Are we getting other updates ?

  • I highly doubt that this ONLY could be a matter of a new machine coming 🤣


    BUT….when that is said, I just found some limitations, that I would like to be sorted out on a possible next gen of the Kemper.

    I’ve found out that the ins/out need more flexibility or more choices at least. Right now I can not record a dry signal and a wet signal with my external pedals. 1) If the pedal is in the loop, the Direct Out disengages and I cannot record the dry signal. 2) If I put my pedal between the guitar and the Kemper guitar input the dry signal from Direct Out will have my pedal on the dry signal as well. So that’s a big limitation for me.

    More ins and outs would be highly appreciated in a possible future Kemper 2.


    I could do profiles of my rig, but I don’t actually use profiling. I’ve never been able to capture anything good or close to the sound. AND….I haven’t really used a real amp for almost 20 years now. Only when profiling.

  • IMO ;


    1. No controlls on the FC other than the buttons. All configuration is accomplished through rig manager (not on the unit)

    This would be a mistake, even the smallest unit has buttons to set parameters. I don't see myself bringing my laptop or my Tab to gigs/rehearsal...?( You always have to do some settings on stage, etc...Even the smallest L6 product has got this capability (Helix stomp). One more thing is that if in 2037, there's another device, rig manager is not followed, You won't be able to Load rig manager on windows 14 nor iOS19...Your device is dead...


    2. Much smaller form factor than the Stage

    Of course

    3.No ability to create a profile (only use others)

    YES

    4.Lower price point (~$800). Current Stage price is ~ $1800.00


    The price point is pretty hard to find. I had a helix LT before and paid the double to buy a Kemper Stage. Do i regret it ; Not a single moment. But i couldn't keep those two units. I have bought a MG-30 at 300$ for backup and playing alone at home. What a fantastic device for the price point.

    Would i buy a kemper Helix stomp XL like for 800$ ? I don't think so ! I would probably buy a boss GX100, a MOOER GE300 or a used GT-1000...

    800$ for a backup is too much expensive in my humble opinion.

    I could pay 1000$ for a used Kemper rack or Head (that could stay on my desk)... I would eventually take the plunge for a stage light for 300$/500$, but i assume it won't happen ;):)


    5.Potential use of a wall wart to lower the size for the unit (and remove the biggest heat producer in the FC)

    Why not....


    They could get rid of many connections too ; Ext Pedals, midi, loops...


    It really depends on Kemper's long term vision.

    I know L6 (had a Helix LT, a variax and a powercab+), they listen to their customers "needs" and purpose a lot of products. For me, the stomp XL is one example of device that, IMO, is unnecessary and useless, i prefer buying a LT if i need switches or a stomp if i need to put it on a pedal board.

    Line 6 has launched a lot of products with good and bad results. The Helix has met successfull. Powercab and Firehawk (i had before too) have been buried quickly. ||

    Kemper's familly needed a all-in-one floorboard, it's done.

    Is that the philosophy of CK to launch a lot of products, i don't think so, i hope not so...

    I don't know other trade mark that can say they have made lasted, and improved, their device for more than ten years... :thumbup:

    They keep a conduct line not understood or shared with some customers but, at the end, i think it's an advantage for us.

    I think if the Kemper goes on that way it could became a standard in the digital world (like a Lespaul or twin reverb are) and this would be awesome...

    On another side, Kemper has to sell products to live... Can they keep their five units and say ; Yes, you buy expensive devices but they are followed, improved and never abandonned ? I think so, it's a prove of serious and gainful investment


    Are they able to launch a Stage light ? I think so but the balance is hard to find...;)

  • Just out of curiosity, what do you adjust from practice to practice and gig to gig? I haven't touched my main performances for ever. I have new ones that I have tweaked and use to replace them (as new profiles and new features like the new verbs and drives arrive), but I don't have to change anything but the channel eq on the mixer I am hooked up to from practice to practice and gig to gig.

  • I'd be happy if there was less threads about the next update. ;)

    Yes but what do you think will be in the next update :)


    I might start a Kemper 2 thread as that's not been covered...


