PLAYER - what were they thinking?

  • Do people really expect a player with every Kemper feature, just smaller and at half the price?

    Exactly, people have been asking for this for eight or so years, Kemper delivers and people get or torn up on what is missing from the flagship product.

    New talent management advice to Laura Cox -


    “Laura want to break the internet? let’s shoot another video of you covering the Nightrain solo in the blue singlet, but this time we’ll crank up the air conditioning”.

  • It loads any Rigs from the big brother. I'm presuming that whatever effects you have in slots A, B, Del, and Rev would, and the relevant Rig settings would be dialed up on this Player. While anything you have in C, D X, and Mod from the big boys would be missing, and of course any effects the Player doesn't have.

    It loads any "profile" from the big brother. For the rigs, it will depends on the effects used. You will probably have to rework your rigs one by one.
    Also it can't load performances !

  • Would have bought it ...BUT: no display is a no-go for me


    I am disapointed, that the remote looks not to be compatible...Maybe due to the restirctions in slots and FX-loop... and dificultied in assaigning? So maybe understandable, but this makes is less interesting for me.

    I would have gone for a smaller form factor same functinality unit (Who wouldnt... )

    I guess it will be possible to add external switches?

    I mean 4 slots with three footswitches is already a bit short - but how will I switch rigs than?

    Don’t know what your eyesight is like but a screen on this would be a nightmare for me.


    Editing via a device is now my preferred way by far.


    The foot controller seems overboard for the design of the unit, maybe a small midi foot control that will fit on a board would be a better match.

    New talent management advice to Laura Cox -


    “Laura want to break the internet? let’s shoot another video of you covering the Nightrain solo in the blue singlet, but this time we’ll crank up the air conditioning”.

  • Amazing how many people are disappointed by the lack of display. As i understand it, you have your display via the app.

    Did that stop them buying analogue pedals or a traditional head/combo too?

    I apprecaite there's not much you can do with it without the editor software anyhow.


    In a gig scenario, most players can make do with an LED to indicate a unit is on or off.

    Parameters values and setings are recalled as set-up during your preparation or rehearsal time- thats's the beauty of digital/modelling gear.


    How many of us rely on (or have the time) to go in to menus and display-details during an actual live show?

    I admit, its nice to see the name of my bank on my remote but other than confirmation of the slot i have chosen via the LED helps.

    If adding a screen added another £100 / $100 to the unit would it be more or less attractive?

  • Do people really expect a player with every Kemper feature, just smaller and at half the price?

    Not every. But the basics of using and loading your existing rigs (not just the amp profile), and a small screen so you know what rig you’re on.


    Because then the unit is a fully functional backup for those of us with a Stage - in addition to a “pedal board” unit that it seems more designed for. Not all of us have a pedal board and the Kemper is our entire rig. Just seems a shame to eliminate us as an intended user


    Great for folks that a rig with 4 slots is ok, but mine almost always have more.


    OD/Dist stomp

    A chorus or phaser or tremolo

    stereo widener

    Delay

    Reverb


    That’s already more than it can handle. Sometimes mine might also have an EQ. we’re not talking anything fancy here.


    Ps this isn’t actually a cheap unit. Yes it’s half the price of a Stage but it’s still not cheap. It’s comparable in price to a HX STOMP which is far more featured than what this Player seems capable of. People keep quoting other units that are half the price of this, which isn’t a fair comparison.


    Anyway I’ll leave it there… no point dwelling on it, is what it is.

  • I think if you change how you view the “Player” it’s usage becomes a lot more clear. This is meant to go onto a persons existing pedal board so that you don’t need to bring a traditional amp with you.

    So, if you view the “Player” as a traditional amplifier and view the effects on it as what would come standard on a tube amp, then it all makes sense. Think of other products like the UA Dream, or UA Lion, they are a single amp box. With the “Player” I can bring many amps that I might want to use, with the Liquid Profiles we will have authentic amps.


    If you need a replacement for your amps and pedal board, then the Stage is what you need.


    This is my opinion and how I am/ will be using it.

  • No sé cómo es tu vista, pero una pantalla en esto sería una pesadilla para mí.


    Editar a través de un dispositivo es ahora mi forma preferida con diferencia.


