Max4Live Kemper controller

  • Yes! Great that you're already digging in!! Yeah, Max is fun isn't it? :D


    Check the Kemper manual too though. Addressing the higher performances is a bit tricky.


    Going from memory here, as I'm not in front of my computer or Kemper, I think the 1-26 buttons when clicked simply send out their value (or rather 0-25, I think, hence the initial "+1" operation). This is then multiplied by five, followed by subtracting five. So button 1 yields 0, button 2 yields 5, button 3 yields 10 and so on.


    I may be getting some of the exact values wrong here, but the idea is that each button sends out the Program Change for the first slot of the corresponding performance. Since there are five slots in each performance and every slot has its own PC number, you have to jump by five to get to the first slot of the next one (of course, you could adapt this if you'd like to be able to jump straight to any slot in any performance).


    This also means that you run out of PC numbers (0-127) pretty quickly. So to address performances higher than 26, you have to work with higher "banks". This is explained in the Kemper reference manual somewhere. I don't know how to set the bank number in Max, but there must be a way.


    Good luck! I won't have time the next couple of days but as soon as I can I'll take a look too.

  • This also means that you run out of PC numbers (0-127) pretty quickly. So to address performances higher than 26, you have to work with higher "banks". This is explained in the Kemper reference manual somewhere. I don't know how to set the bank number in Max, but there must be a way.


    If I'm not mistaken, bank can be accessed by send CC#0 and #32 as an MSB and LSB. At least, I think that should work.

  • Hi Robrecht I kindly ask you for help !

    I would like to understand how you set your Ableton to make sure that you communicate the midi changes to our legendary Kemper .... Perhaps I have to set the Kemper's menu setting so that it communicates appropriately with the Kemper? I thank you right away if you want to give me help!

    Beppe:)

  • Hi! In Ableton, you need a Midi track, and the output of that track ("MIDI To") should point to your Kemper.


    That means you should set the first drop-down menu under "MIDI To" to the Midi output device where your Kemper is physically connected (for instance, a Midi-enabled audio interface), and the second drop-down menu to the channel where your Kemper is receiving Midi (probably channel 1, you can change or check this in your Kemper's System settings).


    I'm not in front of my computer now, but here's a screenshot from the internet (click to see the full picture). The first drop-down menu, where it says "Peak", is where you select your Midi output device.



    Then just drop my Max4Live device into that track and it should work.


    Good luck!

  • Did anybody figure out how to access the performances above #26?

    Thanks for making and sharing this awesome patch Robrecht! This really makes the Kemper automations a lot easier!

    Would be sweet to be able to program the performances above #26 though.

    I've been using Ableton professionally for the last 12 years, but have absolutely no clue what I'm doing when it comes to M4L, otherwise I would do it myself. :D

  • Did anybody figure out how to access the performances above #26?

    Thanks for making and sharing this awesome patch Robrecht! This really makes the Kemper automations a lot easier!

    Would be sweet to be able to program the performances above #26 though.

    I've been using Ableton professionally for the last 12 years, but have absolutely no clue what I'm doing when it comes to M4L, otherwise I would do it myself. :D

    Yeah, I've been planning to give that a shot. Should be possible using the bank select method. I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to try it, hopefully soon!

  • Hey Robrecht!

    Just wanted to say thank you for this awesome patch! Im in music school right now in London and will be using this extensively for my final performance project this year. You really saved me with this one!


    Thanks again,

    Evan

  • Did anybody figure out how to access the performances above #26?

    Thanks for making and sharing this awesome patch Robrecht! This really makes the Kemper automations a lot easier!

    Would be sweet to be able to program the performances above #26 though.

    I've been using Ableton professionally for the last 12 years, but have absolutely no clue what I'm doing when it comes to M4L, otherwise I would do it myself. :D

    Okay, I've finally had some time to work on this.

    • I've replaced the limited 1-26 Performance select grid with a simple dial that goes from 1-125. Just like the old grid, it always activates the first slot in the selected performance. You can then select another slot with the five slot select buttons.
    • I've also included full controls for the looper: Rec/Play/Overdub, Stop, Erase, Undo, Reverse, Half and Trigger. They work just like those on the Remote. The function of the Rec/Play/Overdub button depends on the state the looper is in: if it is currently recording, then pressing the button again switches it to play; if it is already playing, the button switches it to overdub. Unfortunately, I can't read/show the current state of the looper, you'll have to keep track of it yourself.

    Note that when automating these looper buttons in Ableton, just like the other rounded buttons (Performance up/down and the small Morph button), you'll have to draw in each button press as a momentary press-and-release, like this:


    pasted-from-clipboard.png


    The button action takes place when the curve goes high, but it has to go low again before you can use it a second time (e.g. Rec, then Play).


    (This is different from the four Stomp and Effect buttons, where you draw the automation curve high for as long as you want the Stomp/Effect to be on. The five Slot select buttons show up as a 1-5 value in automation.)

    • Speaking of that small Morph button ("M", next to the Morph expression slider): this is also a fairly recent addition. It activates/deactivates morph using the rise and fall times by simulating a second press on the current slot's footswitch.

    Anyway, without further ado, this is what the device looks like now:


    Download it here!

    Edited 11 times, last by Robrecht: Expanded the looper controls, changed the description to match. ().

  • Just found this and it's absolutely brilliant man! You should set up a little "pay what you want/ can" if you're just going to have this for free. Great work.

    Thanks! Hm, I'll think about that, I wonder if it would be against Kemper's forum policy... In any case, comments like yours make it worthwile! :) And I always get a kick out of hearing that a band on the other side of the world is performing live with my little device.

  • Hi,

    I work with Ableton and MIDI too and experienced that if I switch Rigs in Performance Mode the Kemper „freezes“ from time to time. The only solution is to pull the cable because even the Chicken Head Button is not working anymore.

    Have you ever experienced something like this?

  • Have you ever experienced something like this?

    Not really... I've worked with MIDI programming a lot to automate changes during shows, and my Kemper seems to take it without issues. The only weirdness I've ever seen is when I connected both MIDI in and out to my computer, and the MIDI coming from the Kemper was accidentally routed back into it. That made it go craaaazy. ^^


    How do you switch Rigs? I always use Program Changes to switch between performances, then CCs (50-54) to switch between slots of the same performance. That's the fastest method, as far as I know, and it's used in my Max4Live device as well.

  • Hi,

    Can you tell me where i must put the file in Ableton please ? It seems to be not correct for me... Thank you

  • Hi,

    I work with Ableton and MIDI too and experienced that if I switch Rigs in Performance Mode the Kemper „freezes“ from time to time. The only solution is to pull the cable because even the Chicken Head Button is not working anymore.

    Have you ever experienced something like this?

    Do you have both a USB and a MIDI cable connected to the Kemper?


    I found that the Kemper doesn’t like that very much, which is kind of annoying since sometimes it’s nice to have Rig Manager open when doing automations.