Kemper Profiler MK 2

[JiveTurkey]

Cliff may come off as gruff from time to time but he definitely cares what his user base thinks and relentlessly develops his products. He has a sense of humor as well. You can talk about other products at the FAS forum but I always scratch my head after a certain point because, well; it's a forum owned and ran by the manufacturer. Why would they sit and have you talk about other products and infer that you should be using something else?

CK seems like he might be cool to chat with outside of gear but seems like someone that tells you to shutup and be happy with what you get as far as the products he has on offer and what they should include.

 

[Deleted member 3656]

it's a forum owned and ran by the manufacturer. Why would they sit and have you talk about other products and infer that you should be using something else?

I think if you have a very open forum policy, even as a manufacturer, that can show confidence in your products. This may not be sufficient reason but can be a positive. I think we saw a similar effect when kemper essentially normalized A/B tests among many guitarists.

CK seems like he might be cool to chat with outside of gear but seems like someone that tells you to shutup and be happy with what you get as far as the products he has on offer and what they should include.

That's my impression as well. But even he moves if he believes there's sufficient market reason to change or add something. Additionally, sometimes going with the crowd can mean you loose what made your products special, but there's also been obvious stuff that arguably don't hurt your products or vision this way.

.. Like an editor.... Which took God knows how long.

 

[namathan_zirwir]

Apparently, 2.0 is in Private Beta starting today​

 

[Jarick]

Apparently, 2.0 is in Private Beta starting today​

Hopefully public soon!

 

[Steinmetzify]

Just realized that these are available at Sweetwater.

For someone that loves his Kemper and uses maybe 20 profiles, I have zero use for the MK2 yeah?

 

[Mongillo19]

Just realized that these are available at Sweetwater.

For someone that loves his Kemper and uses maybe 20 profiles, I have zero use for the MK2 yeah?

Do you want to play the new 2.0 profiles?

 

[LP59]

Just realized that these are available at Sweetwater.

The Mk2? The Mk2 replaced the Mk1 early this year.

For someone that loves his Kemper and uses maybe 20 profiles, I have zero use for the MK2 yeah?

Do you crave a slanted front for your Kemper toaster or that cool black paint? Then the Mk2 is for you.

 

[Gary_W]

Just realized that these are available at Sweetwater.

For someone that loves his Kemper and uses maybe 20 profiles, I have zero use for the MK2 yeah?

The Mk1 to Mk2 differences are some extra slots for ‘fixed effects’ at the front end and back end of the chain. These are cut down control set versions of existing effects in there. Boot up time is apparently quicker. Switching times are apparently quicker. There’s a new paint job and the front panel of the toaster slopes differently. I might have missed something (I haven’t researched it in a while) but I think that’s about it.

There is a new profiling engine coming which their website said ‘expected Summer’ when the mk2 launched back in the Spring. It still says that. It’s been reported last few days that this is in private beta.

For me, the upgrade wasn’t worth it as the extra effects / boot up / switching aren’t really a benefit to me personally. I was for sure interested in better profiling but decided a while back to switch platforms instead; I was always happy enough with the core tones I was getting so the one improvement wasn’t really enough to justify buying something that was otherwise the same box. That was my feeling anyway.

 

[Jarick]

The Mk1 to Mk2 differences are some extra slots for ‘fixed effects’ at the front end and back end of the chain. These are cut down control set versions of existing effects in there. Boot up time is apparently quicker. Switching times are apparently quicker. There’s a new paint job and the front panel of the toaster slopes differently. I might have missed something (I haven’t researched it in a while) but I think that’s about it.

There is a new profiling engine coming which their website said ‘expected Summer’ when the mk2 launched back in the Spring. It still says that. It’s been reported last few days that this is in private beta.

For me, the upgrade wasn’t worth it as the extra effects / boot up / switching aren’t really a benefit to me personally. I was for sure interested in better profiling but decided a while back to switch platforms instead; I was always happy enough with the core tones I was getting so the one improvement wasn’t really enough to justify buying something that was otherwise the same box. That was my feeling anyway.

Agreed. Fixed effects aren't anything special unless you use tons of effects and need something quick and minimal.

Boot time and responsiveness should be better with the new units, and possibly stability hooked up to Rig Manager. I have a Player and it's miles better than my old Kemper toasters were when using with a computer.

