The key flaw in this plan is that they're attempting to gatekeep functionality that the device is already fully capable of doing. This is exactly the kind of thing that will lead to people pirating the update.
2 Notes updated the Torpedo Cab with the possibility to use 2 cabs at once, even though the unit was discontinued and this was a feature of their new Cab M. That's the kind of company whose products I will buy.
Two notes is an amazing company, I’m not even a relevant name and they were willing to work with ideas I had. Class acts and their Cab sims and IRs are top notch
Walrus Audio released new versions of their Mako series pedals. The modulation version now comes with the one effect missing from the original, a flanger. You know what they did? Announced there will be a free software update for owners of the M1 so they also receive the new effect. Companies will only behave like ass holes if we let them get away with it, and the ones who behave well need to be supported. Let that thought guide you next time you're buying gear.
@@danielc196 Original M1 was introduced two years ago? The Mk II version is almost identical, except displays. There's a difference to Kemper's offering. If you feel Kemper behaves like an asshole, fine, don't buy its products. If you try to shame Kemper to hurt the company (and that includes its employees and customers), then you're the asshole.
Well they discontinued their Freeware IR-Loader (Wall of sound) in favor of their new modeling plugin (with a much simpler IR loader) which has a paid basic version and promotes purchases of other amp packs for it. I would say the company has a lot of interesting ideas but their marketing solutions aren't always this great
That is different, it's monthly fee. There is no monthly fee here. Why doesn't this remind you of the Eventide H90? Or Tonex SE that you can upgrade to Tonex MAX? Or buying more Tonex captures from IK?
How do you feel about Neural DSP selling plugin „Compatibility“ for the Quad Cortex for each plugin? Clearly the device is capable of making those sounds, yet everything has to be bought seperately.
KDH, please audit Kemper and everyone else trying to bring "micro transactions" to guitar gear. They are bringing all the crap for the gaming industry to the music industry, this is NOT good for the future. The future is bleak if we don't stop it now... Nip it in the bud, before it gets out of hand and too late to do anything about it!!
@@smelltheglove2038 Agreed! My tube amps will require some kind of maintenance in the future, but the product itself comes will all the functionality enabled by default!!
@@JohnWikuHow many effects are included with your amp? Even with the upgrades the Kemper is still cheaper than an amp and a pedalboard full of effects pedals and overdrives.
@AWMJoeyjoejoe Noise Gate, Delay, Reverb, IR loader, DI XLR Output, Gain boost, Master L boost, FX Loop, MIDI, Power Soak(1 watt, 5 and 20 watt selectable) are included on my amp. Ironball SE. For 1200 It's very competitive I think. Sounds good on clean, Crunch, High-Gain, or Break up. Cute cat!
You sir NAILED the argumentation. "They want a piece of both pies" - you cannot say it better. I also did a rant video about this, but I could not find such eloquent words. Kudos to you!
@@andrezcabara2774Vote with your wallet. They do this because they think they can get people to pay it. If enough people don't, it will cost Kemper and they'll walk it back before they lose too much.
@@Timberfist unless you want the product as it was released and/or see the value in taking the full Kemper feature set to a pedalboard sized unit for 2/3 the price of a stage…..
Imagine a problem we don't have to deal with. The other choice Kemper had when designing the entry model was to cripple the hardware. You'd be stuck with 2x2 effects with no option to upgrade. Is that more to your liking?
@@andrezcabara2774 Let me tell you a secret... Processing power is cheap these days. Kemper isn't going to be designing their own chipsets, it's the implementation of the circuitry that costs in terms of R&D, as well as the software. Guitarists have never been so spoiled for choice, but we - along with the "audiophiles" - are still the biggest suckers for snake oil and lies.
@@andrezcabara2774 You're weirdly defensive of company that couldn't care less about you. You said you were a Kemper customer, but you're putting in a lot of energy defending them in the comments. I love JHS pedals, but I won't run to their aide when they catch heat for a business decision. Brand loyalty is a hell of a drug.
What code optimization? You're getting the full 100% CPU/DSP hardware the big Kemper gives you. Kemper figured it's not worth the hassle to downgrade the hardware as it makes updates more difficult and also makes the user run into CPU limits. You call that a "dick move"? Look at the first comment "They deserve to be pirated" with 100+ likes. THAT's a dick move.
@@andrezcabara2774 I hope they get hacked six ways to Sunday, and they probably will. Psst..they deserve to be pirated and I do not care what you think either
BMW is already gearing up to essentially make more regular cars M-cars with the sports suspension and upgraded engines as well, but with the high performance settings locked out via software.
Another reason for me to stay Fractal. Also, Kemper isn't known for their top shelf effects either. Also worth noting, if you paid to upgrade the H9 to a Max, all future updates from that point were free.
This is exactly why I still use amps. With software - plugins, modellers, whatever - there is an inherent risk that they will one day charge for (necessary) updates, stop supporting the software when something new is released. I understand the convenience of something small and portable, but it's not a factor for me, so I feel much happier plugging into an amp I own.
Because you think a box is worth thousands but software is worth nothing. That doesn't make any sense at all. It's no different to the idea that a piece of vinyl is worth something but a digital download isn't. Or that paying for a ticket to stand in the same room as someone is worth hundreds, but a stream of the same person playing is worth nothing. And if musicians are low paid because of that, well it's deserved when you start treating other digital things as worthless. You can certainly argue whether this Kemper update is value for money, but not from the context of these people suggesting updates should be free - specifically here improvements to a product, not something that's fixing bugs or flaws.
@@michael1 No of course software is worth something. But reasonably any costs associated with usage and update of functionality that was promised originally should be part of the price paid up front. I fear it won't be and that products may become unusable, hence I prefer physical amps. I'm stating a preference. Your mileage may vary. That's fine.
@@andrezcabara2774 Mate, you must be the angriest little bloke on the internet right now. You bought one, you're fine with paying a LOT extra for functions locked behind a pay wall. You want to defend your purchase, we get it. You've posted your rants under nearly every other thread.
@@andrezcabara2774 No, the free market doesnt decide what guitarists want, it doesnt decide what you want - you do. Guitarists decide what they want. Guitarists are the consumers, and if we dont buy, they dont profit - simply put, consumer opinion matters. I dont agree with piracy, and i dont want you to tell me that i agree with it - i didn't say that. This comment was an simple "I wont buy shit from anybody as money thirsty as you Kemper, or any other company that goes the same direction". If you want that, go out and spend 1000 euros on that, i will not.
@@kevingrabowski I'm sure you also won't spend 3k on an Axe-Fx, does that make Fractal a "money thirsty" company? And, yes, free market decides what guitarists want. And you seem to have a problem with this. You wrote "We guitarists"... you have no authority to speak on behalf of all guitarists. I know you want to. And you don't have a problem to swing mud at a company because it's not good option for you. Free market decides, as that shows how many guitarists think what Kemper offers is valuable.
@@andrezcabara2774 im sorry you are so brainwashed, that even you think that your opinion doesnt matter, when it does. I spoke on behalf of guitarists because nobody in their right mind wants that micro transaction to unblock tiers type shit, period. if you want that, that says a lot about you. I know you love sucking big companies, but let me tell you - they dont give a shit about you. This situation is not good, and nobody wants that shit in guitar gear - so i spoke on behalf of ALL GuiTaRiStS to just show a simple message to other companies reading people's feedback. You have to hate yourself, if you really want that to happen to guitar gear. Also, if nobody buys your shit, the "free market" doesnt decide nothing, people decide what they want - and i still don't understand you, because you didnt prove any point. You are the minority of people's feedback in this situation if Kemper's actions are good in your opinion
And here I am with my cheap Hotone Ampero. I bought it originally just for rehearsal at home or at a friend. And now I have played 5 gigs ampless over P.A. with the next one in two weeks as a bassist. I also own a TONEX Pedal and am looking forward for the free update with effects. It sounds better for guitar but for bass the Ampero is enough for me as an all in one unit with TRS and XLR outputs, volume pedal and tuner.
I got a Kemper Player and a Quad Cortex to try out then I was going to keep one of the units. I was initially going to keep the kemper initially because the size and ability to play backing tracks via bluetooth. Luckily this update thing came out before I made my choice. I ended up going returning the kemper even tho it was not my first choice. i refuse to consciously support these business practices if I can.
Well that’s fucking stupid. You intentionally held yourself back to join a social justice rant on social media 😆 for a Quad Cortex. When neural has had bad publicity as well.
@@michaelpacinus242 why what’s he done. Admittedly I’ve been ill and away from this for a while. Have I lit my foot in it? I’ve liked many of his analyses to be fair.
Totally agree. This is remarkably horrible and offensive business behaviour. Talk about “squeezing them til their pips squeak.” (An old political quote that most folks watching this are FAR too young to remember 😂) Disgusting. Edit: I agree with KDH insofar as it’s the level of the “upgrade” cost that feels a bit obnoxious.
Pisses me off. You get non-crippled hardware with the option to upgrade. If you rather buy a Helix Stomp with 25% DSP than the real one or the Fractal FM3 with 25% DSP of the Axe-Fx, then go ahead. If you ignore Kemper's product offering, are you in any way hurt?
I use a Kemper Rack and like it a lot. I was excited to get the Player in the near future. After this level pricing I have decided to abandon Kemper. The level 3 update does not make it just like the Stage. The Stage has a whole lot more to offer. I/O between the two is the main difference. I purchased a Tonex off Marketplace for $250 a while back. I really never used until the news of the new Tonex hardware and software update coming in a few weeks. Tonex is adding a Mod and Delay Block for free. For my needs the Tonex works just fine for a small travel board and I saved $479. I just noticed the price for base Player has been raised $31 on Sweetwater.
Ah, this short, selective memory. Line 6 introduced paid add-ons over 15 years ago. Metal Pack and all the rest for the XT series. Finally a few years later it was part of the POD X3.
