Kemper Profiler Stage

115
MARCH 2020 GUITARIST
review
KEMPER PROFILER STAGE KEMPER PROFILER STAGE
The Profi ler Stage has main
outputs on professional
balanced XLR connectors,
with ground lifting tucked
away in the software
KEMPER
PROFILER STAGE
PRICE: £1,449
ORIGIN: Germany
TYPE: Digital modelling guitar
preamp with built-in digital effects
DIMENSIONS: 80 (h) x 470 (w) x
260mm (d)
WEIGHT (kg/lb): 4.5/10
CABINET: Pressed steel
CHANNELS: Infinite clean/drive
voice capability using Profiler
software, 125 banks of 5 patches
CONTROLS: Gain, master volume,
soft rotary x4, soft button x4, browse
and type select, stack select x12,
browser/perform/profiler mode,
page forward/back/return, morph,
lock, edit, power on/off
CONNECTIONS: Guitar in, mono
send/stereo return effects loops x2,
S/PDIF in/out, expression pedal x4,
main outputs on XLR and jack,
monitor outputs on jack, headphones
3.5mm jack, MIDI in/out, USB A/B
FOOTSWITCH: Integrated Kemper
Remote controller
ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Integral
digital effects, full Kemper Profiling
capability, S/PDIF in/out, MIDI in/out,
headphones, USB
POWER: 100-230V mains IEC
OPTIONS: The Mission Engineering
EP1-KP expression pedal is £137
RANGE OPTIONS: Original Profiler
head and rack preamp is £1,461, with
powered versions (including a 600W
class D power amp) costing £1,810.
The Remote foot controller is £387
Kemper
[phone]
www.kemper-amps.com
PROS Replicates any amp; solid
and robust build; improved onboard
effects; cheaper than buying
separate Profi ler Head and Remote
CONS Small mono display; no
mobile app; ground lift switching
only in software; no dedicated carry
bag available at the moment
9
effects, with distortions and reverbs making
many rigs sound too similar. Ironically,
quite a few of the online rigs are profiles of
valve amp facsimiles made on other digital
modelling products and software plug-ins,
making one wonder how deep the rabbit
hole can go.
One of the Stage’s strongest creative
features is its ability to simultaneously
change more than one parameter,
something Kemper calls “morphing”: for
example, sweeping from a high-gain lead
sound with a longish hall reverb, delay and
pitch shift to a clean rhythm sound with
rotary speaker and a tight room reverb. Your
imagination is the only limit to what you
can create, and the vast editing scope makes
the Kemper a tweaker’s paradise.
The quality from the balanced outputs is
very good. There are ground lift switches
for all the outputs in software, but we think
Kemper should have used mini toggles on
the XLR’s at least for speedy access. Some
may quibble about the lack of a built-in
expression pedal. However, pedals are often
the first part of a floorboard to wear out and
we think keeping them separate is sensible,
especially as the Profiler Stage can run up to
four simultaneously.
Verdict
Kemper’s Profiler Stage is the company’s
most practical and accessible product yet,
combining all the Profiler and Remote’s
capabilities into a robust gig-ready
package. Aimed at professionals and
well-heeled amateurs, it’s an expensively
big decision. However, it costs less than
buying a Profiler Head and Remote, and
can potentially replace any number of
vintage amplifiers in a player’s collection,
replicating those tones reliably and
consistently night after night, with
practically unlimited possibilities for
players who are prepared to put in the
time to learn how it works.
Compared with the competition, we
think it’s generally good value for money,
although perhaps somewhat lacking in the
display department when you look at the
high-definition colour and touchscreens
found on other products, which use fewer
switches as well. Nevertheless, Kemper’s
Profiler Stage is a serious professional-
standard floorboard that has enough
features, resources, technical support and
creative potential to last a lifetime. If you’re
ready to go digital, then this unit is very
hard to beat.
GIT456.rev_kemper.indd 115 22/01/2020 22:19