    I'd love to be a fly on the wall in Kemper...."have you seen they've put another post out there (no disrespect to the OP BTW - it reflects our eagerness/Kemper GAS) trying to guess what we are working on? They have no idea what is coming....Oh,Christophe? Can you check the latest neck profile (could mean 2 things) I've made on the Kemper guitar? "


    Pickup emulation is my guess, they are called Kemper "Koils"....

  • "Kemper Klone" .... Copies of famous guitarists.

    Just plug a USB stick in the back of your head and go nuts 8o



    Cheers !

    The adjective for metal is metallic. But not so for iron ... which is ironic.

  • I think Kemper philosophy is to be able to access to every parameters directly on the device. --> One button/One function for the moment.

    I assume that they wanna keep this possibilty even if you have to go to menus/sub menus.


    Personnaly, i do the same like you. I have some performances i use 95% of time.

    But i have examples with lasts rehearsals that i had to modify the tone with -1 tone cause the singers couldn't sing at the actual tone. It was really beneficial to reach the transpose function instead of saying ; not today cause i have to do changes on my PC...

    I start playing with morph and i had to change some parameters ; rig level in amp cause i increase the Gain and the dB difference was too huge before and after morphing.

    Sometimes i wanna change the mix reverb value cause at home, it's OK but too much present with the band.

    Most of time, i use to do changes at home but it's better to be able to do them directly when it needs only few seconds.

  • All good here - My Kempers are treated just like any amp or tube amp - I don't update my FENDER 1976 TWIN or my MARSHALL DSL or EVH..😊

    A few software tweaks are good here and there but I love the solid nature of my STAGES. Only use rig manager when I have to.



    No news is good news sometimes

  • Knobs is a beautiful thing. But similar to progression of Fujifilm cameras, the aesthetic and the mindset is giving way increasingly to quicker internal OS controls. Shrug. I can imagine a mini Kemper with way less or close to none of the external physical controls that I love nonetheless still delivering an inspiring experience sonically and from a workflow perspective. Again again .. I’m hoping for a near future where the Kemper ecosystem fuses more completely with the Mac OS. Hardware is big business, and so much of the customer base is tethered to UAD and Pro Tools hardware. So I’m not suggesting a Kemper interface. But I’m confident that CK can dream-up a way to keep a Kemper physical object relevant in conjunction with that kind of paradigm.

  • Hi Steve,


    While having a knob or control to access every parameter on the physical unit is desirable for some users, the Stage already offers this..... and it costs around $1800.00 USD.


    Not everyone is OK with using an app on a tablet or phone (or PC) to control their device, but then, not everyone was OK with using digital camera's over film.


    Even on our infotainment centers in our cars we now have the lions share of our controls being accessed through a touch screen. Many devices offer only rudimentary physical controls and offer deep control only through an app (including the one that I am currently managing btw).


    If Kemper wants to access the sub 1K market, I feel that this is the best path to getting there. YMMV.


    I would agree that there may be a good reason to have minimal controls on the device. Not sure which ones would be Key.


    As an example, I have a 2016 honda accord that has a beautiful infotainment center with 2 full LCD's, but no physical knobs. I can live with it, but I really dislike NOT having a physical volume knob. Honda agrees with me. My 2022 CRV has a physical volume knob :).

  • I'll go out on a limb and say Kemper will never create an app-based or even a predominantly touchscreen-based unit. They don't support Android right now, and by all accounts never will.


    Touchscreens are horrible for quick actions and flat out awful for precision.


    I could see a unit with foot switches that double as encoders like the Quad Cortex features. I think that's truly an inspired design idea.

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

  • I don't know if i've been misunderstood cause i've insisted on "buttons/functions" but what i wanted to tell is that it would be important to keep the ability to change every parameter with the hardware itself even if you use a touchscreen, for example, or go to menus/submenus pages with three buttons, don't know...


    I think that Kemper have been trapped with the Stage and the price point....

    All the other competitors have many devices at some, more or less, accessible price point.

    Helix is rich with four devices (Floor/LT/StompXL/Stomp). Fractal with FM9 to FM3

    Mooer with the GE300/300 lite/GE250. Boss with the GT-1000/Core/GX-100.

    Following the one you choose, you loose or not stuffs ; integrated pedal (that can be a Kemper Stage light solution), outputs/inputs possibilities, midi, DSP, number of FX blocks, etc...

    But on everyone of those devices you are able to change what you want in your presets....


