New to Kemper here. A couple of years ago I bought a Quad Cortex choosing it over the Kemper Stage based mainly on the UI and flexibility of signal path routing and ability to stack multiple drive pedal captures on the fly. It was a decision based upon feature set rather than hands on experience as I did not have access to an example of either device at the time.
When the Player was announced, I decided to jump on it as I wanted a good quality backup unit I could bring along to gigs and this was at a price point I could stomach.
So I spent a couple of weeks playing with it. I independently (I.e. without direct comparison) recreated versions of my gig presets on the Player with rigs based on MBritt profiles.
Then came the moment of truth. I set up a mixer so I could quickly switch between PA and my monitoring FRFR and an AB switch in front so I could directly compare on a corresponding preset to rig basis. The Player was the hands down winner across the board. Every single preset, I preferred the Player. With great power comes great responsibility I guess, and I seem to have let myself down on that front.
Next, I dialled in the Quad Cortex to sound more like the Player rigs and largely succeeded, in some cases preferring the Quad Cortex tone again. However, when hybrid picking, I still found the Player to be much more convincing as to playing a real amp than the Quad Cortex. There’s just a deeper responsiveness to it that you feel more than hear, which I suppose no YouTube demonstration could possibly convey.
Phew. So I let that sink in for a couple of days.
If the folks at Kemper intended the Player to be a gateway drug, well… today I listed my Quad Cortex for sale with the intention ordering a Kemper Stage.
