Kemper Profiler Amp (kpa) - Impressions
Kristofer Dahl
Sep 24 2014, 01:31 PM
GMC Founder
Posts: 18.745
Joined: 15-August 05
From: Stockholm, Sweden
Hi guys,

I have had this unit since February and I wanted to share some impressions with you.

For those of you who don't know what it is - it's a digital amp but not a modelling amp. Instead of modelling it does "profiling", which means taking a digital snapshot of a real tube amp (or any amp for that matter). It is often described as an Axe FX competitor although it does something quite unique.

When I got the unit I just couldn't make it sound like my tube amp, all profiles seemed too bright to me. After some research i understood I was looking for the so called "amp in the room" sound, basically an amp standing on the floor vibrating the whole room and causing lots of room reverberations. The KPA, on the other hand, I was monitoring through near field monitors.

Eventually I got used to the new type of monitoring, and I no longer strive for "amp in the room" - since it is kinda hard to mix with the sound coming from my DAW. If I did want to get that sound with the KPA, I would need to put my monitors on the floor and crank it up - alternatively get a so called FRFR solution (a 'flat rate frequency response' powered monitor, the kpa works amazingly well with these).

Now after 6 months I am completely floored by this unit. I know there is a discussion whether digital amp technology has 'caught up' - and if you ask me then YES, this is the real thing.

Every week I can download new profiles from the "Rig Exchange" - and the ones I like are most of the time ready to use out-of-the-box without any tweaking. I have found extremely cool profiles pretty much from all famous guitar amplification brands, covering all possible musical genres.

There is an incredible amount of tweaking possible - I especially like some parameters like pick dynamics and power sagging.

It also features pretty much all common effects (and these are modelled) - except for spring reverb. These are extremely powerful and tweakable. If you got the skills, you can also emulate lots of other high end pedals with simple means (example).

In the beginning I was not very convinced by these effects, for example I couldn't make their tube screamer sound like the real thing. But after having downloaded other people's rigs, I realised this was solely a "user error" wink.gif . The kemper effects are often much more versatile than the pedals they model, and the downside is that this demands a little more from the user (although it does come with presets). In many cases they have even solved limitations of the analog counterpart - so if you ask me its actually better than the real thing ohmy.gif

I should also add that I have realised I have a lot of learning to do as far as tweaking my guitar sound goes, this is something I have neglected for a long time. With the kemper I get instant access to thousands of incredible profiles - but still I would need to get better at tweaking/profiling on my own to develop originality. Like I said more work is needed for me!

To add some legitimacy, here you can see how legendary guitar producer Michael Wagener ( Extreme, Megadeth, Dokken, White Lion, Accept, Skid Row, Metallica, Poison, Alice Cooper, Janet Jackson, Queen, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne etc ) prefers Kemper before his amps! Or rather, he has switched to using his own profiles:



I love technology when it works wub.gif

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Posts in this topic
- Kristofer Dahl   Kemper Profiler Amp (kpa) - Impressions   Sep 24 2014, 01:31 PM
- - Mith   Its good to see the got around to making it rack m...   Sep 24 2014, 02:44 PM
|- - Kristofer Dahl   QUOTE (Mith @ Sep 24 2014, 03:44 PM) Its ...   Sep 24 2014, 03:10 PM
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- - huargo   Ufff totally agree with this unit. I tested using ...   Sep 24 2014, 02:51 PM
- - SpaseMoonkey   I have had my KPA awhile now I have one of the ori...   Sep 24 2014, 03:12 PM
|- - Kristofer Dahl   QUOTE (SpaseMoonkey @ Sep 24 2014, 04:12 ...   Sep 24 2014, 03:16 PM
|- - Kristofer Dahl   QUOTE (SpaseMoonkey @ Sep 24 2014, 04:12 ...   Sep 24 2014, 03:23 PM
|- - SpaseMoonkey   QUOTE (Kristofer Dahl @ Sep 24 2014, 10:2...   Sep 24 2014, 05:39 PM
|- - Kristofer Dahl   QUOTE (SpaseMoonkey @ Sep 24 2014, 06:39 ...   Sep 24 2014, 09:20 PM
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- - Mith   see I like rack mounted things because things brea...   Sep 24 2014, 03:18 PM
- - SirJamsalot   this is so depressing, and cool all at the same ti...   Sep 24 2014, 06:20 PM
- - Todd Simpson   Congrats on your KEMPER!! I have to agree...   Sep 24 2014, 10:44 PM
|- - SirJamsalot   QUOTE (Todd Simpson @ Sep 24 2014, 02:44 ...   Sep 24 2014, 11:48 PM
|- - Kristofer Dahl   QUOTE (Todd Simpson @ Sep 24 2014, 11:44 ...   Sep 25 2014, 08:11 AM
|- - Todd Simpson   QUOTE (Kristofer Dahl @ Sep 25 2014, 03:1...   Sep 25 2014, 07:48 PM
|- - Kristofer Dahl   QUOTE (Todd Simpson @ Sep 25 2014, 08:48 ...   Sep 26 2014, 09:02 AM
|- - klasaine   QUOTE (Kristofer Dahl @ Sep 26 2014, 01:0...   Sep 26 2014, 11:12 AM
|- - Kristofer Dahl   QUOTE (klasaine @ Sep 26 2014, 12:12 PM) ...   Sep 27 2014, 08:51 PM
|- - SpaseMoonkey   QUOTE (Kristofer Dahl @ Sep 27 2014, 03:5...   Sep 27 2014, 09:19 PM
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- - klasaine   As old school aNaLoG as I am, the next high-end bi...   Sep 25 2014, 11:00 PM
- - klasaine   I understand the thinking but other than for recor...   Sep 27 2014, 09:41 PM
|- - Kristofer Dahl   To follow up, I have experimented more with Marsha...   Nov 28 2014, 10:04 PM
|- - Todd Simpson   Nice tone!! I think you are there But the...   Nov 28 2014, 11:46 PM
|- - Kristofer Dahl   QUOTE (Todd Simpson @ Nov 28 2014, 11:46 ...   Nov 28 2014, 11:48 PM
|- - Todd Simpson   That would work too Personally I like all the det...   Nov 30 2014, 08:02 PM
|- - Kristofer Dahl   QUOTE (Todd Simpson @ Nov 30 2014, 08:02 ...   Nov 30 2014, 10:27 PM
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- - Bogdan Radovic   I read news recently that Kemper now official supp...   Nov 28 2014, 11:29 PM
|- - Kristofer Dahl   QUOTE (Bogdan Radovic @ Nov 28 2014, 11:2...   Nov 28 2014, 11:45 PM
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- - Kristofer Dahl   In this video I use one of my favorite [Vox AC30] ...   Dec 5 2014, 10:52 PM
- - Chris S.   I really got to save up for one of these bad boys.   Dec 5 2014, 11:01 PM
- - Kristofer Dahl   Update - here is my first serious attempt at a blu...   Dec 23 2014, 10:52 PM
- - Kristofer Dahl   Bouncing this thread because I have finally made s...   May 12 2015, 12:02 PM
- - Todd Simpson   Good tones all around!! I do like a bit mo...   May 12 2015, 10:19 PM
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