Is The Kemper STILL Relevant In 2023?

[@IainFrame]

The Kemper is literally the best piece of music equipment I have ever bought.

[@marc_leblanc]

I've owned the Kemper since 2019 and love it. The recent addition of liquid profiles has made it even more useful.

[@wesleygamarra2125]

How’s the quality of the effects now? I’ve hear that was the weak side of the Kemper

[@realtruenorth]

​@@wesleygamarra2125used to be the weak link, but they updated to Eventide quality effects (and i have a Kemper and a high end eventide to compare). Kemper is it for me. Still have all my tube amps though. They are fun.

[@tytlersbicycle]

That and USB recording, though I admit that I haven’t tried out that feature fully.

[@ejw3006]

@@wesleygamarra2125most people say they are on par with the competition now, I started using back in 2020 so the effects were already really good by then. Last I heard the Quad Cortex was the only modeler people were complaining about the lack of good effects outside of reverbs and delays.

[@SeventhStringHeaven]

Kemper still rules

[@kierenmoore3236]

Hmm, QC and ToneX both right up there (hardware) … then you have NAM profiler, too … As for Hardware Modelers, Fractal seems almost peerless … with the new Femder TM Pro only really surpassing it for Fender amp models, and User Interface, imho … I tend to prefer the Profilers > Modelers. Modelers are fine if you just want metalz soundz, though …

[@Johnsormani]

I own quite some vintage tube amps and bought a Kemper back in 2014. It was so awesome to be able to have that great studio amp sound on headphone for practicing at night. Normal electronics get obsolete after a few updates because it can’t keep up and gets too sluggish to use ( like your iPhone):. Not the Kemper! Even today they are publishing updates and new functionality that keeps your kemper relevant. That’s so awesome

[@DrProgNerd]

I've owned multiple Fractals, a Quad Cortex, Line6 Stomp, and a Kemper rack. I switched to plugins a couple of years ago, but find myself looking at Kempers again. Of all of the modelers, Kemper feels the most like a real amp. I'm wondering how many people out there left Kemper - only to come back to it later.

[@CrissLiew]

Own it, love it, will keep using it.

[@iansimmons735]

It makes sense. I have two - a Stage and a powered head + remote. I use the same OS, the same profiles on both. The stage is much newer but the only practical difference really is that the head takes longer to boot up. Wonderful units. And laid out logically. Not a big learning curve.

[@kylehowdy]

"both happen to sound awesome because it's 2023, all this stuff sounds great" this is exactly how I feel. I adore my axe fx and think it's the best option, however, I also think a buyer can't go wrong with all of the amazing options.

[@thisguy2973]

I know it’s unrelated, but I just wanted to comment you guys make AWESOME plugins. The Disruptr plugin is literally the absolute best metal plugin I’ve ever heard for low tunings.

[@joeymusic]

Thank you! Features like the tuning optimization mode and DI match allow us to get the perfect configuration for any scenario!

[@thisguy2973]

@@joeymusic I was thinking of getting a kemper stage since I’m a bedroom musician over the other solutions in the hardware space, but for real: the Disruptr plugin is really the first plugin (and I’ve used a LOT) that brought my 7 string to life.

[@Tinyrick90]

I have a kemper stage for live use and have a kemper rack for my home studio and simply love it ! It has something that my axe II didint have Sure a lot of people are going to say dude the QC and tonex pedal sounds wayyyy better but i mean … at the end of the day i love my tone … why change it ?

[@joeymusic]

There’s no way they sound WAY better lol. If anything it would be extremely marginal imo -Miami

[@Tinyrick90]

@@joeymusic i totally agree

[@Think_Up]

Kemper went all-in giving the best hardware they possibly can, then remained committed to upgrading software continually. One of the best values in music gear out there.

[@sonicstoryteller]

Iam still rocking with my avid eleven rack still stands up against anything out there great video keep up the good work best wishes from UK 👍

[@kierenmoore3236]

1:38 … what’s the ‘magic’ thing that you mentioned, after NAM profiler … ?! “Soon”?

[@ericjtomsky]

Love my kemper, my the definition or clarity knob really do it for me in terms of dialing in tone across different guitars with different pickups. Beyond that the Kemper has so many different outputs and inputs and routing options that it’s really versatile in any situation

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

it sucks the life out of your tone inputs and outputs are nice

[@dannyrod3954]

Joey Kemper is just the most amazing unit that sound amazing and organic, i had all the other units and is not way to get back.

[@DISSONVNT]

So yes, after owning most of the ones you've mentioned and using them in both studio and live applications, there are differences between the Kemper and todays most popular gear like the QC/AxeFx/etc, but you are quite right in that in a FULLY produced mix/mastered track it'd be almost impossible to tell the difference accurately. The Kemper shines in many areas, chief being the community, rig manager app and the near constant updates, but as more gear comes out unfortunately more and more people will opt for those newer pieces of gear just on merit of it being new leaving the Kemper to be looked at more as a vintage piece than anything else.

