Kemper Profiler MK 2

[LP59]

Do I have this right-

Kemper is releasing an MKII that is essentially a FW update and a different colored unit, with the unit available for sale now but the actual updated FW is not? So…..people are just buying black MKI’s with the future expectancy that the new algorithm is going to be worth it?

If that’s even close to accurate…..

It's a complete cock-up. And this from a company that has usually been solidly competent.

You can see from the popularity ratings at Sweetwater that they are no longer among the best selling units, so they had to do something. Couple this with a code base that is tied to an ancient processor and cannot be ported and you've got the typical rock/hard place situation of dwindling sales and no path to new product generation.

Their only option is a minor refresh, which is sad enough, but they've made things much worse by shipping the hardware before it's ready.

 

[Mongillo19]

As I've said before, regardless of null tests or tone, this launch has been rough.

However, if the tests knock it out of the park and people agree the new profiling sounds better, I think it will be a huge win for Kemper. But the fact that it still seems to be in beta and wasn't launched with the MkII line doesn't inspire much confidence

 

[Rock Chalk]

Bottom line is just don’t buy it

Is the sky f%ck!ng blue?........

 

[laxu]

It's a complete cock-up. And this from a company that has usually been solidly competent.

You can see from the popularity ratings at Sweetwater that they are no longer among the best selling units, so they had to do something. Couple this with a code base that is tied to an ancient processor and cannot be ported and you've got the typical rock/hard place situation of dwindling sales and no path to new product generation.

Their only option is a minor refresh, which is sad enough, but they've made things much worse by shipping the hardware before it's ready.

Which is really all because they were happy to rest on their laurels for years, and were late to the floor modeler game, late to the compact modeler game and now are late to the latest capture tech train.

 

[LP59]

As I've said before, regardless of null tests or tone, this launch has been rough.

However, if the tests knock it out of the park and people agree the new profiling sounds better, I think it will be a huge win for Kemper. But the fact that it still seems to be in beta and wasn't launched with the MkII line doesn't inspire much confidence

I don't think the only thing holding them back is poor null test results against Tonex and NAM. People are buying other amp sims instead of Kemper these days for other reasons too, like price and workflow. If they think they can get back in the game by upping their profiling game while leaving their UI the same, they may be disappointed.

 

[DrewJD82]

Oof, I should have known from the name but I just realized the Player can’t make profiles, so it’s basically a really expensive, less accurate ToneX with Kemper effects, locked behind tiers. And the fact that it can already use MKII FW shows that this is indeed just a glorified FW update.



Sorry, I just find that absurd when you can get a ToneX One and a Fractal VP4 and get more accurate caps and better quality effects for cheaper and without any pay to play bullshit. I could see if the Player came out first but….lordy, they must be really banking on their longtime fans.

I dunno who is winning at the “Make Drew Less Interested In Your Products” challenge, NDSP or Kemper.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Oof, I should have known from the name but I just realized the Player can’t make profiles, so it’s basically a really expensive, less accurate ToneX with Kemper effects, locked behind tiers. And the fact that it can already use MKII FW shows that this is indeed just a glorified FW update.

The KPP (along with all the other MkII models) will be able to do really, really good captures (so they say), as long as you have a $1000-$2000 dongle called a "computer" connected.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

I’m most interested in a translation of the marketing speak on the speaker sim portion of the coming firmware. Kemper profiles are studio, DI and some other I forget. It is confusing and user uploads are often a total mystery. There are ways to ‘get rid of the speaker portion’…sort of. And there are speaker options on a drop down you can use instead of what’s in profile….maybe. I’m not remembering if those are irs or Kemper speaker ‘profiles’.

It’s a bit of a mess! Which is why I tend to go for profiles created by professionals or find civilian profiles done by people who seem to have a better grasp of the Kemper way’ and they designate what is what in the rig manager data.

So I’m hoping what I infer to be something like a ‘dynacab’ where you pick one speaker/cab and can manipulate the mic positions etc puts an end to the mystery. And of course is also the remarkable improvement they claim.
That in my mind would elevate Kemper Profiles a great deal.

 

[OneEng]

So… is your point of view that the only worthwhile digital solution is an all-in-one system?

Pretty much. If I wanted to continue using a pedal board, I would never have quit using my valve amps. The entire purpose for the switch was to make my load in and load out easier and lighter.

As I've said before, regardless of null tests or tone, this launch has been rough.

However, if the tests knock it out of the park and people agree the new profiling sounds better, I think it will be a huge win for Kemper. But the fact that it still seems to be in beta and wasn't launched with the MkII line doesn't inspire much confidence

I would agree that they should have released the new profiling with the product launch. This should have been done come hell or high water. It's hard to imagine any reason they would not do this.

