Kemper Stage - Loose knobs, broken stomp switches, browser push knob broken & more. Poor Quality?

  • drop the sun such a shame. I've also just had a new problem with the browser knob not selecting rigs. I used to be able to scroll and push the button to select the rig. Now it works 2 or 3 out of 5 times I push it. Sometimes it will select it correctly, go to the main screen and then jump back to rig select screen as if i've pushed it. Think it could be a hardware problem with the knob, 2 other knobs are broken and you guys have broken stomps so i think its possible. Also having more software frozen screen issues where i cant select an effect. Then cant sync to rig manager.

  • drop the sun such a shame. I've also just had a new problem with the browser knob not selecting rigs. I used to be able to scroll and push the button to select the rig. Now it works 2 or 3 out of 5 times I push it. Sometimes it will select it correctly, go to the main screen and then jump back to rig select screen as if i've pushed it. Think it could be a hardware problem with the knob, 2 other knobs are broken and you guys have broken stomps so i think its possible. Also having more software frozen screen issues where i cant select an effect. Then cant sync to rig manager.

    Well yeah, I have had several software freeze problems too, but 'cause the Stage has Beta software I have not been too bothered about them.


    But to be honest the first impression isn't that great with my Profiler Stage. It costs 1600€ and I don't feel too confident about the quality at the moment. I haven't used the hardware knobs and switches that much so far, but will test all of them now and see if there is other issues (like you had for example).


    I'll see how Kemper support works and make my final decision of staying or leaving from this platform after that.

    Gear: Kemper Profiler | Neural DSP Plugins
    Guitars: .Strandberg*

  • drop the sun True, I don't mind waiting for software updates. But seen a couple broken stomp switches. Had 2 of the knobs on my unit fall off just when turning the unit upside down. Then a few days later I've got the push function of the browser knob playing up. That's a lot of hardware problems on launch. I am hoping there was a bad batch upon launch and these will be figured out. I don't want to risk what hardware problems are waiting for me in another few days time or even months so I am exchanging my unit for another. Then i'll do some serious testing before refunding it. It needs to be able to handle the stage and it cant manage 3 days in a bedroom :( I've been back and forth with Kemper support... Will update with what they say tomorrow.

  • Hi!

    I have the exact problem with mine. Only that it is the first Stomp Switch in my case. I contacted the support today.


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    Just made the exact same video...the other one was too noisy (recorded it at the gig). To me it looks like software...I mean, hopefully it's software! ? I'm pressing all buttons with basically no force at all!


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  • KrlosRodz I have just received 6 replacement knobs in the post thanks to Kemper Support..... but none of them worked. They all still slid right off so the hardware problem is the metal prong that the knob slides on to. Also safe to bet that the browser push knob is a hardware issue too with it not registering. Kemper have asked me to post the faulty unit back to Germany in exchange for a new unit. Disappointed in the lack of quality control. I wouldn't bet on yours being a software thing. Get yours replaced to be safe. Everyone else with the same software as you does not have that problem (me for example).


    Wheresthedug I could use a beer right now haha! But I am honestly am worried about this thing surviving the stage :huh:

  • I had conversations on this forum, a few days ago, where I got slated for saying 'I would not be getting a Stage until certain issues were dealt with'.

    "Just my opinion", I was told, although I corrected, "No, just my personal feelings".


    So here we are folks, my 'personal feelings' have good grounds.

    If I read the words, "open a support ticket" about this item any more, I'll go more insane that I already am. Just 'sort' the damn thing out!

  • I had conversations on this forum, a few days ago, where I got slated for saying 'I would not be getting a Stage until certain issues were dealt with'.

    "Just my opinion", I was told, although I corrected, "No, just my personal feelings".


    So here we are folks, my 'personal feelings' have good grounds.

    If I read the words, "open a support ticket" about this item any more, I'll go more insane that I already am. Just 'sort' the damn thing out!

    not trying to be cocky, but since you don't own Stage and don't have problems with hardware, I see no point in getting angry about few units having problems


    if your personal feelings based on these 2 cases (more?) tell you not to buy Stage, simply do not buy it, or wait how the issues get resolved

  • I'm not getting angry.

    As it's a forum I'm quite within my rights to comment, as I see fit. I really don't need your input, or critique, and patronising retort of every line I write...

