Are you comparing them at the same volume?
I'm comparing at near the same - the amp in the room and the Kemper through monitors and in-ears. I'm listening for how the gain structure and tone changes with the volume coming down. The profile is not bad by any means, it's just not as responsive to picking and volume as the amp.
I sold my Stage MK I to pick up a Stage MK II. Based on Kemper's past performance, I am happy to wait for the 2.0 update. My Stage MK II sounds every bit as killer as my MK I did. And now I have the hardware in place for future updates. I have flirted with the Quad Cortex, and while it is a great unit, I spent most of my time with it wishing that it functioned more like my Kemper. The Morph feature alone is worth the price of admission. No other unit allows you to do that. Preset changes are instant. No other unit does that. Read that again. In 2026, Kemper is the only company that provides seamless preset changes. No dropouts, just instant change.
People can complain about the lack of a touch screen. I actually prefer the Kemper's screen. It is much easier to read on a stage. The effects in the Kemper world are outstanding. Light years better than anything the Neural DSP has release yet. When Kemper rolls out a new firmware, I don't have to go through all of my presets to see which ones are not messed up (cough... AFX...cough). There is a reason that major touring musicians choose to use Kemper products. They work. They sound consistently great night to night.
Will 2.0 be earth shattering? I don't know. But I'm willing to wait and see. What I do know is that every time I fire up my Kemper it sounds great.
Your comments echo my experience with QC as well. The effects were fine, but nothing great. The amp profiles just still sounded more digital to me whereas the Kemper sounded more like the real thing. Kemper has more of a 3D sound if that makes any sense.
I will say - I don't need a touch screen, but when it comes to the Player - for me, you could've wiped the entire line of rig buttons and tap tempo and gave us a "narrow" lcd display with the rig name and effects on/off. But that's a separate discussion.
Anyways, we'll see what 2.0 is and more importantly how dynamic and responsive it is - go from there.
Guys - just do it the right way. For the Player, follow support's information to use the Crux with the DC7. For the Stage, power it like normal with the IEC cable.
I can tell you the guys at a show that struggle with gear the most are the one's who always have to find another way to do something. It just leads to more problems.
I have found Tone Junkie profiles to be too bright and brittle in my specific setup. I'm guessing it's the rig he uses to capture and test the profiles compared to what I use.
In fairness, it is rare that I don't tweak a profile at all. Usually I put Definition between 4.5 and 5.0, Tube Shape between 5.0 and 7.0. But hey - that's just the way I prefer it.
My preferred sources are MBritt and Matt Fig.
Chi va piano, va sano !
I don't know how Kemper could make "significant progress in tone" as it's already really good, it'll more an "improvement" IMO....
But i agree, Mark II are limited by the same hardware....
The tone isn't the issue for me at least. I'd like more response and dynamics from 2.0.
Also, I agree on the effects chain - Kemper locked themselves in with the MK2 physical buttons. I really, really wish they would've open it up and let us decide. You can even keep the 8 block setup; just let me choose what goes where (how many blocks before, how many after the amp).
Display MoreSorry but who is interested in a null test?
I can understand if someone is missing his own specific well known analog amp as a digital clone, looking for a system that can provide it.
Those are waiting for 2.0 (me too).
The rest is looking for an amp sound and a professional way to gig with it.
Or am I wrong?
I'm with you; I don't care about a null test. I also don't care how fast this thing boots up.
I care how it works when I'm at rehearsal and on stage. I care how it reacts when I play. The end.
The more time passes, the more I'm looking at the competition.
This is an understandable view for sure. My biggest gripe in the last few months was if you bought an MK2 you are likely stuck with it because no retailer will take an electronic product back after months. Ultimately, we have to make our own choices when it comes to the products we buy and support.
I will say I've looked at the competition. The other platforms still have more of a digital sound to me. They still, even with their updates, sound like something trying to emulate a tube amp, trying to sound like the real thing.
