Kemper Profiling Amp Successor

  • As for the Kemper discussion, I tend to agree adding a synth to the Kemper would make the profiler/amp part a bit too complicated for most users. I would rather see a separate unit dedicated to MIDI creation, etc. But I would not turn it down either if the price was right.

    Kemper have offered variations on the basic model with the Power Rack/Power Head and more recently the Stage. An intregrated synth could also be an option.


    Onother poster made the valid point about the control surface of the Virus keyboard being quite extensive. Guitar synthesists cannot play and operate a whole lot of buttons and controls at the same time. They are really limited to operating things like pedals and the whammy bar and maybe a breath controller. So the editing and patch design stuff is not really needed for performance - it is more properly part of preparation for performance and the Editor and maybe an optional control surface would have to suffice there.

  • 100% correct.


    Talking about guitar we have right now a very talented generation of kids like Mancuso and many others being influenced by Holdsworth and all the other fusion/jazz legends.


    Fusion players will seek for fusion sounds.One does not need to be a smartass to foresee this.


    And personally I have tons of fun and inspiration to mix (just as an example) 60%-40% a fat Dumble style mid gain sound from the kpa with a very realistic saxophone sim from my triple play system doing my fusion leads..


    As you said. The rock guitar hero shred sound of the 80s has come so far,same as all the drop tune stuff of the 90s and today young musicians are free to ignore all that cliches and stereotypes and can do their very own thing just like the musicians in the 60s and 70s..only with more modern technology.This is good news.


    Now please..someone give these kids the tools which weren't available in the 60s and 70s.

  • and one more thing about the "more fx" stuff ..


    Why would anyone need so many more delays and reverbs than the ones already available if not for making the guitar sound more like a synth;

    It's not about more delays and reverbs as much as it's about all the rest of them and more of them at the same time. Some people are a front noise gate and a good dirty amp profile kind of person, some are more like, an input eq, another gate, boost comp and dirt stomp or 2 or 3, another gate, another eq, amp stack, post eq kind of people. This doesn't leave a lot of room for pitch, wah( which are many in wonderful uniqueness), wham, maybe some modulation in the front or multiple modulation in the back plus or minus potentially. Some also like delay and reverb in front too.

  • It's not about more delays and reverbs as much as it's about all the rest of them and more of them at the same time. Some people are a front noise gate and a good dirty amp profile kind of person, some are more like, an input eq, another gate, boost comp and dirt stomp or 2 or 3, another gate, another eq, amp stack, post eq kind of people. This doesn't leave a lot of room for pitch, wah( which are many in wonderful uniqueness), wham, maybe some modulation in the front or multiple modulation in the back plus or minus potentially. Some also like delay and reverb in front too.

    I lean FAR closer to the ‘guitar-> amp -> speaker’ side of things. So a grain of salt is advised.


    (Yes….I use reverb/delay/mod etc. their use (or lack thereof) is not my point)


    I would suggest that if something like 3 gates, 3 EQs, mod pre/mod post delay, verb etc in one chain is your thing….the Kemper isn’t the correct tool and likely never will be.


    That’s not good or bad….just the very nature of tools.

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

  • What do you (IT specialist) guys think about the "one profile rules them all" approach. Is this technically possible? Or is profiling such a unique "one state" thing. I don't believe so but I am no real specialist, of course. Imagine Because for me, personally, this is a must, if I even think of a successor. Cannot stop thinking about getting rid of those thousands of tiresime single profiles. Imagine to load 5 different amps in a performance with 5 slots, all of them containing the "whole" amp with all its gain stages at once. A new generation has to bring something groundbreaking to the table, IMHO. Something that is of real musical and practical value for the (gigging) musician, that cannot be merely justified with better routing, workflow or titty colours. Although the latter things are also quite important (marketing and emotional wise) of course. Imagine to just load "amps" like in the Helix but in reality to load Kemper profiles. All of them in only one block, visible in something like a Helix routing screen. Omg.

    Better have it and not need it, than need it and not have it! - Michael Angelo Batio

  • This subject has been done to death a little bit but my view is:


    1) There is nothing ground breaking that I currently want, the KPA covers my basic needs. I would like a true remote ( battery powered and bluetooth so no wires) and ability to import MP3's for song intros. I would take any sound improvement ( why would you not) although can't think what it would be and want to keep the current easy to understand architecture - I would hate Kemper to add features and in the process make the basic stuff harder to set up. I work in IT, I don't want IT to creep more into my hobby :)


    2) There are many people that either genuinely need or are just seduced by functionality and so many of the common issues people raise ( dual amps, stereo power amp, different routing, more effects slots, pedal profiling) should be included in any new KPA.


