I don’t think it can. The stage doesn’t have any cat 6 jack that is meant to send that kind of information out of it.
it can be programmed to send PC messages, but only on rig changes. Specifically each rig could send one PC message on each of two channels.
So in that way, you could use a stage to control another Kemper with midi, but you would be limited to five commands per bank. It wouldn’t give you the simplicity of using the dedicated remote.
You have to read between the lines. If you go to the test one, test two, and test three sections of the video, I couldn't tell one unit from another. They all sounded the same to me with my good headphones on. (The only time you could hear or see a difference was the null tests. But actually comparing the original amp to the captures of the units, THEY ALL SOUNDED THE SAME.) The guy even admitted as much. His complaints about "low end" was only in what he saw on his screen and perhaps heard in the null lack of cancelation.
So if they all sound the same as the original amp at this point, the reason to prefer one unit over another should come down to other factors. So why choose Kemper? The other units can only give you an accurate snapshot of the amp's knobs in one place. Kemper can give you that along with accuracy throughout the range of the original amp's gain and EQ thanks to Liquid tech. Kemper also gives you the best tools to modify your profiles, such as definition, clarity, pick, and the new cab resonance controls.
They've indicated that they are working on that. The big difference here is that unlike when liquid profiles came out (if my memory serves correctly) that was a surprise announcement, whereas 2.0 was announced in advance and tied to new hardware, with 2.0 taking them a lot longer than anticipated. So it's anyone's guess whether the liquid profile beta availability was delayed until they had a robust pack of liquid profiles to go with it.
And this distinction is relevant. You can't start building a collection of profiles to share with an update, unless the development of that update has reached the point that profiles can be made using it—AND your development needs to have reached the point to where you are confident that the format of the files you are creating today will be compatible with whatever changes you still need to make to the OS. So they really had two choices:
1. Share the beta as soon as it's ready; likewise when the release version is ready. Then give us a robust pack of 2.0 profiles when they are done.
2. Hold up the release of everything while they build up a substantial library of 2.0 profiles to share with us. (we'd still be waiting on 2.0 beta to drop and wondering if we'll get it by THIS summer.)
I prefer choice 1.
Can’t hurt to ask for it in a feature request if it’s important to you. It may not be possible. But if it is possible, it might require more dsp that they would prefer to save for other enhancements.
But I’d be curious to see some further tests and perhaps kemper’s own data on latency to determine if that test was accurate.
Perhaps better measurement would be if some folks with a good ear for latency who have rigs with a lot of cumulative latency find that the alleged extra 0.5-0.6 moves the latency into the noticeable or distracting range for them. for example someone who uses wireless guitar and wireless IEMs, the two effect loops in serial/mono (twice the da/ad) with the pedals in the loops adding them their own ad/da conversion.
A clean volume is unvelievable light on the dsp.
Some of us already use the volume and morph for other stuff.
I agree with all of that. If you didn't use morph for other stuff, morph would be a very powerful way to add a volume boost with a drive effect simultaneously.
I found in the main manual (version 14) pages172-173, how an expression pedal set to control volume could provide you with a post amp pure boost without eating up one of the effect modules, IF you wanted to utilize a volume expression pedal for this purpose, as it lets you set minimum and maximum values per rig, which includes boosting higher than unity, if I understand correctly, but then that would have to be a separate thing to control from toggling a drive effect.
IF you don't use morph for other things, you can achieve what you are going for in a superior way than having a post fixed effects pure boost. A forgotten feature is that you can simulate toggling effects on and off by morphing their mix from 0% to 100% (Or 100% to 0%) If you were to, say, morph a Kemper drive in module B from 0 to 100, it will sound like it's off in base state. (You won't be able to hear a difference toggling it on and off if its mix is set to zero). So using morph you can simulate toggling the drive effect on by morphing its mix while simultaneously morphing the volume control up in the amp section to provide you with the volume boost you are after. Even better you could also morph any other controls in the amp section that help your lead sound pop, while increasing the amount of noise gate or lowering the compressor, or whatever else.
A more ergonomic option (if you don't need the in-between morphs an expression pedal provides) is to trigger morph with the five Rig selection foot switches (see manual page 316) Set the rise and fall to zero in the Rig settings of each Rig. This let you instantly jump to from the base and morph by repeatedly pressing the same foot switch you used to select the Rig, (you'll see the LEDs on your Stage or remote indicate whether you are in base or morph state!) So if you are in Rig 2, pressing the Rig 2 foot switch again and instantly jump to your lead sound. If you want your to get to your lead sound in the morphed state of Rig 4, just double press the Rig 4 foot switch. The best part is that you don't have to switch rigs, then lift your foot to press a back row effect switch, like you would if you programmed one of them to toggle on a kemper drive and a pure boost. In this way, in a single performance you can instantly jump between five fully independent Rigs and instantly access a boosted version of them by a double press on the same footswitch. Then you still have all four effect foot switches to toggle other effects in each Rig.
