Best Amp Modelers- Top 5 Virtual Guitar Rigs
Best Amp Modelers - In the ever-evolving world of guitar technology, amp modellers are an indispensable tool for guitarists. Here are our Top 5 recommendations.
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Kemper
Christoph Kemper had already made his name in music technology as the co-founder of Access Music, where he led development of the Virus synthesizer, before turning to guitar gear in 2006. The company he founded in Recklinghausen, Germany, in 2010 debuted the Kemper Profiler at NAMM 2011, built around "profiling" — capturing the sonic characteristics of a real amp, cabinet and mic setup as a digital model a player can then load and tweak, rather than modelling amp circuits from first principles the way most rivals do. The Profiler became one of the first amp modellers taken seriously by touring professionals rather than just home players, and it remains the reference point Neural DSP and IK Multimedia get compared against. New Profiler hardware and firmware updates are what we cover most. Here's what we've written.
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Latest Kemper news
Kemper Profiling 2.0 Update: Is This the New Gold Standard in Amp Modeling?
Kemper Profiling 2.0 is here! Discover how the new high-resolution engine, improved dynamics, and Resonance control make this a game-changer for amp modeling
Based inGermany
Articles here8
Makes
- Amp profilers
- Modelling amplifiers
- Power amps
Known for
- Profiler
- Profiler Stage
- Profiler Player
- Kabinet
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Kemper FAQ4 questions
What is a Kemper Profiler?
A digital amp modelling and multi-effects product line for electric guitar and bass from the German brand Kemper. Released in 2011, it pioneered profiling — a combination of hardware and software that lets a player create a digital version of their own amplifier, cabinet and microphone setup, rather than choosing from pre-programmed models.
How is profiling different from modelling?
A modeller recreates an amplifier from a design the manufacturer has made; a profiler measures a real amplifier in front of it and reproduces that specific rig. In practice the distinction has narrowed as both approaches improved, but it is the reason Kemper arrived as something genuinely new in 2011.
What Kemper units are there?
The range covers the original rack and head Profiler, the floor-based Profiler Stage, and the smaller Profiler Player, along with the Kabinet powered speaker. They share the same profiling engine; the difference is form factor, I/O and how much of the interface is on the front panel.
Do you need to profile your own amp to use a Kemper?
No. Kemper ships with a large factory library and there is an extensive ecosystem of shared and commercial profiles, so many owners never profile anything themselves. The capability is what made the product; the library is what most people actually use.