ian_dissonance
Shredder
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Pretty sure you can put the blocks wherever you want on the GT-1000.
Karl Houseknecht
Roadie
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- 557
Lysander
Rock Star
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- 3,294
I thought some GT-1000 blocks where fixed in place, depending on the signal path?
ian_dissonance
Shredder
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- 1,850
They’re all always in the path, but you can move them around and reorder them.
I wish I was like that.
I tried AxeFX II Ultra and didn't like it. Sounds were cool, but the way the interface (both the computer and the onboard) worked just didn't agree with me. Who knows, perhaps when the next gen is released, I should give them another try
Mongillo19
Rock Star
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- 7,063
Heck even the III! It's important to be critical of gear while at the same time realizing there is such a thing as too critical. It is a very fine line.
Karl Houseknecht
Roadie
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- 557
Dimiguitar
Roadie
- Messages
- 587
Kemper changing the marketing from "most presice" to "most powerful" is weird to me. Probably isn't the case, but makes me wonder if someone finally did a null test and the new profiling came up short... Then, knowing people will make null tests -- since that's what people do now -- the text was changed fast.
Their text also says select vendors are testing the new profiling. At least from what I recall, CK had previously said no vendor had reported inaccuracies like the tubescreamer bananza. That was bizzare to me because in private several vendors would agree with me about inaccuracies. I specifically recall one of them calling Kemper a "crybaby plus" after being frustrated trying to profile an EVH amp.
I don't know what happened. Did vendors suddenly care to report stuff to Kemper, did Kemper ask them whether profiling is perfect, does this refer to newer vendors that didn't exist back then (doubtful, most did)... All possibilities.
But I must say having had years of "it's perfect" to now presumably "its perfecter" is funny. Good that it's better, for obvious reasons, but funny, considering the uproar I've seen on Kemper forum previously when tests would show inaccuracies; and also the company's stance that profiling is spot on.
Nowadays things seem different on Kemper forum. Before, there were only a few people making tests. These tests were mostly A/B, ABX blind audio tests. Now it's many people on YouTube, and null tests have become very popular, kinda replacing blind audio tests. Considering all this, I checked Kemper forum and it seems to me the narrative has changed from "it's spot on" to "well, it doesn't matter if it's spot on".
(This isn't to include everybody. Certainly some never minded perfect accuracy, just referring to a perceived general trend).
At any rate. My talk may give people the impression I think Kemper is crap. I think it's always been a very capable device.
Below is a blind test I made years ago. Skip to 4:15 for reveals. I think there's a slight tubescreamer quality to the Kemper sound, but it's not easy for me to discern in this context. But I hope it's what the new profiling fixes, because for me it makes a meaningful difference for feel.
Their text also says select vendors are testing the new profiling. At least from what I recall, CK had previously said no vendor had reported inaccuracies like the tubescreamer bananza. That was bizzare to me because in private several vendors would agree with me about inaccuracies. I specifically recall one of them calling Kemper a "crybaby plus" after being frustrated trying to profile an EVH amp.
I don't know what happened. Did vendors suddenly care to report stuff to Kemper, did Kemper ask them whether profiling is perfect, does this refer to newer vendors that didn't exist back then (doubtful, most did)... All possibilities.
But I must say having had years of "it's perfect" to now presumably "its perfecter" is funny. Good that it's better, for obvious reasons, but funny, considering the uproar I've seen on Kemper forum previously when tests would show inaccuracies; and also the company's stance that profiling is spot on.
Nowadays things seem different on Kemper forum. Before, there were only a few people making tests. These tests were mostly A/B, ABX blind audio tests. Now it's many people on YouTube, and null tests have become very popular, kinda replacing blind audio tests. Considering all this, I checked Kemper forum and it seems to me the narrative has changed from "it's spot on" to "well, it doesn't matter if it's spot on".
(This isn't to include everybody. Certainly some never minded perfect accuracy, just referring to a perceived general trend).
At any rate. My talk may give people the impression I think Kemper is crap. I think it's always been a very capable device.
Below is a blind test I made years ago. Skip to 4:15 for reveals. I think there's a slight tubescreamer quality to the Kemper sound, but it's not easy for me to discern in this context. But I hope it's what the new profiling fixes, because for me it makes a meaningful difference for feel.