However, I still 100% agree that a simple pure boost is a no-brainer in the post fixed effects, as being able to add a little volume boost to a lead sound would be a welcome feature. (While lowering clean comp helps, being able to fiddle with the amp's gain without worrying about volume balance with other rigs is one of the things I love most about kemper). If it's a matter of preserving as much DSP as possible, Kemper could add a pure boost setting to the post-amp fixed chorus. (so that the pure boost isn't one more independent effect you can toggle in the chain) Then you could leave the fixed chorus depth at 0% and increase it's hypothetical pure boost setting, enabling you to use this effect as a pure boost instead, but without introducing an additional fixed effect in the chain. The reason this could be a logical solution, is because the whole point of offering a post-amp fixed pure boost is because guitarists have other uses for the X and Mod modules than wasting them on a simple volume boost, since these modules are prime real estate for all the advanced stereo modulation effects—including the more advanced choruses that would make using the fixed chorus redundant. However, another way to include a toggle-able post-amp volume boost is to simply add a pure boost parameter to the amp block itself and allow it to be a toggled the same way the freeze function in the delays is assignable. From a DSP standpoint, this volume bump could be processed in mono, because it would be BEFORE the stereo X module, unlike the post amp fixed effects which are necessarily stereo.
Maybe a more efficient way to include such a feature would be to just allow the pure boost that already exists in fixed effects to be pre or post amp in order? So that it either stays in its current location, or can be moved with the post amp fixed effects?
We might be at the cap of what even the new mk2 can handle simultaneously, without running out of DSP or making us users manage DSP to allow more. The Kemper was designed with performance mode and no gap between rigs, so that you could switch between rigs mid song (unlike the competition that gives you an audio gap, but a longer signal path with snapshots or scenes within presets). So you’re better off using all five of the rigs in a performance (like you’re using scenes in the competition’s presets.) to get all the effect combos you need quick access to. Then supplement these five rigs with second row effect toggles and morph for the stuff you use less.
I would still prefer an equalizer. With flat settings and raising the volume you get the same effect of the booster, but you have a lot more flexibility in case you nees to adjust some frequency
In a similar thread I had suggested placing such an equalizer in the amp stack itself (as long as it’s foot switchable) then it saves these tweaks as part of the profile, and saves DSP because the signal is mono before it gets to the stereo X module.
For the life of me, I don't understand how he dials in amps. I've had 2 Plexis over the years, and they didn't sound anything like he dials them in. If you listen to recordings, they don't sound anything like he dials them in.
I've never played a real Plexi, so I couldn't tell you. I just got the pack at 73% off using his advertised discount code for the first 20. Hopefully, I'll have some time to play around with them later.
No one is being marginalized for not owning an mk2. This forum has hundreds if not thousands of threads for various purposes, no small number of. Many are oriented towards potential customers. The speculation thread of what 2.0 would be like was 50 pages!
Now that 2.0 is here, they created a thread specifically for people who are using 2.0 to give firsthand experience. To marginalize those who don’t have a mk2 yet? No. So that people who don’t have one yet can get firsthand information from users who HAVE used it, without having to dig through pages and pages of hearsay from those who haven’t. I have an MK2 stage, but haven’t yet had the opportunity to put 2.0 through its paces (and no longer own an amp to profile.) So there’s no reason anybody needs to hear my opinion about 2.0 on a thread dedicated to people who actually have firsthand experience.
You're probably better just waiting to get an MK2 when you can afford it, while sticking with just the MK1 until you do. Kemper 2.0, QC 2.0, Tonex 2.0, and NAM are probably all splitting hairs at this point in regards to accuracy of a snapshot. However, the Kemper 2.0 (and 1.0) is the only one that has liquid profiles where you can take that accuracy and tweak it with a matching tone stack, and now with 2.0 the cab resonance controls—to say nothing of all the extra controls your mk1 has, like definition, clarity, power sagging, pick and others that all the competition still lacks. I'd personally wait and see how MK1's running 2.0 profiles sound and feel to you. (I'd allow some time to get the betas sorted out before making a final determination.)
That said, if you'd like to have a backup rig or something portable for practice, the Tonex one is a good value. Pick one up used, try it out, and if it's not worth the hassle of using in the loop, sell it and lose no more than shipping and seller fees.
Play with clean compensation in the amp section. It’s 100% by default and in most profiles. Lowering some might help drive pedals in loops, and internal drive effects work better.
Interesting experiment, prior to expermenting with some drive pedals in the loops I connected the send returns of the two loops with nothing but patch cables to see if I could notice and added latency or change in tone and I could not.
Yes to distance, angle, and position because the profile process captures the sound of the amplifier and the mic'd cab. Change the mic or anything about its' distance, angle, and position and those things will be a part of what you profile. Just like listening to a real mic'd cab through studio monitors is affected how you mic it, the same is true of the profile. And it's the mic'd sound of the profile that is identical-sounding to the original mic'd amp+cab.
