Posts by MementoMori

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    Quote from Ruefus

    For me, dual amps is just asking “What have you done for me lately?” If it’s ‘missing‘ people will make a stink.


    If it’s so important, get an AxeFX or Helix if you want it in one box. Both provide that. Or buy a second KPA.

    Some people have been asking about it for quite a while, hence it comes up quite often. That's what consumer feedback is for.


    Also, the point in asking or wanting that feature is to not have to buy a Helix or Axe-FX, nor have to buy a 2nd KPA.


    These are things people have lived without before, but if its direct competitors offer the option and some people like them or find them useful/inspiring, why not ask and hope the KPA eventually offers it and you're able to create dual profiles in the future using your own setup. As creatives, we're always looking for more tools to help create unique and inspiring soundscapes.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    Quote from ckemper

    The XLR input has never been the only input for profiling. The TRS return input is in parallel to the XLR on Head and Rack. On the Stage we have the TRS only, but same functionality.

    Quote from Kemper Support #1

    The Profiler mode is the third mode which is activated by pressing the Browser and Perform buttons simultaneously. In Profiler mode the TRS input 1 is used to connect the microphone or DI box line signal.

    So where does the direct out from the Kemper into the front of the amp come out of, "Send 1"? Then the mic goes into the "Return 1"?


    Not being in the quick guide or the video, this could definitely use some specific explanation.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    Also, how does it profile? I don't see a direct out or mic return. Perhaps you need to internally change the I/O, but the 30 min video & the Quick Start guide on the site doesn't touch on it. The video also said there were 2 modes, Browse and Performance. The Stage page does say you can create profiles and earlier in this thread the admins said it was a "fully functioning Profiler".


    Would like to know if this is possible or a limitation of the Stage because it hasn't been touched on.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    Quote from G String

    that's not true. but you cannot know since you've only have seen a couple of photos and you simply don't know what's being used inside hardware wise. also, the Profiler was a continuous software development since it's first release 7 years ago. there were countless features updates. don't forget that. these days, the real value is in the software. and that's good for you because otherwise you'd have a legitimate reason to call it 7 years old tech.

    True, I don't know what's going on inside based on all in the info provided. The core of my point was the functionality mirroring the head/rack with some minute differences. Of course software upgrades are valuable, but that's a different matter. I wasn't suggesting the KPA is unchanged since 2012, only that its hardware limitations remain the same.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    Quote from HappyKemper

    I think this new kemper stage fits perfectly in kempers product line and in their longevity plan that other companies simply don't offer.

    None of us really know what their plans are. Christoph in an interview did suggest a "Kemper 2" would be necessary at some point.

    Quote from HappyKemper

    C.Kemper explained in an interview 2012-13 that even if a kemper 2 would come out in the future it would be back compatible with the previous kemper. Created profiles from kemper 1 will play on kemper 2 so all the hard work of profiling your amps will never be lost. Good luck with preserving the tones users spent weeks on creating on an Axe fx or Helix after many updates, and forget transfering your sounds to a newer model. All that hard work is wasted weeks. I 100% prefer kempers tone reliabilty.

    To my knowledge, the Axe-III allows you to preserve Axe-II and AX8 tones. There isn't a new Helix at this point to judge whether that is offered. All Helix series offerings are exactly compatible with the exception of the HX Stomp having fewer blocks.


    Having not owned one, I can't speak to past Fractal iterations preserving the sonic integrity of old presets. There are, however, options within the device to not allow presets to be sonically changed by firmware updates. So while Christoph's quote is a good thing in the event of a Kemper 2, it's not unique amongst competitors.

    Quote from HappyKemper

    Kempers "old tech" was said to be old even at launch 2012 when the CEO of Fractal said it was old already, underpowered, he had already tried this tech long ago and it was inferior in so many ways. Hoping he could get buyers to stay away from it.

    Comparatively speaking, I think he was right even if his point may have had some misleading implications. The difference is the Kemper isn't designed to do all the things an Axe-FX does, so it doesn't need all the same processing power. Christoph in the same interview you alluded to spoke of the limitations in processing power to accomplish some of the features asked of him, all of which are possible within an Axe-FX, if one so desired.

    Quote from HappyKemper

    Nobody believed it would be able to have these amazing reverbs and delays

    I don't think "nobody" believed that. People had been requesting complex delays and reverbs for quite some time knowing it was possible. Kemper themselves certainly never insinuated they were impossible to accommodate, either. Clearly not.

    Quote from HappyKemper

    The most important part for sound is great programing and algorithms, not which unit has the most powerful cpu.

    Certainly, but you do need more CPU to accommodate more ambitious options. Christoph admitted certain functions wouldn't be possible due to processing power with the current unit. Whether he finds it worth the time and energy, who knows.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    I'm sort of halfway here. On one hand the floorboard is a sensible addition, even if way too long overdue. On the other, there are definitely features and functions the KPA head-scratchingly lacks that could have been teased or incorporated.


    Basically, for your money you get a floorboard toaster and an extra FX loop. It's "repackaged" 7 year old tech. Would have been nice were some unique features included such as dual profiles, more FX slots, interface, Bluetooth, etc. For all the guys who don't want to "break their backs" bending down to tweak a pedal, imagine if it had Bluetooth and an iPhone app that you could make quick adjustments to in your palm.


    None of which is the end of the world, just feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity to improve on the old design. Without that, I'm curious what took so long.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    Quote from mybyte

    They could've said a year ago: look guys, we are working on a floorboard version. It's going to come out in 2019. Be fucking upfront about it.