Player is cool for a mini Kemper but I really miss having a screen and proper UI. If I were gigging a Kemper I'd definitely switch to a Mk2 Stage to benefit from the faster boot and response time plus ability to run Mk2 profiles.

But at this point there's very little incentive to upgrade.

 

[Deleted member 3656]

So now quad cortex V2 capturing is out. Works through computer. And Tonex V2 capturing recently released, with superb results, hardware-software barrier for entry being 155 euros or so.

Kemper profiling 2.0 still nowhere to be seen for the public. But at least some sellers of profiles are sending people emails saying they will soon have 2.0 packs. ´

I don't know, man. You would have imagined kemper doing this stuff sooner -- or I would. And the EE still banned, most likely permanently, joining the numerous loyal kemper supporters they've banished from the forum through the years.

I don't think I have seen this before, a company treating many of their forum biggest fans and loyal customers this way. Some times it feels like they hate people's guts. It's pretty bizarre.

Hopefully for kemper, profiling 2.0 gives people more reason to stay with kemper or get into the echosystem.

I checked thomann sales ranks and the kemper MKII toaster inhabits the 90th spot right now in "electric guitar preamps" category. But the stage MKII is at 16, which is pretty good.

 

[LP59]

I'm surprised Kemper bothered to make a Mk2 version of the toaster. I can't believe they sell enough of those to make that worthwhile.

I'm sure the Player is keeping the company afloat these days, but the updates to the Nanocortex and now the AM4 are bound to impact Player sales.

 

[Deleted member 3656]

I'm surprised Kemper bothered to make a Mk2 version of the toaster. I can't believe they sell enough of those to make that worthwhile.

I'm sure the Player is keeping the company afloat these days, but the updates to the Nanocortex and now the AM4 are bound to impact Player sales.

The stage MKII sells very well in Europe.

 

[Cactusprick]

So now quad cortex V2 capturing is out. Works through computer. And Tonex V2 capturing recently released, with superb results, hardware-software barrier for entry being 155 euros or so.

Kemper profiling 2.0 still nowhere to be seen for the public. But at least some sellers of profiles are sending people emails saying they will soon have 2.0 packs. ´

I don't know, man. You would have imagined kemper doing this stuff sooner -- or I would. And the EE still banned, most likely permanently, joining the numerous loyal kemper supporters they've banished from the forum through the years.

I don't think I have seen this before, a company treating many of their forum biggest fans and loyal customers this way. Some times it feels like they hate people's guts. It's pretty bizarre.

Hopefully for kemper, profiling 2.0 gives people more reason to stay with kemper or get into the echosystem.

I checked thomann sales ranks and the kemper MKII toaster inhabits the 90th spot right now in "electric guitar preamps" category. But the stage MKII is at 16, which is pretty good.

believe or not, player led me back to kemper land yet again, ended up buying a rack (MK I) on special.
player will be on sale shortly. dont care for mark ii

 

[[Nathan]]

 

[Gary_W]

So now quad cortex V2 capturing is out. Works through computer. And Tonex V2 capturing recently released, with superb results, hardware-software barrier for entry being 155 euros or so.

Kemper profiling 2.0 still nowhere to be seen for the public. But at least some sellers of profiles are sending people emails saying they will soon have 2.0 packs. ´

I don't know, man. You would have imagined kemper doing this stuff sooner -- or I would. And the EE still banned, most likely permanently, joining the numerous loyal kemper supporters they've banished from the forum through the years.

I don't think I have seen this before, a company treating many of their forum biggest fans and loyal customers this way. Some times it feels like they hate people's guts. It's pretty bizarre.

Hopefully for kemper, profiling 2.0 gives people more reason to stay with kemper or get into the echosystem.

I checked thomann sales ranks and the kemper MKII toaster inhabits the 90th spot right now in "electric guitar preamps" category. But the stage MKII is at 16, which is pretty good.

I still belong to the forum but haven’t posted since my week’s ban. I still check the Mk2 thread over there and there’s another guy asking similar ‘is the DSP any better’ questions that I was asking a few months ago. This is greeted by tumbleweeds from the company and the usual stormtrooper icon guy trying to persuade everyone that having most of the hardware aged 14 is not an issue if you have faith.

