Looking into Kemper amps. The used ones have almost the same price tag as new. Is it that good ? I am afraid to buy now and then a new kemper appears. Usually the value of electronics decrease over time. Looks like there has been no upgrades for 8 years (not counting the stage profiler or new OS releases here). It's quite unusual. Actually a cheaper stomp box kemper without profiling option just sounds would be ideal.
Was there any hardware or engine or sound quality upgrade since 2011 ?
- drmetal
- Thread is marked as Resolved.
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The hadware has been the same since day one other than a few changes to the markings around the knobs etc.
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The effects have been significantly upgraded over the years and I think the profiling process was updated. As Alan says, the hardware is the same, except the Stage adding a 2nd loop.
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It always makes me smile when people are puzzled by Kemper's business model ... although it's so simple and easy to understand.
When I bought my first Kemper Profiler 7 years ago, I think I paid 1350 Euros and got the device as it was at that point in time. From this moment, I got all updates (lots and lots of additional features) for free. So in terms of functionality, this 7 year old Kemper has gained worth quite a bit over time. It can do things now it couldn't do when I bought it.
Let me put it that way:
Early adopters got the device relatively cheap but they helped Kemper earn the funds to continue development of this platform. Later adopters had to pay slightly more because they got more features right out of the box ... but still helped Kemper to fund even further development of the platform. The unit had become worth more than before .... and buyers are supposed to pay for that.
And on and on we go. It's not so much the hardware cost that defines the retail price. It's the "shitz" this device can do with the hardware and the amount of work that goes into developing all these "shitz". Cheers
Martin
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Consider the purchase price against buying Axe FX, Axe FX2, Axe FX2XL, AxeFX3, Axe FX#betterthanthelastone.... etc...
Get the picture?
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I'm sure improvements are always possible, which is why they update. Sonic upgrades on guitars sounds are not so dependent on hardware because most tones are relatively limited on frequency anyway. We're not looking at upwards of 10khz or much below 100hz.
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So is the sonic quality and feel of the amp sounds so high that improvement is almost impossible ? Then I will check it out at least.
If it's good enough for many major studios around the world and for an increasing number of major artists ... I wouldn't be worried it's not good enough for you. You probably just have to get over the myth that processing power directly (or even indirectly) affects sonic quality and feel.
Don't listen to all the marketing hype and blabber of other companies constantly trying to sell you the "latest and greatest" over and over again.
Listen to your ears instead. And always remember that all your favourite tube amps and analog stomp boxes do just fine without fancy big OLED displays and touchscreen functionality. Sometimes, a decent amount of simplicity is the key to good results.Cheers
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You know, the last few posts got me thinking! Is there an upper limit to the sound quality, and have we reached it? Apple no longer improve the retina display on the iPad, as any improvement will be undiscernable to the human eye! Will, or have we, reached, or are we near to, a similar thing with the current line of modellers? Might be a good thread? Think I might start one!
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If it's good enough for many major studios around the world and for an increasing number of major artists ... I wouldn't be worried it's not good enough for you.
Indeed. At the end of the day, whether it's with a Kemper or even a POD, your effect processor/amp is rarely the weakest link stopping you from getting great sounding tracks. Especially with the modern high end devices, engaging in the marketing battle of brand 1 vs brand 2 is a waste of energy imo.
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JedMckenna Indeed! The sound is in the fingers!
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any improvement will be undiscernable to the human eye
Remember the megapixel wars of camera manufacturers when 99.9% of the people only watched their photos on a 2 megapixel non-calibrated screen? Even today 8 megapixel photo cameras would be enough for 99.9% of the "audience". What's the point of 32 or 40 megapixel snapshots at the next family reunion party in a way too dark room?
In terms of audio, why is it that vintage gear is so popular? From vintage tube amps to vintage guitars to vintage studio gear designs (1073, 1176, Fairchild, LA2A, U47, ...)? No technical "improvements" since back then? Of course there have been technical improvements, lots of them actually. Have they improved the sound experience? I'd say no, they have facilitated workflows, made gear cheaper and easier available to the masses.
Just 40 years ago you would have had a hard time to setup a half-decent project studio and get your music out to the masses. There was massive cost and effort involved, compared to today's world.
Last but not least ...
To which degree is technical quality a serious factor when 99.9% of the audience consume "quality" productions in highly compressed formats like MP3 (or e.g. AAC in Youtube videos) over shitty earphones? Every half-decent piece of gear today has a level of technical quality that exceeds the requirements for a compressed delivery format by FAR.
Will hardware manufacturers give in and stop spending on R&D? No, they certainly won't but they will come up with amazing arguments to make us believe we urgently need their groundbreaking product. Ever been seriously thinking about the current technology trend called "home automation"? WTF? Seriously, don't we have any problems other than spending lots of cash and time buying, installing, programming, updating home automation systems to switch on/off lights at a programmed time? Do I seriously need a car where 1 million Euros went into development of an automatic rain detection system with automatic wiper activation?
My best advise: Don't fall for all these claims, now better than ever, you don't want to live without, now the fastest, biggest, best, whatever.
In music ... write good songs, come up with great stories to tell, practice your instrument(s), get your music out on stage. Don't worry about an audio interface with a noise level at -78dB.
Cheers -
If you've not played a Kemper, you should.
On paper it looks old and behind the times. Then you play through one for a few minutes and understand what all the fuss is about. -
A Kemper is like a Rolex - getting worth more each year! I do not see any other tech gear like that!
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I also have a Marshall 1959 HW ...
they never offered a hardware upgrade since 40 years,
no better tubes no better transformers ... I'm pissed.
on big arguments for me to buy a Kemper (and the sound of course)
was :
I don't need to buy the NEXT GENERATION every tow years. -
The major downside I saw to other companies hardware upgrades is that patches are not transferable and you start programming all over again. This means less playing time.
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a cheaper stomp box kemper without profiling option just sounds would be ideal
This has been debated several times. There's basically no hw part/circuit that could be omitted should they design a "player only" unit, so you would basically not save a dime
Early adopters got the device relatively cheap but they helped Kemper earn the funds to continue development of this platform. Later adopters had to pay slightly more because they got more features right out of the box
I like this poetic vision of yours... but reality is that the price increased because demand/offer went higher. And it has increased at least 2-3 times in the years, IIRC
So is the sonic quality and feel of the amp sounds so high that improvement is almost impossible ? Then I will check it out at least
Well, CK has stated that one day there will "unavoidably" be a KPA II. But is there really a need for buying the ultimate possible device? I think you should try one and just see if you like it. If you do, it will certainly be sounding as well - or better - in 10 years thanks to fw updates, so you are not really going to lose your money, are you?