    The only good reason that comes to my mind why a manufacturer wouldn't announce a new product in advance is selling the remaining stock if their old product. Which is a relatable business decision, but not customer friendly.

    You must not know Kemper very well. Even I've known about the floorboard for a while, which Kemper would neither confirm nor deny, same with the editor. That's just how they operate, as frustrating as it can be.


    Besides, they aren't offloading their current stock. They're still making heads/racks. The Stage looks to be simply a different form factor with no hardware/software changes.


    As consumers, we have to accept that sometimes when we buy in "late", new formats may be just around the corner. No sense in getting upset about it.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    Quote from spark240

    Agree- but sadly I reckon the Head and remote setup are doomed and will soon become worthless.


    Why on earth would anyone pay more than this for a toaster now?....Hope they dont have loads on the shelf

    Couldn't disagree more. Different options for different needs. Guys who do studio/pro audio definitely would favor the head or rack unit. No need for a floorboard, plus the added space it takes up. Touring acts carting around racks with automated changes would favor them over a floorboard, and perhaps at most a Remote with a single cable going behind them is more ideal.


    The AX8 didn't kill the XL+. Even though the Helix floorboards sell far more, the Helix rack's still sell respectably last I saw.


    There are uses for the floor unit and the head/rack configurations. It's better to have options that serve a wide array of needs.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    Quote from mybyte

    I'm kind of pissed because this wasn't announced in advance. I would've preferred an all-in-one floorboard to a rack plus remote. This one is cheaper and needs less space. Now I've spent literally a grand more on a product that I like less half a year before the preferable product is being released that simply wasn't announced.

    Kemper has no way of knowing when individuals are going to order, and if you'd even want a floorboard instead of the rack + remote (some don't). And I'm sure they'd prefer to announce right as they are about to ship. No sense in getting pissed, nothing nefarious happened. Any time a manufacturer releases something new, somebody who just purchased is going to wish they'd waited. No perfect solution to this.


    The good news is you can likely sell them and get close to what you paid for and get the Stage, or return them if still within the return period.


    There are also some advantages of having a rack + remote, like being able to keep the core of the KPA behind you at a gig with only 1 cable running to the back instead of potentially 4 or more. When you're not on stage, the rack would certainly be more suitable for the top of a desk, amp, etc, to tweak and profile. It's not as if 1 is completely better than the other.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    Quote from marzzz

    I don't think my back could handle getting down on the floor to program the Stage version.

    Hence the forthcoming desktop editor. Besides, nothing stops anyone from setting up their patches on a desk ahead of time, as most floorboard users have done for quite some time.

    Quote from marzzz

    I'll predict that if the Kemper Stage is cheaper than the current price of the Profiler or Rack, we will see a corresponding drop in price of those models.

    Perhaps, though it's certain to affect the resell value of used racks, toasters, and remotes. Some here often deride that (when it comes to other devices), but I don't see it as a bad thing. Those on the used market will have an easier time getting a KPA if that were the case, and it's a natural sign of growth and development. Besides, if people don't plan on selling their Kemper's because they're happy as a clam with no reason to change, I don't see the preoccupation with resale value.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    Quote from Ruefus

    Standard bearer for total sales.


    I suspect there are more Fractals and Kempers on-tour than Helix.


    All of which means....squat.

    Agreed. Kemper users are often preoccupied by what is “more pro”, but while brand perception is absolutely aided by professionals and influencers, professionals don’t keep anybody in business alone; it’s the consumer, or prosumer, or whatever you want to call them. That is the market, for better or worse.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    If the original point was that Kemper are frontrunners in the market, I was simply pointing out that sales say otherwise. The Helix is the current standard bearer, floorboard or not.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    Quote from Ruefus

    I disagree that Kemper couldn’t compete. *If* that were their goal. Line6 has traditionally courted pro-sumers. Not out and out professionals..


    In contrast, Fractal and Kemper have both aimed at professionals. Pro-sumers certainly buy Fractal and Kemper products (I did).


    The Helix is obviously Line6’s best unit to date. But I believe they intended to court others. The floor model first seems to demonstrate that.

    The Helix came out to compete directly with Kemper, Fractal, and the other top-shelf modelers. The lower tier was reserved for the POD series stuff.


    Regardless, sales is sales. Plenty of professionals have been using the Helix as well, so it’s not as if it doesn’t qualify. More average consumers have them due to price point and diversifying their range in a way other companies just can’t.

  • Profiler Stage Introduction Thread

    Quote from Finally

    They're arguably the market leader, so they should be able to attract a premium price.

    The Helix has outsold it in the modeler hemisphere for quite a while, in part because of the floorboard configuration. The other bit is it’s sonically great in its own right and the power of Yamaha’s manufacturing created a price point and options a small company just can’t compete against.

  • Dave Friedman’s view of kemper.....

    Quote from karlic

    I didn't have you down for a troll, but sometimes it seems like people are demanding a lot from a small company trying to get our latest update through with an editor.


    What about simply putting your phone up and recording the process you use for profiling. Maybe there is an easy mistake to spot and this would help many people. Whenever a profile has not sounded right, I have been back a few times and worked out the issue. Only direct profiles are less accurate for me.


    Also I generally ignore the refining process and only try that if the profile doesn't come up to scratch.

    I mean, I never made a demand of anything. My video idea, at least to me, seemed pretty uncontroversial as a suggestion. I could record my profiling process, but it’s literally the Kemper direct out into the front of the amp and a single SM57 back into the Kemper. It’s the most basic and straightforward way of profiling per Kemper’s manual.