Power amp addon & floorpedal?

    Hello


    I am going to be buying a kemper lunchbox style head shortly. The main thing I was wondering though is, is it possible to buy the unit first and then add the power amp to it later? Initially I need it for recording, but I could see wanting to use the same sounds later live.


    I could use it without an actual guitar cab or power amp by using PA such as QSC K12 powered monitors, but I wonder if the amp sounds would translate live the same way versus using a regular cab. If I went the poweramp and guitar cab direction I was probably going to get a Mesa Boogie Vertical 2x12. Any comments? Again however mainly the decision now is to buy the Kemper with or without poweramp provided I can always add it in later.


    One last concern was over the lack of midi pedal. Yes I have heard of people using a Behringer unit... But does this mean considerable programming to get it to work? What is the status of the arrival of an actual Kemper floorboard? I can't believe that there is none for such a revolutionary product yet.

    When you obtain a KPA without power amp, there is no real upgrade path to a Kemper power amp. It comes with it or without it. Later upgrade creates some hustle with regulation on electrical devices. I've talked with one of the Kemper guys and it seems to be a mess.
    However, here is a third party solution to solve this: Camplifier


    Most folks use a mono or stereo FRFR solution. If you use a guitar amp through SFX return and a guitar cab it might be better to switch off cab simulation. Some folks use a Fender Mustang for amplification and are happy with it.
    I use a "left over" Laney solid state amp (SFX return) with a 1x12 cab at home and a Laney solid state stage wedge, which is sufficient for me.


    A midi floor board I consider a must for gigs, maybe also for recording, although I have now experience with studio operation. I got myself a FCB1010 with an UnO chip and downloaded a sysex file from this forum and thats all. All I want is to switch rigs and control volume and wah with the expression pedals. In a couple of weeks there will be a special chip available from Xavier (http://www.kemper-fcb.com) which will make it easy to control the KPA with the midi board. With this chip modding there is also an option of glow in the dark stickers for stage operation available.


    If your budget is tight or spent with the Kemper go with the gear you might have around and get creative. Or get some budget oriented solutions like the Fender Mustang. If cash is available, drag the Kemper to a shop and try out the FRFR speakers. It is advised to do some heavy reading on this topic here in the forum before. The search is your friend. Regarding FRFR I am willing to believe that all was said in this forum already. :D


    Don't be afraid to ask, a lot of knowledgeable folks hang around here 8o .


    Oh and here is some light reading for sleepless nights


    Rock on and welcome!

    Quote from Zappledan

    Good job Labrat! No more to say after that ...

    Well actually I think there is!
    "Good job Labrat" - I agree!


    But why do we have to be contend with this information?!
    I actually don´t care so much about the "Perform Mode", but as Labrat said, a floorboard is essential when using the Kemper on stage or recording.
    And the thing that irritates me most is: you, me, all of us do not get a scrap of information on any planned release date! :cursing:


    I have a gig in September and I want to know if I can count on a matching FB or if I have to make alternative arrangement?


    Last but not least I want to know why it is required for me to spent time, effort and skills to program myself a piece of equipment to use the one I bought efficiently?! :thumbdown:


    I´m very happy with my Kemper - best piece of gear I have owned for a long time (which is not a guitar) - but I´m very unhappy with the communication strategy Mr. Kempers company is pursuing at the moment!


    Just my 2 Cents worth - I know it will change absolutely nothing! :(

    The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you´ve got it made!
    Groucho Marx

    Quote from Berglmir

    But why do we have to be contend with this information?!
    I actually don´t care so much about the "Perform Mode", but as Labrat said, a floorboard is essential when using the Kemper on stage or recording.
    And the thing that irritates me most is: you, me, all of us do not get a scrap of information on any planned release date! :cursing:


    I have a gig in September and I want to know if I can count on a matching FB or if I have to make alternative arrangement?


    Last but not least I want to know why it is required for me to spent time, effort and skills to program myself a piece of equipment to use the one I bought efficiently?! :thumbdown:


    First, thanx guys!
    Berglmir,
    one should look into the history of the KPA. I'm with this community since October last year. I realized quickly that gigging requires a floorboard. Meanwhile a huge discussion and DEMAND IN CAPITAL LETTERS was expressed to CK to come up quickly with a FLOORBOARD - RIGHT NOW! :) Also the Kemper guys got bashed in that time for some buggy FW releases.
    I am just a hobbyist that got worn out and tired riding the quest for the right tone. As a consequence I've got myself a KPA. Midi was and is for me something for keyboarders and came close to a plague born in Hell. Well, it was developed in the late 70ies and got realesed in 82 by some dudes from Roland Corp. (a division from H...? :D ) I actually bought a book in 84 on midi, when I had my first Mac. I tried to read it and turned it away. This stuff was not for me! Now I sit here and have a FCB1010 (Thomann 130€ ?) pimped with an UnO chip and an editor (If I recall payed 25€). I ripped from this forum a sysex file and GOT LUCKY! It worked. Not difficult.
    During Musikmesse an offshoot of the UnO chip got presented to make life even easier. It was said, it will be released shortly.
    "Standup Comedy ON":
    Now we can open any corporate handbook and spool off the program. Lets say you've found the MPB (Microsoft Policy Book) and look up topic "Product Release" and read:
    "Pick any date, count back 4 weeks (28 days) and start the planning. On T-28 start the marketing machinery and flood message boards with the product news and all the features. The rudimentary QA group (Quality Assurance = in normal words: underpaid testers) raise doubt if the testing and bug fixing will be finished by T-0. No doubts! Everything will be cool. And you send messages back to QA about "green bananas ripening after the purchase with the customers". On T-14 show pictures and detail product features on all channels. On T-0 open your webshop and sell sell sell!
    "Standup Comedy OFF"
    The Kemper guys strive for good and stable releases. So they trying to stay away from MPB and come up with a stable FW release. This release might be a couple of weeks away, I do not know, but in a time span between end of May and August we count 12 weeks. By then this special Kemper FCB pimping chip should be available just in time. If you can't wait, just order the FCB or get a used one and stick the UnO in and you can do all the rig changing that is needed. I can offer you my FCB with UnO and programming for my cost plus shipping. The sysex ripping and loading comes for free. I get myself just another FCB and wait for the Kemper-FCB chip. It even got those cool glow in the dark stickers on it. Deal? ;)
    The Kemper guys and gals just want to do good job and don't want it and don't need the bashing for releasing premature FW. So, just be nice and be patient for the things to come.
    Let's be friends!

