Rate the Transpose feature

My honest opinion: The Transpose feature is about as good as the Korg Pitchfork pedal. It's certainly not a transparent effect but with the whole band playing you might be able to get away with it. Out of three sets (36 tunes) I used the Transpose feature on two songs (one song tuned up 3 half steps, the other down a whole step) and it was fine. Cheaper than buying a new guitar just to play two songs.

Not sure I would have played a whole set like that, but then I am an annoying perfectionist with OCD.

I think it's better than most of the transpose effects out there, just based on videos I've seen and my own experience with the Kemper. Tracks very well, even chords. There' a smooth chords option that makes it sound even more realistic, but adds a bit too much latency imo. But if you're playing rhythm, that's the way to go.

Quote from OhG

Thanks a lot Motley Crue for recording 90% of your songs down 1 whole step!

Ha! Precisely why I bought the damn Pitchfork, to play a couple of Crue tunes. They went over so well we couldn't in our right minds drop them from the set.

When I replaced my entire rig (amp and pedalboard) with the Kemper, I was so happy it had the Transpose feature. And honestly it did a fine job. You and I know and hear the difference, but the 100 drunks in the crowd could not care less about my tone.

Quote from mightypudge

Ha! Precisely why I bought the damn Pitchfork, to play a couple of Crue tunes. They went over so well we couldn't in our right minds drop them from the set.

When I replaced my entire rig (amp and pedalboard) with the Kemper, I was so happy it had the Transpose feature. And honestly it did a fine job. You and I know and hear the difference, but the 100 drunks in the crowd could not care less about my tone.

What - only 100 drunks in the crowd? You are not playing to the right audience - are they all project managers and/or ISO 9000 auditors like myself? Sorry - couldn´t resist - let´s keep this at the right pitch - probably fallen on deaf ears

I find it ok for a semi tone and at a stretch a full tone

I use it quite a bit in my band situation works very well and saves mr taking loads of guitars to gigs

1. Never gigged with it, but I've used it a lot for jamming at home and it's always done a bang-up job.

2. Half a step down is A=415Hz, not 430.

works very good for me...used it even live once for 1 Song

I can't use it. Too much latency for me, specially audible on clean tones where the attack is more pronounced. If I start arpeggiating I get lost quite soon because latency takes me away, specially with complex rhythmic figures.

I actually push it a bit. I use it on guitar to drop to A for a song recorded on a baritone. It's glitchy, has latency and warbles, but it's still useful for my rhythm strumming. I also own the pitchfork which is a little better IMHO, at least for a 5th drop. The best one I played was the Whammy DT, but it was too large for my board. That was noticeably better than both Kemper and the EH.

Improving the Kemper's Transpose function would be very near the top of my development wishlist.

I often use it, at home and for gigs, from -2 to +3, there's a little latency but it never been a problem for me. This is really a great feature.

Quote from Klappy

I actually push it a bit. I use it on guitar to drop to A for a song recorded on a baritone. It's glitchy, has latency and warbles, but it's still useful for my rhythm strumming. I also own the pitchfork which is a little better IMHO, at least for a 5th drop. The best one I played was the Whammy DT, but it was too large for my board. That was noticeably better than both Kemper and the EH.

Improving the Kemper's Transpose function would be very near the top of my development wishlist.

This is really interesting information. The pitch fork is better than the Kemper transpose? And the Whammy DT is even better? If you have the pedals would you mind posting some clips? Would appreciate it, thanks!

I've used the Kemper's transpose feature and would agree that it's decent enough whilst not perfect.
I have found the pitch transpose in the Digitech GSP1101 rack unit a little better than the Kemper one - probably taken straight from the Whammy. What an amazing bargain the GSP1101 is!

Anyone have any experience with the Roland GK-3 pickups? How do those transpose? I kind of like the idea of having 12-string or open tunings for some of my music.

The Roland GK-3 pickup, when connected to a VG-88,99, or GR-55, functions like a Line 6 Variax when you want to transpose. It does not pitch shift your actual guitar tone. The six individual string signals are processed with Guitar Modeling to create the sounds.

I think it is decent - not more not less

I tried it at rehearsal and it was ok ... but nothing to get excited for

I would not be comfortable to use it live

Quote from paults

The Roland GK-3 pickup, when connected to a VG-88,99, or GR-55, functions like a Line 6 Variax when you want to transpose. It does not pitch shift your actual guitar tone. The six individual string signals are processed with Guitar Modeling to create the sounds.

I was actually looking at the cheapest option, the Boss GP-10, though I would really want the midi out of the GR-55 for experimentation with synth engines.

So how is the variax? I've heard some good things and some bad things. It doesn't sound like a guitar, but if I want different tunings, would this be a better route to take than a transpose pedal? Even for things like one octave down across all strings? What really intrigued me was the ability to mute strings, which I find quite difficult to do effectively using just a low pass filter.

@djemass I know you put variax electronics into your musicman. Care to enlighten me on how well the string tunings work?