Kemper 2 expectations

  • 'Hookster, don't forget that the tube amp or combo you speak of would have to be perfectly mic'd up and produce a consistent tone at every gig in order to compete with the Kemper, something that'd either take some work to achieve (time, effort and possibly money), or won't happen, realistically-speaking.


    Also, not only would you not be able to switch amps for aesthetic / artistic reasons during gigs, but you'd have to borrow or hire additional amps should you require some variety whilst tracking at home or in the studio.

  • The simple fact is for the money it should be a better system. I'm a firm advocate of quality over quantity but at the current price point of a unit one would hope to expect improvements not necessarily more variables to play with.


    If your crowd is convienience and your joy is giving the soundman an easy job there are cheaper options with more flexabilty.


    Things I'd like to see In a Kemper 2.


    Less THD and improved linearity/noise floor.
    Dedicted converters not generic codecs. DSD support. Enough dsp to get higher resolution unfiltered 20to22khz direct amp profiles. Distortion resolution accuracy at 1-1.



    An editor.

  • Sorry, this is just too good of an example for what I was trying to tell ... it just won't work the way you imagine it. :)
    So you plan to sit on the sofa in the lounge, guitar cable goes to your interface, audio goes into your computer (DAW) so you can route it to the USB output, then from the USB output you go by USB cable which will require you to add a powered USB hub every 5 - 6 meters until you reach the imaginary "Audio over USB Kemper". Your guitar signal will already carry the whole roundtrip latency before it even hits the Profiler. Then add the Profiler latency before we travel the USB highway all the way back to your DAW which you need to use to monitor your Profiler signal through the monitors connected to your interface (again full roundtrip latency added).


    So here we stand (erm ... sit), enjoying double the roundtrip latency of your interface/computer/DAW plus the Kemper latency. You have successfully taken the total latency to a very audible and perceptible latency level. My personal rough guess ... you'll end up with at least 18-20ms latency, congratulations. :)


    I am aware that Audio over USB sounds easy and tempting but reality is different. Think twice and plan properly before you waste your money on a subpar setup that could easily be avoided. ;)

    You have totally over thought my situation. Imagine me tracking downstairs with low latency vstis. Later, once everything is tracked, I can carry my laptop upstairs and reamp via usb.


    This how i already do it, except i have to bring my Kemper down to do so. Being able to take a portable laptop to the Kemper would be easier for my needs. Not saying it's the best way for all, just that audio via usb isn't pointless.

  • Responding to monotone's requests:


    There are cheaper options with more flexibility. Something that sounds less-authentic, right?


    Less THD. Seriously? How much THD does a guitar tube amp exhibit? Hmm... let me think....


    Improved noise floor. The thing's insanely-quiet, an improvement over a tube amp.


    Dedicated converters not generic codecs. You mean like the superb-sounding A/D and D/A convertors it already has?


    DSD support. Pray tell, how many guitar processors offer Direct Stream Digital™? If Kemper provided this, it'd surely have to include AES/EBU connectivity as well seeing as in the real world it's a far-more-popular standard. Now we'd have added several hundred dollars to the unit cost.


    Enough dsp to get higher resolution unfiltered 20to22khz direct amp profiles? AFAIK, the only filtering cannot be heard and is applied within the A/D and D/A algorithms... and they're necessary in all D/A and A/D conversions. Christoph explained this (as have others) here on the forum many times.


    Distortion resolution accuracy at 1:1 IMHO, no simulation could ever reach this goal; it's unattainable by definition.


    An editor? This one I have to agree with, and IMHO it's the only "wish" you made that makes sense, at least to me, unless I'm missing some obvious things, which is of course entirely possible.

  • I guess that because I did not buy a Kemper only loaned one for a test period, I can be impartial and not systematically deluded about it, my money is not invested in a unit. Only my time testing it. Financial investment and partiality generally go hand in hand. Some things are just scientific facts.


    So monkey, do some actual lab tests and then you will know what you are actually putting your money and biasedness behind. It's a great consumer unit. Its convienient. It just wouldn't be my personal choice in any situation of professional guitar audio.


    My feature requests are economically realistic and achievable for a future improved product. This is the threads topic no?


    There are alternative products on the market that are equal in performance sonically that offer much better consumer convenience at a cheaper price.

  • There are alternative products on the market that are equal in performance sonically that offer much better consumer convenience at a cheaper price.

    The Axe FX and Helix certainly have their advantages, though the KPA can do something that no other modeler in its class can, which is to reproduce the sound of an entire physical rig at a given setting and A/B the result against a reference.

  • Wishlish off the top of my head (wishes, not expectations or necessities):


    1. the obvious, an Editor
    2. Dual amps
    3. More overdrive models
    4. More/Better reverbs
    5. More realistic amps (my main kemper complaints are too many profiles with cocked wah sounds, something slightly unnatural with an increased sensitivity on higher gain models, and something lost in the low end on most profiles)..this one is quite subjective.
    6. Easier to profile my amps (i've tried creating my own direct profiles and indeed i too get very cocked wah tones, haven't had a chance to crank it up and mic it yet)
    7. Would say spdif rates but that seems to be coming soon(in beta at least) :)
    8. Larger/easier to read screen (nice to have)


    i'm sure there's more but thats off the top of my head, that being said, i think all but dual amps could probably be done without updating the hardware, unless they could somehow get more realistic amps sounds only by upping the dsp power. It can always get better, when UAD came out with their 1st DSP card people said the compressors etc sounded just like the real thing, now they have V2 that is so much better than the V1 that people say it's worthless to use the old one...someday believe it or not i'm sure many people will say the same about the Kemper despite how happy we might be now.

  • There should be a thought bubble appear over Steve's head when he chucks his guitar and heads home:


    "Geez, I need to get me a Kemper so I can practice more and tweak less..."

    Dude, instead of telling me to do lab tests, why don't you address my answers to the feature requests you made?


    Wouldn't that serve the thread better, given that if we're presenting ideas for improvement, their efficacy ought to be open to scrutiny so we can separate the wheat from the chaff?


    As I said, I fully agree with the editor suggestion, but am struggling to see the logic of the others. Thanks man.

  • I know I'm probably in the minority, but I love how I can tweak on the unit itself and on the fly. I'm not averse to an editor (i used to use one for the Eleven Rack) but I like the way it is without feeling like something is missing.

  • Same here, mate, but as we know, for those who's units aren't easily with arm's reach such as in some studio / home-recording situations, an editor would be a Godsend.


    Also, the complexity of the new delay algorithms, IMHO, kinda puts fiddling with them a little out-of-reach for some folks (such as me with my monkey brain!), so this seems like an obvious example of a feature that'd benefit hugely from being represented "simply" in an editor.


    EDIT:
    All that said, there's of course no requirement for a Kemper 2, as far as we know, in order for this to be made a reality.

  • For the Kemper 3, I want it to have a hologram projector output so I can have a virtual me playing exactly like me and my amp so I can play along. Also, it would be really cool if I could have an accessories section for sunglasses, holding a beer, etc...


    I think this would be really useful if I am jamming with someone or some place I don't like, then I really don't have to be there. :)

  • Man, I'm playing stadiums with my Kemper. From rehearsal to performance to recording, it's literally at the center of my professional life. So much for your "consumer product"... if you'd be the least bit involved in the professional touring circuit, you'd see how popular it is among us. My colleagues have all sorts of gear and our common goal is just to kill the next gig with the least hassle possible, period. I just can't understand where some of those complaints are even coming from, it's so disconnected from actual musician things. If you are one and your goal is making music, drop the "THD, DSPs and generic codecs" because I assure you your focus is at the wrong place!