Things like this (in the various different industries) is what makes me go more and more analog and just buy hardware units as much as possible. No bricking software, no paying for updates
I was thinking of getting one of these...thanks for the heads-up. No way now. Some companies get so greedy they lose in the end. There's tons of good competition! Btw..just how many effects does one need!? I have 62 and never use most of them. Thanks again...good video.
My three tube amps I've owned and used since the mid 1990s. They have needed a couple of "updates" over the years but I paid less than $500 for each of them and "updates" (repairs) over the last thirty years have been maybe about another $500 total, some of them I even did myself. Two of my amps are from the 1960s and one from the early 1990s.
Fractal AX8 got its last firmware update 2018. It's not completely worthless. I sold mine for 1200 Euros and it cost 1600 Euros new. Many still use it and are happy with it. I did not sell it because it was worthless or started to sound bad.
The kemper hardware has been out over a decade. Tube amps aren’t good investments. They’re all just tools. Profilers are more usable than single tube amps. Tube amps are foolish compared to profilers.
Your tube amp needs repairs over the years and has a limited feature set, digital has other benefits. And: "Sounds better" is not an argument, maybe for you - but not for everybody else.
@@nikkinik2161 'Sounds better' is an argument for people who prefer a better sound - Tube amps sound better to people with working ears who play above headphone volumes. It is a simple fact that anyone who has played through a cranked tube amp can confirm.
That analogy with the laptop is actually quite close to some actual cases. For example some motorcycle manufacturers are charging extra to unlock already existing quickshifter and riding modes. Also some electronic tools manufacturers lock a half of the frequancy of their oscilloscope in a base version untill you pay extra to unlock it. This is not new at all. Until anti monopoly exist you can choose another product.
BMW tried to pull that, too. The problem is, if you already have the product, it's already far more difficult to change to a newer one, since the resale value will have been shot.
@@andrezcabara2774 As the video plainly stated, the problem is that if Kemper owners bend over, other sleazy manufacturers will probably follow, so nearly anyone can be affected. Unfortunately, fanbois and sunken cost fallacy being what they are, chances are Operation Nickel And Dime will be a success, at least for the short term. Even if I have no doubt there already are Kemper owners fuming.
You’re bang on wit the price point here. The way it is being done seems to just be the way most things go. Airlines are a great example. They charge you little money for bare bone service although everything is available on the flight, you just pay extra for them to “unlock” it. It works with the airlines because it drove the tickets prices down to a fraction of what it used to cost. If tickets were the same price they were 20 years ago but you wouldn’t include anything, it wouldn’t have worked.
I'm glad I'm not a gigging artist. Having said that. Most of my friends are simply using an analog pedalboard with selected effects. I have another friend with a Kemper. He swears by it, but struggles with tone. When he comes to my studio, he's always blown away by the tones I get with my VST plugins or my analog gear. I used to have an AX8, but traded it for a Mesa amp. Best trade I ever did.
I'm so happy that they priced the Kemper Player so high, because that saved me from buying it when it came out. And now I sit here with my POD Go which receives great and useful updates regularly. I hope Kemper will learn... Btw. Great Video!
Synergy SYN-30 combo, a couple modules that inspire me to keep playing and practicing, and some well-chosen pedals. That's it for me, and I've never been happier with my tone.
"Extortionate pricing" implies pressure. E.g. your landlord wants 30% more rent. You can't justing ignore that. Your options are to pay up or move out, which is quite an inconvenience. Or pay a lawyer. What's the inconvenience caused by just ignoring Kemper's product and upgrade options? Nothing. Would you have been happy if you bought the Player and there were no upgrade options at all because the hardware was crippled? Did you expect free upgrades to get the Player DSP compatible with the big Profiler?
@@andrezcabara2774 never owned the GT-1000. I will say this, the interface is easy to use for an old like myself. The Tone Studio is easy to use. I run it into my PRS HDRX-20, and it has all the Boss effects. Well worth my investment.
Was considering switching to the Helix from my Tube amps for some of the bands I play for, but it seems like more companies are headed in this direction with the digital stuff. As much as I'd like to believe that some of companies making modelers will stick to doing good business, I feel like ultimately if they see a way to nickel-and-dime consumers they will. One day we might have to pay a monthly subscription to use digital effects on a gig. Fuck me.
@@mylogify That’s a $1500 amp, also it only has 1 sound. Tonex One is $180 and soon will get a free update that will add delay and modulation to make it an all in one portable solution…and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon either. Amplitube is nearing its 25th anniversary, and it’s never been better… so it’s disingenuous and inaccurate to act like these digital music technologies are constantly failing and folding. It’s a bit silly to eschew modelers and profilers in favor of traditional amps, as they are much more affordable options in comparison (AND there are even excellent FREE profilers like Neural Amp Modeler), and the variety and ease of use is also vastly superior. The technology isn’t fleeting, either, and since only a small portion of economically privileged traditionalists can even afford to assemble a collection of original amps to rival the capabilities of one Tonex pedal, it’s a fool’s errand to turn your nose up at the technology, because it’s the future of guitar for all of us average joes with humble bank accounts, which is just about all of the market share (95 to 98 percent of people fall outside of any economically privileged status)…🤷
Thank you for calling out the dodgy practices in the industry. To your point on upgrades being free, I have a Line 6 Helix and the updates/upgrades are both free and fantastic. There has been something new and important almost every year. That's the example I hope the industry follows. Having plentiful free updates/upgrades also takes away "upgrade fear" where potential buyers hesitate to buy a particular product because they fear it will soon be superseded by a dramatically better new model. The flow of upgrades makes the improvement in a particular device more linear (i.e. the device gets a little better every year in a continuous line of improvement rather than making a big jump every 10 years or so) which means buyers can just go ahead and buy the product at any given time without worry. That's just good business. It's also more fair to customers as a group minimizing winners and losers based on when they purchased. I'd certainly pay more upfront to participate in that kind of upgrade regime.
My predictions for the future include requiring wifi connection to function, followed shortly thereafter by monthly subscriptions, deleting functions and effects you’ve already paid for, making you buy a new update to get back a slightly tweaked version of what you had before, etc…
This makes me think of Zero motorcycles. They make electric motorcycles, and with their 2023 (i believe) model-updates, they did away the usual upgrades you can buy (same as with cars), and hid it behind a paywall. The actual hardware was already installed into the bikes sold, but you had to pay up to 4-5000 more to unlock what was already there. You were carrying around dead weight. I think the backlash from the community made them rewind those decisions. So maybe as a guitarcommunity, we have to give them backlash aswell for this. I'm not paying for what essentially is a software-update to unlock something that's already there.
The allure for most people for buying something like a modellor is because they don't have to spend money on buying pedals any more. Forcing people to pay for digital versions of the pedals they could have bought with the money is obviously not gonna work very well. I can almost see there being such an out rage about this that they may roll back the decision if people are loud enough.
One major thing Kemper is not realizing is this is now the digital generation. A generation that can jailbreak devices and do their own updates. It's done all the time with phones, game consoles, computers. Some people might buy into their crap, but there will be plenty of others that just get the unit and then crack it open themselves and have all the quality of life updates without a dime.
That new Cream looks like it just belongs there man 🎸 Nice . great news , I just sold the vintage JCM 800 ,It went for pretty much the going rate on reverb, had it 35 yrs , gonna miss it , but it was time to let go and its a big help financially coming into to winter . Cheers .
@@tonray9395 Well at least they're crowning the frets for free these days. What more do you want? No tooling marks on the fretboard? No pubes in the lacquer? Why don't you ask for the moon on a stick while you're at it (!)
I hope Neural DSP doesn’t try to pull this same stunt with the NanoCortex, I got one and I keep thinking the only thing keeping it from being perfect is the fact that it doesn’t have a compressor/OD block at the front of the capture, and in sure it’s not because it doesn’t have the power, I’m just sure they didn’t think about it… as a versatile player I NEED a compressor for my clean sounds, and the nano won’t capture the compressed sound
@@667dpb those plugins are attached to artists or amp makers, and those artists/amp makers have contracts which make money off their plug in sales. It would be unethical to sell someone's product for free when you have a contact with them. Now you get it, you can STFU.
Месяц назад
@@667dpbThe difference is that they never did it behind our back. It was clear from the very beginning that, yes, plugins will be compatible but not for free, and that we'll have to own a plugin licence in order to run plugins on the quad cortex. Plugins and hardware are different products, we are not entitled to free plugins because we bought a quad cortex (yet we still can capture plugins anyway)
i almost bought a kemper unit, the 600 quid one, i went for a tonex instead and havent looked back. It has all the captures i need, and the latest update is a great move. Good vid KDH👍
This Kemper announcement immediately reminded me of the gaming and the hardware/software developer industry. I really don’t think they should be charging anything for features above the unit. I can understand charging a small fee for special effects and cabs packs beyond the included ones. There are other ways of companies making money that doesn’t require locking down functions on the unit. Moreover, it’s unethical to ask for the amount they want for effects, cabs, or other extras that are software based from working musicians and hobbyists who mostly don’t have that kind of scratch to spare. Next we will see 15-30 second freemium ads on our guitar gear before we can stomp on the pedal, lol. I have a feeling most gear brands are not on board with such practices judging by the reactions by IK Multimedia and other brands. However, if it does catch on, I guess that’ll move the guitar community right back to analog gear. Marshall and other classic brands may have an epic comeback if our high tech gear starts getting the IAP/freemium treatment. Musicians will vote with their wallets. Have any other companies done anything like this? Like are there companies that make similar tech for drums, keyboards/pianos, and other instruments who have pulled this move already, or is Kemper truly the first? Because Kemper’s attempt to change the game, so to speak, could clearly impact other musicians beyond the guitar industry.
Line 6 has also consistently rolled out FREE updates with many new features and massive improvements for the Helix/HX series for the better part of a decade.
