Posts by ckemper

  • MK 2 - Profiling 2.0

    Hi everyone!

    Greetings from the NAMM Show and thanks for commenting. As mentioned, the clips we have posted are not reamped, but played freely. Thus we have contradicting comments here and among different forums, which we expected.

    A good definition for a dynamic amp sound is the ability to clean out easily when played softly, while maintaining most of its loudness. The Plexi is well known for such high dynamics, caused by a large bright cap.

    For the second clip Thomas opted to turn down „Brightcap Intensity“ because he likes the „jumpered“ sound more, taming the impact of the large bright cap. This way, he did not try to improve the dynamics, but even lowered the dynamics a bit. It brought back some low frequencies however, which he liked for his playing.

    As with the classic Profiling, you hear amp hiss on both the reference amp and the profile. This is because we purposely replicate the hiss for the Profile during the A/B comparison. Once you leave the Profiling Mode the hiss is gone.

    CK

  • using Kemper effects straight into front of tube amp

    Quote from dango123

    Thanks again for weighing in on this point - I will say that the bit shaping pedals that I've worked with, like the EQD Bit Commander, have a more extreme impact on the sound. The test example I provided in my earlier post resulted in an extremely subtle effect which didn't seem like it added much; I did play around with the Drive and Tone settings during my initial experiments but it didn't seem to do much - I will revisit this to see if it makes much of a difference.

    Best,
    Dango

    Hi!

    Another aftermath: The EQD Bit Commander is not a bit shaper at all, but merely a sort of synthesizer/octaver. Different sound.

    CK

  • using Kemper effects straight into front of tube amp

    Quote from dango123

    I had a few moments to try this suggestion out - while it is having an effect, for me it doesn't solve the problem - here's my test case

    1) Load the LMTTRAY - A-Stick profile (as is from Rig Exchange)
    2) Disable all effects
    3) Set monitor output to Master Mono (note that it was already there on my player)
    4) Toggle the amp model on to off, and back on again
    5) Load a Bit Shaper (8Bit Solo) model in front of the amp

    For me, the bit shaper sounds like it is lingering softly in the background (like 5-10% active), while the clean/uneffected sound dominates - the parallel path mixed sound still seems to be happening. To a lesser extent I still heard this effect in some of the drive models (like Green Scream) as well. Some Drives are definitely moving in the right direction, but still have a softish kind of feel to them (at least some that I tried out).

    Wheresthedug and Job Posthuma Can you please see if you can duplicate what I'm hearing (or possibly tell me that I'm crazy...) - I know you had few additional suggested tweaks to the output section, but what I'm hearing is not a slight eq difference, there is still something definitely not right (on my machine at least) in the upfront signal chain. Appreciate your help with this, thanks again!

    The Bit Shaper, as well as any other bit reducing effect, sound like an effect added to the clean signal by nature, when not set to drastical values.

    You can check that there is not parallel signal is added to the Bit Shaper by simply setting Drive and Tone to max value. Then the sound will be cut off, once it decays below the 1 bit barrier.

    CK

  • using Kemper effects straight into front of tube amp


    Hi!

    As some have mentioned here, all overdrive pedals - including our Green Scream and the Kemper Drive - have the clean signal added to the overdriven signal. That is the nature of overdrive pedals.

    The output level of the profiler is not necessarily equal to the output level of an overdrive or distortion pedal.

    Have you tried to change the output level to achieve the desired sound?


    CK

  • Noise Gate Update Request

    Hi!

    Our Expander Noisegates 2:1 and 4:1 are your friends.

    Place it before the amp.

    You can leave the standard noisegate in the input section on. This is a filter noise gate that does not interfere, but work well in combination with an expander noisegate.

    It is a good habit in the analog world to have the sensing of the noise gate before the tube amp, and the gating itself after the amp, e.g. in the fx-loop of the amp, to cut all noise from the guitar and the preamp.

    In a digital guitar amplifier the placement after the amp is not necessary, since the amp section does not produce any additional noise.

