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

  • KrlosRodz did you end up posting back yours for a refund and buying a new one on their website. Or did you post yours back for an exchange. Just wondering which is faster/easier. Did you post it back in the original box?

    I did the return/exchange for a new one, all through Kemper USA.


    Didn't go for a refund or exchange from where I bought it originally, because they didn't have it in stock anymore. (And the wait could've been absurd).


    Right now it's on its way there, so I'll let you know how long it takes when all is done.

  • Cheers KrlosRodz I am waiting a week for Kemper to send me a box to return mine in.


    Also if anyone else has a Kemper Stage, check for this new problem in the Main & Monitor Outputs

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    Different than the headphone noise issue, different noise and occuring at different times with different settings. Even if you set output to off, it's still there. Just seeing if anyone else is experiencing this too?

  • svenelof it is very unfortunate that you received a faulty unit and we are doing our best to replace it as soon as possible. I can assure you that our products normally do not generate the amount of noise that you are experiencing.

    Please wait for the empty box to arrive at your place so you can return the faulty unit safely to us and we will send you a replacement unit as soon as we have received the faulty one. We apologise for all the inconveniences caused by this.

  • Ok, so I have a Kemper power rack in my studio and it's the best cash I've ever spent in 40 years of playing. However my age is a factor and I'm fed up with taking it out of the rack to gigs along with carrying a guitar and the remote so I bought the Stage so I can leave my rack in permanent situ. Almost immediately I found a problem with the Browse knob which turns about 1 whole revolution to get to the next rig and sometimes more :( It's generally very quirky and unresponsive so I contacted support who got straight back to me asking for a video in order to assess the problem. Having sent the vid they were straight back to me asking for me to return the unit and they will send me a new replacement. Us early adopters are no doubt going to suffer some teething problems as one may expect with a brand new and extremely complex unit but with such excellent customer service I for one won't be deterred from buying Kemper but felt it worth pointing out to other early adopters that this fault may be present on the 1st units so at least you know.

  • 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...

    You being "within your rights" is irrelevant. Sorry that someone has to point it out but those kinds of posts by people who don't even own the thing are trollish at best, and that's why it annoys some people. Like any products, of course there will be bugs and malfunctions happening to a small sample (and be well taken care of) but while thousands of other are doing just fine, you generalizing over the entire line is childish and not helpful to anyone.

  • Almost immediately I found a problem with the Browse knob which turns about 1 whole revolution to get to the next rig and sometimes more :( It's generally very quirky and unresponsive

    I found more and more hidden problems as the days went on. The quality does not justify the price for me. I had originally planned on exchanging mine for a replacement unit but instead i'll be asking for a refund.


    I'm hoping in 6 months time this forum isn't full of problems listed and then I'll think about it again. But honestly it's beyond disappointing and even replacement parts sent to me did not work which leads me to think it's deeper than a surface parts problem. The quality is just poor. If you are posting on here because your unit has no hardware faults... I wouldn't risk it is my friendly advice. I had new hardware faults appearing as time went on. Yours might seem fine now, but it might not be. You have 30 days return as it says on the Kemper website.


    LiamUK I didn't find your posts annoying, I found your feedback thought provoking and interesting to see an array of perceptions and to be honest if I was reading this forum thread without owning a Kemper, I also wouldn't buy one. Kemper are hard at work on software issues but I hope they're also hard at work on hardware issues instead of just sending out more units in the blind hope that they work ok.

  • ... I hope they're also hard at work on hardware issues instead of just sending out more units in the blind hope that they work ok.

    To be fair, "blind hope" wouldn't be the way they'd be handling this IMHO.


    Any reasonable business operator would double-check a unit being sent out to replace a faulty one. I doubt we'll see any replacement units that exhibit the same issues experienced with the ones they replace.


    As for QC, I'm sure they'd be all over it, focussing immediately on the main issues that've arisen such as the knobs one, and then going over the remaining aspects of manufacture and assembly with a fine-tooth comb.

  • I found more and more hidden problems as the days went on. The quality does not justify the price for me. I had originally planned on exchanging mine for a replacement unit but instead i'll be asking for a refund.

    svenelof you should do that. obviously, you're unhappy and we don't want you to be unhappy. i think we can all agree on the fact that what you've received from us is not up to par with your expectations; and it also isn't with our own product quality expectation.


    the replacement packaging you've requested is in transit to your country and should be with you on friday. we'd appreciate if you could contact support to let them official know that you want to return your Profiler Stage for a refund. thank! gs

    Get in touch with Profiler online support team here

  • I found more and more hidden problems as the days went on. The quality does not justify the price for me. I had originally planned on exchanging mine for a replacement unit but instead i'll be asking for a refund.


