The more things change, the more they ??? It seems like everything is always changing. As technology races forward in the never-ending quest for better, faster, prettier, etc., it gets hard to figure out what IS better or even necessary. Only time will tell in most cases. I find it quite reassuring that my live guitar rig has remained unchanged for over 10 years. There have been minor changes, but the core of my live rig has been the Kemper for over 10 years. That must be some sort of technological record, no? Is anyone using a 10-year old smart phone? I don’t think so.
So when Kemper decided to release the new MK2 versions this past Summer, I was both skeptical and hopeful. Part of me is still just happy being able to get every amp I can get my hands on into my Kemper and have those tones available. And there’s part of me always striving for “better.” “Better” is and always will be subjective. For some, it’s a fancy touch screen and iphone-like swipes. For some it’s smaller and faster. Trying to meet and surpass every demand is, thankfully, not my job. My ideas and opinions are just that… my opinions. They’re no better than anyone else’s except that I trust my own opinions for decisions that affect me. So when I think about what could be “better” I am focused almost solely on sound and feel. That’s what sold me on the Kemper in the first place.
I’ll be honest, I’ve tried lots of gear over the 30+ years I’ve been touring and I think I’ve got a pretty good grasp on what I like and what my needs are. The good news is that the Kemper still fulfills all of those needs the vast majority of the time. I could probably do gigs with a Helix, QC, Fractal, or whatever and not many people might notice a huge difference. But for many reasons I still prefer the Kemper. I am anxiously awaiting the final 2.0 profiling so I can judge whether it is something that I cannot live without, but in the meantime I’m still more than happy with my tones.
We recently went into the studio to record a couple of new EP’s and for the first time in a long time I used my real amps in the studio. The material didn’t require a lot of elaborate effects and I have amassed quite the collection of great amps so I kinda just wanted to use those. I’m happy with the tones I got on the recordings and I cannot say whether the tones on these projects are any better than the ones I used my Kemper on. It’s just different. Sometimes different is good. But the last thing I want to do is deal with the hassle of bringing 4-5 amps on the road and devising some sort of elaborate/expensive switching system to incorporate them. So I’ll be sticking with the Kemper on the road for the time being.
Over the past couple of years, as I found new amps to profile, I ended up with a good chunk of profiles that I couldn’t easily pigeonhole into any theme or style. And as the 2.0 profiling looms on the horizon, I wasn’t sure what to do with them. On one hand, I wanted to wait and maybe try the new 2.0 but most of these amps aren’t in my possession anymore so that would be difficult. But a few weeks ago I decided to just release one last (we shall see) collection of amps done with the “classic” Kemper profiling.
The 2025 Pack is this collection of profiles I’ve accumulated over the past few years that didnt’ make it into any other packs. It has everything from basic cleans (Blues Deluxe, Imperial, Vibrolux) to crunchy (Mark V35, Victoria Twin, Friedman Twin Sister) to lead tones (Uber Ultra, Royalist, Helios) and a lot in between. There are a couple of rare birds like the 1969 Mars Popular 1930 combo and TopHat Sweet 16 that make appearances as well.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably already gotten your favorite tones that work for you, but part of the fun is trying to “beat” them and that’s what I’m always aiming for, that 2-3% better than it already is. And again, only time will tell. So until I get completely absorbed into the 2.0 profiling, I’m still trying to get the most and best out of what I already have. Hope you enjoy the new tones.