Is Kemper bad for jamming/tone on the fly, compared to a traditional pedalboard and amp?

    Hi,


    I'm looking at getting a Kemper Profiler and Remote, but the one thing holding me back is the lack of on the fly control, that can be useful in a jam/rehearsal type situation.


    For example, say I'm writing some new material with my band, and I'm using my normal amp, with a verse tone that has Overdrive, My favourite Boss DD-500 Delay preset, Chorus and Reverb.
    However during the song, I decide the delay preset isn't right- so I quickly bank down 6 times to find one that I think might be better suited. I then kick on my octaver, and lower the mix level of the Chorus and Reverb. I also crank up the gain knob on my overdrive.


    This is a conceivable task that would only take me about 10 seconds with my current rig. I wouldn't even miss 4 bars.


    However, I'm concerned that if I sell my rig (Which I'd have to, to afford a Kemper) then this process would be near impossible to achieve on the fly. Sure I can have 4 stomps set up on the remote footswitches for each preset, but how do I know in advance which pedal I might kick on? On my pedalboard, I have about 10 different options at any given time, and I use them all. Now I have to narrow it to 4. And of those 4, I can't fiddle with the knobs immediately either, I have to go back to the profiler, and fiddle with menus.


    On top of that, I don't have immediate access to 10 different delay presets, I'm stuck with the one set for the current Kemper rig.


    Am I right in this assumption? Or am I missing something?
    I've watched a tonne of videos online about the Kemper and haven't seen anyone complain about this, but I also haven't seen anyone achieve it.


    Fiddling with menus and creating presets is something I really love to do, Kemper sounds perfect for me. But I'm not sure I'm ready to surrender my on-the-fly versatility.


    How have you guys dealt with this? Just accepted it and moved on?

    Think you are refering to bread& butter rigs. Its a question of organization.


    Use the stomps to place your fx.
    Use the stomp buttons on the remote.
    Use morph to change parameters.
    Use delay tap tempo.


    I think you dont need more than 2 or 3 main rigs to have a ton of different sounds.


    All available with some quick footsteps

    The Profiler has six dedicated quick access knobs:

    • MOD Rate & Intensity (Lunchbox only, not on Rack)
    • DELAY Feedback & Mix
    • REVERB Time & Mix

    these knobs are 'hard-wired' and only have this one function each.


    TAP as you might guess is a dedicated tap tempo button
    and you can save your own effect presets (and delete factory ones) that can be quickly accessed with the BROWSE knob when you have a effect slot selected (to select -> press and hold for about a second)


    you also have a assignable (per Rig) effect loop
    and you can of course use stompboxes in front of the Profiler, just like you would with an amp.


    hth

    The problem with the delay isn't tap tempo, it's the delay type, that might be different.


    For example, what if I want to go from a modulating analog quarter delay to a Digital dotted eighth delay


    On my DD-500 or DD-20 or Timeline etc, etc, it's a matter of banking up or down with my foot and bam it's done.


    From what I understand, on kemper I would have to stop playing, go into the menu, find the delay type I want in my saved presets, then adjust the dedicated knobs for mix and feedback.


    Is morph to change parameters really a viable option for multiple stomps? what if I want to turn my chorus level down, and then immediately after, crank the gain on the drive?


    The way I currently understand it, if I want this type of versatility, the bare minimum main rigs I would have to create would be 20.


    10 delay presets, each with 3 other stomps on a switch.


    Then those same 10 delay presets, with a different 3 stomps on the switches to get different combinations.

    I understand your problem. As far as I known there is no really 'pedal' way to switch delay presets. The morph pedal is assigned to a function per rig, so in rig A it would control your drive, in rig B is would control chorus level.


    But in the end it comes to the fact that your DD-500 pedal switched delay-only presets, and your Kemper pedal will switch "whole rig" presets. But I think, in the end you still could have versatile on the fly sounds with a few performances preset, you just have to put some time in.


    You can lock certain modules, like stomps, amp, reverb, etc, so when you switch rigs these modules are retained, but the rest doesn't. So you switch rigs, choosing different delay presets, but keeping your amp, and other stomps...


    Also, if you are such a delay-nerd (having lack of a better word), you could connect you DD-500 through an FX-loop... That's probably only 250 euro of secondhand value (being optimistic) which is left from your previous rig...

    Yeah it's a shame. I did think about keeping the DD-500, but really I decided that when it comes down to it, one of the big reasons I want a kemper is the ease and reliability of setup. Don't have to worry about so many leads and patch cables and power cables and everything that could possible go wrong, and takes time to set up at each gig.


    So having even just 1 pedal in the effects return would cancel out that whole benefit, because I would have to run power and 2 extra leads just for that pedal.

    Quote from PulseFour

    Just accepted it and moved on?

    One method.
    The better method is to learn the possibilities of the Kempers in connection with the remote and to adapt your playing to the Kemper instead of hoping the kemper adapts to you.
    You've got now some advice - don't ignore them instead to search for possible bugs now

    Quote from PulseFour


    So having even just 1 pedal in the effects return would cancel out that whole benefit, because I would have to run power and 2 extra leads just for that pedal.

