Posts by tomoinn

I don't think this would be a reason not to have a future hardware AxeFX. Even if the DSP architecture was completely different (unlikely) the intellectual work to figure out how to produce those effects and amp simulations is still valid, so it would be a question of porting those algorithms to a new architecture. That's definitely work, but it's hugely less work than building something starting with nothing at all. Same with the profiler, it's not the code that runs on the DSPs that's the valuable thing, it's the algorithms that code implements. There's a degree of investment in taking those algorithms and making them run efficiently on the hardware, and that investment is hardware-specific, but ultimately it's not the largest part of the cost.

A loop of bungee cord works pretty well - you tie the cord so it's in a figure-eight crossed under the top handle of the DXR10, then you can stretch the two loops over the strap handles on the profiler. It'll move around, because of the stretch, but I just tried with mine and it's not going to fall off. You could have two separate loops rather than a single one in a figure-eight but I was feeling lazy.

Tom

Quote from drbill

+1 & clock, too!!!!!

Profiler clock out works fine over MIDI, I'm using it to sync an H9, setting tap tempo with the remote. +1 in general though for MIDI CC out from pedals - you might want to add to Applications for MIDI transmission – user feedback requested as well, there's been a lot of chat there about MIDI out functions.

Ah, yes, you're quite right - still, that's not really an issue, the stereo loop takes the mono signal from the amp stack and feeds into stereo effects later so mono->stereo is what you want in that loop right?

Quote from nightlight

This pedal looks incredible, Tom, didn't know it had a double tracker section as well. Thanks.

How are you using it in a stereo loop? 2 TS to TRS cable? Something like a Hosa adaptor with the jumper engaged?

There's an internal jumper you can enable in the pedal which makes the output stereo using a TRS, then a TRS to 2xTS cable for the returns into the KPA. It also works really well just as a mono pedal before the stack section, I'll take it to jams as it has the ability to make pretty much any amp sound decent (the only time I've ever got a decent sound from a valve state!)

It's a very versatile little device, you get the saturation effect and then the double tracker, but because you've got very fine control of the delay times between the decks you also get chorus and flange effects out of it if you set the delay times very low. There's a true through-zero flange from holding down the double-track pedal, all sorts of goodies. Looks simple, but is a real swiss-army knife kind of device, which is rather how the old studio tape decks were I guess.

As an aside, I have a Strymon Deco sitting in the stereo loop - one of those pedals you don't really think you need but then leave on all the time. Light tape saturation and a very accurate double tracker simulation. Pricy, as all their stuff is, but it sounds brilliant, if you're looking for this effect right now I'd audition one.

Tom

It sounds to me like your interface is expecting an instrument or mic level signal and you're feeding it line level. The converters may not be the best but there's no way you should be getting clipping from the KPA's output if you've got things set correctly. Check whether there's a MIC/LINE control on the interface, either on the hardware or in the software that's controlling it.

The Focusrite interfaces are good, but you shouldn't need to be spending extra cash to fix this.

If you do get a new interface, my experience is that there's no difference between the SP/DIF and analogue outputs in recording quality (I'm using a Focusrite Scarlett 18i6), and using SP/DIF from the KPA locks you to a particular sample rate which may be lower than you want for other gear. Better to use the interface's digital input for something like the Audient MICO.

It occurs to me that actually this isn't particularly hard to build as an external device - just needs to listen to MIDI clock and send the appropriate CC. I might have a play - a pedal I could hit that would do a one-shot morph (or anything else) and return governed by temp-synced LFO would definitely find a use. Of course, this would all be easier if I could send the MIDI message to start the morph from the remote (grumble grumble why is the KPA's MIDI out so feeble grumble grumble...)

So, this is a slightly out-there feature, but...

We've now got morphing based on either a pedal or a switch. Could we have a morph based on an LFO, ideally one that can be synced to a multiple of the tap tempo, so you'd set up an LFO that was, say, a sine wave with period 16x tap tempo to automate a morph back and forth between the two states every eight bars (of 4:4 time).

LFOs aren't a common thing for guitar effects, but the Profiler is made by the company behind one of the best synths in the world, so they should be familiar with the concept

Tom

No Japanese guitars? Pfft.

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This is my most recent guitar - bought in '98, most recent because I've not found any instrument I'd trade it for. Love this thing, it can do any style of music, stays perfectly in tune, great pickups, amazing feeling neck (no lacquer on it), looks bonkers.

If you insist on American instruments this is my bass (kind of...)

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Custom built by the lovely people at Stick.com, bamboo neck with a metal plate over the bottom four strings to make it half fretless. Surprisingly the metal board gives a really warm, organic growl, not what you'd expect at all.

Now (as of the v4 beta) we can re-map the looper and other buttons on the remote, the option of assigning those to send MIDI messages would be even more valuable. Any news from Kemper on this kind of feature? If there's going to be something implemented that'd be good to know, if not I'm probably going to be selling my remote (sadly) and working out some kind of alternative.

Totally solid for me here (unpowered toaster). I'm more likely to break a string than have the profiler let me down, I've never seen it do anything other than what I want.

Quote from waraba

sounds very good to me , lots of vintage tone , seems recorded from real tube amps

Thanks! I should say that the guitar sound is a regular amp, it's only the bass that's using the profiler. We're going to try to profile the amp though and see how close we can get (it's a Cornford of some description).

Quote from Per

Of course the other factor is, who's to say Kemper would be trying to emulate an H9 at all? It can be as good or better and still not be the same thing, great reverbs come in many different flavors, the one that most people are asking for is actually a pretty crummy one, a fender spring verb, but it's a very specific sound and is great in a certain context.

