Kemper needs to update

    Quote from 4m4d3u5

    ... It would be awesome to see Kemper put out a powered floor unit with an updated profiling algorithm and updated interface. This is what we are all waiting to see Kemper, lets see if this happens.

    Not really. I don't think that this i what we are "all waiting to see".


    I have no interest in floor devices of any sort; bending down to the floor to make a minor adjustment is uncomfortable and looks terrible onstage. There is a reason that Kemper, Fractal and Line 6 all offer rack-mount versions of their top-tier products.


    I also have no need of the power amp; I end up having to mix vocals and acoustic instruments into my monitor, so the power stage has to be later in my signal chain anyway.


    Also, what about the interface needs to be changed in your opinion? While the KPA is complex, the menu interface with callouts for the physical knobs is pretty intuitive.


    The only thing I really would like to see from Kemper is faster loading times, so that changes across performance pages could be done during live performance. Other than that, it's fine as-is, from where I sit.

    Quote from SteinbergerHack

    I have no interest in floor devices of any sort; bending down to the floor to make a minor adjustment is uncomfortable and looks terrible onstage.

    +1 These people wanting floor units must play to a tame sitting audience. No way would you want to have your expensive powered brain unit with knobs on the floor in the gigs I've played!

    That being said, Most of the club bands around here are way overweight and wear baseball hats (my pet peeve) Not to mention have the stage presence of a dead carp with their Iphone mounted to their mic stand next to their beer holder so looks aren't considered.

    I agree in that I prefer an head and controller too. However I aslo think its a big differentiator that Kemper offer a powered version which I love for just turning up to festivals and plugging into their backline as well as driving my Kabinets.


    Other problem with a powered stage is many people have/want a cab behind them and running a speaker cable from the front of stage to the back is not ideal.

    Quote from Dynochrome

    +1 These people wanting floor units must play to a tame sitting audience. No way would you want to have your expensive powered brain unit with knobs on the floor in the gigs I've played!

    That being said, Most of the club bands around here are way overweight and wear baseball hats (my pet peeve) Not to mention have the stage presence of a dead carp with their Iphone mounted to their mic stand next to their beer holder so looks aren't considered.

    Well agreed with previous writers. I am way over 50 (years) and my back does not allow often adjustments on the floor. So the stage KPA was never an option for me. But I noticed in social media that it is a huge success and some users sold their rack/toaster to get a stage KPA.


    One thought I had.... if I would use a stage KPA on stage and left the location for .... a break and some guy with the knowledge to do is reseting my KPA ... a nightmare!

    One professional musician after another has indicated on video that they couldn't tell the difference between their amp and the profiled version on the KPA. Most said it was a 50/50 guess on their part which one was their amp. I don't profile but that was good enough for me to know that it was covered if I ever did need to profile an amp, which takes some experience and tweaking just ask the guys that turn out profiles commercially. This beast has been rock solid for 6 years plus with constant upgrades and new features. Even if they tweaked the profiling process to make it a tad bit better, wouldn't even make me think twice about getting the newer model. "They said" is all marketing on the oppositions part but you are welcome to spend your money on all the gear in the world to find "your" holy grail of tone. Enjoy your journey as I'm content right where I'm at for many years to come.

    My final thought on the KPA is.... Where in the world are you going to buy a digital piece of hardware that has been backed with updates and features since 2011. Unheard of as that is money well spent for pocket and ear! Go in Peace:)

    Quote from Zapman

    One professional musician after another has indicated on video that they couldn't tell the difference between their amp and the profiled version on the KPA. Most said it was a 50/50 guess on their part which one was their amp. I don't profile but that was good enough for me to know that it was covered if I ever did need to profile an amp, which takes some experience and tweaking just ask the guys that turn out profiles commercially. This beast has been rock solid for 6 years plus with constant upgrades and new features. Even if they tweaked the profiling process to make it a tad bit better, wouldn't even make me think twice about getting the newer model. "They said" is all marketing on the oppositions part but you are welcome to spend your money on all the gear in the world to find "your" holy grail of tone. Enjoy your journey as I'm content right where I'm at for many years to come.

    My final thought on the KPA is.... Where in the world are you going to buy a digital piece of hardware that has been backed with updates and features since 2011. Unheard of as that is money well spent for pocket and ear! Go in Peace:)

    All great points, so true about products still putting out new features and updates like Kemper has been for 10 years now.

    Quote from Zapman

    One professional musician after another has indicated on video that they couldn't tell the difference between their amp and the profiled version on the KPA. Most said it was a 50/50 guess on their part which one was their amp.

    Some members of this forum have been able to tell the difference in blind tests. Sometimes the differences are negligible, sometimes they're not. There's nothing wrong with chasing perfect reproduction. If there was, we might all still be using a Line 6 POD.

    Quote from Zapman

    Where in the world are you going to buy a digital piece of hardware that has been backed with updates and features since 2011.

    To me, what's important is that gear does what I need/want it to do, not how long it's been on the market without a revision.

