The Kemper Foot Controller: A Proposal

  • I cannot imagine that you will use 8 buttons for effects and a boost in a single rig.


    Hi Christian,
    yes, I do. I play the Kemper live, I only have 6 Rigs (3 of them with the same amp but other effects and stomps) and switch every "slot" on and off (without the wah, which I put on with the pedal itself) - but the 8th switcher is for the tuner...


    It works very well, the whole Cases and Amps stay at home tonight, only the Kemper is on it´s way to the gig - because the Midi Controller makes it as flexible as my other Setup (Elmwood with Midi-Switcher, TC G-Majors Chorus, Delay, Reverbs, Wahs, Boosts, EQs, etc... and the 19" tuner...).


    Best regards,
    Grüße aus Passau
    Mario

  • guys, why make it bulky, if it doesn't need to be? button spacing would be the same...


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    I vote for FX on bottom row.
    5 switches in a row to keep it small and portable.
    When holding a switch other functions could be accessed, (hold tap, tuner or up/down for looper or other features...)
    When in looper mode, other switches function as rec, stop, play, speed etc.
    Perhaps some protective bar or raised edges would be good to prevent scratches if switches are near the display.

  • I cannot imagine that you will use 8 buttons for effects and a boost in a single rig.


    Because you're not thinking the way other do. I explain myself:


    There's some people (like me) that don't necessary want 500 Profiles and Rigs in their Kemper. They might wish to have less than 10 Rig that will be the 10 Amps we would like to use.


    And then the only thing we would need is some good Stomps and Effects we can turn on and off depending what we want, just like we could currently do with regular Amps.


    I know it might sound "vey old school" but not everyone play gig in front of thousand of people, with a setlist of songs. During an evening, I don't go to the amp all the time to change settings, I don't try to change the drive of my TS, etc... I just turn on and off the pedals, switch between Amp channels, and sometimes switch from the Mark V to the Fender Twin, etc... but that's pretty much it.


    In that case, having the most control on what we can turn on and off is important. That's why :)


    Phil

  • My point as well :)


    If you use a low number of amps and a good number of fx, creating a patch for every single effect set on or off (and for every combination of them) is not comfortable nor consistent (the possibility to make a mistake in the middle of the song grows IMO, you have to remember where is what).


    I think that those who love improvising a lot, like I do (with sounds and fx as well) need a clear way to have everything under their control in the most possible intuitive way. For my mind-style, having all the fx at... foot (LOL) is ideal, and the old paradigm of one amp and a pedalboard made of a series of stomps is winning; with the plus that, when/if you have to switch on/off a number of stomps at the same time, you can create a different patch, from which you can go on switching stomps on/off while using it.


    That's why I voted for the fx in the lower row, it makes it easier for me to implement my approach.


    I don't think it depends on the audience size, BTW.

  • Current votes:


    -FX on bottom row:
    MoreK, killihan, Chris Beaver, richaxes, guitarnet70, TMV, vibracore (il padrino), stumcc, sheguitarplayer, HappyKemper
    10 votes


    -Rigs on bottom row:
    DanielRigler, Steeldom, Vitchpat1, schneidas, RAPH, ace, jakeykim, JoeBlob, luntho, imall41(vote changed), Gibson, Froschn, Acker, Zappledan (vote changed), Spid, mDan, JimmyNo, getzzn, y-mun
    19 votes


    -Neutral:
    and44, Guitartone, Stemast (vote changed), Doc (vote changed), BRUNO
    5 votes

  • I cannot imagine that you will use 8 buttons for effects and a boost in a single rig.


    What I usually do is that I have the same button for the same effect. That's important for me to keep the overview.


    I have one button for the chorus,
    one for the autowah,
    one for a phaser (for intros and outros),
    one booster that makes just louder without adding gain (for gain I play with the volpot),
    and one booster that adds treble and cuts bass, wich I have to get able to use the fater or muddier PU positions.


    (You see, 4 buttons are not that much.)


    For some songs I need special delays, for some tremolo, for some longer reverbs, then I have to store additional rigs for these songs.


    The drawback about these xtra presets is, that whenever I maintain my basic presets I need to make the same changes on the copies with the special effects to keep them all the same.


    The less buttons there are, the more presets are needed and the more work it is to keep every basic sound mirrored on the copies.


    Less important for bands with a certain own sound, but more important for coverbands.

  • Did you miss my post above?
    1 more vote for -FX on bottom row.
    ^^

  • I don't think it depends on the audience size, BTW.


    Well, I did reference to the audience size, because in front of thousand of people, (in my head) I think you have more chance to play a structured setlist of songs... and not only do half a hour of blues jam with some friends and few drunk people in a bar (well, you get the picture :)).


    I might be wrong, but people who wants more than 4 stomps are probably the ones who think about their Rig and ideal Kemper Foot Control like a traditional pedalboards, with half a dozen or more of stomps pedal (maybe 2 different drive, a comp, octaver, wah, flanger, phaser, chorus, delay, boost, etc...).


    Of course, there's almost no chance to use all of them in the same time... that's why I like the approach of the Line 6 M13 (12 stomps, with 4 in the same time, with a very simple layout). I just don't know how good or bad it could be... typically I don't like much Line 6 (sorry :)). But if the sounds is good, it might solve some problem and I might just use it with a Nova System (in the Kemper Effects Loop).


    (I saw the new Vintage Revolution PedalPro, but the pedalboard looks like a crap and it's way over-priced... but the concept is nice to have 14 analog pedals).


    In the other hand, it would be stupid to not use the Kemper for its potential for the stomps and effects...


    Just thinking out loud :)


    Phil

  • One thing : Small is small..but beyond that I don't think that over a certain size 5 more cms really matters so it would be cool to know the exact size planned and see what you want beside it on your pedalboard .... It's hard to fit anything on a too small boards and big ones really get bulky quickly...I really like the PT2..IMHO it's just the perfect size
    I think I could get away with something as big as 40 x 30 cms without the feel of carrying a big boat anchor..It is possible to fit those last board suggestion in that size
    You will regret missing features to save 25 square cms onstage ;)
    My 2€ cents :)

  • In terms of physical geometry, is there any interest for the Gordius "Little Giant" style (hoping it's not patented). I really like the way it takes up relatively little floor space, and there seems to be less likelyhood of hitting the wrong switch.


    With a pedal like that, I wouldn't care which level the rigs/stomps were on. But otherwise, I'd prefer the rigs on the bottom.

  • If you can keep the size small enough to fit in the Kemper Namba bag, you have a HUGE winner IMO. To be able to have everything you need over your shoulder would set the world on its heels!


    The Kemper makes life easy in so many ways --- a big, bulky, all encompassing foot controller would not only cost too much -- but it's overkill IMO.


    I'd prefer to keep in clean, neat and simple. Simple usually always wins when it comes to gear.


    So my vote is whatever design costs the leasts, remains core functionality and is small enough to transport in the existing Kemper Namba bag.


  • What Christoph did show on page 19 should fit with about 7 cms between each buttons, 3 cms on the sides and bottom and 2 cms on top , Total 34 x 19 cms..the other offers with more control could never fit there


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