This is true. However its only xtra models. The functionality stuff was always free upgrades. I bought the POD XTL about 17 years ago and paid $149 too add the 2 amp packages and the effects junkie packages. Even after Line 6 has abandoned updates and upgrades on the unit it still sounds and works like the Flagship it once was. A tad digital too my ears but still 100% usable and functional. Kemper is becoming the Gibson of the Amp Model World.
I love my Kemper Profile Player. I use it at home for writing and recording demos. Don’t really need all the stuff the upgrade offers. If it was €50, maybe.
I have no idea if their prices for upgrades are fair or not, but unless they are forcing people to upgrade.... I kind of don't care. They've given me free updates for my regular Kemper unit for 10 years, and have completely transformed what it can do. That's not a sustainable business model. Imagine buying a tube amp without an effects loop and then feeling entitled to having an effects loop added for free. Software is different obviously, but still not free to develop. If the price of the upgrade is too high, the market will respond accordingly. But being upset that they offer an optional upgrade and charge money for it is weak sauce.
Thanks a lot for this video. I was about to buy the Kemper player, but now I guess I'd rather wait some to see if player version of Quad Cortex does the same tricks when then update their smaller version - og keep putting those updates free?
Lawyer here. That might be rather tricky one and in large measure will depend on the original terms and conditions of sale. The reality is most people don’t read the small print contained in the paperwork that comes with the modeller (although their may be an argument about whether they were sufficiently brought to the attention of the the purchaser before the sale). In very general terms, it depends if people were induced into the purchase by the belief the updates would always be free. I am guessing the small print covers the option to start charging but, as I said, it is all very fact specific and involves a number of legal considerations.
Sure all kinds of lawyers are going to line up to go after a company that has been ripping off other amplifier manufacturers for years now because they are ripping off their own customers who laid down with them in the first place. Not going to happen
I disagree. Kemper sold the player based on a certain feature set, all of which are still available. You can’t buy something and assume to get free stuff later on.
GarageBand and Logic Pro are not in the slightest way similar and they have different target groups and feature sets. Apple is not charging more for Logic, they are charging money for a different standalone program. Apples and oranges imho.
Anther fab video KDH 😊 The more technical things become the more the consumer loses the ability to control a device or eventually even ownership itself. x
This type of behavior is nothing new in the world of software, and games especially. Cutting out content/functionality from the product, just to sell it again as a DLC has been done for years now. Recently, like you said, cars companies, like BMW, adopted that policy trying to bust their earnings. Now music gear market is following. Nothing shocking here. The only way to stop that trend is to vote with your wallets. If people stop buying from companies that do shit like this, then they will eventually stop this madness or go bankrupt. It's as simple as that. Your money is the only argument you've got in fight against evil companies.
I think this is a win. The more subscriptions etc are pushed the better pirating becomes. Soon we will be back to the glory days of everything can be attained by evryone of every technical skill lvl, for free 🎉
I’m sticking with brands like Line 6 and IK multimedia for offering free updates for their producs. Avoiding any brand that charges for updates (‘upgrades”)… Period.
What Kemper has done here is a disgrace. They are overcharging for ancient technology. I hope they fall on their asses with this move and people dont fall for the bait. ToneX will kick their butts pretty hard with the upcoming update...
Yeah, 15 FX is so much better than 135 FX (or 400 FX+) Ancient technology? I bet you can't tell the difference in a blind test if a capture is from Kemper or Tonex. Why not leave it to the free market? You're pro free-market, are you not?
While I understand your stance, how would you feel if kemper put out each level as a separate hardware unit (but same form factor kinda like UA stuff) right from the get-go? From an individual product standpoint, all of the different levels make perfect sense. Not everyone needs level 3 features so they can save money by not paying the extra 300. However, if they decide down the road that they want those features, they have the option to upgrade without having to sell the unit and buy the level 3 unit. While I'm not a huge fan of paid upgrades/updates, I *am* a fan of the customer having flexibility and options which I think this model provides.
I work in software development in a company that traditionally sells pieces of analog hardware, but now the hardware is often an embedded linux system, and more and more functionalities are planned with internet connectivity. And yeah, the idea of developing features but making you pay for them is what every manager slash product owner in the company is looking to do. I'm an engineer, and I hate money, so I don't know what the numbers for cost of development and cost of implementing firmware updates for security patches, bug fixes etc, but I do know it can keep a whole team of engineers busy and occupy enough of their time to not be able to work on other projects or new products. The temptation to finish a product and hock it over the fence with no further support is high, and viable only if the product is not customizable, all the features have been developed before release to the market and none more are planned, and if the product does not interact with the internet. But with security and internet, you have a responsibility toward your customers. So... my opinion is that charging customers for updates is not entirely unreasonable since it's a cost that piles up for the company to keep engineers working on a product that in theory is already finished, and that as engineers keep working on updating it, the profitability of the product is actually getting lower. If the price for initial purchase wasn't too high and you consider that the user is paying for you to keep the product alive and secure, I can see why it's ok to charge them a reasonable amount. Also if users stop using the product they don't care to update their system so they won't buy the update and that's a hint for the company to know the product is nearing end of life. Having said all that, the prices you've shown and the justification for the updates in this instance, looks to me like what happens when someone in finance gets really creative and tries to milk customers like cash cows. Only recommendation I have is to avoid that product !
Kemper did exactly what they said they were going to do when the player launched which was to add paid features to level it up to the rack and toaster. Everyone knew this so I dont understand what the issue is.
Agree, if Kemper’s successful other companies will follow suit. Really hope this isn’t a success. It might encourage Spotify to charge for chorus access to streams. 😢
What Helix? The Stomp with crippled hardware that can't run the same rigs as the big brother? I'm not bashing Line6, it's a fair offer. Kemper's offer is fair too. There are advantages to not get crippled hardware.
@@mylogify I don't know about the Access Virus Ti. But sounds like they went the route of Fractal and Line6 where they reduced the horsepower to meet a lower price point. Maybe that's why they chose not to do this again? So, if they cripple the hardware, users's are not happy. And if they don't cripple the hardware and use paid upgrades, user's are not happy. Actually, let me correct that, people who have no interest in the Kemper in the first place are not happy. I've not heard much backlash from actual users who own the Player.
@andrezcabara2774 Access was run by Kemper. I just heard some unsatisfactory stories from some people, about no costumer support on them, when they cost a lot. I don't have one myself. Well, for Kemper, it's just the locked features into unit you have didn't make people happy. Otherwise it'd function good. At least people were aware of how much Tonex tiers would cost, before buying. Player users were not notified, that there will be continues paid upgrades on their machine, which I still call updates... Because it's still software, and depends on a person whether to call updates or upgrades. For me Upgrade is more meaningful for tangible objects.
@@mylogify Did people who bought the Kemper Player expect free updates to add all the initially restricted features for free? Really? Why would Kemper do that? I assume you have not bought the Player. I have the Stage, and I did not expect Kemper to release a paid upgrade to get 4+4 FX slots, as the unit only has 2 FX buttons, bar from a free upgrade. So, to me, they offered more than what I expected, not less. Those people who expected free upgrades to get rig compatibility with the big brother for 700 Euros entry price are delusional. But, what I'm reading here, it's not the people who bought the player that are complaining, the's the people who did not buy it in the first place and had no interest to buy it before or after the upgrades were announced.
9:42 fun fact, back in the day Intel did exactly that. You would have to buy a card at the store and call the number to get an unlock code, so your computer could go faster.
Actually all the CPUs work like that. They build them in the factory with same caracteristics. But some units have parts malfunctionning so they disable the malfunctionning unit and sell them as less powered versions. But when the building competency increase and CPUs have less faults in them, they still disable perfect working part to offer something less costly.
I'm honestly a bit torn. You see the question is what should be compare the Kemper Player to? To an HX Stomp/ Nano Cortex/ ToneX OR to the big Kempers. Because depending on this comparison the evaluation is, in my opinion, different. HX Stomp, Especially Nano Cortex, but even the FM3. None of those units can play a full fledged preset from its big brothers. So no matter how many software updates you give the FM3, the Axe 3 is ALWAYS going to be more powerful. Same goes for the HX Stomp and the Helix. You simply cannot load a big Helix preset on the HX Stomp. With the Player and the Profiler this is different. With the Level 3 Upgrade the Player has EXACTLY the software capability of its bigger brothers, just not the I/O. So every preset/ profile that you made on a Profiler with all the effects, doesn't matter, it will run on the Player. So the Player, on Level 3, is the only TRUE small backup solution to the bigger unit. The paid Upgrade is also something that they communicated from the start. In order not to ruin the sales of the bigger units this makes sense imo. With the latest software UPDATE to the Kemper line, the units are now on par and will receive the same software updates. The question is, whether or not all FUTURE updates will remain free, like they were for the Kemper for the last 13 years. I think it is sometimes difficult to compare the devices, because each manufacturer has their own philosophy. E.g. Take the Fractal line. If you bought an original Axe Fx then you received free updates throughout its lifetime. BUT we are now in the third generation and the older ones do NOT receive any updates anymore. So you could say that switching from Axe FX 1 to 2 and then to 3 is kind of like a paid upgrade, with new hardware. On the other hand if you bought a Kemper in 2011 you can load any update that is made today, 13 years later. So imo it is a mixed bag. I don't yet see this as the evil life ending threat to guitar consumers. Everyone will watch Kemper with eagle eyes. If all future updates to the Upgraded Player or the big Kemper line are free, then we are good. If not THEN we have a problem.
