For those who think it can never happen to us...or....My DXR10 CRASHED!

Gizmo · December 12, 2016 at 9:00 PM

So this weekend I was playing a gig at a place I’ve played about 50 times, the last 30 or so have been with my KPA.
I played here about 15 times with my Atomic CLR and the last 15 or so with my DXR10.

Usually I sit the cab on a chair and the KPA on top of the cab. This is easy with the CLR but a bit precarious with the DXR10 so I use a strap to hold the KPA on top of the DXR10 like so….

[Blocked Image: http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m268/Gizmo1952/KPA%20fall/FRONT_zpsjpqfdwel.jpeg]

[Blocked Image: http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m268/Gizmo1952/KPA%20fall/LEFT_zpstidzxk0w.jpeg]

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During the middle of a particularly loud and energetic song, I felt something gently brush the back of my legs and I looked around to find there was no KPA or DXR10 on the chair anymore. The cab had vibrated itself forward and had toppled (along with the KPA) off the front and onto the floor like so…HORROR! (of course these pics are just a reconstruction at my house, when it happened it was all wired up)

[Blocked Image: http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m268/Gizmo1952/KPA%20fall/DOWN_zpswgtf1qt0.jpeg]

Anyway, the show must go on. I realised that I could still hear myself, and the KPA was connected to the FOH, so I just kept on playing until the end of the song, meanwhile worrying what damage had befallen my precious KPA.

Once the song was over I reached down and picked up the DXR10 and the KPA as one unit, still held together by the strap, and placed it back on the chair.
There was no damage to the KPA and everything seemed ok. The strap had actually held the KPA to the DXR10 so it didn’t nose-dive into the floor like this….

[Blocked Image: http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m268/Gizmo1952/KPA%20fall/DOWN%20R_zpsx8xfw2tq.jpeg]

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I would never have believed this was possible….first that the cab had vibrated forward so far and also that my little makeshift strap had held them both together in the fall. Here is my little life saver.

[Blocked Image: http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m268/Gizmo1952/KPA%20fall/STRAP_zpsxs7uwz9r.jpeg]

It seems like the light weight of the DXR10, combined with the slippy nature of its housing on top of a flat slippy chair surface are not secure so I’ll now be taking a non-slip pad with me to gigs in the future. either that or a couple of chocks under the front legs of the chair.

Moral of the story…don’t assume your KPA is secure. I’ve seen a couple of pics on this forum where the precarious position of the KPA worried me…it’s only a matter of time before it takes a fall.

Anyway, I hope someone can benefit from this…it could have been a disaster for the KPA…she lives to play another day!

Michael_dk · December 12, 2016 at 9:14 PM

Wow... That strap saved your KPA, man! It likely has enough give in it that the landing was fairly soft, not much of a shock.... Apart from your own shock, of course...

whippinpost91850 · December 12, 2016 at 9:23 PM

Glad all is well... Probably should strap it all to the chair as well!

Ingolf · December 12, 2016 at 10:24 PM

Phew! What a relief!

skoczy · December 12, 2016 at 10:50 PM

Lucky you are @Gizmo!
But anyway ale the setup looked risky.
Top of chair seat is lacquered, DXR10 chassis is kind of slippery.
If you attached strap to the chair it would also fall eventually with DXR10 and KPA.
I think you should use a piece of rubber between chair and DXR10, or at least on the areas when DXR10 touches chair (it it's not flat) - than attaching DXR10 to chair makes sense.
Good that your gear is well.

Gizmo · December 12, 2016 at 11:23 PM

Thanks guys.
Actually, the chair I used at the venue is dead flat (the one in the pic is at home and is definitely not flat!)

A piece of non slip foam is probably the best answer...maybe some of that stuff that goes under a mat or in a kitchen drawer!

Of course as we know, all venues are different and it's practically impossible to prepare for each one, especially the small venues and tiny stages and one disadvantage of the DXR10 over the CLR is it's shape.

VESmedic · December 12, 2016 at 11:24 PM

I'm just going to go ahead and ask... Why the hell would anyone strap their 2k dollar digital unit on to a loud PA speaker that sends all kinds of vibrations from low end etc, let alone has the capacity to move on its own? I mean to each his own but... This is incredibly careless and not thought out at all from my point of view... I would caution anyone to do anything close to this, probably the farthest thing from a good idea.

skoczy · December 12, 2016 at 11:26 PM

Quote from Gizmo

Thanks guys.
Actually, the chair I used at the venue is dead flat (the one in the pic is at home and is definitely not flat!)

A piece of non slip foam is probably the best answer...maybe some of that stuff that goes under a mat or in a kitchen drawer!

Of course as we know, all venues are different and it's practically impossible to prepare for each one, especially the small venues and tiny stages and one disadvantage of the DXR10 over the CLR is it's shape.

Just get piece of rubber at the size of the DXR10 side on which it is laying on the chair.
Again, you had lots of luck!

Gizmo · December 12, 2016 at 11:58 PM

Quote from VESmedic

I'm just going to go ahead and ask... Why the hell would anyone strap their 2k dollar digital unit on to a loud PA speaker that sends all kinds of vibrations from low end etc, let alone has the capacity to move on its own? I mean to each his own but... This is incredibly careless and not thought out at all from my point of view... I would caution anyone to do anything close to this, probably the farthest thing from a good idea.

Don't think I'm on my own with this
Been doing it on my CLR for nearly 3 years.
I would hazard a guess that this unit is at least as robust as a regular amp head...which sit on top of REALLY big cabs the world over.
I've probably been ok because I don't play that loud but this gig had a loud bass player and a B3 with a Leslie...probably kicked up a storm on stage ...sounded GREAT!

P3t3rB · December 13, 2016 at 9:49 AM

Blimey I bet your heart was in your mouth when you saw it on the floor!

Glad everything is ok.

niloc · December 13, 2016 at 11:27 AM

Having searched these forums for a very long time now I cannot see the answer to my question:Is there any body who has invented a portable stand for the KPA that is a decent height ( 3 to 4 feet high) and is very hard to knock over? I love the Kemper but I cringe everytime I take it on a gig because I've seen plenty of gear crash in my time.

flyingheelhook · December 13, 2016 at 1:22 PM

I normally use an amp stand and even then, I bungie everything together.

Mic2002 · December 13, 2016 at 2:45 PM

I use an amp stand as well - this is it http://www.proel.co.uk/index.php?rout…product_id=3537 the KPA rubber legs sits just inside each arm and the back has room for cables etc. Very hard to knock over.

Gizmo · December 13, 2016 at 3:22 PM

On larger stages, I use an amp stand too. The kind with three legs and that tilts back. But I still put my cab on it and bungie the KPA to it. It's quite low but on big stages I can get far enough away that the sound is aimed at my ears and not my knees and I'm not tripping over the legs..which I have done when I tried it on a small stage.

On small stages (which is mostly where I play), I have to get the cab higher off the ground and usually there is room for only one stand so I can't have separate places for cab and KPA without kicking the sax player or the harp player off the stage

I once had the pleasure of putting my CLR on a tall speaker stand and had the KPA right next to me....what a pleasure that was but sadly those venues are few and far between.

stratattack · December 13, 2016 at 10:05 PM

more proof that seat belts save lives . . and gear