Posts by OneEng1

I guess the thing I have latched onto from this thread is that using an off-line-editor for performance management would be a real advantage for those of us that use the KPA in a predominantly live gigging situation.

Such an editor would be relatively easy I would think ..... since we are not talking about controlling every parameter for every slot, we are only talking about gig management.

Just name each performance for the song, and then name the rigs for their sound and song and you could easily manage every gig with a custom set of performances.

Hmmm. You know, that might not even be that difficult to program assuming that the MIDI commands exist to do such a thing.

Without a doubt, eq is the most important part of the signal chain IMO.

Less gain nearly always allows the guitar to cut into the mix better. Without the entire band playing, our ears tend to "like" more bass in the guitar tone. Unless you play metal (where the guitar is really a 2nd bass anyway IMO), the guitar needs mids and highs to cut into the mix. You do have to be careful with the highs though, they can cause the sound to be "brittle"

Frequently, I have seen people add "more gain" because doing so also adds "more highs" which cuts the mix better and gives more clarity .... but more gain also makes notes less distinct.

Try backing off the gain, then using the eq to bring back the clarity of the guitar. Use of the "Clarity" and "definition" parameters within the amp portion of the stack also can add quite a bit of cut for the guitar sound.

I tend to use the "pure cab" parameter to give me more smoothness, and more complex more coherent distortion"

For songs with very strong attack on the guitar, the "pick" parameter in the amp section is also very useful.

Quote from flyingheelhook

I think you are focusing on just the amp stack and forgetting all the other parameters that can be stored/saved as presets. I can only imagine that you make no use of presets of any kind (individual stomps/effects, groups of stomps/effects) or standardizing them across multiple rigs and performances, otherwise you would understand where I am (we are) coming from. If all you are doing is dragging and dropping rigs into a performance (or manually creating them on the fly in the Kemper interface) and saving it 'as is' and not trying to utilize standard presets then I can see how you wouldn't need anything else. It would be just like plugging into an amp without a pedal board. That really would make life easier.

No, I modify all portions of the signal chain within any given performance slot to achieve the tone I am looking for. I generally use some stomps to modify that position for things like "more gain", "volume boost", "delay" which I activate with the remote. I create a "type of sound" that is used across many songs. By doing this, I avoid having to memorize that much.

Green day / Three Doors Down - Medium gain mesa sound
Wonderful Tonight backup - warm delayed reverbed fender
Enter Sandman - High Gain (thick) sound
Chilli Peppers - Chimey clean(ish) sound
Eagles backup guitar - acoustic (ish) sound
Intro to Kryptonite - same chimey clean as peppers song

To be honest, I would love to have a performance per song, but the way things are right now, there is simply no way I could manage that. Perhaps if this changes in the future, I will start managing gigs like this too. It really does seem to be the best approach since you can tailor the guitar volume changes and sounds specifically for that song.

Quote from flyingheelhook

I use my Kemper exclusively for live work and having a user interface of some sort that would make it easier to manage all of my presets across all of my performances (and all of the future performances I am waiting to set up once something comes along that makes it easier to manage them and the presets) would be extremely valuable to me. IMHO, it has nothing to do with live vs. studio or pro vs. amateur, and everything to do with being able to fully exploit the full potential of the unit in a user-friendly way. Contrary to some, the current interfaces that are available (screen on front; rig manager; methods of preset management) are not user-friendly and capable of allowing the sort of control and interaction I need. YMMV

I am thinking that the big difference in the use cases between live users is on how you setup for gigs.

I remember a thread some time ago where this exact question was asked. I was surprised to hear that many people setup performance levels for specific songs, then use rigs within the performance for different sounds within a song. When setting up the KPA for the gig, these people actually setup ALL of the performances for every song in the set list.

I can really see a need for a software management system for this use case.

Others (like myself) don't have a performance per song, but rather a set of performances with different gains and types of amps going from left to right clean to heavy. Only a few performances are used on every song played. This use case needs much less editing and management.

I think that recording may be the most dependent of all use cases on its need for a PC editor.

Quote from domsch1988

Let's just say i'm toying with the idea to switch to an afx. My current work is 100% recording and 0% playing live. I love the tones the kemper produces but the current UX means my recording workflow takes around 30% longer. Many people produce similar results with the afx.
If i'd play live more this might be a different conversation, but it isn't. And this also means i won't be buying the remote. Currently this is only based on the fact that the kemper does not integrate into my recording environment in any way... Take from that what you want...