I went the expensive route and got a Stadium XL. I have no regrets so far based on its current ability tone wise (which to my ears beats my MK1 toaster even though I really liked my Mk1), it’s ease of use / quickness to get me what I want with its interface (which is light years ahead of what I was used to) and also my confidence that it will grow in some very cool ways that I could not imagine with my previous platform. Plus it will, at some point, also do captures.

And my (expensive but awesome) choice is not the only game in town as you’ve pointed out - if you’re in love with captures then there are already platforms that outperform the Kemper tone wise.

Their biggest attraction still is for those who are loyal and love the ecosystem sufficiently that it blinds them to what else is now out there and that’s fair enough. Wise to keep those guys on board as the platform is increasingly hard to justify vs the competition if you’re a new buyer exploring the market. I’m an example of what can happen if you, as a happy owner, decide to question the internal narrative on the forum which it’s still ‘this is the best platform out there and everything else is pretty lights which I don’t need’.

 

[Deleted member 3656]

This is greeted by tumbleweeds from the company and the usual stormtrooper icon guy trying to persuade everyone that having most of the hardware aged 14 is not an issue if you have faith.

I've seen the stormtrooper guy's posts. There's been some higher level echo chamber dudes before that guy, but he's at a respectable level for sure.

I once had a philosophy question/answer page before (that's what my field is). Some dude from Kemper forum found it, and decided to spam me for months after I posted some tests on Kemper forum.

I don't think my behavior on these forums ever justified such a response. At any rate: it got fairly creepy, at some point, and I didn't want to participate much on such company forums anymore.

Then I had a brief fractal forum stint, but I generally prefer more open places.

And my (expensive but awesome) choice is not the only game in town as you’ve pointed out - if you’re in love with captures then there are already platforms that outperform the Kemper tone wise.

I had pretty much abandoned captures for years, because 1) fractal modelling sounded and felt better to me and 2) after a long time of profiling amps, the modelling approach was pretty much what I was doing in the analog world.

There's some downsides, but for the most it just made things more convenient.

Then I got into captures again recently with tonex and even more so with their V2 capturing. If I had to pick, it would still be fractal modelling first -- because so flexible -- but tonex has made it worth capturing again.

 

[molul]

Never forget:

 

[Jarick]

It's interesting that Kemper, Tonex, and now QC all within a few months of each other announced they were supporting improved V2 capture tech that's created via cloud computing.

Is that basically copying NAM tech?

 

[laxu]

It's interesting that Kemper, Tonex, and now QC all within a few months of each other announced they were supporting improved V2 capture tech that's created via cloud computing.

Is that basically copying NAM tech?

I expect it has a helluva lot more to do with developments of machine learning frameworks and what Amazon Web Services offers for machine learning these days.

The process has been about the same all along, it's just that they've figured out better test signals, more advanced algorithms etc. I'm sure these companies are following e.g NAM developments closely, and using it to figure out how to improve their own methods.

I would not be surprised if Kemper tried to make it work on their current hardware and found out the horsepower just wasn't there. Having to use a computer for V2 captures adds an additional inconvenience, and also diminishes the desirability of their on-unit system.

Tonex is the only one where it slots in perfectly because their process was always more computer-based rather than doing things on-unit.

For example Nano Cortex was heavily sold on "Hey, you go jam with this guy and want to capture their rig, it's really easy to do!" Now it's "Well, if you brought your laptop and want the highest quality, then hook up the Nano Cortex...". Maybe they'll eventually add some sort of "capture stash" where you can just record the training signals and later transfer them to a computer or cloud for processing into V2 models later.

 

[Antipodes]

It's interesting that Kemper, Tonex, and now QC all within a few months of each other announced they were supporting improved V2 capture tech that's created via cloud computing.

Is that basically copying NAM tech?

Not exactly. NAM is a specific application of Google's machine learning tech for analysing sound waves - initially for voice recognition stuff. Other parallel efforts from other big tech operations allow similar but not identical approaches.

Everything else in the way of capture tech is proprietary but NAM is open source and the creator is actually helping third parties apply the system to their software and hardware environments. The potential for NAM to become ubiquitous looks pretty obvious. Think about why Linux dominates in so many areas while the plethora of proprietary UNIX variants with major IT companies behind them have not ended up in your car, your TV, your phone and you refrigerator etc.