Is it time for a Kemper II ?

  • I'm not saying any one unit is better then the other,Not at all,,tone is a personal thing,no doubt,

    I'm talking about chasing tone, Buying gear,,, after amp ,,after next great up dated floorboard wizbang,, ......etc,,

    I'm done, kemper fixed that, so no more loss on gear lust/ amp lust etc,,I found what I was looking for, and, it continues to IMPROVE,, for FREE,,year,, after year,, after year,, after,,, well you get the point,,and,, thats without further outlay of,,, cash,... I cant seem to recall another Piece of gear I bought that did that,,ever,, and new overdrives, and an editor on the way,, Thank you Mr Kemper,, thank you..

    I rest my case your honor,,make love,, not war

  • I certainly see your point and I'm by no means saying you should be less content with the gear you have.


    As guitarists, I think we're predisposed to try out something new that peaks our interest. Just sub buying amps or other modelers for hoarding profiles and you pretty much have the same impulse (just less expensive). Even if Fractal comes out with a new form factor, or Kemper in the future as CK himself confirmed, it doesn't obligate anyone to buy it. If people are content with their gear, I don't see the preoccupation with the potential resell value. Likewise, if they want to try out a new toy to find some inspiration, I don't see the issue despite some users here taking subtle jabs at such a preference.

  • Much like a Kemper II wouldn't make the Kemper I "worse", the Axe III doesn't make the Axe II any worse than it was as a top-tier solution.

    In one sense, "worse" is defined as that which is less favorable. In that sense, I think the Axe-Fx II would generally be considered worse than the Axe-Fx III. Don't get me wrong, I love the Axe-Fx II, but I upgraded to the III because the tone and feature set made it more appealing. Likewise, my hunch is that if a KPA II were released with the same sonic characteristics as the KPA I, but included an improved feature set, it would likely be considered more appealing, as well, generally speaking.

  • Of course, but seeing as how the implications are often about how you have to buy a new form factor, if the current (or older) form factor is already perfect for your needs, it doesn't change or get any worse with new hardware. Your preference for new features and toys notwithstanding.

  • Of course, but seeing as how the implications are often about how you have to buy a new form factor, if the current (or older) form factor is already perfect for your needs, it doesn't change or get any worse with new hardware. Your preference for new features and toys notwithstanding.

    With regard to form factor, I agree. My impression is that, like the Axe-Fx III, a Kemper II would involve changes beyond form factor. Incidentally, if Kemper did release a new profiler, and the only difference was related to form factor, there'd be no impetus on my part to buy it.

  • Wouldn't it be great if they came out with a Pedal Profiler? Profile all the great pedal effects for the last 60 years or so? To me, that is Kemper II.

    In the past I believe Christoph spoke of possibly profiling entire tone stacks, so you'd basically profile the entire amp and the EQ would react like the amp rather than like a studio EQ. That idea seemed to go away as quickly as it came. Profiling pedals and then using them as stomps would be cool, but that seems like a crazy amount of ambition.

  • I wish the existing kemper, profiles with distortion/overdrive pedal baked in with the amp, would sound a little better. When I put my OD in front of kemper for profiles without OD, it sounds much better than any profiles with baked in OD.

    Think for yourself, or others will think for you wihout thinking of you

    Henry David Thoreau

  • I wish the existing kemper, profiles with distortion/overdrive pedal baked in with the amp, would sound a little better. When I put my OD in front of kemper for profiles without OD, it sounds much better than any profiles with baked in OD.

    Even the ones you profiled yourself? With same hw/mic position/settings and everything?

    Still chasing a worthy one :/

  • Even the ones you profiled yourself? With same hw/mic position/settings and everything?

    I don't own any hw amp anymore and hadn't done it before I purchased the kemper so I depend on others profiles. But it doesn't matter who made the profiles and how good they are. This is a kemper issue.

    Think for yourself, or others will think for you wihout thinking of you

    Henry David Thoreau

  • I don't own any hw amp anymore and hadn't done it before I purchased the kemper so I depend on others profiles. But it doesn't matter who made the profiles and how good they are. This is a kemper issue.

    It certainly depends how you're using it. If you're adding any distortion from the pedal you wind up with multiple distortion changes and the Kemper doesn't profile it accurately. Kemper's own literature asserts as much.


    If you're using it just as a clean boost, it would somewhat stand to reason that hitting the front end of the Kemper vs a tube amp would respond differently. And then there's the added high-mid focus you get from boosts which the Kemper already exaggerates. I find many profiles with an OD baked in just have too much "cocked wah" happening that you can't "unbake" for my tastes.

