Shimmer effect

    I do not know how it took long for the earlier Versions.


    As we have a life time right for upgrading I do not care so much about the time. In the mean time we have a stabil system.
    It will come when it comes.
    This system of Beta versions seemed for me a win win situation for both (Kemper and user) .
    Kemper saves money and get much input for development and we need not to pay for an upgrade and have some influence for future inprovements.


    I can imagine that a modification of the file structure has a lot of influences for slower progress.


    We have not the overview what is still missing for the public Version, but for my feeling they are working hard.


    Usually we got the stable firmware within days of the beta. This time it is a lot longer.


    While I am all for stable firmware, I did the upgrade to 4.0.2 as I wanted access to the features of OS4.0. Downgrading to the lower firmware revision isn't an option.


    Therefore, while I acknowledge that I have no reason to feel entitled to a stable release within any fixed timeline, I think it is quite surprising that there is no stable firmware a couple of months after the 4.0 beta was released.


    Like you, I am sure they are working hard. There has just been a drastic slowing down of the Kemper after 4, my guess is they are now streamlining the code.

    Quote from Gary_W

    In your current mental state, a reverse delay would clearly blow your mind.


    I think they need to wait a few months for 5.0 just so as to not tip you over the edge ;)


    To wait for 5.0 or not wait for 5.0, that is the question. I am seriously thinking of buying a delay or maybe even an Axe AX/FX8 to get access to more textures and FX.


    Probably be a big mistake though, lol


    If you liked my BatHJS song, how about


    HJS man HJS man
    Does whatever Kemper support can
    Exercises forum control, any time,
    Shuts up evil users, just like ice,
    Look out,
    Here comes HJS Man


    And it's all true :D

    Interesting discussion guys. Thanks for the input.


    I haven't heard the crystal delay before, but I do know a bit about Shimmer, specifically referring to the one the Edge introduced on Joshua tree. Obviously he likes delays and texture.


    I believe the Edge coined the term Shimmer (or he and Daniel Lanois together) as that was the label he had on his Bradshaw Midi Controller. There was no name for it at the time so they called it Shimmer. Now, other companies have used the term. Strymon has an excellent Shimmer effect on their Reverb pedals.


    The Edge achieved this texture with his AMS 15-80 pitch shifting delay in combination with some rack reverbs, etc. But the pitch shifting delay is what was the main ingredient in this sound. Each delay repeat would pitch shift an octave. With the right amount of softening of the attack/wet signal, the result was a very string like background sound that supplemented the primary guitar melody. Best example is With or Without You, about 1 minute into the song. He also used the infinite guitar for the first few minutes of this song (Ebow does the same thing).


    Anyways, sorry for the lengthy explanation, but basically it's a smooth sounding/wet signal/pitch shifting delay.


    Eventide has some harmonizer patches that have the name Crystal in them I think.


    Great to hear that Kemper is working on adding more texture sounds. Their reverbs are already very rich and huge sounding!!!

    Well, you'll be very happy when the updated 'verbs come on line in, I'm guessing here, the v5 FW.


    FWIMBW, those of us who were lucky enough to hear Skocy'z "hacked" "Crystal" delay/verb, which appeared briefly on the forum and which none of us was supposed to hear, were super-impressed. Seriously, it sounded awesome. Who knows if it was complete or is undergoing further tweaking too? Regardless, I think it'll be worth the wait (v4 proper).


    AJ, you heard the "hacked" 'verb (delay / verb, really), didn't you? Man, you'd be certifiably nuts to rush out and purchase anything else in order to close the gap. Very soon, there'll be no gap... except for the one separating the Kemper's awesome delays from the vast majority of the pack... :D


    Sit tight brah. It shouldn't be long now.


    EDIT: Welcome, Collin!


    Yes I'm going to hold back too. The main thing for me was to be able to run more than one delay and now we have it. What I have in the "hacked rigs" sounds great, I'd say easily as good as anything I've heard on the market and that was only with limited "presets" that were figured out by forum members. Definitely worth the wait rather than buying some external effects to me. I love shimmers/crystals really any ambient delays and reverb but I play in a old school heavy metal band so I'll hardly be using them live just for my own pleasure.

    I'd say save your money and wait; just be prepared to wait a while. I have an eventide H9, which is awesome, but I find I don't use all the wild stuff it does nearly as often as I thought I would. As much as it is a great compact tool, it needlessly complicates my set up. Once Kemper can cover a chunk of that territory, I probably won't bother setting up the H9 anymore. The only other effects I use are a Line6 M5 used excluxiely for autoswell. Which I'm hoping Kemper will roll out with their delays and reverbs.

    I think that the ability to morph so many parameters at once has thrown up some lumps in the code that they have to iron out. The progressively complicated nature of a modular firmware inherently means longer and more protracted beta phases, I guess.


    Sounds good, Nicky! But has Kemper Amps said anything about new reverbs with 5.0? AFAIK, they have only promised us new delays.


    Also,
    I'm not too sure whether 5.0 is "around the corner". Could be a good
    while, given that 4.0 hasn't moved into official release status. I'm
    thinking we should see 5.0 around the same time as 4.0 came out next
    year, i.e. around NAMM. And that is just supposition: it may be a good
    while longer before we see it.


    I'm not being negative, just
    pragmatic. Kemper Amps has been very good to me as far as I'm concerned,
    I've never had a product where the feature set improved as time went
    by. So much so that I am happy with the Kemper in its present state, the
    existing features meet my demands of a machine like this. 5.0 could
    never materialise and I doubt I would grumble about it too much.

    Quote from sambrox

    I think that the ability to morph so many parameters at once has thrown up some lumps in the code that they have to iron out. The progressively complicated nature of a modular firmware inherently means longer and more protracted beta phases, I guess.


    Yup, that's my reading: the massive changes involved 4.0, where almost all of the parameters of the Kemper could be controlled, has definitely slowed down the beast. It's visible in terms of the lag in the lights when switching profiles or holding down the rig button to favourite a profile.


    I look forward to seeing a stable 4.0 because it will mean a firmware I can gig with, without fear of unexpected behaviour.

    How can you get to use 2 delays at the same time? I was looking to do that but couldn't figure it out?


    Also, can't you set up an "semi" auto-swell using the Kemper Controller and assigning one of the buttons to momentary controlling the volume of the rig?


    One of the new Kemper delays had four (that I saw @ NAMM) repeats with the ability to have each repeat be assigned to a separate pitch shifted interval! So one note could literally become a chord.


    Reverbs are supposed to come after the release of the delays. CK indicated that he wanted to be very careful and creative with them. He is not particularly intrigued with copying the stuff that's been done before...he wants to create new things.


    In any event, the new stuff should offer some very musically interesting options.

    Quote from Dlaut

    CK indicated that he wanted to be very careful and creative with them. He is not particularly intrigued with copying the stuff that's been done before...he wants to create new things.


    That's particularly ironic, considering we're discussing a product that ... uhhhhm... copies things. ;)

    Quote from LiamThompson

    I love shimmers/crystals really any ambient delays and reverb but I play in a old school heavy metal band so I'll hardly be using them live just for my own pleasure.


    You could always provide a meditative backdrop for when the boys are out of their brains after a gig or whatever, Liam. :D



    I think you've got it all ass about face, AJ.


    The crystal thing is a delay AFAIK, and the basic code (at least) had been written before Skoczy's discovery months ago.


    That means you'll only have to wait, in theory, 'til v4 proper.


    If you look at what I wrote, I called it a "delay/verb", 'cause I couldn't think of a better description at the time. A spacial or ambient delay, perhaps? I dunno. All I know is it's gonna be great!


    Cheers AJ.