Posts by scratch17

There is no 'upgrade' path that converts a MK 1 profiler to make it into a Mk 2. There are hardware differences that make this totally impractical.

However, you do have have three options. You can sell the Stage Mk 1 and buy a MK 2. You're probably looking at a cost of $700 to $800 to do that. There is still a market for the MK 1, but now that Profiling 2.0 is out, that market will start to slide. Of course you can keep the Stage Mk 1. Or you can downsize to a Player level 3 which will cost about $1,000. That will cost you less than $350. But you lose the added I/O, the two FX loops, . the S/PDIF ports and all of the extra built in buttons and knobs for making tweaks to your rig.

Quote from Kellerblues

Nope, any Kemper can do that from the monitor out. The used power amp doesn't make any difference

Correct. Turning imprints on and off is a setting on the Kemper. You just need a Kemper Kone and any solid state power amp to implement it. Or a tube amp meant to be as close to flat as possible.

mcr_100Either model of the Power Station will likely work fine in this application. As you know, its power amp section is used to either attenuate or amplify the tone of a tube guitar amp. Just don't push it so hard that it starts to clip.

If you want to do stereo, you might consider the upcoming Wampler PedalHead when it ships. It's light, class D based and has some really innovative technology that would make it a great match for the Kemper + Kones. I plan to use it in my studio.

OK, so Kemper gets big time kudos from me for adding 8 channels of USB audio. It is truly a great feature upgrade.

But the fact is that there could have and should have been a few substantial upgrades in the way that the multichannel digital audio is handled. And I'm not talking about sample rates.

Let's talk about the current digital I/O implementation on the MK2. There is coaxial stereo S/PDIF I/O. That's great. But as far as I've seen it is implemented exactly as it was in the MK1 series. I've heard nothing from Kemper that the I/O can be freely assigned to analog I/O. It's fixed in the Kemper operating system as to what you can route to it and connect to it. Unless I'm mistaken, you cannot for example assign the S/PDIF I/O as a second effects loop. I'd love to be able to connect one of my multi-effects units via two coax cables. Note that such a capability could add a second effects loop to the Kemper Rack MK2. And on the Stage which already has two loops, why not allow the user to select the S/PDIF I/O for one of the analog loops.

And I decry the lack of ADAT I/O on the MK2. With USB, your DAW either sees one and only one audio interface or you must create an aggregate device. With ADAT, the Kemper would have been an instant 8 in / 8 out expander for any interface with ADAT. There'd be zero need for the added latency of an aggregate device. Note that this would work both ways. You could add an ADAT audio expender with ADAT I/O and turn the Kemper into a standalone sixteen channel audio interface via USB.

And even with USB audio, I cannot understand how such technically brilliant engineers at Kemper can't create a way to allow the user to use the analog I/O with the multichannel audio. Why are the audio assignments limited to the choices that the Kemper's operating system pre-assigns?

First of all, kudos to dreamlp for noticing this potential.

Also note that Dave Friedman and Pete Thorn have collaborated on the IR Load which also contains the exactly the same Synergy power amp technology. Even the circuits for the machine learning are the same. The IR load has different features and will cost a little more than double what the Pedalhead will cost. Prices reportedly will be around $500 to $700 for the Pedalhead and $1,500 for the IR Load.

I will focus on the Pedalhead here, but the amp technology is the same in the IR Load.

Based on the use of other class D amps powering Kone drivers, I am 100% certain that the Pedalhead or IR Load can be the power source for a pair of Kones. And that it will not only work with the Profiler to provide Tone Imprints, but the Synergy developed and patented machine learning power amp technology may make the profiler sound fantastic when powering a Direct Profile into a guitar speaker cabinet.

The Pedalhead is a machine learning class D power amp. It provides the power equivalent of two 60 watt tube power amps into any load from 4 to 16 ohms. The IR Load has a 90 + 90 tube watt power output.

Pedalhead has stereo line level inputs and outputs. It also has stereo speaker outputs. IR's can be loaded into the Pedalhead and be sent to FOH or an audio interface via the line outputs. IRs can also be turned off.

