Kemper Amps Forum

Hi Mr Kemper,

it's very cool that you discuss this in the community.

I still like your design proposal most, but i have a little suggestion.

A very important part is a good as possible readable display for dark clubs and also for daylight use like at a openair festival.
In the picture it looks like you want to use the same display like in the KPA(isn't it?). This seems to be the easiest and cheapest way, but due to good readable i think a lcd display is not the best option. First I was thinking about a vfd display, but they have an aging treatment and still aren't cheap. So i looked around how it seems about a monochrome oled display and i found one from Densitron Technologies. it's a 5.5" greenlight pmoled display with 256x64 pixels and the price for 100 of them is 'only' about 100 us-dollars (on the newark site). By ordering them directly by the manufacturer and with bigger quantity it might even be cheaper. maybe it isn't the cheapest option, but it could be a very good invest and an unique selling proposition!

Due to good readable in the daylight, it can be a good thing to mount the display lowered. and may a fixed or removeable glare shield. and an anti glare protection glass for sure.

hope i'm not to late for this suggestions...

this is exactly, why i'd so much prefer the approach with 5 switches per row... looks perfect to me


little reminder: with this 5 button design, it should be possible to fit the foot-controller in that front pouch of the namba bag. not too important for everyone, but for me that would be the ultimate travel-setup!!!

Quoted from "ckemper"

Three of you chosed the 6 button design with Fx buttons on the lower row.
This does not make too much sense, as this design can easily be done by 5 buttons per row, as seen earlier in this thread.

Can the three of you explain their vision?

Maybe I misunderstood.
I thought 5 buttons meant there would be 3 rows.
I just want the smallest footprint possible.
5 buttons is fine with me.

As far as FX on the bottom row, see below.
I agree with guitarnet70.

Quoted from " 'schneidas'"

how can some of you guys want rigs in the middle? This would be way too awkward

Quoted from "guitarnet70"

It all depends how you're used to work. I tend rarely to change rig during a song, I instead prefer to use the volume on the guitar and the stomps

Quoted from "ckemper"

Thank you for your votes.

Analysis:
1. Most go for the bank buttons on the right foot.
2. A majority go for the Fx-Buttons on the bottom row. Very interesting!
3. A small majority go for 6 buttons width instead of five.

There is a little logic gap here, as all three questions were not as independent from each other, as I thought.

Three of you chosed the 6 button design with Fx buttons on the lower row.
This does not make too much sense, as this design can easily be done by 5 buttons per row, as seen earlier in this thread.



Can the three of you explain their vision?

CK

for me it's perfect

and now it comes out when?
because I need tomorrow

Quoted from "ckemper"

Thank you for your votes.

Analysis:

2. A majority go for the Fx-Buttons on the bottom row. Very interesting!

Ok, I re-analyzed this, as some guys were voting multiple times :

-FX on bottom row:
MoreK, killihan, Chris Beaver, richaxes, guitarnet70, Doc, Stemast, TMV
8 votes

-Rigs on bottom row:
DanielRigler, Steeldom, Vitchpat1, schneidas, RAPH, ace, jakeykim, JoeBlob, luntho, imall41(vote change), Gibson
11 votes

-Neutral:
and44, Zappledan
2 vote

[UPDATE]So the "FX on bottom row" is only a small majority.
Ok after some vote changes, the "rigs on bottom"-crowd seems to be the majority temporarily. Though I'm still hoping CK considers making them freely assignable - so everyone is pleased.[/UPDATE]

Please consider this: I really think it depends on your workflow and/or musical genre. E.g. The music I play goes from clean to super distorted, semi-dirty etc. 1 rig cannot possibly cover this for me - so my "worklow" is bound to change rigs quite often (rigs on bottom).
Others play music that can be covered by one rig (FX on/off on bottom row makes more sense here).

So, to make everyone happy: make those buttons freely assignable...

Quoted from "ckemper"

Can the three of you explain their vision?

I also thought that 5 buttons meant three rows, so I'm OK with the 5 button arrangement. I can live with either FX or rigs on the bottom. I'm not a gigging musician, so I defer to those who are ...

Quoted from "Zappledan"

I can live with either FX or rigs on the bottom. I'm not a giggin musician, so I defer to those who are ...

I hereby bind you to this statement

Just kidding.
Ok, I will move you to the neutral position. Let me know if you change your mind.

I guess the first row and the second row can both be reached very good. I wonder if it would be good to have these coloured lights on the first row...not as good visible when they are under a foot, maybe they are better in the second row, where you switch with the tip, not with the whole foot?

can't these preset-nerds just buy an axe fx and programm their mfc to 15 p/c's? just kidding of course (!)...
it is a testament to the kpa, that folks want to use it like a pedalboard -> amp setup. you don't need 20 sounds per song, if your preset doesn't suck after some seconds...
so, to feature the ingenious multi-stomp-in-one-switch-control ck came up with, it should be prominent and on the bottom... hope this makes sense