Thank you for this video, very helpful. I have a Fryette Sig X which i love, but this is the only other amp i kinda want. I have heard the waiting list is 1 year! They sound amazing. Also, your playing is awesome and i love the videos you do.
I’m not sure what the wait is these days. It’s worth considering a Gemini too, as it has the same lead channel options and might be quicker to get as they probably build more of them. Thanks so much for the kind words! It means a lot.
I'm glad I found this review. Thanks for the comparing the KSR with the Soldano and the MESA Mark's. Your understanding of tone is acute. I just purchased a BE100D which sounds fantastic and I was looking for a modern metal amp and I reckon the KSR Gemini 100 is the one; I love the ability to tone shape rather than being stuck with the preset tone of a simple amp.
You're welcome. I appreciate the kind words. I think you'll find that all of the modes and options will just provide you with way more flexibility than most amps, to shape the tone to what you're hearing in your head. I tend to leave them set once I find what I like. It is really great to have the flexibility though. I'm currently playing on a film score, and I'm using all sorts of modes on the amp to achieve the desired effect.
Thinking of purchasing A KSR product? Maybe I can help. I am a 40 year player and have owned virtually one amp from almost every manufacturer. Some of these but not limited to are as follows, Mesa boogie Mark 2 c+, mesa Mark 4, Mesa dual rectifier, Mesa tremoverb., mesa Jp 2 c+, Diezel vh4, Marshall jcm 800, Marshall mk 50 watt, Marshall jcm 900, Mark Cameron modded Jcm 800, Fender twin reverb, Axe fx 2, Atomic AA12, Engl Steve Morse, Soldano slo, to name a few. Although all these amps listed are great products respectively, they truly are not in the same ball park as KSR. I'm not going into what I liked or didn't like about these amps but there always seemed to be something lacking as I grew as a player and what my needs were and are.I own a KSr Artemis now and will not be looking back anytime soon. The clean channel is very crystal clear and chime like and is very usable. The crunch is probably the best I have encountered on any amp as usually they are not that good on most I have owned, lead channels will give you so many combinations that if you can't find your tone, I'd be very surprised. You can dial it from a brown sound so to speak to full blow the handles off your cabinets metal. Handles lower tunings like a champ. The true test for me being that I play out a lot is how it stays together at loud volumes. It doesn't matter how much volume you give this amp it just keeps pumping with no bass loss, no harshness to the ears but completely holds together like a champ. Kyle at KSR returns your emails very fast and the customer service is impeccable. Buying this amp was a long process as I have had my eye on them for quite awhile but truly the best amp decision I have made to date. Thanks, Jeff.
Hi Chris, I was in touch with Kyle over his amps and he suggested I go to Kiesel guitars to play his amps. There were 2 there the colossus and the ares. The ares's 2 lead channels were absolutely stunning to my ears. Then I plugged into the colossus. The clean was pristine with tons of headroom and reminded me of fender and mesa. Then I tried the crunch. Usually a worthless channel on virtually every amp i have ever played but this one was unbelievable and I could've played for an eternity on that channel alone. Next up was the 2 lead channels and there is where i was not at all happy even after spending 2 hours using the same cab I could not come close to the ares's 2 lead channels. I must have midi and 3 channels so the ares is out and the colossus is out based on its lead channels. If you haven't tried the ares then I guess you won't understand what I'm talking about but how does the Artemis stack up when compared to either of these 2 I have already tried? Thanks Chris.. I am currently using the jp 2c+. The harshness of this amp is unbareable and I currently have it up for sale.
