Kemper Profiler MK 2

[KingsXJJ]

Decided to order one as it's on sale. My old band mate from back in the 90's/00's (the before days) now does the P&W thing and uses the Ox Stomp along with a Dream. He's not a modeler guy at all but with the modern church thing you really need direct tone. I asked and he loves it, he could not get along with any IR's and this really simplified things for him.

Itchy trigger finger here. Please tell us how you like it @Jarick!

 

[laxu]

That may all be true and you are known for speaking truth and facts for sure Amigo.

The reason I find it interesting is the additions of the 1176 compressor, delays, reverbs, EQ’s (mic and master) all rolled up in to “Rigs”

That’s a pretty unique offering IMO. Kind of cool. Still needs a damn headphone output just like all the other UAFX amp pedals. GRRR. At least for me!

Yet those "rigs" come with severe limitations. You have to dig up your phone to make any changes to anything not on the front panel. If you add a delay, you can't e.g tap its tempo in. Turning fx on/off is severely limited.

It's just another UA pedal that is designed for a hardware platform that can't handle its feature set in a sensible way. Those extras don't really provide much value when many multifx units can do the same things in a more sensible way.

I think it would work better if they put out the full OX Box cab sim as a plugin.

 

[KingsXJJ]

Just invest in a dedicated end-of-chain headphone amp with near-zero output impedence.

For example: I love my Topping A Series A50 III.

I've used the A50 III with end of chain pedals, the NDSP Nano Cortex and the Axe-Fx III. It sounds really excellent.

Sounds very similar to my Neumann studio monitors when used with my high impedence open back HD6XX headphones.


View attachment 47298

$200?!? That’s Hotone territory!

Seriously though, thanks for the suggestion. I’d prefer to avoid that and like having an option right on the device. But if I end up getting a SERIOUS (is it ok to use that word now? It triggers some folks apparently) headphone amp that looks perfect and sounds like just what I’d want. Currently I either use on device HP amps or this little $25 bandaid.

 

[Jarick]

I’m not planning to use the reverb and effects on the Ox, just the cab sim with dual mics and room reverb. Kind of like how Tim Pierce has his workspace with a cab miked up and he can adjust the dynamic and ribbon mic to taste. Same thing with the Ox but you have room mic faders as well. All with real knobs!

If it does nothing more than your average IR or has a bunch of latency then I return it. If it sounds great I can use it with my real amp through load box or Fractal or Helix or Kemper or whatever the hell else.

Basically it turns my Suhr reactive load into an Ox Box but with the Ox you can’t use it with other line level decides without mods.

 

[KingsXJJ]

Yet those "rigs" come with severe limitations. You have to dig up your phone to make any changes to anything not on the front panel. If you add a delay, you can't e.g tap its tempo in. Turning fx on/off is severely limited.

It's just another UA pedal that is designed for a hardware platform that can't handle its feature set in a sensible way. Those extras don't really provide much value when many multifx units can do the same things in a more sensible way.

I think it would work better if they put out the full OX Box cab sim as a plugin.

Still at the current price and being in one smallish unit it’s neat to me. Pretty sure you’d be using a phone app on any unit that size with that many parameters. Except the Ampero Mini! Maybe things will be tweaked via new hardware or in a MKII. Personally, I’ve been wondering if the extended sale on all the UAFX stuff might be due to a pending product refresh.

I get that UAFX pedals aren’t for everyone and because they seem to be set in so many ways… some of which don’t make sense to me either (see headphone gripe) … I get it.

I will say that if you don’t need stereo or midi among other things, you ABSOLUTELY can not find a EP3 delay pedal anywhere else for the current price of $99 that sounds as good as the Orion Tape Echo. Its sound quality is as good as if not better than my Volante or El Cap v1. Even though they are not modeling the same exact things. It is extraordinary and then some at that price.

 

[jellodog]

$200?!? That’s Hotone territory!

Totally understandable.

My point was really that if you buy something like that, you can use it with any of your gear for the next few years in a totally flexible manner (including end-of-chain on a pedalboard). I deliberately spent some cash on something with good specs to use with a number of different devices.

For example, the A50 in balanced output mode sounds noticeably better with high impedence headphones than the headphone amp in the Axe-Fx, which isn't bad by any means.

Basically: why buy all this excellent sounding gear and then listen to it through the weakest link in the chain? It makes a huge difference.

 

[KingsXJJ]

I’m not planning to use the reverb and effects on the Ox, just the cab sim with dual mics and room reverb. Kind of like how Tim Pierce has his workspace with a cab miked up and he can adjust the dynamic and ribbon mic to taste. Same thing with the Ox but you have room mic faders as well. All with real knobs!

If it does nothing more than your average IR or has a bunch of latency then I return it. If it sounds great I can use it with my real amp through load box or Fractal or Helix or Kemper or whatever the hell else.

