What would be your killer feature for a Kemper 2 ?

  • A single height rack unit version with all the same connections. I don't care about the screen, or editing at shows; just more portable for fly shows.

    Karl


    Kemper Rack OS 9.0.5 - Mac OS X 12.6.7

  • The Kemper can almost be viewed as CK’s tribute to 20th century electric guitar.


    Whether or not it replaces this device or is an entirely separate product, I’d be very curious to see and hear a device that embodies the opposite of this tribute, something that manifests all of CK’s secret ponderings about the current shortcomings and future potential for this instrument, versus all the “Look Mom, my guitar is a Minimoog” or “Look Mom, I’m playing a Tweed Deluxe” kinds of tricks.


    Obviously that’s cool stuff, but there must be some kind of voice that hasn’t been realized yet, for the amplified guitar. If it’s like Virus, it may start with a novel technical approach that suggests and enables a new sound vocabulary.


    Otherwise, it’s just pages and pages of good suggestions primarily about convenience.


    It seems like a bit of a waste to charge the talent behind this innovative company with a perpetual housecleaning assignment.


    But yes, a tiny Kemper almost fully-controlled by iOS or Mac, that also uses Bluetooth to control its corresponding audio unit plug-in, obviously that would be a cool future. And I never thought twice about it, but finding myself in more collaborative production environments where all participants are using independent laptops, if that tiny Kemper also functioned as the audio interface, it would save me a box.


    But yeah man, then we’re still just talking about the same guitar tones. We can hem and haw about it, but I really don’t see myself getting “better“ traditional guitar tones then I’m already achieving.


    ymmv

  • The display needs a re-think. Not particularly visible in high ambient light. I'm not a big fan of the UI either, but Rig Manager takes the sting out of it by providing a consistent GUI front-end.

  • The display needs a re-think. Not particularly visible in high ambient light. I'm not a big fan of the UI either, but Rig Manager takes the sting out of it by providing a consistent GUI front-end.

    I respectfully disagree.


    *No* display does well in high ambient light. Not a phone, monitor or even the highest quality movie screen.


    The on-unit UI is very good, IMHO. For a box that is very deep, the layout is simple to use. RM could use the ability to drag and drop rigs/presets into performances without having to open a second window. That’s always felt like a hack than a solution to me.

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

  • I really like being able to do all sorts of interesting things to profiles afterwards like add more gain, pick, definition, tube bias, tube shape etc. I'd love to see more of an expansion on that to really take tone shaping to a new and interesting place that's not overly as in depth as an axe fx but more than what we have now. Maybe some fun new cabinet parameters to really explore some new sounds.

  • I have a few ideas:


    1) Amp EQ controls- add the ability to adjust/change their range, or better yet have presets for popular models with their known EQ knob control ranges like Marshall, Fender, Boogie. I've had my Kemper for at least 6 years, this has bothered me from the moment I first plugged in! First reaction was this isn't right. The Mid control especially, doesn't sound like a mid from any amp I've ever played, it's so off and unuseful. (granted played mostly Marshall and Laneys) If there was a dropdown in Rig mgr where you could shift the eq knobs frequency range around, or ability to load real amps tone stacks values would be better. I basically keep all these controls at 5 for most profiles. Yes, you can use EQ in other places, but the amp EQ knobs are what most guitarists know and reach for.


    2) Pannable effects- the ability to pan a reverb, delay, etc. all the way right or left. Yes, I know you can do this in your DAW, but it'd be cool to have on the Kemper. One of my most favorite and most legendary guitar sounds is Van Halen 1. The dry guitar sound is mostly panned to one side, and only reverb panned to the other side, totally separate. So it sounds awesome together, but the reverb doesn't cloud up the guitar signal. Even better, to reverb, delay, maybe flanger, phaser, add a dry pan, and a wet pan knob to each, then you could have total fx pan control.


    3) Output section- add a Digital fizz remover for recording purposes. Some of the high whistling frequencies which sound harsh and fake in digital compared to analog signals could be lowered. I.E., 3k, 5k, 7k, some slight dips there added as an output control. I'm sure Kemper experts could identify the most likely fake and harsh sounding frequencies, and create a control just for lowering them. Another one you could do in the DAW, but it would be cool to have on the Kemper for recording and live use. This way you wouldn't have to turn down the high cut so very low. You could call it Warmerizer, or something like that.


    4) Better, much more accurate profiling process. Better, more accurate refining process, or some way to standardize it.


    5) Add ability to record and re-amp through the USB connection, and for Kemper to be an asio option in the DAW.


    If any of these already exist and I missed it, let me know!

  • 1) Anything that would help profiling be easier and better.

    - VU meter.

