Assuming the profiling is top notch - would you buy a Kemper MK2 now?

[Jarick]

I haven't been following the whole V2 thing. Are V2 profiles not able to be captured with the hardware? Is it like NAM and Tonex where you need to use a computer or the cloud to do the processing?

I think we're going to need someone to do a full walkthrough to fully understand as it hasn't been fully explained yet. Here's my best guess:

• Mk1 and Mk2 devices can make V1 profiles through hardware only (legacy)
• Mk2 devices can make V2 profiles but that requires Mk2 hardware connected to a computer - not sure if an internet connection is required; Mk2 devices are required to play V2 profiles
• Mk2 devices can create better quality versions of V1 profiles that can play on Mk1 units - I'm assuming this is downsampled from V2 profiles but there's a chance it could be hardware only

 

[molul]

I wouldn't buy a device with an UI like Kemper's in 2020, even less in 2026.

 

[DrewJD82]

Nope.

Was never interested in the Kemper from the start, the more I understood about it the less interested I became. Over time they’ve only cemented my disinterest, once those Tiers came out for the Player that was it, the .9% of interest I had in checking one out went completely out the window.

Loading @2dor’s cap of the Mick Mars/Fortus Jose he captured from a fricken video and still sounded badass going into a $75 Valeton GP-5 showed me the Kemper hardware certainly isn’t necessary if I were to go the capture route in 2026.

 

[mbenigni]

I jumped off KPA back when it was first in class in terms of profiling. In fact, it was the only game in town at the time. There are just too many other things Kemper won't do that its competition will (mainly in terms of complex or unusual routing.)

 

[mbenigni]

Reading through the rest of this thread... it's a bit sad to see how much good will Kemper has managed to sour over the course of a year or so. They were the darlings of the digital/modeling space for over a decade - to the extent where you had to hedge any criticisms with praise to avoid embarrassing yourself. How the mighty have fallen...

 

[JiveTurkey]

Profiling/capturing ONLY is a big fat nope. That's a huge thing on top of the rest of this recent fiasco.

 

[mbenigni]

The Kemper Stage is, in many ways, laid out in a way it doesn’t need a touch screen. The whole top of the Stage is a ‘real touch interface’ where the signal path has a logical flow and many buttons and knobs spread out along the flow.
That said, the small screen it does have is needed and is too small for my eyes to read without trouble.

If they made it a little bit bigger and brighter I’d say the interface is as good, if not superior, for live use.

But the answer for me is, even if they really have met the competition as far as profile vs capture vs clone etc, they still need that bit of an upgrade for visual feedback in the deeper menu nested details.
So I’ll keep the Player because it is mkII already and fills a niche nicely but I went with the Stadium and Line 6 is dependable, innovative and involved in a friendly way with the users.

I would buy a modern designed edition of Kemper if it comes out however, although I’m in good health I’m probably not going to be alive that many summers….

The Kemper experience in a nutshell: everything is perfect if you use it exactly as prescribed by Kemper. If you want to deviate in any way, you're going to run into considerable friction... from everything from the silk-screened effects labels to resistance to change from the developers.

To be fair: this is also true of any "real" amplifier, and I get where the analogous experience is intuitive on stage. But if I want something that behaves just like an amp and a few pedals, I'll use an amp and a few pedals. I want my modeler/ profiler to be much more versatile.

 

[JiveTurkey]

 

[mbenigni]

Watching Ola’s video….. I actually hate that I like the look of this
View attachment 59861

I've always loved the aesthetics, right from the first time I saw the OG "dentist office green" toaster.

Then I try to live with one, and the button I need to press with my right hand is constantly on my left and vice-versa, etc.

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

 

[Allexi]

No, will not buy a Kemper again. I actually got the lunchbox close after the release in 2012. It was fine at that time, but I immensely struggled to get fitting sound when turning its knobs. I quickly realized it is just a "player" of somebody's setup that may or may not feet my needs. I've got Axe 2 right away and immediately sold that launch-box. Now I was able to turn knobs the way I liked. Dial the gain, use better and more effects. Around same time torpedo captor was released and since then I was able to use tube amps at home so no more profiling necessity for a bedroom player like me anymore. The only thing I regret is that I sold that Caparison.

