Here comes Kemper. Bye Felicias

[Spaced Out Ace]

At this point it seems the QC defending is no longer on the table over there, there’s been plenty of posts/threads speaking of it’s negative aspects that haven’t been deleted. Hahaha might have helped that we made enough noise about it that it’d be like trying to bury a body in the middle of Times Square.

I also noticed the Kemper forum put the smack down in regards to any patent talk as well.

Patent talk with regards to who?

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

The table:

I am the table meme from Botchamania just came to mind.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

The Quad Cortex footswitch are also the knobs to change parameters? Uh, don't know how that works, but it seems like it'd lead to issues down the road.

 

[DrewJD82]

Patent talk with regards to who?

Cliff from Fractal has a patent for a very similar thing (adding modeled tonestacks to profiles) and said Kemper’s new Liquid Profiling is an infringement of it.

The Quad Cortex footswitch are also the knobs to change parameters? Uh, don't know how that works, but it seems like it'd lead to issues down the road.

I thought they were going to be a shitshow as well but I’ve rarely seen people have an issue with them, maybe once or twice the whole time it’s been shipping.

 

[spawnofthesith]

 

[wharf rat]

What's the TLDR on a Kemper in 2023? Is it worth it? Why would you buy an unpowered over a powered, or a stage over either of those?

Kemper (and Fractal) are the two modelers that I haven't tried and my name hasn't been called yet on the FM3 list. Kemper may get some love from me.

 

[Mongillo19]

What's the TLDR on a Kemper in 2023? Is it worth it? Why would you buy an unpowered over a powered, or a stage over either of those?

Kemper (and Fractal) are the two modelers that I haven't tried and my name hasn't been called yet on the FM3 list. Kemper may get some love from me.

Used market is where it's at or try a retailer with a good return policy.

I think they are still very much worth it but not at full retail necessarily.

You can find some for sub 1000

 

[wharf rat]

Used market is where it's at or try a retailer with a good return policy.

I think they are still very much worth it but not at full retail necessarily.

You can find some for sub 1000

I mostly see them hovering at like the $1200-1400 range.

 

[Mongillo19]

I mostly see them hovering at like the $1200-1400 range.

Check local and I've certainly seen a few in the $900 range albeit rare on reverb. This new announcement will probably bump the price unfortunately.

$1200 isn't a bad price at all but I'd probably just keep an eye out (or buy new, if you like it return and buy used). Maybe not morally correct but it could save you money

One on reverb for $1050 right now and checking transaction history, there are a handful that sold for $900 and even one for about $700

 

[Enchilada Jones]

What's the TLDR on a Kemper in 2023? Is it worth it? Why would you buy an unpowered over a powered, or a stage over either of those?

Kemper (and Fractal) are the two modelers that I haven't tried and my name hasn't been called yet on the FM3 list. Kemper may get some love from me.

I have a Stage and it is great.
I think I prefer profiles/captures over modeling most of the time because I don’t waste time exploring the minutiae of tweaking every possible component of the signal chain. You can easily find great profiles and set up a group of them in what Kemper calls Performances, easy to set up and very useful.

Some people are the opposite, they need the options to tweak everything down to the impedance curve of the power amp stage.
I find I treat the Kemper like an amp and pedal board that can instantly become another amp with same or different pedals. I play more music that way.
I invariably treat the Fractal as a sound design laboratory. Great fun but it distracts me every time my mind conjures up some possible tweak I could make.

The layout of the Stage makes it superior for spontaneous use. You can quickly get to all the parameters in an intuitive manner, it completely out shines the FM9 when you don’t have the editors in use. With editors they are pretty much equally great to use.
The whole signal chain on the Stage is always there on top. And it is like a giant tactile hardware version of a ‘touch screen’. For example touch a delay block button and that delay appears on the screen with its parameters labeled at the knobs. Yes the actual LCD screen part is small but it is easy to see in any light or dark stage or room… sunlight, spot light etc etc. However, since each effect block, amp, cab, input, output block etc has an illuminated button showing you the complete signal path with their status apparent the ‘Screen’ is actually much bigger once you start to look at it that way. Once I realized that I fell in love and my FM9 is currently gathering dust.