    We have made extensive tests that simply placing the expander noisegate before the amp make the best results in terms of the dynamic player interactions. Try it out!

    CK

  • Missing the original vintage chorus in the latest firmware

    Hi Guys,

    I heard you, and thanks for your comments.

    I will bring the old chorus back and add the crossover again.

    However, you will allow me to keep the bugfix that I had applied. The previous model had by far not enough effect level, compared to the reference BOSS CE-1 and a good friend of mine pointed me to this flaw.

    The original CE-1 has a boost of nearly 5 dB, when engaged. I have reduced this boost to less than 2 dB for version 12, the bugfix.

    For the next version I will eliminate the boost completely.


    CK

  • Ahhh What's that? A New Kemper Model? Profiler Player

    Quote from Basti1987

    Does someone successfully get to charge their tablet from the Usb port? My tablet wont charge, only phone gets enough current.

    So that's a story that I wanted to deal with anyway!

    The message "Not Charging" on Apple devices is unfortunately a bit misleading.

    Every Profiler device supplies up to 500 mA of current through the USB A connector. This is what a regular phone charger delivers.

    When you connect an iPad on such a source, it will tell you "Not Charging", because your iPad is switched on, showing that message, and drawing most of the currrent for the device itself, being powered. Not much additional (or no) current is left for charging the battery in parallel.

    Now if you switch off your iPad, it will charge using the full 500 mA! But the display is off and would not inform you about that. That's a paradox :)

    Thus you can charge any device on a Profiler up to 100% if there is enough time. But you should keep it switched off during that time.


    But you can also keep a device powered for an indefinete time, it it does not draw too much current. It would not charge then, but it also would not discharge the battery.

    The rule of thumb is, the larger the screen, and the brighter, the more current the device draws.

    I did a test with my iPad Pro 11' a couple weeks ago to power it with my Profiler. I checked and adjusted the screen brightness so that the battery would not discharge, which took some time. Then I let the iPad run with the Profiler Rigmanager App running for 11 hours. It worked!

    The screen brightness was only at one third, but that was still bright enough for a dim stage. The battery load came up from 76% to 82% in these 11 hours. So merely charging, but not discharging. If it was discharging slowly, the screen brightness would draw a bit more than the 500mA of current, and the battery had to support it, until it was empty.

    The iPad showed "Not Charging" for 11 hours, which is about a true statement.

    If I had a smaller tablet, such as an 8' Kindle Fire, I could have the screen brighter, at the same current.

    So it is possible on stage to have a tablet with editor powered by the Profiler the whole night including sound check.

    CK

  • Ahhh What's that? A New Kemper Model? Profiler Player

    Quote from arkanian

    If I put my wet effects after the player can I still take the last pedal output to Kemper Kone and use imprints?

    Yes, this will work basically.

    The only problem that might arise with this special setting, is that the TS outputs have a very high volume, when the Kemper Power Kabinet is driven to high wattage in "Kone mode". This would potentially overdrive your pedals and create unwanted distortion.

  • Ahhh What's that? A New Kemper Model? Profiler Player

    Quote from texhex

    It's a not an good idea to charge extra for updates to this device if you ask me, IF that is what Kemper actually intends to do in the future. Charging for feature enhancements puts Kemper hardware products into a totally different category IMO.

    We would charge for rising the Player to a different level. And it would be one different level only, lifting it into a different product category. Free of hazzle.

    But this would not cut the Player off from the free feature updates that we have pioneered back in 1998 (Access Virus Synthesizers)

    There is free feature updates in the works where both levels would benefit.

  • Ahhh What's that? A New Kemper Model? Profiler Player

    Quote from Job Posthuma

    I get close enough to the Halo (on my analog board) using the dual delay on the toaster, crossfeedback between 5 and 10 to taste ;)

    As far as I can tell, the Player atm doesn’t come with a delay that allows getting close, there’s no loop to incorporate the Halo pedal, so I’m afraid the Player isn’t for me.