    - Spectrum Analyzer

    - Graphic EQ


    2) Dual Mono/Stereo Cabs after AMP or Dual paths after amp or Just dual amps and paths. I would be happy with any. Two cabs in series can sometimes fill out missing freqs. Two cabs in stereo can really help recordings.


    3) Any additional USB audio stuff would be welcome.


    4A) I still feel like my Kemper could use more dynamic range. Anything there would be great. Currently I am focusing on reducing low end on profiles then bringing it back in with EQ. Since the high freqs are what shine when digging in and are at a lower volume, they tend to compress less.


    4B) If there is some compression at the input, the option to remove it would be great.

  • I have a few ideas:


    2) Pannable effects- the ability to pan a reverb, delay, etc. all the way right or left. Yes, I know you can do this in your DAW, but it'd be cool to have on the Kemper. One of my most favorite and most legendary guitar sounds is Van Halen 1. The dry guitar sound is mostly panned to one side, and only reverb panned to the other side, totally separate. So it sounds awesome together, but the reverb doesn't cloud up the guitar signal. Even better, to reverb, delay, maybe flanger, phaser, add a dry pan, and a wet pan knob to each, then you could have total fx pan control.

    You might be interested to know this Van Halen effect is already achievable with Delay Widener. Just watch out that it isn't summed to mono live though.

    Karl


    Kemper Rack OS 9.0.5 - Mac OS X 12.6.7

  • 3) Output section- add a Digital fizz remover for recording purposes. Some of the high whistling frequencies which sound harsh and fake in digital compared to analog signals could be lowered. I.E., 3k, 5k, 7k, some slight dips there added as an output control. I'm sure Kemper experts could identify the most likely fake and harsh sounding frequencies, and create a control just for lowering them. Another one you could do in the DAW, but it would be cool to have on the Kemper for recording and live use. This way you wouldn't have to turn down the high cut so very low. You could call it Warmerizer, or something like that.

    What you are describing are most likely close mic'ing artifacts and are very much analog in nature.
    The PROFILER has the Pure Cab parameter that adresses these issues caused by less then ideal mic placement.
    The Pure Cab feature is adaptive, meaning it doesn't just apply some sort of EQ, but adresses issues that are present in the CABINET portion of the Profile.

    When profiling an amp in studio conditions (only the mic'ed signal is audible and can be very accurately compared to the Profile) it becomes quite clear that amp/cabs do produce these high and harsh sounding frequencies and that mic placement can accentuate this.

  • Low Cut and High Cut in Cabinet

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  • IMO, a lot of (good) propositions can be already add and i assume that many of us won't spend 2000€ for an EQ here or there ?


    For me, it would be a bad news if a Kemper 2 arrived....

    The only reason to launch a new one would be to improve hardware/software limitations but what for ?


    To have entire parallele paths with two amps/cabs + FX ?

    To have a new wide color touch screen ?


    In fact, i bought the Kemper Stage after a L6 Helix. I've rationalized my devices with my needs. I paid more to have something for a long time.


    The stage was already old-fashionned when it was launched comparing to the competitors, and i really don't mind.


    Kemper philosophy seams to be elsewhere. They have a really good basis that they make evolve and growing with amazing improvements.

    Fractal, L6, Mooer and others have good devices but when a new one is launched (they ahve to), the previous one become as in computer world : obsolete....

    I would really like to see Kemper devices last the more they are able to and become a fender twin like !


    One more thing that would make launch a new one would be a new profiling technology. But the current one is so good that i think it would be difficult to obtain a better result...

  • For "Kemper 2 Poject" I have different request than just some new fetures. I see that there are two main groups of Kemper users:

    1. Musicians who definitely need more features (more effects slots, parallel paths, more computing power etc.) because they need it either because of the nature of the music they are playing or they just love tweeking and finding completely new sounds.
    2. Musicians who just want to play, they want to quickly find the sound they like/need for particular song and that is. They don't want to spend more time with tweeking than absolutely necessary.

    I am definitely part of the 2nd group :) And while majority of the requests in this thread come from the people from the 1st group, there are just few requests from the 2nd group.


    My request is simple but I understand that not easy to fulfill. I would like to have "light" version of the KPA. With reasonably less parameters to edit/tweek. Just one example: In Amp section I use mainly definition, volume and EQ. Other parameters like tube shape, tube bias ... I've never touched. And I could go through other part of the chain but I hope that even my english is not my native language it is clear what I mean.


    So the "Stage Light" is somethings I am looking for.


    I will appreciate any comments from you guys!

  • I agree with you but a lighter Stage wouldn't be a Kemper Stage 2 but a Stage Light....

    It could be a good solution for a backup or a lighter kemper but i think it should be cheaper too...