Hi Jeff, I'm going to do my best haha! I'll start with what does the Artemis have that is unique to it? Well, the big thing (which is the #1 thing for me) is that it has a 5th gain stage and 2 extra gain modes on the Lead channels, and a Gain 2 knob to control the gain stage. This allows me to dial in the gain and compression of the lead channel, similar to what you were able to do pre Mark V/JP2C on the boogie amps. The lead sound on my videos is always the lead 2 in red mode; it's THE lead tone to me. The only other amp that has the extra gain modes is the Gemini (which also has the clean and crunch that is on the Colossus and Artemis as well as the same transformers). That being said, the Blue Lead 2 mode is KILLER, but I love the red mode better than anything I've ever played/owned (lots of amps). The Artemis has the Colossus Clean, but it offers more ability to mod the channel. For example, I use the clean channel with the mid shift and fat off and the bright on, to achieve a bell like tone that is closer to EJ's early clean tone; the Colossus has those settings (other than the bright) internally wired on. Because of that, some folks thought the clean was too warm and bell like, and they wanted more sparkle, so you are hearing the version 2.0 clean channel now (on the amp you demoed). I have the old clean channel on my Artemis amps (you can hear it with a slight OD pedal on the "Luthier" video on this channel). The V2.0 channel is on all of the amps now, but the Artemis gives you more tone shaping options, which isn't really a plus if you already love the Colossus clean. My understanding is that the crunch channel was changed to be pretty much the same on all of the amps, however the Areas is a 50 watt amp, so the difference in the feel of the transformers might be a big part of it and maybe Kyle tweaked the crunch to be more of a viable riffing platform since it only has 2 channels. I have the old crunch in my amps. The original crunch channel would allow you to achieve a Black Face Deluxe Reverb sort of break up at low gain settings, and then approach sort of an EJ lead tone with higher gain settings and the gain mode switch on. It wasn't really intended to be a Marshall sound. Since the clean channel is now more sparkly (able to break up at it's limits) and less twin reverb, I think Kyle has altered the crunch channels to make them more Marshall style. I think Kyle's reasoning on the original Artemis/Colossus crunch circuits was that you were going to end up using the lead 1 as your riffing platform, so rather than do the obvious "M" thing on the crunch channel, he'd give you a channel that truly transitioned you from the clean channel to the channels with 4/5 gain stages. Anyway, I hope this helped, feel free to contact Kyle so he can clear up anything I'm incorrect on. As I said before, for me, the tone and gain structure of the RED gain mode is THE tone for me, so I've got to have it haha! Pretty much everything else is negotiable to me, but if you like what you hear, it's not really an issue on your end.
Thanks Chris, The lead channel is the most important to me as well. Having that extra gain stage is crucial and I hope it is tube buffered. I have some work to do. Although Kyle assured me I can return anything bought, i don't want to waste his time or mine for that matter. I appreciate all your help and taking the time to answer me on this issue.
Awesome! Happy to help. I think you'll be really happy. Let me know if you need any help dialing the amp in. Kyle was really helpful when I first got the Artemis with telling where everything is in the circuit path (which really helped me to figure out what combination of mode/fat/voice/bright switch options would get me the tone I needed). Take care.
I got the Artemis yesterday. I was able to hook it up last night for a brief period. I used the set up on here you gave as a reference. Yeah, I am blown away by this amp. I like the lead channel 1 best so far. I play a mesa jp c+ at the moment and in 40 years owned almost every amp made at one time or another. This amp out of the box with little tweaking puts them all to shame. Chris, any input on settings for lead channel 2 would be greatly appreciated. I also got an Email from Kyle last night on settings, circuit path but at this time there no manual. Although a good ear goes a very long way knowing the circuit path and what all these different settings available do is very important as well. Thanks in advance. I couldn't more happier. Your song by the way is awesome.
Hi Jeff, thanks for the kind words! In all honesty, all of the KSR amps are ridiculous, but the Artemis and the Gemini are the only KSR amps with 5 gain stages, and my ideal lead tone is found in the red mode. So... the Artemis and Gemini would be my amps of choice, but I could be very happy with any of them. The Ceres preamp pedal also has a red mode.
Great vid! Great info and intelligent;) Not many of these and glad did this. I have a Diezel Hagen and have always wanted to try KSR! Have you tried Diezel yet?
Thanks Greg. I went on a year and a half quest from Hell to find "my" amp and tried everything, but Diezel haha! Many think that the KSR stuff is similar to the Herbert tonally. I don't know, but when I had the Axe FX, I didn't find the Diezel amps to be very close to the KSR gain structure. The closest I got to cloning the Artemis red channel was to take the SLO100 and add Mark series 5 band EQ to it and do a bunch of stuff to try to fatten/tighten the amp model. Here's the list I've owned or have experience with: Cornford MK50, Bogner XTC 101B (EL34), Marshall JVM 410HJS, Mesa Mark V and JP-2C, Suhr PT-100 both versions, Friedman BE100 and SS100, Soldano SLO100, Peavey JSX, Axe FXIIXL+, probably one or two more that I can' remember haha! I can give you pretty good feedback on how the Artemis compares. I hope this helps.
Thank you for this video, very helpful. I have a Fryette Sig X which i love, but this is the only other amp i kinda want. I have heard the waiting list is 1 year! They sound amazing. Also, your playing is awesome and i love the videos you do.
I’m not sure what the wait is these days. It’s worth considering a Gemini too, as it has the same lead channel options and might be quicker to get as they probably build more of them. Thanks so much for the kind words! It means a lot.
