Posts by Tritium

    Well, it is fun to speculate. And, I would not be surprised if a Kemper 2 is not already in the planning, initial design phase. After all, the KPA has been out for 4 years now. Certainly, any successor to the Kemper will not make the original obsolete, just as the Axe-FX II did not nullify the Axe-FX Ultra or standard.


    Here are my crystal ball prognostications:


    New Kemper 2 will be launched by 2017, with a possible earlier introduction/debut at Musikmesse 2016 or NAMM.

    • It will feature faster DSP processor(s) and greater flash memory, allowing for:
    • Significantly improved boot/start-up time
    • Continued evolution of Profiling algorithm and process
    • Ability to merge/blend two different amp models and/or run two different amp models in parallel

    It will also feature STEREO capability for all Outputs, including Monitor Out.


    I also foresee a radical new additional feature -- implementation of a "profiling" type process that allows for true profiling/cloning of OD and Distortion type stomp boxes.


    Finally.................drum roll please.........



    Convolution-based Reverb!!! .


    ^^8)

    Hi,


    I can check this later - however, I'm confused. To use the poweramp you have to plug into the Speaker Out. No other output uses the poweramp....so why would you need to turn the poweramp on or off?


    Cheers,
    Andy


    Hi Andy,


    I understand that there is no concern with the built-in class D power amp being "on", even if it is not being used (no connection to Speaker Out). If there is no load connected to it, it will remain cool and not draw as much power as if it were being used. However, it still is drawing some nominal amount of power. If I don't happen to be using that feature (i.e., the built-in power amp) during a given session, there is no reason that it should be arbitrarily left "on"...especially when I am using my KPA at home.


    I mean, if you had a separate solid-state power amp, you wouldn't turn it on if you weren't using it, right? Same applies to a powered, active monitor.


    Then again, I am one of those people who cannot leave a room without turning off the light switch. I also have been known to lay awake at night worrying if the light in my refrigerator shuts off when I close the door. ;):P


    IMHO, Kemper should really have incorporated a physical switch, dedicated to the power amp. I can't imagine that it came down to a cost / materials / sku - supply chain decision. When they decided to introduce the powered versions of the KPA, Kemper had to create a slightly modified back panel and associated Bill of Materials (chassis, wiring, speaker out jack, etc). I can't imagine how adding a physical switch, and a power amp "on/off" LED into this new back panel design and BOM would have made a significant impact to the incremental cost.

    The ofutput menu has several pages you should see e.g 2/6 which means you are on page 2
    with the knobs page you can go thru the pages. On page 6 you should find the on / off Switch power amp
    KPA remembers on the last setting


    Hi PeterFR,


    Thanks for the detailed info. This is good news. I was hoping that the last setting of the power amp would be remembered and retained, once the KPA is shut-off.


    If anyone at Kemper happens to read this thread, I humbly suggest that you add more specific details on the power amp controls, operation and controlling parameters, in the next revision of the Basic and Reference Manuals. For example, the fact that the last state of the power amp "switch" setting is retained and remembered (as confirmed by PeterFR) when the KPA is powered off, is a useful and important detail. I imagine that Kemper Support has already had to field more than a few calls from powered Kemper users who had turned off the power amp, and then proceeded to completely forget that they had done so...only to be surprised and have a major panic attack when they began their next session with their KPA...and no sound was coming out of their guitar cab. 8o:D


    With that said, I realize that putting a bolded statement in the user manual does not necessarily guarantee that something becomes idiot-proof.


    Cheers,
    John

    I am getting close to pulling the trigger on a Kemper Power Head. I have done my due diligence, and have carefully read both the "Basic" Manual as well as the "Reference" Manual, in their entirety. I understand that there is no physical button or switch on the PowerHead which controls the built-in power amp. In the manuals, it is explained that there is a "power switch" for the power amp, so that it can be turned off when it is not required. Furthermore, the manuals refers you to the "Output" section for more details.


    However, when I read the relevant "Output" section in either the Basic or the Reference Manuals, there is no mention of the power amp, and how to turn it off. By the way, I have the latest, most recent editions of these manuals.


    After reading the manuals, I have been able to infer that the controlling parameters for the power amp will display in a menu, when the "Output" button is pushed. However, the manuals do not provide any details of what appears in this Output menu, as it applies to the power amp.


    So, my questions are to any current owners of the powered KPA (head or rack)...


    A) What exactly is displayed when the main Output menu is brought into focus?
    B) Is the On/Off switch for the power amp linked to one of the soft buttons above the LCD display screen?
    C) If the power amp is switched off, will the KPA remember this "setting" after it is powered off? Or, when I turn the KPA back on, do I have to go back to the Output menu and manually turn off the power amp each and every time? It would be ideal if the KPA boots up based upon the last state/configuration of the power amp switch setting. In other words, if I switch off the power amp, and then end my session with the KPA., the next time I turn on the KPA, it boots up with the power amp in the "off" (disabled) state. However, I am guessing that this is not the case.


    My questions on this subject are motivated by the fact that have decided to get the PowerHead, as I feel it will give me the most flexibility. That is to say, I can use it with a regular guitar cab, or with a passive FRFR monitor, thanks to the built-in power amp. However, I already own a Tech 21 Power Engine, and will use the PE60 with the KPA PowerHead, at least initially and for the near term.


    Thanks in advance for any replies and help on this matter.


    Cheers,
    John


    theplayer,


    Obviously, this may be a silly question...but is there any reason you are beholden to your midi controller? Why not just get the Kemper Remote controller? Seems like it will do exactly what you are looking for, yes?


    Or is it a matter of delivery lead-time / availability for the Kemper Remote?


    Hi Andy,


    I am confused. You state you have a Powered KPA, but you are connecting to a traditional guitar cabinet via the KPA's Monitor Out?? If you are using the built-in power amp of your powered KPA, then did you mean to type/explain that you are connecting your KPA to your guitar cabinet via the SPEAKER OUT on the back of the powered KPA...using a speaker cable, not a guitar/instrument cable?? I mean, there is no way that you can connect the KPA Monitor Out directly to a regular (passive) guitar cab, and get any sound, yes??