    I'm hoping in 6 months time this forum isn't full of problems listed and then I'll think about it again. But honestly it's beyond disappointing and even replacement parts sent to me did not work which leads me to think it's deeper than a surface parts problem. The quality is just poor. If you are posting on here because your unit has no hardware faults... I wouldn't risk it is my friendly advice. I had new hardware faults appearing as time went on. Yours might seem fine now, but it might not be. You have 30 days return as it says on the Kemper website.


    LiamUK I didn't find your posts annoying, I found your feedback thought provoking and interesting to see an array of perceptions and to be honest if I was reading this forum thread without owning a Kemper, I also wouldn't buy one. Kemper are hard at work on software issues but I hope they're also hard at work on hardware issues instead of just sending out more units in the blind hope that they work ok.


    Unfortunately I'm doing the same: Sending my defective Profiler Stage back and getting refund.


    It is really sad, 'cause the Stage looked so great product. But it let me this feeling, that the release was rushed. After all these hardware and sofware problems the quality of this product didn't match the price tag for me.

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

  • My new Kemper Stage unit was affected, too. It arrived non-functioning.


    Hardware and software issues on my unit. Two tickets and one phone call from US to Germany yielded no solutions.


    I am returning my unit for refund. Too bad. It would have been a great solution.

  • My new Kemper Stage unit was affected, too. It arrived non-functioning.


    Hardware and software issues on my unit. Two tickets and one phone call from US to Germany yielded no solutions.


    I am returning my unit for refund. Too bad. It would have been a great solution.

    We have offered you to exchange the unit on the 29th of July but so far we have not received any reply from you.

  • Just listing another software problem for folks to check theirs. Will message support too. Still waiting on a reply from support of my last problem (no it's not in spam folder).


    When I am in browser mode just playing after selecting a rig. If I rotate the type knob (to change from all rigs, favourites ,no favourites menu etc) then the Kemper Stage will freeze and I have to hard reboot. First time this has happened, worked perfect up until now. Seems to be more unfolding every day.


    I also tried my spdif cable in to pro tools today to check if I get the same noise problems as with the Monitor and Main Ouput, but it's fine, crystal clear. Might help Kemper pin point something. Will message support too.


    Greentea sorry to hear you also have hardware issues.

  • Hey folks, another issue I've found.


    Could be hardware or software... When using the Kemper Stage to record in the studio via spdif:


    Using it as the clock source and with spdif as the sync source it wont lock that source. Pro Tools and the Kemper Stage are both set to the same 44.1 setting. This then causes pro tools to crash along with Scarlett Mix Control (used to select the clock source) and you have to reboot the computer, turn off and on again your audio interface.


    Tried another test, even if you don't select spdif as the sync source, when you connect the Kemper to your audio interface via spdif to record, everything just crashes.

  • My new Kemper Stage unit was affected, too. It arrived non-functioning.


    Hardware and software issues on my unit. Two tickets and one phone call from US to Germany yielded no solutions.


    I am returning my unit for refund. Too bad. It would have been a great solution.

    This is a shame as I know first hand that Kemper support will make things right. This is not a company that will not stand by their products and users. Get back in contact with them

  • I've had a Toaster since 2013 and used S/PDIF from the start - initially with an MBox 2 and for the last couple of years or so with a Focusrite 6i6.


    Recently, the Focusrite no longer locks onto the Kemper as the external S/PDIF clock when you select this option in Focusrite Control. It always has done before.


    It's therefore not a problem specific to the Stage and probably not a problem with the Toaster, but with the 6i6 / Focusrite Control instead (coupled with Windows 10).


    I've not had much time to use my Kemper recently, so haven't investigated the issue in any detail to try and resolve it; however, pulling the S/PDIF cable out the back of my 6i6 and re-inserting it each time is a pain in the proverbial - and not because I'm re-inserting it in the wrong place =O


    Re: other issues being reported - I hope everyone gets sorted and can enjoy their Kempers (whatever variety) as much as I've enjoyed my Toaster.

  • Add me to the list of foot switch problems. I am a first time Kemper owner and really like my new Stage. I sent mine back for a replacement today. I have been nothing but impressed with the support from Kemper. If this was a new company, I might be wary about keeping my Stage. Kemper has been around a long time and the Stage has 3 year warranty. I doubt they want to keep sending units back out to customers. My guess is they will get this sorted out pretty quickly.