Mini Kemper stage, can you make it?

  • A smaller unit would be appreciated, but if it's less expensive I'd also expect it to have fewer features.

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

  • I would say that if you are doing fly gigs, get a flight case. I have two Kemper stage units and they are both flight cased.
    I have those two Kemper’s and two guitars that are also flight cased. They all go in the hold on the plane.

    I know that once we get to the destination country for our gigs, all our stuff is then put in the van the promoter has. Usually with the the rest of the hire gear for the dates.

    The last thing you want is your Kemper in a little soft bag being banged around in the back of a van by every other piece of gear that is in a proper case.

    Obviously, this is how I do it but you may have other reasons that you don’t want to do it like this.

    I'm not in that level (I'd like to be there). We take care and carry our own gear and we travel with it in the van. The band, our driver/roadie and the sound man. So I'm the one who carry my gear to the airport, to the van, to the hotel, to the venue...


    I like to carry everything at the same time: guitar on my back or in one hand, and trolley with everything else in the other.

  • But if Kemper doesn't make this one, they risk losing some of their customers. Already, many users i know are changing the Kemper to Neural Cortex because of its size. I dont like Cortex, i think that kemper sounds better, but...

    Rik, I completely agree with you!!

    You know what? I'll order a Quad Cortex in the next weeks for exactly that reason. I even wrote to Kemper if they would soon bring out a smaller unit, but they did not want to tell anything about this. So now it's time.

    It's not only about playing concerts with the device but also having a lightweight device for traveling and many other occasions. As OneEng1 often explained in detail, there would be definitely a market for that.


    I’d prefer Kemper, but now I guess I’ll try out the Quad Cortex and many other will.

    never thought that I would like the Kemper that much...! 8|

  • I must be the weird guy but the size seems adequate to me because I need the versatility of several switches in the same performance. I like that, and if the unit were smaller it would possibly detract from that functionality. Regarding the weight, I prefer the robustness to the fact that it weigh less.


    It is also true that I do not travel by plane, the distance to carry the unit in hand is short, I play in bars and pubs and I carry two guitars in a double case and Stage in a case.

    Edited once, last by xungal ().

  • The development costs for a small device in series are immensely high and at least parts of the built-in chip design are no longer future-proof/manufacturer-supported in the medium term. I therefore assume that a mini version will only become part of a successor product ("Kemper II").

    But guessing is not knowing, and only Kemper can know that.

  • (I'm not saying this is a poor feature request)


    What almost all of the requests for smaller/sub/amp-only units miss is how releasing a product like that would bifurcate file format. Right now you can take a profile from any Kemper Profiler and use it on any Kemper Profiler. You might miss variable input impedence, or a 2nd fx loop, but other than those fringe cases, Kemper has delivered compatibility across products.


    If Kemper brings out a mini unit, there then needs to be separate Rigs between the big products and the mini. So you end up with scenarios like those faced by Fractal and Line 6 users, where you can usually take presets from a "lesser" unit to the "more capable" units but not the other way around. Even if Kemper made an amp/cab-only device that can strip out all the other parts of a Rig, it's not going to sound "the same" because so many rigs rely upon EQ/Compressor/etc. settings to get the sound just right. If they do what Headrush did and release a less-expensive unit that runs the same patches, I don't expect massive savings from a smaller enclosure and fewer switches/IO options.


    It's going to be hard enough to deal with rig compatibility if/when a true successor is released.

  • If it is even possible to make it smaller:

    The best solution for a mini Kemper would be to lose all of the setup/editing buttons. Have it just be a remote programmable box: Pc, Mac, Ipad, etc Have most of the switching of the stage: bank Up/Dn, 1-5, 1-4 stomps On/off. Power/LCD/Vol and you are done.


    But you remove too much and it becomes a consumer product. Which the Kemper is not. So the Stage works great for the largest number of users. And it is pro level. Hard to beat it for most people.

