Kemper Player - Kemper gives away Morphing for FREE

[OneEng]

And perhaps for you, you're just happy to play through any old aliasing waveshaper algorithm (although the word algorithm is doing a lot of heavy lifting there!) - perhaps for myself and others accuracy is the best target for this stuff, because the gold standard for guitar tones is still a valve amp into a real cab.

Yea, sure.

Before Kemper, I owned a VHT Ultralead and a Fender Blackface. So, yea, I am happy with just about any ole crap tone you throw at me.

I'd stop you right there at "good tube tone" because that is arguable. Real feel is also very arguable. I'll grant you the solidity of the performance. I don't care about null tests, I can hear how bad Kemper sounds compared to the amp it has captured, without even having to do them.

Personally, the Kemper sounds like Amplitube 2 to me. Welcome to 2006.

Don't be silly. Kemper has great sound. If you couldn't get it to sound good, that's your issue, not Kemper.

Well, judging by this thread, for anyone who cares about supporting ethical companies, Kemper is also the wrong product. There's actually a lot of reasons to swerve the Kemper stuff, and not just from an accuracy perspective.

There is nothing "unethical" about Kemper removing someone from THEIR own forum or THEIR own beta program. It is stupid from a business standpoint, but not unethical. It also doesn't effect the quality of their product. I get that you are butt hurt over what they did to you, but seriously. It has made you totally biased in your opinions.

The QC doesn't lack quality reverbs. I just sold mine, but the reverbs on it were very usable. There just aren't enough of them. Likewise for delays.

Yes it does. Your ears don't work if you can't hear the difference between QC and Kemper or Fractal. Same for delays. And yes, they don't cover the breadth of verbs and delays either .... again, making the QC unsuitable for many live gigs.

You've stumped me there. I don't understand how you could say an Axe FX III has lesser capabilities overall, because it simply doesn't. You could run a 4 piece band through a single Axe FX III, with each member getting their own amp and selection of effects.

To my mind, Kemper has had their day. They really need to innovate and come out with a worthy successor, or they're toast.

I didn't say Axe III Fx had "lesser capabilities overall" (having a little reading comprehension issue are we?). I said Kemper was a better gig rig, and it is.

Fractal is a modeler, not a capture/profiler. As a result, every new firmware update has the ability to change the tone of patches previously used. For me, and many like me, this is a non-starter. Those of us that gig frequently have spent a good amount of time and effort getting our gig rig tones down for different songs. No way am I going to live with an update process that changes everything. So you are left with EITHER no updates, OR checking all your patches every update and modifying them to get them back on track before you gig again. Dumb.

Having said this, Fractal is a very capable device. It's just not as gig friendly as Kemper. Additionally, Fractal is a PITA to achieve a specific tone you want in the first place. Yes, it has (hands down) the best GUI and most flexible editing capabilities of any device (no other device is even close IMO), but it is simply MUCH easier to get there using a Kemper IME.

Additionally, Axe III Fx and the FC-12 is a VERY expensive setup. More than twice the price of a Kemper Stage which is a better gig offering.

I just think there is too much fanboi crap going on. Kemper isn't the best at everything. Fractal isn't either. Each of them is best at some things though. QC is best for capture in a road worthy device, but lacks much of the other things Kemper and Fractal do very well. ToneX and NAM shouldn't ever be mentioned in a live sound setting in comparison to the above 3 (or Line 6 Helix which is a distant 3rd behind Kemper and Axe III Fx for live) since they are toys in this regard.

If all you care about is capture accuracy, NAM is the best. Hard to argue that. Obviously, it takes more than that to gig with eh?

FWIW, I still see more Kemper's out in the wild on tour with major bands than any other device. I don't think it is outdated just yet.

 

[EOengineer]

 

[Orvillain]

I didn't say Axe III Fx had "lesser capabilities overall" (having a little reading comprehension issue are we?). I said Kemper was a better gig rig, and it is.

Erm....

IMO, Kemper has no live gig competition. Everything else has lesser capabilities overall (even Fractal, but it is admittedly close).

You are simply not a real person. I've invented you, in a mad LSD binge on the pier in Hartlepool.

 

[Orvillain]

I swear down you aren't real.

Yes, it has (hands down) the best GUI and most flexible editing capabilities of any device (no other device is even close IMO),

Even most of the Fractal fanboys (me included) don't agree with this!!! We're all using laptops or iPad's with FracPad in live situations to control the Axe3 in the heat of a moment, precisely because the GUI (more accurately described as UI and UX - user interface and user experience) is so computer-driven, and the on board editing isn't the best.

I swear down I've invented you. I think you're one of my drug induced sock puppets. I think I had a few two many tins of SKOL and created you to entertain myself in a low moment. This is seriously unreal.

 

[Mongillo19]

Erm....



You are simply not a real person. I've invented you, in a mad LSD binge on the pier in Hartlepool.

 

[Orvillain]

There is nothing "unethical" about Kemper removing someone from THEIR own forum or THEIR own beta program. It is stupid from a business standpoint, but not unethical. It also doesn't effect the quality of their product. I get that you are butt hurt over what they did to you, but seriously. It has made you totally biased in your opinions.