    IMO, this kind of product won't be exclusevily put on a desk on a side of a computer for recording.

    It'll be used for travellers guitarists who want to move lighter, i don't think they are going to bring their laptop or computer on vacation, we could use a smartphone but there's no rig manager for android for the moment. ?(

    Or they'll be installed on pedal board.

    In each case, i don't know how Kemper would be able to justify that their pedal can't be programmed on itself comparing to the competitors :rolleyes:


    The only devices i know that could have been set up with only a tab are/were :wacko: the L6 amplifi familly and L6 firehawk (i had before), it was low end and it has made a flop.


    It'll/would be a hard balance to find between get rid of stuffs/make customers want to buy it/Don't kill the big brother


    PS ; the analogy with cameras is not relevant, it would be the same to oppose tube amp to modeler/profiler, it's a technology opinion.

    I have more buttons and parameters on my Canon 5DSR than on my 33V but i can access to all my menus and change all i want directly on it ;)

  • ....important to keep the ability to change every parameter with the hardware itself even if you use a touchscreen, for example, or go to menus/submenus pages with three buttons.....

    Menus and submenus?


    In the words (and voice) of Michael Scott from The Office: [screaming] "NOO GOD! NO. GOD. PLEASE. NO. NO!!! NO!!! NOOOOOO!!! "


    I think that Kemper have been trapped with the Stage and the price point....

    I disagree. I don't think Kemper really cares if others have engaged in the battle of price points. All of the units you mention are limited in their feature sets when compared to their more expensive versions.

    There's nothing wrong with that.


    But Kemper has three different form-factors with (effectively) identical feature sets. The closest thing is the Helix Floor and Rack and I'd guess a lot of players didn't realize the Rack existed for Line6. A separate floor controller doesn't exist for the Rack.


    Yeah...the Stage is a bit quicker, sports a second F/X loop and the variable impedance feature for fuzz. Those are added featurs, not subtracted. Anything other than a full Helix or AxeFX III sacrifices features to get there.

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

  • Good point that currently rig manager does not run on Android and that currently the competition has on-device editing.


    Note, while the QC does indeed have a novel approach to on-device editing, it is not in the same price catagory that we are talking about here (around 1K).


    Steve5478


    A better analogy would be digital mixers.


    You can get a digital mixing console with faders and knobs to put your hands on ..... and professionals that mix for a living will all tell you what you just said, you can make quick adjustments and even multiple adjustments quickly on a physical surface that is not possible on a tablet/phone.


    Despite this, the number of stage rack tablet digital mixer sales now far exceeds that of physical consoles. They aren't the best way to mix from FOH in all situations (installs, big venues with dedicate FOH positions, etc), but they offer insane capabilities for the price ..... so they are popular. Professionals and sound companies that run sound for larger venues will never use them, but that isn't the majority of the market.


    I will give you that a Kemper Mini without (or with minimal) physical controls on device would not work for everyone; however, it would work for a large portion of guys (like me for instance) that don't edit at gigs. This group predominantely edits at home (for me it is the only place I edit).


    When at home, I rarely utilize the front controls on my KPA rack. I almost always edit using rig manager.


    Would I rather have my KPA rack than a KPA mini? You bet, but my KPA rack setup is a far cry north of 2K.


    The issue is that it would cost Kemper a ton of money to develop something special just for the mini (different menu structure, different physical controls, etc). They aren't that big a company, so I don't see this happening.


    I can easily see them releasing a Kemper mini with minimal controls on device that uses an iPad to do the editing and setup that can be sold at a greatly reduced price from the Kemper Stage ($1800.00). Granted, it would be better if it also supported Android; however, there were quite a few digital mixers that only supported iPad (most have since developed Android apps though).


    Kemper already makes a floor pedal with physical controls. I see absolutely no chance of them creating another one that is significantly smaller with a different workflow than the stage, and that costs anything less than the stage. It just doesn't make any business sense.


    Re-using the iPad rig manager and about the same format of FC as the current FC is a much shorter engineering putt. The entire line would then use the same parts, same firmware, and same infrastructure for support of apps and web resources.

  • Just had a beer and a chat with Chris. Next update is a heads up display, raise your right eyebrow to increase volume, left eyebrow up and down controls wah. I've got some headsets on my gofundme page.