Kemper Profiler MK 2

[Jarick]

What would possibly tame all the uproar would be if they allowed the unit to still create Mk1 level profiles straight on the unit while capturing enough data to later on use it connected to the RM, which would then allow you to bring the profile to Mk2 level.

Which they very well might do.

I seriously do not understand the uproar. They announced the Mk2 and released it immediately. The old one is no longer for sale. The new one costs the same (or less) as the old one. They said there's going to be a new firmware with new profiling later this summer. That's it.

Everything else is forums and influencers going nuts over their own speculation because there isn't any other information. Maybe I missed something, but Kemper didn't do a massive influencer drop and put ads on everything. They updated their website and put out a couple short clips of the new unit. The only people who made videos about the Mk2 had to buy them on their own after the public announcement.

Kemper Mk2 is not the golden god digital device you've been waiting for. It's an incremental update of the Kemper. If you liked Kemper before, you'll like the Kemper Mk2. If you didn't like the Kemper, you won't like the Mk2.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

... If you liked Kemper before, you'll like the Kemper Mk2. If you didn't like the Kemper, you won't like the Mk2.

At least not until the firmware shows up and proves to be what they claim, and then some minds may change.

 

[Sascha Franck]

So would a definitive official explanation of what is and what will never be. I don’t mind an early release with firmware lagging.

And that's exactly what's missing so far, resulting in their marketing department to look shady.

Otoh, as @Jarick said, nobody's losing anything. If you were interested in a new KPA before, you'd likely still be and could as well just buy a new Mk2, regardless of how much profiling will be improved.

And if you were planning to buy a used Mk1 unit, it's possibly a great time doing so as well because the prices will surely drop by some amount.

 

[Jarick]

And that's exactly what's missing so far, resulting in their marketing department to look shady.

Otoh, as @Jarick said, nobody's losing anything. If you were interested in a new KPA before, you'd likely still be and could as well just buy a new Mk2, regardless of how much profiling will be improved.

And if you were planning to buy a used Mk1 unit, it's possibly a great time doing so as well because the prices will surely drop by some amount.

Their marketing doesn't seem to exist. I don't see any ads or influencer drops about Kemper. It's more word of mouth like Fractal, not at all like Neural DSP.

If NDSP had a Mk2 incremental hardware revision, we'd have a fucking 10-part Netflix series about it.

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

Dammit, I really want to like the KPA and I want it to also improve, but this half-assed implementation is exactly what I should have expected. As much as I do not like Neural’s marketing, they are the top of the heap at this point. And with a what…? 5 year old product that still isn’t where it should be?

 

[Sascha Franck]

I don't see any ads or influencer drops about Kemper.

Well, they have it all on their side and YT channels.

But then, sure, what else should they do?
IMO it'd still be the best idea if they only released that thing once the new FW is actually ready to be rolled out.

If NDSP had a Mk2 incremental hardware revision, we'd have a fucking 10-part Netflix series about it.

Make that 2 seasons of 10.

 

[ChordInversion]

IMO it'd still be the best idea if they only released that thing once the new FW is actually ready to be rolled out.

Could be they intended for the hardware cutover and the firmware upgrade to happen simultaneously, but the firmware got delayed. So they were out of the old hardware, didn't want to go dark, and made the choice to release the new hardware with a firmware update pending. Certainly not ideal, but I could see how it might go that way for a small company.

 

[madmarcus1960]

Could be they intended for the hardware cutover and the firmware upgrade to happen simultaneously, but the firmware got delayed. So they were out of the old hardware, didn't want to go dark, and made the choice to release the new hardware with a firmware update pending. Certainly not ideal, but I could see how it might go that way for a small company.

If stock of the MKI Toasters and Stages were depleted due to the chip changeover, then this is the best path forward. Their marketing could have gotten ahead of this by being more transparent. This was rolled out like it was ready to go only after questions created by a lack of full disclosure caused them to spoon feed bits of what the state of the hardware release vs the firmware catchup release actually means for a new purchaser of a MKII unit.
I have no doubt in the end, it will be a better unit, but business-wise, it's a rookie like mistake from a company that has been around for a while.

 

[ChordInversion]

If stock of the MKI Toasters and Stages were depleted due to the chip changeover, then this is the best path forward. Their marketing could have gotten ahead of this by being more transparent. This was rolled out like it was ready to go only after questions created by a lack of full disclosure caused them to spoon feed bits of what the state of the hardware release vs the firmware catchup release actually means for a new purchaser of a MKII unit.
I have no doubt in the end, it will be a better unit, but business-wise, it's a rookie like mistake from a company that has been around for a while.

