How I saved my MK1 Kemper from obsolescence - The kNAMper

    How I saved my MK1 Kemper from obsolescence - The kNAMper :

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    As you may know, MK2 units have some new profiling going on, but our MK1 units cannot let us hear those great new 2.0 tones.

    I fount a workaround, as I don't want to sell my MK1. I bypassed all the STACK of my MK1, and went for a 100% NAM hardware unit , the sonulab pro ( use stock NAM models) inserted as dist LOOP ( works better this way). that little unit is only half the price of a LVL2 MK2 player !

    This way I keep all my great MK1 profiles & a brand new engine with NAM , as I always wanted to use KPA's great FXs with NAM.

    The dynamics are amp like , git vol pot response identical :o

    Here is the demo, it sounds much better and much less boring than 1.0 profiles to my ears :

    KPA fxs : dble tracker , CE1 chorus, trem & spring verb ,as well as input sense

    NAM :

    • Fender priceton Recording by Tor , check the huge versatility & dynamics of this one
    • JCM 8000 BMR 84'

    both models were free

    It sounds absolutely phenomenal, with the best of both worlds and I keep all my guitar ecosystem intact !

    My MK1 sounds just as good today as when I bought it 5 years ago. It's not the 2.0 I need to make me sound better -- It's me who needs to make me sound better.

    No one can argue to me that I need shiney new gear. All of my favorite guitar heros became famous playing broken down used gear.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

    I did the same with ToneX and Kemper (even accepting higher overall latency). My goal was to get rid of some (known) Kemper v1 shortcomings.

    After some weeks I realized I added compression to ToneX and had to later EQ more in DAW than before. Also the feel with ToneX wasn't as good. Kemper (mk1) feels more fluid, and has less clanky and more pleasant pick attack (with some of my favourite guitar picks).

    I still use ToneX sometimes for reamping, but I am back to my Kemper Toaster and loving it.

    When using with direct amp profiles and IR I get rid of most Kemper low mid congestion and some are spot on compared too real amp. Kemper sounds maybe a tiny bit more warm and polished - but I like it now! In the end it's all about personal preference.

    The only thing I would like added is something like the Fractal Dynacab feature, that works so easy and sounds good.

    That said, Sonulab seems to be a great tool too!

    Edited once, last by Ibot39 (April 2, 2026 at 7:44 AM).

    I find the whole NAM thing interesting...so I decided to dip my toe...

    I downloaded the NAM player for my DAW, and it sounds....good. Definitely sounds better than my Amplitube that I generally use for recording, but its very limited.

    I then saw that the Valeton GP50 is a NAM player and I grabbed one secondhand for £70!

    I then found:

    1) It doesn't play V2 architecture

    2) It doesn't play full captures, they have to be "lite or "feather"

    3) It doesn't play native NAM files, it has to convert to their own format

    4) I then found I couldn't get any to load at all....

    My point here is current solutions ( Kemper, Helix, Fractal etc.) are are already so good that improvements are really around that last 2-5%.

    For me, the hassle just isn't worth it, for live playing I want a fully sorted solution, and more "all in one box" where possible.

    Im up for playing around with stuff as a bit of fun, but not to drop a lot of money on dedicated NAM players just yet.

    NAM seems like a backend technology that could be used by complete solutions. I have no interest in trying to "get it to work" with other devices...

    Quote from V8guitar

    1) It doesn't play V2 architecture

    2) It doesn't play full captures, they have to be "lite or "feather"

    3) It doesn't play native NAM files, it has to convert to their own format

    4) I then found I couldn't get any to load at all....

    Ah too bad, they surely update the firmware soon, all your issues are related to NAM 2 format, and you need a device that'll load native NAM A2 files for the whole experience. You'll probably need some FULL rigs like (with CAB embedded)

    Be patient and you'll enjoy the true amp tones :)

    Quote from waraba

    Ah too bad, they surely update the firmware soon, all your issues are related to NAM 2 format, and you need a device that'll load native NAM A2 files for the whole experience. You'll probably need some FULL rigs like (with CAB embedded)

    Be patient and you'll enjoy the true amp tones :)

    I'll play with it a bit more but so far its still too much "in development" tbh. This is both the advantage and disadvantage of open source - Loads of platforms can adopt it but there is a disconnect between the underlying tech and hardware. Yes this can work ( eg. Android) but it still feels very early days.

    In other, but related news, I auditioned for a new band and needed a more bluesy sound, so I loaded up a Marshall profile and it was brilliant. Not sure if it was because it was a three piece or just because I used less gain, but one of the best sounds I've had. My Kabinet was thumping, loads of volume....and so I guess thats my point, straight out of the box and bang.

    I would love Kemper to include NAM conversion or native NAM files but TBH right now my MK1 is stonking!

    So I'm going to keep watching it and how it moves forward and tinkering on edge, whilst my KPA will remain my main live solution.

    I've been testing some NAMs and they sound neat. However, I can't get the hype with it because my user experience has been mixed.