Which is really all because they were happy to rest on their laurels for years, and were late to the floor modeler game, late to the compact modeler game and now are late to the latest capture tech train.

All fair criticisms.

They were FIRST to the capture game though. Give credit where credit is due. They also have the best live work flow. They also have a very good fx implementation.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

The KPP (along with all the other MkII models) will be able to do really, really good captures (so they say), as long as you have a $1000-$2000 dongle called a "computer" connected.

Wouldn’t that be the same requirement for most of the other ‘more accurate’ options that Kemper ‘needs to catch up to’?
So if Kemper ‘still sucks’ because of that ‘problem’ then QC is the only superior choice? If so then I see your ‘superior’ bet and raise you with Morphing, Kemper Kone and effects quality and quantity.

 

[DrewJD82]

The KPP (along with all the other MkII models) will be able to do really, really good captures (so they say), as long as you have a $1000-$2000 dongle called a "computer" connected.

Wait, even the toaster units are going to require a computer for the new captures?

 

[[Nathan]]

Wouldn’t that be the same requirement for most of the other ‘more accurate’ options that Kemper ‘needs to catch up to’?
So if Kemper ‘still sucks’ because of that ‘problem’ then QC is the only superior choice? If so then I see your ‘superior’ bet and raise you with Morphing, Kemper Kone and effects quality and quantity.

Tonex One is 1/10th the price and NAM is free/open source so it’s not really bound to a single unit.

One of the selling points of qc/kemper captures are that it’s a nice workflow done on the unit without needing anything else. Needing to have a computer for the v2 profiles is kind of absurd. I’ll save full judgement till we see the workflow and results but imo it’s already taking away from one of the core selling points of being standalone.

I’d probably have it hooked up a lot of the time anyway but there’d be scenarios where it would be better as standalone.

 

[banned]

He’s huge in India though.

Why do you say that?

 

[Mongillo19]

Do you think there will be a minimum computer for this new profiling? And if so does that mean profiling time could vary depending on your specs?

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Yea, about that.... the idea of buying a digital amp only to supplement it with a pedal board seems like buying a digital camera that needs film to work.

If someone made a digital camera with all the benefits of a digital camera but you could also load film into it that would then impart the particular color balance, saturation, and grain of that film, without consuming the film, that’d sell like hot cakes. Especially if it were more compact and cheaper than a digital camera that does all of that stuff with its own processor.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Wouldn’t that be the same requirement for most of the other ‘more accurate’ options that Kemper ‘needs to catch up to’?
So if Kemper ‘still sucks’ because of that ‘problem’ then QC is the only superior choice? If so then I see your ‘superior’ bet and raise you with Morphing, Kemper Kone and effects quality and quantity.

Yes, same requirement. For a third the price. None of your other selling points are selling points to me, since they’re not Fractal/Strymon/Meris level anyway, IMO.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Wait, even the toaster units are going to require a computer for the new captures?

Yup.

 

[KingsXJJ]

Why do you say that?

Japan didn’t pan out for him.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Wait, even the toaster units are going to require a computer for the new captures?

Just for Mk2 level captures.
Which I actually think is fair. So you're not losing any functionality compared to the Mk1 versions, you just win some additional "fixed" FX (maybe useful as they would free up the user definable slots) and the new Mk2 level capturing - which would then require a computer to be connected.

Seriously, while I think of their marketing to be pretty shady, while I also think of their paid functionality stunt for the Player to be most miserable, I still don't think that all this is genuinely bad. I mean, we should at least wait and see how well the new profiling does. If it's getting to ToneX level accuracy, things would look pretty good, wouldn't they? I mean, the new units are no more expensive than the old ones, either.

Oh yes, I still think this upgrade is sort of underwhelming. Regarding functionality, I'm sure a lot of people would wish being able to load multiple captures and also have parallel signal paths and what not. And many people seem to wish for an updated UI, too. Can't disagree with either wieh.

Still, if I had to choose between, say, the Kemper Stage, the Helix Floor, the TMP, the QC and possibly one of the better Headrush offerings as a single standalone live unit, I'd very like grab the Kemper, even without the new profiling and FX. And yes, I can perfectly justify that choice for my use cases.
(I explicitely didn't mention the FM9 because that'd very likely be the clear winner, but it's in another price bracket.)

 

[LP59]

Wait, even the toaster units are going to require a computer for the new captures?

Just for Mk2 level captures.

This is another way Kemper is shooting themselves in the foot. They've announced this new profiling, but have no name for it. It's "new", but it's not really "Mk2", since that refers to the hardware update, which is not dependent on the new capturing firmware. This has led to confusion in discussions since it's hard to know how to refer to it. Just another sign this is being rushed to market before it's ready.