8.1.0.27128 Public Beta - Discussion

  • Hello stranger ?


    Apparently it is a new feature which will be necessary for some future development they have in mind.


    The only was to get the sound of having the EQ off is to set all eq knobs at 0.


    The way to get eq with not Amp is to profile a patch cable and use that in the amp block. Seems a lot of effort for something that was so easy before so I can’t wait to see what magic they have up their sleeves that requires this change ?

    Thanks, Alan.


    Ouch - that's annoying, I have used it a lot in the past (turning off/on the stack EQ). Hope the new future will be worth it when it comes :)

  • I wonder, if it wouldn't be useful to include a "Bias" parameter ... and a specific gating effect like requested above could easily be implemented there to recreate the sound of "wrongly" biased transistors.

    Yep, that would be awesome but so far no one of the Kemper team has chimed in on that.

    One more thing I noticed in my (limited) tests so far: The Kemper Fuzz generally doesn't quite clean up as nicely with my guitar volume knob as with my real fuzz pedals.

  • I agree fully.


    But we have to admit that it is far more easy to take a good fuzz and to just roll back the knob of the guitar to get this sound dear christoph.


    It is also a matter of "feel" for many many guitar players which either don't have the experience to "build" such a sound or they are just very used to do this with a fuzz-pedal and the volume knob.


    In any case..if there is a possibility to create a preset which "comes very close" to this kind of effect/sound you guys should create it.I know it will not work for everyone and everyones fingers/guitars but at least lads will have a chance to see the direction ..some kind of example of how to create such a thing.I believe you can do it.


    Other than that..man..thanks for this fuzz.It is freakin' awesome.

  • I agree fully.


    But we have to admit that it is far more easy to take a good fuzz and to just roll back the knob of the guitar to get this sound dear christoph.


    It is also a matter of "feel" for many many guitar players which either don't have the experience to "build" such a sound or they are just very used to do this with a fuzz-pedal and the volume knob.


    You say it's easier to take an analog fuzz and turn down the volume pot, than taking a KPAs treble booster?

  • You say it's easier to take an analog fuzz and turn down the volume pot, than taking a KPAs treble booster?

    No.


    I,personally believe and say the most easy thing is to have the right rig with a nice tele or strat for this glassy sound.I have a nice mbritt vintage fender rig with a treble booster and this is all I need exactly for this thing.

    But for some people..obviously they "feel better" with the fuzz and rolling back their volume knob.This is how they get this sound for a long,long time.Some lads for decades now.


    As funny as it sounds dear @CK (and I say this without irony) some lads in this huge guitarverse will never change the way they'll get their sound.Give them what they want.


    This is all I say.To each his own.If it can be done..it is just one more preset.

  • But we have to admit that it is far more easy to take a good fuzz and to just roll back the knob of the guitar to get this sound dear christoph.


    It is also a matter of "feel" for many many guitar players which either don't have the experience to "build" such a sound or they are just very used to do this with a fuzz-pedal and the volume knob.

    Totally. Many players ride the volume knob continuously but rarely step on apedal to change the sound. There’s this old dude call Jeff Beck for example. The guitar has a volume knob but most people seem to think it is an on/off switch ?


    You say it's easier to take an analog fuzz and turn down the volume pot, than taking a KPAs treble booster?

    99 times out of 100 I would reach for the guitar volume before inserting a Treble booster FX. The volume and tone controls on the instrument itself are very powerful tools that should not be overlooked. However, I grew up with single or dual channel amps and no pedal board so maybe I’m just weird ?

  • I should add to this that it is not just a matter of getting this glassy clean tone but also all the tones you get between a germanium fuzz at full and progressively rolling off your volume pot. Using a germanium fuzz this way has something very organic in the feel and is a lot of fun to play.


    Creating a rig with this behavior using a morph pedal would be absolutely great!

  • I should add to this that it is not just a matter of getting this glassy clean tone but also all the tones you get between a germanium fuzz at full and progressively rolling off your volume pot. Using a germanium fuzz this way has something very organic in the feel and is a lot of fun to play.


