The Kemper Foot Controller: Evolution

    Quote from Ingolf

    Slowly the Image of the controller becomes reality.

    Yep! We know now that there will be No MIDI and the looper is in the controller itself. The KFC will be perfect for me as I tend these days to simplfy my rigs and use only (only?) the Kemper and a switch controller.

    "Top row buttons can be programmed to switch 2 (or more?) stomp slots on/off with one button press."


    +1000


    A tiny approach, but the best for me would be slot swapping ;-D I imagine the set-up sequence: long press the stomp switch and sequentially (together) two slot's switches. Now the stomp is swapping that two slots.


    wow.


    Well. This is encouraging!

    We are doing some progress :)


    No we have another issue for a little poll:


    We have moved the Performance Up/Down buttons from the right side to the left side, to have them placed above the buttons for slot 1 and 2. The four effects buttons are right aligned now as a consequence.


    The reason: you will select a new performance by the Up/Down buttons and then press Slot 1 to activate the first Slot of that performance. I have assigned the Performance Up button to be the most left (that is Up/Down, seen from the left). So you can press Up with your toe and Slot 1 with your heel without moving your foot. The Performance Down button is placed above Slot 2 as a consequence.


    A number of my colleagues say it will be confusing that the Up button is on the left side of the Down button, as it is a good habit to have Down on the left (that is Down/Up). This is kind of true, and companies like Line6 do it exactly this way.
    But by having the order "reversed" would allow for the simple foot gesture [Toe - Heel] to do [Performance Up - Activate Slot 1]


    This foot gesture would - of course - imply, that you have your songs arranged in your Performances in a subsequent order going up, and the first rig to play in a song is in Slot 1.


    I hope you get my point and I will be happy to get qualified quotes.
    Think about it deeply.


    Thanks
    CK

    Quote from Raoul23

    I've never used a looper before but what would be the issue if it was built into the KFC ?? And not the KPA

    As Ingolf said: yeah, I like my Gordius LG and I would like to keep it. Of course if the KFC turns out to have all the advantage of the LG and more, then I would consider.


    Hey CK, great to hear from you on one of the hottest topics in Kemperland! ;)


    First of all, if you want to make a real poll you should open another thread and enable the poll function.


    As to opinions: Personally I actually think your colleagues are right: having up/down on the left would be awkward and confusing.
    Every midi controller I know manages up/down on the right side.
    That said, I don't belong to the people that absolutely must select a new performance and also at the same time select the slot 1 switch, simultaneously, and I don't know how many people with such needs actually exist.
    If there's no real strong votum for your left side solution I'd stay on the right side.
    All in all neither would be a deal braker for me.


    To be honest CK I would like it the other way round (down/up) as I never use my heal to press a button, never have with any pedal I've used?? I'm a singer/guitarist in a three piece band pressing pedals is done mostly by habit, so trying to get my brain to work the other way round with (up/down) may be a bit strange?? I don't know how others would feel but I'm sure they will chime in give their views :)


    Also if the up and down buttons are now on the left this now means more movements I'll try to explain


    Standing shoulder width apart with the pedal on my right hand side I'm in performance one I then step over to the up peddle on the right hand side and then back to button 1 bringing me back to standing shoulder width apart at the mic stand (2 moves). If the up/down buttons are on the left I now have to press the up button then reach over to button 1 then back to my original position so more movements. (3 moves) Again this is just my opinion and view. Hope I've made sense. Thanks for chiming in and letting us know what's happening :)

    This is great news, mister CK. I'm glad to hear progress is being made, with the same kind of deep ergonomic thinking that made the KPA so nice to work with.


    Apart from the Up/Down buttons moving to the left side (and, as you mentioned, the effects buttons being right aligned), what would change compared to the original mockup image at the beginning of this thread? Would there still be three rows of buttons? Would there be another button between the Up button and the Slot 1 button or would they be directly adjacent?


    As you mentioned, any advantage gained by putting the Up button right above the Slot 1 button would presuppose having performances sequentially arranged in the order that songs/sections are played. With varying set lists and rehearsals, that will not be the case for everyone all the time.


    I wonder if it would be possible to put the Up and Down buttons above each other, like in this mockup I just made. That way, both Up and Down would allow a toe/heel combination with Slot 1 (although you would have to "hop" over Down for Up+Slot 1).


    [Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/ZrkV06P.jpg]

    I like the oldschool-way, so it is "down" on the left and "up" on the right for me.


    I was playing guitar while thinking about if I've ever engaged a pedal with my heel. At the same time I just switched from Bank61 to Bank62 on my Strymon Big Sky (pressing two buttons on the right) without really thinking what I was doing. As that switching up-motion came so natural to me, I would like to have such a no-brainer on the KFC :)


    Just my two cents,
    Stefan

    My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guitars for what I told her they cost.