Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

Not surprised. Not even a little.
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

I think the usual barroom / backyard party patrons have some sense of good tone... especially those of our generation who grew up on 70's - 80's rock.

You bring up an interesting point here:

The distinction between a righteous tone that gives us a tone-bone, and good sound. You have to have good sound no matter what. But a righteous tone may/may not happen, even by my admittedly low standards...

I NEVER support a bad sound/mix.
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

The distinction between a righteous tone that gives us a tone-bone, and good sound. I NEVER support a bad sound/mix.

I get what you are throwing down. If I am playing in a bar am I going to be righteous? No. Will I have great tone? Yes. If I am trying to dial every cover to the guitarist's exact settings there would be many guitar changes, head swaps and pedal tap-dancing beyond belief. I think most people are interested in hearing a guitarist with a great tone banging out their favorite tunes. Your average bar-patron doesn't care or know if you are using a Carbon Copy, Memory Man or a DD3, they just want the band to rock. I think in some ways as guitarists we unnecessarily put too much pressure on ourselves sometimes.

However, it is nice when we go the extra mile and someone takes the time after the set to tell us they noticed.
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

The thing with something like the Kemper is, you don't have to change your settings for every song if you don't want to. And you certainly don't have to scroll through every cabinet sim in a song.
My Spidervalve has 128 presets; four channels in 32 banks. I can manually turn on/off distortion/compression, modulation, delay, reverb and boost. I usually set each bank with a clean sound, two crunch and one full on distortion. Also, dedicated volume and wah/whammy (if the effect is on).
If I were gigging with it, I might only use one bank per set. And while the tones might not be perfect, ie. exactly the amp that's modelled, I doubt many in a live setting are going to be able tell, as long as I have dialed them in to sound good in the mix.
All of that for a fraction of the cost of the actual amp's/cabs/effects. Not to mention keeping said amps etc out of harms way if one actually owns the real thing. Oh, and ease of set up/breakdown.
Still, to each their own.

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Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

However, it is nice when we go the extra mile and someone takes the time after the set to tell us they noticed.

Honestly, I much prefer hearing something along the lines of "Killer set ..you guys kicked all kinds of ass!" to "wow, was that a Memory Man you were using up there!!??" :laugh2:

they just want the band to rock. I think in some ways as guitarists we unnecessarily put too much pressure on ourselves sometimes.

This.
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

Could we see a list of those Line 6 POD touring pros? Never seen a little red kidney shaped thing at a live show but they are small so I'd like to know...

Off the top of my head, I know Weezer and Meshuggah both used the rackmount PODs. TSO & Nine Inch Nails, also. Loads of metal bands (who probably all eventually moved on to Axe-FX or Kemper) have used them. When I say "metal," I mean the current stuff most people on here don't like, not Dokken or Ratt.
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

JB, I agree, most people don't like it.
And those of us who do, prefer it that way [emoji41]

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Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

Interesting discussion.

The closer you get to a perfect system, the more apparent its shortcomings will be.

Even if you can nail every classic tone in the book, you've essentially reduced your sound to a facsimile of other people.

People will remember you for being you, not for being everyone else all at once. Players need identity.
 
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Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

Interesting discussion.

The closer you get to a perfect system, the more apparent its shortcomings will be.

Even if you can nail every classic tone in the book, you've essentially reduced your sound to a facsimile of other people.

People will remember you for being you, not for being everyone else all at once. Players need identity.

It is amazing to me how many players don't care about identity, and rejoice in sounding like a facsimile of other people.
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

It is amazing to me how many players don't care about identity, and rejoice in sounding like a facsimile of other people.

Agreed. The one thing I do not like about this new cover gig is the lack of identity and creativity. I need to start looking for an original side gig before I get too comfortable with this thing.
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

Agreed. The one thing I do not like about this new cover gig is the lack of identity and creativity. I need to start looking for an original side gig before I get too comfortable with this thing.

I have found that to be the case with a large percentage of local bands in my area.
You could so easily interchange members from one band to the next and nobody would know since they ALL play the same material.

Like you, I’ve been contemplating looking for an original project too. Not to take the place of the cover band but just for something to give me more of an outlet for all of the musical things swimming around in my head.
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

Agreed. The one thing I do not like about this new cover gig is the lack of identity and creativity. I need to start looking for an original side gig before I get too comfortable with this thing.

Well, both are important to have out there, but I was never the right one to pick to play in a cover band.
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

Interesting discussion.

Even if you can nail every classic tone in the book, you've essentially reduced your sound to a facsimile of other people.

