Sold kemper after conducting comparisons to newer devices and my amps. I'd comment on the thread about cortex, but can't anymore. If mods think this doesn't belong here, feel free to delete.
So here's a note, since such topics came up on quad cortex thread.
I've conducted many tests with kemper. Some tests focused on the effect of multiple distorting stages on profiling accuracy. With significantly distorting multiple stages, I've illustrated how you can get a "cocked wah" effect.
Kemper is not intended to profile such tones. This isn't controversial considering such information is in the manual. Such tests were never some kind of a "gotcha". Just interesting tests to me personally and potentially helpful to others. I've had people contact me about lowering master vol by 0.5 points and getting proper results, unaware of the limitation. Exagerated"cocked wah" issue does not happen when all goes well through profiling.
That said, there's certain rare amps which work in a manner that result to a similar issue like multiple distorting stages can. This is so even if you aren't running preamp + power amp distortion. I've had that happen with kraken, an amp you see on Rabea's test video, per my testing diary (there's been so many different tests through the years, with different units, it's hard to remember).
I've also seen the same with a marshall preamp. Some times this is setting dependent, others it is not. But it's not a "typical" profiling case and isn't what you normally expect from kemper. It's more rare.
I feel that should be noted. It's arguably a limitation some would be better off without, but nonetheless.
(Btw if you see youtube influencer tests, it makes sense not to just assume they are super proficient in testing, or even know kemper well enough, for that matter. Some times mistakes happen, some times people just aren't as experienced for a given task, but folk assume they must be; other times people are fairly proficient but happen to be unaware of a given factor; and in some cases people draw much more radical conclusions than the tests point to, confusing the methodology itself. Bad intent or even intent determined by cash is imo somewhat less common than may be assumed).
Furthermore, kemper profiles having a more "ts" quality than my profiled amps is a separate issue I'd claim to see. It should not be confused with the former. Apparently now people use "cocked wah" to describe that as well, but I feel a distinction should be made.
I do believe kemper is slightly more TS focused compared to source (my amps). I don't feel that any amount of testing or experimentation of mine would help settling much of such disagreement here. If you believe this hasn't been illustrated publically, with proper methodology, perfectly fine. We probably have deeper disagreements about methodology from some point on, too.
Michael Nielsen doesn't disagree with me about the "TS" focus, btw. If anything, he's often talked about it. Sinmix doesn't disagree either. The list isn't as short as some may assume. In some circles, it's more or less what we've come to expect from kemper -- for a long time -- and has often been a reason why people preffered the profiled tones. Results of relevant tests have even helped players like Leon Todd improve their kemper tones.
But I would not argue about some exagerated cocked wah effect through profiling working as intended. That's absolutely a much more substantial effect than what I claim to have experienced/expect from profiling my most common amps. If kemper gave you the exagerated cocked wah sound from typical profiling it would have been extremely obvious and very easy to spot for most people, either through blind tests or even blind feel + sound tests, which are also possible to conduct, and good for nuances.
There's no way the device would be as acclaimed as it is.
Which is to say: I don't feel it's fair to paint kemper with a broad cocked wah brush. And on my end, pls don't confuse what my own testing has/has not been, as some of you here have followed such progression elsewhere.
Cheerios and don't be too scared of the cocked wah! Goodbye from me!
Also: kemper doesn't go bad because of cortex coming out. Like, really. It's ok to keep using kemper. Not everything is about matching some "pro" ideal either (no, I'm not saying "pros don't use kemper", deep breath pls, deep breath, for some). And, as much of a truism this is, nothing is perfect, including fm3 and quad cortex.
(Ok, i think you meant stepping on the unit with both feet at once. Seems like these would still be some massive feet tho).
