Kemper Profiler MK 2

[Schelotto]

Huh

Im talking about the sound, not the digital process.

 

[Dimiguitar]

Im talking about the sound, not the digital process.

I was going to ask this, thanks for clarifying for me.

 

[ian_dissonance]

You are talking about Kemper 1.0, and yes profiles in Kemper 1.0 are worse that the other brands. We have to wait for Kemper 2.0.

Well Kemper 2.0 doesn’t exist publicly so nobody knows. Without a significant change to the hardware I’m not confident they can really “catch up”.

Im talking about the sound, not the digital process.

What? It’s all digital until it hits the power amp/speaker.

 

[Dimiguitar]

NAM was the best profiler, and now ToneX and Quad Cortex are at the same level with v2, so I believe that Kemper 2.0 profiles will be as good. I think that differences from now on on profilers will be in practical things as liquid profiling or the robot for making captures that people of quad cortex showed months ago (despite controls, pedals, UI...).

I think they should model more tone stacks for liquid profiling.

I don't know of a unit that offers such tweaking on TOP of captures (other than Kemper).

It's certainly a strength of the toaster -- I do agree with that.

Also, I like how the EQ controls on the toaster become quite useful (for me, because I like real amp tone stacks a lot) and very amp-like when using liquid profiling.

 

[LP59]

Is liquid profiles 2.0 a thing or is it just wishful thinking on your end?

Kemper might add some new tone stacks, but anything anybody outside of Kemper says about the new profiling is just wishful thinking.

The best Kemper can hope for is to make a dent in the perception that their profiling is far behind, although that's probably not the primary reason their popularity is suffering these days anyway.

 

[Schelotto]

Well Kemper 2.0 doesn’t exist publicly so nobody knows. Without a significant change to the hardware I’m not confident they can really “catch up”.

What? It’s all digital until it hits the power amp/speaker.

For me digital sound is a digital aproximation (as the first pod, amplitube...), NAM, ToneX, Kemper... sounds as real as analogue.

 

[ian_dissonance]

Ok.

 

[molul]

Profiles are digital, not analog. And digital sound is not bad per se, moreso in 2025

If you're able to distinguish model and profile in a double blind test, I'd just clap.

 

[Schelotto]

Profiles are digital, not analog. And digital sound is not bad per se, moreso in 2025

If you're able to distinguish model and profile in a double blind test, I'd just clap.

Well, the amps in UAD paradise are modelers (I think, I don´t know the exact technology) because you can turn the knobs, and in low gain they are amazing. Dibiquadro amps are based in convolution I think (they use the same technology of Acustica Audio), so its difficult to identify them as modelers or pofilers, and they sound amazing.
Other guitar modelers yes, I can distinguih them against profiles in a blind test. For example Neural DSP amps (not quad cortex), old Helix... they have good high gain tones but a little bit digital sound.

So we´ll have to distinguish in modelers, profilers, convolution... but the most important thing is the final sound.

 

[Dimiguitar]

Well, the amps in UAD paradise are modelers (I think, I don´t know the exact technology) because you can turn the knobs, and in low gain they are amazing. Dibiquadro amps are based in convolution I think (they use the same technology of Acustica Audio), so its difficult to identify them as modelers or pofilers, and they sound amazing.
Other guitar modelers yes, I can distinguih them against profiles in a blind test. For example Neural DSP amps (not quad cortex), old Helix... they have good high gain tones but a little bit digital sound.

So we´ll have to distinguish in modelers, profilers, convolution... but the most important thing is the final sound.

When you say digital, what characteristics are you referring to?

 

[Schelotto]

When you say digital, what characteristics are you referring to?

The sound.... Digital sound is like a little bit of plastic sound. Nobody has say in the first pod era: it sound digital ? Now modelers are not Pods, but they still have a little bit of a plastic sound.
Digital sound is not a literal word.

 

[Dimiguitar]

The sound.... Digital sound is like a little bit of plastic sound. Nobody has say in the first pod era: it sound digital ? Now modelers are not Pods, but they still have a little bit of a plastic sound.
Digital sound is not a literal word.

I understood it's not meant to be taken literally (after you explained), but was just wondering what these characterizations you call "digital" are.

So the characteristic, or one of them, is sounding plastic.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

I don't think any Ultra owners felt betrayed. But if Fractal Audio had never come out with a successor to the Ultra, most people would view them today as an also-ran.