Basically it turns my Suhr reactive load into an Ox Box but with the Ox you can’t use it with other line level decides without mods.

Cool, understood! I would use or at least try it though. Just me being me!

 

[laxu]

Still at the current price and being in one smallish unit it’s neat to me. Pretty sure you’d be using a phone app on any unit that size with that many parameters. Except the Ampero Mini! Maybe things will be tweaked via new hardware or in a MKII. Personally, I’ve been wondering if the extended sale on all the UAFX stuff might be due to a pending product refresh.

I doubt it. I feel like UA has really fixated on this platform and wants to do absolutely nothing to change or improve it.

They run sales regularly, I would expect these more frequent sales are more of a matter of global economy today. People just have less money to spend on guitar gear.

I get that UAFX pedals aren’t for everyone and because they seem to be set in so many ways… some of which don’t make sense to me either (see headphone gripe) … I get it.

I think actually leaving headphone output off these pedals is one of the more reasonable compromises. Like Jarick said, you can always buy a nice headphone amp or just run the pedals into an audio interface.

I will say that if you don’t need stereo or midi among other things, you ABSOLUTELY can not find a EP3 delay pedal anywhere else for the current price of $99 that sounds as good as the Orion Tape Echo. Its sound quality is as good as if not better than my Volante or El Cap v1. Even though they are not modeling the same exact things. It is extraordinary and then some at that price.

The small pedals are way more acceptable to me as they are cheaper, and more limited features so the lack of remote control or multiple presets isn't that big a deal. Treat them like your analog pedals basically.

$99 is a great price for the Orion. Can't seem to see any offers like that in Europe.

 

[Jarick]

Cool, understood! I would use or at least try it though. Just me being me!

For sure I do have a bunch of uad plugins and they sound awesome. The reverbs are killer especially. I’d kind of rather have a separate pedal though if I love the tone I’d probably get a Del Verb or something.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

Pedant or guitar player?
Which was Kemper’s target for the Profiler?

 

[KingsXJJ]

I doubt it. I feel like UA has really fixated on this platform and wants to do absolutely nothing to change or improve it.

They run sales regularly, I would expect these more frequent sales are more of a matter of global economy today. People just have less money to spend on guitar gear.


I think actually leaving headphone output off these pedals is one of the more reasonable compromises. Like Jarick said, you can always buy a nice headphone amp or just run the pedals into an audio interface.



The small pedals are way more acceptable to me as they are cheaper, and more limited features so the lack of remote control or multiple presets isn't that big a deal. Treat them like your analog pedals basically.

$99 is a great price for the Orion. Can't seem to see any offers like that in Europe.

I hope you get the low price too. I disagree with most of the rest but don’t mind a different opinion.

Rock On!

 

[Chocol8]

I've made blind tests where guitarists will pick Kemper over the real amp each time for "feel".

If Kemper gets more accurate, I wonder if people will actually prefer the results of the updated profiling vs the old one.

That is a good question. For long time Kemper owners who don't have and have a lot of experience with real amps, making Kemper profiles more accurate may make them less familiar and les preferable. Hmmmm.

 

[LP59]

What does it say about the level of interest generated by the Kemper Mk2, when out of 2400 comments here, maybe 12 of them concern the Mk2?

 

[Chocol8]

Yep, Tonex still an absolute steaming pile of trash. I try to load any capture and all I get is horrendous screeching feedback blowing out my ears.

That's a user issue.

 

[ian_dissonance]

Orvillian - there is audible aliasing and I don’t like it, factually.

People who gently stroke the e Kemper during its 48 second start-up period - I DONT CARE IF ITS ALIASING JOHNNY BIGBALLS TOURS WITH THEM AND THIS IS MY SON. STOP IT WITH THE DECLARATIVE STATEMENTS OR IM GONNA PEE.

 

[Lorne Malvo]

King is single-handedly shitposting this thread into oblivion

The situation has been addressed.

 

[Jarick]

What does it say about the level of interest generated by the Kemper Mk2, when out of 2400 comments here, maybe 12 of them concern the Mk2?

I’m the only one apparently who’s using a Kemper and posting here. Until the new profiling is out there’s not much to talk about. Except apparently aliasing.

 

[ian_dissonance]

I’m the only one apparently who’s using a Kemper and posting here. Until the new profiling is out there’s not much to talk about. Except apparently aliasing.

For sure, launching (kind of, sort of) new hardware based on the promise of new software nobody has heard doesn’t leave much to talk about export the old software.

 

[Deleted member 490]

For sure, launching (kind of, sort of) new hardware based on the promise of new software nobody has heard doesn’t leave much to talk about export the old software.

And despite that we made it to page 119 120

 

[Jarick]

That's a user issue.

Every other plugin works fine. Double checked the IO and that’s all good. It worked before and now after the update doesn’t work. Every time I launch Tonex there’s some new issue which is why I’ve barely used it.