    I really anticipated on a 3 knob kemper unit hitting the market, and prefer to stick to one ecosystem…but the above plus absence of a global eq keeps a competitors 3 knob unit on my analogboard..and in my gigbag.

    If the “complete enchilada” of efx would come available I’d probably go for it…so here’s a push from one potential buyer to make that happen ;) If it’s written in stone that that will be the case…I wouldn’t mind confirmation that that would also include a global eq.

    And while I’m at this lobby quest with personal preferences, I wouldn’t mind a poly octaver to kick one more pedal of my board ;)

    It seems that the Halo does not feature a second delay tap or a crossfeedback.

    Possibly similar to our Single Delay?

  • Ahhh What's that? A New Kemper Model? Profiler Player

    Yes, this is pretty much the story.

    But there is another circumstance that brought us into this direction.

    When you downsize a product, often downsizing the core does not save much cost, e.g. by finding a smaller processor.

    If available at all, it would save a few bugs, but the additional efforts to run and maintain an established software and operating system on a smaller processor easily eat up the marginal cost savings, without creating any advantages for us or the user. No one wins.

    You can see similar situations in the car industy, where three models with different power ratings use the same engine block and sometimes same displacement.

    Electric cars will usually take the same electric motor for different power offerings, because total costs will increase by developing, certifying and manufacturing three different engine sizes, and gaining the opportunity for later over-the-air updates, so users can make a qualified decision about upgrading or not, while they are in the possession of the car already.

    When we released the Profiler Head in the beginning, we had planned to have the power amp be a module that can be purchased later and seamlessly be inserted into the back of the Head, as we had anticipated that it is hard to decide on day one if you will ever make use extensive of the power amp.

    Laws and certification rules prevented us from doing so, unfortunately.

    It is more satisfying and a sustainable business to simply have a happy customer, rather than having to recommend: "Better take the powered version now, you never know what your needs are in the future".

    The possibility for said upgrades came in a natural way to us, as described above,

    And while it wasn't planned at first place, it might create a win-win situation.

    We have the opportunity to offer the same enclosure with different power and different price, and our users have the freedom to decide for more power anytime after the purchase, when they have got familiar with the product.

  • Ahhh What's that? A New Kemper Model? Profiler Player

    Quote from ggo_101

    Hey all!

    I recently got a HX one and also just ordered a new Kemper Player. The HX one can be both in front of an amplifier and in it's effects loop by using the 4 cable method.

    The Kemper Player has no effects loop, but is it still possible to use the HX one in 4 cable method in order to place effects behind the amp (and in this case also the cab) and if so, is the way below the correct way to do it?

    Guitar connected to the HX One in - L/mono => HX one Out - Right (send) to Kemper Player guitar input => Kemper Player L output to HX One Right (return) Input => HX One L (mono) Output to a DI box / cabinet / Audio interface, ...

    Added is a screenshot of the HX one manual concerning 4 cable method.

    Yes!

  • Ahhh What's that? A New Kemper Model? Profiler Player

    Quote from gavinashun

    Just to confirm, are we interpreting this:

    "Thus we consider since quit a while to offer one or two software upgrade (with costs), that will boost the Players features towards the Head, Rack and Stage."

    To mean that it is possible/likely that they will offer a paid upgrade for the Player to have more features of the Head/Rack/Stage? Like for example more effects?

    That was how I read it but wanted to confirm.

    Affirmative. But no ETA yet.

  • Ahhh What's that? A New Kemper Model? Profiler Player

    We have FX loops …

    The Profiler Stage features two independent FX loops to connect external effect pedals. The Profiler Player has none. The purpose of these FX loops is bypassing and activating those effects by switching whole Rigs, by acting like a programmable patchbay. However, there is also the drawback of having those external pedals undergoing an additional analog-to-digital conversion just for the switching purpose.