I guess I am a bit blinded by the fact that my use-case is solely live gigging. If I were recording, I may feel differently. I honestly don't have any issues getting around on the GUI built into the Kemper. I may feel differently if I wanted to use it for recording with a DAW where my hands were already on the mouse and keyboard.

Be that as it is, I have to wonder how many people gig or bedroom gig vs record using the Kemper? From my somewhat selfish standpoint, it seems that more people would gig this device. It just feels like it was meant to go out and play live with.

FWIW, I am in no way associated with the company, I am just a user.

They don't "owe" anyone anything. Everyone here purchased the Kemper "as is" and there is no contractual obligation for Kemper to do any updates what-so-ever.

Those of you who purchased a tube amp in the past didn't get to go to the company and ask for new features that were not in the product when you purchased it. When you buy a car, you don't get to ask the company to add a feature later that wasn't there when you bought the vehicle.

Lets get real here.

The only reason for Kemper to create a PC based editor is if their sales would benefit from doing it. The hand full of people on this forum that are asking for it don't make up a hill of beans in the decision. Further more, the development of such an editor will likely cost (my estimation) around $150,000 to $250,000 IME. Software and firmware engineers are NOT cheep and the upkeep of yet another tool associated with the Kemper has a long term effect on OR (Operating Result). So someone do the math for me here and explain how this gets paid for?

BTW, if my company had a public forum and people were demanding that we make a business decision based on their desires, I would not chime in either. I would likely not be effected one way or the other. It is purely a business decision.

The Helix has an outstanding editor. Can't make it sound as good as a Kemper though.

As an engineering development manager, I can sympathize with the Kemper team. Developing firmware, DSP and especially hardware is way more involved than most people will ever know.

The Kemper is a premium professional performance tool. Those of us who own it expect it to perform flawlessly. Many of us rely on it to perform flawlessly to pay the bills.

As a result, changes must be approached very conservatively. It is estimated in program management that for every hour of software work, there are 10 hours of validation and fixes.

I am in automotive, and prior to that was in the nuclear navy so my idea of "ready to release" is quite different from how many other industries would define it. While bugs in the Kemper don't quite have the severe consequences of these examples, I am pretty sure no one here would tolerate any serious problems in the field.

Kemper's track record of product updates has been quite good. I am sure that we will be seeing new and exciting features released soon.

Quote from tylerhb

I would say FRFR with active monitors is a huge step up once you learn how to dial the tones. I played my Yamaha DXRs for some years. However my band switched to IEM recently and i will never go back. Combined with a X32 mixer that provides each band member with an individual stereo mix this is just an incredibly satisfying way of playing music.

That is my setup as well. When I guest play with other bands, I bring along one of my DSR112 tops as a monitor, but my main band plays with all IEM's off of an X32. Hard to imagine going back

Quote from chu

A user here spoke to someone on the Kemper stand at Namm. They were informed that something was in progress regarding new reverbs. There was no promise of time frame or any other details.

Since then, team Kemper have said nothing other than to question the validity of the above. As I know, everything about new reverb is supposition.

Thanks chu,

I suppose I will just have to live with the ultimate guitar tone machine as it is for now. Poor me

I don't want to turn this into a whine fest, or general complaint thread.

I would just like to consolidate the information that may be known about the new verbs and the general time frame for the release.

I thought I remembered the verbs being promised this year. Anyone have any comments?

Quote from ohcrapitskurt

I just picked up a JBL eon612 today. My Kemper is at that practice studio so I shall see how it sounds for just basic jamming

No offense intended. I have never been a fan of the EON speakers (and this is an understatement). If you don't care for the sound through the EON, be sure you try something else before giving up on FRFR speakers.

Rumor has it that the Alto TS212 is a decent sounding speaker, but doesn't go as loud as the DXR and isn't as robust. Maybe you could give a few powered speakers a try with your Kemper at a local music store?

Quote from Xander

Hi! In our band the other guitarist had a Kemper playing through an Jbl 15" frfr and myself playing through kemper and dxr 10. Last rehersal he had sold his kemper and got an evh 5150||| with matching 2x12 cab.

