What does the Kemper Remote give me that the FCB1010 with a 3rd party chip cannot?

  • I have a FCB1010, that I have used for many years with my Eleven Rack. I bought the EurekaChip, and it worked great. I've used the FCB, and some basic functionality works, except for the looper. Apparently, they have an updated chip that controls the loop also.


    What does the Kemper Remote give me that the FCB1010 with a 3rd party chip cannot?

  • For me it was (A) a smaller foot print ...(B) a better readout on the screen ( and coloured LED's so you know what's going where..) (C) ease of programmability ..(D) better Build Quality .. I had (and in fact still have as a Backup ..the uno4kemper Fcb1010 ..but prefer the Remote

  • Everything Millstudios said plus:


    No additional power cord to run. One CAT cable runs everything.
    4 pedal jacks for additional control. I never really liked the FCB's pedals. The Mission pedals feel just like a wah.
    I especially like the ease of programmability. Firmware changes on the main unit also affect the Remote.

    The key to everything is patience.
    You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.
    -- Arnold H. Glasow


    If it doesn't produce results, don't do it.

    -- Me

  • My main reason for upgrading from a FCB to the remote is that it was easily confused if you stomped on 2 buttons at a time.


    You also have to run 2 midi cables to get the tuner, so along with power it was a pain.


    The remote is more convenient, dead easy to programme with multiple stomps, more reliable, easily up-gradable in line with improvements with KPA, better/clean display, looper control etc.


    FCB is good, remote is great.

  • I just bite the bullet on the remote, I have the FCB1010 w UNO and used it live 6 nights a week for loooong periods


    Not seeing names, always turning around, looking back to make sure I have right profile 1st reason


    Fcb midi cables always a pain and I'd have to press twice for my effect to work many times ...really annoying


    Power cable , one more cable on the floor, needed extension also ... so the one cable cat suits me fine


    I'm using real wah pedal and with the remote I can add 3 or 6 depending how you hook them up


    so yeah, its expensive but I only got one life to live, those were my reasons
    +I get the looper which I might start using on acoustic gigs

  • One little (resolved) headache. When I used the looper, originally it's in PRE mode. I had a wonderful time finding the setting to change, but finally found it.


    The setting is in the System Menu, on the remote page. Since I don't have the Kemper remote, the whole page is grayed, giving a disabled look. I eventually found what button it was, and although the page is grayed out, the 4th button still functions, and I was able to set it correctly.

  • For me its just to hard to justify the cost of the remote and the additional 2 Mission pedals I would need. Although the volume pedal is not that great on the FCB I don't use it very much and I am happy with the sound of the Wah using the FCM pedal. The FCB with the Uno chip is plug and play and I have the midi cables tied together so running one or two cables doesn't matter to me. I guess its all in what you are using it for. I really just need to it to change patches. If the remote ever came down in price I may consider it.

  • I found there was a lot more stomping on pedals to get to the functionality I wanted with the FCB (I had an earlier version of the EurekaProm). Its been quite a while now, but I seem to recall going from the tuner, to performance mode, to being able to turn on and off effects was a bit too much of a toe dance. With the Kemper Remote, everything is right there. There is still toe tapping but no where near as much.

  • I still keep my FCB1010 for a backup. The Kemper foot controller is a big step up in my book:


    • Power and signal all through a single Ethercon connection. This makes setup time less, and it unclutters the stage around my feet.
    • The KFC is much smaller than the FCB which again, frees up stage space
    • The KFC has a text readout so you know what you have selected without trying to memorize where everything is.
    • The 4 buttons are assignable.
  • The 4 Effect Buttons are not only assignable by Rig, but can also assume multiple roles simultaneously. So in Rig A Effect Button III could activate Module C and D plus deactivate Module A and X at the same time. In another Rig it could perform different things.


    You can also control the built in Looper with the Remote.


    There are two layouts available of the information displayed on the screen in Performance Mode. Plus a clock, if you like.


