Another Kemper price increase...?

    Quote from dahla

    I Agree that the remote is too expensive. That is why I haven't bought one yet. €449 including import charges and additional fees on top of that is just not worth it IMO. Not when something else far cheaper works equally good. I would argue that Line 6 floorboards always have been well made, but never cost that much.

    For all the money a remote cost me, I can buy a new (very decent) guitar instead. Or 5 quality stomps. Or something.


    But I gotta say, glad I got my KPA in 2012. :)



    Actually, the price is not much more than the full-size floorboard I could get for my Line6 Spider back in the early 2000s. Compensating for inflation, the Line6 floorboard would be like two thirds of the price.


    What I like about the kemper remote is the ease of programming combined with it being built very well. Plus the display. So for me it's worth it (at least at the new reduced price).


    But if you don't need those features, then obviously there are cheaper alternatives.

    Personally, I think that the KPA is a top-drawer, quality piece of kit, so I had absolutely no qualms whatsoever about buying the Remote for it. And the build quality of the Remote even surpasses that of the KPA. And the fact that the Remote is custom designed to work seamlessly with the KPA makes it a no-brainer as far as I'm concerned. I think it's a cracking product, even at it's former price point :)

    Well, considering I'd have to pay close to 590€ for the remote, to get it home it's not just a viable option. Even if it's easy programming. To me, the floorboard is to switch rigs and turn stomps on/off...


    Almost 600€ a lot of money for some on/off switches... :/

    Quote from dahla

    Well, considering I'd have to pay close to 590€ for the remote, to get it home it's not just a viable option. Even if it's easy programming. To me, the floorboard is to switch rigs and turn stomps on/off...


    Almost 600€ a lot of money for some on/off switches... :/


    Yeah, of course there's also the import taxes to consider - those of course bumped up the prices of the Line6 unit in Europe, whereas they make the Remote more expensive outside Europe. :)

    Quote from Michael_dk

    Yeah, of course there's also the import taxes to consider - those of course bumped up the prices of the Line6 unit in Europe, whereas they make the Remote more expensive outside Europe. :)


    It's rediculous that I am in Europe, but not a part of EU. The punishment is unfair... ;)

    I got my remote a week ago. I'm impressed with the features and the build quality and do not think that it's overpriced for 450 euros, if you don't need a classic midi controller for other gear. I just hope it will be as reliable and sturdy as it seems now in the long term.
    As far as i know, there are no cheaper alternatives with comparable quality and features. I own a behringer FCB with U4K chip, and while it's absolutely ok, it's not in the same league as the remote.
    Of course, if you're overseas (or not in the EU), import taxes and fees are a b*tch. It's the same the other way round. I got serious GAS for a Kiesel Vader, but it's just to expensive to import it from the states for me.

    Couple of thoughts on this...


    I would not be surprised if there is a price increase, and in my opinion it could even be justified and appropriate for a variety of reasons.


    Firstly prices on about everything went up past while, there talk of some fender (guitar iirc) increases too, possibly here. So those hankerin to buy a second one have near zero cause for complaint because they almost certainly know there already was one. Get one now, or don't complain if it goes up later. New buyers may not be aware of this, but also a different metric applies to them, it is up to them to research gear and make choices. KPA is out there, but they don't seem to spend as much on marketing (ads endorsements etc) as others. We all want this,it means more for better features, which I will get into in a bit. A controlled marketing and planned sales figures can do very good things for a company if done right, especially long term, and this will be good for everyone, Kemergmhb, owners, and buyers (price increase good for buyers? how, right?)


    I am assuming that KPA and KFC are made in Germany. This also affects costs for several reasons. Eu is big, and currency problems in one place affect others, not trying to put down any country, but the cyprus bank issue had more serious consequences than most realize. Many feel this is why UK stipulated GBP as a condition of joining. But money doesn't seem to go as far the past few years no matter where. Low interest usually means money is cheap. A equal price zero interest buying is a no brainer, free money, and helps your credit record. Low value currency in general is one thing, not to be confused with exchange rates.


    What this means for KPA is not unique. Germany is an advanced tech and manufacturing country, with a very good standard of living, a solid infrastructure, good work/life balance etc. KGMHB happens to also be one of the more advanced tech companies almost any country you could look at. This means they need unusually skilled and specialized people to have such a good product. Such individuals are generally aware of the value of their skills, and know where opportunity is, meaning they will need to be paid more. Contrast this with the negative publicity with EA video games for low pay, overly long hours etc. Easy to find labour. Kgmhb needs more experienced programmers, probably with a strong background in math, and music. I remember an interesting comment by Timo, regarding shutdown procedure of the KPA and that he wrote the code for it, so you can also add forum maintenance/moderator to skillsets. Cost of living is a factor, and better places to live generally cost more. If KPA's are also made in Germany, those workers will not be cheap either, even if that is their only task. I don't get the feeling that it is only about money here, that would mean a different style of management, which may or may not be healthy.
    Many people who are lucky enough to choose between a job they like or more salary often opt to be happier, especially at certain levels. Programming is also a strange thing, where more, even properly skilled people may not help with quality, or completion times.


    Perhaps another factor is certain countries have a reputation for better quality, real or not it would be a hard to measure factor. Another intangible asset is goodwill, which can actually be listed as an asset in some countries. It is essentially a metric of how good is the relationship between a company and its clients, image in their industry etc and sometimes suppliers, etc. This is quite above average here. Free updates, and regular new features along with a well made long term strategy help this too. It creates confidence in the value, tho not that many used kpa's. Means people want to keep them.


