Your Honest opinion on Kemper as a live rig

  • Sold all my tube amps and cabs a couple months after getting the unpowered rack. This was maybe a year ago. I never want to go back to lugging speakers around. As others have said, the Kemper just makes everything faster, lighter, and easier if you can get over not having the "amp in the room" feel, which I never had anyway because my cabs were always backstage so the front row people don't die. I monitor with IEMs anyway and sound guys love the Kemper. Less work for them = happier sound guy = I'm up in the mix =D

  • Yep! Just use Cab off on Monitor Out in the Output menu and unlink the main volume (so the master volume controls monitor out only), with the main output volume set somewhere between -15 and -20 dB.

    Why set monitor output volume between -15 an d -20dB and not just at zero?
    What volume setting do you use for mains out then?
    What is your experience with boosting for your solo's on stage? At home +3dB sounds already al lot of boost, but at one somehow bit disappointing live use, the 3 dB did not come out!
    Thanx!

  • Why set monitor output volume between -15 an d -20dB and not just at zero?What volume setting do you use for mains out then?
    What is your experience with boosting for your solo's on stage? At home +3dB sounds already al lot of boost, but at one somehow bit disappointing live use, the 3 dB did not come out!
    Thanx!

    I usen main out mono (2 guitarist band) at -18db to the FOH...
    For boost about 5db, and it really jumps out...
    Direct out and monitor out are at -8db and -3db in mono, and volume on the DXR12 on 12 'o clock...

  • Why set monitor output volume between -15 an d -20dB and not just at zero?What volume setting do you use for mains out then?
    What is your experience with boosting for your solo's on stage? At home +3dB sounds already al lot of boost, but at one somehow bit disappointing live use, the 3 dB did not come out!
    Thanx!

    Not monitor out but main out. The output on the profiler is very hot and will overload the desk, if going directly in to a mic pre, as most FOH engineers seem to do. If it's going in to a DI box first, I think you're probably fine with it set at 0, but who knows?
    With that said, I think there's an option in the latest beta firmware to switch the main outs, so they're reduced by 12 dB automatically, but I might have just dreamt that!

  • I use a boost of about 12% but will vary it depending on the venue or whether other musicians are sitting in the same frequencies of the mix that I do (normally only guitar, bass & drums for me). My ears will tell me pretty quick where to go. Slot X is a Pure Booster for all my patches so if I want more or less I just make the change and lock it in for the night.

  • Why set monitor output volume between -15 an d -20dB and not just at zero?What volume setting do you use for mains out then?
    What is your experience with boosting for your solo's on stage? At home +3dB sounds already al lot of boost, but at one somehow bit disappointing live use, the 3 dB did not come out!
    Thanx!

    Yep. Typically the FOH guys like a mic level signal as thats what they normally expect. I have my setup as:
    - Main outs to house desk: -15dB (roughly mic level)
    - Monitor out to DXR10 : 0dB (keeps any hiss of the DXR to a minimum - only use the DXR for occasional jamming/practice though)
    - For a lead boost I use a modest +2dB volume boost, but the the key for me is a "solo" eq nudging up the mids and dropping the bass to provide the cut through. Seems to be much more effective at making the lead jump out from the background than just a heavy handed overall volume increase.

  • I play my powered KPA thru an old Marshall straight 4 x 12 with mixed vintage celestions - sounds amazing. In the effort to keep live rig simple I use one "Rig", with Liquid foot MIDI controller (8 button) and 3 expression pedals. I only use 4 of the buttons, L to R, "tap tempo", "tuner", a seldom used "clean" rig and finally my main Rig - the "Sea Nymph" profile with a cab profile I love.


    The expression pedals, L to R: Delay Mix, Volume (set for 5bd range) and a "switchless Mission Pedal for "wah".


    This makes for zero tap dancing and is incredibly easy to drop in spot leads etc. I'm on the wah all the time and my tone is super mid-rangy, so don't feel need for separate EQ on leads. I've been so happy with the sound I haven't even updated the system for al long time... kinds scared to at this point since unclear on how kemper now handles the Cab profiles - and don't want to mess up my perfect tone!

  • Hi


    I tried a lot of monitor-stage-setting: IEM, RCF NX Monitor, Preamp + Cabs, Tube-Amps (Marshall, Mesa Mark V, different Fenders). I like the Kemper for studio, but missed a bit of live-feeling on stage.


    To make a long story short: I use a Fender Twin 65 as my stage monitor. This amp works very well for me, because it keeps the sound very clean on high levels and adds a "tube-feeling" to the sound. As the Fender Twin is famous for its pedal-friendly sound, it works very good with the Kemper, too. We are covering Pink Floyd, so there is no problem with playing amp-simulation thru another amps, I think :) – example Gilmour uses a Fender Twin preamp, thru a mesa-boogie as "distortion-pedal" into a Hiwatt 103 ...


    Ok, on stage I mix the Kemper out into my IEM, but just a little bit. The main sound I get from the Fender on stage.


    I send the Kemper stereo out to FOH + 1 Mic of my Fender. That way I get the perfect Kemper sound + my live-tube-feeling.


    Okay, my english is not the best, but I hope it helps a little bit.

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    This is my live setup with custom Zograf power amp and cab.I like the sound so much theat sometimes i even mic the cab :)

  • I play in a classic rock cover band. So far I used the KPA during band rehearsals and two smaller gigs. I used to play a Marshall TSL 602, which is a pretty amp, so I wanted something lighter.
    The other guitarist plays a Marshall head through a Vox 2x12 cab with pedals. I played the Kemper through Yanaha 10 with some Britt or ReampZone profiles. And one Gig my sound was ok, but not great at the other gig it was awful. It was thin without any punch. It just sounded weak. My band mates even asked me after the gig whether I wanted to continue with the Kemper or better I should go back to my Marshall.
    The reason for this probably is that at small venues the audience hears directly the amp in the room sound and not the miked sound. The miked sound especially with a SM57 sounds thinner than amp in the room.

    It' s only Rock n Roll, but I like it :D:thumbup:<3

  • I went to Kemper live 2 years ago and it takes some adjustment. From my experience heavily distorted live profiles need to have a lot less top end than what I use for recording. I can imagine what BasementBluesBoy describes with ReampZone profiles. I found them great in the studio, but you would need at least a low pass at 7k and maybe back off the presence too.


    At first I used a 4x12 cab on stage and it was fine, but soon realised I am happier with just in ears and some in the wedge for backup and feedback.


    It is all about getting the right profiles for your stage show.

    Karl


    Kemper Rack OS 9.0.5 - Mac OS X 12.6.7

  • first time i played with a drummer friend here at my place we both notice that the sound easily covered the drum with an outstanding quality


    was a marshall jcm 800 profile and sounded so realistic and tight, was very good to hear that good mixed sound, less noise than using pedals,


    we played some Rush songs that drummers love so much...


    i think that also depend on the band style, if you play a very heavy metal sound you might prefer a real amp. Or in some special day...


    ps. i played using a solid state amp or a return loop of a tube amp and studio monitors together instead of using a Boss Gt or a pedal board and kemper performed really nice

    Edited 3 times, last by szykman ().