New Music Gear Monday: Kemper Profiler Player Pedal

I think anyone would agree that amp modelers are so good these days that the need for using a tube guitar amp is greatly diminished. What convinced me that modelers were here to stay is when I heard that metal gods Metallica stopped taking their beloved tube amp rigs on the road in favor of amp simulators. The problem for many guitarists is that they were expensive and somewhat complicated to use. Kemper has been at the forefront of amplifier modeling and profiling (more on that in a minute) thanks to an easy user interface, and now they’ve brought amp/cab simulation within reach of many guitarists who just can’t afford high-end products with its new Profiler Player pedal.

Model vs. Profile

Most guitarists are familiar with modeling, but profiling is pretty new. So what’s the difference?

A modeler replicates the sound of an amplifier circuit at every control position so it will behave just like that amplifier. That means that you can dial in the sound just like on a real amplifier by adjusting the controls.

A profile is different. Since most guitarists dial in the perfect settings of their amp over time, a profile takes an electronic picture of that one setting. That makes it easy to dial in because it’s already dialed in! A Kemper Profiler will allow you to take your amp and create a profile so that you’ll always have that same sound in an amp simulation without having to haul around a big physical amplifier.

The Profiler Player is slightly different in that it allows you to load profiles from a vast library. You can’t profile your own amp, but there are so many great sounds already available that you don’t need to, even want to if you find your sound somewhat lacking. Plus, you can add a wide range of effects that include an authentic rotary speaker and studio-grade reverbs like rooms, large halls, even pad-like ambiences, and many more.

If you want to dig deeper and access every single effect setting, the Rig Manager remote app connects to the Player through USB or wifi on a wireless device of your choice.

Flexibility

The pedal has 3 independently controllable output groups via XLR, Stereo Monitor, and a high-power Stereo Headphone. The ground-lifted XLR connects you directly to a FOH mixing desk at studio level without the need for DI boxes. Two TS jacks connect to your home studio or to one or two Kemper Power Kabinets for full stereo.

There’s also full USB audio capabilities for play-along and professional DAWs, as well as full USB midi capabilities. There are also user-definable footswitches and dual footswitch combinations, and a unique spectral noise gate for suppressing pickup hum, and much more.

The Kemper Profiler Player is $698 USD. You can find out more here, or watch the video below.

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