wish for kemper editor software

  • with DAW integration we talk then about a plugin.
    With the a.m. Toaster Editor you can edit with mouse+keyboard.


    I'm not looking for a plugin or DAW integration, and I'm not crazy about a MIDI only editor. A stand-alone editor via USB, a la Axe-Edit or Helix Edit, would be great.

  • +1
    any statement from Kemper about their plans to this matter would be appreciated. On the other hand the Toaster Editor is for me nice to have, mainly I work direct at the KPA

    zuviel thread macht blead

  • This community editor someone mentioned. Followed the link, not sure which link to download and install for a mac. I'm assuming it's the Toaster_1.0.100_ALPHA.pkg link. Although, the previous versions had a "DMG" download, which is usually what you use for a Mac. Anyone know?

  • +1 for the KPA editor!


    I almost never use Rig Manager, for the simple reason I don't keep a hecka lot profiles on my KPA in order to speed up boot time. But an editor would be something much more useful to me. Just my druthers.


    Fer chrissakes, my Amplifire has an editor! It ain't perfect, has a couple bugs, but it's sure a lot easier than going through the panel knobs and buttons.


    And there is a 3rd party available for my GR-55 which works very well, again some bugs but nothing serious. So a third party solution would be fine as well. I guess I'll have to try the Toaster editor out when it works with OS 4.0.2....


    Apparently Roland and Kemper have similar mindsets about editors...Just kidding! No need to flame me on that!


  • Do we know this, Doug?


    Yes and no. ckemper has stated that he wasn't interested in making any sort of editor for the Kemper anytime soon. That's not to say that his stance won't change, but... that seems pretty set in stone for the current time.


    This community editor someone mentioned. Followed the link, not sure which link to download and install for a mac. I'm assuming it's the Toaster_1.0.100_ALPHA.pkg link. Although, the previous versions had a "DMG" download, which is usually what you use for a Mac. Anyone know?


    Yes. .pkg is what installers are on OS X. Usually they're wrapped up in a nice .dmg disk image, but not always. And for a standalone dude or dudette writing code like this, it's kind of a pain to make and create .dmg disk images for every single version.

    Guitars: Parker Fly Mojo Flame, Ibanez RG7620 7-string, Legator Ninja 8-string, Fender Strat & Tele, Breedlove Pro C25
    Pedalboard: Templeboards Trio 43, Mission VM-1, Morley Bad Horsie, RJM Mini Effect Gizmo, 6 Degrees FX Sally Drive, Foxpedals The City, Addrock Ol' Yeller, RJM MMGT/22, Mission RJM EP-1, Strymon Timeline + BigSky
    Stack: Furman PL-Plus C, Kemper Rack

  • I should add that if the Kemper supported MIDI via USB, a USB-connected application could be easily written. Heck, Toaster could work via USB with only tweaks to the connection process. Any ideas on if this is a thing?


    If not, I'd love to see MIDI via USB on the Kemper, or at least a public API for using USB for bidirectional communication with the Kemper.

    Guitars: Parker Fly Mojo Flame, Ibanez RG7620 7-string, Legator Ninja 8-string, Fender Strat & Tele, Breedlove Pro C25
    Pedalboard: Templeboards Trio 43, Mission VM-1, Morley Bad Horsie, RJM Mini Effect Gizmo, 6 Degrees FX Sally Drive, Foxpedals The City, Addrock Ol' Yeller, RJM MMGT/22, Mission RJM EP-1, Strymon Timeline + BigSky
    Stack: Furman PL-Plus C, Kemper Rack

  • This community editor someone mentioned. Followed the link, not sure which link to download and install for a mac. I'm assuming it's the Toaster_1.0.100_ALPHA.pkg link. Although, the previous versions had a "DMG" download, which is usually what you use for a Mac. Anyone know?


    Yes, it is the Toaster_1.0.100_ALPHA.pkg link (.pkg files are OS X installer packages).

  • Of course there should be an editor. There is simply no good reason NOT to have one. If the Bricasti can retrofit one, surely the Kemper crew can. For recall of sounds/parameters in DAW projects, it would be invaluable.

  • With the greatest respect, it seems ridiculous to me that there isn't an editor by now.


    Simply put:
    1) Work is in progress - that's why we don't see much features added to Rig Manager - resources are focused on developing Editor with librarian features
    or
    2) .....


    As for Rig Manager I'm 99% sure it's being developed by internal team. Question is, if development of full featured editor+librarian would happen the same way or 3rd party experienced in building of such toys would step in. Yeah, I guess I need to ask my crystal ball.

  • I haven't heard ANYONE say there is no need for an editor - certainly I have not. What I have heard is varying opinions on what the priority should be for feature requests and future enhancements that the Kemper team should be focusing on. The folks who want an editor have been very vocal about their priority and I respect that. In turn, I think they should respect those of us who don't share the same opinion on how important that feature request is in regards to other features.

