Lehle’s website is really good for questions like that. Better than most:
No one ever seems to realize that two different products that serve the same or similar purpose can, will and do exist. That's like saying Toyota's new (whatever) is a Honda (whatever) killer.
Fender has been committed to digital amps for over 20 years. The Cyber Twin was released in 2001. Line6 went from laughingstock and second-rate to a zero-apologies line of products. I see no reason Fender can't do something similar. It sure looks like they've been working towards it for some time now.
If you want to see a bunch of people losing their collective minds while speculating about Fender's new folly, go to the Gear Page.
14 pages and just 24 hours old.
"Impressive. Most impressive."
He forgot to say "above the Kemper and not as good".
Liquid Profiling blows them away by miles. I think Fender should stick to guitars and amps. I've never heard anyone consider their effects department as "high end" or above mediocre except for maybe their spring reverb. Prove me wrong.
I gigged with a Mustang 3 for a good while and regret nothing.
Fender’s modeling has never been anything to really sneeze at. Their effects pedals have flown under the radar, but are quite good.
Their hurdle will be getting people to stop thinking they only do amps and guitars. That hasn’t been true for a while, but no one really noticed.
Just sayin':
Seems like a normal evolution for a company aware that the market is shifting.
Yeah...it's pricey. Not so much that I'd be totally off-put and pick something else. If its built like their pedals (as in - like tanks).....OK.
Touch screen - encoder knobs/footswitch (Quad Cortex)......small form factor, a mic-in (suggesting profile-ish possibilities). We know they have excellent effects with the pedal line they've built over the years. Sophisticated I/O.....yeah. Ain't gonna be cheap.
Even some humbuckers can get noisy with neon and fluorescent lights. You're more likely to run into fluorescent fixtures and not even know it.
One location at my church had fluorescent lights in the room. My single coil telecaster *hated* that room. I would ride the volume knob or pedal and still get so much noise I wanted to scream.
I switched pickups not specifically because of the noise (though that was part of it). I went to a set of Fishman Fluence pups, which are active and as quiet as a tomb regardless of what's floating around.
Also....make sure your phone or other device isn't in close proximity. Not even active pickups can ignore that crap.
Well what do you think? Curious.
So I finally took the time to sit down with the profile and play. I really dig it.
I swapped out the cab, but other than that left it pretty much alone. Very snappy and isn't nearly as fussy about gain pedals as the '67 Champ.
Sounds best with just a bit of hair on it. 
The manual does a good job of explaining what each parameter does.
I wouldn’t mind additional compressor-type options either.
Unless they ask for it, sending a hotter signal to FOH will piss off the person behind the desk. Just like turning the real amp up - it screws up other things.
If you want your guitar to stick out - a better option would be to have a midrange booster of some type handy. Or, morph the midrange/presence/EQ curve to bring the sound forward.
Turning up the volume (usually) isn’t the best answer.
That's very cool!
Don't sell yourself short. Yeah....the Kemper helps a ton, but the player still needs to pick the right sounds, configure them and actually play the guitar with competence.
As the saying goes "It's not the tool, it's the craftsman." We all know someone with top-shelf everything.....and they still manage to sound horrible.
There is no 'best'. There just isn't.
Lots of people love MBritt. Others like ToneJunkie. No disrespect to either of them, but I've never found a 'keeper' with either of them.
The rig packs on Rig Manager give you a ton of options to try different profile makers. You absolutely do NOT need to spend money on profiles to get the best out of the Kemper.
As above, no. MIDI over USB isn't currently supported.
It might be added in a future update. All Kemper has said is equal to "Maybe. Maybe not."
Monitor out to:
- Power-amp in (could be a standalone amp, or into the effects return of a guitar amp), into speaker cab
- Active speaker (monitor etc)
- Main outs to PA/FOH, fed back through IEMS/Monitors
There are a variety of pros and cons, to any set up but those are pretty much most common ways to go about it.
There are three of them. One super low gain, one @2.5 and one @3.5 I really like the one @2.5 with the way you suggested, I like a tiny amount of smooth drive in my clean so it doesn't "spank" and "flap". Was having a blast jamming on it. It IS good.
I implore you to try the MB-/13 JRT915 84 3. Please let me know how you think these compare, everyone's different. I still think the /13 is the best I've tried.
Really glad you like it!
I'm definitely going to try the /13 out. Probably later today. I'll report back.
I do remember that one, I'll check it out again. Try the /13 I'm talking about and see if it "beats" it. I recall there's 2 in factory content, it's the lower gain one. Sorry I'm getting off topic again.
Off topic? Huh? What were we talking about?
Will do - FYI on the Champ. The cab stinks, so I pair it with a 12" Jensen (think Deluxe Reverb) or a 412 Marshall with Greenbacks. Both work for me. I also stick a treble booster in X, tone at 4 to 4.9, mix to taste (super low, usually. Right now its at 10% and does just enough to my ear).
I'll definitely check out the /13.
I never max the amp. I'm using a 200watt model similar to and from the same manufacturer for the one in the Kabinet.
My ears would bleed if I turned it all the way up (and could tolerate the pain.)
What output are you using to feed the Kabinet? It should be Monitor Out. That should be your volume control with the boost and knob on the Kabinet less than halfway up.
Not sure if it comes loaded, but its on Rig Exchange by HAYS.
The famous AC20 is good too.
I know a ton of people like that profile. I've always been kinda "Meh..." on it.
I've even forgotten what they are...
I know what my clean tone amp is (67 Champ). Has been for a long time despite my efforts to find another sound. I end up back with the Champ after finding a sound, thnking "That's it!!".....only to go back to the Champ and realize "Nope. Not even close."
Other may not like it, but with some minor tweaks? Glorious.
For dirt, it's been a H&K Tubemeister 18, or a Marshall SLP...or something Marshall...... I think. Sometimes I'll look at the amp section and think "Huh....that's what's in there? Interesting?"