So explain to me why I would buy a player with max upgrades when I can buy a full toaster for a thousand bucks (cheaper) on market place. I hope we get an eager programmer to unlock it themselves somehow
I broadly agree though I do think there’s a couple of points that have some issues, mainly the comparison with the H9. When I looked to buy one a few years back you could buy the e base model and then pay for the upgrades, much the same as Kemper is now to make it in to the top level version, so I don’t see a massive difference here, I seem to remember the cost was pretty high as well and as you say is limited to effects. With axefx, yes their updates are free but they bring out a new model every other year meaning in reality to stay at the top capability you need to spend a few thousand more to get the new hardware where kemper has absolutely ringed the life out of the original toaster and seems to have no intention of ditching it yet (I know this isn’t about the toaster though). The final thing is that software is a product too and I think we can often overlook the effort that goes in to it and so I’m not necessarily against a paid upgrade path, but I do agree that the max pricing for the combined upgrades should be 80 or less.
Here's why Kemper offers paid upgrades. They could have gone the route of developing crippled hardware like others. Yes, you get free updates, but you can't run the rigs of the "big brother" because you run into CPU limits. Kemper felt they don't want to release crippled hardware. You're not running into CPU limits. The reason you get get a 700 Euro Kemper Player Lvl1 is because of paid upgrades. Without paid upgrades, the 700 Euro entry model for non-crippled hardware would make no sense as it would cannabalize its legacy products. Kemper has provide free updates to every product so far, and even the 13 year old one can still run the latest firmware.
Shit take, if that's what they wanted to do they should have just sold the Player at a higher cost or offer it with two levels of hardware. This is like if all the phone companies started selling smartphones with 16gb of RAM but you could only use 8gb of it unless you paid an extra 200 for it. (edit: fixed a spelling typo)
@@michaelnolan5300 You're not running a business. You are adding ZERO value to this game. What's the advantage of having a 1000 Euro Kemper vs. a 700 Euro entry model with 300 Euro upgrades? If someone has a nice pedal collection, isn't it a better value to buy the 700 Euro Kemper, with the safety and option to upgrade later if he choses to do so? It's also about cost. Maybe R&D effort for very different levels of hardware is not worth the effort as it provide no value for the customer? Remember Fractal AX8? Crippled hardware, product was discontinued 3 years after it was announced, could not run the latest firmware and it was too costly to port as the hardware was very different. Was that a better value? Are users happy running into CPU limits on cheaper hardware? Kemper's game plan here is different. But I don't think it's different because they're trying to cash in on things. If that was the case, why did they not move manufacturing to China? Line6 and Fractal have. No, I'm not bashing any company. I respect all of those companies equally and value the options we as guitar players get. Pick what works for you, ignore what doesn't.
I'm not sure if others have mentioned this, but these upgrades are per UNIT, not account. So the people who own more than one, would have to buy both upgrades more than once.
It could be the magic thing for playing but I won't touch that POS. Worse than ticketmaster. Like having a subscription for your garage door opener in your car.
@@juanvaldez5422 Ok, so you're fine with being price gouged after the fact and tied to a subscription service. Good for you, you truly will own nothing and be happy.
I've always wanted a kemper setup but the price kept me out...line 6 spider v60 for practice and a line 6 v240 combo with 2 4x12s 10x12 basically is my playout set with fbv3
I’m one of the idiots who upgraded to Level III. I would have been ok with it had the software been ready, but nope. First, they make you use beta software to upgrade it. Then the software wasn’t ready and effects wouldn’t show up in the app. And the deal killer for me is the fact that they won’t allow you to see all the rigs within tile view. You can see the first 50 like in Level I state, but it’s useless without a screen if I can’t see the remaining hundreds of rigs. Very sloppy release by Kemper. And I’m not even addressing the pay for upgrade issue 😂. Needless to say, but level III made the Player virtually unusable for me.
Hi there, I'm the other idiot who bought lvl 3, mainly because of the 125 banks. We need to keep the pressure up on Kemper. If you pay for additional banks they need to update the app so that you can select them. This is the diffence between free updates and paid upgrades. With the former you'll get what you get for free and must be happy with it, with the latter you bought a right to use it. This whole thing already backfires but I'm more afraid of why they're so desperately trying this highly risky endeavor.
I'm in two minds about this. While I agree it seems frustrating to have to pay to unlock features that the pedal is already capable of I can also see it from Kempers point of view as releasing a pedal with most of the functionality of the full size units for half the price wouldn't be a great business move. They could have done what a lot of companies do and released two versions, one for £700 with a standard feature set and a full fat 'Pro' version with all the extra features for £1000 making you choose at the time of purchase. I think the way they have done it is better, I'd rather have the option to upgrade at a later date than have to sell the unit and then buy another one. The other thing with kemper is that no other manufacturer I've seen in the industry has supported a product for so long, the Profiler has been out since 2011 and Kemper constantly release free updates for it introducing new features, for that reason alone I feel like they deserve some slack here.
![Quando Rondo - Grow Up [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8zFnCg3BO4Q/mqdefault.jpg)
Kemper acting like everyone bought a copy of Winrar
XDDDDDD
🤣
...or more thematically, Reaper... ;)
😂
This comment has me dying 😂😂
IK Multimedia announcing their free ToneX update after Kemper announced their paid "upgrade" was a boss move
:::Fractal Audio enters chat::: "Did you say free updates? Hold my DSPs"
Tonex pedal hardware but costs about $200 more. Tonex ONE comes with Tonex SE that you can upgrade to Tonex MAX for a fee.
@@AmericanNationalist852 Like the AX8, released 2015 and got its last FREE update 2018?
i'm so happy that I have a tonex not a kemper player😊 the player price is to high and now you have to pay for a update ...bad joke kemper😊
@@rogerYT69 That's fair, but why crap on Kemper?
The key flaw in this plan is that they're attempting to gatekeep functionality that the device is already fully capable of doing. This is exactly the kind of thing that will lead to people pirating the update.
that too but it will mostly lead to no kempers being bought to pirate
2 Notes updated the Torpedo Cab with the possibility to use 2 cabs at once, even though the unit was discontinued and this was a feature of their new Cab M. That's the kind of company whose products I will buy.
Outstanding products and people at 2Notes.
Two notes is an amazing company, I’m not even a relevant name and they were willing to work with ideas I had. Class acts and their Cab sims and IRs are top notch
Walrus Audio released new versions of their Mako series pedals. The modulation version now comes with the one effect missing from the original, a flanger. You know what they did? Announced there will be a free software update for owners of the M1 so they also receive the new effect.
Companies will only behave like ass holes if we let them get away with it, and the ones who behave well need to be supported. Let that thought guide you next time you're buying gear.
@@danielc196 Original M1 was introduced two years ago? The Mk II version is almost identical, except displays. There's a difference to Kemper's offering. If you feel Kemper behaves like an asshole, fine, don't buy its products. If you try to shame Kemper to hurt the company (and that includes its employees and customers), then you're the asshole.
Well they discontinued their Freeware IR-Loader (Wall of sound) in favor of their new modeling plugin (with a much simpler IR loader) which has a paid basic version and promotes purchases of other amp packs for it. I would say the company has a lot of interesting ideas but their marketing solutions aren't always this great
It reminds me of what BMW what they did with asking you pay a monthly fee for like, heated seats in their cars. that wasn't very well received.
That is different, it's monthly fee. There is no monthly fee here. Why doesn't this remind you of the Eventide H90? Or Tonex SE that you can upgrade to Tonex MAX? Or buying more Tonex captures from IK?
@@andrezcabara2774 it just reminded me of the backlash man
@@enparticular But you understand there might be value in what Kemper offers?
I thought it was mercedes
How do you feel about Neural DSP selling plugin „Compatibility“ for the Quad Cortex for each plugin? Clearly the device is capable of making those sounds, yet everything has to be bought seperately.
That’s a bummer. I hope it’s unsuccessful as I would hate to see other companies follow suit.
Congrats on 100k, btw.
My Axe FX got three free firmware updates before I even finished watching this video.
KDH, please audit Kemper and everyone else trying to bring "micro transactions" to guitar gear.
They are bringing all the crap for the gaming industry to the music industry, this is NOT good for the future.
The future is bleak if we don't stop it now... Nip it in the bud, before it gets out of hand and too late to do anything about it!!
Just buy analog gear. It's better anyway.
@@smelltheglove2038 Agreed!
My tube amps will require some kind of maintenance in the future, but the product itself comes will all the functionality enabled by default!!
@@JohnWikuHow many effects are included with your amp? Even with the upgrades the Kemper is still cheaper than an amp and a pedalboard full of effects pedals and overdrives.
@AWMJoeyjoejoe Noise Gate, Delay, Reverb, IR loader, DI XLR Output, Gain boost, Master L boost, FX Loop, MIDI, Power Soak(1 watt, 5 and 20 watt selectable) are included on my amp. Ironball SE. For 1200 It's very competitive I think. Sounds good on clean, Crunch, High-Gain, or Break up. Cute cat!
So you expect to buy their cheapest option and have it upgraded to the top tier option for free? I'm sure that would please their customers no end.
You sir NAILED the argumentation. "They want a piece of both pies" - you cannot say it better. I also did a rant video about this, but I could not find such eloquent words. Kudos to you!
His whole channel is about ranting complaining and crying about something.
The simple answer is just not to buy Kemper.
The simple answer is let the free market decide?
@@andrezcabara2774 Exactly.
@@Timberfist the free market can be very decisive, often permanently so
@@andrezcabara2774Vote with your wallet. They do this because they think they can get people to pay it. If enough people don't, it will cost Kemper and they'll walk it back before they lose too much.
@@Timberfist unless you want the product as it was released and/or see the value in taking the full Kemper feature set to a pedalboard sized unit for 2/3 the price of a stage…..
We are now one step away from the amp/ effect subscription model. Imagine paying 9.99/month to have access to amps/effects. Crazy but not impossible
Imagine a problem we don't have to deal with.
The other choice Kemper had when designing the entry model was to cripple the hardware. You'd be stuck with 2x2 effects with no option to upgrade. Is that more to your liking?
@@andrezcabara2774
Let me tell you a secret...
Processing power is cheap these days.
Kemper isn't going to be designing their own chipsets, it's the implementation of the circuitry that costs in terms of R&D, as well as the software.