Yeah, I don't think the communications were handled well at all. As for the product, the whole story reminded me of why I personally prefer modeling to capture/profiling.

 

[madmarcus1960]

"the whole story reminded me of why I personally prefer modeling to capture/profiling."

As an owner of an AXE3 since FW7(now at FW28.06) it is hard to conceive of better product development and customer support.

 

[LP59]

Could be they intended for the hardware cutover and the firmware upgrade to happen simultaneously, but the firmware got delayed. So they were out of the old hardware, didn't want to go dark, and made the choice to release the new hardware with a firmware update pending. Certainly not ideal, but I could see how it might go that way for a small company.

That's probably the most likely explanation. However, Kemper is probably selling 90% Players at this point, so any dip in sales by going dark on the Stage/Toaster/Rack might be minimal. It just seems like a clown show from a company that usually has their shit together.

 

[KingsXJJ]

Why are these people all doing reviews of the MK2 !?!?!?!?!?

Apart form the new fixed efx .... it currently sounds no different to the pre-exisitng MK1.

Sure, once the MK2 Profiling and Profiles come out .... some good A/B's will be great .... but these "reviews" of the MK2 are just such b.s !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rant over.

I don’t hear the “Strymon sheen” on the MKII’s.

 

[Deleted member 490]

Sorry, that's just... plain wrong. You seem to confuse applying a loudness EQ curve to a recorded result, with trying to measure frequency responses with those curves baked in. These are very different things - otherwise, two signals measuring the same LUFS should sound the same to our ears.

No point in arguing this over forum posts though. There's plenty of good bibliography on audio weighting curves online.

I don't know where you've drawn that conclusion from... but yes, two signals having the same LUFS sound as having roughly the same volume to our ears (at least at the specific SPL level the k-weighting roughly matches our perception - see equal loudness curves)

Anyway, you're right, no point in arguing this over forum posts. Let's go empirical instead: take the flattest headphones/IEMs you own (or calibrated room and monitors+sub if you have them) and listen to the two files in the link below at a high enough volume and then tell me in which of the two you perceive the two sine waves in the files (41.4 and 1000 Hz) as having roughly the same volume. (I know, it won't be a pleasant experience but just a couple seconds of listening should be enough to tell)

LUFS Test – Google Drive

drive.google.com

 

[KingsXJJ]

I really don't get the stridently devoted, loudly advocating customer thing in any context. If a person paid for a product and they enjoy it, then great. There's no need to join the company's marketing team as an unpaid hype man. It's a transaction, not a commitment ceremony. I don't defend the honor and assert the primacy of my car's manufacturer or whatever the brand is of the desk chair I'm sitting in right now, either.

You need to get with the program Johnny!

 

[KingsXJJ]

I just don’t understand the marketing strategy…

They have teased with an MKII, they have released the new product BUT even if you have bought it you have to wait 2/3 months to get the firmware update that gives you the new features….

That makes absolutely no sense at all…

And don’t compare that to the fractal fm3 or fm9, it’s totally different.

Kemper MKII is the new Neural QC.

 

[Mongillo19]

Kemper forum just confirmed use of rig manager for new profile creation

 

[GTR37]

Their marketing doesn't seem to exist. I don't see any ads or influencer drops about Kemper. It's more word of mouth like Fractal, not at all like Neural DSP.

If NDSP had a Mk2 incremental hardware revision, we'd have a fucking 10-part Netflix series about it.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

Kemper forum just confirmed use of rig manager for new profile creation

Which person at their forum is the one you can trust.
It’s confusing over there. I see Burkhard does the update announcements when they are ready but don’t think I’ve seen him answer questions. A few others over there are probably in the know but too much contradictory back and forth to be sure.

Seems like most questions are either shouted down or conflicting answers are offered which leave the question hanging.

 

[Joshual-L]

Would you have prefered them keeping Mk2 in their warehouse, and continu to sell mk1 through summer?…so everyone buying a mk1 in the coming months ends up with hardware not ready for new firmware?

that make no sense. They still sold mk1 this winter knowing they would release a mk2 in June.

I don’t understand your post maybe.

Is that a strange thing to say that a so well known company with a legendary product could have waited to release the new product with the proper firmware? And not release a new product without any of the new possibilities ?
Especially the profiling ones when your product is called an amp profiler?

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Nah they actually give an estimate, not SOON

They (Kemper) have done this before though, only to see the estimate be, like, years off.