I would love to see a USB digital interface for the Kemper, like the way I can control my PODx3 with Gearbox.

  • Rather than make a whole new editor, I would say just build upon the existing Rig Manger and include the above features. It already has the basis of being a very powerful tool in its current state.


    While I definitely like the ability to tweak at will on the unit itself (and Kemper has done a fantastic job of putting the "key" knobs and adjustments on the front panel), there are times when all I want to do it nudge something just 0.10 of a number and doing that with the knobs is a bit difficult sometimes to get that fine of and adjustment with them. Doing that onscreen would be so much easier, not to mention naming profiles would be a piece of cake.


    I give Kemper and the unit an A+ Grade otherwise. This unit is revolutionary, to say the least.


    Gotta give the man an 20+++++ on this one!!! fjk1138 hit the nail on the head with a 20 lb sledgehammer.
    I also agree that it's a remarkable piece of tech and ingenuity.

    I am a Profile Whore... Sometimes a Recovering Profile Whore...
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  • Have to agree with the editor thing. Even my old korg pandora has a simple editor program and that thing was outdated and cheap even at the moment of release (i still love it for quick practices tho, it was released like a million years ago? lol). KPA having a software based editor is a no brainer. When you can buy a 50bucks pedal and it comes with a dedicated interface and the KPA doesn't... you kinda figure out something is missing :D


    I still love my toaster tho, but i'd definitely love it more with an editor... hell, i even know people (and previous posts mention this too) that would get an axe instead, just for the editor thing.

    Edited once, last by mf ().

  • I believe that a lot of the functionality I would like could be built into RM, in fact NAMM showed that some are going to be.
    My main issue is the management of Performances, this alone would make me happy.
    The other function I would love is to be able to automatically audition rigs. By that I mean you click on a rig, play the guitar, after say 15 seconds it automatically changes to the next rig etc. continuing until you stop it. So being able to audition a large number of rigs without any interaction would for me be very useful. IMHO

  • This has been said before, but the reason an external editor for all things related to sound (as opposed to managing your collection of profiles) is much less of a priority for the Kemper than for other digital amps is that it already comes with such a great hardware interface built in.


    If you look at the Korg Pandora, the Axe FX, the Line 6 series etc., their front panels are laid out like that of a digital appliance, with mostly anonymous, abstract, multi-purpose buttons and knobs, and lots of pages and multi-level menus to dive in and out of. Add to that a tiny, low-res screen, and it's easy to see why a PC editor was high on the list of user demands.


    The Kemper, on the other hand, has much better ergonomics, with most parameters right there on the front panel or one button press away. It's impossible to lose track of where you are in the interface. And it feels like it was consciously designed to teach the user to use their ears and intuition instead of constantly keeping an eye on digital values. I know it works for me: I'm normally very "anal" when working with digital interfaces -- the urge to round off all values to whole numbers or at least multiples of 0.5: I'm sure it sounds familiar to some -- but with the Kemper, I can just let go and give the knobs a good yank to the left or to the right, dial back a little, do some finer adjustments... all without looking at the numbers on the screen. It's a different mindset.


    Now I'm not saying that the request for an editor isn't legitimate. I can understand at least some reasons -- like a studio setting where the Kemper is some distance away from the desk and getting up to do some adjustments breaks the engineer's workflow (although it's great for your blood flow, guys!). And different strokes for different folks: some people simply prefer working with a mouse and a computer monitor. Who knows, maybe if you keep asking the editor will come. Just wanted to add my two cents given the comparisons with other devices and their editors.


  • After i typed "pandora korg" i could see someone would use it's lack of knobs and small screen as an argument. The thing is, there are lots and lots of other pedals, multieffects units and recording interfaces that have all the controls physically on the unit but still have a dedicated editor (and for a ridiculously cheap price). Zoom, Digitech, Line6, all have offerings with knobs and good screens and also a pc editor. One does not negate the other, and as you say, different strokes for different people.


    Not that i'm saying that i don't like my kemper (i have one and use it daily), but i can only see the lack of an editor as an extremely cheap move to cut costs (it's a 2000usd unit and they couldn't spend resources in making a simple editing software?), or just the company being stubborn, which in turn takes away sales. As i mentioned before, i know some people that would go another route due to the lack of editing software.


    Something that i have not seen being mentioned is one of the main reasons why i'd want an editor too. Call me cheap and paranoid, but manipulating the knobs and buttons on the kemper will eventually wear it down, specially if you are a constant tweaker. I'm not too fond of having to service the unit myself and sending it back would suck (overseas). Other than that, having options is never a bad thing (as in, why not both?).


    I also want to clarify that i'm not wanting to start a riot or fight and none of this is written as an attack. It's just that i find a bit dumb that there are so many other units (both cheaper and more expensive) that do have an editor, and the fact that i love the KPA makes it a bit more sad that it's limited in that way, and i do believe most people that complain about wanting that software are in a similar position (loving the unit, hating the lack of editor).

  • I couldnt agree more with you mf. There is obviously a demand for it by several Kemper customers. Seen the Editor Petition page?? Folks can say there isnt a need for it with Rig Manager but I completely disagree. CK had said at one point in the Editor Petition post that "We are working on a librarian and rig editor for an optimum admistration of rigs and text editing". Now did that just refer to Rig Manager? Im not at all sure. I was under the impression that Rig Manager was the Librarian and that editing software would come at some point. For some of us, there is a need for an editor. Especially those who have their Kemper racked up in a studio. But if the editor never came so be it. It was never promised before I bought my Kemper and I did not purchase it thinking it would be added. So if it comes it is a welcome bonus. I just think that when companies such as Zoom offer it for a 149.00 product (and the editing software is actually excellent) how hard could it really be to implement one at some point? And no Im not a programmer so I dont actually know how hard it would be :D

  • I think it would be great to have an editor, however I think people are missing a critical point: just the simple fact that a $50 or $150 box has an editor doesn't mean it is simple or cheap to create one. Just think of the total number of $50 boxes (or all zoom boxes) that are sold using the same editor. There are many less Profilers sold than $50 zoom pedals, so these other companies may actually have more $$ to create an editor in fact based on total sales. Just an observation.