  • The inputs and outputs will always take X amount of size. Loose some of those and it's no longer a profiler--just another modeling pedal. To loose the physical buttons you would need a touch screen. I never owned a touch screen on a computer or phone that lasted over 3 years with "normal use". Try taking that out gigging every week--one drop and bye bye screen. The military has some beefed-up touch screens that are not much better.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • The development costs for a small device in series are immensely high and at least parts of the built-in chip design are no longer future-proof/manufacturer-supported in the medium term. I therefore assume that a mini version will only become part of a successor product ("Kemper II").

    But guessing is not knowing, and only Kemper can know that.

    You have a good point here. A lot of the parts for the Stage were the same as other Kemper units. If it were small, you would need to lose the screen or manufacture a new part at extra cost.


    Not ever touching my Kemper once out for shows and patches changing remotely, I simply wanted a small version with all the same connections. Others clearly have different needs though.


    Maybe if a next generation of Kemper ever comes, that could be the time to consider this. Looking into the past, it seems hard to imagine though.

    Karl


    Kemper Rack OS 9.0.5 - Mac OS X 12.6.7

  • Hey guys, i thing that you are not concert musicians! So, if you play only at your house on the couch , you dont understand me. I have been using Kemper since 2014, Im professional concert musician and Im understand , what im writing here and its not funny at all!

    Have a good day!

    This has been done to death.


    We always want something smaller and lighter, but this has to be balanced with physical constraints, mainly usability with number of switches.


    I take issue with the OP that somehow people don't understand if you don't want a unit smaller than a Stage.


    I gig very regularly at various events and venues. I have a rack and remote and don't want a Stage or anything smaller for a number of reasons, mainly because I use the power amp. In fact, form factor is a specific reason why I don't want a quad. Fill your boots with the small interactive screen and multi-function buttons.


    My point here is there are many use cases, just because you are a concert musician doesn't make your need any greater than others.


    BTW typing in capitals doesn;t put your point more effectively, it only gets people irritated.

  • A smaller unit would be appreciated, but if it's less expensive I'd also expect it to have fewer features.

    I am thinking a FC mechanical format. All editing done remote with either a PC or an iPad. It can be made 1 button thinner, so it would be around 13.5" long. This would fit in a decent sized back pack. I am still a fan of steel over aluminum. I would prefer a good ABS plastic over aluminum I think.


    I also agree that the MINI is still a professional product and should operate like one .... just a smaller form factor with full compatibility of rigs between the older siblings.... just smaller, without physical adjustment knobs and buttons (just foot switches and LCD).

  • I don't know how much space it would take up, but they could lose the "profiling" part for a smaller unit. I imagine most users don't even use it. I profiled my AC30 and it was Identical to the best one that I bought. I could hardly tell them apart.

  • To be honest (and I'm not taking a piss on anyone) this thread is cracking me up. I'm still in the euphoria phase after each gig because I don't have to take the walk from stage to car four times to haul over all my gear and laying in bed afterwards with a sour back. I wonder when the "Kemper is too big and heavy" phase will kick in.

  • I don't know how much space it would take up, but they could lose the "profiling" part for a smaller unit. I imagine most users don't even use it. I profiled my AC30 and it was Identical to the best one that I bought. I could hardly tell them apart.

    Agreed, to some extent. Remember, the Quad Cortex includes this feature.... of course, it is $2400.00. I think losing the ability to profile (I agree with you, I don't use my VHT profiles I created as I prefer some of the high gain profiles I have purchased better) is a good cost down measure.


    • Removing all the controls (not foot switches) and controlling via USB or Tablet WiFi
    • Shorten by 1 foot switch so it is ~13.5" long
    • Maybe lose the looper?
    • Lose the profiling ability

    Price at around $1,000.00


    This would let the product reside within the current architecture and re-use nearly everything in the current hardware and firmware.

  • when you Turn 71 and are still giggin, everything feels heavy. LOL

    Yea, when I got to my late 40's it was already a huge burden hauling around my VHT 4x12 slant top, VHT 2x12 fat bottom, VHT UL head, Pedalboard, and 2 guitars to every gig. I GREATLY prefer my KPA rack and FC to my old rig ..... many many times over.