Two thoughts.

Ultra had a high relative cost increase for what it was. Kemper mk ii has no price increase. Not saying it wasn't worth it, I bought it over the Standard knowing full well what it was and wasn't.

Around 1898 John Browning designed what was released shortly after as the Colt 1911 pistol. It has had many successors. It is still mass produced and selling really really well.
If something works well and has a healthy following having 'newer, better' devices to surpass you doesn't mean you are dead.

 

[Jarick]

But the sound of the modelers are digital, good but not enough. With profilers with dynamic profiles you have the best of both worlds and you can try better the behavior of the real amp for yourself.

I would recommend you try adding more of a high cut in modelers which would get you closer to the sound you like out of Kemper. Kemper tends to roll off the high end a decent amount which gives a warm sound. This was excellent back when it first came out as most people were used to really brittle and harsh digital amps. Now the modelers are a lot more accurate and less harsh but still have extended high end. A high cut around 7k will give a warm sound closer to Kemper.

If you like the UAD amps it’s likely the warm sounding cabs. They again roll off the high end to my ears. Which is perfectly fine and most people who aren’t on forums prefer that.

 

[Schelotto]

I would recommend you try adding more of a high cut in modelers which would get you closer to the sound you like out of Kemper. Kemper tends to roll off the high end a decent amount which gives a warm sound. This was excellent back when it first came out as most people were used to really brittle and harsh digital amps. Now the modelers are a lot more accurate and less harsh but still have extended high end. A high cut around 7k will give a warm sound closer to Kemper.

If you like the UAD amps it’s likely the warm sounding cabs. They again roll off the high end to my ears. Which is perfectly fine and most people who aren’t on forums prefer that.

Yes, Kemper 1 has worse hi end, but we´ll supose that kemper 2 will have it in the same quality as NAM, ToneX v2... People of Kemper was talking about best hi end about Kemper 2.0. I think all the brands now know how to have the same quality as NAM.
I sold my Kemper 1 rack and my new kemper player is bored waiting for 2.0.

 

[Schelotto]

I would recommend you try adding more of a high cut in modelers which would get you closer to the sound you like out of Kemper. Kemper tends to roll off the high end a decent amount which gives a warm sound. This was excellent back when it first came out as most people were used to really brittle and harsh digital amps. Now the modelers are a lot more accurate and less harsh but still have extended high end. A high cut around 7k will give a warm sound closer to Kemper.

If you like the UAD amps it’s likely the warm sounding cabs. They again roll off the high end to my ears. Which is perfectly fine and most people who aren’t on forums prefer that.

For curiosity, what modelers do you recomend?

 

[Dimiguitar]

I would recommend you try adding more of a high cut in modelers which would get you closer to the sound you like out of Kemper. Kemper tends to roll off the high end a decent amount which gives a warm sound. This was excellent back when it first came out as most people were used to really brittle and harsh digital amps. Now the modelers are a lot more accurate and less harsh but still have extended high end. A high cut around 7k will give a warm sound closer to Kemper.

If you like the UAD amps it’s likely the warm sounding cabs. They again roll off the high end to my ears. Which is perfectly fine and most people who aren’t on forums prefer that.

It's like how tonex V1 would roll of the high end. That made me sad. But V2 mostly fixed it, and it's much closer to the source amps now.

 

[Orvillain]

Two thoughts.

Ultra had a high relative cost increase for what it was. Kemper mk ii has no price increase. Not saying it wasn't worth it, I bought it over the Standard knowing full well what it was and wasn't.

Around 1898 John Browning designed what was released shortly after as the Colt 1911 pistol. It has had many successors. It is still mass produced and selling really really well.
If something works well and has a healthy following having 'newer, better' devices to surpass you doesn't mean you are dead.

Comparing a modeller to a gun. I've read it all now! lmaaaaooooo!

 

[Enchilada Jones]

Comparing a modeller to a gun. I've read it all now! lmaaaaooooo!

If that is your only take away then you should definitely read slower and think about it more

 

[[Nathan]]

If that is your only take away then you should definitely read slower and think about it more

Not the best analogy tbf. Modellers are more on par with tech products that have lifecycles. An iPhone 10 or a TV gets superseded compared to a rake or knife etc.