    Abolutely, but then it boils down to making a choice: Do I want to be versatile, in that you can use every pedal ever made out there, but have a longer setup time? Or do you want to be compact, but have to be satisfied with the internal Kemper's FX? There is no "perfect" setup ;)



    Reminds me of how things are going at the music school I'm attending: I went Kemper from the start because I knew a "real amp" with miked cab has some disadvantages, both on stage and at home. But then you see fellow students arrive with a pedal or 2 (battery powered), just plugin it into the teachers clean amp, where as I'm not dragging my Kemper to school (for those 30 minutes...). Consequence is that I'm stuck with a clean tone with the teacher... And then you play highway to hell on your exam...


    Result: I'm starting to GAS over Combo's and pedals. But why? why? How on earth would you get the sound of a Plexi + 4x12 out of a combo, and a Kemper will still be more flexible tone-wise for a stage setup than, and cost way less...

    I suppose you're all correct, I just need to learn to adapt to the Kemper.


    Imagine a Kemper 2 though, with 10 stomp slots and toggle switches on the remote, as well as MIDI knobs on the remote to simulate dials on the pedal. That would be amazing!

    I know where you are coming from. I've been in important rehearsals with the KPA where the bandleader asked me on the spot to have longer delay trail or heavy flanger while I was using a patch that didn't contain any. I've been caught offguard the first time only and it took a few minutes, then I made sure every patch I did was sonically versatile enough (with many disabled effects, morphing, etc). Then I made sure I had other banks of useable sounds with different effects. Now, U2 delay, shimmer or messy fuzz, I can probably handle most of what's being thrown at me.


    I do think the KPA's effects are awesome but I've also been in situations where a second pedalboard guitar player was juggling with effects in a way that it was impossible to keep up with using a modeller (fortunately I'm not so much into that) so no doubt that a pedalboard is initially more suitable for jamming or experimenting on the spot if that's your thing but as Don Peterson said, these 3 knobs are actually super helpful for general on the spot adjustment of basic effects. For anything more "out there", you'll collect patches of stuff that'll get you in the ballpark and then go home, tweak and integrate in your sonic palette. In the end I realize in my case I don't need a thousand kinds of sound effects and often go back to the same ones within a handful of banks.

    I think you have more options here...you can access new types of delays to a slot very quickly. You might want to add them to favs in advance etc but I don;t think its that far away. Fior example, you want to change from vintage chorus to something more modern. You select that slot with chorus, scroll the the closest one, select it, adjust parameters, save...done. the challenge you've actually got is that you've got so much to choose from that you'll experiment even more :)


    Is it as quick as a dedicated unit, then no. Is it possible to change things during rehearsal, totally.


    I do it during gigs ( change preset volumes, change gain etc.) although what you want to do is a little more involved but I don't see why not.

    In general you would be most flexible with A GOOD PREPARED KPA.
    Since there is practically no limit in number of sounds/rigs you can store up to 625 rigs in 125 performances, which are available just only by pushing a "bank"-knob (performance number) and a "preset-knob" (slot number). Each of these 625 rigs can be provided with 4 effect-scenes, so I don't believe you could lack any options
    The KPA-preparation should be organized to your own logic - to be able for a quick direct access - and - of course - needs a significant amount of time for implementation - but....THIS ONLY ONCE !

    Quote from jpoelmans

    The morph pedal is assigned to a function per rig, so in rig A it would control your drive, in rig B is would control chorus level.

    If I understand you correctly, this is not quite accurate. Morphing can apply to any number of functions in the rig, not just a single function.

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

    Well let's see... You are comparing the Kemper which is an amplifier that offers effects to a dedicated effects box? Two different uses. You might as well say; how many amp models can the DD-500 do? Yes I know stupid thought right?!?!


    With that said, there are creative ways you could do things with the Kemper and effects.
    1) morphing option
    2) put multiple delays into a few slots and go between them
    3) change to a different rig
    4) use external effects


    The Kemper is an amplifier, you will get along better with it if you think this way.

    the Profiler's Delays don't follow the often seen categories (tape, reverse, shimmer...) by design.
    why shouldn't you be able to have a tape-reverse delay together with a shimmer effect?


    if you need to go into a more analog direction, adjust the lo and hi cut filters and possibly Grit. Need a tape echo? Again, hi and lo cut filters, definitely Grit and both Flutter parameters.


    The delays were design to be very open on purpose - essentially a delay tweakers paradise.

    Quote from PulseFour

    Can it only control all of the functions you assign at once, or can you adjust the functions one at a time withing a single rig?

    Think of it this way:


    In the normal mode you have a rig setup the way you like for all parameters of the stomps and effects. You then engage the "morph" mode and can adjust all of these settings in an alternate version of your rig. You then save the rig. Now, when using this rig, you can go from one state to the other, even gradually if using an expression pedal. It's very powerful.

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

    Its normal to appreciate many pedals of your pedal board. Ex : Your favourite Boss DD-500 Delay preset... Just keep it and plug it in the Kemper... Noboday says we gotta get rid of all our pedals if we buy a Kemper. For instance I got a compresser that I love ( TC Electronic) I wont get rid of it I will experiment with the Kemper plus my compressor. And the Kemper alone. IF I dont see utility to keep my favorite compresser I will sell it . But I need to hear first. So you should do the same dont get rid of your pedal too soon.... Take the time to experiment and hear . Finally to conclude my point is
    HEAR FIRST SELL AFTER !!! (if needed)