Guitarists have never been so spoiled for choice, but we - along with the "audiophiles" - are still the biggest suckers for snake oil and lies.
@@pauln6803Explain crippled hardware then (Helix, Fractal)
@@andrezcabara2774 You're weirdly defensive of company that couldn't care less about you. You said you were a Kemper customer, but you're putting in a lot of energy defending them in the comments. I love JHS pedals, but I won't run to their aide when they catch heat for a business decision. Brand loyalty is a hell of a drug.
I would just buy another fx unit. All I want is a gate and drive up front anyway, I have a wah.
Charging for extra effects would be ok. But charging that much for essentially code optimization is a dick move.
Clearly not seen subscription/software maintenance deals before then.
What code optimization? You're getting the full 100% CPU/DSP hardware the big Kemper gives you. Kemper figured it's not worth the hassle to downgrade the hardware as it makes updates more difficult and also makes the user run into CPU limits. You call that a "dick move"? Look at the first comment "They deserve to be pirated" with 100+ likes. THAT's a dick move.
@@andrezcabara2774 I hope they get hacked six ways to Sunday, and they probably will. Psst..they deserve to be pirated and I do not care what you think either
@@andrezcabara2774 pricing aside, how is it different to a Mac coming with GarageBand and Logic Pro costing £200?
@@andrezcabara2774 Well, if they restricted the units capabilities from the start, that's even more a dick move.
Wow. So it's like buying a BMW with every function built into it, but all of it hidden behind microtransactions... Eeek!
Lots of people didn't get the optional blinkers ;)
Or a bit like buying a guitar and being told at the counter that strings, tuners, pickups and bridge come as optional extras.
Bmw did try charging a subscription to make your heated seats work.....
BMW is already gearing up to essentially make more regular cars M-cars with the sports suspension and upgraded engines as well, but with the high performance settings locked out via software.
@@SonicProvocateur Hacker mechanics are going to have a field day with those ;)
Kemper is pricing themselves out of the market. IK is going to eat them alive when the Tonex 1, comes out with its effects for under $180/€180.
Another reason for me to stay Fractal. Also, Kemper isn't known for their top shelf effects either. Also worth noting, if you paid to upgrade the H9 to a Max, all future updates from that point were free.
This is exactly why I still use amps. With software - plugins, modellers, whatever - there is an inherent risk that they will one day charge for (necessary) updates, stop supporting the software when something new is released. I understand the convenience of something small and portable, but it's not a factor for me, so I feel much happier plugging into an amp I own.
You were way ahead of me. Perfectly put!👍
You know you can do both , right? It doesn’t have to either/ or.
Because you think a box is worth thousands but software is worth nothing. That doesn't make any sense at all. It's no different to the idea that a piece of vinyl is worth something but a digital download isn't. Or that paying for a ticket to stand in the same room as someone is worth hundreds, but a stream of the same person playing is worth nothing. And if musicians are low paid because of that, well it's deserved when you start treating other digital things as worthless.
You can certainly argue whether this Kemper update is value for money, but not from the context of these people suggesting updates should be free - specifically here improvements to a product, not something that's fixing bugs or flaws.
@@michael1 No of course software is worth something. But reasonably any costs associated with usage and update of functionality that was promised originally should be part of the price paid up front. I fear it won't be and that products may become unusable, hence I prefer physical amps.
I'm stating a preference. Your mileage may vary. That's fine.
@@juanvaldez5422 Sure, but as I've said I don't need what the digital solutions offer, so I'm fine with physical amps.
We guitarists, dont want any of that "micro" transaction bullshit in guitar gear - note that money thirsty companies.
The free market decides what "we guitarists" want, not you. Look up there, 100+ people feel entitled to pirate the upgrades. Who's the scumbag?
@@andrezcabara2774
Mate, you must be the angriest little bloke on the internet right now.
You bought one, you're fine with paying a LOT extra for functions locked behind a pay wall.
You want to defend your purchase, we get it.
You've posted your rants under nearly every other thread.
@@andrezcabara2774 No, the free market doesnt decide what guitarists want, it doesnt decide what you want - you do. Guitarists decide what they want. Guitarists are the consumers, and if we dont buy, they dont profit - simply put, consumer opinion matters. I dont agree with piracy, and i dont want you to tell me that i agree with it - i didn't say that. This comment was an simple "I wont buy shit from anybody as money thirsty as you Kemper, or any other company that goes the same direction". If you want that, go out and spend 1000 euros on that, i will not.
@@kevingrabowski I'm sure you also won't spend 3k on an Axe-Fx, does that make Fractal a "money thirsty" company? And, yes, free market decides what guitarists want. And you seem to have a problem with this. You wrote "We guitarists"... you have no authority to speak on behalf of all guitarists. I know you want to. And you don't have a problem to swing mud at a company because it's not good option for you. Free market decides, as that shows how many guitarists think what Kemper offers is valuable.
@@andrezcabara2774 im sorry you are so brainwashed, that even you think that your opinion doesnt matter, when it does. I spoke on behalf of guitarists because nobody in their right mind wants that micro transaction to unblock tiers type shit, period. if you want that, that says a lot about you. I know you love sucking big companies, but let me tell you - they dont give a shit about you. This situation is not good, and nobody wants that shit in guitar gear - so i spoke on behalf of ALL GuiTaRiStS to just show a simple message to other companies reading people's feedback. You have to hate yourself, if you really want that to happen to guitar gear. Also, if nobody buys your shit, the "free market" doesnt decide nothing, people decide what they want - and i still don't understand you, because you didnt prove any point. You are the minority of people's feedback in this situation if Kemper's actions are good in your opinion
Thank you!!!! I almost pulled the trigger on getting one of these. I'm holding back, most likely looking elsewhere. Much appreciated man!!
And here I am with my cheap Hotone Ampero. I bought it originally just for rehearsal at home or at a friend.
And now I have played 5 gigs ampless over P.A. with the next one in two weeks as a bassist.
I also own a TONEX Pedal and am looking forward for the free update with effects.
It sounds better for guitar but for bass the Ampero is enough for me as an all in one unit with TRS and XLR outputs, volume pedal and tuner.
I got a Kemper Player and a Quad Cortex to try out then I was going to keep one of the units. I was initially going to keep the kemper initially because the size and ability to play backing tracks via bluetooth. Luckily this update thing came out before I made my choice. I ended up going returning the kemper even tho it was not my first choice. i refuse to consciously support these business practices if I can.
Well that’s fucking stupid. You intentionally held yourself back to join a social justice rant on social media 😆 for a Quad Cortex. When neural has had bad publicity as well.
Congrats on hitting 100K!!! Well deserved
Seconded. This channel has integrity.
Bro… not the time
@@michaelpacinus242 why what’s he done. Admittedly I’ve been ill and away from this for a while. Have I lit my foot in it? I’ve liked many of his analyses to be fair.
@@mhoppy6639 just kidding ::)
@@michaelpacinus242 I’m embarrassed. Think it’s my age! I’m just waaay too old. 🤣🤣
I still use pedals that do one thing. The worst thing that ever happens is a patch cable craps out. So I have extra patch cables.
They deserve to be pirated
Totally agree. This is remarkably horrible and offensive business behaviour. Talk about “squeezing them til their pips squeak.” (An old political quote that most folks watching this are FAR too young to remember 😂)
Disgusting.
Edit: I agree with KDH insofar as it’s the level of the “upgrade” cost that feels a bit obnoxious.
the problem for me is that the hardware release is less then 1 year...
Pisses me off. You get non-crippled hardware with the option to upgrade. If you rather buy a Helix Stomp with 25% DSP than the real one or the Fractal FM3 with 25% DSP of the Axe-Fx, then go ahead. If you ignore Kemper's product offering, are you in any way hurt?
@@rogerYT69 Why is that a problem? Did they announce any features one year ago that they did not deliver?
@@andrezcabara2774 I bet kemper knows from the upgrade at release of the player ...at least Its a bit strange 😊
I use a Kemper Rack and like it a lot. I was excited to get the Player in the near future. After this level pricing I have decided to abandon Kemper. The level 3 update does not make it just like the Stage. The Stage has a whole lot more to offer. I/O between the two is the main difference. I purchased a Tonex off Marketplace for $250 a while back. I really never used until the news of the new Tonex hardware and software update coming in a few weeks. Tonex is adding a Mod and Delay Block for free. For my needs the Tonex works just fine for a small travel board and I saved $479. I just noticed the price for base Player has been raised $31 on Sweetwater.
Ah, this short, selective memory. Line 6 introduced paid add-ons over 15 years ago. Metal Pack and all the rest for the XT series. Finally a few years later it was part of the POD X3.
Things like this (in the various different industries) is what makes me go more and more analog and just buy hardware units as much as possible. No bricking software, no paying for updates
TONEX FX update in October will make the One (mini) pedal for £150 pretty amazing bang for buck.
I was thinking of getting one of these...thanks for the heads-up. No way now. Some companies get so greedy they lose in the end.
There's tons of good competition! Btw..just how many effects does one need!? I have 62 and never use most of them.
Thanks again...good video.
So much bad/misleading information in this video.
I can’t wait for my pedals to feature microtransaction lootboxes. Maybe I’ll win a tube screamer effect!
You will get pitch bend and ring mod every time
@@Zwidawurzn or metal zones
@@gitarmats lmao, most likely yea
My three tube amps I've owned and used since the mid 1990s.
They have needed a couple of "updates" over the years but I paid less than $500 for each of them and "updates" (repairs) over the last thirty years have been maybe about another $500 total, some of them I even did myself. Two of my amps are from the 1960s and one from the early 1990s.
100% agree with everything except the cpu comparison as, for years manufacturers have sold locked and unlocked versions of the same CPUs.
This is why I just use a tube amp and a few boss pedals. Sounds better and isn't completely worthless in a few years when a new model comes out.
