Kemper Profiler MK 2

[Gary_W]

Just saying hello here! After 10 years as an active member on the Kemper forum...I got a permanent ban there
I am back on OS 13 on my Mk1 - too much trouble with my workflow on OS14 and new Rig Manager version.

I have just too many good rigs to let my Toaster go (also like the Noise Gates and a few other features).

But not going the Mk2 road any time soon - my wife can’t quite believe it and has already mentally spent the money elsewhere...

Hi lbot39

Welcome to this place - I remember your handle from the Kemper forum :). Afaik I’m not permanently banned over there but I did get a ban for a week for asking an on-topic question. I haven’t tried to log in since as I’m afraid it set off my justice sensors.

Anyway, I have a Stadium XL now and (imo) it’s fabulous. That’s not me slagging Kemper - I really enjoyed my mk1 over many years but no regrets in jumping; I’m preferring the sound, workflow, the features, the regular updates and the fact that there are regular drop ins on forums from folks who work at L6 that engage with *the question asked* rather than getting pissy because you’ve asked it.

I hope you enjoy it here :)

 

[Eagle]

Mk1 with 14 is absolutely fine. I would still take it over Helix for the tones I like.

 

[BenIfin]

Initial Micro Review / Thoughts / Comments [still awaiting my Mbritt Pack MK2 LP Pack to try and make a final call].

As such, these comments based on MBritt MK1 Liquid Profiles only - fuck they still sound amazing !!

The Bad

- RM 4 Software is very flaky - perfect for a while and then it just crashes
- IR Imports sound just as terrible as they always have - like just forget about using them
- I loaded NAD IR with my fav. IR in my DAW and recorded a DI MK1 LP Profile - IR sounded and felt fine
- exact same DI MK1 LP Profile with same IR loaded in Kemper - just. all. fucked. up.
- the MK2 V2 Rig Exchange Profiles are almost all terrible - do people even know how to dial in an Amp anymore ? or has everyone's hearing been permanently fucked-up by wearing Ear Pods for the last 10 years !!! Even for "studio" MK2 V2 Profiles ..... Mic Placement (?) .... hello McFly ... anybody there !!!!
- every single Profile has a GARGANTUAN Low end that needs huge "pre-the-amp" EQ cutting - not hard, but WHY !!!!! I never has to do this with these same Profiles when I used them with my MK1 Stage ????

The Better

- even with MK1 LP's, the signature blanket Kemper Compression is gone = good
- even with MK1 LP's, the signature Kemper un-avoidable-mid-range-hump is gone = good
- even with MK1 LP's, the weird Kemper pick-attack thing is gone = good
- so even if you stick with your MK1 Profiles, and eq-out the mountain of low end, you will get a much more "honest" sound
- accuracy aside ..... once dialed-in you can get just fantastic tones with just MK1 LP's on a MK2 unit

Summary / Conclusion

- still awaiting my Mbritt Pack MK2 LP Pack to try and make a final decision

Will report back when they release.

 

[NightWalker]

- the MK2 V2 Rig Exchange Profiles are almost all terrible - do people even know how to dial in an Amp anymore ? or has everyone's hearing been permanently fucked-up by wearing Ear Pods for the last 10 years !!! Even for "studio" MK2 V2 Profiles

are you using a Kemper MK 2 to test those mk2 rigs in the RE?the Dill and Matt Fig rigs sound pretty good on my Kemper Player

 

[BenIfin]

are you using a Kemper MK 2 to test those mk2 rigs in the RE?the Dill and Matt Fig rigs sound pretty good on my Kemper Player

Yep. Kemper Player with the latest RM4.x and OS 14.x Personal preference - for me either too much gain .... way too much top end .... or both ...y.m.m.v :)

 

[Antipodes]

Are you testing liquid profiles? They are intended to be adjusted to taste. If they are profiled with the controls dimed, the intention is that you will not necessarily use them as delivered but rather dial in the gain and Eq settings you prefer.