There is a mode switch on the Pedalhead. It has six positions. One of the six positions is a FRFR setting for connecting modelers and profilers (or even software emulations and guitar pedals). This mode would be selected if you had a Kemper Kab. Or a custom built cab with Kemper Kone(s).

The other five mode settings will be for specific power amp types that the machine learning software models. As of now, the specific 5 amp types are not decided upon. And apparently, there may be more amp types made available through free firmware updates.

Another important feature of the technology is that the machine learning algorithm has a learn button that sends a sine wave sweep through the connected guitar cabinet to measure how it reacts to the power amp at various volumes. Once learned, the algorithm continuously monitors and adjusts the parameters to make the amp / cabinet interaction react and feel as if it was connected to a tube amp.

It is important to stress that as Dave Friedman has been very critical of digital modeling in the past. His tube based preamp pedals use fully analog circuitry. The only digital component of their signal path is IR's So when he gives his enthusiastic seal of approval to this amp technology, it strongly infers that the tech works. BTW, Michael Nielsen of Big Hairy Guitars had a chance to play with both the Pedalhead and the IR load at NAMM and was blown away.

Of course once it is released we will have a chance to try it out ourselves. Personally, I have high hopes for the technology. I can also see how a Direct Profile into a Pedalhead or IR Load with a real 4 X 12 cab might sound fantastic. Which is something a standard class D power amp cannot accomplish. At least to my ears.

Quote from GuyWithKemper

Does anyone think that we may get 48K USB audio with the profiling 2.0 update? SRC was an issue on the old units, not sure if the chip changes would allow it now.

No. At least not from the comments I've seen here and in YT videos from 'official sources'. The internal sample rate is fixed at 44.1 kHz even in MK2 models. But most MK 1 models from 2019 (IIRC) and later (and all MK2 models) can operate at up to 96 kHz when connected to other gear at another rate.

Quote from taylorphototexas

Yes if it is just one pedal. But if you have 20 and you want to profile them all this is less practical.

Drive pedal profiling is the only reason I bought a second capture device. I don't mention the brand here because I don't want to incur the wrath of the mods. I use my Kemper Mk1 for my amp profiles. I'm still trying to decide between upgrading to a Stage Mk2 or a Player.

By using a separate device to capture my drive pedals, I avoid the hassles of trying to capture pedals on the Kemper. As stated before in this thread the Kemper is not optimized for that specific type of capture. The device I chose does do a great job of capturing analog drive pedals.

The process of capturing pedals has a lot going for it that I didn't consider at first. For one thing, I have used it to create profiles of a drive into a second drive with gain staging.

And of course, a profile is a snapshot of how the device is shaping your sound. So in a way it gives me MIDI presets with fixed settings on my analog pedals I cannot achieve any other way. I set up my pedal the way I like it, make a profile, rinse and repeat.

Another neat trick is to create a profile that a two section drive pedal cannot do naturally. For example, my Wheebo PlexFace has two sides; a Plexi and a Blackface Fender. You can turn either side on, or have both sides on, but with both on, the pedal is hardwired to send the Plexi into the Blackface. There is no way to send the Blackface into the Plexi on the pedal. However, I can make a profile of the Blackface side and send it into the pedal running just the Plexi side.

Any analog drive pedal with more than one section can be captured and routed with either section going to the other in both directions. That increases the tonal possibilities of the pedal more than it can have by itself.

Quote from marshall34

Here's my story with the Kemper Stage: I bought it in 2020, and for a long time, I thought it was the best device I had ever used. Before that, I had used the Fractal AX8 and the Helix, but the Kemper definitely surpassed them.

Unfortunately, over the past year, I started experiencing wrist pain while playing the Kemper. I thought it was due to poor technique or simply my age and joints. I never suspected the device, so I kept playing and just took more breaks, but the pain never went away.

