Kemper Profiler MK 2

[Orvillain]

Ok you don’t like it.

I think that much is clear!!!

I'm just saying, I don't like it on multiple levels!

 

[Eagle]

Yes it’s bad from all angles and even on a shelf

 

[Orvillain]

But if, in some magical way, MKII's 'proper' firmware comes out in the summer, and just absolutely tears new arseholes left, right, and centre, then I will be very intruiged to try one out. But if the reports on the ground are that this "new" capturing tech is just reheated MK1 tech, then I probably won't bother.

 

[Eagle]

But if, in some magical way, MKII's 'proper' firmware comes out in the summer, and just absolutely tears new arseholes left, right, and centre, then I will be very intruiged to try one out. But if the reports on the ground are that this "new" capturing tech is just reheated MK1 tech, then I probably won't bother.

I suspect that it’s only out because parts in the original are getting obsolete and will become unavailable. It strikes me like a mark 2 axe fx3 in as much as the upgrade is not one.

 

[Orvillain]

I suspect that it’s only out because parts in the original are getting obsolete and will become unavailable. It strikes me like a mark 2 axe fx3 in as much as the upgrade is not one.

I feel like you might be right, but I hope you're not. Because the song and dance made about the MKII is a whole other level compared to the Axe3 MKI > MKII transition. Fractal were relatively quiet about that change to the SKU, and they don't take features away or prevent MKI from getting advancements in the future. Whereas on paper, that isn't the case with Kemper MKII.

 

[Eagle]

I feel like you might be right, but I hope you're not. Because the song and dance made about the MKII is a whole other level compared to the Axe3 MKI > MKII transition. Fractal were relatively quiet about that change to the SKU, and they don't take features away or prevent MKI from getting advancements in the future. Whereas on paper, that isn't the case with Kemper MKII.

That part is a marketing opportunity but we’ll see.
If it is a noticeable change we will see an Axe4 soon because they can’t be seen to be last generation even if they are still ahead.

 

[Orvillain]

That part is a marketing opportunity but we’ll see.
If it is a noticeable change we will see an Axe4 soon because they can’t be seen to be last generation even if they are still ahead.

I'm not sure about that. I think you're more likely to see software updates to the AxeIII for at least the next 2 years, while other SKU's like the VP4 are released alongside it, and then perhaps an Axe4 in 2027/2028; to pull a completely invented timeframe out of my ass.

 

[Eagle]

I'm not sure about that. I think you're more likely to see software updates to the AxeIII for at least the next 2 years, while other SKU's like the VP4 are released alongside it, and then perhaps an Axe4 in 2027/2028; to pull a completely invented timeframe out of my ass.

I don’t realistically think axe needs an update anytime soon but it’s going to suffer in the market with the new generation of rivals.

 

[ian_dissonance]

Since when was accurate a considered the most important part. With a tube amp it’s completely irrelevant. Yes models are supposed to be digital versions of actual amps but sounding good is all that matters. Kemper has a more amp like experience to the player than the others already.

Kemper isn’t a modeler. It’s a profiler. Its only job is to be accurate to the source by its own definition. The last sentence is anecdotal. I couldn’t hear aliasing, still didn’t like the Kemper for the music I play. Low end sounded like stuffed buttholes.

 

[Eagle]

Kemper isn’t a modeler. It’s a profiler. Its only job is to be accurate to the source by its own definition. The last sentence is anecdotal. I couldn’t hear aliasing, still didn’t like the Kemper for the music I play. Low end sounded like stuffed buttholes.

Are you an expert in stuffed butholes?
All an amp has to do is sound good and provide a good playing experience to the user. It also depends enormously on the profile and what you play it through.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Kemper isn’t a modeler. It’s a profiler. Its only job is to be accurate to the source by its own definition. The last sentence is anecdotal. I couldn’t hear aliasing, still didn’t like the Kemper for the music I play. Low end sounded like stuffed buttholes.

This. If you have an amp sound you like, and want to capture it, you profile it.

If the profile is accurate, then you will like the sound. If it turns out different, you might like the sound, or you might not. Even if you prefer the different sound of the profile, it's not really helpful, because why capture the initial tone in the first place if you're after something different?

IMO there are 2 ways of looking at the Kemper's accuracy:

- its good enough not to matter (subjective because it depends on a LOT of factors). But its certainly the case for some
- its poor, based on objective tests against more modern platforms that have been done repeatedly.