  • I don't own any hw amp anymore and hadn't done it before I purchased the kemper so I depend on others profiles. But it doesn't matter who made the profiles and how good they are. This is a kemper issue.

    Mhhh... I would disagree.
    It's a common experience with the KPA that people unsatisfied with how the unit sounds have changed their mind after profiling their own amps.
    Your (negative) experience may well fall under the same general issue of not being satisfied with others' profiles.

    Still chasing a worthy one :/

  • Mhhh... I would disagree.
    It's a common experience with the KPA that people unsatisfied with how the unit sounds have changed their mind after profiling their own amps.
    Your (negative) experience may well fall under the same general issue of not being satisfied with others' profiles.

    I've never said I'm no satisfied with other's profiles. Did I? All I said was about baked in OD's and distortion and nothing more. Please read properly before you accuse me of something that's not true.

    Think for yourself, or others will think for you wihout thinking of you

    Henry David Thoreau

  • Mhhh... I would disagree.
    It's a common experience with the KPA that people unsatisfied with how the unit sounds have changed their mind after profiling their own amps.
    Your (negative) experience may well fall under the same general issue of not being satisfied with others' profiles.

    A reason why CK included green scream is due to some combinations of amp and such pedals not working well due multiple distorting stages. To the best of my memory, he's talked about that.


    As mementomori mentioned, clean-ish boost tend to work better -- even though I've had cases where even a classic ts pedal with the settings of drive 0, tone max, volume max brought up the issue to a degree.

    The bonanza

    Edited 4 times, last by Dimi84 ().

  • I've never said I'm no satisfied with other's profiles. Did I? All I said was about baked in OD's and distortion and nothing more. Please read properly before you accuse me of something that's not true.


    First of all, chill out, for goodness' sake :D
    People are accused by courts...


    You wrote "I wish the existing kemper, profiles with distortion/overdrive pedal baked in with the amp, would sound a little better. When I put my OD in front of kemper for profiles without OD, it sounds much better than any profiles with baked in OD."


    In my (granted, second-hand) English this equals not being satisfied with those profiles. I am convinced that you would find the sound and tone you like if you profiled OD+amp by yourself (from a combination you like, of course).

    I'll leave you now, since it seems you are not interested in exchanging experiences with others.

    Still chasing a worthy one :/

  • A reason why CK included green scream is due to some combinations of amp and such pedals not working well due multiple distorting stages. To the best of my memory, he's talked about that.


    As mementomori mentioned, clean-ish boost tend to work better -- even though I've had cases where even a classic ts pedal with the settings of drive 0, tone max, volume max brought up the issue to a degree.

    I am aware of that, and the combination of non-linear gain stages is certainly tricky to profile.

    GJ's post I responded to, however, was generally about using an OD with a profile: "it sounds much better than any profiles with baked in OD".
    This, IME, might well be part of the more general issue of not liking profiles made by others (because you only know the tone you are after). There are for example many clips from RigBusters (they specialise in embedding pedals into profiles), that I like a lot, but of course I am aware that tone is totally subjective, apart from depending on the instruments you use. Hence my suggestion/observation, and my merciless accusations towards GJ :D:D:D

    Still chasing a worthy one :/

    Edited once, last by pippopluto ().

  • I know the Pod could run two amps at the same time. Don't know if any of the rest of their reincarnations up to Helix does it? I suppose Fractal doens't do it?

    Think for yourself, or others will think for you wihout thinking of you

    Henry David Thoreau

  • If they wanted to go overboard, they could allow parallel paths as well to simulate running 2 different amps in parallel.

    Did some profiling last night with my other guitarist and his Orange AD140. We both talked about how useful it would actually be to run 2 profiles simultaneously since we would wind up with a profile that did 1 thing we liked but lacked another, then make some adjustments and get the thing it lacked, but then lost the aspect we liked about the previous profile. Being able to run both would have allowed for a fuller sound that we couldn't quite accomplish at the time and would have been fun to experiment with.

    I know the Pod could run two amps at the same time. Don't know if any of the rest of their reincarnations up to Helix does it? I suppose Fractal doens't do it?

    Fractal and Helix can absolutely run 2 amps and 2 cabs simultaneously. It's part of the reason Kemper users here have brought it up a number of times on their wishlist, especially those migrating from Fractal products. Some dismiss this as not something many people want, but I absolutely think people would use and experiment with. if given the option.