What makes most sense as a backup to your kemper rig?

    TL;DR: if you were to buy a 2nd kemper to back up your main rig, which one would you buy?

    I fully converted to kemper a few months ago. I'm loving every second of it and I don't see myself ever going back to traditional amps. The one thing that worries me is a potential backup plan. It's not that I don't trust the kemper, I'm just the kind of person who always likes to have a backup for everything. I know failures are a possibility with any type of gear but if you have a traditional amp/pedals setup, you could either go direct to the sound board with your pedalboard or maybe borrow a backline amp or someone else's amp if there's something available. With a kemper rig being so self contained, I feel like you're a little further up the creek without a paddle if it fails.

    SO...all of that is to say: If you guys were to get a second kemper to backup your main kemper rig, which form factor would you go for and why? Also...what's your main kemper rig? The main rig form factor probably has some influence on which form factor you'd go with as a backup.

    For me, I have a power rack that's mounted with my in ears, guitar wireless system, and the power conditioner. On one hand, I feel like a non-powered rack would be a good backup that I could mount in the same rack case as my main rig. It would allow for quick and easy switch-over should the main one go down. The drawback being that it would require me to get, at minimum, an 8u case which would be pretty damn bulky/heavy. On the other hand, a kemper stage might be perfect since I could keep it in the carrying bag at the ready. It also might be nice to have a smaller, even more self contained unit to have around at home for recording or for the studio.

    Thoughts?

    Edited once, last by jbhg30 (January 13, 2023 at 6:02 PM).

    I've been using the Kemper for every gig I've done since February 2012.

    At one point I got worried and bought a 2nd KPA in case anything happened KPA 1.

    I've never had to use my backup KPA and use it purely for recording at home with my other left in the van.

    If anything does happen I have a duplicate set of gig profiles on a usb stick 1that I can load onto KPA 2 but .......as I said , I've never had an issue

    Quote from Robman

    I've been using the Kemper for every gig I've done since February 2012.

    At one point I got worried and bought a 2nd KPA in case anything happened KPA 1.

    I've never had to use my backup KPA and use it purely for recording at home with my other left in the van.

    If anything does happen I have a duplicate set of gig profiles on a usb stick 1that I can load onto KPA 2 but .......as I said , I've never had an issue

    Right on! Which versions do you have? Toaster? Rack? Glad to hear you haven't needed the backup!

    Quote from Robman

    Also, welcom eto the Forum !!!

    Thanks :)

    i have a powered toaster. If I had to buy a backup I would go unpowered rack. Although I absolutely love the design of the toaster (it is a work of art as much as it is apiece of music equipment) I would buy the Power Rack if I was buying again today as it is the most flexible and practical all round option.

    The Stage does have the benefit of a second fx loop and wifi but I just don’t find the form factor as practical or portable and it doesn’t come with a built in power am option.


    The toaster just looks gorgeous and is the second most portable/useable factor. I initially thought that the extra LEDs and knobs over the rack would be really useful but in reality they aren’t something I use at all.


    However. If it was just for an emergency backup I wouldn’t buy a second Kemper. I would go for something like the Tech21 Rig, Bluguitar, or a small self contained pedal that fits in a gig bag or guitar case. I don’t care that it may not sound as good as my Kemper or doesn’t have full effects options. I would literally only ever be using like a space saver tyre to get my through an emergency.

    Back in 2013-4 I got a power rack as spare of my un.powered head cause I was afraid it may freeze or fail during live situations. NEVER ever had to use it.

    [The only tool that saved my gig, only once, was actually a V amp 2 that replaced a Marshall dsl 401 combo. It was an old preamp tube (v1) that failed during sound check. ]

    I still have both my head and power rack and I just use the rack when I'm looking for a true Stereo set up with the Lucille (ES 355 stereo )

    Quote: “if you were to buy a 2nd kemper to back up your main rig, which one would you buy?” - “I'm just the kind of person who always likes to have a backup for everything.”


    The concept of having back up is a soundly proven, professional approach.

    Even if a live concert is not in the offing, sometimes electronic devices may require servicing.

    Also, there’s convenience in having a studio set up permanently in place and a transportable set up ready to go.

    Whatever way one looks at it, however one decides to implement their use, if one can afford it, a backup system provides insurance.


    As for which to choose, there are benefits in having identical, duplicate systems.