The sound separation is much better between us now when he plays trough his 5150 i think.
We play loud, so my dxr is at aprox 80% of max.

To the other guy who wondered about dxr 10 and 8 stringed...
Try the dxr15, it sounds identical to the dxr 10 but with more low end on tap if you need it and goes a bit louder.
It`s easier to remove low end from a 15" than to add low end to a 10" that can`t handle it:)
The firehawk also sound interesting, i mean if Devin Townsend chooses to use it with his kemper live it can`t suck that bad

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Exactly this!!!

The DXR15 will more than keep up with a 4x12 cab in terms of bottom end, and will provide great clarity in the HF (better than most cabs IMO).

Color is nice; however, more important than color is readability and usability.

Done well, color can help with both.

The "Wow" factor is certainly a good reason though. I would put a color LCD into the next gen device for marketing purposes alone.

Damn!

Quote from ColdFrixion

The problem with the Axe FX isn't its amp modeling. The amp models sound excellent, in my opinion. The stock IRs, on the other hand, are seriously lacking.

Could very well be.

Quote from Horspip

I've been in a rehearsal studio over the last few weeks, in a band with another guitarist. The other guy uses a 50W Marshall JVM and 4x12 cab. He dials in a very loud, chunky sound. He loves that typical compressed Marshall gain and thumpy 4x12 feel.
I've been using my Profiler with a single Yamaha DXR10. I can't comment on the CLR.
I can nail any sound I want, with greater clarity, cut and dispersion, as @Ingolf said previously. I also seem to have way more perceived volume on tap - possibly because of the greater clarity.
I love how my guitar sounds and never feel that the Kemper sounds artificial or digital next to a valve amp. I wouldn't swap.

I have converted a few tube amp purists over the last couple of years

Still,there are those who are used to a wall of 4x12's (seriously, I know of quite a few guys that have at 2 they run in stereo) who are never going to be happy with a 1x12 and a KPA.

Most everyone else will easily agree that the KPA and a good FRFR cab is capable of anything a 4x12 cab could achieve, and in many respects it is better.

I don't own or have ever played the Fractal product; however, from what I have read (thousands of reviews), it seems to be the general consensus that the Axe II Fx does have a better efx chain than the Kemper, but that the Kemper is more amp-like.

My experience with the KPA has also been quite good for the reasons stated in this thread. It is just easy to get a good tone out the KPA. From a spanky fender clean, to a brutal heavy metal sound, it just seems pretty simple.

I would say that from the hundreds of profiles I have auditioned, I have only kept a dozen. Even my purchased rigs .... maybe 1 out of 20 in the pack ends up on my performance settings.

The ones I keep though, I edit and hone to brilliance..... and it doesn't take long to get to "Brilliant" IMO. This is the greatest strength of the KPA IMO.

Quote from ancientmariner

I have experienced this with 1960a cabs alot. They are very susceptible to different enviroments. When my bad changed rehersal location recently, I was stunned at how good it sounded with my powerhead, at the previous place it was so harsh and full of top end that i hated it. Live too, from venue to venue there is a big fluctuation on tone, the 1960 cabs seem more susceptible to it than other cabs I have used. In the end I went with a dxr10 and never looked back simply because i wanted more of the profile and less of the cab colouring my profiles.

That is likely the best cure.

IMHO you should never play outdoors without putting the guitar through the PA. You want to spread the sound around. Outdoors is normally going to be a much bigger space that you are trying to get your sound out to.

Within any club that isn't stadium sized, a DXR10/12 should be more than loud enough to keep up with the band. Again, wide stages and wide venues are a big issue for a single point source of sound. You are better off sending the guitar through the PA in these venues.

The DSR112 does not have as much bottom end as the DXR12; however, it will go considerably louder (I use these for my tops for FOH duty).

Typically the following are reasons that a guitar doesn't cut into the mix as it should:

• Too much gain
• Too many effects
• Not enough highs and mid-highs in the PEQ

Try adding "definition" and "clarity" in the amp section as well. A bit of extra "pick" also helps to get note definition.

Make sure you don't also have your cab section turned on while going into the cab.

If you are using a cab, it is possible that the cab is being distorted at high volumes as well. Try running your non-powered outputs straight into the PA and see how that sounds.