In December of last year, I bought the ToneX One and started playing on it. Although the ToneX’s sound wasn’t generally better than the Kemper’s—sometimes it was even worse—I noticed that my wrist pain disappeared or at least significantly decreased. When I returned to the Kemper, the pain immediately came back. I had the impression that the sound on the Kemper didn’t “stick” to the fretboard and that I had to press the strings harder.

As a result, I completely stopped playing on the Kemper and now only use it for effects, which are perfect for me. I use the amp and cab from the ToneX because it’s simply more comfortable and pain-free.

I’d love to return to the Kemper because I still think its sound is amazing, but the feel and comfort of playing are crucial. Maybe the Kemper is just very accurate in replicating tube amp characteristics, which might require more effort.

I’m eagerly waiting for the new Kemper and to hear other users’ opinions. I hope that besides the great sound, the new version will also offer better playability and comfort. I’ll definitely test it, and what matters most is that my hand no longer hurts. And that’s it!

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As a 71 year old, I can relate.

I assume you're attributing your wrist pain to twisting knobs and hitting buttons on the Stage to edit presets.

I do have a suggestion though. Why not use Rig manager to edit and create presets?

I've been wanting to go from my non powered Rack to a Stage for a long time. I like the added effects loop. And the form factor with the built in remote capabilities I always felt that the Rack and Head's remote price was too much to pay, and I already have an RJM MMGT 10 which controls my Rack.

Now it seems that there will be added features and better overall performance with a MK2 Stage. So I am selling my MK1 Rack and upgrading.

On a Mac, if you want to run both as audio interfaces at the same time you can. There are two ways to do it. Both involve creating an aggregate device composed of both the AXE and the Kemper. Creating an aggregate device will add some latency. However, that added latency may not be enough to bother you. That should be especially true with the second method. Read the information below for details.

The first method is free. You can set up the aggregate device in MAC OS' Audio/MIDI setup. You'll find Audio/MIDI setup in the Utilities folder.

The second method costs $199. It is a program called Omnibus 3.0 . See it here: https://ftp.audiomovers.com/omnibus/

It has some real advantages over the built-in Mac OS aggregate device. I suggest you read the web site description carefully and try the free 7 day trial before you dismiss it as a solution. Omnibus has a lot of advantages, not the least of which is that it will allow your AXE and Kemper to be added as expanded I/O with your current audio interface.

As an example, I have a UA Twin X (2 x4), a UA X6 (6 x and a Kemper Rack. With Omnibus, I get to add the Kemper's USB (2 x 2) I/O to my UA devices for a total of 10 in by 14 out, with very low latency (< 5ms).

If you are on a Windows computer, you should check out Dante Virtual Soundcard here: https://my.audinate.com/content/dante-…d-v4413-windows

No. I wrote this entirely myself. And I repeat: I am in no way affiliated with Universal Audio. Just trying to point out some helpful information. It seems that all of the multi-effects boxes out there make everyone sound the same. The UAD2 plugins are different from the off the shelf models you get with other boxes. If you tried to buy the plugins the actual hardware would cost a fortune.

And frankly, Don, while I understand what you are saying, I think that by relegating this post to the 'other gear' thread is doing a disservice to other forum members. My point was to let forum members know how to integrate a piece of other gear with their Kemper. So that they could get better value from their Kemper. It was not to try to promote anything.

And by the way, I post all sorts of positive info about my Kemper in the UA Forum. And I've responded in the past to help members get their Kemper and Apollo set up to connect via S/PDIF without issue for re-amping.

Frankly, I am now loathe to post anything here. I don't like being called a shill.

Traverso said: This should be moved to "Commercial Announcements".

No. It should not. I don't work for UA. I have zero affiliation with UA, other than having owned many of their products since 2015.

So why did I post this? To sell UA equipment? Hell, no. If a member here wants to get into the UA ecosystem, I'd be happy to provide advice. But I could not profit from that advice if I wanted to.

Quoting myself: I am posting this for anyone who owns an Apollo and hasn't seen this news. Or for anyone who might be looking at an Apollo as an audio interface and now a multi-effects box.

I happen to know that there are a lot of other Kemper owners here who use Apollos. So my post was mainly for them.

