Posts by nirm03

Quote from ckemper

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.

I think that makes a lot of sense, and I'm happy to hear there's no technical limitation.
R&D costs money, and hopefully most people understand that. I'm guessing there are many like me, who would happily invest in that upgrade, and it's a win-win situation for everyone.
One question I had - Just to make sure, the expectation is that we can purchase the Player with the limited effects today, and opt for the software upgrade when it is made available ?

Wow, I can't believe they finally did it! This had been my number one wish from Kemper, until I finally gave up and got an HX Stomp a few months ago.

I would have definitely waited a little longer had I known.

Even still, my initial reaction was to want to get rid of the HX Stomp and get the Kemper player right away, but after reading through the specs, I'm not so sure.

I see a common sentiment here that this is meant as a unit for people with pedalboards, but is it really? Even Kemper's own teaser shows people carrying "profilers that fit in our gigbags" signs. What's the point of fitting my profiler in my gigbag, while carrying a full size pedalboard ?

A few thoughts:

- No display: I think this is a very bold move by Kemper and I applaud them for doing so! In general, I'm totally against fancy displays that end up just being pathetic imitations of smartphone displays. They did take it one step further that I imagined with no display at all. I wonder whether it would've prudent to put a minimal display just for the rig name. Still, assuming the companion app is seamless, I like it.

- Effect type selection: This is a major disappointment. The reduced selection effectively divides the effects between "Player compatible" or not. It's a shame they spent all these years developing brilliant effects, and I would probably stop using them just to save the hassle of having to adjust them later on for the Player. This is a similar situation to the Helix Native vs the HX stomp. Line6 solved this with a "device compatibility mode" for the Native. Do Kemper want to go that way ? I wouldn't think so.

- Only 4 effects: Another disappointment. Do I use more than 4 ? Rarely. But again, this breaks the premise of creating your sound with no limitations and taking it with you. One redeeming factor here for me is that they kept the "free" rig transpose feature. It's also nice compared to the HX Stomp where introducing a transpose effect to the chain greatly reduces the effect selection.

For the effect situation, I wonder what made them put these limitations. Is it technical (power?) constraints, or is it fear of cannibalizing the flagship products? Whatever the reason may be, I see that the physical interface of the unit doesn't imply only 4 effects, so I really hope they can reverse that decision, or maybe even charge more for a firmware that supports the full set and quantity of effects. I would happily pay for that.

Quote from GearJocke

Sorry, but I never understood naysayers complaint before something is even released and tried and tested. I always wait until I have an opinion. You might like it. Give it a try first.

You're right! honestly, in my own way, I'm complimenting Kemper on how amazing it sounds today, and my disbelief that there's an amp sound that it cannot achieve today with its current feature set. And the other thing, for my own selfish reasons, I wish they just dropped everything and just worked to bring me a mini Kemper, so I don't have to buy a different brand of a do-it-all pedal

Quote from lightbox

Guitar amps typically have passive EQs in the tonestack. This basically means that you can only "cut" frequencies and not boost. All guitar amps have at least some mid cut for example. But the amount, range and center frequency differ. Same for the other EQ bands Currently we can only use a generic EQ provided in the tonestack of the Profiler. But soon you will be able to choose from a variety of tonestack models of different guitar amps.

So the goal here is that you need to understand the Vox AC30 tonestack much less than before, once you pick the AC30 tonestack model. It's supposed to act like the knobs on a real AC30.

Thank you for the info! I had no idea real amps work this way.

I understand the appeal of this for someone who's used to the "UI" of an AC30, and maybe owns one. But *for me* AC30, or JCM something something, or Marshall are nothing more the mythical names/youtube videos.

In fact, when I audition profiles, honestly, I can't say I gravitate to any specific "amp", nor did it help me develop any idea of what sound is associated with each brand. Seems to me that the way the amp was profiled affects the sound way more. Goes without saying, I would never profile an amp nor do I have one to profile.

This is a big part of why I found Kemper appealing to begin with. The sounds are created by studio pros, recreating the most iconic sounds in Rock. if I want to tweak, I tweak the sound with generic sound terms, not the so called "guitar amp".

I guess I hope this shift towards modelling will not change the focus of the unique philosophy Kemper had so far, making it harder for me to shape the sound.

Honestly, the only reason why I'm sharing my take is to perhaps help Kemper gain insights on maybe different parts of its customer base.

For example, You know what would help me get better sounds instead of more knobs ? A better/more prominent profile rating system, so I can really find out what the community thinks sounds good. Just a different way of looking at things

Watched the video and wanted to share the probably unpopular perspective of someone who barely ever played a tube amp, let alone owned one.
*For me* this liquid profiling thing is a step in the wrong direction.

I purchased the Kemper because it sounded awesome in the store and had amazing effects. Over the years it allowed me to achieve understanding of sound, EQ, and effects. All that without having to understand anything about electronics and quirks of mythical amps and pedals.

The Kemper controls are predictable, allowing me to shape my tone in a methodical manner. I'm a huge fan of that philosophy.

In the video they talk about some "cut" in AC30, and I don't know what it even means. Does that mean I now have to understand controls an AC30 which I've never played in order to make the most out the work of the creator of that profile?

