But I can see how that might clash with a more hyper-capitalist perspective where the goal is simply to maximize profit…
Nowadays most companies are just fighting to survive, the music instrument industry is not an exception, neither is Germany as a Country.....
Kemper had the opportunity for years to release a plugin, they didn't.
The bottom line is that now you need to buy the hardware to access the Kemper ecosystem and they probably want to keep selling hardware.
Without the specific chip used - it can’t work.
That’s not conjecture.
Yeah, yeah. I’m not going to tell Kemper what to do. I was just sharing my opinion, especially from a sustainability perspective and the idea of keeping the environmental footprint as small as possible. But I can see how that might clash with a more hyper-capitalist perspective where the goal is simply to maximize profit…
Maximize profit? They’ve given away thousands of dollars worth of software and updates.
Not to mention supporting a single version of hardware for what? 14 years?
If that isn’t sustainability, I’m not sure what is.
Maximize profit? They’ve given away thousands of dollars worth of software and updates.
Not to mention supporting a single version of hardware for what? 14 years?
If that isn’t sustainability, I’m not sure what is.
Sure, and that’s great for someone who bought a toaster 14 years ago, but not as great for someone who bought a stage 3 years ago.
Sure, and that’s great for someone who bought a toaster 14 years ago, but not as great for someone who bought a stage 3 years ago.
I bought a stage a month and a half before the mark two was announced.
Was I a little disappointed? Sure.
Life’s too short to get bent about stuff like this. It still sounds better than anything else I’ve ever used.
I bought a stage a month and a half before the mark two was announced.
Was I a little disappointed? Sure.
Life’s too short to get bent about stuff like this. It still sounds better than anything else I’ve ever used.
45 days only??? You might have used their money back offering and ordered an mk2.
45 days only??? You might have used their money back offering and ordered an mk2.
I wasn’t convinced it was worth the effort. Still not.
It was too late, anyway.
For me it was a year. I bought two units, a toaster and a rack. Should have started with the rack. I got a remote with the toaster so there's that. But the thing is I bought them used. I can still probably get 1/2 my money out of them.
Maximize profit? They’ve given away thousands of dollars worth of software and updates.
Not to mention supporting a single version of hardware for what? 14 years?
If that isn’t sustainability, I’m not sure what is.
Hey, I didn’t say it was black and white. In fact, the longevity — the fact that I can still use the same unit I bought back in 2013 — is actually what I love most about Kemper. I’m in this for the long haul 😄
I didn’t mean this as anything more than just a perspective in the discussion, really. It wasn’t meant as a jab at Kemper or as some kind of demand from my side. Just my own humble little opinion.
Of course, I also hope Kemper can provide this service because I also have MK1 equipment
But this is just a dream, buddy
Have you opened up a kemper? There nothing to it. If they offered a board to upgrade it would be basically the same as a new unit anyway. I for one would love it becasue I like white and have a white power amp in the back custom to the mark 1 shape. And I prefer the look of the mk 1.
It's a great thought, but a new Kemper MK2 Rack is $1,540 in the U.S. How much would any Mk1 owner be willing to pay for a "Mk2 upgrade" if you have to ship it to and from Kemper and pay for the install? Used Mk1 racks are going for around $600-$700 on Reverb. Hard to imagine Kemper could/would do an upgrade of electronics and sell it at retail for under $1,000 - otherwise it could be cheaper to buy a used Mk1 and have it upgraded.
Given everything I've read about the Mk2, OS14, RM 4.1, and the absence of V2 profiles, I'm in zero hurry to upgrade. My Mk1 Rack and Remote still sounds great and does everything I need, and the "extras" I'd like to have are not part of the Mk2 anyway, so no big reason to upgrade until things change ... a lot.
2.0 profiles translate with Mk1 very well!
Now that the Kemper Stage Mk2 has been released, I believe there should be an option for existing owners to upgrade by sending back their Mk1 unit and paying only the price difference. If the returned Mk1 is in mint condition, it still holds significant value and could either be recycled for materials used in manufacturing the new Mk2. This would be a fair and sustainable upgrade path for loyal customers.
Your best option is the second-hand market. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer trade-ins at this time for a variety of reasons.
As the manufacturer, any traded-in device would need to undergo thorough technical inspection and refurbishment, and we would also be required to provide warranty coverage for the refurbished product. The associated testing, repair, and support costs would make the process impractical and ultimately not very attractive for either side.
Unfortunately, offering individual components as part of a user-upgrade path will not be possible, as the components are not interchangeable between versions.
You mean, just ‘cause they *look* the same they aren’t?
Huh…digital components are weird.
/Absolutely MASSIVE sarcasm
I find this discussion a touch crazy....
This is so rare in any industry why are we thinking Kemper would do this. When a facelifted car comes out we don't expect the manufacturer to offer the parts to upgrade your current car?
This also doesn't mean the original is worthless. The first Whammy Pedal, TS808 etc are all called classics...
I'm surprised that after us asking for an upgrade, we get it and then people complain about it impacting the Mk1. To be clear, the MK1 is still a great unit giving amazing sound. I don't believe Marshall offered a circuit upgrade for their JCM800 to convert to a JCM900...and people always talk about the JCM800 and rarely about the JCM900.
The issues seem a little obvious:
1) The cost of the "upgrade" probably similar to a new unit - as was mentioned, this is the "engine" and the "shell" is probably a small part of the cost
2) Who would install? If for users, imagine the service tickets - "I did this and its now not working". No guarantee of quality of install. If sent back to Kemper I suspect the cost would be similar or the same as a new unit, given point 1.
3) It would confuse the second hand market, with boards and MK1 units with Mk2 hardware etc. Whilst not necessarily a big issue, it wouldn't be long before Temu fakes appeared etc.
Im not cynical to think this is somehow protecting profits, but about changing the whole model of what Kemper support. So its not impossible but would it be worth the hassle? If I was CK, I'd avoid it...
The MK1 aka "The Original" rocks! It's the user who needs an upgrade. 
I’m extremely happy with my mk1 toaster. It’s on 13.something firmware. I’ve never had an issue with it. I will not be updating the firmware on the toaster , nor on my rig manager anytime soon. . If or when I get bored with my current favorite profiles , I’ll just tweak some of the hundreds of free and paid for profiles stored on my laptop and my toaster…..just saying 
…. carry on ! 
I’m extremely happy with my mk1 toaster. It’s on 13.something firmware. I’ve never had an issue with it. I will not be updating the firmware on the toaster , nor on my rig manager anytime soon. . If or when I get bored with my current favorite profiles , I’ll just tweak some of the hundreds of free and paid for profiles stored on my laptop and my toaster…..just saying
I’m exactly in this camp. Love my Mk1 Rack and unless/until the Mk2 offers “must have” options, and especially until the OS stabilizes, I’m happy with what I’ve got.