Today Universal Audio released a software update to their Console application that adds MIDI controllable scenes to their Apollo audio interfaces. This turns the Apollo into a multi-effects box with presets that can be changed via MIDI. I am posting this for anyone who owns an Apollo and hasn't seen this news.

Or for anyone who might be looking at an Apollo as an audio interface and now a multi-effects box. See below for an example of the price of entry to the Apollo / UAD2 ecosystem.

Now to the guts of this post.

Since the Apollo has built in DSP and hosts the plugins, audio does not go through your computer. It only passes from the Apollo's analog inputs, to an A/D converter, through the Console app internally on the Apollo, to a D/A converter and out the Apollo's analog outputs. As a result, RTL is sub 2ms. That's about the same RTL as a Tonex One pedal. In fact, for the purposes of this discussion, think of Apollo as a pedal. It just does way, way more than any of your pedals.

The UA Console is a virtual mixer and routing application. It exists on your computer only so that you can access its features. It's essentially a graphics package that allows the user to control its features. What you see on your computer monitor doesn't actually mix or load plugins. And no audio passes through the app on your computer.

So why are MIDI controllable scenes a big deal?

The best way to understand this is to think of the scenes as presets on a pedal. You send a MIDI program change message to the Console app and it changes instantly to a new set of plugins. Or plugin parameters. Or plugin chains. Or change the effects order.

And one program change message can affect multiple plugins on multiple channels. That's also a big deal. How so? The H9 pedal could do one effect at a time. The H90 came out so you could do two effects. In series or parallel, and in different order. Nice.

My Apollo X6 has 6 DSP chips with 6 analog inputs that can host 6 chains of plugins. And a single program change message can change any parameter, turn any effect on or off, or even change an entire chain to a new one. And of course, you can route the chains in series or parallel. And since your Console app is also a mixer, you could combine multiple parallel effects back to mono or stereo output.

Now I've given a pretty wide view of what you can do with this, what are its limitations?

First of all, it only works with UAD-2 plugins. You cannot load a native plugin, no matter what format into Console. That even includes UAD native plugins. So no AU, VST, etc.

Second, as of now, there is no CC messages accepted via Console. You can save scenes (presets) but with a few exceptions you can't connect a MIDI expression pedal and vary a parameter in real time. There are a few UAD2 plugins that have built in MIDI control. If any of you want to know about how to control the Console app via a MIDI controller with MCU let me know and I'll cover that in a later post. To be clear, you don't need an MCU controller to change scenes; just a controller that can send program change messages.

So what kinds of plugins do the Apollos have? Every kind from studio and guitar gear to highly sought after iconic effects. Many of which are not available anywhere else. It's not like buying a traditional effects box. You won't end up sounding like everyone else with a Fractal or a Helix. Go to the UAudio.com website and check their plugins out. It just so happens that there is a huge sale on UAD2 plugins through July 22nd.

These plugins are considered to be among the best emulations of gear you can buy. And they encompass some of the most historically sought after gear. For example there are mixing console preamps and channel strips from Neve, API, Solid State Logic, Manley, Universal Audio, etc. There are studio compressors like the Iconic LA-2A and 1176, the EL-8 Distressor, DBX 160, etc. Want some EQ for your guitar? How about a Pultec passive, or a Hitsville from Motown, or a Trident A-Range parametric. How about some amp sims? There are loads of them. Fender Tweed '55, Marshall Plexi, Bluesbreaker, Fuchs, Ampeg, etc. And most of these can be used as preamps or speakers with a Kemper profile. More on how to use these with your Kemper later.

What about effects? I kind of lead you to believe there were some good effects.

How about spot on emulations of a Roland Space echo, or an Echoplex EP-34, or a Korg SDD-3000 delay, MXR Flanger / Doubler, Eventide H910 Harmonizer, Dytronics Tri-Stereo Chorus?

Not enough? OK then. Go to the Capitol Records building in L.A. Plug your guitar into the basement plate reverb that's won grammy's for hundreds of artists? Too expensive? Not if you own the Capitol Chambers reverb plugin. You have never, ever heard a more gorgeous sounding, ultra-lush reverb. UAD2 is the only way you can get it. You can also get reverbs from Lexicon, EMT AKG, and more.