People will remember you for being you, not for being everyone else all at once. Players need identity.

At the same time, there are very few pro (those who made the big time) guitar players out there with a unique, identifiable tone... compared to those without.

Lots of facsimilies in the pro world when it comes to tone... playing too. For example, the 80's were full of pro Ed clones.

(As well, there's no one on this forum with a unique, identifiable guitar tone)

Tone is finite... and it's all been done before. Just like a lot of the songs that have been written... they're all rehashed, regurgitated, etc... from something that came before it.

Identity as a guitarist comes from your solo phrasing, note choice and chord progressions etc (technique) far more than any tone. Add looks to the mix too, I suppose.

Nowadays, no guitarist who does standard stuff (e.g. not weird ****) is such a unique and special snowflake that they can claim to be 100% original... playing or tone wise.
(if they do claim to be, they are filled with delusions of grandeur and probably aren't very good)

You are a product of your guitar heroes.. and in turn, their guitar heroes that came before them... and so on.
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

Funny, but how often have I heard " So and so played through such and such and still sounded like themselves".
Many of you are missing that point.
So, you all keep debating this. I'm done.

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Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

I don't feel OP has don't enough to evaluate his Kemper's condition to really make a thread determining how disappointed he is like this.

Kemper is a manufacturer, manufacturers will never be perfect -He could have bought a Kemper that has had an electronic failure or a firmware issue. Infant mortality is going to occur on a % of ANYTHING new that is electronic -be it Digital or Analog, Solid State or Valve.

Kemper needs to be engaged and help assess the viability of his unit before casting conclusions IMO
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

It is amazing to me how many players don't care about identity, and rejoice in sounding like a facsimile of other people.

Ironically, most people know me as someone else....


Still, I have seen/heard a bunch of Kempers. Never once did I go "Damn - they NAILED that tone/sound!" Or "Wow - WTF is he playing through?!?!?"

Could have easily did it with POD or a Peavey Bandit, a Super Chorus and a DD3.
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

I know a couple of guy's who have them and it seems to be a weird love/hate thing with all of them. One minute they're crowing about this or that tone they dialed in or profiled or w/e the hell it is they do with it & the next thing they're moaning about how tough it is to get rid of them (here..cause for some reason most players I know want to play actual amps) and they can't wait to flip the thing...but resale sucks.

Personally, I think it's because they're too fiddly. There's way too many ridiculous options and way too many ways to mess things up & basically fry your brain & waste your ****ing time. Thing is, the more dumbed down things are the better the average Joe is able to use them to crank out sweet tone. I think player's need to start obsessing more about their playing and less about other ****. Again..not saying ..tone is unimportant (the way I did'nt say music theory is unimportant) just that there's a point after which you'd be best off just playing your guitar instead :bigthumb:
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

At the same time, there are very few pro (those who made the big time) guitar players out there with a unique, identifiable tone... compared to those without.

Lots of facsimilies in the pro world when it comes to tone... playing too. For example, the 80's were full of pro Ed clones.

(As well, there's no one on this forum with a unique, identifiable guitar tone)

Tone is finite... and it's all been done before. Just like a lot of the songs that have been written... they're all rehashed, regurgitated, etc... from something that came before it.

Identity as a guitarist comes from your solo phrasing, note choice and chord progressions etc (technique) far more than any tone. Add looks to the mix too, I suppose.

Nowadays, no guitarist who does standard stuff (e.g. not weird ****) is such a unique and special snowflake that they can claim to be 100% original... playing or tone wise.
(if they do claim to be, they are filled with delusions of grandeur and probably aren't very good)

You are a product of your guitar heroes.. and in turn, their guitar heroes that came before them... and so on.

There's nothing new under the sun.

Having a musical identity does not imply uniqueness. It doesn't even have to be particularly interesting or impressive one either. Most of the greats are copying a handful of their own heroes. The point is that they made it their own thing.
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

There's nothing new under the sun.

Having a musical identity does not imply uniqueness. It doesn't even have to be particularly interesting or impressive one either. Most of the greats are copying a handful of their own heroes. The point is that they made it their own thing.

Meaningless, meaningless....
 
Re: Kemper Profiler: Never been more disappointed in a purchase

JB, I agree, most people don't like it.
And those of us who do, prefer it that way [emoji41]

You have a Line 6 device, right? Came up with a really good aggressive metal patch last night. Lots of definition for low tunings, but still a little scooped and death metallish. If you’ve never spent time with the L6 Lunatic model, give it a go. Same with Spinal Puppet.
 
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