Fractal AX8 got its last firmware update 2018. It's not completely worthless. I sold mine for 1200 Euros and it cost 1600 Euros new. Many still use it and are happy with it. I did not sell it because it was worthless or started to sound bad.
The kemper hardware has been out over a decade. Tube amps aren’t good investments. They’re all just tools. Profilers are more usable than single tube amps. Tube amps are foolish compared to profilers.
Your tube amp needs repairs over the years and has a limited feature set, digital has other benefits. And: "Sounds better" is not an argument, maybe for you - but not for everybody else.
@@nikkinik2161 'Sounds better' is an argument for people who prefer a better sound - Tube amps sound better to people with working ears who play above headphone volumes. It is a simple fact that anyone who has played through a cranked tube amp can confirm.
@@ibanezlaney Oh you know how many tube amps i owned and played over the last 20 years? Interesting! 😅
That analogy with the laptop is actually quite close to some actual cases. For example some motorcycle manufacturers are charging extra to unlock already existing quickshifter and riding modes. Also some electronic tools manufacturers lock a half of the frequancy of their oscilloscope in a base version untill you pay extra to unlock it. This is not new at all. Until anti monopoly exist you can choose another product.
BMW tried to pull that, too. The problem is, if you already have the product, it's already far more difficult to change to a newer one, since the resale value will have been shot.
just buy something older that doesnt require stupid shit like that.
@@pilotamurorei The problem is when norms force you to buy newer stuff and kill off the used market.
@@CyberChrist That's a fair argument against BMW. But who's complaining here? Kemper owners? Nope.
@@andrezcabara2774 As the video plainly stated, the problem is that if Kemper owners bend over, other sleazy manufacturers will probably follow, so nearly anyone can be affected.
Unfortunately, fanbois and sunken cost fallacy being what they are, chances are Operation Nickel And Dime will be a success, at least for the short term.
Even if I have no doubt there already are Kemper owners fuming.
You’re bang on wit the price point here. The way it is being done seems to just be the way most things go. Airlines are a great example. They charge you little money for bare bone service although everything is available on the flight, you just pay extra for them to “unlock” it.
It works with the airlines because it drove the tickets prices down to a fraction of what it used to cost. If tickets were the same price they were 20 years ago but you wouldn’t include anything, it wouldn’t have worked.
Kemper are actively deleting negative comments on their videos about the player too. They're burying their head in the sand.
I'm glad I'm not a gigging artist. Having said that. Most of my friends are simply using an analog pedalboard with selected effects. I have another friend with a Kemper. He swears by it, but struggles with tone. When he comes to my studio, he's always blown away by the tones I get with my VST plugins or my analog gear. I used to have an AX8, but traded it for a Mesa amp. Best trade I ever did.
I'm so happy that they priced the Kemper Player so high, because that saved me from buying it when it came out. And now I sit here with my POD Go which receives great and useful updates regularly. I hope Kemper will learn... Btw. Great Video!
POD go fucking sucks compared to Kemper 😂
Synergy SYN-30 combo, a couple modules that inspire me to keep playing and practicing, and some well-chosen pedals. That's it for me, and I've never been happier with my tone.
Synergy make a combo? Need to check that out
their poweramp is trash though.
I was going to buy a Kemper player a few weeks ago, so glad it was out of stock. Kemper lost a new customer, extortionate pricing.
"extortionate"? What did you expect? Free full effects and FX slots as the big guy for free?
You don't understand the definition of extortion.
"Extortionate pricing" implies pressure.
E.g. your landlord wants 30% more rent. You can't justing ignore that. Your options are to pay up or move out, which is quite an inconvenience. Or pay a lawyer.
What's the inconvenience caused by just ignoring Kemper's product and upgrade options? Nothing.
Would you have been happy if you bought the Player and there were no upgrade options at all because the hardware was crippled? Did you expect free upgrades to get the Player DSP compatible with the big Profiler?
How many are worth using ? My experience is in general only a handful are any good .
Boss GX-100 is $599.99. The 2.0 update was $0.
Can it run the same rigs as the GT-1000?
@@andrezcabara2774 never owned the GT-1000. I will say this, the interface is easy to use for an old like myself. The Tone Studio is easy to use. I run it into my PRS HDRX-20, and it has all the Boss effects. Well worth my investment.
@@andrezcabara2774the GT-1000 Core can and it’s only 800 bucks
Lots of free updates for the gt-1000 as well! Just updated 2 days ago, several new amps and effects and some other smaller things
This channel just gets better and better!
It backfired for BMW Heated Seats, it will for Kemper too
Was considering switching to the Helix from my Tube amps for some of the bands I play for, but it seems like more companies are headed in this direction with the digital stuff.
As much as I'd like to believe that some of companies making modelers will stick to doing good business, I feel like ultimately if they see a way to nickel-and-dime consumers they will. One day we might have to pay a monthly subscription to use digital effects on a gig. Fuck me.
699.00 for a unit with everything in it but not unlocked. Robbery!
"No company is going to charge you extra to use channel 2 on their amp" shhhhhhh don't give them any ideas!
Wouldn't it be wild if all digital modeling went this direction and people just started using real amps again as a result?
I can’t wait to rush out and get a huge stack of 20 pound amps at $3000 a piece…should be amazing 🙄😆🤷
@HububkiFilms Not everyone needs $3000 amps when there is the great Ironball SE about similar price to updated Player.
@@mylogify That’s a $1500 amp, also it only has 1 sound. Tonex One is $180 and soon will get a free update that will add delay and modulation to make it an all in one portable solution…and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon either. Amplitube is nearing its 25th anniversary, and it’s never been better… so it’s disingenuous and inaccurate to act like these digital music technologies are constantly failing and folding.
It’s a bit silly to eschew modelers and profilers in favor of traditional amps, as they are much more affordable options in comparison (AND there are even excellent FREE profilers like Neural Amp Modeler), and the variety and ease of use is also vastly superior.
The technology isn’t fleeting, either, and since only a small portion of economically privileged traditionalists can even afford to assemble a collection of original amps to rival the capabilities of one Tonex pedal, it’s a fool’s errand to turn your nose up at the technology, because it’s the future of guitar for all of us average joes with humble bank accounts, which is just about all of the market share (95 to 98 percent of people fall outside of any economically privileged status)…🤷
Yup, done already
I wish
Thank you for calling out the dodgy practices in the industry. To your point on upgrades being free, I have a Line 6 Helix and the updates/upgrades are both free and fantastic. There has been something new and important almost every year. That's the example I hope the industry follows. Having plentiful free updates/upgrades also takes away "upgrade fear" where potential buyers hesitate to buy a particular product because they fear it will soon be superseded by a dramatically better new model. The flow of upgrades makes the improvement in a particular device more linear (i.e. the device gets a little better every year in a continuous line of improvement rather than making a big jump every 10 years or so) which means buyers can just go ahead and buy the product at any given time without worry. That's just good business. It's also more fair to customers as a group minimizing winners and losers based on when they purchased. I'd certainly pay more upfront to participate in that kind of upgrade regime.
Just buy a used Kemper Stage for £800 and get all the updates for free. Thats what I'd do.
No, these people want the player turned into the stage for free...
My predictions for the future include requiring wifi connection to function, followed shortly thereafter by monthly subscriptions, deleting functions and effects you’ve already paid for, making you buy a new update to get back a slightly tweaked version of what you had before, etc…
Yup, had Kemper Player for 2 months and sold it immediately after they announced these petty upgrades
Congrats on silver button.
100 K subs 🎉🎉🎉
Do not buy things where the functionality is built in, but you can't use it without paying more money.
This makes me think of Zero motorcycles. They make electric motorcycles, and with their 2023 (i believe) model-updates, they did away the usual upgrades you can buy (same as with cars), and hid it behind a paywall. The actual hardware was already installed into the bikes sold, but you had to pay up to 4-5000 more to unlock what was already there. You were carrying around dead weight. I think the backlash from the community made them rewind those decisions.
So maybe as a guitarcommunity, we have to give them backlash aswell for this. I'm not paying for what essentially is a software-update to unlock something that's already there.
Well no kemper products for me. I will never support greed at the customers expense.
The allure for most people for buying something like a modellor is because they don't have to spend money on buying pedals any more. Forcing people to pay for digital versions of the pedals they could have bought with the money is obviously not gonna work very well. I can almost see there being such an out rage about this that they may roll back the decision if people are loud enough.
One major thing Kemper is not realizing is this is now the digital generation. A generation that can jailbreak devices and do their own updates. It's done all the time with phones, game consoles, computers. Some people might buy into their crap, but there will be plenty of others that just get the unit and then crack it open themselves and have all the quality of life updates without a dime.
I was thinking the same, that this is just going to motivate people to hack the damn things.
Model the modelers. Or encapsulate the code into a VM environment and run it as an image.
That new Cream looks like it just belongs there man 🎸 Nice .
great news , I just sold the vintage JCM 800 ,It went for pretty much the going rate on reverb, had it 35 yrs , gonna miss it , but it was time to let go and its a big help financially coming into to winter . Cheers .
I heard Gibson was going to be doing this next you pay 5 thousand for the guitar then it's an extra thousand for the pickups lol
Extra thousand for one pickup, a two pickup package costing £3000.
$2000 extra for a neck that doesn't break at the headstock
@@tonray9395
Well at least they're crowning the frets for free these days.
What more do you want?
No tooling marks on the fretboard?
No pubes in the lacquer?
Why don't you ask for the moon on a stick while you're at it (!)
Well Gibson can go to hell already
No the pickups are installed
You just can’t use them until you pay more
That was pretty convenient for me, I am just looking into getting my first modeling preamp/pedal. Took Kemper out of the short list for sure.
I hope Neural DSP doesn’t try to pull this same stunt with the NanoCortex, I got one and I keep thinking the only thing keeping it from being perfect is the fact that it doesn’t have a compressor/OD block at the front of the capture, and in sure it’s not because it doesn’t have the power, I’m just sure they didn’t think about it… as a versatile player I NEED a compressor for my clean sounds, and the nano won’t capture the compressed sound
They alsready sell plugin compatibility for each plugin seperately? How is that different?