One might ask, why do I care? Well, I feel like there's only so much a company can do at any given time, and I wish they would concentrate on other aspects. Which?

- Mini Kemper(!): A Kemper that I can fit in my guitar case is probably the last piece of gear I ever acquire. And I would pay a premium for it. As much as I hate wasting time learning how to be effective with a new product, It's becoming increasingly difficult to not get that HX stomp or friends. If I get one of these, I can't see myself sticking with the Kemper, because even if it doesn't sound as good, the convenience of having a single unit in my life probably wins. I wonder how many are like me.

- Rig Manager: I feel like it could really benefit from a faster pace of development, improved reliability, and basic missing features (No undo!)

- Effects: Kemper Effects are already amazing, but every time they add something new, I'm blown away, so more of these

PS. I hope my post isn't taken the wrong way. I'm a huge fan of Kemper, and their persistence in adding value to their product for so many years is

incredible! Just putting out there a different voice than what I normally see

Quote from Kemper Support #1

properly done reamping is actually the best way to compare two different Profilers when it comes to any potential differences in the perceived sound quality.

But I already helped with this exercise here:

Quote from nirm03

There you go. Your black snake DI, re-amped on my kemper:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/svpkwfh41ze3…-reamp.wav?dl=0

Upon second listen I noticed that:

1. your reamp has more gain, so I added a little gain to mine so it matches.

2. You had less delay on your reamp. That I kept, so my reamp has slightly more echo I think

Otherwise, those two samples sound virtually identical to my ears, and I hope that convinces you that your Kemper is not faulty at all, thus providing closure to your problems.

AdamMassacre1981 I reamped your DI sample with the profile, and sent you the result. Identical to my ears. What's the reason there's still this thinking that your unit it faulty ?

Quote from AdamMassacre1981

Ah! Its a possibility i had the gain on the interface slightly turned down due to the last profile peaking out my interface. Yeah sure it will be interesting to hear them

There you go. Your black snake DI, re-amped on my kemper:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/svpkwfh41ze3…-reamp.wav?dl=0

Upon second listen I noticed that:

1. your reamp has more gain, so I added a little gain to mine so it matches.

2. You had less delay on your reamp. That I kept, so my reamp has slightly more echo I think

Otherwise, those two samples sound virtually identical to my ears, and I hope that convinces you that your Kemper is not faulty at all, thus providing closure to your problems.

Quote from AdamMassacre1981

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/kphx3sc…kr1oldghggcgt8r So i threw together some reamps of a couple of free profiles if anyone is interested. If the link fails let me know and i will attempt to fix it.

The "main out -12" on the kemper is activated. My interface was redding lol. I was using my Solar A1.7C on all reamps.

I took your DI samples, reamped them, tried to match the levels, and compared.

OLA bug area - The rig you sent has considerably less gain than your reamp sample. Maybe you have some locked section somewhere when you reamp?

OLA2 Trip Metal - To my ears sounds identical to your reamp.

Black Snake - Again, sounds identical to my ears

I can share my reamps with you if you like, so you can compare. maybe you can hear something that I cannot hear.

So, opinions about tone aside, to my ears, there's absolutely nothing wrong with your Kemper.

Hope that helps you somewhat

Quote from AdamMassacre1981

It convinced me something was wrong with mine lol i will certainly try another kemper and if it sounds amazing (using my profiles)i will know for certain mine is either faulty in which case i will go through the process of sending it to Kemper to be fixed OR maybe my setup is the cause and can be explained to me how to fix it...either way i will get some more advice which is a good thing right? 🤞🤞

Maybe I'm missing something, but It seems easy for you to confirm or rule out that your Kemper is faulty by a very simple process right here in the forum :
- Post a DI sample along with a reamped version of the same sample, and state the exact free high gain profile you're using

- Some member here can reamp your DI sample with the same exact profile on their own Kemper and post the reamped result

- Compare and there's your definitive answer

Quote from Ruefus

I would be quite interested in something comparable in size to an HX Stomp or Stomp XL.

Similar to those units when compared to the Helix (which is 7 years old, BTW), it would have a limited feature set compared to the Stage/Head/Rack…but small enough to toss in a gig bag.

I’m considering an HX Stomp or similar for those times I don’t want (or need) the big guns.

Wow, for me, this is totally the most appealing direction they can go.

I would be thrilled with them even taking it one step further: I own the Korg Pandora multi effect processor. I'm using it to this day only because it's about the size of a phone, and it's even battery powered. You can carry it in your pocket,hook up to a any PA without any extra outlet, and play.

Who's not going to buy a battery powered kemper unit at that form factor ? It doesn't even have to be cheap. I'd pay top dollar for that!

Hi!

Huge RHCP fan, been looking for BSSM tones a while ago, and my boring conclusion is : If you got a strat like guitar, and a crunchy amp, the rest is in the pick attack and technique.

Anyway, never got into that song specifically, but here's a snippet of the only riff I sort of know:

Note: This type of sound by itself is quite ear piercing. You can hear the same in the isolated guitar tracks of BSSM. It really shines in a mix though.

