A dual Mono cable will let you use a volume pedal as an expression pedal, but, the pedal response will not be linear. The potentiometer in the volume pedal responds to movement in a logarithmic way.
The Ernie Ball has a taper switch that puts a 220K between the in and out (parallel with the swept end of the 250K) - will that get it closer? I need to just hack something together for a gig and don't want to risk a delayed shipment.
Has anyone here used a standard Ernie Ball (or equivalent) volume pedal for an expression pedal with the KPA? If I understand the (very cryptic) manual, it would appear that a stereo to dual mono splitter cable should work...but has anyone actually done this and had it work (or not work)?
Thanks in advance.
I like it the way it is now. Theres 4 jacks on the remote for expression pedals. Would you rather have one expression pedal built in on the remote, or the option for 4 of them? That choice is EASY for me.
I would prefer one built in, but that's a personal preference.
Many higher end studio guys believe tracking @ 96k sounds better within the audible 20-20k range. It's about detail and accuracy. Digital is always a snapshot then a gap like film rather than real life.
That's not exactly true. All frequencies below Nyquist are reproduced at the correct level, to within the resolution available by the available bit depth. Dithering (the intentional noise mentioned elsewhere in the thread) makes the reproduction even more accurate by removing bias caused by steady-state signals at levels too close to a quantization boundary.
Once the D/A takes over, the resulting output analog signal has no "gaps", and will correlate to the original analog signal in terms of harmonic content. It's not at all like film vs video where the frame rate relies on persistence of vision to fill in between frames; the digital frames are "filled in" by having a harmonic content higher than anything that is audible (higher than transmitted by just about any analog equipment, and not reproduced by any consumer audio equipment).
What information do you believe is not being captured by the digital stream, and why would it require a higher sampling rate to be represented in the digital stream? Higher bit depth can absolutely result in a more accurate reproduction, as will better analog components and intentional dithering...but not sampling rate.
All of this is very well-developed science, and hasn't changed since I studied it in grad school back in the early 90s.
I don't typically use a wah or expression pedal, so I prefer it not be built in. Otherwise you either get a bigger board to carry or fewer other functions controlled by buttons, switches, or knobs.
Personally, I would prefer a slightly larger board and reduce the total number of devices to deal with, but yes, it certainly would make the one device about 4-5 inches wider. Total space taken up would be smaller, though. I play a lot of pit gigs, where floor space is at a premium.
It is Kempers' design decision because different guitarists like different pedals.
Interesting. My perspective is a bit different, as I strongly prefer to have as few cables, devices, and connection points as possible. Fewer failure points and less to deal with during setup and teardown would seem to be a big advantage, along with a total smaller setup (integrated expression pedal would take up less total space than a separate pedal or pedals). My non-KPA rig is all rack mount with just one control pedalboard, and I use rack devices, not individual pedals, so it's one MIDI/power cable from rack to floor, and that's it.
Having it integrated would be a big selling point to me from a simplicity and total size standpoint...but it's clear that there are as many differing opinions as there are users.
It would be very helpful to have an expression pedal built into the Stage or on the Remote. Don't most guitarists use at least one volume or wah pedal?
A big part of the value of an all-in-one like the Stage is to eliminate a whole bunch of cables and other failure points; having to connect a separate expression pedal (or two) sort of goes against that, doesn't it?
Just a thought....
as i said: it just needs to think: everything that comes in, i will let out through the -100Cents door.
it does not need to know an exact note. just put every signal 100 cents(for example) down.
the digitech drop at least has no feelable latency when going down 1 or 2 halfsteps, it gets a tiny little washy when going 3 steps down. i wouldn't use it any lower.
A DFT (or FFT) doesn't work this way. In order to accurately calculate the waveshape for the new frequency, you have to collect at least a half-cycle of the raw signal.
A drop D is ~73 Hz, which equates to about 14 msec for a whole wave. Double that for a bass in drop D, or up to about 30 msec for a low C on bass. Thus, in order to accommodate low bass notes, there is no way to start the digital calculation until you have at least 15 msec of sample data. This latency is fixed and can't really be addressed. The regular processing latency occurs AFTER this when you're transposing, so you're really sort of stuck.
Yes, it can be done faster in hardware, particularly if you don't support full range (i.e., below about a guitar's drop C). That requires a special separate circuit though, which would add cost to every single product shipped.....not likely to make sense for most of us.
If you really need transposing more often than an occasional non-critical use, probably better to just buy a separate device and put it into the loop.
JMO, YMV.
I switch to tuner mode with "Mute Signal" enabled.
That does the job perfectly.
Is there a way to switch to tuner mode via MIDI?
I’ve owned two random KPAs - an unpowered toaster and a powered head. In side by side comparisons through studio monitors and a PA,, they sounded identical.
Regardless of the amount (or lack of) post-Kemper audio processing done by the person who posted the video, the audio in YouTube videos is ALWAYS post-processed after being uploaded. So, it will probably not sound exactly like any KPA played through the same speakers used to listen to the video.
Agreed. Listening to amp demos on Youtube is like taste-testing a single-malt scotch by watching a cooking show.
Personally, I like ProCo, Whirlwind and Horizon cables, as I find that they hold up well to real-world use.
Hi guys,
I’ve had my Kemper for about 2 years but I’m still having trouble finding good tones. Though I didn’t buy anything from other profile makers, I’ve tried nearly all of the stock profiles including those from rig packs, so nearly 1000 profiles.
Bolded is the key.
If you don't have a good profile, you don't have a good sound. The Kemper doesn't create a transfer function like other modellers, it "merely" recreates what it profiles. Weak profile = weak sound; solid profile = fantastic sound.
I got a loaner toaster from a friend a few weeks ago, and after spending days going through the free stuff, I only found one rig that I find usable. I went out to MBritt and TopJimi and immediately found a few that sound GREAT! [Not slagging on any of the other profile sellers - these two were just the first I found that really hit the mark.]
If you want to really get the most out of the Kemper, either build your own profiles or spend the few $$$ to get the good ones from the guys who know what they're doing.
Top Jimi's Brown Pack.
Very good
Thank you!
I'm sure that this has probably been covered ad nauseum here and elsewhere, but what's a good source for Van Halen profiles for the Diver Down/1984 period? I've been asked to cover Jump for a high-profile show, and I'd like to find something that will get as close as possible....
Thanks in advance....
It just gets better.
After playing around with adding FX and putting the right rigs into performances, I was able to use my MIDI pedal to control the KPA directly, and it works quite well. In a rehearsal today, the other guitar player commented on just how good it sounded....that's always a promising occurrence.
One gripe: The performance sets are assigned to MIDI channels 1-128, not 0-127. The entire rest of my gear is 0-based.....ugh.
it´s hidden in the main manual in the chapter "STORE Button" , Page 35
Hmmm...nowhere does it say whether this creates a new copy or just re-names the existing rig.
Press the Store button, and select the "Store As" function, if you want to save a Rig with a new or updated name.
Does that re-name the existing rig, or create a new copy with the new name?
If you are running direct into a recording console, you definitely want the cabinet enabled, and this selection will have a tremendous impact on your sound overall. The settings are in the STACK menu.
How do I create a copy of an existing rig?
My general workflow is to get a really solid basic sound, then make copies of it with various FX added for specific needs. In all of the documentation, I don't see anywhere how to copy a rig or save a copy under a different name. This seems pretty basic - have I missed something?
What power amp and cabinet do you have selected?
