Opinion - 2024 Kemper Deal Breakers?

No feature will convince to give up on the Kemper tone. I'll work around the rest

I tried the Helix, it's awful for anything above clean level. I agree with Kellerblues that there is nothing that would replace the Kemper. Not even a Fractal with an A. I. sex-bot.

Personally, there is nothing that I know of that I want from the Kemper. Having said that, I didn’t know I wanted Kone Imprints, Kemper Drive, Kemper Fizz, USB audio, USB Midi or Liquid Profiles. But now that they are all here I’m happy to have them.

If there was any one thing I would love to have, that isn’t there at the moment, it would be the ability to have more than one morph assigned at any given time. Alternatively, a wet mix pedal option. Both of which would allow me to assign a pedal permanently to Delay and/or Reverb Mix and ride this in real time without tying up Morph so that it could be used for other things.

Would this make me look at changing systems to something else. Absolutely not. I am firmly of the belief that all of the current digital systems are high quality products that are capable of more that I could ever need. Therefore, I would rather commit to one of them (I went for Kemper) and learn to use it inside out rather than jump around from system to system and never really fully learn any of them. Time spent learning a system and how to achieve the results I want is time I could spend working on my playing (tone, vibrato, phrasing, melodic and harmonic ideas etc) which ultimately will make me a better musician that any piece pf gear ever will.

Quote from BayouTexan

Not even a Fractal with an A. I. sex-bot.

Well it has finally happened. We knew this day would come. I have to disagree here.

I would love the ability to self profile. Get a profile, EQ it up and get it just right then profile that so you get all your stomps back. But nothing that is a deal breaker.

I am not tempted by any other solution because:

1) I have no "advanced" needs and so it does way more than I need anyway

2) It sounds great already, zero complaints on sound

3) No other solution has a built in power amp

4) No other solution has a dedicated monitor

I might be tempted by a stage or player into a powered Kabinet, but otherwise no.

For me it's pretty simple , allow third party open source modelers like NAM & proteus in the amp block , just like genome just did with their software : you can run NAM within the vst , replacing the current amp sims they offer. NAM sounds better than the KPA to me and models all pedals with ease. a NAM model is around 300K , a KPA model is 6K , there must be a reason for the higher precision of a NAM model.

I don't know if it's ever possible with the actual KPA DSP , but it would sure be in a KPA2.

I'm actually building this dream rig around a NAM micro PC, a SSL2 running thru a KPA loop, I'll disable the KPA amp & cab stack and benefit from all the KPA has to offer.

Personally, I can't think of a deal-breaker situation.

The Kemper has always appeared 'limited' by the feature set around its core competency - the amp and cab. Their approach always has been unconventional. Even for Germany. Wanting them to 'hang' more advanced stuff on it that deviates from it's core function. I agree that MIDI PC and CC would be nice......but it's a nice-to-have for most.

The amp and cab sections is where the Kemper (IMO) buries everything else. The amp editing is unlike anything I've seen. Simple but insanely powerful. The Quad Cortex is.....neanderthal-primitive in comparison. Especially with the amp controls. The time based effects? Well....yeah, it has them.....but (IMO).....ewe.

Quote from waraba

300K , a KPA model is 6K , there must be a reason for the higher precision of a NAM model.

I'd be careful equating file size with anything. The microprocessor in the KPA is integral to the process. The code was written *for* that specific processor and according to CK, won't work on anything else without significant changes (if not a complete re-write) to compensate. NAM can run on pretty much any silicon because it has to.

It could be that its not a lot different than Apple's hardware specs vs Android (or MacOS vs Windows). An Android phone can (and frequently is) more powerful than what Apple uses. At least on paper. The tight integration of silicon and code negate (and often surpass) raw horsepower.

Lastly - 'better' is subjective. Some find Fractal to be the pinnacle, some Line6, Tonex.....NAM.....Kemper.

Let Mr Kemper write some assembly code or recompile the NAM open source code like he did with the original KPA profiling algo

Colour

My Kemper rack is described as 'black'. Its clearly green.

Fortunately the amp sounds make up for this.

No deal breakers.

There are things i wish for, but since i’ve been gigging with the Kemper for 8ish years, it would be contradictory to speak of deal breakers.

Some people always have to have something new to keep interested. Many do so they can tell everyone that doesn't have the new thing how great they are and what they are missing. When everybody has one, people stop talking about them and then search for the next new thing. That's why you won't hear of people waxing on about their new Hot Rod deluxe, It's not "special" enough.

The features I need are a killer amp and FX with portability. With Kemper, its done.

What is the purpose of a new interface and devices to make sounds from Plexi's, Tweeds, and AC30s? If a profile is indistinguishable from the "real thing", how can that be improved?

Quote from Ruefus

I'd be careful equating file size with anything.

For sure. I have had many past units that had big filesizes for backups that the Kemper would blow away easily in every way excluding using up data. One of the most amazing things (to me) about a Kemper is how small the backups are. It's genius, really. It's an amazing guitar amp in many ways.

Hang more doo-dads on it.

The Profiling process hasn’t appreciably changed since the initial release.

The rest of the world took this time to catch up.

“Improve on” depends on the ears. Like preferring the sound of an SM57 or 58 or a Royer or…..

Quote from waraba

I'm actually building this dream rig around a NAM micro PC, a SSL2 running thru a KPA loop, I'll disable the KPA amp & cab stack and benefit from all the KPA has to offer.

That sounds fun but personally, I'd rather twist a chicken head knob , get an awesome tone then spend more time on my chops.

Quote from Dynochrome

That sounds fun but personally, I'd rather twist a chicken head knob , get an awesome tone then spend more time on my chops.

Believe it or not , but I twisted knobs for 12 years to get a inspiring Hendrix tone without being 100% happy , it took me a few hours of NAM to get to this point using a free dirty Shirley model. I love my KPA but I cannot achieve certain tones like I do with NAM , I get a better feel & mojo. I also get the germanium fuzz pedal buffer guitar interaction that my old KPA does not handle.

But I like the KPA ecosystem a lot and cannot really live without now

Not a deal breaker, but I would have loved a fully-featured 1u rack, or small package with all the current connections. The screen could easily be dropped these days and it would be a lot easier with air travel being so restrictive.