  • I think it would be great to have an editor, however I think people are missing a critical point: just the simple fact that a $50 or $150 box has an editor doesn't mean it is simple or cheap to create one. Just think of the total number of $50 boxes (or all zoom boxes) that are sold using the same editor. There are many less Profilers sold than $50 zoom pedals, so these other companies may actually have more $$ to create an editor in fact based on total sales. Just an observation.


    I promise you if these guys are smart enough to design and build this KPA, then they probably have a dude that could slap together an editor that emulated the faceplate and controls on the Kemper. Good Lord, there was an alpha or beta version by some guy in Florida that I think worked through MIDI. I have it loaded somewhere on this laptop... One guy in Florida that could hack code and had a studio. Not bashing the KPA guys, but there's a lot of brain horsepower there, programming and hardware wise... It can be done without dedicating the world to it.

    I am a Profile Whore... Sometimes a Recovering Profile Whore...
    but mostly a Complete and Utter Profile Whore... I want them all... aCk!!! 8|:love:

  • I promise you if these guys are smart enough to design and build this KPA, then they probably have a dude that could slap together an editor that emulated the faceplate and controls on the Kemper. Good Lord, there was an alpha or beta version by some guy in Florida that I think worked through MIDI. I have it loaded somewhere on this laptop... One guy in Florida that could hack code and had a studio. Not bashing the KPA guys, but there's a lot of brain horsepower there, programming and hardware wise... It can be done without dedicating the world to it.


    Oh yeah, I know there is a ton of 'brain-horsepower' so to speak, I'm just talking about the business decisions, etc. I'm sure they could put something together, but they would always want to make sure it was excellent. Maybe they will do something for us though!

  • I'm surprised they didn't ask the guy that had the alpha/beta proggy to sell his proggy for
    a small price. Might have given them a starting base.

    I am a Profile Whore... Sometimes a Recovering Profile Whore...
    but mostly a Complete and Utter Profile Whore... I want them all... aCk!!! 8|:love:

  • No way! ... it's 2015 and every hardware producer gives this possibility. It's a no-sense choice by the people at kemper!

  • I think it would be great to have an editor, however I think people are missing a critical point: just the simple fact that a $50 or $150 box has an editor doesn't mean it is simple or cheap to create one. Just think of the total number of $50 boxes (or all zoom boxes) that are sold using the same editor. There are many less Profilers sold than $50 zoom pedals, so these other companies may actually have more $$ to create an editor in fact based on total sales. Just an observation.


    That "kinda" makes sense, but varies vastly on the company/pedals sold. Line6 do repeat their editor a gazillion times amongst their products, but some other companies don't (they use a specific program for each product). From a former programmer point of view tho, i tell you, one programmer working on a decent editor program on todays economy (it's just usb protocols after all) wouldn't cost more than the price of 1 sold unit (and i'm being generous here). I don't think an expense like that would make a company go into bankruptcy and it would mean more sales in the long run (better support and more options = more sales).

  • I'm surprised they didn't ask the guy that had the alpha/beta proggy to sell his proggy for
    a small price. Might have given them a starting base.


    Yeah, it's a pity that the guy didn't get more support.
    He wasn't from Florida BTW. IIRC he was from Madrid.

  • That "kinda" makes sense, but varies vastly on the company/pedals sold. Line6 do repeat their editor a gazillion times amongst their products, but some other companies don't (they use a specific program for each product). From a former programmer point of view tho, i tell you, one programmer working on a decent editor program on todays economy (it's just usb protocols after all) wouldn't cost more than the price of 1 sold unit (and i'm being generous here). I don't think an expense like that would make a company go into bankruptcy and it would mean more sales in the long run (better support and more options = more sales).


    You are right that some companies use the same editor and some create a different one. It does vary based on all kinds of things for sure. I was just making the case that there are other implications/business considerations that people might not be thinking about. Although I haven't ever create a guitar processor or anything like it, I have had different things programmed and created for me (I am the CEO of my company and I have to pay someone to create the things I want - an app, a website, software) so I have at least a small idea of the kind of time/money that goes into producing things like this. At the level Kemper is playing at (which is the highest one in the guitar processor game) it needs to be very good. So, while you could potentially produce something (the raw cost of an engineer/programmer for example) for a low cost, there is a TON of other stuff that goes into it besides that. This is pretty technical and not really debatable except by CK and his team anyway, I just wanted to offer a different point of view.

  • They could release it to some of us as an alpha or beta release and throw out the disclaimers for testing. :)

    I am a Profile Whore... Sometimes a Recovering Profile Whore...
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  • Yeah, it's a pity that the guy didn't get more support.
    He wasn't from Florida BTW. IIRC he was from Madrid.


    Been there, tried that in a different life, wasn't music related but CNC machines. Abject fail several times. Unless the basics are right and not missing anything you can spend huge amounts of time adding features then run into a dead end. It's nice to see others attempts as it can save some time on getting a basis on how to interface, but with a moving target like the Kemper you'd have to alter it for every firmware change to accommodate them. It's a time consuming task and without cooperation from the hardware manufacturer it's a hack at best. I don't know any programmers with a Kemper who would rather program than play ^^