    Especially when the devices concerned are highly sophisticated, involving a substantial learning curve to gain familiarity with their use.

    Alternatively, with broadly similar systems once one family device is mastered, there is simply the physical differences in layout that need to be absorbed.

    A rack that also can include related gear utilised with the Kemper instead of a toaster in situations that demand flight cases, will derive benefits for those involved in a great deal of “road use”.

    Similarly, those pre-eminently concerned with live performance involving foot switchable effects may find a floor unit as an alternative back up, to provide highly useful facilities in a compact, feature filled package.


    As different individuals will identify with differing situations in how they with actually use their Kemper.

    In practice only the individual involved is best place to analyse which approach and what products will provide an ideal combination to suit their singular requirements.

    All this of course, presumes that money is no object.

    In that instance, clearly the optimum route is to obtain a duplicate device to one’s main rig.

    Which can be both a form of reputation building security and provide greater convenience along with a wider range of options and approaches for differing circumstances.

    If money is a concern, but a straight forward, simple form of safety backup is required, I would look at devices like the Quilter Aviator III head or combo, or other of their products.

    Finally, in a couple of weeks Blackstar will announce the launch of a similar device to some of the Quilter products at around £600 providing 100 watts with E.Q. and five footswitches for effects.

    The most standard option would be a second power rack and a way to switch between them quickly. Once the switch is made there's no further compromise.

    It really depends on your specific requirements. If you play big shows where there's no tolerance for unprofessional stuff, then you need a very quick option that doesn't sound like a JC120 for the whole show.

    For bars/ parties/ corporates there's a bit more wiggle room.

    Quote from Finally

    The most standard option would be a second power rack and a way to switch between them quickly. Once the switch is made there's no further compromise.

    It really depends on your specific requirements. If you play big shows where there's no tolerance for unprofessional stuff, then you need a very quick option that doesn't sound like a JC120 for the whole show.

    For bars/ parties/ corporates there's a bit more wiggle room.

    This is the key point. I have an emergency backup, not a full backup...in other words, just something to get me through to the end of the night, which is a sans amp.

    I don't carry a spare KPA because:

    1) Its expensive for something that is very unlikely to happen

    2) Its heavy to carry 2 to every show...and with that logic I should take a spare remote and cab

    3) I've never had gear fail during a gig, and that includes valve amps.

    Helix stomp. Nice and compact and works well in the fx loop of the toaster for extra effects. Sits well on top of it and is easily switched over to standalone in case of emergency. Tbh I’ve been using a kemper since it was first released. Never had any problems but I’ve always taken a backup just in case.

    My backup is a headrush mx5.

    It doesn't sound as good, but it fits in my gigbag. I've never had the kemper go down, so it'll probably never get used, but it's there if I need it.

    KPA Unpowered Rack, Kemper Remote, Headrush FRFR108s, BC Rich Mockingbird(s), and a nasty attitude.

    I see two pragmatic options for backup of any Kemper setup:

    1. full replacement: you want to replace your current setup as invisibly as possible - same sounds, same feel. Then I'd say the best option is to get a Kemper Stage. You can carry it in a gig bag (throw in a small palmer amp if you need to drive a passive speaker), it can act as a replacement for the remote as well, and it can do double duty as fly-in-gig equipment where you can't take your rack with you.

    2. emergency backup: in case of the Kemper going down or crazy, you just want something to somehow limp through the rest of the gig. So you need something to credibly provide the handful of bread and butter sounds from clean to lead with a minimum of fuss. For that, I'd go for any decent entry-level modeler, provided they have enough buttons to have all your essential sounds at the tip of your foot. For this, I'd probably go for either a Pod Go or a Valeton GP-200. Sound-wise definitely good enough to limp through a gig, and both have enough buttons to have at least four patches on direct access, so you can survive most songs without having to change banks or kneel down to fiddle with dials and such.

    The last criterion is what would disqualify something like the Helix Stomp for me - sure, small enough to carry in your guitar bag, but too small button-wise for real-time on-the-spot patch changing (unless you can get through the night on 2 or 3 sounds, which I can't). The Stomp XL is nicer, but the button layout doesn't feel comfortable (to me) to survive a full gig with it as a main device.

    Just my 0.02 EUR - YMMV...

    Cheers,

    Torsten

    Edited once, last by ToH2002 (January 17, 2023 at 6:30 PM).