Oh, and did I mention Autotune Realtime X? Want to keep your guitar in tune even when playing a chord at the twelfth fret? Want some Moog filters? How about a Softube Vocoder?

There are literally hundreds of plugins to choose from.

So how would I use the Apollo with my Kemper as a multi-effects platform? This depends largely on what I want to do.

For example, I could connect my guitar to a Hi Z input on the Apollo, load a Unison plugin like the Tube Screamer pedal, add a compressor and an EQ. Then route that channel to an analog output on the Apollo connecting it to the front of my Kemper. (For an explanation of Unison technology, go to the bottom of this post).

Or I could put an Apollo into the effects loop of the Kemper. Use the Kemper's send and stereo returns by routing the send into an Apollo line level input, and a stereo track with time based plugins.

Now you have a front end effects device before your Kemper, and an effects loop with a time based multi-effects box in the loop too.

Note that using the effects loop with line level signals disables Unison technology from a Unison plugin. Unison plugins only work when you connect a Mic to a Unison mic input or an instrument to a Unison Hi Z input.

However there is one way to add a Unison plugin to the Kemper's effects loop. It works like this.

I connect my guitar to a Hi Z input on the Apollo. Load up a Unison amp sim. Turn off the cab in the amp sim. Route the track to an analog output on the Apollo and connect that to the stereo return of your Kemper. You can add stereo effects if you want to or keep it mono. Once the Apollo's amp sim is in the Kemper, you can use it with your Kemper Kabinet and speaker imprints for 'amp in the room feel' with your Apollo amp sim. Just because Kemper didn't expect you to use the effects loop this way doesn't mean it doesn't work. It does. I've tried it. But more in line with the reason for this post is that on the Apollo side, you could change sim parameters or even change the sim to a different one with a single button press on your MIDI controller. BTW, this trick will work with native plugins hosted by your DAW. It's just that the RTL will be higher.

Not enough? You can simply route the Kemper into the Apollo via S/PDIF I/O. The Kemper can now be followed by the Apollo into a recording chain with more effects. And don't forget that this connects the Kemper and Apollo digitally so you can record what's coming out of the Kemper into your DAW without requiring a pair of analog inputs. That can be the Kemper's stereo outputs, or one mono wet output and a DI on the other channel. So it becomes an alternate DI in a pinch.

And the reverse is also true. Connecting the S/PDIF I/O between the two devices allows you to use the Kemper as an effects box for your recordings. It also allows for easy re-amping via the Kemper as well.

*Unison plugins work with the mic and Hi Z input hardware on Apollos. As UA explains Unison:

Unison™ technology is an audio processing breakthrough that starts right at the source — the input stage — allowing Apollo audio interface preamps to sound and behave like the world’s most sought-after tube and solid-state designs by using UAD plug-ins. By capturing the all-important impedance, gain stage “sweet spots,” and component-level circuit behaviors, Unison gives Universal Audio’s Apollo and Arrow audio interfaces the tone and feel of legendary mic preamps, guitar/bass amps, and pedals from UA, API, Neve, SSL, Manley, Fender, Marshall, and more.

The title says it all. Check out the RJM website for the latest MMGT firmware.

The RJM Mastermind LT would cover all of your requirements and more. It has two way device control with the Kemper Profiler. It should also work with the Kemper Player out of the box. But the Player doesn't have all of the capabilities of the Profiler. While the PBC isn't cheap, it is a fantastic MIDI foot controller that can also control loopers, pedals and multi-effects.

If you also need a looper, check out the PBC-6x. It combines the same MIDI foot switcher capabilities with a looper that's small enough to fit on a pedalboard. Its loop order can also be arranged any way you want.

Quote from Burkhard

We have for example testet a Behringer FCB 1010 (with Uno4Kemper) connected to a Player via a cheap USB-MIDI-Interface. and found no functional limitations.