    While distortion stomps and wah pedals are usually cabled in front of a guitar amplifier, stereo studio effects should usually be located after the amp and cabinet. It might be new to many users that on digital guitar amps this is a simple and straight-forward task. Simply connect the outputs of your mono stomps to the input of the Player and your stomps will hit the front of the amp and benefit from a real amp sound and response, then connect the TS outputs of the Player to the input of your delay, reverb, or multi-effect pedal by two cables. Connect the output of this effect to the input of the next effect pedal by two more TS cables. The TS output of the last effect in the chain then is the output of your pedal board. To connect to a PA/FOH this might require a DI box. From here, the story is equal to the story described above. No FX loop is needed to add external studio effects to your digital amp. Just daisy-chain it in stereo. No level or impedance problems are to be expected.

    And anyway, the Player was also designed to be a self-contained digital guitar amp and effects processor, so I am sure you will enjoy our build-in state-oft-the-art studio effects, and have your daisy-chain shortened significantly :)

  • Ahhh What's that? A New Kemper Model? Profiler Player

    It connects to a PA …

    The Profiler Player features a mono XLR output and a stereo TS output. And there are other digital guitar amps out there that only offer unbalanced TS outputs.

    It might be new to many users, that It is no problem to use the TS outputs as a stereo feed, anywhere. In the rehearsal room you go straight to your PA with two TS cables. On stage going the long way to the PA/FOH, the backliner will serve you two (or one stereo-) DI boxes that will convert your feed to a balanced XLR signal. It is a smart idea, however, to have such DI boxes owned by you and mounted on your pedal board. So the backliner does not get stressed out, when your keyboarder requires four DI boxes (which keyboarders sometimes do).

  • Ahhh What's that? A New Kemper Model? Profiler Player

    It plays full Rigs …

    We are aware that the Profiler Player has the potential to serve the needs of very different users. On the one side there is the connaisseurs of pure amp tones, without the need for sprawling effect arrangements. On the other side there is the wish to play complex Rigs taken 1:1 from the big brother Profiler units. The Profiler Player has the theoretical potential to play full-blown Rigs. But I think it is understandable that we have not drawn a Profiler at half the price of a Profiler Stage but 85%-ish of it‘s featues.

    Thus we consider since quit a while to offer one or two software upgrade (with costs), that will boost the Players features towards the Head, Rack and Stage.

    The ability to create Profiles on the Player is also a story discussed by our team. There is a few issues to be solved, such as how to use the sole input of the Player for the return path and provide an A/B comparison.

  • Ahhh What's that? A New Kemper Model? Profiler Player

    There is a display …

    Our approach to the Profiler Player was to boil down the Profiler to a very portable size, and give it a no-nerd user interface for those that appreciate a simple and „analog“ approach. These users usually don‘t rise their voices on internet forums such as this.

    We have decided very early against a graphic display. All endless encoders show their value on a LED by pushing or turning them, so the bargraph is our display. You will see this when you play with the unit for the first time. For a live performance you will arrange a typical handful of Rigs, that you can access quickly with the three assignable foot switches. As these are your precious Rigs, you will probably memorize them faster than you can switch them by foot (think of the old days when devices displays only had numbers for presets). Therefore we found a display showing the Rig names to be dispensable. Alternatively, our remote apps offer the view and access to all 50 Rigs by the touch on the screen.

    A purchase recommendation: A Kindle Fire tablet is available at a very low price, 2 digits in some countries. Plus, many of us already have a tablet and most all of us have a smart phone. You probably already have the “display”.

    For a display UI on the device to comfortably access the large number of parameters, we would have had to scrap nearly all controls on the surface, leaving merely the Gain and Master Volume and something. This was not what we wanted, knowing that many users prefer to edit sounds using a comfortable remote app anyway.

  • Liquid Profiles of Amps - Your Most Wanted

    Quote from stefanos

    Currently there aren't many high gain models available in the tone stack list.

    • EVH 5150III 6L6
    • EVH5150III 6L6 Stealth
    • EVH 5150III EL34
    Quote from stefanos

    I think there is big difference in the sound of the original Peavey EVH which is already in the current tone stack list with the new EVH - Fender distributed 5153 models.

    While the EVHs have sound differences, the Brightcap and Tonestacks are the same.

    CK