    3) Kemper should look at step changes to stay ahead


    4) I would probably upgrade anyway - because new is always better, right :)

  • This subject has been done to death a little bit but my view is:


    1) There is nothing ground breaking that I currently want,

    My (unrequested) two-cents:


    No one knew they wanted/needed the Profiler in 2011. It was an entirely new way of looking at things.


    Given the difficulty with inventing such things, Kemper will be hard-pressed to do it again. (Access Virus, Kemper Profiler, Kone/Imprints etc).


    None of which anyone saw coming.


    Not impossible. But making lightning strike twice, much less 3 or 4 times? That’s a big ask.

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

  • I know it’s not possible…….. yet…… who knows what the future will hold. As mentioned above, profiling didn’t exist at one time……. Anyway, I would love to be able to profile modulation effects then I can have my Tri Stereo Chorus unit and some of my Flanger pedals. ?

  • My (unrequested) two-cents:


    No one knew they wanted/needed the Profiler in 2011. It was an entirely new way of looking at things.


    Given the difficulty with inventing such things, Kemper will be hard-pressed to do it again. (Access Virus, Kemper Profiler, Kone/Imprints etc).


    None of which anyone saw coming.


    Not impossible. But making lightning strike twice, much less 3 or 4 times? That’s a big ask.

    I agree that they have done it before so I'd love to be surprised :)

  • It's not about more delays and reverbs as much as it's about all the rest of them and more of them at the same time. Some people are a front noise gate and a good dirty amp profile kind of person, some are more like, an input eq, another gate, boost comp and dirt stomp or 2 or 3, another gate, another eq, amp stack, post eq kind of people. This doesn't leave a lot of room for pitch, wah( which are many in wonderful uniqueness), wham, maybe some modulation in the front or multiple modulation in the back plus or minus potentially. Some also like delay and reverb in front too.

    Very fine. Obviously some folks need a KPA XXL. Many others wanted the stage. Let's give them what they need. Dual amps and 100x noise gates & OD pedals..go ahead!I hope the KPA XXL will come and I wish all these people a lots of fun and a good time with it. As I do with all the guys who wanted (and got) the stage..


    Where is the problem;


    All I say is that I (!!) hope for a real,revolutionary step ahead. New sounds,new abilities of using them with a stand alone tool which I can bring into a studio or on stage and use it as comfortable as I do already with the toaster/remote/EV pedals.Playing "vibes" I never could achieve before.Adding new colours.


    If@CK one day comes along and says "sorry folks..synth not possible"..that's fine too.I have the triple play and will continue to fight with it and the whole laptop mess on stage if I have to and at least this laptop does not weigh a ton like the tube rigs I used years ago..so I am already fine.More or less.

    Edited once, last by Nikos ().

  • I think there will never be any synth thingy in KPA2 (if there will be KPA2), as mentioned before synth itself requires multiple knobs and buttons (~30 of both on Virus2). Would it come with KPA pickup underneath the strings or the instrument cable would send the MIDI?


    What about sales of Virus TI2?


    I'm quite old dated with my thinking, but if you want synth sounds in your band, play real synth, you have one more person contributing to the fun in the band


    I don't want to be this bag guy, I simply cannot see this happen.


    But as always it's only my opinion, if KPA2 comes in 2 years with built in synth, you who need it are all satisfied.

  • I'm quite old dated with my thinking, but if you want synth sounds in your band, play real synth, you have one more person contributing to the fun in the band

    I doubt it will happen as well, but it’d be fun to see.


    “…real synth...”


    With a smile on my face….think about that statement. None of it is real. The only thing that changes here is the controller.

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

  • I lean FAR closer to the ‘guitar-> amp -> speaker’ side of things. So a grain of salt is advised.


    (Yes….I use reverb/delay/mod etc. their use (or lack thereof) is not my point)


    I would suggest that if something like 3 gates, 3 EQs, mod pre/mod post delay, verb etc in one chain is your thing….the Kemper isn’t the correct tool and likely never will be.


    That’s not good or bad….just the very nature of tools.