BTW, I wasn't talking about that.

I was talking about the rug pull on the levels pricing and features. Some people have given Kemper money for features, and 5 months later those features are not free. I'd call that unethical.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

What do you mean?? As in, sweeping things under the carpet is seen as being better??

You totally misunderstood.
So let's try this again...round here compliments are sparse, the reason is "if I don't bitch about it, it's enough of a compliment."

As for German criticism, a perfect example is when aquaintances (that qualify as guitar owners at best) are armchair quarterbacking.
I didn't ask input on how a tune was put together.
Or how well they think I executed a part.

Put money where mouth is and do it rather than talk about it is my (standard albeit rather Gean) response.

 

[paisleywookiee]

As a result, every new firmware update has the ability to change the tone of patches previously used. For me, and many like me, this is a non-starter.

Yet somehow people like John Petrucci limp through their gigs.

Additionally, Fractal is a PITA to achieve a specific tone you want in the first place.

Yeah, it's really difficult; amp block, cab block. Done.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Kemper is great for people who don't want their core amp tones improved for more than a decade.

 

[Mongillo19]

Kemper is great for people who don't want their core amp tones improved for more than a decade.

YEAH BRO WELL MY 1971 MARSHALL HASNT BEEN UPDATED IN 50 YEARS AND STILL SOUNDS AMAZING. I SWEAR SOME PEOPLE JUST BUY GEAR TO UPDATE IT

 

[JiveTurkey]

 

[paisleywookiee]

Kemper is great for people who don't want their core amp tones improved for more than a decade.

I've played Kempers on multiple occasions, and while I will 100% say that I've heard people get great sounds with them, EVERY fucking profile I've tried sounds like luke warm ass milk. Like, I have ZERO fucking desire to go through profile after profile after profile until I find suitable shit.

 

[OneEng]

BTW, I wasn't talking about that.

I was talking about the rug pull on the levels pricing and features. Some people have given Kemper money for features, and 5 months later those features are not free. I'd call that unethical.

Again, not unethical, but rather business stupid.

They priced it too high to begin with, then added more cost on top of that for the upgrades. I don't see how that is unethical. Frequently products move features down from higher end to lower end ..... just not in 5 months.

ven most of the Fractal fanboys (me included) don't agree with this!!! We're all using laptops or iPad's with FracPad in live situations to control the Axe3 in the heat of a moment, precisely because the GUI (more accurately described as UI and UX - user interface and user experience) is so computer-driven, and the on board editing isn't the best.

You misunderstand. I meant the PC editor. There is no way any modern digital amp can be edited easily on device. The editor will always be a better option.

Kemper's editor, and entire architecture are inferior in routing and capabilities to Fractal.

... and why on Earth would you be making edits in a gig?

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

... and why on Earth would you be making edits in a gig?

Every room/venue is different. That is why.

 

[ian_dissonance]

I've played Kempers on multiple occasions, and while I will 100% say that I've heard people get great sounds with them, EVERY fucking profile I've tried sounds like luke warm ass milk. Like, I have ZERO fucking desire to go through profile after profile after profile until I find suitable shit.

Me and Kemper and me and Rectifiers. I can stand next to someone playing through it and think “nice, sick” and the I play through it and it’s just ew, no. Try to adjust anything and it gets worse, so next profile. Nope. Next profile. Nope. Next profile. This is close. Nope.

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

Kemper is great for people who don't want their core amp tones improved for more than a decade.

I’ll bite

It’s for people tired of having to update for 10 years…and still not getting what it says on the box!

 

[Orvillain]

Again, not unethical,

Yes. Unethical.

• Devalues Early Purchases – If customers paid for an upgrade just five months ago, and now those features are free, it can feel like they were tricked into paying unnecessarily.
• Lack of Transparency – If the company knew in advance that they would later give these features away for free but did not disclose this, it can be seen as deceptive.
• Erodes Customer Trust – Customers may feel reluctant to pay for future upgrades if they suspect the company will later give them away for free.
• Potential Bait-and-Switch – If the company aggressively marketed the upgrade as a premium, exclusive feature, only to later give it away, this could be considered misleading.

 

[Orvillain]

So let's try this again...round here compliments are sparse, the reason is "if I don't bitch about it, it's enough of a compliment."

Sounds healthy.

 

[laxu]

Fractal is a modeler, not a capture/profiler. As a result, every new firmware update has the ability to change the tone of patches previously used. For me, and many like me, this is a non-starter. Those of us that gig frequently have spent a good amount of time and effort getting our gig rig tones down for different songs. No way am I going to live with an update process that changes everything. So you are left with EITHER no updates, OR checking all your patches every update and modifying them to get them back on track before you gig again. Dumb.

You can completely choose if, and when you want to engage with Fractal firmware updates.

I think "everything changes" is stretching it too far, most of the modeling updates are pretty subtle. You could keep your existing settings and it would sound fine. At most there are a couple of major updates per generation of hardware that might require readjusting stuff.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Yet somehow people like John Petrucci limp through their gigs.

Well, he's only using it for FX. Quite a difference.