    Quote from ColdFrixion

    Some members of this forum have been able to tell the difference in blind tests. Sometimes the differences are negligible, sometimes they're not. There's nothing wrong with chasing perfect reproduction. If there was, we might all still be using a Line 6 POD.

    To me, what's important is that gear does what I need/want it to do, not how long it's been on the market without a revision.

    Points well taken on your behalf. Let me further explain, absolutely the product has to do what you want it to do or it's worthless (that's a given with anything you pay money for). To me it does have a bearing on how much support and revisions the product has gotten over the years. I value where my money is spent, and for me (the word "me" being highlighted) the KPA fulfills everything I need it to do and sounds good doing it therefore it excels by far something like FX products that have put out how many versions since 2011 and at what price? This is all relative to my needs as so expressed and I don't hold any grudges on someone that wants to pursue their grail in other products. There are many many people that have to have the latest cellphone when it comes out even though the prices went from a couple hundred dollars for top of the line to $1K +. Really, that's an addiction in my opinion as the features aren't there for the price unless it's something you live on. Talk, text, data pretty simple but expensive. OP was unhappy with the profiling results and that ok for him/her, then just find another product that does it better as it doesn't fit their needs. Hoep that makes some sense, all good..

    Quote from Zapman

    FX products that have put out how many versions since 2011 and at what price?

    There have been 3 major Axe-Fx versions. Each one has cost the same (or less) than the previous version. The question is whether the features of the new version justify the cost of upgrading. In my case, definitely, and I'd buy it again if I had to.

    Quote from ColdFrixion

    Some members of this forum have been able to tell the difference in blind tests. Sometimes the differences are negligible, sometimes they're not.

    "Difference" may not include better or worse, just different. A KPA has the capability to copy ridiculously close, but it's up to the profiler. Make a bad profile and of course you can tell. Make a "good" one and you won't be able to tell. "Good" meaning exact if exact is what you are going after. I think a Kemper sometimes makes the amp a little better than the amp profiled as far as the uncompressed leveling and the served up on a platter ready to record/FOH sound.

    I've never been happier or wanted to play an amp more and I've had at least 30 different great tube amps in the 43 years I've played. Having a KPA definitely has made the lockdowns way easier. It's hard to get bored with a Kemper. The other night instead of playing "normal" sounds I made a performance of Whammys, Chrystal delays, multi tap phased delays, volume swell delays etc. Just a bunch of super weird sounds. It was a blast!

    Quote from Dynochrome

    "Difference" may not include better or worse, just different.

    The idea behind profiling is to capture the sound of an amp perfectly. From the marketing material:


    "... for the first time, you are free to create amp tones as unique and individual as you areand capture them easily and perfectly into the digital domain."

    Quote from Dynochrome

    A KPA has the capability to copy ridiculously close, but it's up to the profiler. Make a bad profile and of course you can tell. Make a "good" one and you won't be able to tell.

    Blind tests have confirmed that many profiles captured properly exhibit audible discrepancies. That was established a few years ago. SinMix is a professional profiler who knows perfectly well how to profile amps, and he's posted many A/B comparisons that exhibit audible discrepancies. Like I said, sometimes the differences are negligible. Sometimes they're not.

    Quote from ColdFrixion

    The idea behind profiling is to capture the sound of an amp perfectly.

    Not my Idea. My Idea of perfect is having a great sound that does exactly what I want.

    Quote from ColdFrixion

    for the first time, you are free to create amp tones as unique and individual as you are

    Tones unique and individual don't sound like trying to capture the amp perfectly, but to capture them so I like them as an individual.

    Quote from Dynochrome

    Not my Idea. My Idea of perfect is having a great sound that does exactly what I want.

    Everyone wants a great sound. That's not the point. The point is, once someone has dialed in a great sound, they expect the profiler to capture it accurately.

    Quote from Dynochrome

    Tones unique and individual don't sound like trying to capture the amp perfectly, but to capture them so I like them as an individual.

    Kemper is obviously referring to dialing in an amp exactly the way an end-user likes it and then capturing it perfectly.

    Quote from 4m4d3u5

    ...a lot of people are saying...

    Not the Kemper owners I know of. When a comment is generalized like this, I have a difficult time giving it any value.

    Who is the 'a lot' here? Why should I care what they think or say?

    Besides, they have updated many, many times. With the most recent being 8 days ago.

    My question is how much does the rest of the industry suck?. I mean....the Kemper is basically a decade old and fundamentally unchanged. Yet...no one has said "Oh...it doesn't stack up at all to....(insert modeler of choice). It's been passed by. Its totally out of date.

    The KPA as a piece of hardware was frozen nearly 10 years ago. Surely if it were technology-based, someone would've found a way to undeniably eclipse it. From an audio/feel perspective?

    Nope.


    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

    It is interesting to note that the first thing that the QC wanted to compare itself to is the Kemper.


    The old saying is "To be the best, you have to beat the best".


    QED.