 

[Ibot39]

Initial Micro Review / Thoughts / Comments [still awaiting my Mbritt Pack MK2 LP Pack to try and make a final call].

As such, these comments based on MBritt MK1 Liquid Profiles only - fuck they still sound amazing !!

The Bad

- RM 4 Software is very flaky - perfect for a while and then it just crashes
- IR Imports sound just as terrible as they always have - like just forget about using them
- I loaded NAD IR with my fav. IR in my DAW and recorded a DI MK1 LP Profile - IR sounded and felt fine
- exact same DI MK1 LP Profile with same IR loaded in Kemper - just. all. fucked. up.
- the MK2 V2 Rig Exchange Profiles are almost all terrible - do people even know how to dial in an Amp anymore ? or has everyone's hearing been permanently fucked-up by wearing Ear Pods for the last 10 years !!! Even for "studio" MK2 V2 Profiles ..... Mic Placement (?) .... hello McFly ... anybody there !!!!
- every single Profile has a GARGANTUAN Low end that needs huge "pre-the-amp" EQ cutting - not hard, but WHY !!!!! I never has to do this with these same Profiles when I used them with my MK1 Stage ????

The Better

- even with MK1 LP's, the signature blanket Kemper Compression is gone = good
- even with MK1 LP's, the signature Kemper un-avoidable-mid-range-hump is gone = good
- even with MK1 LP's, the weird Kemper pick-attack thing is gone = good
- so even if you stick with your MK1 Profiles, and eq-out the mountain of low end, you will get a much more "honest" sound
- accuracy aside ..... once dialed-in you can get just fantastic tones with just MK1 LP's on a MK2 unit

Summary / Conclusion

- still awaiting my Mbritt Pack MK2 LP Pack to try and make a final decision

Will report back when they release.

Kemper converts and truncates IRs when importing. Still they sound very close to the original. Be careful how you set external IR loaders, some can sound very different in default settings (resonance, IR length...). For me using good direct amp profiles with IRs is still the best way. And why I still use my Kemper ( Mk1). Compared to external IR loader Kemper with IR can sound a tiny bit more focused, what I actually like.

I also make my own profiles by shooting a direct amp profile and some IRs of the cab mic setup. By refining a DI profile I often get closer to the real amp (sometimes it is harder, depending on amp). And with imported IRs it usually sounds spot on, with less lower mid congestion. Just my experience of course.

 

[OneEng]

Just saying hello here! After 10 years as an active member on the Kemper forum...I got a permanent ban there
I am back on OS 13 on my Mk1 - too much trouble with my workflow on OS14 and new Rig Manager version.

I have just too many good rigs to let my Toaster go (also like the Noise Gates and a few other features).

But not going the Mk2 road any time soon - my wife can’t quite believe it and has already mentally spent the money elsewhere...

Yea, me too. Permanently banned. I could signup with another email address, but honestly, I just think it's better not to contribute to that forum.

I don't see their logic over there, but wish them well.

Sorry to hear about the ban. I also have a Mk1 rack and I have no plans of installing 14 or ever buying a Mk2. My son was using the rack this weekend and listening to him play it still sounds good (great actually) for clean tones with the buit in effects and the looper. It's a tough combo to beat (rack + foot controller) for clean tones.

Good luck to them on 14 and the Mk2.

My Quad Cortex just continues to deliver (God, I never though I'd end up saying THAT!).

There are too many reports of issues on 14 for me. I'll wait it out until things stabilize. This is very un-Kemper like to make a release with problems like this.

Anyway, I have a Stadium XL now and (imo) it’s fabulous. That’s not me slagging Kemper - I really enjoyed my mk1 over many years but no regrets in jumping; I’m preferring the sound, workflow, the features, the regular updates and the fact that there are regular drop ins on forums from folks who work at L6 that engage with *the question asked* rather than getting pissy because you’ve asked it.

I am thinking maybe middle of next year. Still waiting on Stadium to mature a little and perhaps come down in price a bit? Also would love to see a rack and FC version pretty please :).

