The Kemper Foot Controller: Evolution

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Quote from Zappledan

I can't see this as a practical solution for live performances, as it's hard enough to hit a looper button to start/stop at proper sync points. These things have to happen instantly. I'm betting that the looper capability is a simpler one, such as implemented in the Ditto.

This is one of my hopes for the looper. For one, I don't see Mr CK making a bare bones pedal controller. It would defeat the whole purpose of coming out with something separate, especially when there are already users reporting satisfying results with other controllers.

I'll also go to the extent of saying it isn't Mr CK's style to do things like that! I like the development map he's laid out so far for the Kemper, something I wouldn't have expected, since with many companies, "this is what the product is, deal with it".

No, the only hope for this product to achieve a similar degree of mass hysteria as the Kemper is for it to do something unique that can't be done (easily or otherwise) with other foot controllers.

As far as loopers, there are some good ones and some not so good as far as quantisation goes. With tools such as the beat detector on the Kemper already, I have a feeling the looper is going to be much better than some of the other stuff on the market.

Quote from nightlight

As far as loopers, there are some good ones and some not so good as far as quantisation goes. With tools such as the beat detector on the Kemper already, I have a feeling the looper is going to be much better than some of the other stuff on the market.

This is my view as well!

I hope this is so, but a single button for a looper is what it is ...

i like the looper pedals like boss rc-30.This pedal can record the mic input and the instrument input and mix the volume of two sounds.

If the kemper "future looper" could record a mic conected to kemper mic input i think it was a great feature¡¡¡

i think that it isn´t so dificult because the kemper have a mic input¡¡¡please keep that in mind kemper team¡¡¡¡

i'm happy to add the looper info on wikpa.org as soon as we see it. ...but i don't use one regularly, so I can't offer any advice from experience.

Quote from Zappledan

I hope this is so, but a single button for a looper is what it is ...

Well, as someone posted the button might be the trigger to a "Looper Mode" where other buttons work as well for the function

I just don't see any point in building a looper that just involves step on button to record than take foot off to stop. If that was the case, there are far more advanced options available in the market, such as the Boomerang that provide far greater functionality, or even those finicky Boss loopers with more than one loop. I honestly see this feature taking the Kemper a step forward ahead of the competition.

For example, with beat detector and tap tempo, we could record seamless loops in a way that has never been possible with most of the loopers on the market, which are very difficult to get accurate results from when performing. That in itself is a major hint that this is going to be a great looper. You can hook up to midi with the Boomerang, but an all-in-one solution that doesn't involve so much fuss? Ground-breaking, if it materialises.

Why do I think it's a looper mode instead of just a looper? Beats the heck out of me, I just think this floorboard will need to have more than one trick up its sleeve to justify its introduction. There are already so many good boards that people are using without any fuss. This has to be something that'll make guitarists sit up and take notice, otherwise there's little point in having something solely because it has the Kemper brand name on it (as desirable as that is to me).

Quote from nightlight

I just don't see any point in building a looper that just involves step on button to record than take foot off to stop. If that was the case, there are far more advanced options available in the market, such as the Boomerang that provide far greater functionality, or even those finicky Boss loopers with more than one loop. I honestly see this feature taking the Kemper a step forward ahead of the competition.

For example, with beat detector and tap tempo, we could record seamless loops in a way that has never been possible with most of the loopers on the market, which are very difficult to get accurate results from when performing. That in itself is a major hint that this is going to be a great looper. You can hook up to midi with the Boomerang, but an all-in-one solution that doesn't involve so much fuss? Ground-breaking, if it materialises.

Why do I think it's a looper mode instead of just a looper? Beats the heck out of me, I just think this floorboard will need to have more than one trick up its sleeve to justify its introduction. There are already so many good boards that people are using without any fuss. This has to be something that'll make guitarists sit up and take notice, otherwise there's little point in having something solely because it has the Kemper brand name on it (as desirable as that is to me).

Not true. For people like me who want to use automated switching as well as a FS, every current solution is a pain and requires midi merger boxes.

I'm really not sure what all the fuss around a "looper" is. I've seen hundreds of bands and only seen one used once i think, and that was for a solo act.

Are you using an FCB1010 with Uno4Kemper chip? I've always been dissuaded from getting one because it seems to me you can't access other features of the board as a consequence of the U4K chip.

My current foot controller, which is actually a pedal switching system, allows me to control up to five external devices simultaneously with PC as well as CC. If you synchronise your PC and CC changes across multiple devices, this would allow control of even more devices.

A looper is extremely desirable in two situations, imo:
1) Practice: It's a great way to write parts for two guitars, such as a rhythm guitar and solo, or rhythm guitar + rhythm guitar, which would otherwise require you to get involved in recording, which takes away a bit of creative momentum. It's also a great way to just practice various scales, triads, etc. It opens up a lot of options.
2) Live performance: If you're a single guitarist in a band, a looper offers a lot of creative possibilities. For example, loop the rhythm for your solo, then play over it. If the looper is more advanced, you could sequence multiple parts for a solo, or even just turn off the looper, or cue another loop, etc. I'll stress that this doesn't mean you don't play your guitar. Rather, the option of playing layered parts, harmonies, etc, just becomes possible.

