the FINAL word on the Kemper

[maddnotez]

Interesting video, he is right.

Even if the Kemper isn't 100% accurate, when it's "good enough" and you're not buying the amp it is a ripple effect just like the music industry and Napster.

I've only heard online clips but to my ears the Kemper is damn close like 95%. In the future it may be 100%. Sadly there is nothing anyone can do and it will continue. Hopefully the amp company's can survive a recession, I've seen some great amp builders stop building in an already saturated market.

I feel somewhat responsible myself because I'm cheap and do not have much money so I typically buy used. It's not the same thing but these guys aren't getting my money most of the time.

I'm sure there are guys, well I know there are guys who make a great secondary income selling profiles and I assume they don't keep all of the amps they profile but it is what it is.

I can also be honest and somewhat hypocrital when I say that when I first saw the Kemper, one of my first thought was damn. I could buy a $4,000 Friedman, resell it and buy a $3,500 Soldano, rinse and repeat. I guess the difference it reselling instead of returning but enough of my rambling.

The guy is right. It may be easier in EU to do this since its mandatory for companies to have a 30 day return no questions but the problem is that there is nothing anyone can do. You have to find ways to adapt. When the music crisis hit it seems the smart guys capitalized off YouTube, advertising and whatever other online profit tactics they could find. I don't have the answer for the amp builders and it sucks because people should prosper from an amazing craft but I do know if this Kemper thing is affecting them they need to think of a new way because like someone said you can't stop technology and these things are happening regardless if you don't like it.

 

[JerEvil]

Since buying my Kemper my amp collection has grown. Why? Because no one can capture a damn Fryette to save their lives. Literally every Fryette Deliverance profile I've bought sounds wrong. Also bought a small tube head because sometimes I'm not feeling the Kemper live.

I would say 90% of the time I prefer playing my Splawn/Henning/Fryette/etc when home but DAMN if the Kemper doesn't always find a way to make me grin like a kid seeing his first girly mag!

I personally wish FRIEDMAN, Fryette and others would take a week and make "sanctioned" profiles of what THEY think a good representation of their hard work should sound like. I'd buy them. Vrad, SinMix, ToneHammer and some others make a really great profile. Guys like me who DO have disposable income are more in danger of GAS being induced by a strong set of profiles or lack thereof. A current profile purchase has me now out looking for another Engl. The OCD in me then dictates I buy an Engl cab as well because shit had to match.

People without excess funds will always save up to buy what they want and people WITH a surplus of cash will still buy more than they need.

 

[JerEvil]

Since buying my Kemper my amp collection has grown. Why? Because no one can capture a damn Fryette to save their lives. Literally every Fryette Deliverance profile I've bought sounds wrong. Also bought a small tube head because sometimes I'm not feeling the Kemper live.

I would say 90% of the time I prefer playing my Splawn/Henning/Fryette/etc when home but DAMN if the Kemper doesn't always find a way to make me grin like a kid seeing his first girly mag!

I personally wish FRIEDMAN, Fryette and others would take a week and make "sanctioned" profiles of what THEY think a good representation of their hard work should sound like. I'd buy them. Vrad, SinMix, ToneHammer and some others make a really great profile. Guys like me who DO have disposable income are more in danger of GAS being induced by a strong set of profiles or lack thereof. A current profile purchase has me now out looking for another Engl. The OCD in me then dictates I buy an Engl cab as well because shit had to match.

People without excess funds will always save up to buy what they want and people WITH a surplus of cash will still buy more than they need.

I talked to P. Stapfer from Diezel. He said the guy from Kemper is horrible and does not give one fuck about sanctioned profiles OR amp manufacturers. Its a sad state of affairs as that guy (Mr. Kemper or whatever) has been a total evil asshole to people regarding their amps and what his device is doing to the manufactures.

Sorry. I meant sanctioned in a sense that Diezel, Friedman, etc create and release. Not governed or having anything to do with Kemper the company. Really just taking matters into their own hands and embracing the tech. Like saying, "If you want to hear what I think MY amp sounds like or should sound like, here you go"

It won't end people making bad profiles that make a Brown Eye sound like shit, but perhaps wet whistles for physical amp sales.

 

[Vrad]

Since buying my Kemper my amp collection has grown. Why? Because no one can capture a damn Fryette to save their lives. Literally every Fryette Deliverance profile I've bought sounds wrong. Also bought a small tube head because sometimes I'm not feeling the Kemper live.

I would say 90% of the time I prefer playing my Splawn/Henning/Fryette/etc when home but DAMN if the Kemper doesn't always find a way to make me grin like a kid seeing his first girly mag!

I personally wish FRIEDMAN, Fryette and others would take a week and make "sanctioned" profiles of what THEY think a good representation of their hard work should sound like. I'd buy them. Vrad, SinMix, ToneHammer and some others make a really great profile. Guys like me who DO have disposable income are more in danger of GAS being induced by a strong set of profiles or lack thereof. A current profile purchase has me now out looking for another Engl. The OCD in me then dictates I buy an Engl cab as well because shit had to match.

People without excess funds will always save up to buy what they want and people WITH a surplus of cash will still buy more than they need.

I talked to P. Stapfer from Diezel. He said the guy from Kemper is horrible and does not give one fuck about sanctioned profiles OR amp manufacturers. Its a sad state of affairs as that guy (Mr. Kemper or whatever) has been a total evil asshole to people regarding their amps and what his device is doing to the manufactures.

Sorry. I meant sanctioned in a sense that Diezel, Friedman, etc create and release. Not governed or having anything to do with Kemper the company. Really just taking matters into their own hands and embracing the tech. Like saying, "If you want to hear what I think MY amp sounds like or should sound like, here you go"

It won't end people making bad profiles that make a Brown Eye sound like shit, but perhaps wet whistles for physical amp sales.

I totally get that, AND that was exactly what I suggested, but the discord between those guys is so heavy, Diezel was NOT interested in doing anything to help that guy...thats all.

getting in front of it and making a Official Profile. could be great, but two parties have to agree to official profiles in a way. You would have to close the system in a way that makes it unshareable...that takes participation from the unwilling parties involved, some coding, new firmware. etc etc.

I've thought about this same scenario. Officially-licensed amp profiles. It would be fantastic, but yes the intellectual property portion of it is an issue. At the end of the day, I really think that folks are either going to use the Kemper or they're not. Look at this forum? Most people still use tube amps. Shit, I use the Kemper for recording exclusively and I keep finding new things I can do with it but I have tube amps that I play quite often. To me it's another tool in the toolbox and I don't really think they'll eliminate tube amps. What will eliminate tube amps is the cost of materials and lack of interest in guitar music.

 

[kronat]

So, a sound could be copyrighted ? At the end of the day, this is the final question.

 

[RockyStar]

I see the various sides in all this. I am not sure Kemper will drive amp manufacturers out of business any quicker than amp manufacturers drive themselves out of business. People are not buying new, high dollar gear like they once were. The people selling 4K amps and 10K guitars new are not doing as well as they once were. The used market is down to nothing and the folks that used to buy and try and flip now use and abuse guitar center and their 30 day no questions asked return policy. When that dog stops hunting it will be interesting to see what happens next.