I have an RJM Mastermind GT/10. It has had a KPA preset for a long time. That said, the Kemper preset has not been updated to stay current with the KPA's new features. Considering the FCB 1010 with Uno4 Kemper works with the Profiler Player, is it likely that the MMGT will work with these basic functions?

Also, can the Profile Player connect to the Kemper Remote via a USB to MIDI host?

Quote from Monkey_Man

2011 MacBook and 2012 Mac Pro and no "mobile" devices here.

Will I be able to use the Player with Rig Manager on these 'puters? They're both running MacOS 10.13.6 High Sierra.

Bear in mind that I'm not able to run a KAOS 10-compatible version of Rig Manager on this OS.

Thank you!

I finally spent the money on an M3 MBP with M3 Pro chip. I had been limping along with a 2011 iMac (Core i7) and a 2012 Mini (also i7) until a few months ago. So I can relate.

You might consider checking out Open Core Legacy Patcher as an interim step until you can afford a new Mac. It will allow you to run any of the new Mac OS versions on unsupported Macs.

I don't play live. I just use my non-powered rack in my studio. So I look at the Player from that standpoint and ask myself: how would I use it?

My immediate thought is that I'd like to use it the way MuddySludge suggests.

Quote from MuddySludge

Running two Kempers both in stereo has been a consideration for many years.

I can say that I've almost bought a Stage a few times to do a stereo rig (two profiles in parallel) with my Rack. I have also been toying with the idea of wiring my pickups with two mono outs. Having a Kemper for each pickup makes me drool.

A $698 solution is a fantastic value IMHO if you already have a full size KPA, regardless of your use case. It's not like you have no way to make profiles. Now if I didn't have a full size KPA and needed to be able to make profiles, I'd get a Stage instead. But if you don't need to make profiles, the Player is a great entry point into the Kemper ecosystem.

Speaking of value, think about how many of the full size KPA features the Player has, right out of the blocks. When I bought my Rack in 2015, it had almost none of the Kemper effects, no audio interface, no liquid profiling, etc., etc. It cost me $1950 back then.

As far as the 'limited' effects slots (2 pre / 2 post), everyone is forgetting that you can run outboard effects in a chain with the Player in the middle. Would a pre and post loop have been handy? Sure. But I can live with selecting four Kemper effects on the Player. Note that only the Stage has two loops, BTW.

There will obviously be some who have created profiles with more than 4 Kemper effects. There will be some profile tweaking necessary, and I suspect that some users won't want to do that.

In the meantime, I am going to buy a Player early this next year.

Universal Audio has two native tape emulation plugins, the Oxide and Studer A800. The Oxide is a basic, easy to use tape recorder with only a few adjustable parameters. The A800 is a full reproduction of the entire multitrack recorder with tape type, speed, etc., available for tweaking. There are also UAD2 versions of the plugins for ultra low latency while tracking through a UA Apollo.

I use a lot of my UAD2 plugins with my Apollo X6 with my Kemper rack. The two make a killer combination.

Kieth McMillen Instruments has a fret wired neck system called Stringport 2. They have some demo videos out. I have been waiting for it to become available but they haven’t gotten the funding they need yet.

Check out the videos on the KMI site. You will be impressed.

All programs (including the program that creates and implements profiles) rely on a translation of an algorithm into machine code. Most often the machine code is translated from a high level language by another program called a compiler.

If the author of the algorithm cannot refine it to improve the device’s function, the product cannot be improved.

Physical assets such as more memory and DSP might provide the algorithm a greater functional level. But only the author knows the requirements for those needs to be met. You can bet that Mr. Kemper knows the limits of his algorithm and what assets it needs to function optimally. In fact if I remember correctly I seem to remember hearing him say that adding memory and more DSP wouldn’t improve the profiling process.

Of course more memory and DSP could potentially allow for more and better effects processing. Based on Mr. Kemper’s statements however, a hardware revision simply will not improve the profiling process. That doesn’t mean a Profiler V 2 won’t be built. Just don’t expect it to make ‘better’ profiles.