What makes most sense as a backup to your kemper rig?

  • we use TC helicon play electric and play acoustic units for vocals in our band and they have digital amp simulations built on them as well so they serve as back ups for me.


    There are a lot of Kemper profiles that are on the TONEX forum now. In a pinch you could use your phone and the free TONEX version without spending a penny except for a adapter to a connect your guitar to your phone.

  • we use TC helicon play electric and play acoustic units for vocals in our band and they have digital amp simulations built on them as well so they serve as back ups for me.


    There are a lot of Kemper profiles that are on the TONEX forum now. In a pinch you could use your phone and the free TONEX version without spending a penny except for a adapter to a connect your guitar to your phone.

    Unless somebody calls you while you're in the mid of your solo....

    If something is too complicated, then you need to learn it better

  • In a pinch you could use your phone and the free TONEX version without spending a penny except for a adapter to a connect your guitar to your phone.

    As long as you only use one sound per song, you could use a phone- or tablet-based backup solution, but if you need to switch sounds on a regular basis, this would be too reduced and fiddly for my taste. But sure, you could pair your phone/tablet with a bluetooth switch like the Airturn BT500S; that would give you a decent emergency solution.


    But TBH, I'd rather carry a simple and more rugged Valeton - to use a phone or tablet on stage, you'd to carry an audio interface and a bluetooth pedalboard with your tablet/phone - all this together just feels too fragile and fiddly to be trusted in the heat of the battle. And with the audio interface plugged in, you can't even charge the d*** thing, because the USB port is already full. Nah...

  • I had a stomp as a backup for my powerrack, wanted the same sounds at rehearsal so bought a stage ...

    Then realized it was overkill, sold the rack and now stage only with a seymour duncan powerstage 700 as amp. Don't have a backup yet but in case i need one i allready have an amp to power it ...


    I'd get another stomp, maybe gigboard or even an atomic amplifire box mkII look so nice ...


    Raf

    Kemper stage with 2 mission pedals (in a Thon line 6 FBV case) and a Zilla 212 (K-100/V30) , SD powerstage 700 poweramp

  • A Hotone Britwind looks like a decent emergency unit.


    Products - Hotone Audio

    Had one for a while. The Vox part of it is great, the Marshall part isn’t IMO. I sold it and replaced it with an Amp1 because there's inspiring Marshall tone in there.

  • For me, a backup doesn't need to be that good because its for an emergency and just to get me through a gig, so a clean and dirty sound that is OK will do.


    Any gigs after that, I would use my valve amp up the KPA is resolved.


    This does depend on the "level" you are playing though. I only play in club bands so its not so critical.

  • Haha that's a rig :). And a nice one at that!

    Kemper PowerRack |Kemper Stage| Rivera 4x12 V30 cab | Yamaha DXR10 pair | UA Apollo Twin Duo | Adam A7X | Cubase DAW
    Fender Telecaster 62 re-issue chambered mahogany | Kramer! (1988 or so...) | Gibson Les Paul R7 | Fender Stratocaster HBS-1 Classic Relic Custom Shop | LTD EC-1000 Evertune | 1988 Desert Yellow JEM

  • Imo a good backup should be able to be swapped in quickly and easily, and not be a hassle to take to every show. My emergency "baby Kemper" is a simple V1 Atomic Ampi-firebox I bought a few years ago. Lives in the back of the kemper rack and although limited compared to the KPA, sounds great. Pre setup for 3 amp sounds that all respond well to guitar vol knob - clean, OD, and boosted (with delay). Uploaded my most used Kemper IR and matched output volume so the desk is happy. Give it some power, grab the xlr the kemper was using, and the show can go on.


    I've never needed to use the AFB in anger. My rack Kemper has never had an issue live. Always nice to know if the KPA did smoke it mid gig for whatever reason though, it wouldnt result in a trainwreck show.


    Knobs taped up on AFB because its the gen 1 version. Stupidly... on the gen 1 version the active preset is instantly overwritten if the knobs are moved. To be used in a "backup rig" role I need to know what it will sound like on boot. I believe they added an option for boot to X state on the newer AFB2 which would solve that issue totally. Because of this I couldnt recommend the AFB V1 for a backup nowdays, but the V2 would be worth a look for sure.



  • I would probably go for an atomic amplifire box mk II as well ...


    Raf

    Kemper stage with 2 mission pedals (in a Thon line 6 FBV case) and a Zilla 212 (K-100/V30) , SD powerstage 700 poweramp

  • I have an Atomic AFB as gig backup, and AF12 at home in case I need to ship Kemper for repair. Both the AF products I used prior to moving to Kemper.


    It would be great to see an AFB type product from Kemper.

  • My line 6 Spider II that I keep in the van. It's light, takes up a small space, has footswitch you can store inside. I've even done large shows with it when I thought we were going to get rained on and no overhead cover or the one time my tube amp rig blew a fuse. No it's not the best sounding thing ever but does the job cheaply and easily. Takes less than a min to set up the whole deal in a pinch.