@@667dpb what do you mean? Those plugin compatibility updates for the QC are free…
@@667dpb those plugins are attached to artists or amp makers, and those artists/amp makers have contracts which make money off their plug in sales.
It would be unethical to sell someone's product for free when you have a contact with them.
Now you get it, you can STFU.
@@667dpbThe difference is that they never did it behind our back. It was clear from the very beginning that, yes, plugins will be compatible but not for free, and that we'll have to own a plugin licence in order to run plugins on the quad cortex.
Plugins and hardware are different products, we are not entitled to free plugins because we bought a quad cortex (yet we still can capture plugins anyway)
i almost bought a kemper unit, the 600 quid one, i went for a tonex instead and havent looked back.
It has all the captures i need, and the latest update is a great move.
Good vid KDH👍
Kemper taking a page out of Bethesda's playbook with this ....didnt see that coming
kemper got nothing on the WoW token....
cant wait for the kemper battle pass
“It just WORKS”
@@LizordSword well done sir.
Kemper is the Fallout 76 of the DSP world now. Update the stupid lunch box... it's old.
This Kemper announcement immediately reminded me of the gaming and the hardware/software developer industry. I really don’t think they should be charging anything for features above the unit. I can understand charging a small fee for special effects and cabs packs beyond the included ones. There are other ways of companies making money that doesn’t require locking down functions on the unit. Moreover, it’s unethical to ask for the amount they want for effects, cabs, or other extras that are software based from working musicians and hobbyists who mostly don’t have that kind of scratch to spare.
Next we will see 15-30 second freemium ads on our guitar gear before we can stomp on the pedal, lol.
I have a feeling most gear brands are not on board with such practices judging by the reactions by IK Multimedia and other brands. However, if it does catch on, I guess that’ll move the guitar community right back to analog gear. Marshall and other classic brands may have an epic comeback if our high tech gear starts getting the IAP/freemium treatment. Musicians will vote with their wallets.
Have any other companies done anything like this? Like are there companies that make similar tech for drums, keyboards/pianos, and other instruments who have pulled this move already, or is Kemper truly the first? Because Kemper’s attempt to change the game, so to speak, could clearly impact other musicians beyond the guitar industry.
Nobody mention the fact that Line 6 STILL sell their "Metal Shop" pack for the Pod 2.0 / XT at full price... in 2024. 😂
Line 6 has also consistently rolled out FREE updates with many new features and massive improvements for the Helix/HX series for the better part of a decade.
@@nvinceable17 Oh absolutely. What they've done with Helix is incredible. They kept pumping out huge new and free updates for years, and still do.
This is true. However its only xtra models. The functionality stuff was always free upgrades. I bought the POD XTL about 17 years ago and paid $149 too add the 2 amp packages and the effects junkie packages. Even after Line 6 has abandoned updates and upgrades on the unit it still sounds and works like the Flagship it once was. A tad digital too my ears but still 100% usable and functional. Kemper is becoming the Gibson of the Amp Model World.
Not even remotely on topic.
What did you think about the Simplifier? I find them great. Did you get to test it in Germany or that was just an interview?
Congrats on 100k!
💯right and I love your reverse explorer. What brand is it??? ❤❤
I love my Kemper Profile Player. I use it at home for writing and recording demos. Don’t really need all the stuff the upgrade offers. If it was €50, maybe.
I have no idea if their prices for upgrades are fair or not, but unless they are forcing people to upgrade.... I kind of don't care. They've given me free updates for my regular Kemper unit for 10 years, and have completely transformed what it can do. That's not a sustainable business model. Imagine buying a tube amp without an effects loop and then feeling entitled to having an effects loop added for free. Software is different obviously, but still not free to develop. If the price of the upgrade is too high, the market will respond accordingly. But being upset that they offer an optional upgrade and charge money for it is weak sauce.
Thanks a lot for this video. I was about to buy the Kemper player, but now I guess I'd rather wait some to see if player version of Quad Cortex does the same tricks when then update their smaller version - og keep putting those updates free?
And this is a time for consumer laws to come in and stop this..
Not gonna happen Next year you'll be paying for a subscription just to make the thing work.
Lawyer here. That might be rather tricky one and in large measure will depend on the original terms and conditions of sale. The reality is most people don’t read the small print contained in the paperwork that comes with the modeller (although their may be an argument about whether they were sufficiently brought to the attention of the the purchaser before the sale). In very general terms, it depends if people were induced into the purchase by the belief the updates would always be free. I am guessing the small print covers the option to start charging but, as I said, it is all very fact specific and involves a number of legal considerations.
Yes , the guvment should do something… or , maybe just don’t get it 🥴
Sure all kinds of lawyers are going to line up to go after a company that has been ripping off other amplifier manufacturers for years now because they are ripping off their own customers who laid down with them in the first place. Not going to happen
I disagree. Kemper sold the player based on a certain feature set, all of which are still available. You can’t buy something and assume to get free stuff later on.
Putting the upgrade price aside, Kemper's effects are pretty darn good..Line 6 Helix/Stomp and Tonex can't nail spring reverb, for example.
Isn’t it just like Apple selling their computers with GarageBand but charging more for Logic Pro? Yes. Yes it is.
GarageBand and Logic Pro are not in the slightest way similar and they have different target groups and feature sets. Apple is not charging more for Logic, they are charging money for a different standalone program. Apples and oranges imho.
@@nikkinik2161 aaaah. You’re an idiot. Ok.
What a dumb comparison. Garageband is a free app, Logic pro is a fully fledged DAW for professionals.
@@drconflict629 irrelevant, though if you feel better saying it, good for you.
@@Uygkuyfkutfkytfkutfv In what world is it irrelevant what?? Maybe learn what irrelevant even means.
Anther fab video KDH 😊
The more technical things become the more the consumer loses the ability to control a device or eventually even ownership itself.
x
I'm surprised they didn't roll this out as a "subscription service". 🤣
There's still time for that. Just wait for the "we're listening to our customers" non-apology announcement.
This type of behavior is nothing new in the world of software, and games especially. Cutting out content/functionality from the product, just to sell it again as a DLC has been done for years now. Recently, like you said, cars companies, like BMW, adopted that policy trying to bust their earnings. Now music gear market is following. Nothing shocking here. The only way to stop that trend is to vote with your wallets. If people stop buying from companies that do shit like this, then they will eventually stop this madness or go bankrupt. It's as simple as that. Your money is the only argument you've got in fight against evil companies.
Remember when Line 6 charged for new amp models? Pepperidge farm remembers..
I think this is a win.
The more subscriptions etc are pushed the better pirating becomes.
Soon we will be back to the glory days of everything can be attained by evryone of every technical skill lvl, for free 🎉
I’m sticking with brands like Line 6 and IK multimedia for offering free updates for their producs. Avoiding any brand that charges for updates (‘upgrades”)… Period.
So funny now that this kemper SOFTWARE upgrade costs as much as a Tone-X pedal with a huge new free update very soon
What Kemper has done here is a disgrace. They are overcharging for ancient technology.
I hope they fall on their asses with this move and people dont fall for the bait.
ToneX will kick their butts pretty hard with the upcoming update...
Yeah, 15 FX is so much better than 135 FX (or 400 FX+)
Ancient technology? I bet you can't tell the difference in a blind test if a capture is from Kemper or Tonex.
Why not leave it to the free market? You're pro free-market, are you not?
@@andrezcabara2774Kemper sucks
@@Bjornsguitarspecials You're happy with your Quad Cortex? Great! Have you owned the Kemper and sold it because you were not happy with it?
@@andrezcabara2774 yes I have.
While I understand your stance, how would you feel if kemper put out each level as a separate hardware unit (but same form factor kinda like UA stuff) right from the get-go? From an individual product standpoint, all of the different levels make perfect sense. Not everyone needs level 3 features so they can save money by not paying the extra 300. However, if they decide down the road that they want those features, they have the option to upgrade without having to sell the unit and buy the level 3 unit. While I'm not a huge fan of paid upgrades/updates, I *am* a fan of the customer having flexibility and options which I think this model provides.
I almost bought a Cream guitar a few days ago and that guitar in the back aint helping
I work in software development in a company that traditionally sells pieces of analog hardware, but now the hardware is often an embedded linux system, and more and more functionalities are planned with internet connectivity. And yeah, the idea of developing features but making you pay for them is what every manager slash product owner in the company is looking to do.
I'm an engineer, and I hate money, so I don't know what the numbers for cost of development and cost of implementing firmware updates for security patches, bug fixes etc, but I do know it can keep a whole team of engineers busy and occupy enough of their time to not be able to work on other projects or new products. The temptation to finish a product and hock it over the fence with no further support is high, and viable only if the product is not customizable, all the features have been developed before release to the market and none more are planned, and if the product does not interact with the internet. But with security and internet, you have a responsibility toward your customers.
So... my opinion is that charging customers for updates is not entirely unreasonable since it's a cost that piles up for the company to keep engineers working on a product that in theory is already finished, and that as engineers keep working on updating it, the profitability of the product is actually getting lower. If the price for initial purchase wasn't too high and you consider that the user is paying for you to keep the product alive and secure, I can see why it's ok to charge them a reasonable amount. Also if users stop using the product they don't care to update their system so they won't buy the update and that's a hint for the company to know the product is nearing end of life.
Having said all that, the prices you've shown and the justification for the updates in this instance, looks to me like what happens when someone in finance gets really creative and tries to milk customers like cash cows. Only recommendation I have is to avoid that product !
Kemper did exactly what they said they were going to do when the player launched which was to add paid features to level it up to the rack and toaster. Everyone knew this so I dont understand what the issue is.
