and David Bebee released an app called Solo.

    App Store Link


    Not cheap, but not tragic. A great tool for ‘seeing’ the fretboard as more than just patterns.

    Thanks for the app link, I'll check that out!

    Welcome. And yes, as said above, the factory profiles are better than any other modeller factory stuff. Much better, Imho. No need to spend money for a while. Sooner or later we all get nerdy and want new stuff but that's for another reason than Kemper's factory presets not being great as they are. Have fun.

    Better have it and not need it, than need it and not have it! - Michael Angelo Batio

    Like 1

    Welcome!

    Also, make a conscious effort to play with a much lighter touch. Most of the people I've met who transition to electric squeeze the strings too hard and pull notes sharp. Just lightly, right in behind the fret.

    Since you already think "chords", that's a big part of the battle. Playing those as single note lines, combined with major, minor, chromatic, etc, etc will get you started. Modes are the next step, to truly "paint" interesting and relevant stuff you might not otherwise think of.

    Quote from Finally

    Since you already think "chords", that's a big part of the battle. Playing those as single note lines, combined with major, minor, chromatic, etc, etc will get you started. Modes are the next step, to truly "paint" interesting and relevant stuff you might not otherwise think of.

    Both of the things you've said are valid (to me). I come from fretting *very* hard on acoustic. I need to learn a lighter touch on electric. I often do go sharp. I've already looked at lessons like justinguitar, yousician, guitar tricks - and need to check out the solo app mentioned above too. One of the more frustrating things is what you said - I already think in chords and am fine with runs/hammer ons/pull offs/any advanced acoustic finger style. Just need to find a place that will let me run with scales/lead practice. Thanks everyone for all the responses.

    If money is important then wait a while before purchasing a ton of stuff. Learn how the basic eq works, play with the definition control and other ways to tweak. Spend some time playing with the loads of free stuff. You'll begin to develop a feel for what types of amps you particularly like and don't like. In my experience coming to KPA a decade a go, I really had very little experience putting many amps through their paces, especially at volumes necessary to achieve their ideal sound. Over time, what I thought my favorite amps or types of amps were changed drastically.

    That said, these days I use mostly commercial profiles, the MBritt stuff is great. I personally use a lot of Tone Junkie. If you sign up for his emails, you usually get a couple trial profiles of each pack he releases and has a free pack with all the free stuff he's given away. If you really gel with one of the trial profiles, consider buying the whole pack for that amp. Then again, with liquid profiles coming up very soon, with the commercial guys getting their hands on it already, they'll probably be releasing new packs to take best advantage of the update.

    Welcome.


    Its worth noting that the main changes you can make on the Helix base sound is via IR's and its fundamental in their ecosystem.


    That isn't the same with the Kemper as we are not limited to the sounds in the box, they come from profiles. Whilst you can use IR's on the Kemper, I and many others don't bother and just focus on profiles ( the amp and speaker sound combined).


    Commercial profiles - there is no doubt there are great commercial profiles but as mentioned there is a huge number free as well so its up to you. I have a combination of paid and free profiles. Commercial profiles don't guarantee great sounds, just another option. On the flip side, the packs are relatively cheap and some provide try before you buy so also worth a go..