I can tell you I profiled my amp over the weekend and it just doesn't respond the same with the Kemper profile. It's not as dynamic and not as responsive to picking and the volume knob of my guitar. Two things I'm hoping MK2 helps with.
Question for everyone. I want to run a Source Audio Collider after my Kemper Player. The outputs on the Player are 1/4" TRS - balanced signal. But the inputs and outputs of the Collider (and most pedals) are 1/4" TS Mono - unbalanced.
Do I then need to add a DI Box after the Collider to run to our S16 stage box (XLR in)? I typically run (2) 1/4" TRS to XLR cables from the Kemper Player to our snake box (XLR).
I'm questioning how to connect from the Collider to our S16 Stage box.
I didn't realize you can press down to adjust a second parameter.
How were you powering the KPP?
Using a Cioks DC7 into a Cioks Crux. Plenty of power.
Can we get the option to adjust the parameter of our choice with the FX1 and FX2 knobs? I assigned a drive pedal to FX1 thinking the knob would then adjust the gain - it didn't. It just adjusted the volume of the drive pedal.
Hello all,
I was at rehearsal last night and connected my iPhone 15 Pro to my Player via Bluetooth to stream audio for our IEMs. Wi-Fi on the unit was off - only using Bluetooth. The Player crashed three separate times. All lights would go off, guitar tones were gone, Bluetooth audio was gone. I had to keep rebooting this thing.
Is there any update on this issue? I know running Bluetooth and Wi-Fi together causes issues, but this is just Bluetooth.
If it is impossible to tell the profile from the original on a recording/through a P.A how much better can it or does it need to get? I have had Fender Tweed amps, "Plexi" Marshalls, 800's, ENGL, EVH, Blackstar etc. etc. and I wouldn't trade my profiler for any of them that I have or no longer have if I had to use it for performing and not just as a collector piece.
Kemper themselves have stated there's a marketable improvement in the dynamic response of the profiles as well as the accuracy. For me, profiles can be all over the place depending on the mics, preamps, and skill of the person doing the capturing. Some profiles are indistinguishable, some are close, some are not close.
There have been several comparison videos showing that while people prefer the sound of the Kemper, the captures can vary substantially. You can search for an Andertons video on YouTube comparing the captures of Kemper, Tonex, Nano Cortex, and a few more - Kemper was not the same, but they preferred the sound of it. Even Michael Britt has stated Kemper seems to polish the captures during the process.
But - we are all speculating and once 2.0 is released, we'll know for sure.
Is it the nice tweaking that you hear or really the new profiling 2.0? Because in the other video with the untweaked profile the dynamic response seems not as good. Or what do you think?
I'm just using my ears at this point, not very scientific. Also, dynamics are a product of both the guitar/amp and the player. I think you just need to wait to try it out to really know.
Have you tried playing around with Bright Cap Intensity on Mk1 yet? I have an unresolved thread where I have problems with Liquid profiling and low gain. I experienced in this context that reducing Bright Cap did compensate for a too spikey tone and the feel and respond on neck pickup was way better too. But it was not nailing the exact accurate amp tone anymore.
I accepted that the actual Kemper Mk I profiling sometimes sounds spot on. Sometimes close enough. Sometimes (with tweaking) different but alse very good.
I have not messed with bright caps and honestly, I do not really use liquid profiles. My main bands I'm in with the Kemper is two bands copying songs. In this case, I pick a profile that matches as best as possible for that song and so on and so on. I don't run the same amp all night and adjust things like gain and EQ.
I think it's important to remember Kemper doesn't have a "sound" per say (though some say it's a mid-heavy compressed sound, I'm not so sure) - the unit is as good or bad as the profile and recording gear used to do so. Use a garbage mic, get a garbage sound. For me, if my capture is too bright the easiest thing to do is move the mic farther off center until it's not.
As far as accuracy, it depends on the mic too. Mic's have an EQ curve to them and you can hear a difference between the amp and your profile just due to that. Add in preamps, cables, etc. it can definitely change things. Plus, you may think your amp is bright...until you move one foot to the left and now you want more high-end. If you're comparing a profile with in-ears to an amp sitting in the room with you, the proximity to that amp makes all the difference in how you hear it.