[@michaellandrumguitar]

I love my kemper you hit it on the nail I don’t think the kemper will get dated any time soon

[@joeymusic]

I don’t either. It’s still worth it -Miami

[@TSOIofficial]

Got a Quad Cortex and loving it 1000%! It sounds amazing and also are able to run multiple instruments at once! Love it 🔥🔥🔥

[@joeymusic]

It’s a smart investment -Miami

[@TSOIofficial]

@@joeymusic 100%! It does it ALL

[@alienlovesecrets9379]

FW 10.0 with Liquid Profiles published today. What a question, dude 😊.

[@M.Holland]

Using the Kemoer for 8 years by now. Mostly in the studio, I just love it. At least for guitars. For bass I still just use a Di and Sansamp. For live use, I just got a Quad Cortex. For me its easier to use live, the tweaking is easier on the fly. I think of the QC More of a digital pedalboard as like an amp if thats make sense. So the Kemper is still in my studio rack, got used for reamping alot.The QC is replacing my pedalboard/amp for live use.

[@Kraz3e987]

I’m a bassist and have been considering going modeler/profiler, do you not like the tones for bass on the Kemper? Or do you just go sansamp out of preference? I’ve mainly wanted a modeler/profiler because then if I pick up a guitar I won’t have to get a guitar rig or pedalboard for it and use the same unit for bass and guitar, but I am much more of a bassist.

[@M.Holland]

@@Kraz3e987 the Kemper is a great recording tool, especially for guitar. But at least the Bass profiles I own aren’t that great. (Not found the right ones I guess) I’m very happy with the quad cortex for bass. It’s easier to control and get the tones I want. Use it in many different scenarios. Pop, Hiphop and metal. The FoH guys were happier than ever. The Sansamp is still on my board, as a direct tone shaping option and as a backup if anything fails. The QC is even better for guitar :)

[@fandiwoworchannel7902]

Kemper Stage user since 2019 🙌

[@GarretThomas]

I’ve thought about getting the kemper but I love the PRS Archon amp head that’s 50 watts I’m still debating

[@kleberkshima]

I have Quad Cortex, Tonex etc but the Kemper still is the best!

[@RenewingMusicRob]

Can someone help me understand is the profiling of the QC is better than the Kemper?

[@joeymusic]

Ya know what… I might just do this video -Miami

[@max8591]

IMO, the main (but big) downside of the kemper in the studio is that you can't monitor and reamp left and right DI at the same time. This makes me use mine less and less, and I might sell soon.

[@jimmykonsta]

Thank God I switched to Fractal a couple of years ago. Kemper is like a pod compared to Fractal, note only tone-wise but in terms of build quality too. Kemper was freezing once a month, never had a simple crash with the Fm3. And the tone and the feel...so much better.

[@mrcoatsworth429]

3:24 man, example B has some really nasty high end fizz. Nothing you couldn't fix, but come on.

[@theriffdjenerator2213]

I've bought a helix rack and foot controller but not even plugged it in yet! Still using my monster the Revv G20

[@joeljameson4961]

Every relevant producer has one in their studio still. Enough said

[@realtruenorth]

Kemper is best for me, next to the actual amps. But, you gotta buy professional studio profiles to hear what it can do. And use the secondary para eq to tweek. Sounds amazing as my actual Fryette, Mesa, Marshall and Fender amps.

[@manupbritain5232]

Same as all digital tech, they become dated and obsolete in 5 years. But a valve amp with tech over 50 years old is still what many people want.

[@joeymusic]

This… is all facts lol -Miami

[@Johnsormani]

Hey bud , it’s on the market for more than 10 years now , unchanged . Where the competition has put out numerous new products in that time Kemper didn’t have to update the hardware to stay relevant.

[@R.DrewWhitsonMusic]

Im using Headrush pb for live and neural dsp plugs for studio. Im happy with it and leaps and bounds ahead of me back in 1999 😂

[@joeymusic]

Headrush is cool -Miami

[@archetype.music.studio]

Bought one in 2014, sold it in 2023. Sellers remorse kicked in so I am buying another in 2024 lol. Only sold it to clear some rack space. I won’t make that same mistake again lol.

[@CrushingAxes]

Man Tonex seems really great, but Kemper is cool too!

[@joeymusic]

Dude I have to try the tone x soon -Miami

[@zomielastaroth4956]

And soon we kemper users will have liquid profiles. Awsome.

[@joeymusic]

Liquid profiles sounds like the future! -Miami

[@shadehunter]

Man when you compared tones, I was thinking "Please let the first tone be Tonex." The second one sounded like ass to me.