    El pedal parece exagerado para el diseño de la unidad, tal vez un pequeño pedal midi que quepa en una tabla sería una mejor combinación.

    todos tenemos un viejo smartphone o tablet al que le podemos dar una segunda vida

  • For playing live I think 4 FX slots should be enough for 99% of use cases, for me anyway.

    I would not mess the display. Using the smartphone or tablet is much more convenient IMO. So you don't need to bend down with the guitar hanging around your neck.

    The only thing that I would miss is the Looper (support already confirmed that his is not on board). It would be great for traveling purposes, playing in a hotel room with only this unit and a little speaker. Maybe they'll add it with a future upgrade...? There's much about weight and most the competitors do have the looper included.

    It's great though that the unit supports Kone/Kabinet. So you can have a very light, simple, extremely flexible and incredibly good sounding little amp.

    Guess I’ll have to order one. I already own a QuadCortex additional to my Kemper, which is also great, but I still prefer the KEMPER workflow somehow…

    never thought that I would like the Kemper that much...!

  • I think the Player is a great concept and it is well planned / designed. People who own a profiler and who gig a lot might consider buying the Player in addition to the profiler. But the way I see it, the Player is oriented at those who didn't want to or couldn't afford the "real thing" and who know that they don't want to profile their own amps. This is a considerably cheaper way to get real amp tones in a very small footprint. Congrats, Kemper!

  • Yes, I get that and agree.

    For that purpose I think it probably has all it needs.

    All I’m saying is that by limiting it the way they have, they’ve restricted it to only that purpose. Adding a little extra function as I’ve mentioned, would open it up to a whole other cohort of users/purposes.. which means more sales!

  • Come on guys this is very cool. If this would have been out before I bought my stage I would have chosen this unit. I'm not big on effects, I much rather just play the guitar.


    No screen. You don't have a phone?

    No effects loop. People like myself don't need it because 4 effects is enough.


    Now what we need is some YouTube review videos.

    If the amps sound and behave like my Kemper. Its worth every penny.

    You can literally show up at the gig with just a guitar case.

  • Yes it’s not for you, you are not the target market as myself, simple really.

    New talent management advice to Laura Cox -


    “Laura want to break the internet? let’s shoot another video of you covering the Nightrain solo in the blue singlet, but this time we’ll crank up the air conditioning”.

  • I hope time will prove me wrong in regards to the longevity of the support for this device but I have seen and still own products that relied on an App to be edited and after discontinued, support for their apps was dropped too. With changes on the Smartphone/desktop OS's it became a nightmare to retain full editing capabilities of such device. Some newer devices could no longer install the necessary apps.

    Having a screen and local editing capabilities (even if cumbersome) should be priority to really future proof the product long after successor devices are introduced.


    Other than that, yes I am a bit bummed out I could not transfer my full rig from my Toaster to this for the ultimate mobility. I do accept striped down functions but the signal chain seems a big compromise in my opinion.

    • New
    • Official Post

    I hope time will prove me wrong in regards to the longevity of the support for this device but I have seen and still own products that relied on an App to be edited and after discontinued, support for their apps was dropped too. With changes on the Smartphone/desktop OS's it became a nightmare to retain full editing capabilities of such device. Some newer devices could no longer install the necessary apps.

    Having a screen and local editing capabilities (even if cumbersome) should be priority to really future proof the product long after successor devices are introduced.

    If you feel that way, you should invest in a unit which has all that. For instance a Profiler Rack / Head / Stage.

  • It blows my mind that so many people on the interweb get their nickers in a knot because it should have x w & z.


    Kemper drew a line in the sand, if they added all the missing features you get a Stage, kinda stupid really.


    It’s designed for a pedal board, not a backup unit.


    It doesn’t need a screen (genius), now we know why Kemper back flipped on the no android support.


    No FX loop, place pedals before and after, simple, even if you use this in the studio with your PC it’s still redundant, but they still give us 4 slots.


    As we all know the majority of people have not ever profiled an amp even though they have the means.


    The Kemper team in my opinion have given a lot of thought into the end user scenarios and what was needed and as far as I’m concerned seemed to have nailed the feature vs size vs cost variables.

    New talent management advice to Laura Cox -


    “Laura want to break the internet? let’s shoot another video of you covering the Nightrain solo in the blue singlet, but this time we’ll crank up the air conditioning”.