 

[mbenigni]

Profiling/capturing ONLY is a big fat nope. That's a huge thing on top of the rest of this recent fiasco.

Seems like just yesterday we were all debating whether the QC having captures + models was redundant.

 

[RiffDuck]

I currently own a Profiler Player, and don't use it much. While I love the general feel of it, there's just something weird sounding about the tones in it, in both the midrange and high end freqs. Their OD pedals also give every profile this weird scratchy digital tone that drove me nuts. Not to mention the "oh you want to upgrade your player? Give us $300". No other brand of modeler would charge for that.

Now, with them releasing this whole 2.0 thing, it really seems to me like it's almost exactly the same as the previous one. It's like they don't realize just how much competition there is now. How you talk to and treat your customer base also matters a lot. That applies to all gear brands; I've noticed even some beloved modeler staff that post on this forum tend to not be able to help but talk down to their customers any chance they get, and it doesn't make any sense to me from a business perspective. Like dude be nice, or I'll immediately give my money to your biggest competitor since nobody owns the market anymore.

I think the competition has just gotten way too close in the last couple of years, and it's definitely changed the entire game.

 

[LP59]

I think we're going to need someone to do a full walkthrough to fully understand as it hasn't been fully explained yet. Here's my best guess:

• Mk1 and Mk2 devices can make V1 profiles through hardware only (legacy)

Yes.

• Mk2 devices can make V2 profiles but that requires Mk2 hardware connected to a computer - not sure if an internet connection is required; Mk2 devices are required to play V2 profiles

Mk1 devices can play V2 profiles, but at "low resolution".

• Mk2 devices can create better quality versions of V1 profiles that can play on Mk1 units - I'm assuming this is downsampled from V2 profiles but there's a chance it could be hardware only

No. There has been no change to V1 profiling. You have a choice when making a profile on a Mk2 device: V1 or V2 profiling.

 

[dws2384]

Honestly I thought the same thing! It does look really nice for sure.

I still can't believe they didn't give all the models the same features though like wi-fi. Seems like a no-brainer.

You know what, if I find a Stage Mk2 for under $800 maybe I'll roll the dice.

Wifi, Bluetooth and True Impedance across the range would have made sense for a V2 refresh...kinda strange that the player is the only one with all 3.

Also since they added the extra devices to the V2 sort of button or indicator on the Stage/Profiler devices would have been helpful to know if they are on or off, or to quickly edit them.

 

[Desertdweller]

Kempers are nice but I’ve never felt the urge to pull the trigger on one even back when they were the only game in town for capture devices. In 2013 they were absolute magic, but by 2026 we have insane options and it feels like Kemper didn’t keep up. The UI of an Ampero II or QC is just awesome, the flexibility and sounds of a Fractal unit are just amazing, and Line 6 is about to have everything in one unit you can buy at any guitar store in the country.

So I’m not feeling any urge to go out and buy Kemper products any more now than I ever was. I hope their company continues to thrive, but not making any updates in 13-14 years to a digital product was an interesting choice.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

It looks like V2 is aimed at players who have been using Kemper from the beginning and just want the updated sound quality etc without changing the look and workflow they are already accustomed to. It's an interesting strategy.

 

[OrganicZed]

No. I'm not interested in profiling / profile playback hardware. Component based modeling is a better fit for what I want from a digital device.

 

[molul]

It looks like V2 is aimed at players who have been using Kemper from the beginning and just want the updated sound quality etc without changing the look and workflow they are already accustomed to. It's an interesting strategy.

It's short road to death.

 

[FuzzyAce]

No. Think I'm done with hardware modelers for the foreseeable future. Between my Helix stomp and AM4, VP4, and the lower budget Opus and Pod Express I think I'm covered. If I can't get what I want from all that then maybe I should take up tuba.
Never say never though, it would have to be something very particular and special to grab my attention.