Kemper Profiler MK 2

[Deleted member 3656]

In the latest FB video Kemper posted it says there will soon be a full video of the fb segment on YouTube. I suppose they may explain more there and maybe show this in action? You would imagine.

From the short FB video, he shows that not much has changed in the editor, but you can initiate either classic or the updated profiling from there.

Ps: Ah, you guys already mentioned this. It's the same as Instagram video.

 

[Deleted member 3656]

Not surprised. Not even a little bit. Sad, though.

When I picked up my toaster back in 2019, I thought very highly of the company. Now I'm kinda embarrassed to own one.

From my perspective, they just don't seem to be self aware enough to realize how they come off.

 

[Tanax]

From my perspective, they just don't seem to be self aware enough to realize how they come off.

I think it might be a combination of that, and that it's just different cultures. Kemper has, for better or worse, always done things "their way"

 

[Chocol8]

I think it might be a combination of that, and that it's just different cultures. Kemper has, for better or worse, always done things "their way"

I think they have simply fallen so far behind and lack the expertise and resources to catch back up.

 

[Gary_W]

From my perspective, they just don't seem to be self aware enough to realize how they come off.

That’s the thing - I still think the Kemper has a lot going for it. Their ability to communicate what they have / what they’re doing just comes across like an unrehearsed school play. They’ve just gone to the guitar show where Line 6 are doing (in my opinion) a very slick job of teasing the Stadium. To go to a show in their own country when their own website still says the new profiling is ‘expected in the Summer’ despite it being Autumn? It’s just so unnecessarily silly and avoidable when (product wise) they still have something good to offer to those who want it.

 

[DrewJD82]

And as a side note, personally I am also not a fan of how fractal runs their forum when it comes to competitors, like closing up threads about other units. It feels like there's this faint climate of fear or insecurity. Generally speaking, I prefer how Kemper have traditionally handled this, even though it seems to change recently -- they'd allow threads about other units and quite free discussion within them.

From a forum owner’s perspective, there’s a LOT happening behind the scenes in the way of preventing forum fights and BS you just don’t want to/have to deal with. I had the same opinion as you did before we started TGF, now I’m surprised they even let the threads exist as long as they do.

 

[Chocol8]

From a forum owner’s perspective, there’s a LOT happening behind the scenes in the way of preventing forum fights and BS you just don’t want to/have to deal with.

That's why you get paid the big bucks!

 

[GTR37]

I watched it. They didnt explain anything at all lol. They showed theres a new tab for 2.0 and then rambled for 2 minutes about nothing and then it ended. I saw it on Instagram though, unless the FB one was longer

lol I agree , it seemed like they were not super prepared
Christoph kind of hum and said umm yeah umm
Then he passed it off to the other guy ( who looked like a deer in the headlights) to explain the new 2.0 profiling

 

[Frodebro]

Not surprised. Not even a little bit. Sad, though.

When I picked up my toaster back in 2019, I thought very highly of the company. Now I'm kinda embarrassed to own one.

I’ve had a power rack since around 2015, and I still love it when combined with the Kemper Kab. But I will openly admit that the atmosphere on the Kemper forum was always just a bit strange to me, and I initially wrote it off as being a cultural thing as Kemper is a German company, but over time I realized that it was more of a “we know better than you, so embrace our product or shut the fuck up.”

And this had more than a little to do with my moving over to Fractal. The Fractal forum does have its quirks (and a handful of REALLY enthusiastic owners that wave their freak flag at every opportunity), but overall the vibe there is welcoming and everybody is willing to step up to help a guy out who is struggling. And if Cliff steps in and calls you a chucklehead, it’s not because you’re criticizing his products. It’s because you’re acting like a buffoon and earned the scolding.

 

[Deleted member 3656]

From a forum owner’s perspective, there’s a LOT happening behind the scenes in the way of preventing forum fights and BS you just don’t want to/have to deal with. I had the same opinion as you did before we started TGF, now I’m surprised they even let the threads exist as long as they do.

There certainly must be things I don't understand, not being in the position of running a forum.

That said, I would be more inclined to agree with your view if I hadn't witnessed certain behaviors from the powers at be, behaviors that to me illustrate a high level of insecurity.

