"Boot From USB" or "Switch User Account" for Multiple Users - One KPA for multiple bands at a gig

  • I was at a gig last night with 2 bands, the guitarist from the first band used the same amp as the one from the second. I realized - if there were a way to read and load up your presets from USB without wiping the existing ones, and that your presets would disappear when you pulled your USB stick. I think it might require "Boot from USB" so that system wide settings like constant latency would be as you want them. (Btw, constant latency should be set per patch.) It might even mean that different operating systems could be accommodated (which might mean your ancient laptop you use on the road would work with Rig Manager).


    Yes, there is a way to do this but it requires backing up the existing patches. Another guitarist using my KPA might end up wiping my setup, patches and performances without meaning to.


    What I'm asking for is to power up the KPA with a USB stick and/or a laptop connected, see a dialog asking "Boot from USB / Computer?" Saying "yes" leaves the internal memory alone, but the internal setup wouldn't be available. The KPA would look just like mine, which I had left at home.


    This would make the KPA even more appealing as a universal backline amp.


    Thoughts?

  • in my opinion it would be absolutely sufficient if you could export and import all performances as a setlist.

    at the moment you have to reinstall a complete backup to load your performances.

    this takes far too long.

    A export/import of all the performances (I call it setlist export/import) is the solution.
    I miss this for a long time.

    Be the force with you ;)

  • I agree with the above.


    The solution isn’t what the original poster says.. it’s simply to be able to manage copying performances back and forth off USB. The fact you can’t do this drives me nuts.

  • I agree with the above.


    The solution isn’t what the original poster says.. it’s simply to be able to manage copying performances back and forth off USB. The fact you can’t do this drives me nuts.

    Yes, the ability to move a selected group of performances from USB would accomplish most of this. But what about system settings? There's also the issue of having mismatched Rig Manager and OS versions if you want your computer connected. (Less important...)


    Best...H

  • Another option might be to limit the functionality of the pedalboard - so that a guitarist who has never used a Kemper could be kept from changing performances, possibly even limit which of the 5 rigs they could select.


    Best...H

  • I don't know how technically feasible it would be, but at least in theory this is a very good idea. Sure, you can take out your laptop on stage and copy some performances over, or wait ten minutes while you flash an entire backup from USB, but those are not fun things to do during a fifteen minute changeover between bands. And then there's the uncertainty of what version of KAOS the local Kemper will be running...


    If the boot image could include everything – profiles, performances, system settings and even the operating system – setting up would be as simple as just plugging one more thing in besides your guitar before turning the Kemper on.

  • There could be mismatches of global settings like input and output routing, pedal assignments, locking incl. volume pedal and tempo ... MIDI channels ....Remote button assignments ....


    There could also be data conflicts ... two users with 75 Performances each.


    Not sure, why it's not possible that every player comes with his/her backup on USB flash drive, restores, and everything is included, no uncertainties, no conflicts. If you intend to speed up your restore time, just include data, you really need for the gig. Just required Performances, no presets and no Rigs reduces the time to check data integrity and restart after the restore.

  • I don't know how technically feasible it would be, but at least in theory this is a very good idea. Sure, you can take out your laptop on stage and copy some performances over, or wait ten minutes while you flash an entire backup from USB, but those are not fun things to do during a fifteen minute changeover between bands. And then there's the uncertainty of what version of KAOS the local Kemper will be running...


    If the boot image could include everything – profiles, performances, system settings and even the operating system – setting up would be as simple as just plugging one more thing in besides your guitar before turning the Kemper on.

    That's the idea - an easy way to be sure the backline KPA is "mine" in only a few minutes - like multiple user accounts on a computer. Log out of one user account, login to another.


    Burkhard's concern about 2 users with 75 performances is possible, but not likely unless U2 and Bruno Mars were to share the same stage and gear. Then again, "Boot from USB" or "Switch User Account" could accommodate even this scenario.


    Or, let us read system and performance data from USB, like the old DX7 and the external memory cartridges. Let's face it, the flexibility of the KPA can be a difficulty when you're in a hurry on a dark stage with someone else's KPA. Did you remember to turn "Constant Latency" on? Are the monitor and main volumes linked? Etc...


    Best...H

  • "Boot from USB" is just a term. You could call it "Restore". Restore does exactly that: it loads your complete data and settings into the PROFILER from USB flash drive and then reboots the PROFILER performing a data integrity check. That process takes a few minutes and is safe. Which of these steps do you intend to skip? The data integrity check?


    As already mentioned, you can speed up the restore process by reducing the amount of data. Prepare a backup for your concerts with just the relevant Performances, no or few Rigs and no presets. I guess, this is the idea of a "concert image". So, the PROFILER has just to load the Performances plus all global settings. And it's safe.


    If I do this with my data, the restore takes about 3 minutes on a Stage and 7 minutes on another PROFILER model. Rig Manager synchsonization is out of scope. I see no other magic shortcut.

  • "Boot from USB" is just a term.

    I suspect HankLinderman 's original idea was somewhat inspired by the concept of a "portable operating system", where you can have, say, an entire Linux distro on a USB stick, including all of your user settings and files. If you plug it into any computer, even if it's a Windows machine, you'll boot into your own personal environment, which has nothing to do with what is installed or stored on the computer. During the entire session, the operating system, installed apps, settings and user files are all read from and written to the USB stick directly, bypassing the computer's own storage: nothing is installed or overwritten on its hard drive. Unplug the USB and the computer will boot up normally again, totally unaffected.


    As a concept, I thought that was pretty cool, although I suppose it's probably not possible on the Kemper for technical reasons.


    Thank you for the optimization tips though, a special lightweight "concert image" is an excellent idea!