    Creating a rig with this behavior using a morph pedal would be absolutely great!

    Yes.I know.But @CK is right that there are many ways to get this sound.And maybe even easier than with the fuzz and the volume knob.


    It is really to each his own.Nothing less,nothing more.We just see so many of this "pedal drive/volume knob" request that it would be nice to have at least one such preset for the fuzz machine.For the folks who just feel better with it than using any other way.

  • btw..


    There is a more trebly fuzz preset (smart fuzz?)..adding a treble booster in front of it and it is almost perfect.With my tele.

    Thank you - I need to play with this concept.


    There is an Analogman pedal called the Sun Lion which is a modified version of a Dallas Rangemaster (a germanium based treble booster) which then is followed in the same pedal by a fuzz face. You can use them independently or of course together. I did a home made version and like it a lot albeit mine is pretty noisy!


    I spent more time with this upgrade earlier. Can confirm what I already knew - I’m really pleased with it. It’s a great update IMO.

  • You say it's easier to take an analog fuzz and turn down the volume pot, than taking a KPAs treble booster?

    Anytime, anywhere. As others have pointed out, it's amazing what you can do only with your guitar volume knob and the way you pick. No foot pedal, no stomp switch, no rig switch will EVER come close to the control with your fingers right on the guitar. The joy when you can go from glassy cleans to full-on fuzz and everywhere in between right on your guitar, no matter where you are on stage (or in the crowd) can't be beat by any pedalboard trick, EVER.

    You tend to make fun of guitar players, even calling proven "tricks" of seasoned guitar players "BS". Come on, Christoph, please get down and touch earth with your boots. I won't tell you how to play keyboards and you please don't tell guitarists how to play guitar. Thanks ;)

  • Some of my Fuzz collection:
    [Blocked Image: https://i.imgur.com/aHGgksQ.jpg]


    I still get better results using an actual Fuzz pedal in to the input of my KPA, than I do with the new Beta fuzz stomps. I really appreciate, and marvel at the beginnings of this new module, but I'm trying to be 100% objective. It probably sticks out further to me, because I can A/B directly with a NKT275 red and white.


    There is something missing still from the Presets for Germanium, the Silicon seems a bit better. I can get the feeling right in one way, but then it falls short in another. The way it reacts to string bends is the most noticeable to me, it seems to decay and not bloom.


    I briefly read something about the impedance control, and that the older model KPA (2015), might be missing something. I'll RTFM.


    Thanks to the KPA team for continuing to develop and innovate.

    Kemper Powerhead w/remote & Kabinet
    Focusrite 18i8 (2nd Gen) - Windows 10 - Ableton Live - Yamaha HS-8's - DT770 80 ohms

  • I liked the new drives.I did not like the ac sim.But this fuzz generator is great.


    The new fuzzes deserve to be seen as a new approach to this effect.Fuzz 2021.


    Now let's ad the last fine tuning.And everyone can use it as he likes.No reason to argue about it.

  • While Jeff Beck needs no explanation. It's Jeff Beck. BUT - Jeff Beck learned and made his gear choices decades before something like the KPA was even conceived of by CK.

    Had Beck been exposed to a KPA during his formative years and latched on to it - he'd be doing things differently. That's an idea I remind myself of from time to time. "The 'old way' was to do *this*....because it's what I know.

    That the KPA would do something different isn't really the problem. It's a different tool and therefore often an entirely different way of looking at the problem.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • I get that Ruefus and we can only imagine what Beck, Clapton Knopfler etc would have done had they had the KPA available during their formative years. However, (virtually) all the great players treat the guitar as a complete instrument with the controls as part of the whole. The range of sounds available from just a guitar and amp is massive without the need to change presets, toggle stomps or use a foot pedal to morph tones. While presets and switchable pedals are great when the music calls for accurate changes to exact sounds first time every time with no room for variation (like a pop or rock band with midi controlled stages for sound, lights, video etc) there are plenty of situations where the basic tone is only a starting point and the artist tweaks it o taste on the fly based on what is happening around them. Other band members don't always play at the same level or with the same intensity, they might improvise variations on a part and the guitar tone may need to change in real time to fit. During a solo you may have a different idea and want to go somewhere else entirely. Being tied to the spot for a pedal isn't always desirable or necessary when the guitar already has the tools right under your pinky to make adjustments on the fly.