It's arguable that doesn't have to do with thread closures though, at least in recent times.

 

[Deleted member 3656]

And if Cliff steps in and calls you a chucklehead, it’s not because you’re criticizing his products. It’s because you’re acting like a buffoon and earned the scolding.

When I first joined the forum, I made a short comment about fractal and Kemper, praising the former for their approach to improvements.

To the best of my memory, their boss chipped me asked me if I'm "looking for a fight". He seemed to misunderstand what I was saying, thinking I prefer the Kemper/somehow bad mouth fractal.

I don't think fractal users are automatically buffoons if Cliff scolds them, or deserving of it. It's possible he's wrong about something and the user right (not a radical claim imo). Even if that wouldn't count for my case, I've seen several others for whom I think it's true.

 

[LP59]

So, this spring, Kemper announces the Mk2 and the new profiling. One week later, Line6 announces the Stadium.

Fast forward to September 26th at Guitar Summit and Kemper "demonstrates" the new profiling by standing in front of a computer screen and pointing at a button in Rig Manager. Meanwhile just around the corner at the Line6 booth, people are actually playing guitars through the Stadium.

I'm pulling for them, but this is not looking good for Kemper.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I'm pulling for them, but this is not looking good for Kemper.

I’m not. The hubris is finally going to bite them in the ass.

 

[Deleted member 3656]

The full video must contain more important stuff. It can't just be more of this.

 

[dws2384]

The full video must contain more important stuff. It can't just be more of this.

You think they would have pulled a better 60 second snippet if it did lol.

No talking points were better to publish on their multiple social media accounts than showing off the dropdown box?

 

[Gary_W]

I really hope they’ve got something to show. I totally get that the company has a long history with the Mk1 of giving free updates that were *always* late but worth the wait when they got there. For that reason, I think they’ve always shrugged off criticism of their comms and stretched deadlines as they were ultimately giving you something cool for free. I get that.

Not communicating now / still having ‘expected Summer’ on their website is just plain rude….. this isn’t a free upgrade. There are loyal customers out there who paid for a Mk2 in May / June and I’m not convinced that many of them will have done this for the tiny increments already in the system vs Mk1….. the only thing worthy of the upgrade (in my opinion and I realise that’s not universal) was the promise of the new profiling. I’ve always found my mk1 stable, I don’t use all the fx slots I have, I don’t care that it boots up a little quicker. The sloping front nearly had me reach for my wallet vs buying a Stadium but not quite

I totally get that timescales drift but the people waiting for news now are either paying customers who have bought mk2 already or potential customers deciding whether to give them upgrade money. Get a grip of your communications for heavens sake and talk to people like grown ups. There’s still a product there that is the right fit for a lot of people - it’s crazy how they’re seeming to not care about how they look right now.

 

[Deleted member 3656]

You think they would have pulled a better 60 second snippet if it did lol.

No talking points were better to publish on their multiple social media accounts than showing off the dropdown box?

I agree with you that it doesn't make sense. What I don't know about is whether they realize that -- at all. So I think there may be more important info coming.

 

[Deleted member 3656]

There’s still a product there that is the right fit for a lot of people - it’s crazy how they’re seeming to not care about how they look right now.

For sure they still have a good "amp" solution. I don't know for how long, provided competition, but certainly for now.

 

[Deleted member 3656]

I understand how they're competitive for now. I don't know how that will be the case for say the next 10 years if they're locked in/stuck with certain hardware (which some seem to claim, if I understand this correctly). You would hope there's a good plan for a more major re-doing of Kemper.

.. Because I believe IK Multimedia will likely release an all-in-one solution soon, one that will continue to see significant updates and improvements over the years. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers are rapidly catching up with increasingly competitive all-in-one units, and native NAM integration doesn’t seem too far off. Neural DSP has already made a massive impact on the European market, and Cliff continues to push Fractal units forward in a way I’ve never seen matched by anyone else..

But for now there's things about Kemper that are unique. No solution integrates a power amp this way, as far as I know. Liquid profiling is cool even if arguably limited, and the library of profiles dwarfs anything else out there in volume.

I just don't know how sustainable their business is anymore, and how desirable what they'll offer moving on will be, provided other solutions. But clearly they're still doing well in sales for now.

 

[Orvillain]