The distortion stomps - are they being updated?

  • Did I hear wrong or was there talk of some work being done on the distorition stomps when the new reverbs were announced at Namm? I'm probably wrong. EDIT: Please read properly and note I am not saying that any OD stuff will be released with the new reverb stuff.


    If so, do we have any idea what kind of thing is happening with them?


    Either way, would do people want to see?


    I for one am learning more and more about how to integrate the stoms effectively and I'm starting to enjoy them more now I understand them a bit better.


    That said, I think the Muff could be improved so that it can get slightly tighter. Overall, my one wish is for more options in the stomps that allow for greater flexibility...like a full EQ in each of them rather than just a tone...I personally do not care for authenticity of the original and staying true to their design, as long as it sounds the same and I see this request as an opportunity to improve upon the original.

  • I am pretty sure you are correct. It definitely sounds like the reverb release will include new OD/Distortion stomps too (and maybe more).


    I am pretty curious to see what changes have been made and hear what they sound like. I'm not losing any sleep waiting for them as I really don't use OD/Dist stomps much and have no use for the ambient reverb stuff. For me an "effect" is something like a longer guitar lead (that's an EQ in my book as it reduces the high end :D ) or a guitar's volume knob but some more control over Hall and Room reverbs and a plate reverb would be nice.

  • I think there is alot of potential to add amazing o/d stomps. and lots of classic stomp are missing today like KOT, Klon, blues driver, etc. Some of this stomp like EP boost are a big part of the tone and always turn on. The stomp are more practical live use than the deep verbs. But guess that Kemper is working on the verbs for now. I would be surprise to see new dist/od stomp anytime soon.

  • ....Overall, my one wish is for more options in the stomps that allow for greater flexibility...like a full EQ in each of them rather than just a tone...I personally do not care for authenticity of the original and staying true to their design, as long as it sounds the same and I see this request as an opportunity to improve upon the original.

    This!

  • I havn't seen any official confirmation that the ODs would be updated.
    However, reading between the lines, i guess SOMEDAY (i would be very surprised this would come with the new reverbs), we will have new ODs, with a generic engine (like they did with the delays) that would try to recreate known ODs through settings and presets, instead of the actual system where you have a discrete stomp for each existing OD that is being replicated. IMHO.

  • Hi
    Way not someting like the latest delays. Imagine a platform where you can make presets och dist/od/fuzz. Choose waveform, even or odd harmonics, Place eq before or after, hopefully ad a way to set volume after the amp module and so on. DIY platform for dist/od/fuzz.


    This video is good exampel to what I'm refering to. What if you could build your own dist/o/fuzz, creating presets to your liking.

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    /Hans J

  • Maybe I was just imagining it but I could have sworm I saw a comment from either @ckemper or @Burkhard that implied the reverb updates would also include new OD/Dist stomps. As I understand it the reverbs aren’t just new reverbs but a complete update of the FX system which includes the ability to place reverb in any stomp or FX slot. It isn’t too much of a leap of imagination to see how the overhaul required to allow complete freedom of the Reverb engine could also tie in with some other new stomp functionality.


    As I say, maybe I was just dreaming as I haven’t tried searching to find the comment I was thinking of.

  • What I thought I heard was the plan was to develop ODs after the reverbs, but no timeline was given and there wasn't even a hint that it would come out with the reverb. The video of CK in early July said "a couple weeks" about presumably the reverb beta caused some to question if the reason that the beta isn't here yet is because there's other enhancements that they are ironing out to roll out with the reverbs. Last week, CK said on another thread that he had just, two days prior, came up with a "fix" that will be included with the upcoming OS that will address a problem a few were having with the separation of the amp and cab or something like that. Most of the OS updates have had a couple surprises even if fairly minor. So I wouldn't be totally shocked if ODs were rolled out with the reverbs, but I'd be a little surprised if they were.

  • CK is a creative dude. Managing mass consumer expectations for precise effects emulations versus the inclination to “expand the conversation” by creating new interpretations of commonly used sound design tools must be quite a challenge. My hope has always been for a single “master” boost - comp - dist effect with deep parameters capable of getting Zen, TS, Klon, EP, Tonebender, FF etc etc tones, with save-able presets, but that isn’t beholden to any of those specific boxes. That would be a (yet another) fantastic contribution to the guitar tone community, even beyond Kemper users. He certainly achieved that with the delays and I have faith in the new reverbs.