[@PewciSlayer]

Another big plus is the value retention. I sold my Kemper and got a Tonex. Now I got roughly a grand for more gear.

[@joeymusic]

Did you watch Glenn’s video? -Miami

[@PewciSlayer]

​@@joeymusic I did. But what convinced me more was a buddy of mine got the Tonex and we compared it to the Kemper. Although it was a new system and software, I was attracted more to the minimalistic approach it had and the fact that I hadn't used my Powerhead to its fullest extent in years.

[@djsusan00]

​@@joeymusic😂😂😂 took the words right out of my mouth. Imo both are valid options.

[@IainFrame]

Might get a Tonex pedal and get rid of my spare Kemper.

[@NikolajChristensen]

Happy Kemper user here. Not sure it's still the most accurate but who cares. Maybe try version 10 with liquid profiling before making your decision?

[@joeymusic]

I’m gonna have to try it! -Miami

[@NikolajChristensen]

@@joeymusic should be available in beta relatively soon. But quite amazing that the product keep getting major updates still.

[@CarlosKTCosta]

Sorry dude but in a blind shootout your would not be able to pick the Kemper from a QC or a ToneX...

[@joeymusic]

Challenge accepted -Miami

[@sillyness3456]

I use a Kemper. They are a great value, especially on the used market. My GAS craves an Axe FX, but it would just be an addition, not a replacement. I still use plugins to demo at home, but any "real" recordings happen through the Kemper.

[@joeymusic]

I’ve used plugins on albums! Kemper will be great on them too. It’s all about what makes sense -Miami

[@yotabirdman]

Don’t waste your money on an axe fx 3. I sold mine for a kemper and so glad I did. Just go add another guitar to your collection lol

[@mrcoatsworth429]

I don't use any modelers, I use a tube amp with an IR. But if I was buying a modeling amp, the Kemper would definitely not be at the top of my list. There are comparable units out now for a fraction of the price, like Tonex. If I was using it in the studio, the plugin would be enough. No need for hardware. And for live use I'd just get the pedal. In a blind test, there is almost no difference, and the Tonex is smaller and seems to be more intuitive to use. Now, if I already owned a kemper, I probably would just stick with it. It does still sound great. But buying a new one? Not for that kind of money.

[@joeymusic]

The tone x is definitely an amazing piece of kit for the price point -Miami

[@metatron333ascension]

i have the Headrush MX5. its pretty incredible unit. I probably wont buy a Kemper simply because i already have a unit that does what i want it to. I do, however, want the new Headrush Prime because it does has modeling technology now. It comes from Audio Media Research's Revalver . It also has Vocal FX stuff. you can plug in a microphone and it has tons of vocal FX like vocoder. You can also do 2 signal chains at once. Kemper im sure is great. They are all great really with the technology that's out. Tone X is really good from what i understand. My thoughts is Kemper, Axe Fx, Helix, Headrush or whatever other ones out there will do a fine job. Get one that best suits your needs.

[@algorithm007ify]

LIQUID PROFILING...so yes, still relevant.

[@alexlykos18]

I love my kemper, but Tonex capture gets closer to the real deal.

[@sqlb3rn]

my pod go sounds fantastic, but we never play venues that have a PA so have to bring amps

[@Gatecreeper69]

The only people who don't know this are the people who don't own one.

[@JimhawthorneNet]

I see Kemper like I see Adat ... a transitional product. A huge amount of Adat tapes were sold and used in the 90's, but ALL of those tapes today are only a backup, and none are in use. The only thing surviving from Adat today is their very useful Input cabling format. And where is the Vox Guitar with all the built-In FX? ... Transitional ... THAT might actually come back.

[@joeymusic]

Bring that backkkkk! -Miami

[@scotteepunk]

Kemper is coming out very soon with liquid profiling. Let's say I have a Vox AC30 as my amp. I can change the tone stack (pre-amp) with a Fender, Marshall, Matchless, or any amp I choose in my Kemper, and that offers many more choices. Also, very soon I will be able to plug in my Kemper to my computer with a USB cable to record in my DAW. There is no need for the interface connection. I see a lot of pro guitar and bass players using Kempers in the studio and live.

[@Fanafranky]

Since I'm broke, I'll stick with Neural Amp Modeler and/or ToneX 😜

[@joeymusic]

Even if you aren’t broke, those are still good options -Miami

[@icaanul]

Negative: After owning way more profiles than I'd like to admit, there are far too many options lol. With that in mind, if you produce, it's very easy to get sucked into that "tone spiral" very quickly. "Ok, now let's try another profile in the mix!" If all you do is jam, it's great. You'll find what you want. But if you mix and etc, searching for that elusive "perfect tone" will be a beast as there is no such thing as the perfect tone. This is why amps will always have their place in the market. You make a choice and go with it. No more chasing.