If you don’t think the Kemper falls short on amp sounds against other options in 2025, then it just means you have a lower bar of expectation (not judging at all, it’s just objectively worse).

 

[Eagle]

This. If you have an amp sound you like, and want to capture it, you profile it.

If the profile is accurate, then you will like the sound. If it turns out different, you might like the sound, or you might not. Even if you prefer the different sound of the profile, it's not really helpful, because why capture the initial tone in the first place if you're after something different?

IMO there are 2 ways of looking at the Kemper's accuracy:

- its good enough not to matter (subjective because it depends on a LOT of factors). But its certainly the case for some
- its poor, based on objective tests against more modern platforms that have been done repeatedly.

If you don’t think the Kemper falls short on amp sounds against other options in 2025, then it just means you have a lower bar of expectation (not judging at all, it’s just objectively worse).

Or you like the way is sounds.

 

[ian_dissonance]

Are you an expert in stuffed butholes?
All an amp has to do is sound good and provide a good playing experience to the user. It also depends enormously on the profile and what you play it through.

As a matter of fact, stuffed buttholes are my specialty. And low end a guitarist in E/D isn’t even the same octave that I’m listening for. Nothing wrong with it of the Kemper works for you, make music.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Or you like the way is sounds.

If the profile is accurate, then you will like the sound. If it turns out different, you might like the sound, or you might not. Even if you prefer the different sound of the profile, it's not really helpful, because why capture the initial tone in the first place if you're after something different?

 

[Eagle]

It can sound essentially the same and make the playing experience more forgiving.

 

[Orvillain]

I'm an amateur enthusiast when it comes to stuffed buttholes.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

It can sound essentially the same and make the playing experience more forgiving.

I literally go over this in what I said. Sometimes it will be passable, sometimes it won't. The fact you have little control over how close it is is a total nuisance compared to pretty much all other modern capture tech these days, which vary significantly less. Playing experience is again a massive variable, but on the whole I think it feels a bit stiff and not particularly enjoyable compared to some amps. Certain amps feel similar to it. Pot luck again, but compared to NAM I think the feel is pretty unrealistic.

I've worked on enough recordings that use a Kemper (including my own), and frankly I'd be pretty happy if I never heard one again. The compromise just isn't worth it IMO. It's worth remembering there are plenty of guys in this thread (like me and @Orvillain ) who were heavy Kemper users for years, and have each made hundreds of profiles. I'd suggest those who've used the platform to make models extensively probably have a better idea of where it falls short than the users who just play those made by others (which are by far in the majority).

 

[Eagle]

I'm an amateur enthusiast when it comes to stuffed buttholes.

Maybe they could introduce a “stuffed buttholes “ parameter then you could set it according to taste.

 

[DLC86]

Kemper isn’t a modeler. It’s a profiler. Its only job is to be accurate to the source by its own definition.

And that's also the reason why it became so popular in the first place, it made the promise to sound exactly like the profiled amp but that remained just a promise for the most part, cuz roughly matching the frequency response and the gain amount isn't equal to "sounding exactly like that amp".
But since our ears are more sensitive to those two things, most people believed and still believe that claim.

PS: on a sidenote, in preparation for the arrival of a valeton GP-5, yesterday I was doing a few NAM captures of some of the amps I use on my fm9 and I have to say, despite its best-in-class accuracy and being way better than kemper, there's still something different between the captures and the fractal models in terms of feel, note envelope and dynamics, especially noticeable on low end and palm mutes.
That's something I didn't notice previously and at first I thought I screwed up something during the reamp, but nope... Made 4 models and in all 4 I could hear the same difference.

 

[Eagle]

And that's also the reason why it became so popular in the first place, it made the promise to sound exactly like the profiled amp but that remained just a promise for the most part, cuz roughly matching the frequency response and the gain amount isn't equal to "sounding exactly like that amp".
But since our ears are more sensitive to those two things, most people believed and still believe that claim.

PS: on a sidenote, in preparation for the arrival of a valeton GP-5, yesterday I was doing a few NAM captures of some of the amps I use on my fm9 and I have to say, despite its best-in-class accuracy and being way better than kemper, there's still something different between the captures and the fractal models in terms of feel, note envelope and dynamics, especially noticeable on low end and palm mutes.

Axe is a lot different in feel on clean and break up than the real amps even when it sounds very similar. The Kemper is the opposite.