I'm glad I found this review. Thanks for the comparing the KSR with the Soldano and the MESA Mark's. Your understanding of tone is acute. I just purchased a BE100D which sounds fantastic and I was looking for a modern metal amp and I reckon the KSR Gemini 100 is the one; I love the ability to tone shape rather than being stuck with the preset tone of a simple amp.
You're welcome. I appreciate the kind words. I think you'll find that all of the modes and options will just provide you with way more flexibility than most amps, to shape the tone to what you're hearing in your head. I tend to leave them set once I find what I like. It is really great to have the flexibility though. I'm currently playing on a film score, and I'm using all sorts of modes on the amp to achieve the desired effect.
Thank you for the demo, sounds amazing. love the lead sound!
Thanks for the kind words man! It really means a lot.
Man that sounds fantastic! LOVE your playing!
Jeremy Varao thanks man! I really appreciate the kind comment. You definitely do killer work. I'm a fan!
Absolutely awesome! I love that song.
Haha! Thanks John. I'm sort of partial to it!
Thinking of purchasing A KSR product? Maybe I can help. I am a 40 year player and have owned virtually one amp from almost every manufacturer. Some of these but not limited to are as follows, Mesa boogie Mark 2 c+, mesa Mark 4, Mesa dual rectifier, Mesa tremoverb., mesa Jp 2 c+, Diezel vh4, Marshall jcm 800, Marshall mk 50 watt, Marshall jcm 900, Mark Cameron modded Jcm 800, Fender twin reverb, Axe fx 2, Atomic AA12, Engl Steve Morse, Soldano slo, to name a few. Although all these amps listed are great products respectively, they truly are not in the same ball park as KSR. I'm not going into what I liked or didn't like about these amps but there always seemed to be something lacking as I grew as a player and what my needs were and are.I own a KSr Artemis now and will not be looking back anytime soon. The clean channel is very crystal clear and chime like and is very usable. The crunch is probably the best I have encountered on any amp as usually they are not that good on most I have owned, lead channels will give you so many combinations that if you can't find your tone, I'd be very surprised. You can dial it from a brown sound so to speak to full blow the handles off your cabinets metal. Handles lower tunings like a champ. The true test for me being that I play out a lot is how it stays together at loud volumes. It doesn't matter how much volume you give this amp it just keeps pumping with no bass loss, no harshness to the ears but completely holds together like a champ. Kyle at KSR returns your emails very fast and the customer service is impeccable. Buying this amp was a long process as I have had my eye on them for quite awhile but truly the best amp decision I have made to date. Thanks, Jeff.
Hi Chris, I was in touch with Kyle over his amps and he suggested I go to Kiesel guitars to play his amps. There were 2 there the colossus and the ares. The ares's 2 lead channels were absolutely stunning to my ears. Then I plugged into the colossus. The clean was pristine with tons of headroom and reminded me of fender and mesa. Then I tried the crunch. Usually a worthless channel on virtually every amp i have ever played but this one was unbelievable and I could've played for an eternity on that channel alone. Next up was the 2 lead channels and there is where i was not at all happy even after spending 2 hours using the same cab I could not come close to the ares's 2 lead channels. I must have midi and 3 channels so the ares is out and the colossus is out based on its lead channels. If you haven't tried the ares then I guess you won't understand what I'm talking about but how does the Artemis stack up when compared to either of these 2 I have already tried? Thanks Chris.. I am currently using the jp 2c+. The harshness of this amp is unbareable and I currently have it up for sale.
Hi Jeff, I'm going to do my best haha!
I'll start with what does the Artemis have that is unique to it? Well, the big thing (which is the #1 thing for me) is that it has a 5th gain stage and 2 extra gain modes on the Lead channels, and a Gain 2 knob to control the gain stage. This allows me to dial in the gain and compression of the lead channel, similar to what you were able to do pre Mark V/JP2C on the boogie amps. The lead sound on my videos is always the lead 2 in red mode; it's THE lead tone to me. The only other amp that has the extra gain modes is the Gemini (which also has the clean and crunch that is on the Colossus and Artemis as well as the same transformers). That being said, the Blue Lead 2 mode is KILLER, but I love the red mode better than anything I've ever played/owned (lots of amps).
