Kemper Profiler MK 2

[Sascha Franck]

A good retailer only sells products they believe in.
That doesn’t mean only the best or things they use themselves but it does mean things that you think are good for the money.

That would mean 95% of all shops worldwide would instantly have to close.

 

[hunter]

Pizza shop that only sells pepperoni

I don’t enjoy making tonex profiles but I occasionally do it when people ask me to upload something.

Well let's say if I know that the pizza guy hates mozzarella, I won't go there and order a Pizza Caprese

 

[MirrorProfiles]

What I find strange is how you judge the Kemper being "not worth it" and something you never wanna hear again, yet you're selling Kemper profiles on your web site. Doesn't it feel strange to take money for a product you don't believe is good?

Well I made them for years when they were the best option available. For some people, that’s the gear they have and there aren’t many other people offering only direct models (which IMO is the best way to get accurate models from a mark 1 unit).

They aren’t something I’ve continued to make since ToneX and NAM came along, but I do think for a Kemper user they represent the best you can get out of a unit.

I would still stand by my statement of in 2025 I would not recommend a Kemper if you want the most accurate models. I could gaslight and lie and pretend they keep up to modern tech, but there are shortcomings. I think that is more than represented in the price I sell them for.

 

[Orvillain]

But clearly you do give a damn. Your devotion to the crusade is relentless, as you proudly testify it is.
A device that your years of professional and exclusive experience have gifted you with the ability to know how bad it is/was….and yet you apparently bought it six times!

Six MkI Kempers!
No wonder you are so butt hurt by aliasing. It lives rent free in your head.

Look, you're really really really offended for some reason. I don't know why, but you might want to fucking grow the fuck up. Your feelings aren't my responsibility. I will post whatever I want, whenever I want, at whatever frequency I want. There isn't a damn fucking thing you can do about it.

 

[Orvillain]

I think the likelihood of Kemper's new profiling besting NAM to be pretty low based on how they have been walking back their rhetoric from "the most accurate" verbiage.

It doesn't have to best it. It doesn't even have to match it. If it can be as close as ToneX, without the high-frequency roll-off or the gain loss, that is still a win I think.

 

[Orvillain]

That has in fact made me wonder already, too.

What are you wondering exactly? The implication seems to be that I'm lying. Or am I reading your comment in a bad light?

 

[Sascha Franck]

What are you wondering exactly? The implication seems to be that I'm lying. Or am I reading your comment in a bad light?

No. I have no doubt that you owned the thing that often.
But for someone who is complaining about the unit that much, apparently even since back in the early days, it's quite weird buying it another five times.

 

[Orvillain]

No. I have no doubt that you owned the thing that often.
But for someone who is complaining about the unit that much, apparently even since back in the early days, it's quite weird buying it another five times.

Why is it weird to be open minded to go back and try a thing just to double check yourself?

I'd actually say that is exactly the kind of open-mindedness and experimental nature that we could do with seeing more of in the world.

I've owned 2 Quad Cortexes, 2 Axe FX II's, 2 Axe FX III's, 3 Helix's, as well. If you want a laugh, go and see what I was saying about the Axe FX II back in the day!! I was very hot and cold on it.

The true story is - I went back to the Kemper, because throughout the time period between 2011-2021, I second guessed myself a lot when it came to the Kemper. "Was I being too harsh? Maybe I didn’t profile the right amp. Maybe I didn’t use it 'right.'"

And pretty much every single time I confirmed it to myself - "Nope. Still don't like it."

- I wanted to like it.
- I gave it multiple chances.
- But I didn't fall for hype.
- I didn't fall for sunk-cost bias.
- I now have a fully informed and rock solid opinion, based on real world data.

For me, the gear is part of the journey. I've always had a core set of expectations, and everything else outside of that is experiment-zone.

I would say in all that time, for modelling gear specifically, the most fun and intuitive unit for me was the Helix. Line6 really gamed the change with that one. I might plug it in today actually, haven't for a while!

 

[Sascha Franck]

You know, @Orvillain, it's all fine. I would just never do any such things, it'd simply drive me mad. And when I disliked a unit for its scientifically proveable shortcomings (*check*) then it should be easy to find out whether things have improved over time just by a little web research.
But then, some people seem to like gear flipping, I never did, so there's that as well.

 

[Eagle]

Why is it weird to be open minded to go back and try a thing just to double check yourself?

I'd actually say that is exactly the kind of open-mindedness and experimental nature that we could do with seeing more of in the world.

I've owned 2 Quad Cortexes, 2 Axe FX II's, 2 Axe FX III's, 3 Helix's, as well. If you want a laugh, go and see what I was saying about the Axe FX II back in the day!! I was very hot and cold on it.

The true story is - I went back to the Kemper, because throughout the time period between 2011-2021, I second guessed myself a lot when it came to the Kemper. "Was I being too harsh? Maybe I didn’t profile the right amp. Maybe I didn’t use it 'right.'"

And pretty much every single time I confirmed it to myself - "Nope. Still don't like it."

- I wanted to like it.
- I gave it multiple chances.
- But I didn't fall for hype.
- I didn't fall for sunk-cost bias.
- I now have a fully informed and rock solid opinion, based on real world data.

For me, the gear is part of the journey. I've always had a core set of expectations, and everything else outside of that is experiment-zone.

I would say in all that time, for modelling gear specifically, the most fun and intuitive unit for me was the Helix. Line6 really gamed the change with that one. I might plug it in today actually, haven't for a while!

Sometimes it’s worth going back to these products after you sold them because the software has made a significant difference in either use or sound.
I totally get owning this type of product a few times if it remains getting meaningful updates over a long production cycle.

