Posts by davec69

  • First live gig with the Kemper..

    Most importantly. Keep a USB stick in your Kemper or very handy, which has a couple complete current backups on it. This way, if weirdness starts happening at a gig, you can reload the backup as a last resort.


    My KPA is rack-mounted, and i keep a USB stick in it at all times, with current backups. Saved me at least once.

  • Muffled/Dull?

    Yes. Having the right cabinet makes a big difference. The wrong cabinet can make many profiles sound dull/muffled. One thing that I've started doing is to always demo/program new profiles through my studio monitors at home. This way, I know they sound good for recording, and through the FOH Pa system when playing live. If they don't sound good through my stage cabinet, then I know the issue is with the cabinet/amp setup, not the profiles.


    Another thing you can try is to load up one of the dull/muffled profiles, and scroll through other cabinets til you find the right one that works with your stage setup. I did this when I first started using my KPA, and got some great results, but you do lose some of the character of the original amp. You also then have to check this through you FRFR monitors, to ensure they sound good through the PA system.

  • Midi Out Mapping for Program Changes (at least)

    Hello. Not sure I completely understand what you're looking for, but each rig in every performance can send two different midi program changes.


    Start by going into Performance mode. Then click the system button and go to page 8. Here you can setup and name one or two different midi devices to send midi to, and also specify the channel to send midi on.


    Next go into a performance and select a rig. Click the "slot settings" soft button. (I think it's the first button above the LCD) Click the same button again to access midi settings for that rig. Here you can specify each of the two midi devices, and specify a patch change number for one or both.


    When finished, save the performance and move to the next rig and repeat. You would probably need to duplicate rigs in each performance, for the various sections of the song, like Verse , Chorus, ect.


    If your Pod can make the necessary Variax changes for each preset, it's just a matter of programming the correct preset changes into the KPA, using the above method.

  • Your Honest opinion on Kemper as a live rig

    I've been using my KPA live since 2012. Played countless gigs with it. Love it.


    In my opinion, the hardest part of switching from tube amps to the KPA, was finding a way to hear the KPA onstage, which sounded the same as my tube amps. I tried various popular FRFR offerings, but what worked for me was a simple three way Polytone keyboard cabinet, which I picked up at a local consigment shop for 40.00. It has a 12" woofer which i replaced with an eminence Tonker, a 8" mid which I also replaced with a Eminence speaker and two Eminence tweeters. It has a weird stereo wiring which places the woofer on one channel and the mid and tweeters on the other channel. this allows me to easily balance the sound live. I run out of the KPA's main 1/4" jacks, directly into my ADA microtube 200w amp, then into the cab, leaving the two XLR jacks on the KPA free for direct to FOH for larger gigs. I leave the cabinet on for all of my profiles.


    The next hurdle was to learn to program my KPA, through my studio monitors at home, instead of through my live cabinet. This lead to much more consistent tones when playing live. When I first got my KPA, I used to demo and program sounds through my live cabinet, which worked well live, but was hit or miss when going direct into the board or recording. Now i demo and program patches through my recording monitors, and when I try them through my live cabinet, they work great.


    We recently had a new bass player join the band, and at each rehearsal, he is amazed at the sounds coming from my KPA. He's a real tweaker like myself, and is constantly on the hunt for the perfect tone. He's now looking into his own KPA.


    With all that said, the key in my opinion is that if you take the time to dial in your KPA. Find the right profiles, find the right monitoring method, you will be extremely happy with the KPA.


    BTW, I still have my tube amps, but they are all profiled, and rarely come out these days. Took so long to acquire them, I can't let them go. I'm sure many others are the same.

  • Re-Purpose KPA Switch/Pedal 1&2

    I'm fine with the H9. I use both Midi and Bluetooth between my Ipad, Pc and FCB1010 controller. I just used the H9 as an example of other devices which can be controlled via simple switching, like amps, effect pedals, ect.


    At this point, I don't use a Kemper remote. My FCB with the Eureka Prom does everything I need. From the sounds of it, it may be a while before I need the Kemper Remote.


    You should make your suggestion for the remote to Kemper, like I did in this thread about the switching.

  • Big problem - Volume lowers on every profile as I play - updated firmware , problem still persists

    Maybe a longshot but the KPA has a couple displays that show volume position. I think page 2 of the system screen and another one on page 9 or so of the rig screen.


    Try loading up a profile, then going to one of these screens and watch to see if you see anything changes while you play.


    Another thing to try. try going to the screen which allows you to set the position of the volume pedal. In the rig or system page, I think. Turn it off to see if that make any difference.

  • Re-Purpose KPA Switch/Pedal 1&2

    It would be great if it were possible to re-purpose the two switch jacks on the rear of the KPA to send instead of receive signals. At present, I don't use those two switches at all. If they could be made to switch between receiving switch information and sending switch information, then they would become much more useful for me.


    For example, imagine being able to use those jacks to send channel change messages to another amp. This could be programmed into a performance maybe. Or, one of the jacks could be used to send switch messages to the aux in of my H9 pedal. Now instead of using a separate switch pedal to change settings on my H9, I could just program the message into a performance, and have the KPA do it.


    I realize that this is a hardware change, which may not be possible with the two switches on the KPA, but I just thought I'd put it out there, just in case.

  • Merge KPA's Midi In Data With KPA's Midi Out Possible?

    I know it's been suggested by many including me, but does anyone know if it would even be possible for the KPA developers to implement in a future firmware, a midi merge of the KPA's incoming midi in signal, to the KPA's midi out port? If this is theoretically possible, I can wait for it to be implemented, if not, I'll start looking for a midi merge box and Y cable solution.


    I'm using the FCB1010 to the midi in of my KPA, to control everything. patch/perfomance changes, expression pedals, ect. I also have a Eventide H9 plugged into the KPA's midi out. With this setup and the current v3.0 firmware, I can at least program the KPA's performances to switch patches on my H9, but I cannot use the two Expression pedals on the FCB1010 to control the H9, because even though that midi information is sent to the midi in of the KPA, it is not sent to the midi out of the KPA. Only the patch changes from each performance are sent to the KPA's midi out.


    The other plan would be to put a Midi Y cable on the KPA end of the midi cable from my FCB1010 and input one into the KPA midi in and the other midi plug into one of the inputs of a Midi Solutions Midi Merge Box. Then send the midi out from the KPA into the other midi in of the merge box. The single merge box midi out would then connect to my H9 in. This setup should give me the performance patch changes sent from the KPA plus the midi sent by the FCB1010 merged into the midi in of the H9.


    I'd much prefer to avoid this extra cabling. If the KPA could possibly do this in the future.

  • Stereo Loop problem

    I use an H9Max in my Kemper loop, and it works great. Plenty of volume. The only thing that I could suggest is that you hit your master output button and check your Direct Out settings. I can't remember what mine is set to right now. Try the different settings. One or two of the setting are unavailable when the stereo loop is used, so you won't be able to use those settings.

  • Cab On or Cab Off when playing with a cab?

    I use both, depending on the profile. I'm in a weird situation. I have a 3-way Polytone stereo cabinet, probably designed for keyboards. I don't use the monitor out, I run my ADA Stereo Microtube power amp and 3 way cabinet off the 2 x 1/4" jacks, and I run FOH through the XLR jacks. So, if I turn off the cab, it also affects my FOH sound. In the end, the profile determines which way I go. Some profiles, sound ok with the cab off, Some sound terrible. Whatever works, that's how I save the profile.