The Artemis has the Colossus Clean, but it offers more ability to mod the channel. For example, I use the clean channel with the mid shift and fat off and the bright on, to achieve a bell like tone that is closer to EJ's early clean tone; the Colossus has those settings (other than the bright) internally wired on. Because of that, some folks thought the clean was too warm and bell like, and they wanted more sparkle, so you are hearing the version 2.0 clean channel now (on the amp you demoed). I have the old clean channel on my Artemis amps (you can hear it with a slight OD pedal on the "Luthier" video on this channel). The V2.0 channel is on all of the amps now, but the Artemis gives you more tone shaping options, which isn't really a plus if you already love the Colossus clean.
My understanding is that the crunch channel was changed to be pretty much the same on all of the amps, however the Areas is a 50 watt amp, so the difference in the feel of the transformers might be a big part of it and maybe Kyle tweaked the crunch to be more of a viable riffing platform since it only has 2 channels.
I have the old crunch in my amps. The original crunch channel would allow you to achieve a Black Face Deluxe Reverb sort of break up at low gain settings, and then approach sort of an EJ lead tone with higher gain settings and the gain mode switch on. It wasn't really intended to be a Marshall sound. Since the clean channel is now more sparkly (able to break up at it's limits) and less twin reverb, I think Kyle has altered the crunch channels to make them more Marshall style.
I think Kyle's reasoning on the original Artemis/Colossus crunch circuits was that you were going to end up using the lead 1 as your riffing platform, so rather than do the obvious "M" thing on the crunch channel, he'd give you a channel that truly transitioned you from the clean channel to the channels with 4/5 gain stages.
Anyway, I hope this helped, feel free to contact Kyle so he can clear up anything I'm incorrect on. As I said before, for me, the tone and gain structure of the RED gain mode is THE tone for me, so I've got to have it haha! Pretty much everything else is negotiable to me, but if you like what you hear, it's not really an issue on your end.
Thanks Chris, The lead channel is the most important to me as well. Having that extra gain stage is crucial and I hope it is tube buffered. I have some work to do. Although Kyle assured me I can return anything bought, i don't want to waste his time or mine for that matter. I appreciate all your help and taking the time to answer me on this issue.
My Artemis is being delivered on tuesday. Thanks for your help Chris.
Awesome! Happy to help. I think you'll be really happy. Let me know if you need any help dialing the amp in. Kyle was really helpful when I first got the Artemis with telling where everything is in the circuit path (which really helped me to figure out what combination of mode/fat/voice/bright switch options would get me the tone I needed). Take care.
I got the Artemis yesterday. I was able to hook it up last night for a brief period. I used the set up on here you gave as a reference. Yeah, I am blown away by this amp. I like the lead channel 1 best so far. I play a mesa jp c+ at the moment and in 40 years owned almost every amp made at one time or another. This amp out of the box with little tweaking puts them all to shame. Chris, any input on settings for lead channel 2 would be greatly appreciated. I also got an Email from Kyle last night on settings, circuit path but at this time there no manual. Although a good ear goes a very long way knowing the circuit path and what all these different settings available do is very important as well. Thanks in advance. I couldn't more happier. Your song by the way is awesome.
Spectacular Maestro! Kudos...would you still recommend the Artemis or would there be another KRS model you would consider? Best regards...
Hi Jeff, thanks for the kind words! In all honesty, all of the KSR amps are ridiculous, but the Artemis and the Gemini are the only KSR amps with 5 gain stages, and my ideal lead tone is found in the red mode. So... the Artemis and Gemini would be my amps of choice, but I could be very happy with any of them. The Ceres preamp pedal also has a red mode.
Pretty Cool!!!!!!
Thanks Rita!
Great vid! Great info and intelligent;) Not many of these and glad did this. I have a Diezel Hagen and have always wanted to try KSR! Have you tried Diezel yet?
Thanks Greg. I went on a year and a half quest from Hell to find "my" amp and tried everything, but Diezel haha! Many think that the KSR stuff is similar to the Herbert tonally. I don't know, but when I had the Axe FX, I didn't find the Diezel amps to be very close to the KSR gain structure.
The closest I got to cloning the Artemis red channel was to take the SLO100 and add Mark series 5 band EQ to it and do a bunch of stuff to try to fatten/tighten the amp model.
Here's the list I've owned or have experience with: Cornford MK50, Bogner XTC 101B (EL34), Marshall JVM 410HJS, Mesa Mark V and JP-2C, Suhr PT-100 both versions, Friedman BE100 and SS100, Soldano SLO100, Peavey JSX, Axe FXIIXL+, probably one or two more that I can' remember haha!
I can give you pretty good feedback on how the Artemis compares. I hope this helps.