What don't you like about your KPA?

  • For me as a long time early adapter the tones are stellar and its relatively easy to use
    I think the manuals are very poor
    for the money the displays on the KPA and the Remote are poor
    I think the performance programming is way too complicated and buggy
    i still would like a programmer
    Im not a huge fan of the layout of the remote, but it use it
    also a little afraid of some of the flimsy knobs


    And did I say the Tones are superior :thumbup:

  • I love my Kemper, alot of fun and i dont need to carry heavy gear, thats the main reason i bought it! I still use my TC G-Force for delay and reverb! I know its realy impossible to recreate the warm feel of a tube amp in room, with real springreverb, and mastervolume button, but I realy like my Kemper! Things that could be better is remote cable connection ,reverb and delays without the anoying tic tac at the end..A dynamic delay would complete the Kemper for my taste! Exept for that its perfect for my use! :)

  • BTW, there is a ducking parameter in the delay that does pretty much the same as the so called dynamic delay.


    I've been a user of t.c. effects for 10+ years, and I've sold all my T.C. gear shortly after buying the KPA.


    I´ve a stack of TC stuff and EHX, but I have no intention of getting rid of them... The TC Flashback x4 is really
    quite a good pedal, as is the EHX Black finger compressor and the Cathedral... Once bought never sold!

  • What I do not like about the Kemper is really that I am not smart enough to navigate the Kemper in any reasonable manner, even though the Kemper is easy to navigate for most out there..


    I do NOT blame the Kemper for this, only that I have not had enough computer experience, so would somebody just beat me with a cat-o-nine tails and end my misery, please!


    Whipping me won't help me navigate the Kemper any better, but the pain will take my mind off the frustration I have when trying to understand what I am trying to do on the Kemper.


    However, I do love the little progress I have made, and few rigs I have been able to change around. I guess my way is the stupid way of doing what others are doing quite easily, and effortlessly. I still wouldn't sell the Kemper for anything else. Hell, it took me a long time to make the little progress I have made.

    Edited once, last by C-4 ().

  • I wish it was in a all-in-one floorboard format. The head makes sense if powered and your using a traditional guitar cabinet. Otherwise it's an odd product to use live. Here's why: you need the remote or a midi controller to use the Kemper live. In which case what's the point of having two pieces of gear with a wire going between them? If you are using additional effects, where do you likely want to keep them? By your feet. In which case, you sit the Kemper behind you and run half a dozen cables between your pedal board and where the Kemper sits. But if it's not powering a head, what's the point of sitting it behind you? The rack Kemper makes sense live if you want to leave your pedals/effects in a rack and use only the remote or a midi controller on your pedal board.


    However, I sit my Kemper behind my remote on my pedal board for this reason. Looks a little silly sticking up, but worth it, as I don't have to run midi cables, a cat 5 and the 4-cable method to and from my pedal board. Just leave everything wired up. But there isn't a product on the market that lets you get such versatile and authentic tone, let alone lets you profile your own amps. Thus my only regret will be if they come out with an all-in-one version like the Helix, a few months after buying the remote. I wouldn't hold my breath on that though, even if they started talking about it. They started talking about the Remote and it took two years before it came to market, let alone the waiting list once it did. In my opinion, if they decided to make one, it wouldn't take as long to bring to market, as they essentially just need to build a box that holds the Kemper and remote in one floorboard shaped container. It could be schematically identical to a separate Kemper head or rack and the Remote; no new programing or anything like that needed.


    I wish it had more ambient delays and reverbs, but they are working on that now. Very few folks regret getting a Kemper. If you've read about what it can do and can't, and it sounds acceptable, you won't be disappointed.

    Edited once, last by Grooguit ().

  • I really think the Kemper could use an additional external loop. Some pedals work well in front of the amp section and some behind it. It would be great if I could put one loop ahead of the amp and another behind it. I actually have no external FX with my Kemper at the moment though, the internal stuff is all I need for my kind of music. But I had made a recommendation at the time the Remote was on the drawing board for it to have a few loops available for external FX to be switched in and out. That would have been perfect for future-proofing a user's requirements.


    That's not really a dislike though, very few things to nitpick with this device. Best piece of gear I own.

  • Nothing really that I can think now, using it with my poweramp and lovely my vintage cab makes me a lot happier that i was (already very happy)


    What I dislike is that I don't have a proper foot controller and the remote is overpriced to me (I totally understand and respect people how think it's not)


    What i'd like to have is more effects in general (overdrive, distortion, synth effects :love: ,ambiant effects etc...)



    I bought my Kemper a while, when the first black unit was available and I remember at this time a lot of people complains about the non-rack and the look of the Kemper,head like thing is ok for me and I loved it looks from the first look at it !! (love that retro-sci-fi looks)

  • The only thing I dont like is that when I dial back the volume on my guitar, it does not resonde like a valve amp and get a clean sound. Ive tried messing with the compression and power sagging, but the sound still is not the same.

  • The only thing I dont like is that when I dial back the volume on my guitar, it does not resonde like a valve amp and get a clean sound. Ive tried messing with the compression and power sagging, but the sound still is not the same.


    For me that all depends on what profile is used, what amp was profiled and how the amp was dialed in when being profiled.
    Some real amps will clean up and some don't. There are many profiles available that can go from gain to clean with the guitars volume knob.


    Example in the video at 5:55


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  • For me that all depends on what profile is used, what amp was profiled and how the amp was dialed in when being profiled.
    Some real amps will clean up and some don't. There are many profiles available that can go from gain to clean with the guitars volume knob.


    Example in the video at 5:55


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    Through the activation of external content, you agree that personal data may be transferred to third party platforms. We have provided more information on this in our privacy policy.



    I will have a look at this. I am using Michael Britt and Guido profiles though.

  • The only thing I dont like is that when I dial back the volume on my guitar, it does not resonde like a valve amp and get a clean sound. Ive tried messing with the compression and power sagging, but the sound still is not the same.


    This is strange. One of the things I like most about the Kemper is how it responds to guitar volume and playing dynamic changes (totally "feels" like an amp to me - it really excels at this imo).


    Obviously the amount of clean up depends on the amp/profile being used, and to a lesser extent the pickups in the guitar, but I've never had an issue cleaning up/adjusting the response of overdriven M Britt profiles using guitars volume knob (passive humbuckers and rarely use the compressor block on OD tones).


    Any chance of posting an audio sample FTUcub?

  • The only thing I dont like is that when I dial back the volume on my guitar, it does not resonde like a valve amp and get a clean sound. Ive tried messing with the compression and power sagging, but the sound still is not the same.


    This is actually one of the things I like MOST about the KPA. I find that when rolling the volume back, it cleans up so beautifully and still retains a lot of the dynamics. There are a lot of high end tube amps (nearly all Mesa Boogies for example) that are notorious for not cleaning up well with the volume knob. But the KPA even makes them clean up better.


    I'd try out a few solid profiles (try the Lee Jackson and Tim Caswell Marshalls from TopJimi). I've found very few profiles that haven't sounded or felt good when rolling the volume knob back. I actually use the volume knob more often now than I ever did with my regular tube amp setup.