That's kind of my point. I'm sure Kemper can come up with some fantastic sounding reverbs, but if the one I want is on the H9 I'll use that (I'll also use the Kemper ones, because why wouldn't I if they're good?). The profiler does a great job making my entire rig fit comfortably into the boot of the car, but I have to have a pedal board anyway - if I'm playing sax it needs a mic pre so I've already got a board with the eventide Mixing Link on, and I need somewhere to put my expression pedals

The profiler has never claimed to accurately model third party effects, so working well with those effects matters. It's not so much about quality, there are lots of effects the profiler simply can't do, and I suspect it will never do because they're very niche or complex to implement.

Anyway, thanks everyone for the replies, looks like there's a strong consensus for internal features over pretty much everything else.

...and this is a track I'm really pleased with. The bass sound is entirely profiler internal effects and models, with a touch of H9 crystals right at the end!

Would love any feedback!

Quote from drbill

Assigning CC output to expression pedals would be helpful, too. Kemper supports so many pedal and switch inputs it could do a lot.

I'd say 'essential' and 'why on earth didn't it do this out of the box' rather than 'helpful'. Certainly what I expected, I was really quite surprised when I realised that it wasn't sending anything remotely useful on MIDI out.

Quote from OneEng1

Man, I hope you are right on that one

I always find myself wondering why anyone would want to lug a tube amp around IF they were aware of the Kemper. Loved my VHT .... hated the size and weight. Those 4x12 VHT cabs are way heavier than a MESA cab, and the Marshall's are even lighter than the MESA.

For those still using an H9, you can understand somewhat why. It really is a silly good efx pedal and the Kemper has yet to match it. If they even get close, I will wet myself

If they get close I won't care, because the H9 will still be better. Why pick an inferior option if you have the choice? The profiler is a great piece of kit, but there are effects that it won't ever do (the EHX organ pedals, for example), so outboard gear is never going to be completely eliminated for all setups - we buy this stuff because we want the particular sound it gives, and while the profiler is brilliant at replicating amps, it's not trying to replicate a particular effect pedal. There's nothing in the effects section remotely like the Strymon Deco I'm using, nor the EHX sitar pedal, nor most of the patches in the H9.

No objection to new internal features of course, I love the profiler and making it do more stuff is awesome, but there are so many things that aren't implemented right now (the MIDI requests thread gives a good flavour of them) which would be really simple. Certainly simpler than implementing an H9 quality reverb, which I still suspect is outside the processing power of the profiler.

Also for the love of god, why doesn't the mic input have phantom power? Seriously, you expect we're profiling our amps with SM57s? Grumble grumble

Hey all,

I'm curious about whether people here are more interested in features within the KPA (such as new delays, reverbs, tone morphing) or with interoperability with other gear. For example, while I'm definitely keen to see the tone morph stuff working, the thing I'm really missing right now is the ability to properly control my MIDI gear from the remote. If I had to pick either all the new effects and morphing, or a simple 'send MIDI CC messages on KPA out based on remote foot pedal' it'd be the latter, no question about it. New effects are nice, but making my existing (expensive) effects work properly with my rig wins every time for me.

So, if you had to pick, where would you like Kemper to be spending their energy? I've chucked in a third category for companion software such as the rig manager, although it's not something I care about at all!

I'd be really interested to know how Kemper see this as well, I guess it's going to be different because they need to attract new users, whereas this poll is going to be, by definition, for people who already have a profiler.

[edit - I was trying to create a poll here, but it doesn't seem to work. Comment away...]

I'd like to be able to tuck one of my H9s in the back of the Kemper (in the stereo loop) and have a CC from an expression pedal attached to the remote sent to it. This is especially true for the new morphing feature, the ideal thing would be to send a CC containing the morph value (0-127) which the H9 would then read as expression pedal. As it's possible to map the H9's expression pedal itself to morph between two H9 preset value sets this would extend the tone morphing from the Kemper into the H9 without any extra fuss.

In short - a generic way to send CC messages on Midi Out from expression pedals, including the one used to morph between continuous values in the upcoming firmware.

Without this I have to add another pedal which solely controls the H9, increasing cost, number of cables, and chances for things to go wrong. With this I just need a couple of MIDI cables and everything works. Patch select and tempo on the H9 are sorted through PC messages and MIDI clock output from the profiler, it's just the expression pedal that's missing!

Tom

Hi DigitalBliss,

I'm actually going to be using one or two arduino nanos, although how much of the arduino libraries will be left by the time I've finished I'm not sure! As you say, they're a good base to start from and I've used them in quite a few projects.

I'd be entirely happy if Kemper make an official board while I'm designing mine - I'm not really trying to make something general here, it's quite specifically tailored to what I want and it's unlikely that the official one will be identical (although if it is, cool!). I'm not too fussed about the cable bundle size either as I've already got a snake running between my pedal board and the KPA so it's just a question of having another custom one made with a couple of MIDI cables built in (guitar in, stereo send / return already). If Kemper release the protocol and interface spec for the ethernet port I'll use that instead, obviously. I've already got a voodoo labs power supply with a spare connector in the pedal board so that's taken care of.

I don't think there's any way to interact with the actual signals within the amp through this mechanism (and making a good looper is non-trivial anyway). I've also not got a huge incentive to do so as I already have a TC electronics Ditto X2 on the pedal board in the effects loop so...

Anyway, I'm finishing up some actual paid work at the moment so should be able to get started sometime in the new year - it'll all be up on github (hardware schematics, any PCBs I end up making, laser cutter templates, software) and under an appropriate open source license - probably GPLv3 for the code and CC-BY for the other bits. So while initially it'll be tailored very much to my own requirements, there's absolutely nothing to stop someone else extending it or changing the code, in fact I'm hoping that'll happen.

I'll update here when I actually get started!

Tom