    They were also out of stock in the larger stores here for a while, and still are in some with preorder & various wait times. This has happened a few times, means there is demand, as awareness grows, I just checked a couple sites and now there is another increase of around 15% and still preorder/online so possibly limited supply. One factor could be timing with namm feature announcements. Early kpa buyers may have had a lower prices, but they also did not have the same features. This has been consistent, if not exactly predictable. One thing I am wondering about is how well the new features will be perceived. If they kick ass, and history indicates there is a good chance of this, price might go up again. One consolation for new buyers is a more mature product, with not as many bugs, something which is unavoidable for a complex, advanced and unique product. Nobody to look to for info, so has to be fixed in house. Also safer to keep a stable, long term staff, and do the IP work in house, and not farm out assembly etc. Ip infringement is a real thing, music seems even more so, I always seem to think of the whole floyd rose thing. Not exactly complicated--a lever and some new fulcrum ideas. That was copied mercilessly because it was easy to.
    Security and stability also cost money, especially when it is seamless and elegant, vs some kind of global user lockdown.


    For a digital device to regularly increase in price is very rare. With things like Pc's , consumer electronics etc. regularly dropping in value, becoming obsolete by slowly not being as capable or even planned, intentional to continue sales is a general rule. This creates a valid perception about depreciation in electronic/digital gear. Some early adopters do not mind, others wait, personal preference.


    Naturally this will extend to the KPA since it is also digital.This is an incorrect way to view things. Instead of any obsolescence, it is the opposite. Every year it improves, and is able to do new things. There are different meanings to new here. One is something that did not exist before. Another is new features, generally popular one requested the most. Even if some of these are decades old, they can be implemented in new and more useful ways, generally integrating pretty well with the existing system.


    A more accurate way of looking at things is you are buying into leading edge innovation, that has every indication of continuing. There is a comment in this thread that KPA is a better investment than gold. It does have better tones. I don't think it is an investment in a traditional sense, but I did see a sketchy ebay seller asking 2x retail price. Has a 100% feedback rating, and all kinds of very expensive items, some seemingly overpriced. 1300 people feel otherwise. Obviously something unusual with the rating, but nothing new with gouging and arbitrage, especially when interest and demand is there. This does nothing for the KPA community, and possibly harms it. If prices are driven up it is better for kgmhb to see that revenue, because it will go into more development instead of some strange ebay store.


    Looking at a KPA makes more sense if you plan to keep and use it. It does not matter if it is for a hobby or professionally. Terms like return on investment, or total cost of ownership are more accurate and sophisticated. They apply as a value assessment typically done on a corporate level. It can reflect both a positive or a negative value depending on what conditions are. One obvious factor here is cured amp gas, and the cost, time etc. of buying and selling them. This applies the same to new buyers, even after price increases. Obviously early adopters will have a better value from original price, but stable resale values also benefit new buyers too. If the KPA continues to get better it will also be very likely to increase in price even more. Also benefits new buyer, owners, kgmhb, since the cycle of innovation continues. Everyone benefits.

    Actually I believe that ANY midi-foocontroller above 300-400 euro/$ is way overpriced in these times.I honestly dont care if "other FCs" are much more expensive than the remote.Fractal asks how much for their "dedicated" AxeFx-FC;Some 700 bucks;All the guys who bought this thing claim that it is a "no brainer"..good for them.


    But it has nothing to do with me..for me this is "nuts".. ;)


    Ebay is full of FCs and midi controllers for 100-200 euro/$ and I honestly just dont have the money to pay double or three times this amount for something which is not made to last for many years since its only job is (as we like it or not) to be kicked by our dirty shoes.But maybe it is just me and my "violent kicking behaviour" or what ever which made me realize that I am not the guy for intensive use of pedals of any kind..saying this I just right now realized that I "killed" at least a dozen wah wah pedals(which are an important part of my sound) in the last 20 years playing very often 3-4 times every week..all of them highly expensive pedals and some of them "custom made" and built like a tank.Than again some years ago I had the money to buy the best strings every week or to get me a new wah wah every few months.Now,today this is not the case anymore.


    So..no super expensive FC for me.Maybe I will even re-think my wish to buy an AX8 or a future floor-KPA.

    @Nikos IMHO, the KPA's remote is worth every penny just for the fact that it's fully integrated (no midi programming). I've tried other alternatives and nothing comes close to its simplicity. That's probably due to the fact that when I come home, I want to play, not tweak extensively just to map multiple FXs to one footswitch.

    Okay..after some "problems" with my midi-board last gig..gonna bite the bullet and order the Remote.You guys convinced me.I just hope I dont ruin it to quick as I did with other floor-stuff I owned. :/

    The Remote is one nice,fine piece of gear.I expected that it would enhance the KPA-capabilities but it does way more than just this.The way it makes "life easier on stage" is indeed outstanding.I did not expected that to this big degree.


    Now is it worth the price;Yes it is.If you have the money to buy it.But then again you always get what you pay for.

    I ordered the Powered Kemper from Thomann on 29 March. It said available in 2-5 days. Then the delivery date changed to 15 April. Yesterday it showed as available 2-5 days. I was so excited. Today they changed the delivery date to 29 April... I'm stating to think that they have a problem with their orders from Kemper..

    Quote from nikosssb

    I ordered the Powered Kemper from Thomann on 29 March. It said available in 2-5 days. Then the delivery date changed to 15 April. Yesterday it showed as available 2-5 days. I was so excited. Today they changed the delivery date to 29 April... I'm stating to think that they have a problem with their orders from Kemper..


    Maybe Kemper has problem to deliver, because now so many wants to have a Profiler :/