Unfair Kemper denial.

  • I thinks it's kind of rotten that the Guitar mag I read that names the gear the pros use seem to favor all these different tube amps and when listing their gear won't mention a Kemper but if you get a chance to see the artist's live setup many of them will be using a Kemper but no credit given. It's like they don't want to admit they are using one. Back when KPA came out and it was a shiny new thing it got mentioned a lot, but just like a Fender Hot rod Deluxe if enough people have something it's not as cool and different anymore. You rarely see pros brag about using some amp that commoners can get, they'll talk about their "custom" this or that (that you can't get because you're not special enough) or their handmade Magnazon XT amp etc. If I ever become famous they're going to have to deal with me reporting: Amp and effects: Kemper Profiler.

  • I saw an artist a few years ago performing and could see his Morgan amp behind him on stage but my eyesight wasn't good enough to see what was at his feet. About 4 songs into their set I saw a light blinking on the side of his amp so I took a picture then zoomed in to get a better look. On the ground behind the Morgan and just sticking out enough to see the tap tempo light was a toaster, the amp had no jewel light on, and a remote was at his feet. And the audience, a couple thousand teenagers with a few of us old farts that drove them there, the vast majority had no idea what the instruments or amps were or would have even cared if you told them. Maybe the Morgan was a backup 🤷‍♂️

  • Whatever. I haven’t noticed any real Kemper shame among pros. Amps are still very much alive, especially in studios, and gaining new popularity among younger people, in a similar way to how analog film photography has had a resurgence.


    Somehow that doesn’t neuter the ever-growing popularity of the Kemper and one can argue that it helps it in a symbiotic way, since the Kemper feeds on the traditional gear. By any measure it’s a [deservedly] hugely successful device. Nothing particularly deceitful about promoting a “vintage visual” in a stage show.


    Also worth noting; pretty much every sentence in the music magazines is a paid or quid pro quo promotion. As ever, the only way to assess a piece of equipment’s relevance in terms of our own music is by firsthand experience. And sure, nothing wrong with starting by emulating the rig of a hero that you’ve heard in real life.

    OP is right, it’s true that the Kemper has achieved “staple” status. At this point it’s ubiquitous, no longer a curiosity.


    So a decade in, I can’t help wondering what they’re gonna do next. I’m hoping for both tiny—a truly mini head reminiscent of toaster design but more like the weight and surface-feel of a high-end dslr—and then way more importantly, seamless integration with Macs, meaning daw plugin and freestanding software that both read .kpr files.


    I’m presuming a Kombo is in the works, which is cool. But if I can stick with the Kemper ecosystem inside of the Mac, then my hopes for future dev from Kemper is more about sound design and novel, or really ingenious, tools, like the amp parameters, ducking etc., and new sounds in general.


    People rightly focus on the “main event” of the Kemper, but I’ve always appreciated how—once it was proven that the old tones are indeed achievable here—that the mindset of this company has not been beholden to the enduring blinders associated with mainstream guitar consumers.

  • I guess conceptually they (and the artists) don't view the Kemper as the creator of the tone, but rather a way to capture the tone and let you conveniently recall it.


    No offense, but I give Reinhold Bogner, Fender, etc, and the older effects companies more credit for my guitar tone. I'm massively grateful for the incredible way that Kemper brings it all together and has let me achieve effortless control over everything.

  • I haven’t noticed any real Kemper shame among pros

    Whatever? Unless you get to see a lot of pro setups you probably wouldn't notice. I do. The manager of the 12,000 seat local arena used to be our lightman in the 80s and I get invited to go backstage and see the backlines of many big acts. I could write lists of artists using Kempers that make no mention of it in interviews about their gear. But as you said, it's likely sponsorship driven, but still unfair that proper credit isn't given anymore, not that Kemper needs anymore pats on the back, it's just funny how some people are when it's not a shiny new thing that you can't afford.

  • I take your point here although I don't think its that unusual in the world of endorsements etc. I have no idea BUT it might be to do with Kempers' stance on endorsements - artists get stuff for free, maybe Kemper doesn't do that????


    Bizarrely I feel the opposite...I preferred it when I had the new secret amp that was brilliant, now everyone has them :).

  • it's just a different flavor of bands having the "wall of Marshalls" behind them, with all or most of the cabs empty, and Champ or other small amp off stage providing their tone. Live performance is a show, and the backline and overall stage look is part of that show. If you went to see a rock band and the stage was empty except for the drums and the pedalboards (everyone using IEMs), a lot of folks would wonder what was going on (and you'd hear rumors of "backing tracks").


    I think for most touring bands the keys are what sounds great, what's reliable, and what's easily serviceable or replaceable if something goes down. Hard to argue that carry 2 or even 3 Kempers is pretty easy and guarantees the same sound.

  • Wolf doesn't hide his kemper here. Instead he shows it very well on the stage and he was one of the first or maybe even first one to use it on a record.

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  • Wolf doesn't hide his kemper here. Instead he shows it very well on the stage and he was one of the first or maybe even first one to use it on a record.

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    Because he was one of the first to declare how awesome Kempers are and in interviews he was proud to use one and didn't say he was using a Morgan or Marshall or something. He'd be the last person I'd expect would hide it.

  • I think we have to make up our minds. If we truly think the Kemper represents the true sound quality of the amp that was profiled, then we must accept that the amp company still gets credit for the sound. Because it is the sound of their amp after all.