    The funny thing is, for most of my life I dreamed of having instant sound changes from a midi controlled rig but I couldn't afford one. Now that I have a fairly good analog midi rig built around a Mesa Triaxis plus the KPA digital rig, I actually find myself reverting to using fewer and fewer different presets and using the guitar controls more and more just like the old guys did.


    I'm not trying to say using FX is bad or switching rigs is wrong, merely commenting on Christoph's suggestion that adding a pure boost is "easier". It isn't and in many cases it is an inferior solution. On the other hand, in many cases it is the perfect solution. There is more than one way to skin a cat. All that matters is that the cat gets skinned :S

  • Anytime, anywhere. As others have pointed out, it's amazing what you can do only with your guitar volume knob and the way you pick. No foot pedal, no stomp switch, no rig switch will EVER come close to the control with your fingers right on the guitar. The joy when you can go from glassy cleans to full-on fuzz and everywhere in between right on your guitar, no matter where you are on stage (or in the crowd) can't be beat by any pedalboard trick, EVER.

    You tend to make fun of guitar players, even calling proven "tricks" of seasoned guitar players "BS". Come on, Christoph, please get down and touch earth with your boots. I won't tell you how to play keyboards and you please don't tell guitarists how to play guitar. Thanks ;)

    I have no special agenda with this volume pot trick, don't get me wrong :)

    It works perfectly on the Profiler Stage with "True Impedance" on, and it is fantastic!


    However, this transition from fat fuzz sound to glassy clean cannot be emulated in the digital domain only (without the resistor), as the position of the volume pot cannot be anticipated.

    This is why we added the True Impedance feature.

    The impedance is matched to the red Fuzz Face (Red Germanium). Other Fuzzes can have different outcomes.


    You can for sure emulate the transition from fat to glassy by morphing the Fuzz Drive down, Fuzz Impedance LP up.

    Add a Treble Booster and morph Tone up and Volume down.

    Tell me if you get satisfying results!

    An implementation into the Fuzz could be an option, but it could not be driven by the guitars volume pot ...


    I think I am down to earth :) That's why I do have an agenda with highly respected bloggers giving unreflected tips and hints, and simply skipping valuable informations.

    Pete Thorne was not raving too much about the amazing transition from fat to glassy, but emphasizing and suggesting that it's the way to go, to achieve this glassy sound at all. He didn't mention that there is numerous other and easier ways.

    I hope you understand my point.

  • Pete Thorne was not raving too much about the amazing transition from fat to glassy, but emphasizing and suggesting that it's the way to go, to achieve this glassy sound at all. He didn't mention that there is numerous other and easier ways.

    I hope you understand my point.

    I think I understand your point ... and I understand the difficulties to replicate this in the digital domain. :)

    But regarding Pete Thorn's video (I didn't watch it until just now) ... I can't find any reason to call it BS. At the beginning he says that he's making a review of this fuzz pedal and decided to make a separate video for one specific aspect of this fuzz pedal. He even mentions Hendrix which sets the context pretty well, imho. And it's never a bad idea to remind "regular" guitarists of the volume knob either, haha.

    And at 3:21 he even talks about this amazing range from glassy cleans to full-on fuzz. I've cued it accordingly:

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    So I really can't see anything wrong in his short and "to the point" video. If someone is into Jimi Hendrix, SRV, Jeff Beck kind of tones, they will have a fuzz on their pedalboard and there's no reason to add other pedals and tap dance on the pedalboard to get these beautiful "glassy" clean tones. They can just use this hidden secret called "pinky morphing™". :D