Mk1 with 14 is absolutely fine. I would still take it over Helix for the tones I like.

Lots of issues being flagged with the new rig manager. Also, there is evidentially a volume decrease with MK1 profiles. I'm going to see if they can iron out these things before I update my MK1.

Another interesting take here:

Amp Capture Comparison

If you go to the very end, the conclusion is what I found most interesting. Basically he states that they are all audibly so close that other things matter more to him and that Stadium is his preference because it does everything else so well.

 

[Orvillain]

- even with MK1 LP's, the signature blanket Kemper Compression is gone = good
- even with MK1 LP's, the signature Kemper un-avoidable-mid-range-hump is gone = good
- even with MK1 LP's, the weird Kemper pick-attack thing is gone = good

lmao, all those things that Kemperites told us weren't real problems over the last decade. Niiiiice.

 

[Gary_W]

I am thinking maybe middle of next year. Still waiting on Stadium to mature a little and perhaps come down in price a bit? Also would love to see a rack and FC version pretty please :).

The position on these that Digital Igloo (Eric Klein, one of the main guys on Stadium at Line 6) has communicated is along the lines of ‘racks aren’t viable these days’ and ‘there are other helix products in the ladder that are still there priced below stadium - this is the flagship’.

Of course, neither of those is a blanket ‘that won’t happen’ but the current messaging isn’t corresponding with your hoped-for timescale. Black Friday might be kind momentarily though?

Proxy is already really nice - depending who you listen to, it’s already out-doing Kemper mk2 profiling in raw ability (I can’t a/b so can’t comment) but the fact you can have up to four captures in one preset is already a massive functional improvement as you can independently use a couple of captured distortion pedals with a captured amp. And they’re still improving it. However, I’m mostly using the amp models with focus mode….. I find it easier getting what’s on my mind with that than I ever did going through tons of profiles.

 

[BenIfin]

lmao, all those things that Kemperites told us weren't real problems over the last decade. Niiiiice.

Yep - agreed - and despite being a previous very long time MK1 KPA user - I was never a Kemperite and was always very aware of its good and bad ... as recent as here I was pointing this shit out to whomever would listen

It is good to see some of this stuff finally being addressed - but I have to be honest and say at the moment, my Player is getting closer and closer to FB M/Place

 

[OneEng]

The position on these that Digital Igloo (Eric Klein, one of the main guys on Stadium at Line 6) has communicated is along the lines of ‘racks aren’t viable these days’ and ‘there are other helix products in the ladder that are still there priced below stadium - this is the flagship’.

Of course, neither of those is a blanket ‘that won’t happen’ but the current messaging isn’t corresponding with your hoped-for timescale. Black Friday might be kind momentarily though?

Proxy is already really nice - depending who you listen to, it’s already out-doing Kemper mk2 profiling in raw ability (I can’t a/b so can’t comment) but the fact you can have up to four captures in one preset is already a massive functional improvement as you can independently use a couple of captured distortion pedals with a captured amp. And they’re still improving it. However, I’m mostly using the amp models with focus mode….. I find it easier getting what’s on my mind with that than I ever did going through tons of profiles.

Yea, I hear him. For people that gig A LOT or tour (but to his point, this is a fairly small percentage of the buying public), the rack and foot controller combination is the gold standard as it lets you put your rack out of the way on stage, and have only a single cable going out to the foot controller making your stage area very clean. It's also easier to setup and tear down.

Line 6 has always had a rack version in their lineup I believe. I was hoping that they would continue with it in the Stadium generation. I do get going with the all-in-one foot controller first though. The rack and foot controller combo will most certainly be more expensive than their current XL offering.

 

[Chocol8]

The problem with the rack and foot controller idea is that it doesn't sell well. It is not worth it for L6 to put time and development effort into a product they don't expect to sell well, when the have other things in the pipeline that they expect will have much higher demand.

That means even if a rack does eventually come out, it could be 5 years away.