Kemper Profiler Stage
Profiling or
modelling?
Finding the sweet spot
T
o the end user, the
diff erence between
profi ling and modelling is
moot. They’re simply diff erent
ways of providing a digital
recreation of an amp’s tone.
Like off erings from Line 6,
Fractal Audio and HeadRush,
plug into a Kemper Profi ler and
you’ll fi nd a slew of legendary
virtual amp presets. Where the
Profi ler diff ers is that it allows
users to profi le their own amps,
capturing the nuance and
response of amp, speaker and
mic placement in a user-
accessible preset. But because
each profi le represents a
snapshot of the amp, to get the
best profi le you’ll need to set
your amp to its sweet spot – and
that usually means loud! You’ll
also need to know how to mic
up your own amp – a subject we
could fi ll the entire mag on.
years ago there was little choice on
off er when it came to fl oorboard
displays. Today, Line 6 and
HeadRush have moved things on,
off ering more intuitive UIs and, in
the latter’s case, touchscreen
control. Even the rackmount
off erings from Fractal Audio and
Line 6 have greater screen real
estate. Keep in mind that Kemper
Profi lers are aimed at tweakers –
the kind of guitarists who like to go
under the hood and get forensic
with their setups. It’s not as
involved as the Axe-Fx, but there is
a lot of tweakability and not much
space to work with. And beware:
the Rig Manager software doesn’t
off er patch editing capability so the
screen really is all you have to work
with. And, though the physical
footswitches, LEDs and backlit
buttons are intuitive enough,
particularly if you are familiar with
the standard Profi ler and Remote,
other companies are are off ering
more practical fl oorboards.
We love Kemper. Class-leading
sound quality, user profi ling
capability and seemingly limitless
online profi les are worth the price
of entry alone. Despite our
criticisms, the Kemper Stage is an
awesome all-in-one fl oorboard
that we’d happily recommend as
the core of any digital rig. However,
the Stage isn’t quite a seismic
addition to the Kemper product
line. Though its tonal abilities
stand up to any comparison, we
can’t help but feel that in 2019 we
expect a more contemporary and
user-friendly experience.
Chris Bird
LINE 6 HELIX FLOOR
Perhaps the
closest direct
competitor to
the Profiler
Stage, Line 6’s
flagship Helix
Floor offers
greater control over the virtual signal
chain and an expression pedal.
HEADRUSH PEDALBOARD
Undercutting
both Line 6
and Kemper
on price, this
modeller from
Headrush
offers a
well-designed layout and a
nice big screen.
FRACTAL AUDIO FX8
MULTI-EFFECTS
The FX8 offers all
the effects
without the amp
modelling of its
bigger, more
expensive brother,
the Axe-Fx III. Ideal if you just can’t
let go of your ‘real’ amp.
ALSO TRY...
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
£1149
£799
£1199
90
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TGR325.gear_lead.indd 90 10/10/2019 20:10