Posts by BluesBird

This is a profound discussion. Thanks to all who contributed so far. It helps me understand some great concepts for using the Kemper to achieve great sounds in any situation. I agree, listening to a profile in context of the other instruments is vital to really dialing in a sound. It's not enough to get a great sound by itself - although that is also valuable and inspiring!

Recording and engineering techniques are valuable skills that help in achieving our best recorded AND live performances.

Unless one plays solo (actually, even if one plays solo!) - the ability to listen to what is around us is paramount to fitting into the music in the best possible way. Each time we try something new we are adding to our experiences and hopefully climbing a little higher on the mountain of great tone. Because the fact is that it's a never-ending quest :-).

+1 OS X - with LIBRARIAN function - Please!

I just noticed this expression pedal from Sweetwater Sound here in the United States:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EP1KPGN

I have read some good reviews of Mission Engineering pedals. They're the company that makes this pedal Sweetwater is offering. I like the matching green color which complements the Kemper

Surely there are other expression pedals that will work too. It is important to find out what a pedal does and what the Kemper requires before you buy. This one from Sweetwater is said to have a precisely-matched potentiometer that is designed to work smoothly with the Kemper. It also has an on-off footswitch built in (like a wah pedal) that can turn the expression pedal on and off without needing a separate on/off footswitch.

Of course it's important to read the Kemper manual in order to hook up an expression pedal correctly. The ability to control the Kemper effects from an expression pedal should be really cool.

Good luck with your efforts!

Everyone please check out the Tips & Tricks (wiKPA) document, which was just updated again. It's overflowing with great techniques on how to use the Kemper Preamp to the fullest

Thanks to Gianfranco (viabcroce) for this helpful collection of info!

Re: Mac users looking for an alternative PDF reader - I just downloaded and installed Skim (mentioned elsewhere in the forum) and it seems to work beautifully in Mac OS 10.8.2. I haven't checked Skim out thoroughly but it displays the wiKPA document perfectly. Thanks for the tip, whoever suggested it Skim is available at http://sourceforge.net

It's great to have the two choices. Black or White, they both offer a rainbow of surpassing beauty in guitar tone.
I'm proud to own a White Kemper - the first Kemper color, instantly an important part of guitar amp history now and forever!

I think I'd prefer the 2x180W@ eight ohm implementation. The amp section could probably run in mono if desired as well as in stereo when needed. Versatility is a good thing!

Thanks for your thoughtful reply and for welcoming me to the forum.

Everything you said above makes a lot of sense. I'm concerned about high power being a tradeoff with negative aspects of background hiss noise or problems with fan noise or reliability issues, but amp technology has advanced a lot, hasn't it? I can agree that high power isn't a problem as long as quality sound is still there.

A friend commented that if the fan is a larger 80mm one with thermostatic control, fan noise probably wouldn't be obnoxious. I accept all of this with optimism that a great solution will occur that will satisfy most users.

This is my first post as a new Kemper owner. Hopefully it's understandable if massive volume is not much a part of my priorities. I've already done plenty of damage to my hearing in many years of loud situations. That's one of the reasons I would prefer a low-to-medium-powered Kemper amp module. But there are other reasons why I think low-to-medium power makes sense.

Studio use compared to massive-volume use are pretty much at opposite ends of the spectrum. That the Kemper could successfully house a low-to-medium power section seems more realistic to me. Massive-volume users needing high power solutions already have them at hand. Trying to make a Kemper power section be all things to all people doesn't seem practical. Design tradeoffs should hopefully lead to the most needed and useful options. Better in my opinion to make the Kemper amp module have great sound and be expandable with outside power amps rather than to stuff an overpowered amp section in there and suffer consistency or sound quality problems as a result.

I think high power in a small-sized enclosure like the Kemper is asking for trouble in reliability of the preamp due to heat buildup that would likely occur unless a fan is added. Fans are great if you're playing loud but at low volume they are generally audible and that is what concerns me. I am fan-phobic because background noise can be extremely distracting in a studio. Of course, other user's mileage may vary.

For my uses, something around 30 to 50 watts per channel in a stereo power amp would be ideal. 50 watts per side would certainly be a respectable amount of power in the small Kemper enclosure. If someone needs to be louder, there are already a few great options to be had. I'd be happy with a 25 watts-per-side stereo amp or maybe a 30-watt mono amp in the interests of reliability and audiophile sound quality. Stereo is already an option with an external power amp so, for me, it's not as big a priority as having an amp with reliability, portability, and foremost, excellent sound quality.

Of course, if an amp section can be designed that meets my wishes for clean, quiet and dependable power and it has 250 watts per side, so much the better!

Please understand this is just my opinion. My thanks to those in the forum who are helpful and friendly. We are stronger and more vital if everyone respects the other viewpoints even if they disagree. Everyone has the right to their opinion. All the best to each of you who are Kemper users!