    This is true, but it's really tough sometimes. Even now owning a quad cortex and fm9 I still love my kemper(s) for all the sounds and feels and one button press to go FOH and real cab. Like most others and myself, we can get by just fine but see the massive potential if we didn't have to make any sacrifices for effects blocks.

    What do you (IT specialist) guys think about the "one profile rules them all" approach. Is this technically possible? Or is profiling such a unique "one state" thing. I don't believe so but I am no real specialist, of course. Imagine Because for me, personally, this is a must, if I even think of a successor. Cannot stop thinking about getting rid of those thousands of tiresime single profiles. Imagine to load 5 different amps in a performance with 5 slots, all of them containing the "whole" amp with all its gain stages at once. A new generation has to bring something groundbreaking to the table, IMHO. Something that is of real musical and practical value for the (gigging) musician, that cannot be merely justified with better routing, workflow or titty colours. Although the latter things are also quite important (marketing and emotional wise) of course. Imagine to just load "amps" like in the Helix but in reality to load Kemper profiles. All of them in only one block, visible in something like a Helix routing screen. Omg.



    I also heavily agree with what has been said here and above, more effects amps cabs etc. is cool and all but I'm definitely down for the new innovation and think both is the move ?

    We all agree that profiling itself, remote/stage, imprint/kone have been really cool innovation that is what has made Kemper, Kemper.


    Almost more importantly, we should see something that no one has done(again), is innovative and not a single person here has thought of or said or suggested.


    So that's my 3 cents for a hat trick, trick.

    1. Three times more of the stuff we already have.


    2. Something new we've thought of and asked for like synth's, mic inputs etc.


    3. Something really badass and new that no one will think of except for Team Kemper.

  • All,


    NXP replied to my request for information on the status of the DSP chip used in the KPA.


    From their reply, I would say that these chips will be economical to purchase for Kemper for several years to come. The bottom line is that the KPA is not in any immediate danger of becoming obsolete by means of chips being un-available.


    So .... that really brings me back to wanting Kemper to release a Mini next instead of a KPA successor ;)

  • Tube rigs will always be seen as "vintage" and "the heart of rocknroll" and this was and maybe will remain the biggest "attitude problem" of the digital guitar modeler. Sorry for stating the obvious.


    It is just not enough for digital tools to have become "as good as the originals" even if they offer "easier handling" and all that great things we KPA users enjoy so much. I have met so many guitar players which were obviously extremely impressed by the KPA but ...no way they would use it. Just no.

    Still many many players will tell us that "ok..sounds great,easy to use but still I feel better with my small boutique tube rig and my fav 5 boutique pedals.."


    The good ol' "rocknroll vibe" most don't get with a digital tool. You can't change that. For many folks sitting all week long in their office behind the desk with their laptop the tube rig still remains the last line of defence for their hidden rocknroll dreams.


    But give them new sounds,new vibes,new crazy experiences with sounds and things will change.It is very long ago that guitar players had that "jimi does his feedback orgies"-shock and all that "real electrification of the electric guitar" revolution.


    This was a very big thing in the late 60s. Maybe the biggest.This was the moment that whole distortion/overdrive/feedback thing started. That was the moment we still live today.Think about it.Its true.And this happened over half of a century ago.


    That's a long time.And it still is what it is until someone comes along and makes good use of modern technology to change that.

  • I think the technology is being made use of. Just not by guitarists.


    Synths sounds, digital beat making and laptop/tablet/phone music production?


    All kinds of cool stuff going on there. They often get dismissed as ‘not *real*musicians’, though.


    Meanwhile guitarists are mired in the past. Most often moaning “Wahhh…..it doesn’t sound exactly like (insert highly revered something-or-other) !!!


    Ned Steinberger quit guitars and focused on bass in part because electric guitarists stand on tradition WAY more than bass players.

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

  • Meanwhile guitarists are mired in the past.

    Ask a clarinet, bassoon, violin, cello, double-bass, french horn, player ... or even worse a triangle soloist. :D


    Honestly, I hear this a lot all the time, very specifically from guitar players themselves. No idea why that is, be happy and enjoy being a guitar player. If you want another instrument, go for it ... no matter if it's another traditional instrument or if you want to venture into new territory and explore options for a guinth (synth played with guitar strings) :D Guitarists already have a wide variety of "sounds" (instrument variations) to choose from while a clarinet is a clarinet that's a clarinet.