  • Got told to buy a large proper box to ship back but instead I'm getting them to post me a returns box. Will take a week to arrive they said. Then a week to get my faulty unit back to them. And then a week to get the replacement unit to me. So 3 weeks no Kemper unfortunately means I'll be missing out on some gigs. I'm going to ask support if it's easier to just refund that one and I'll buy a new one.


    Anyone know any good backups? If you don't use a guitar cab (as was just hooking Kempers up to FOH and getting feed to monitors or IEM's. Any cheap pedals that emulate a cab that I can throw on the end of a small pedalboard and DI straight to PA?

  • Got told to buy a large proper box to ship back but instead I'm getting them to post me a returns box. Will take a week to arrive they said. Then a week to get my faulty unit back to them. And then a week to get the replacement unit to me. So 3 weeks no Kemper unfortunately means I'll be missing out on some gigs. I'm going to ask support if it's easier to just refund that one and I'll buy a new one.


    Anyone know any good backups? If you don't use a guitar cab (as was just hooking Kempers up to FOH and getting feed to monitors or IEM's. Any cheap pedals that emulate a cab that I can throw on the end of a small pedalboard and DI straight to PA?


    I got confirmation from customer support, that my footswitch problem is a defective hardware as I 99% knew already.


    They will replace the unit to a new one. But if I first have to send my unit to them before they can send me the new unit, then I'll probably just return the defective unit ja take my money back.

    Gear: Kemper Profiler | Neural DSP Plugins
    Guitars: .Strandberg*

  • drop the sun Yeah probably a wise decision. I just found another new problem with the Kemper Stage. I've just tried out the main output and the monitor output for the first time and there's an unbelievable amount of noise floor. So much background hiss...even when I set the main or monitor output to off in the output settings.


    The headphone output is dead silent with no background noise at all so it's not something external affecting the whole unit.


    It's not a ground loop thing as the ground loop options did nothing but also I plugged it in to the same power plug circuit as my Golden Age Project Pre73 to test things... I cranked the gain and output of the pre 73 and still didn't get as high a noise floor. So it's definitely an issue with the outputs on the Kemper Stage I think? I had white noise from the headphone output on Kemper Stage when the Kemper is off and Kemper Support said they knew of the bug.... Do they know of the bug with the main and monitor outs too?


    I have so many problems I feel I need to post this additional problem in a new topic. Sorry for the complaint bombarding. Very unfortunate :(

  • Sorry for the complaint bombarding. Very unfortunate :(

    It's not complaining when it's true. Just a bummer.


    That said, this is a 1.0 product. Times 2 - both software and hardware. It's not at all surprising that there are software glitches and manufacturing oversights. In a perfect world nothing should go out the door until it's been tested to within an inch of its life. If you ever find such a shop, ask them if they need another programmer. I'd love to see what that experience is like as I've never seen it and am pretty sure it's an urban myth.


    I posted the other day that I'd just upgraded to the new spring reverb OS and someone made a (friendly) comment to the effect of, "Really? You're just now getting around to it?" Yep. It was a conscious decision to wait. I sling code for a living. I know how an x.0 release behaves.


    And yet, it's really, really hard to sit on my hands (or in your case, your wallet) when the Next New Cool Thing is readily available. I was listening to all these demos of killer reverbs but just didn't want to deal with the bugs, so I waited until there were no more reports of trouble. Of course, that means I did without those cool new reverbs for quite some time, but the payoff is that the OS is now rock solid, as is typical of their stuff.


    I do have a remote, and it's built like a tank. The foot switches work just fine, nothing's falling off of it, and it does what it's supposed to do. I have no doubt that once the bugs are shaken out, the Stage is going to be a top shelf offering.


    In the meantime, the early adopters just have to accept the tradeoffs - either have it now and risk encountering bugs and first run defects, or wait until it all shakes out while everyone else gets to play with the new toys. It's a tough call, to be sure.

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

  • Just letting you guys know, support is sending me a new unit. Although it sucks, I don't mind software problems... that's the price to pay for us early adopters. Hopefully this new unit won't have any hardware troubles!

  • I had a similar noise when I tried lifting the ground on the send to profile an amp. It was like something else got routed into the signal and the hiss was so loud. Could not use the send ground lift in the end to get rid of a little hum so ended up having to use an iso transformer to get rid of it.