Kemper Kab is a unique solution. Powered Kemper Kab would be my preference but I couldn’t find powered version when I got mine so I use SD 170’s to power them.
it like the Stage is made for playing in a band, a performance, rehearsal, etc
the Fractal stuff is best when connected to a computer in a studio environment when you have time to explore the possibilitie.
in my mind they both sound amazing So flip a coin if realism is your main concern.

 

[Deadpan]

Kemper will continue to be a pioneer. Anyone who thinks otherwise is out of the loop.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Whatever you do, maybe skip on a Headrush Prime. The tone demos online seem very, uh... awful. The Quad Cortex seems alright, though their unkept promises don't seem to instill much confidence in their product (for me anyways). I've not used one, but the Kemper Stage looks interesting. Helix sounds like Line 6, love it or hate it. The Axe FX III will likely get my cold hard cash.

 

[Jarick]

What's the TLDR on a Kemper in 2023? Is it worth it? Why would you buy an unpowered over a powered, or a stage over either of those?

Kemper (and Fractal) are the two modelers that I haven't tried and my name hasn't been called yet on the FM3 list. Kemper may get some love from me.

I would personally get a Stage because it has WiFi functionality and I think it would be quicker/more stable hooked up to a computer. The biggest issue with Kemper hardware for me is the speed and reliability of the interface, especially when connected to the computer. I had lockup issues when connected to USB. I think the Stage as it's newer might have some upgraded hardware to resolve the issues, or at least you have wireless editing.

 

[creative360]

If you buy used, post 2019 devices are able to be slaved to spdif, which is convenient. Also it’s a three year fully-transferable warranty, so maybe get one with at least a year left. Personally I’d buy new. Powered Kemper is an elegant, eye-level unit that works with whatever speaker you want, without an additional power amp. Stage has a physical variable impedance input, or a physical simulation of that, meaning your guitar’s interaction with the Kemper Fuzz which is pretty great will be more like plugging in to a Sunface or other fuzz, where using your guitar volume can get those rolled back fuzz cleans we all love. Unfortunately since it’s a physical mod, it’s the one musical feature on the floor model that isn’t available on the toaster. I’ve had zero usb/lock-up issues, so maybe it’s actually the newer devices that have more issues. Although I know of several productions touring multiple Kempers and controlling them by a laptop, and it works. The Stage does boot-up quicker, but both are ready to go in less time than a tube amp. Kemper is great and always getting better, the recently announced new free firmware will bring new features that’ll make a lot of people happy. But the thing is reliable and has always sounded great which is why out of the artists who tour digital, it’s the one you see the most. Whatever; amps are still convenient and reliable and sound great. It’s just that they’re heavy, require more maintenance and tend to need more volume. Kemper’s worth checking out. Maybe you’ll love it more.

 

[Orvillain]

The last time I jumped into bed with a Kemper, I went with a Stage.

I had a really odd problem where the unit would constantly hum unless another pedal was put in front of it. Something to do with the impedance input circuit is my guess. Kemper support couldn't reproduce it. I sent the unit back and had a replacement, the replacement did the same thing. At which point, I just upgraded my order at the time to a non-powered Head and Remote footswitch.

So I guess what I'm saying is .. be careful with the stage. I don't think the circuitry is the same as the head, and I'm not the only person who had this problem.

 

[Foxmeister]

Kemper Kab is a unique solution.

To be fair, the Line 6 Powercab does much of what the Kemper Kab purports to do - arguably more, since it isn't tied to the Helix.

How successful it is at it is entirely subject of course!

 

[Byrdman]

Kemper will continue to be a pioneer. Anyone who thinks otherwise is out of the loop.

Only if they choose to be so, IMO.

 

[Deadpan]

The last time I jumped into bed with a Kemper, I went with a Stage.

I had a really odd problem where the unit would constantly hum unless another pedal was put in front of it. Something to do with the impedance input circuit is my guess. Kemper support couldn't reproduce it. I sent the unit back and had a replacement, the replacement did the same thing. At which point, I just upgraded my order at the time to a non-powered Head and Remote footswitch.

So I guess what I'm saying is .. be careful with the stage. I don't think the circuitry is the same as the head, and I'm not the only person who had this problem.

There were definitely issue with the Stage early on.

 

[JiveTurkey]

There were definitely issue with the Stage early on.

I remember that. They took care of it super quickly iirc.

 

[Orvillain]

Hmmmm. This was in 2020. Stage was released when??? 2019 ??? It's possible I got an early unit I guess.

If it has been fixed..... that interests me.