Even a button to turn off the loop and then turn it on again would be a huge improvement over having to hold down the loop button to turn off a loop (as in a lot of basic loopers), if anyone is wondering why a looper mode is desirable.

A single button can be used to provide more than just "on while down" capability. Check out the Ditto. As mentioned by others, a looper is not the premier capability of a KFC, and will likely have limited usability live. I dislike the concept of putting the KFC in "looper mode" as that will have to disable the other functionality, which would be needed while still looping. So, personally, I would prefer the Ditto method over something more complex. IMO if you need something as complex as the Boomerang, then you should buy one of those.

Quote from nightlight

I just don't see any point in building a looper that just involves step on button to record than take foot off to stop. If that was the case, there are far more advanced options available in the market, such as the Boomerang that provide far greater functionality, or even those finicky Boss loopers with more than one loop. I honestly see this feature taking the Kemper a step forward ahead of the competition.

For example, with beat detector and tap tempo, we could record seamless loops in a way that has never been possible with most of the loopers on the market, which are very difficult to get accurate results from when performing. That in itself is a major hint that this is going to be a great looper. You can hook up to midi with the Boomerang, but an all-in-one solution that doesn't involve so much fuss? Ground-breaking, if it materialises.

Why do I think it's a looper mode instead of just a looper? Beats the heck out of me, I just think this floorboard will need to have more than one trick up its sleeve to justify its introduction. There are already so many good boards that people are using without any fuss. This has to be something that'll make guitarists sit up and take notice, otherwise there's little point in having something solely because it has the Kemper brand name on it (as desirable as that is to me).

Man, if you don't stop thinking out loud you'll make CK re-think the whole thing and delay the controller for another year!

While a looper would be a nice addition, I certainly do not need something complex. A simple ditto style would be fine. I would sooner like to see insert loops on the board, where I could insert my distortion and fuzz pedals, loopers, etc and be able to take them right out of the chain if I wish.

Quote from drog

While a looper would be a nice addition, I certainly do not need something complex. A simple ditto style would be fine. I would sooner like to see insert loops on the board, where I could insert my distortion and fuzz pedals, loopers, etc and be able to take them right out of the chain if I wish.

+ a billion

Quote from drog

While a looper would be a nice addition, I certainly do not need something complex. A simple ditto style would be fine. I would sooner like to see insert loops on the board, where I could insert my distortion and fuzz pedals, loopers, etc and be able to take them right out of the chain if I wish.

This would make more since ror my use

Quote from Ingolf

Man, if you don't stop thinking out loud you'll make CK re-think the whole thing and delay the controller for another year!

Haha, too late now! I wonder what he's doing now. Soldering PCB boards? Tinkering with code? Playing with the only prototype of the KFC (haha)

Quote from Zappledan

A single button can be used to provide more than just "on while down" capability. Check out the Ditto. As mentioned by others, a looper is not the premier capability of a KFC, and will likely have limited usability live. I dislike the concept of putting the KFC in "looper mode" as that will have to disable the other functionality, which would be needed while still looping. So, personally, I would prefer the Ditto method over something more complex. IMO if you need something as complex as the Boomerang, then you should buy one of those.

I'm sure it'll have basic looping functionality (duh ^^), so no worries there. But if you look at the DItto, there's an X2 version with two buttons simply because more buttons offer more control and options.

There's also stuff in the Kemper that's not there in the Boomerang, namely the beat detector. That tool itself could make it so easy to make seamless loops. One of the main problems with most loopers on the market is the difficulty of use, because they don't quantise correctly. With the Kemper, this could be eliminated at the outset of the looper design.

I don't see why having more options should get in the way of playing live, especially since it is at the user's discretion to utilise the feature or not. There are plenty of people who do use loops in creative ways, it is a performance tool. Stuff like erase loop and start new loop, overdub loop, stop loop and start loop. So many possibilities and it would make the looper that much more useful. Even something as innocuous as a start/stop button.

Again, I'll stress that this is all my wild conjecture in the hope that Mothership gives me something I need. We've not seen the foot controller and there's been no word from Kemper Amplifiers on the looper being anything more than a simple looper, so I'm not overly hopeful. But I'm not obtuse to the possibility that the foot controller might be more than a one-trick pony, Mr CK has already surprised me more than once.

Enough of waiting! I think we're very close to "The Announcement". I hope a couple of months later I'll be controlling my KPA with it's original KFC.

Really wish we could get a firm ETA. I'm waiting to see if the FC is all I need it to be or if I should go with a Roland FC-300.

Quote from mhguitarist

Really wish we could get a firm ETA. I'm waiting to see if the FC is all I need it to be or if I should go with a Roland FC-300.

Certainly a Roland FC 300 would not be an alternative for the KFC.
Think more Liquid Foot or gordius Little Giant.

I like the Roland for the all-in-one aspect and the not-so-large footprint. 2 expression pedals plus 5 in a row footswitches that I can likely nail without looking at. Currently running a CAE Ground Control Pro and a Dunlop expression pedal. While this combo works very well it is housed in a somewhat large pedal board roadcase and I cannot hit the GCP buttons accurately without looking at them. I know, guitarist problems but I'm sure you completely understand. How did Tom Petty say it?

Quote from mhguitarist

How did Tom Petty say it?

I think Tom Petty never used a footswitch.