 

[Orvillain]

You know, @Orvillain, it's all fine. I would just never do any such things, it'd simply drive me mad. And when I disliked a unit for its scientifically proveable shortcomings (*check*) then it should be easy to find out whether things have improved over time just by a little web research.
But then, some people seem to like gear flipping, I never did, so there's that as well.

I've always been this way. Probably ADHD. I can hyper focus and fixate on things like this, and literally go around the houses until everyone else is thoroughly disinterested, and I can keep going.

But ask me to wash some dishes or load the washing machine? Nah. Fuck that. Clean clothes are lame.

If I really enjoy something - like tearing apart a bit of gear and figuring out how it works, or what the flaws are and such things - I can barely think about anything else.

But if I am so-so about something, or just don't care, very hard to motivate myself. Another reason why I had to leave the job! It was becoming too much of a chore and wasn't fun anymore!

 

[DLC86]

But ask me to wash some dishes or load the washing machine? Nah. Fuck that. Clean clothes are lame.

Recipe for a happy marriage

 

[Sascha Franck]

Clean clothes are lame.

That information made its olfactory way across the North Sea already.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

Look, you're really really really offended for some reason. I don't know why, but you might want to fucking grow the fuck up. Your feelings aren't my responsibility. I will post whatever I want, whenever I want, at whatever frequency I want. There isn't a damn fucking thing you can do about it.

Not offended, in fact at this point I’m slightly entertained. That and popcorn is the ‘damn thing’.

 

[Orvillain]

Not offended, in fact at this point I’m slightly entertained. That and popcorn is the ‘damn thing’.

You seem extremely offended. You've invested as much time into trying to tear me down as I have the Kemper!

 

[hunter]

Well I made them for years when they were the best option available. For some people, that’s the gear they have and there aren’t many other people offering only direct models (which IMO is the best way to get accurate models from a mark 1 unit).

They aren’t something I’ve continued to make since ToneX and NAM came along, but I do think for a Kemper user they represent the best you can get out of a unit.

I would still stand by my statement of in 2025 I would not recommend a Kemper if you want the most accurate models. I could gaslight and lie and pretend they keep up to modern tech, but there are shortcomings. I think that is more than represented in the price I sell them for.

Fair enough, that makes sense. So you think DI models give the best results. What about when going direct from a Kemper Mk1, you would prefer DI+IR in the Kemper as opposed to a Studio profile?

I'll check out your pizza now :-D

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Fair enough, that makes sense. So you think DI models give the best results. What about when going direct from a Kemper Mk1, you would prefer DI+IR in the Kemper as opposed to a Studio profile?

I think overall, yes, and quite substantially. There's a few reasons:

- One of the main problems I find with any capture platform is jumping between profiles and having extreme changes in sound, because you're usually changing several aspects that have a MASSIVE effect on the tone. Having direct models means you can find an IR that suits what you're doing and choose an amp model accordingly. It just helps to narrow down your options that way. You don't need as many profiles to sift through this way as you can separate the amp and its settings, and the cab and mic.

- The Kemper MK I IR loader HEAVILY truncates IR's, so if possible I'd try and use an external IR loader that supports longer IR's. The MK II should address that.

- its also way more flexible to use direct amp models for a range of things. IMO it's best to have the most accuracy possible for each part of the chain.

- Merged profiles are essentially just combining the direct amp and the cab IR. I think for a while there may have been some weirdness where they weren't as accurate but If it is all captured correctly, it's the best way to go.

More often than not, it's the IR that'll make or break your tone. What works for one guitar or tuning or key might not fit so well for another, and it sucks to have to try and find a totally different profile. If you can just tweak the cab IR slightly you can use the same profile and just fine tune to your needs much more easily without things collapsing to shit.

 

[OneEng]

Look, you're really really really offended for some reason. I don't know why, but you might want to fucking grow the fuck up. Your feelings aren't my responsibility. I will post whatever I want, whenever I want, at whatever frequency I want. There isn't a damn fucking thing you can do about it.

Yep, clearly not offended .

Despite all this "Kemper is crap" stuff, I think a good many here will be very interested in the new profile tech when it is released (including me).

Lets just say that Kemper pulls off a hole-in-one and the new profiling is actually even better than NAM. From a marketing standpoint, does this save it? I would contend that without a new device, complete with a color LCD and some Ui/Ux that looks like it belongs in 2025, and perhaps a new foot controller with color OLED scribble strips, they may be limited in appeal to gigging and touring musicians ..... which I am guessing is <10% of all musicians.

 

[paisleywookiee]

You know, @Orvillain, it's all fine. I would just never do any such things, it'd simply drive me mad. And when I disliked a unit for its scientifically proveable shortcomings (*check*) then it should be easy to find out whether things have improved over time just by a little web research.
But then, some people seem to like gear flipping, I never did, so there's that as well.

I owned an FM3 three times, until I was happy with it. Over the course of several firmware versions and I believe two modeling revisions. The last time I kept it until I sold it to get an FM9.

These aren’t tube amps that are static. If he’d owned an Ashdown Fallen Angel six times waiting for it to become awesome, THEN I’d think he’s crazy.

 

[paisleywookiee]

they may be limited in appeal to gigging and touring musicians ..... which I am guessing is <10% of all musicians.

Which isn’t enough to keep a company afloat, which is also shrinking as well, as they lose ground to the other companies. I think that’ll continue even further with Helix Stadium.

If I were a Kemper fan, I’d be kinda concerned about the long term viability of the company. Though there’s such a large profile ecosystem, you’d be fine from that standpoint.