  • I agree with the need for an editor. In this age, I basically expect it, I mean, if pedals have editors... ;) For me, I like to look at a huge display and have it all in front nice and big. If I was on stage and needing to make quick edits and had just the unit, sure, an easy to use unit is always a plus, but at home or in the studio? Software editors give you that big master control feel. Need a quick adjustment? a couple of mouse clicks, done. No scrolling through menus, THAT is really 80's. The Rig Manager is ok, but I don't really use it.

  • I agree with the need for an editor. In this age, I basically expect it, I mean, if pedals have editors... ;) For me, I like to look at a huge display and have it all in front nice and big. If I was on stage and needing to make quick edits and had just the unit, sure, an easy to use unit is always a plus, but at home or in the studio? Software editors give you that big master control feel. Need a quick adjustment? a couple of mouse clicks, done. No scrolling through menus, THAT is really 80's. The Rig Manager is ok, but I don't really use it.


    For me, the big advantage is not having to reach way over to turn knobs and press buttons. I can control my DAW and everything else in one place.

  • You've got some great points here creative360.


    Regarding buggy, this thing has always been buggy. Recent releases buggier than I can remember. Two+ years ago I bonded with the Kemper immediately, and have stuck with it through all that stuff—crackles, pops, odd behavior, all during shows. Whatever, I love the thing. But hopefully the fact that the playing field has become populated with several viable choices may inspire the K team.


    Totally agreed. I'm still on 3.1 because of the bugs I've heard with 3.2 and 3.3 (and 4.0 beta). Nothing was introduced in any of those versions that make me feel the need to upgrade, and the great thing is, you don't have to. Using the Kemper for gigs means I need to have a steady, stable platform. And there will always be bugs in software designed by humans. But the bug reports seem to be more numerous and damning as of the last few versions. I'm actually tempted to move to the Helix because of this - not that it's perfect, but they have a larger team working on things, and firmware updates (for bug fixes or for new features) are a little more frequent. My pedalboard already has a Mastermind GT (which is a huge controller, space-wise), so replacing it with a Helix means I can basically remove my rack altogether and the Mastermind. But then I'd lose the great rigs and tone from the Kemper. Meh.


    My priorities are glitch-free operation, then an editor.


    Again, totally agreed. But an editor really should be in the pipeline. They obviously have semi-competent software developers, as they have built OS X and Windows versions of Rig Manager, though it's certainly far from perfect. Maybe the solution is to outsource it to a team to build a great editor that works by USB or MIDI, then pass it off to Kemper to maintain as their device improves. Rig Manager just really needs a bottom (or top) panel to display and configure settings when clicking on a rig. They could also look at what Line 6 has done in the past for editor software, such as for the HD or X3 - it's all been very nicely laid out, though a bit clunky. Fractal's software is way too complex to even consider for many ideas, since the Kemper doesn't have routing and all that stuff.


    Also, I believe that a rig in browser and in performance mode should be the same rig, so that when tweaks are made in either mode they are saved to that rig. For different versions a save-as option should appear. An editor here would be great too, for creating and then naming five instances of basically the same rig but with subtle variants, to create a Performance. The Kemper should definitely not be able to have more than one rig with the exact same file name. That's just silly. And frustrating.


    I think it's a good thing that they're separate (because why save a rig to the browse pool that's identical to another rig, save for one minor tweak?), but yeah... it is confusing. The "save to pool" thing exists in performance mode, but it's confusing - what does it save as? The display is different in performance mode vs. browse mode, and understanding where it actually goes adds more confusion. Plus, by doing that, you can end up with multiple rigs with the exact same name. That really just shouldn't happen. I guess it's just one of those quirks about the OS.


    That said, Rig Manager makes dropping those rigs you create in browse mode into performance mode (and giving them names that read well) easy. This should have been put in Rig Manager a long time ago - the first time I played out with the Kemper, I easily spent 6+ hours writing in names of songs, creating patches... it was a horrible, horrible mess. Then moving stuff around means that the MIDI changes have to be re-entered. The Rig Manager update that added performances has been huge, but it's still not quite there.


    Mix parameter on every effect, and more effects, sure, I want. But again, for anyone who isn't satisfied there is an effects loop.


    I think mix params on every effect is something they're going for in 4.0, mainly because it's necessary for morphing any effect from a completely off state to a completely on state.


    But regarding the FX loop, I believe it should be an insert point between any two blocks. Want it between Stomp A and Stomp B, or after the cab, but before the Mod? That should totally be an option. It should be able to be turned on and off via a hard-coded MIDI CC #, or on rig change. However, they kind of dug themselves into a hole here - dumping resources into the remote without any additional configurable buttons makes it so this really wouldn't work if you were a remote user, and that's obviously their core audience.

    Guitars: Parker Fly Mojo Flame, Ibanez RG7620 7-string, Legator Ninja 8-string, Fender Strat & Tele, Breedlove Pro C25
    Pedalboard: Templeboards Trio 43, Mission VM-1, Morley Bad Horsie, RJM Mini Effect Gizmo, 6 Degrees FX Sally Drive, Foxpedals The City, Addrock Ol' Yeller, RJM MMGT/22, Mission RJM EP-1, Strymon Timeline + BigSky
    Stack: Furman PL-Plus C, Kemper Rack