[@joeymusic]

The analysis paralysis can definitely be annoying, but I’m not gonna lie! Love my options -Miami

[@AndiPicker]

Well reasoned, early Kempers will soon be increasing in price as "vintage" models: I'm holding out for the handwired special version! Any chance of losing some of the jump edits by the way, they really break the flow. A.

[@joeymusic]

We’re gonna cut back on them -Miami

[@slickcross]

Technically, there are 3 Kempers: Head (Aka toaster), rack and stage.

[@guitartoneSA]

Firmware 10.0.0 Liquid Profiling just released with free LP packs from Michael Britt, Guido Bungenstock and Rigbusters.

[@guitartoneSA]

Try the new Free Kemper Liquid Profiles. 🥇

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

the friedman ir x is the new kemper slayer designed by evh's personal tech not a fucking keyboard player ,with real tubes and great tones out of the box .sounds way better and more natural than any modeler could ever sound, can work with your favorite effects and with a power amp and speaker and has an effects loop .

[@tobiasvonlanthen]

I'm just 50 seconds in. I own a Kemper. Don't make spend more money Miami. Please. I will update this comment after I finished the video, brb.

[@joeymusic]

Don’t spend another dollar! -Miami

[@tobiasvonlanthen]

@@joeymusic Alright, so: Yes, still happy with my Kemper. Great video as always Miami! I heavily agree that it's a bit complex to get into it and understanding the mechanics and possibilities of the Kemper but once you are familiar with it, it's really awesome. I never tried an AxeFX or the Quad Cortex but I tried a bunch of amp sims like Neural DSP or ToneHub and I never really liked the tone of those. That's most likely because I'm not that advanced when it comes to mixing but it still feels easier to me to get it right with my Kemper. So if anyone got that far in my comment and rambling: I can highly recommend the Kemper! Oh and Miami. I know it's a bit rude but any chance you could listen to one of my projects and maybe show me a direction on how to improve my mix? I'd really appreciate this! Cheers!

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

keep waiting for the next update to magically solve all the tone issues with this computer. the digital compression inherent in every sound the lack of warmth and presence, kids these days have no idea about plug and play or how to build their own tone in a simple way, instead they just fuck around on a screen with endless mediocre post production options created by someone else, wasting their time on a flawed system created by a keyboard player.i work on live gigs and in some bands young players are forced to work without an amp ,they have no idea about working with a good amp live and many players sound the same on michael britt's presets. shhhsshhhhsshhhhhh ! it's a quiet stage ! there is a rock concert!

[@Klevaer]

Kemper was on top for me until the ToneX pedal came out. Kemper in pedal form with great software to go with it. Can beat it imo.

[@brooksbohmbach1]

Bought tons of plugs from other companies. My kemper is still easier to use, there’s a magic to committing and printing tones up front

[@threepe0]

"They can come in and turn knobs, and turn the gain up..." ....not really. Kemper profiles are a snapshot of an amp in particular settings. As soon as you start messing with the eq, which has no relation to the actual amp's eq, nevermind the gain, which is only a poorly-emulated adjustment, then you get away from that snapshot. You need a snapshot for every particular setting you might want. And you may need snapshots with and without power amp emulation baked in. And that is why component-level emulation is much better. Saying the Kemper is the "most accurate" and that you'd not be able to tell the difference with a blind-fold is a bit silly as well. All things being equal, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference with an Axe FX properly dialed in either, and their component-level modelling is not only arguably the best in the business, but you aren't stuck with a snapshot of an amp. Neural Amp Modeller does a fantastic job as well. Again we're back to a snapshot then, however, it's literally free. If someone creates companion hardware designed for running NAM, it'll be incredible. This is a great time to be a guitarist.

[@guitartoneSA]

Try Liquid Profiles, the days of old generic Gain and EQ are over. Kemper now models the original amp Gain and EQ controls accurately.

[@MrDushelove]

Im using zoom gtx for lives, cause im from Russia from siberia😀

[@olajideparis]

Oh wait you’re not Joey? WTF? 😂😂😂😂

[@joeymusic]

Brah are you new lmao! Been reppin JST on by back since 2020 💪 -Miami

[@masterofreality230]

You keep using the term modeler and profiler interchangeably. They are not the same. Just get a Tonex. I say it makes 0 sense to buy one in 2023.

[@joeymusic]

It does model and profile tho. -Miami

[@masterofreality230]

@@joeymusic I dont own one. I didnt know it did modeling, but my mistake.

[@doug941]

Tonocity is killing the game! FREE? GTFO! Atomic Amps Tonocity!

[@jayboy6895]

Clickbait.

[@desrusso]

first?

[@joeymusic]

Yes you are! -Miami

[@desrusso]

love u miami@@joeymusic

[@KeepTheGates]

In most situations, no.