    Kemper PowerRack |Kemper Stage| Rivera 4x12 V30 cab | Yamaha DXR10 pair | UA Apollo Twin Duo | Adam A7X | Cubase DAW
    Fender Telecaster 62 re-issue chambered mahogany | Kramer! (1988 or so...) | Gibson Les Paul R7 | Fender Stratocaster HBS-1 Classic Relic Custom Shop | LTD EC-1000 Evertune | 1988 Desert Yellow JEM

  • I think we have to make up our minds. If we truly think the Kemper represents the true sound quality of the amp that was profiled, then we must accept that the amp company still gets credit for the sound. Because it is the sound of their amp after all.

    Agreed - it doesn't take anything away from the Kemper. The most incredible printing press doesn't detract from the original artwork, but it isn't the art.


    That said, I believe the work Kemper have done to extend the capabilities of effects and profiled amps is innovative and incredible to use.

  • I think we have to make up our minds. If we truly think the Kemper represents the true sound quality of the amp that was profiled, then we must accept that the amp company still gets credit for the sound. Because it is the sound of their amp after all.

    That's why I got one, it's the only way an individual such as myself will get to experience such a vast collection of amps. Even if the profiles aren't 100% representative of each respective amp I'd never know the difference, I won't get the opportunity to ever play 99% of the amplifiers that have been profiled.

    And it's not just Kemper, I've seen several videos of bands playing live that blackout the logo of their amp with tape, and a couple that tape over the logo of their guitar when its obvious on both what they are. I won't speculate as to why it has been done because I haven't the foggiest idea of the reason, just an observation.

    One thing is absolute fact though, if anyone ever sees me playing live I'd probably hurt sales for the products I am using😂

  • Guitar magazines are just glossy brochures for the companies that pay for product placement and "reviews", so I wouldn't suggest fully believing anything you read in them.

    I don't. That's what my point in writing this that someone is not being honest either the artist, the mag or both. So did the artist say they play a Kemper and the mag ignored it or did the artist omit using a Kemper when asked? That's what I don't know.

  • I've seen several videos of bands playing live that blackout the logo of their amp with tape, and a couple that tape over the logo of their guitar when its obvious on both what they are

    To me that's just people that think they are more important than they are, like they don't want to grace anything with their signature like it matters anyway. Nobody really cares anymore anyway. The bare stages everyone does now look sterile and fake to me. IMO it was so much cooler when I went to see a band and they had their amps on stage, wires, tuner, echoplex,cabs etc. miked them through a P.A and went for it. Gave you a real backdrop to look at. The band was the entertainment, gear was the props not 15 monkeys dancing around the boring singer.

  • To me that's just people that think they are more important than they are, like they don't want to grace anything with their signature like it matters anyway. Nobody really cares anymore anyway. The bare stages everyone does now look sterile and fake to me. IMO it was so much cooler when I went to see a band and they had their amps on stage, wires, tuner, echoplex,cabs etc. miked them through a P.A and went for it. Gave you a real backdrop to look at. The band was the entertainment, gear was the props not 15 monkeys dancing around the boring singer.

    I think it's more of a business decision. If you're an incredible player, you want to ultimately have endorsements. So you put tape over the logo and if you're good/popular enough the company will pay you to take the tape off. 🙂

  • Off topic but most of us have been very fortunate in our lifetime to experience the analog to digital conversion. I embrace the digital technology, my whole life is practically conducted from a small handheld device, my vehicles are more reliable, my new heating and air unit has dropped my utility bill by 25 to 30 percent while keeping my home at a more consistent temperature. I put digital mixers in most of the av installations I've done in the last eight years and use them myself every week, there are lots of benefits.

    But on the flip side, give me a decent analog mixer and I can do change overs from band to band a little faster still. I'd love to have my 1976 Triumph Spitfire, can't get parts, hard to work on but man it was cool. I have a 45-50 year old AT&T rotary phone, still works, none of my cell phones have ever had such a good sounding receiver, and only 2 have made it 5 years. And amplifiers, my ears can't take it anymore and I'm old enough to know better as I don't want to damage my hearing any further, but take a guitar and a cord, plug into a valve amp and push it until you hit that sweet spot and it interacts with every touch and movement and vibrates every cell in your body..... very, very satisfying.

    I like and appreciate the new stuff, but in my mind it's always trying to live up to the old, but that could just be mental nostalgia on my part.

  • Quote

    How do you make these incredible paintings?

    "Oh well, I use Schmincke Mussini oil colours on Artina 3D Premium artist canvas and da Vinci Brushes. I must say, since I switched from Daler-Rowney brushes, my paintings have improved a lot. So much more depth."

    Read the above imaginary interview with a successful artist ... and try to notice how ridiculous our musicians' focus on gear brands actually is ;)

    If it's not clear enough, I could continue with writers/poets telling us which pens/pencils they use, hehe.

  • Magazines wants attention... sometines they are accurate and sometimes not. Old news and who really cares ?


    Since I bought my Kemper+remote+expression pedal and got proper profiles here from these fantastic and amazing guitar friends, I have never cared about other amps.


    And since the amazing game changing Rig Manager arrived it's been alot easier for me.
    As a studio producer making versatile kind of music, Im so grateful for my Kemper and I keep telling my friends :)


    Keep it up Kemper