Kemper Player - 1st [ Paid for ? ] Update coming very soon ?

Mostly because paid updates for guitar hardware makes you wonder if you're paying for a device... or a service.

it would make perfect sense for fractal, you're paying for a living thing that updates constantly, that's a device and a service. Kemper just gets a preexisting functionality unlocked for user access once every 10 years.
 
it would make perfect sense for fractal, you're paying for a living thing that updates constantly, that's a device and a service. Kemper just gets a preexisting functionality unlocked for user access once every 10 years.
I'm a hard no for paying extra money for any sort of update. I'd rather Cliff just stop updating it vs paying a fee 🤣

Imo it's just a slippery slope
 
it would make perfect sense for fractal, you're paying for a living thing that updates constantly, that's a device and a service. Kemper just gets a preexisting functionality unlocked for user access once every 10 years.
That's not really fair to Kemper. I know everybody is dumping on them right now because of this Level thing, but they've been pedaling as fast as they can to add stuff to their earlier devices for free. Not necessarily the choices I would have made, but lots of new functionality.

(If only they'd also have fixed the bugs....)
 
I find it ironic that Fractal stuff costs soooooooo much more than the competition, but not once did I ever feel like I was being ripped off by Fractal.
I'll always complain about the FC foot controller pricing. For what's inside those things, they are really expensive, while being heavier than they need to be.

Right now on G66, including Finnish VAT: 885 € for the Fractal FC12 vs 919 € for a full Line6 Helix LT at Thomann. Hmm...
 
I'll always complain about the FC foot controller pricing. For what's inside those things, they are really expensive, while being heavier than they need to be.

Right now on G66, including Finnish VAT: 885 € for the Fractal FC12 vs 919 € for a full Line6 Helix LT at Thomann. Hmm...

I'm not sure that is the correct product to compare against. It is closer to a midi controller than a full outright modeller, although granted the FC12 IS NOT a midi controller. I'd be tempted to compare to something like the RJM Mastermind GT series, which is quite a lot more money, but similar functionality.

The FC12 doesn't make me feel ripped off. It makes me feel excited for how I could utilise it. For the kinds of things it can do for you, in terms of controlling your Axe FX III, I think it is well worth the money.

Also another thing to consider is, the FC12 isn't a requirement. You could cheap out and use a FCB1010 if you were so inclined. You'd still be able to switch stomps, presets, and scenes, and do all your expression stuff. Fractal haven't nerfed the device from the midi control side of things, just to push sales of FC12's.

As I say; I'm struggling to think of a single time where Fractal offered something that felt like a rip off. Out of my budget? Sure, sometimes. Not the right product for me? Yeah, definitely. But a rip off?? Nah, never.
 
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That's not really fair to Kemper. I know everybody is dumping on them right now because of this Level thing, but they've been pedaling as fast as they can to add stuff to their earlier devices for free. Not necessarily the choices I would have made, but lots of new functionality.

(If only they'd also have fixed the bugs....)
It took them 10 years to add USB audio interface functionality, to the point that people thought the hardware just could not do it.

Kemper always seems to be releasing things years later than they should be. If the Stage had come out in say 2017, and the Player in 2019 I think it would look a lot different for them.

They stuck to their guns way too much. Now that captures are a commodity, I just don't see a long term future for the company without bringing in a machine learning based "Kemper 2" within a few years.
 
Friends don't let friends buy anything Headrush

Michael Richards Yes GIF
 
That's not really fair to Kemper. I know everybody is dumping on them right now because of this Level thing, but they've been pedaling as fast as they can to add stuff to their earlier devices for free. Not necessarily the choices I would have made, but lots of new functionality.

(If only they'd also have fixed the bugs....)
Some of those stuff were already available if they wanted to release them day one.
They just make some full gear and slowly release capabilities of their units to stay in the competition.
I think of the kemper stage wifi chip for exemple. Been there since the start.

I’m not saying it’s a wrong thing, it has always been their way to do it. Kemper is a smart company .
 
Less.

FM3 II Turbo: $1099.99
Kemper Player $698 (Sweetwater) + $499 (upgrade bundle) = $1197

IMO, what's really happened here is that Kemper has squandered a perfect opportunity to curb stomp the Nano. Shrug....it's their funeral.
It's a different story in Europe though:
Kemper Player 698€+299€
Fractal FM3 MkII Turbo: 1399€

I wonder why the upgrade bundle is so much more expensive in the US.
 
I'm not sure that is the correct product to compare against. It is closer to a midi controller than a full outright modeller, although granted the FC12 IS NOT a midi controller. I'd be tempted to compare to something like the RJM Mastermind GT series, which is quite a lot more money, but similar functionality.

The FC12 doesn't make me feel ripped off. It makes me feel excited for how I could utilise it. For the kinds of things it can do for you, in terms of controlling your Axe FX III, I think it is well worth the money.

Also another thing to consider is, the FC12 isn't a requirement. You could cheap out and use a FCB1010 if you were so inclined. You'd still be able to switch stomps, presets, and scenes, and do all your expression stuff. Fractal haven't nerfed the device from the midi control side of things, just to push sales of FC12's.

As I say; I'm struggling to think of a single time where Fractal offered something that felt like a rip off. Out of my budget? Sure, sometimes. Not the right product for me? Yeah, definitely. But a rip off?? Nah, never.
As much as setting up footswitching on FAS drives me UP A WALL in certain ways; all of this. I would drag my body through a pit of broken glass and razor blades before even thinking of connecting an FCB to any FAS device and think I wouldn't be jumping out a window 5 minutes later :rofl
 
I will repeat. TRUE Stomp size, payable upgrade to as full of functionality equivalent as the biggest brother (of my modeler of choice) till the cows come home.
I would almost be happier if they did it like the Digitech I stomp where it not a package but down to a component level , that way if I want to spend $100 I can not be stuck with like a ring mod
Rotary , megaphone effects
A supro amp give me the choices
 
As much as setting up footswitching on FAS drives me UP A WALL in certain ways; all of this. I would drag my body through a pit of broken glass and razor blades before even thinking of connecting an FCB to any FAS device and think I wouldn't be jumping out a window 5 minutes later :rofl
This, but tattoo'd to my ballbag, so everyone really knows I believe in it!

The FC12 makes footswitching around the Axe3 a total breeze.
 
This, but tattoo'd to my ballbag, so everyone really knows I believe in it!

The FC12 makes footswitching around the Axe3 a total breeze.
I LOVE the FCs. And I love all the options available. To be clear. It's the devil in the details of footswitch configs in FAS, so to speak; where I end up butting heads a bit with the methodologies.
 
Friends don't let friends buy anything Headrush

I'll keep saying it: One of the guys I play with bought a Core from Guitar Center on a whim, and it's his main rig now. Surprisingly a number of good crunch-to-metal tones to be had in there. The Eleven Rack Marshall, Soldano and Rectifier sims still sound good. Don't even know if they're accurate, but they're good.

It comes with zero amp clones, and if they had any sense..... they'd fix that. Supposedly the latest firmware improved the amp cloning, but they treat this feature like it doesn't even exist otherwise.
 
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