Kemper Profiler MK 2

[paisleywookiee]

At least it's visible under all conditions.

So is a turd. That doesn't make it good.

 

[Sascha Franck]

So is a turd. That doesn't make it good.

So, what exactly are the issues with the KPA display? That it's monochrome and the opposite of bling-bling?

 

[mbenigni]

 

[molul]

So is a turd. That doesn't make it good.

Hitler was visible under all conditions too.

 

[paisleywookiee]

So, what exactly are the issues with the KPA display? That it's monochrome and the opposite of bling-bling?

It's too small, too low resolution, difficult to read, too low contrast. The UI is very clunky to navigate. It's just as bad as the BOSS GT-1000 UI.

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

If that was at least an option, it'd be great.

However, tbh, right now I shouldn't think about a Kemper at all. I'm just extremely happy with my live setup and for home recording duties there's more great options than to poke a stick at.
I may however look out for used MKIs in the future. When I had a Kemper at my place for a few days, I remember to enjoy some MBritt profiles more than anything I've ever used before, absolutely instant gratification for me. And I don't give a toss whether they only null by -30dB, I just loved them.

Atm toasters go for 700,- used in my area, this new release may reduce that some more.

Initially i planned to sell the toaster after my switch to QC, but sold controller, poweramp and Kone, and kept the toaster so I can have something permanently hooked up in my studio, which I appriciate more then I expected.

 

[ian_dissonance]

Seems silly to not update the physical look a little more. Screen is the least of my concerns, I don’t need all the knobs and buttons.

It's too small, too low resolution, difficult to read, too low contrast. The UI is very clunky to navigate. It's just as bad as the BOSS GT-1000 UI.

I was concerned about the GT1k coming from Helix but it took like 3 minutes to get used to the differences and it’s not an impediment to function in any capacity, IMO.

 

[molul]

It's too small, too low resolution, difficult to read, too low contrast. The UI is very clunky to navigate. It's just as bad as the BOSS GT-1000 UI.

Wow, never used a Kemper, but Boss UIs are a bad joke.

I had to get a Boss VE500 a couple of years ago. I was amazed they were using the same UI as my old Boss GT8 that I bought in 2007. Must be great not needing to make an effort like Boss.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Do I get it right that some of the IR improvements may find their way into the old hardware, too?

No idea. If it was possible all along, that’s almost more confusing to me.

At least it's visible under all conditions.

If you try typing out anything on it (without plugging in a USB keyboard) you’d wish it wasn’t

 

[paisleywookiee]

Seems silly to not update the physical look a little more. Screen is the least of my concerns, I don’t need all the knobs and buttons.

I was concerned about the GT1k coming from Helix but it took like 3 minutes to get used to the differences and it’s not an impediment to function in any capacity, IMO.

I've spent a lot of time with the GT1k UI, and I think it's garbage. But to each their own. The Helix is far superior, IMO.

Wow, never used a Kemper, but Boss UIs are a bad joke.

I had to get a Boss VE500 a couple of years ago. I was amazed they were using the same UI as my old Boss GT8 that I bought in 2007. Must be great not needing to make an effort like Boss.

I've spent a lot of time with Kempers as well. The screen is very early 2000's, and not just it's monochrome.

 

[timbuck3]

It's too small, too low resolution, difficult to read, too low contrast. The UI is very clunky to navigate. It's just as bad as the BOSS GT-1000 UI.

Agree for 2025 this is sad. Even the old boss gt-1 screen looks better and functions better .. and it’s smaller

 

[Sascha Franck]

It's too small, too low resolution, difficult to read, too low contrast. The UI is very clunky to navigate.

When I had a borrowed Kemper (which was twice, and I used it in a mate's studio sometimes, too), none of that ever was an issue.

so I can have something permanently hooked up in my studio, which I appriciate more then I expected.

This would be exactly what I could imagine using it for. Have it hooked up all the time, placed comfortable, slap some pedals in front, done deal.

 

[paisleywookiee]

When I had a borrowed Kemper (which was twice, and I used it in a mate's studio sometimes, too), none of that ever was an issue.

I guess you like mediocre screens with clunky UI's. The BOSS stuff sucks too. No offense, but you seem to pick one issue (visibility in daylight) and frame your whole usage around it, even if it suffers in every other way.

 

[DLC86]

If their new IR slot can load reverb IRs at 100,000 samples (approx. 2 seconds @ 48khz), then it's nice for room reverbs etc.

Maybe that statement is a fancy way to say their spectrum analysis uses a frequency resolution of 0.2 Hz, which means an FFT size of 240k at 48 kHz?
Or maybe just a 100k FFT size?
If that's the case it seems quite useless to me for a cab sim.

EDIT: correction, that statement is about the amp capture apparently.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I guess you like mediocre screens with clunky UI's. The BOSS stuff sucks too.

I don't even disagree with that.

No offense, but you seem to pick one issue (visibility in daylight) and frame your whole usage around it, even if it suffers in every other way.

Well, it's the most relevant issue for me. Not only that I never felt the KPA display was getting in the way for the times I was using it, it's also that you can simply use an editor to pre-prepare things. So the display doesn't really get in the way once you're in a comfortable (home) studio situation. It does however get in the way as soon as a live situation is concerned. And I *vastly* prefer something clearly visible under all conditions over a nice looking screen that I simply can't deciper once the lightning situation becomes critical. And as you know, this happened to me not just once but a bunch of times.

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

This would be exactly what I could imagine using it for. Have it hooked up all the time, placed comfortable, slap some pedals in front, done deal.

USB sends DI to my daw (reamp with Tonex), cabsimmed xlr to my audio interface, stereo monitor out to returns of 2 small amps..so it’s “choose my proison” at a click of a button.

 

[Sascha Franck]

USB sends DI to my daw (reamp with Tonex), cabsimmed xlr to my audio interface, stereo monitor out to returns of 2 small amps..so it’s “choose my proison” at a click of a button.

I actually don't even use re-amping pretty much at all anymore these days. It's actually quite interesting, because I have all the tools hooked up all the time - and just prefer to record what I hear (minus typical spatial FX such as delays and reverbs, which I add by using a dedicated FX send path in Logic while the dry sound is monitored directly).

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

Maybe that statement is a fancy way to say their spectrum analysis uses a frequency resolution of 0.2 Hz, which means an FFT size of 240k at 48 kHz?
Or maybe just a 100k FFT size?
If that's the case it seems quite useless to me for a cab sim.

EDIT: correction, that statement is about the amp capture apparently.

Yeah, you may be right.
I was possibly mistakenly by going off of the first post covering the features, which did say about the IRs.

*shrugs

 

[Jarick]

I don’t mind the GT1k for most things because there’s so few options. You can zip around the signal chain and then tweak and edit pretty easily. Doing things like programming switches is much more of a pain.

Kempers tiny screen sucks when you want to scroll through 500 profiles alphabetically waiting half a second for each page of 10 to refresh. If the new processor lets you zip really quickly through them it’s a huge win.

Really I want to see some videos of it in action.

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

I actually don't even use re-amping pretty much at all anymore these days. It's actually quite interesting, because I have all the tools hooked up all the time - and just prefer to record what I hear (minus typical spatial FX such as delays and reverbs, which I add by using a dedicated FX send path in Logic while the dry sound is monitored directly).

I only use it when I record stuff (pre production demos) I might use for a future release, and do t want to make decisions on sound written in stone atm. More then once i liked my demo better then the “real attempt”.

Other scenario I ussually track with time efx also.