Agree, if Kemper’s successful other companies will follow suit. Really hope this isn’t a success. It might encourage Spotify to charge for chorus access to streams. 😢
Nobody cares about Spotify anymore... Just download the FLAC album...
Me, sitting here with helix getting updates for ages now, happier thsn a pig in shit
What Helix? The Stomp with crippled hardware that can't run the same rigs as the big brother? I'm not bashing Line6, it's a fair offer. Kemper's offer is fair too. There are advantages to not get crippled hardware.
@andrezcabara2774 Access Virus Ti is crippled. Users are not happy.
@@mylogify I don't know about the Access Virus Ti. But sounds like they went the route of Fractal and Line6 where they reduced the horsepower to meet a lower price point. Maybe that's why they chose not to do this again? So, if they cripple the hardware, users's are not happy. And if they don't cripple the hardware and use paid upgrades, user's are not happy. Actually, let me correct that, people who have no interest in the Kemper in the first place are not happy. I've not heard much backlash from actual users who own the Player.
@andrezcabara2774 Access was run by Kemper. I just heard some unsatisfactory stories from some people, about no costumer support on them, when they cost a lot. I don't have one myself. Well, for Kemper, it's just the locked features into unit you have didn't make people happy. Otherwise it'd function good. At least people were aware of how much Tonex tiers would cost, before buying. Player users were not notified, that there will be continues paid upgrades on their machine, which I still call updates... Because it's still software, and depends on a person whether to call updates or upgrades. For me Upgrade is more meaningful for tangible objects.
@@mylogify Did people who bought the Kemper Player expect free updates to add all the initially restricted features for free? Really? Why would Kemper do that? I assume you have not bought the Player. I have the Stage, and I did not expect Kemper to release a paid upgrade to get 4+4 FX slots, as the unit only has 2 FX buttons, bar from a free upgrade. So, to me, they offered more than what I expected, not less. Those people who expected free upgrades to get rig compatibility with the big brother for 700 Euros entry price are delusional. But, what I'm reading here, it's not the people who bought the player that are complaining, the's the people who did not buy it in the first place and had no interest to buy it before or after the upgrades were announced.
This was not directed towards you because I love your channel and you have earned it.
9:42 fun fact, back in the day Intel did exactly that. You would have to buy a card at the store and call the number to get an unlock code, so your computer could go faster.
And now Qualcomm has tried to buy them lol. How times have changed.
@@LucasLeCompteMusic
Potentially parts of Intel.
Nobody is buying Intel whole.
Actually all the CPUs work like that.
They build them in the factory with same caracteristics. But some units have parts malfunctionning so they disable the malfunctionning unit and sell them as less powered versions.
But when the building competency increase and CPUs have less faults in them, they still disable perfect working part to offer something less costly.
I'm honestly a bit torn. You see the question is what should be compare the Kemper Player to? To an HX Stomp/ Nano Cortex/ ToneX OR to the big Kempers. Because depending on this comparison the evaluation is, in my opinion, different.
HX Stomp, Especially Nano Cortex, but even the FM3. None of those units can play a full fledged preset from its big brothers. So no matter how many software updates you give the FM3, the Axe 3 is ALWAYS going to be more powerful. Same goes for the HX Stomp and the Helix. You simply cannot load a big Helix preset on the HX Stomp.
With the Player and the Profiler this is different. With the Level 3 Upgrade the Player has EXACTLY the software capability of its bigger brothers, just not the I/O.
So every preset/ profile that you made on a Profiler with all the effects, doesn't matter, it will run on the Player. So the Player, on Level 3, is the only TRUE small backup solution to the bigger unit.
The paid Upgrade is also something that they communicated from the start. In order not to ruin the sales of the bigger units this makes sense imo.
With the latest software UPDATE to the Kemper line, the units are now on par and will receive the same software updates.
The question is, whether or not all FUTURE updates will remain free, like they were for the Kemper for the last 13 years.
I think it is sometimes difficult to compare the devices, because each manufacturer has their own philosophy. E.g. Take the Fractal line. If you bought an original Axe Fx then you received free updates throughout its lifetime. BUT we are now in the third generation and the older ones do NOT receive any updates anymore. So you could say that switching from Axe FX 1 to 2 and then to 3 is kind of like a paid upgrade, with new hardware.
On the other hand if you bought a Kemper in 2011 you can load any update that is made today, 13 years later.
So imo it is a mixed bag. I don't yet see this as the evil life ending threat to guitar consumers. Everyone will watch Kemper with eagle eyes. If all future updates to the Upgraded Player or the big Kemper line are free, then we are good. If not THEN we have a problem.
Tonex One and Tonex's bigger pedal I guess can play the same rigs? Or One is less capable?
So explain to me why I would buy a player with max upgrades when I can buy a full toaster for a thousand bucks (cheaper) on market place. I hope we get an eager programmer to unlock it themselves somehow
I broadly agree though I do think there’s a couple of points that have some issues, mainly the comparison with the H9. When I looked to buy one a few years back you could buy the e base model and then pay for the upgrades, much the same as Kemper is now to make it in to the top level version, so I don’t see a massive difference here, I seem to remember the cost was pretty high as well and as you say is limited to effects. With axefx, yes their updates are free but they bring out a new model every other year meaning in reality to stay at the top capability you need to spend a few thousand more to get the new hardware where kemper has absolutely ringed the life out of the original toaster and seems to have no intention of ditching it yet (I know this isn’t about the toaster though). The final thing is that software is a product too and I think we can often overlook the effort that goes in to it and so I’m not necessarily against a paid upgrade path, but I do agree that the max pricing for the combined upgrades should be 80 or less.
Here's why Kemper offers paid upgrades. They could have gone the route of developing crippled hardware like others. Yes, you get free updates, but you can't run the rigs of the "big brother" because you run into CPU limits.
Kemper felt they don't want to release crippled hardware. You're not running into CPU limits.
The reason you get get a 700 Euro Kemper Player Lvl1 is because of paid upgrades. Without paid upgrades, the 700 Euro entry model for non-crippled hardware would make no sense as it would cannabalize its legacy products.
Kemper has provide free updates to every product so far, and even the 13 year old one can still run the latest firmware.
Shit take, if that's what they wanted to do they should have just sold the Player at a higher cost or offer it with two levels of hardware. This is like if all the phone companies started selling smartphones with 16gb of RAM but you could only use 8gb of it unless you paid an extra 200 for it. (edit: fixed a spelling typo)
@@michaelnolan5300 You're not running a business. You are adding ZERO value to this game. What's the advantage of having a 1000 Euro Kemper vs. a 700 Euro entry model with 300 Euro upgrades? If someone has a nice pedal collection, isn't it a better value to buy the 700 Euro Kemper, with the safety and option to upgrade later if he choses to do so?
It's also about cost. Maybe R&D effort for very different levels of hardware is not worth the effort as it provide no value for the customer? Remember Fractal AX8? Crippled hardware, product was discontinued 3 years after it was announced, could not run the latest firmware and it was too costly to port as the hardware was very different. Was that a better value? Are users happy running into CPU limits on cheaper hardware?
Kemper's game plan here is different. But I don't think it's different because they're trying to cash in on things. If that was the case, why did they not move manufacturing to China? Line6 and Fractal have.
No, I'm not bashing any company. I respect all of those companies equally and value the options we as guitar players get. Pick what works for you, ignore what doesn't.
I'm not sure if others have mentioned this, but these upgrades are per UNIT, not account. So the people who own more than one, would have to buy both upgrades more than once.
It could be the magic thing for playing but I won't touch that POS. Worse than ticketmaster. Like having a subscription for your garage door opener in your car.
Ok, boomer
I think its more like turning your 2 stall garage into a 3 stall
@@juanvaldez5422 f/o fan boy
@@juanvaldez5422
Ok, so you're fine with being price gouged after the fact and tied to a subscription service.
Good for you, you truly will own nothing and be happy.
@@pauln6803 virtually doomed poster boy for fandom.
I've always wanted a kemper setup but the price kept me out...line 6 spider v60 for practice and a line 6 v240 combo with 2 4x12s 10x12 basically is my playout set with fbv3
I’m one of the idiots who upgraded to Level III. I would have been ok with it had the software been ready, but nope. First, they make you use beta software to upgrade it. Then the software wasn’t ready and effects wouldn’t show up in the app. And the deal killer for me is the fact that they won’t allow you to see all the rigs within tile view. You can see the first 50 like in Level I state, but it’s useless without a screen if I can’t see the remaining hundreds of rigs. Very sloppy release by Kemper. And I’m not even addressing the pay for upgrade issue 😂. Needless to say, but level III made the Player virtually unusable for me.
Hi there,
I'm the other idiot who bought lvl 3, mainly because of the 125 banks. We need to keep the pressure up on Kemper. If you pay for additional banks they need to update the app so that you can select them. This is the diffence between free updates and paid upgrades. With the former you'll get what you get for free and must be happy with it, with the latter you bought a right to use it.
This whole thing already backfires but I'm more afraid of why they're so desperately trying this highly risky endeavor.
I'm in two minds about this. While I agree it seems frustrating to have to pay to unlock features that the pedal is already capable of I can also see it from Kempers point of view as releasing a pedal with most of the functionality of the full size units for half the price wouldn't be a great business move.
They could have done what a lot of companies do and released two versions, one for £700 with a standard feature set and a full fat 'Pro' version with all the extra features for £1000 making you choose at the time of purchase. I think the way they have done it is better, I'd rather have the option to upgrade at a later date than have to sell the unit and then buy another one.
The other thing with kemper is that no other manufacturer I've seen in the industry has supported a product for so long, the Profiler has been out since 2011 and Kemper constantly release free updates for it introducing new features, for that reason alone I feel like they deserve some slack here.
Thx god my Marshall SV20H does not need updates/upgrades ❤
Same with my tube amps. Glad I decided not to follow the herd of sheep!
@@TheBoss0Time131 ❤️🙏