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I have maintained for over 10 years that Kemper has mis-marketed their device. Sure, at first, they were the only capture device in existence and claimed this to be their unique selling point. Fair enough; however, what everyone missed is the implication of this architecture and its effect on live performers.
Kemper is very well designed for gigging musicians. The fact it doesn't model, but rather "profiles" simply adds to how great it is for this purpose since profiles DON'T change tone from one firmware release to the next.
Kemper's ability to quickly setup sounds for different songs and easily manage them through a gig with the foot controller is its strength IMO.
Kemper seems to be finding it difficult to change their thought pattern from "We are the only one" to "We are best for". The fact that they are leaning into "its perfecter" is emblematic of this IMO.
Now, the big question they should be asking themselves is ......
Would a persona who was highly influenced by a Null test be a good candidate for a Kemper purchase ...... or would other factors (like routing, Ui/Ux glitz, etc) make it unlikely that such a person would buy a Kemper even if a Null test proved beyond doubt that Kemper had the best capture tech?
molul
Shredder
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- 1,039
If Stadium's Agoura and Proxy stuff is at least as good as Kemper profiles, I can hardly find a reason to choose Kemper Stage mk2, unless they lower the price enough to make you think twice.
The Kemper Rack, toaster and player will still sell well for a while, at least until Stadium Rack and Stomp are announced.
Kemper still has a chance to bring a proper next gen lineup in the next 3-5 years and stay in the game. But they have a lot of work to do.
The Kemper Rack, toaster and player will still sell well for a while, at least until Stadium Rack and Stomp are announced.
Kemper still has a chance to bring a proper next gen lineup in the next 3-5 years and stay in the game. But they have a lot of work to do.
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Kemper can probably do just fine selling the same units to the more utilitarian areas; touring guys and studio guys who have zero interest in the minute details and just need it to do what they know it can do, over and over again.
ian_dissonance
Shredder
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- 1,850
If L6 hits the ground running with their version of captures/profiles (and what reason would we have to think they won’t at this point) the value proposition of Kemper is very small for a new buyer without a massive price drop, IMO.
Chocol8
Shredder
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- 2,291
I think null tests have limited value, but if you change it to listening test, I still think Kemper has a problem. Their new profiling could be as good as NAM and I still wouldn't consider the MKII over a Stadium or FM9 unless the price drops considerably. So yeah, UI/UX and features are going to be more important to a lot of buyers when the sound quality level differences are not very meaningful.
Dimiguitar
Roadie
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- 587
Updating fractal firmware has often enough had me re-tweeking. Definitely would not update in the middle of gigging, if there were amp sim changes, as it's hard to predict the results.
At times, I've even gone back to previous firmwares to capture sims with tonex and nam. (For example the fryette deliverance mki sim was removed, with arguably little else to replace it, considering how different the new deliverance sim sounds.)
So I do see positives in the sounds remaining the same even with firmware updates, provided there's new features you want.
I don't know what the right marketing would be for Kemper at this point, really..
JiveTurkey
Goatlord
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- 22,470
Are you one of those people who has only ever used a Helix?
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Everyone else seems to get it, whether they like the unit or not. You're the one who doesn't get the actual and verifiable USP of the Kemper.
laxu
Rock Star
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- 8,370
You make this sound like a much bigger deal than it is. No modeler on the market to my knowledge auto-updates itself. So anyone who cares about keeping the same sounds can simply avoid updating.
Even if you update regularly...only a fraction of the modeling updates drastically alter any sounds requiring you to redial things.
You could also approach profiles from the other point of view and consider their immutability to be a weakness where they don't get better but you need to make new profiles if there are improvements to the tech.
We are likely to see this for Kemper MK2 where many paid profile vendors will have to sell new packs to make updating all their profiles worth the time and effort it requires.
Dimiguitar
Roadie
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- 587
I wouldn't buy the "old" profiles, but there are some people who prefer MKI profiles to the source tones.
I even believe that people's perception of "tube mojo", at times, doesn't come from the actual amp being profiled supper accurately, but the mids bananza that stems from inaccuracies.
But sure, I suspect that once people hear "more accurate" they are much less likely to buy MKI profiles if they have the choice.
Dimiguitar
Roadie
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- 587
It's a bit of a weird position to be in, especially if before you were telling people that the previous profiles were bang on accurate.