Does anyone have a feel for how long the 'beta' might run? I am a little tempted to wait for the production version. But that depends on how long it stays in beta. I have been skimming for reports of bugs, or anything that might keep it in beta. But not really seeing anything.
A day, a week, a month?
If the past is any indication, they often have a second beta out a week later with some fixes from the issues that have come up. That said it all really comes down to the type of issues they come up with and how much time it takes to fix. If my memory serves correct it’s often around a month from a major beta to a major release. And sometimes there’s a minor update to the release version that comes out a little later as well.
Wouldn't that intervene with the Effect Buttons capability to switch on/off up to four effect modules? Is this managable?
I personally wouldn't use it; it could get confusing. To me a better way to expand capabilities is to have a global option (off by default) where locked modules only lock the effect and its parameters, but without locking the active and inactive status. Consider this example. In a concert, you use a bank for each song in your set; and the reason you need one for each song is NOT because you plan on using a different set of profiles for each song, but to have different wet effects and preprogrammed BPMs. So in every bank, Rigs 1 and 2 every are clean with a medium compression setting in them in module A. In Rigs 3, 4 you want to leave the compression the same in A, but also want a Kemper drive in module B. In Rig 5 for lead, you want the compression in module A OFF, but want the Kemper drive in module B on, and to add another drive effect in module C. You don't want different settings for these three effects in each of your 50 rigs. You just want to tweak them ONCE for the concert, while having them active in only some of the rigs. Just like using real pedals in effect loops.
What Burkhard is describing is how locking works. Lock the MODULE, such as the Del or Rev, A or C module and whatever effect you have in it, and it's active status, will stay that way if you switch Rigs. If you program an effect switch in each Rig to toggle that same locked module, you can toggle it off (or on) in any of those Rigs. The only thing you can't do, if this module is locked, is use other effects in that locked module in other Rigs, that is until you unlock it.
What I think you're asking for, is if a long-press could be programmed to change the locked status of the effect it is already assigned to toggle?
I like the idea, and I think it could work IF these locks were globally assigned. That is, in system settings you could assign each of the effect switches to lock/unlock a module on a long press? In this way, that switch's long-press would toggle the locked/unlocked status of that module, irrespective of what the short press of that switch is programed to do in whatever Rigs you are using. In this way, instead of bending down and manually locking any given module by pressing two buttons, you could set up the ability to lock or unlock any of four modules by the use of long presses.
So you could simply assign the DLY and REV modules to the external foot switches globally and trigger the Fixed FX via Effect Button III and IIII, for example.
The reason this would make sense is because the Stage already gives visual feedback for the active/inactive status of delay and reverb, since they have dedicated buttons that light up when the effects in them are active. So they are good candidates to use with an external switch that doesn't have LEDs that light up. However, the fixed effects don't have physical buttons with visual feedback, so the only way to see their active status is to menu dive or assign them to the four effects foot switches on the Stage that will indicate if they are active with a color-coded LED.
Is there a way to transform or import tonex captures into Kemper?
If not, has someone ever tried capturing Tonex captures with a Kemper?
Is it worth it? I have some good sounding Mesa Booglie Lonestar tonex Captures. Would love to have those available in the Kemper..
Best way to find out is to profile them and see if you like the results. But now with 2.0 released, (if you have an mk2 unit) you can try profiling them both ways, 1.0 and 2.0, for free. If these are commercial captures, you could always see if the seller makes kpa versions, they'd be 1.0.
It's not out yet, and we already have some people saying that 1.0 is better than 2.0. I'm sure these people will say that 1.0 sounds more analog 🙄
The subtle mid compressed thing people mention may be pleasing even though not quite as accurate. However the first thing a lot of people do with their real amps or more null accurate captures or even mk1 profiles is add some compression and eq anyway.
If mk2 take the additive away it’s not necessarily better. It might mean that our favorites shift and that we want to a tad more comp or like profiles that have a little more mid content.
If these new profiles are more complete than mere snapshots as suggested then how do profile makers make packs if one profile rules them all? Interesting times...
I think it just changes the number of profiles it takes to get adequate diversity. I don’t think it changes the economics of the packs that sellers make. As fewer profiles will be needed to provide as much value. However, the makers can also have variations of the same profile that they tweaked differently to suit different needs, giving their buyers as many good starting points as the 1.0 packs that required more profiles to do so.
However, if fewer yet more tweakable profiles (thanks to more parameters) saves them some time making profiles, the packs, the packs will still be worth to us what they’re worth to us. That would make it more feasible for them to make amp packs of amps profiled through more cabinets or with different mics.
Either way the value to us for purchasing such packs will be in the range of amplifiers they get their hands on and they’re know how to profile well. We will just have more tools to get more out of whatever they give us.
