i have really enjoyed this thread and respect all the opinions in it. I have been trying to think through stormhenge ’s argument that it is a foregone conclusion that a closed ecosystem DRM world will kill Kemper etc. No matter how I play it out I just can’t find a scenario where her doomsday scenario happens. Only time will tell but I certainly hope the DRM model isn’t the future.
I think you are right about DRM and don't worry about this scenario myself. Not much effort has ever been made to protect music from piracy, so I doubt a huge change is likely to be made here. Most decent Kemper users observe the rules and support profile makers anyway.
Personally I spent hundreds of pounds on the hope of finding the perfect profile before realising I could make it myself. They never sound as you expect after hearing another guitarist demonstrate.
Also, if we are talking about amp manufacturers, I think the cabinet is most of the sound anyway. On one album we couldn't remember which was the 6505 and which was the Powerball after recording.
Artists that made a stand against piracy simply got a bad name in the process, even if they were trying to protect less well off musicians. So Kemper will likely continue as it is and not get involved in an argument against the majority of its customers.