I know Michael Britt prefers his profiles with the Definition between 4.5 and 5.5. This allows you to add and remove as needed. I can also say that playing with the band, sometimes you want "unpleasant" highs to help you cut through. Just depends how the profile sounds in the mix.
Maybe the expectations are too big?
I don't think so but also remember, these are all digital devices trying to replicate analog tubes and guitar speakers. I'm not sure we'll ever have an "exact-exact-exact" replica of any amp. Tubes don't react in a 100% predicable way - they break up how they break up.
On top of that, it all depends how you are hearing your guitar tones from your Kemper. Studio monitors, power amps, cabinets, room acoustics, IEM, etc. these can all dramatically change what you're hearing. And again - playing through a live tube amp vs. a Kemper through in-ears...totally different experience.
A lot of people tune their profiles at low volumes and then get to a PA system and have to redo everything because volume changes how and what you hear.
Again, I would hold off judging 2.0 profiling after you have it in your hands. The comparisons are nice and honestly, I'm very happy to see progress on 2.0. But until you have it, you won't really know. It's like judging a tube amp from YouTube - you need to be in the room with it.
How can you hear improved dynamic response in this specific video? We have to test how the old MK1 profiles compares with the same tweakings that are done here to find a sweet spot. In the other 2.0 comparison video the dynamic is not better imo.
I listened to how the gain structure changed based on his playing. Maybe my profiles aren't great, but mine don't react that well. I'm not saying MK1 has no dynamic response, but what I saw in the video seemed better than what I have now.
This is one of those things that clips and videos aren't going to do it justice. We need the profiling release and try for ourselves to judge.
I would enjoy having the ability for 2 profiles (a clean panned left and a dirty panned right) but in a recording setting. Live, I don't see the application unless you are blending both amps and running both amps through each PA speaker. In this case, a Studio EQ and adjusting Clarity and Direct Mix could likely could you right there. For example if you want a cleaner amp to help with picking articulation.
But live, if you pan clean left and dirty right in a live venue, only the audience in the middle hears what you're actually after.
Video 2: Profile Only – Sweet Spot Demonstration
This video features the same profile, but you are hearing only the profile. The Gain, EQ, and Bright Cap settings have been adjusted to dial in one of the amplifier’s sweet-spot tones. The goal of this video is to demonstrate the profile’s touch sensitivity, dynamic response, and feel, highlighting how it reacts to the player in real time.
Watching this specific video a few times, I'm excited for the increased dynamic response. This has been the missing puzzle piece for me. Tones and profiles have been great since MK1, but the improved response should drive it home.
I’m not sure this will sound like a praise or a critique. From the very beginning of Kemper amps, touch sensitivity has been the hallmark of the experience.
that not only did profiles sound, and distinguishable from the reference amp as it is mic’d, but the touch responsiveness and feel where there as well. Maybe I don’t play enough real amps anymore to have as much credibility on this as some of you here, but I’ve never felt there was anything lacking in the touch sensitivity of MK1. So I’m not sure exactly how MK2 can improve on this significantly, at least not at the level of watching someone else play it on a video and be like wow what a difference. So yeah, it sounds great, but if you had told me this was a 10-year-old video of mk1 I wouldn’t have questioned it. In any case, the announcement should renew our hopes that it’s going to be dropping soon.
I've noticed with amps that are very dynamic and touch sensitive, Kemper MK1 gets in the ballpark but it's not the same. MK2, at least in the promo video, makes up that last 5-10%.
Yeah. I hope they post some audio files so everyone can check out the new profiling ie source vs profiled amp.
They may, but probably not. Even if you get great audio files, it all depends on the quality of headphones or speakers you're listening through. Also, I don't listen to my guitar tone through speakers - I listen with my IEM buds.
Listened to both videos. For me, I'm very happy to hear the improved dynamics in the video where he is playing without a pick.