    • It works nice with a dedicated VST player I've installed. Good.
    • Some captures (A2) crash Genome, my to go virtual rig, and it is a NAM loader!. Maybe not compatible with A2?
    • Valeton GP5 doesn't like no one of the NAM's I've tried with, maybe is related with you pointed about lite and feather, V8guitar . I'll take a look at.

    So, despite it's a promising technology, I'm afraid there's still a long way to go. Especially with the limited number of all-in-one devices available. And that's what I like about the Kemper; it does everything (without needing additional equipment) and it does it pretty well.

    Regarding the Mk1 series or classic profiles, I've tested both the classic and 2.0 profiles of the same amplifier. And I can get almost the same sound with the classic profiles simply by adjusting the equipment. The new technology is obviously better, easier, but it doesn't replace the previous one. I think there's a lot of obsession with having the latest and greatest, and half the time, we don't need it.

    Yes NAM A2 is still very fresh tech, and limited for live solutions with 2 great hardware solutions ( I mean good D to A converters ).

    But yes , finding a loading models for blues is often an excellent experience with NAM, Hendrix Tones for instance are really easy to achieve , whilst deceptive to reproduce on a KPA , the main factor , the instant feel is not there.

    Quote from Casuso

    I've been testing some NAMs and they sound neat. However, I can't get the hype with it because my user experience has been mixed.

    • It works nice with a dedicated VST player I've installed. Good.
    • Some captures (A2) crash Genome, my to go virtual rig, and it is a NAM loader!. Maybe not compatible with A2?
    • Valeton GP5 doesn't like no one of the NAM's I've tried with, maybe is related with you pointed about lite and feather, V8guitar . I'll take a look at.

    So, despite it's a promising technology, I'm afraid there's still a long way to go. Especially with the limited number of all-in-one devices available. And that's what I like about the Kemper; it does everything (without needing additional equipment) and it does it pretty well.

    Regarding the Mk1 series or classic profiles, I've tested both the classic and 2.0 profiles of the same amplifier. And I can get almost the same sound with the classic profiles simply by adjusting the equipment. The new technology is obviously better, easier, but it doesn't replace the previous one. I think there's a lot of obsession with having the latest and greatest, and half the time, we don't need it.

    I agree.

    I have tried nearly all variants of NAM on my GP50 with no luck so unsure what is going on there, but I paid £70 for it so Im not grumbling at all.

    Quote from vjau75

    Genome is not compatible with A2 for now. They are working on it.

    Genome 2.0 has been just released and supports A2

    • GENOME’s CODEX interface has been updated for better parity with the PARADEX GUI alongside the following feature, performance & workflow enhancements:
      • Support for the NAM A2 Format
      • Capture Model Browser with metadata support and search facilities
      • NAM Input & Output Calibration Support
      • NAM Output Normalization Support
      • Extended Input Gain Range Mode
      • Extended Output Level Range

    OMG this covers all the Kemper does , and their capture system is a kind of KPA liquid & NAM :o

    FX list is as rich as you can get , gotta try this asap

    unpopular opinion ....

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    Entertaining and some good points but...the pros and cons of open source remain. Without the join up with hardware its still fragmented and will take time to settle in.

    This is nothing surprising, once technology hits a certain point, then quality remains consistent and it prices drop and cheaper ways to access the tech are found...which is what is happening. It is interesting that the claims involve dismissing established tech - There were loads of kemper blind tests back in the day and few could tell the difference. We are saying that NAM can do that better?

    So what do guitar players do in the meantime? either work around the compromises or buy what is system ready. I'm not wasting my money buying a Kemper Mk2 stage, I'm buying a solution I can use right now, works and sounds amazing. By the time this really has an impact, I will have got my moneys worth already.

    I reckon a good hardware platform with pro support is what you need for live use, no doubt.

    Since A2 Came out, there is an impressive flow of VST solutions , with features I've been chasing for years.

    That man has done an incredible amount of work regarding the sorting of the profiles, with inner analysis in nerd mode , really something :

    it's basically a free stereo NAM amp with FX and much more , this is what a want for my KPA , a full VST with all the KPA & NAM ecosystem joined.

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    Quote from V8guitar

    Entertaining and some good points but...the pros and cons of open source remain. Without the join up with hardware its still fragmented and will take time to settle in.

    This is nothing surprising, once technology hits a certain point, then quality remains consistent and it prices drop and cheaper ways to access the tech are found...which is what is happening. It is interesting that the claims involve dismissing established tech - There were loads of kemper blind tests back in the day and few could tell the difference. We are saying that NAM can do that better?

    So what do guitar players do in the meantime? either work around the compromises or buy what is system ready. I'm not wasting my money buying a Kemper Mk2 stage, I'm buying a solution I can use right now, works and sounds amazing. By the time this really has an impact, I will have got my moneys worth already.

    Not sure if you're up to date, but tons of hardware vendors have jumped in recently. For clarity — my trusty KPA rack still sits on the desk, and I’m perfectly happy jamming on a single profile.