Do I have to worry about a 'Kemper 2'

  • Hi Kemper forum,
    Ive been lurking a while now, pretty set on buying a powerhead. I keep wondering though, will there be a new version soon after i get it? I know its been out for a while now, so its been nagging me. The update system is very nice though, so will this be maintained for a while as we know it?


    Thanks for the help, hope to join the club soon.

  • I would not bother. For one certain reason:


    The Kemper - as is now - is a fantastic sounding amp. IMHO there is no need to improve it. In particular there is no "faster, bigger hardware" needed, like you know it from modellers and so many other digital stuff. The Kemper still benefits from even better or more specialized sounds, just because there will be more and more profiles. And the people who profile get more experienced and creative.


    I would like to mention one exception: If your sound depends on certain and very specialized FX you should check what the Kemper can do right now. I think its great und sufficient. Some others do not. If you are from the latter kind then either trust in the new Version 5.x with more FX or look at the Kemper FX-Loop for external gear.


    From a "return of investment" point I could well imagine, that 2nd hand Kempers will be way more expensive then most other digital gear. (Any users with experience here yet?) Just in case you would like to get rid of it...

    Ne travaillez jamais.

  • Thanks for the replies folks, helped a lot. I may have just bought one... Most expensive thing ive ever bought, or even owned.


    Im not a massive effects guy, so I should be good Spinnerdeluxe.

  • Good choice & welcome!

    Gear: Strats & KPA. Plug Ins: Cubase, NI, iZotope, Slate, XLN, Spectrasonics.
    Music: Song from my former band: vimeo.com/10419626[/media][/media][/media] Something new on the way...

  • I am pretty sure that there will come another develop step of the Kemper.
    But till this happened you will have one of the best gear which are available now.
    And even than you will continue to have a gear you maybe never had before.
    The progress will not stop but if you wait for this you never can play ;)



    BTW: At the moment there are no signs that a hardware update is planned in near future.

  • I don't know how much power is already used, but I can easily imagine a future new Kemper that wouldn't make the current obsolete since it would use the exact same profiles.


    But it would have:
    - more power to have a profile for stomp pedals, two profiles for dual amp in parallel and two individual high res IR Cab
    - ability to store all IR, all profiles (thousands of them), in the unit without any need for external editor nor longer boot time
    - new UI with larger (touch?) display and improve layout for better browser (directly from the unit), with use of filter on brand, amp model, cab model, Developper, etc...


    Just a thought

  • Here's my take on that, if they do come out with KPAII I'm not getting one. Plain and simple, I don't need anything more than what I have in the KPA/Remote/2 Dunlop expression pedals. A dream setup for me!

  • Go for it.
    Kemper (company & gear) breaks current approach to business and electronics. You purchase something that is planned to live long time with new features and updates along the way. It is not the way we've learned, where after 2 year current incarnation is dumped and no more updates, because newer gear comes out sounding the same as previous :) but it is new :)
    And welcome to the community @Osmyrn!

  • There is very little that the Kemper can't do in a live rig today. It does "tube amp" better than anything on the market (including real tubes IMO since you can more easily tweak it to your liking).


    I believe that the Kemper original will be a viable product for as long as one can keep it working. When things work in the music industry, they stick around.


    SM58 anyone? Fender Blackface? Fender Strat? Gibson Les Paul?


    None of the above examples are technical marvels. They just do their job very well and keep doing their job .... so people keep buying them.


    Sure, you can do more with the idea the Kemper has. This will likely happen some time in the future; however, I can't see any compelling reason to change..... it just works beautifully. That's all I need in a gig rig.


    It takes me years to get good at a rig and to get it sounding how I like it on every song I do. I spent well over a decade with my VHT rig before the Kemper. It was a solid performer every night.... just heavy as all hell ;)


    We always want for more. That is the nature of GAS. I for one will be holding on to my Kemper for the foreseeable future. Perhaps in another 10 years I will feel ready to change things up again ;)

  • Thanks for the replies folks, helped a lot. I may have just bought one... Most expensive thing ive ever bought, or even owned.


    Im not a massive effects guy, so I should be good Spinnerdeluxe.

    It is even more expensive that it was at the "beginning" (1666E now) :D
    [Blocked Image: https://s29.postimg.org/w34j8s79z/eee.jpg]
    But it is a keeper for sure.
    I second @Jimmyno - when KPA2 arrives I will get myself second KPA to other room :D

  • I used to get most of my exercise from pushing my luck! Kemper was absolutely no risk at All.
    This IS better than conventional rigging in every way. Just the creative access alone is much more valuable than the cost.
    Even a purist would be cheating themselves not dive in head first into this. Kick ass and make the girls cry with the sweet stuff.
    Muddy 8)