    A combination of up to four 4 expression pedals, momentary switches or dual switches can be connected.

  • It may be sexy, but not $400 difference sexy.


    So far, I'm happy with the upgraded chip. I get the looper functionality, mentioned above, as well as most other functionality. The only thing it's lacking is the readout. Since I never looked at a readout in any of my previous gear, I guess that's a bonus that I'm not going to miss.


    Thanks for all the replies.

  • You already had the footswitch and you´re happy with it, which is great. :thumbup:
    I didn´t have a footswitch and I had luck on ebay and got mine for 100€ off of the normal price :D
    In 9 ot of 10 gigs I play in small venues, so the small footprint comes in handy - besides all the function and the sexiness 8) .

    stay tuned... :thumbup:

  • I have been using a stock FCB, since I purchased my Kemper 4-5yrs ago, with great success.
    The size thing is very misleading, as The FCB is 27" wide, but INCLUDES two expression pedals. The remote is 16.5" wide, but if, for instance you add two Mission pedals, and allow a bit of room between the two pedals, you are, once again, within 2" in width, of the FCB, and about 3/4" deeper, due to the Mission pedals, and you still need to mount them on a board. The FCB is one piece, add midi out cable, power cable - done. I know what number each of my presets are, so I just see the pedal LED light, and I'm good. I don't use the looper. By the time you add the two pedals, the weight is 5lbs heavier than the FCB, not even counting, if you add a pedalboard to position them on.
    That said, the remote and Mission pedals combo gives greater operational flexibility, and of course, you can change the position of the Mission pedals.
    I am considering using a Softstep 2, which I already own, but will have to run another EXP pedal directly to the Kemper, for that to be similar, in function, since the SS2 only has one EXP input.

  • I have been using a stock FCB, since I purchased my Kemper 4-5yrs ago, with great success.
    The size thing is very misleading, as The FCB is 27" wide, but INCLUDES two expression pedals. The remote is 16.5" wide, but if, for instance you add two Mission pedals, and allow a bit of room between the two pedals, you are, once again, within 2" in width, of the FCB, and about 3/4" deeper, due to the Mission pedals, and you still need to mount them on a board. The FCB is one piece, add midi out cable, power cable - done. I know what number each of my presets are, so I just see the pedal LED light, and I'm good. I don't use the looper. By the time you add the two pedals, the weight is 5lbs heavier than the FCB, not even counting, if you add a pedalboard to position them on.
    That said, the remote and Mission pedals combo gives greater operational flexibility, and of course, you can change the position of the Mission pedals.
    I am considering using a Softstep 2, which I already own, but will have to run another EXP pedal directly to the Kemper, for that to be similar, in function, since the SS2 only has one EXP input.

    The FCB can definitely do the job, there is no doubt - I just found there was a lot more effort that I had to put in to tapping the switches to achieve what I can now do with a lot less effort (and distraction) with the Remote. (although the Remote was actually an Xmas present to myself and not necessarily purchased because of any reasons other than I wanted to see how good it was) Also, I actually like the fact that the expression pedals are separate and don't have to be mounted to a board as I don't always use them depending upon what band and what configuration I am playing in and they get stored in my utility flight case along with my cords, iPad, mics, etc. where they actually fit in nicely and add structure to the contents.

  • I have come to the conclusion that there is no perfect controller for my needs.


    I have been using the Musicomlab EFX III for a couple years and it has worked, but it's a pain.


    I ordered a BJ Devices TB-11 which will arrive soon, but it will have its own limitations.


    Had the Kemper included an expression pedal on their controller I would likely have ordered one.


    The FCB seemed too big.


    This post was not entirely on topic. My apologies.

  • For the price of the remote I would rather just get a Helix LT for a couple hundred more. I play out every month and use the FCB and never had to struggle knowing where each profile was saved and stomps. There is nothing sexy about the remote, now the toaster that's a different story!

    Is it because light travels faster than sound that you appear to bright until you strum a chord?