If you like it, this is what I'm using (Strat on the bridge pickup only)

- Profile: BM Van Wheel T dist profile from the free Bert Meulendijk rig pack . Incredible profile! Comes stock with Rig Manager.

- lowered the gain a little bit

- A little bit of chorus, because I think there's some modulation going on. Not sure about that though.

Quote from Ruefus

While an undo button in-software is an omission I don't understand, the undo button on the KPA will still work. Whether your changes are from Rig Manager or the unit itself. I use that frequently.

Hmm, I'd be quite content if the undo button on the unit had worked for Rig Manager, but it doesn't work for me.

Well, it sort of does, but in a very weird and non useful way:

- If I load a new rig and make changes using RM exclusively, the undo button on the unit stays off, so no undo at all on that scenario.

- If I make changes using both the unit and RM, and then press the undo button, the last change I've made on the unit is undone, along with *all* the changes I had made on RM since the change on the unit that preceded it.

Are you seeing something different ?

I'm not in a position to have a valid opinion on whether the Kemper could be improved sound-wise.

I mean, it sounds very good to me, but what do I know. I wouldn't know to identify an authentic amp tone even if it hit me over the head

With respect to UI though, I must say that I believe investing in fancy touch displays is the opposite of progress, and I'll explain.

We have smartphones in our pockets. These phones are designed by huge corporations with the sole purpose of coming up with an excellent UI experience. In my opinion, no gear manufacturer can ever compete with that. It will always be clunky and more awkward of an experience than a smartphone app. The quality of the display will not be as high, the touch sensitivity will not work as well, the OS will not be as flexible, etc.

I'm sure everyone here can think of these gadgets that presume to have a smartphone like experience, and end up being very clunky and annoying to use, especially when we compare them to the phone experience.

For that reason, I would think it smarter to take the time and money it would take to deliver the fancy integrated display, put that in smartphone/tablet/PC wireless connectivity and an excellent companion app, and keep the on unit UI very simple and reliable.

Hey, maybe that could even be done in the current Kemper. We do have a USB dongle

Anyway, just one guy's redundant opinion, but maybe something to consider. In other words, be careful what you ask for

Love the profile, thank you! Perfect with a strat neck pickup

What I love most about this type of sound is its wide dynamic range. From mellow to really edgy and bitey. I find it a great challenge to control the dynamics and make the most out of.

so much so, that I felt compelled to try and do that. Here's a little bit of noodling on a superstrat type guitar:

Quote from alexburnsred

if you are still online here anytime please share the rig

Hey alexburnsred, I was going to refer you to the "Kemper Workshop and FX" where I had found that rig at the time, but I see that it disappeared from that rig pack unfortunately.

I'd be happy to share it with you here, but since this was a Kemper provided rig, and I'm not the creator of that rig, I think I'm not allowed to do that. Maybe Someone from Kemper can help you with that?

In the meantime, I see there are similar rigs there in the same rig pack. If you're after the RHCP sound I attempted here, you can start with PW-crunch, add compression, boost treble/presence, and you can reach very similar results pretty easily.

If you're after the original sound of the rig (which was awesome admittedly !), you can take PW-crunch, and increase gain to 5.7 to get similar results (to my ears at least )

Hope this helps

I too really hope this gets considered and added soon!
I filed a similar feature request some time ago with suggestions how this can be further expanded in rig manger:

Unified Cross-Rig Undo/Redo Functionality

Asking for features such as: Unify rig manger and kemper undo, back to recent rigs, etc.

Hey Joptunes, that totally works, thanks!

Indeed, it's probably only a nice side effect of the legacy reverbs not having a freeze function, but that's more than good enough for me

Thanks, I'm off to enjoy too much reverb

Hi,

I really enjoy using the reverb freeze function in conjunction with a footswitch, as it can provide instant harmony to a standalone melody.

One thing that I was hoping to achieve is strike a low note, freeze the reverb with the footswitch, and then rely on another reverb slot for the melody to have a "live" reverb on its own.

The only problem is - The freeze function in the footswitch freezes all active reverbs, so the melody becomes dry.

I also tried using delay as a substitute in this case, but I see that it freezes the delay as well.

Is there a way to have the footswitch freeze only one of the reverbs, for the ultimate reverb experience ?

What can I say, I love reverbs

Thanks!

Another approach just occurred to me. It might be easier to implement:

Add a "recently used rigs" drop down list in Rig Manager.

The user can select any rigs they have recently used (only via Rig Manager), and that would do the following:

1. Load that rig on the profiler in its exact state it before it got switched - I.e all editing done to it persist.

2. Load the undo buffer of that rig as well. So, all changes are undo-able.

I think a "Recently used rigs" list is a very nice feature even on its own, but along with the undo buffer, it would facilitate a very convenient editing experience.

I was going to file a similar feature request, and I found this.

I think what might alleviate this is faster ways to lock/unlock:

- Add a clickable "open lock" icon which can be clicked to lock the slot, in the same manner it's possible to unlock a slot today.

- Add a keyboard shortcut to toggle a slot locked/unlocked state. e.g cmd-option-#slotNum