  • PS As someone who has owned/owns a ton of vintage / boutique examples of all these boxes, I have to say across the board it's all way way way more "same-y" than many guitarists like to admit, or are seemingly able to recognize. That's why so many guitarists who are recognized for great tone have the same few boxes on their boards .. Tube Screamers, Klons, OCD's, KOT's, SOV's . Other than Sonny Landreth, most examples of Zen Drives on the boards of famous guitarists aren't even switched on ninety-nine percent of the time. If Gary Clark Jr can use a hundred dollar fuzz, then so can we, right? Also, I feel like with a bit of tweaking and combined with some creative eq, the Kemper can already do what most people need, which is to boost or accentuate or add sizzle to the best amp tones. But yes it could be easier, and access to more accurate emulations of things many of us have used on analog boards for years wouldn't be a bad thing.

  • The effect overhaul like the delays engine and then coming reverb engine seem to take a long time to develop. The delay beta came 2 years ago and now the reverb they are working on possibly by this year. I wish to be wrong but a new revamp OD engine should also be a big project that takes time. for now i use pedal in front of the kemper.

  • I don't remember anything being mentioned about distortion or stomps at that time, certainly nothing related to the new verbs.


    Christoph did say that they've heard everything that people have been asking for and have many plans, but there was no detail in that, certainly nothing about distortions and no timlines.


    I know that there were a few threads a while back from various users requesting some more distortion stomp improvements, maybe you're thinking of those. They're just other users talking and dreaming about the possibilities, there were no official responses in any of them AFAIK.

  • Guys you read my post wrong...I didn't say anything about them releasing new ODs alongside the reverb release...just that I have a vague memory of the mention of work on the ODs around the same time as the buzz about the reverbs was going on.

  • PS As someone who has owned/owns a ton of vintage / boutique examples of all these boxes, I have to say across the board it's all way way way more "same-y" than many guitarists like to admit, or are seemingly able to recognize. That's why so many guitarists who are recognized for great tone have the same few boxes on their boards .. Tube Screamers, Klons, OCD's, KOT's, SOV's . Other than Sonny Landreth, most examples of Zen Drives on the boards of famous guitarists aren't even switched on ninety-nine percent of the time. If Gary Clark Jr can use a hundred dollar fuzz, then so can we, right? Also, I feel like with a bit of tweaking and combined with some creative eq, the Kemper can already do what most people need, which is to boost or accentuate or add sizzle to the best amp tones. But yes it could be easier, and access to more accurate emulations of things many of us have used on analog boards for years wouldn't be a bad thing.

    i agree, which is why we don't particularly need tons more emulations just more control over the existing ones and possibly one or two more emulations.


    I think a transparent boost/distortion would be useful. Like Klon/Timmy. EP boost etc. I know it's doable with EQ but it's two blocks and a bit of hard work.

  • The effect overhaul like the delays engine and then coming reverb engine seem to take a long time to develop. The delay beta came 2 years ago and now the reverb they are working on possibly by this year. I wish to be wrong but a new revamp OD engine should also be a big project that takes time. for now i use pedal in front of the kemper.

    As I understand it, there isn't an "overdrive engine" per se. So that doesn't need to be updated (again, as I understand it). And, you can already put a dirt stomp in any slot other than the one dedicated to reverb. I think that when he has gotten that to be as glitch-free as possible, the dirt pedals will follow thereafter.


    If you think about it, there are probably only 3-things that differentiate most overdrives: touch sensitivity, distortion type, and *signature* EQ. The basic drive modules already exist. What has to happen is mostly just measuring existing stomps to determine the values for these parameters. Also, CK, because of who he is and the way he is wired, will likely come up with his own unique ideas for improvements/enhancements...he is not satisfied to just copy the work of others.


    New dirt stomps will come. I feel certain that CK has many, many other things on his plate...a lot of balls to keep in the air.


    One thing to keep in mind: he has been selling the same box for 6 years. They need new features to excite the buyers at the trade shows. So delaying (pun intended) the pace of upgrades helps with not having the toaster seem too long-in-the-tooth.

  • I agree with most here that it is unlikely that we will see a stomp release with the verbs. I do recall CK mentioning a stomp release in the future, but I suspect it is a bit off in the future.


    What would be a pleasant surprise (and doable) would be for the Kemper team to put an effect scroll assign by type so that we don't need to scroll through zillions of different effects to get to a single effect as we do now.

  • Distortion models are not new invention so the buyer at trade show should not be to interest if that is all the showcase. But So far i am not impress with distortion modelers i have heard from any manufacture. not anything close to the real pedal. Pedal like the KLON, EP Boost, Timmy. BLues Drive should be nice to have. So if Mr. CK can intro new dirt stomp that sound so real that you want to sell your floor pedal = success. Oh and also add pedal like the freqout.