    "rope ladder to the moon" or "stairway to heaven" :huh: UnO4KemperEPROM for FCB1010 with glow in the dark labels!


    Edited once, last by Labrat: fixed some of the typos (fheler) ().

    Thanks Labrat for your reply and I appreciate your de-escalating approach!

    I did not want to attack someone on a personal level but I wanted to express my dissatisfaction as a customer with the way Kemper (as a company) seperates Marketing from Communication.


    Marketing is all the stuff we see on the webpage, on various Music fairs, advertisments and so on - where you can read about all the wondrous stuff (see

    http://kemper-amps.com/page/re…gs__Presets_And_More.html
    ) but when you are asking about planned releases you will get no information.

    As I said before: I can live quite well without the Perform Mode - but actually I was sold something else and I´m a little bit suprised that this has not stirred much more "outrage" than it actually does.


    I also appreciate that you understand how boring/irritating midi as a concept is for me and I´m happy for you that you have mastered it - but I actually don´t want to go in there. I just want a specifically designed piece of hardware that is avalable as an accessoire for the Kemper amp. And all I want - really that is all - is to know WHEN I might expect to buy one.

    If Kemper says - Spring 2014 - great! Fair enough - I will try to find an alternative FCB for my gig. In this case I might take you up on your offer ;)


    I´m not on a which hunt, I´m not with the spanish inquisition ("Nobody expects the spanish Inquisition!!") but I would appreciate a little more effort from Kemper (Company not man) to keep it´s customer base informed.


    "Let´s be friends" - absolutely! :thumbup:

    The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you´ve got it made!
    Groucho Marx

    Edited once, last by Berglmir ().

    Quote from Berglmir

    I also appreciate that you understand how boring/irritating midi as a concept is for me and I´m happy for you that you have mastered it - but I actually don´t want to go in there.


    Oh, this is a misunderstanding. I did not master the MIDI stuff! I've just spend money on the chip, on the editor and downloaded the sysex file from the forum and loaded it via the editor on to the FCB pimped with the UnO. I did not change one line of MIDI code. I'm not even close to understand it. I have to admit, that I had to open the FCB and tinker the chip onto the seating.
    From what I understood, this is the only thing required with the Kemper-FCB chip solution available. I might be wrong but, but I believe it is a turnkey solution for the time until the company comes up with their own floorboard or so.
    Regarding release dates, I know how you feel and how Kemper is trying to managing this. I was walking those shoes for long years trying to keep customers happy demoing prototypes and Alpha releases and there was always the question: "when can we get this?" We handled that finally in a way that we asked our quality group about stability and sure after getting hit with a truck several times, we learned to trust their verdict.
    Managing releases of hardware and software is one of the most complicated project management tasks and the human factor is huge in this melange. One key developer calls in sick for 3 weeks and the whole project is skidding, especially in small development teams. So, one learns it the hard way and no communication is sometimes better than being to confident blurting things out into the world. ;(
    When Apples releases stuff the product is already done, finished, on production level since months. Only then they led slip a possible release date with "dark channels". And even then can the sh.. hit a fan... You might recall the antenna issue with the iPhone 4 or so.
    All the best and thank you for your kind answer. :thumbup:

    I'm quiet sure CK did provide some info about the release date of the footcontroller (just to lazy (tired) at the moment to search for the thread). If I remember it correctly, he wrote that the controller will be available in the fourth quarter of this year.

    Funny, you read one thread where folks are begging for more CC's and dynamic mapping, and then another thread in which MIDI is cursed with much hatred. you do not need a MIDI floor board for the KPA even to gig. there are jacks in the back to allow standard momentary switches to toggle through tones. There are folks gigging KPA's just using those. A bigger MIDI controller really is only necessary in the cases you want to work the unit like a standard pedal board.


    All that said, if you really want to get the most out of the unit, you will have to learn MIDI at some point. In the case of the Kemper in which the proposed floorboarad doesn't even have enough toggles to control all the effects slots, I guarantee you will have to program it as well to do anything other than the most rudimentary switching. Many folks shy away from it because they get intimidated, but it's dead simple to understand form the very simplistic way it's implemented for guitars. The basics boils down to this: there are 2 types of messages you can send by MIDI to the KPA: PC or Program Change (these change presets or rigs in the case of the KPA) and CC or Control Change (these are essentially parameters including on/off state of things). If you can understand that last sentence, you can program any MIDI floorboard ever created. I keep posting this link over and over, needs to be a sticky. Read this thread for more info:


    MIDI Programming Tips