First live gig with the Kemper..

  • Sometimes you don't have time to do a soundcheck, but i think at least a linecheck should be done before a gig. It doesn't take too long and safes you from this kind of trouble. Then you just use the first song of your gig to get the sound right :D

  • There were two sound guys running the board, and both were "one can short of a six-pack" if you catch my drift. When I brought my rig onstage they both cocked their head to the left in confusion.


    Anyway, I am not sure what you'll get from this story except maybe a few laughs. But never again will I perform without a cursory sound check.


    It is a long time since I last met such an ignorant soundman. Just tell them to handle it as a keyboard, but with the option to go direct with XLR. They should at least have figured by now that microphones for use on a piano doesn't work so well with modern digital keyboards. If they still don't get it hand them a 1/4" instead of the XLR so they can plug it into a DI-box


    My experience is the exact opposite. Because you remove so many variables from the signal chain (stage acoustics, microphone type and position) sound check is nearly eliminated for the guitar. Tell the soundman to run it straight through, no gate, no fx, no eq. All that is needed is 2 seconds to set the gain.


  • Doh! I can totally relate. 99% of the time any similar problems are related to the engineers' current settings for that channel strip on the board.


    Sound Engineer: "Hey! Is that thing turned all the way up? Is it plugged all the way in?!?!"


    Me: "Yes, I'm sending you a very nice, clean and strong signal... what are you doing with that signal? Did you happen double-check all the buttons and dials for that channel, carefully? Is that channel muted? Is the gain down? Are you sure the $7 XLR cable you plugged me into hasn't been cleft in twain? Are you adjusting wrong channel strip?!?".


    This always happens when I plug my sampler into the direct box of a lesser engineer. For some reason, when the channel isn't connected to a mic, confusion ensues with the "2 Dudes, A Mixing Board and Truck, Inc." types. That sounds like a nightmare, though, sorry you went through that.

  • I would have laughed heartily at this post if it weren't so sad and very true. Where are you located?

    Husband, Father, Pajama Enthusiast

  • So...


    In Output Source:


    I have set [Main Output] to Master Mono and set [Monitor Output] to Master Mono, as well. I have set [Direct Output] and [SPDIF] to Off, since I'm not using those, currently.


    In Output Volumes:


    I have also unchecked/unlinked [Main Out Link], so the master volume no longer controls the main output. I have set the main output to -15db. I tested that and the master volume is only linked to headphones and monitor output.


    Does these seem appropriate for live mono setup? ...Thanks, in advance!

  • Does these seem appropriate for live mono setup?


    Absolutely. What remains is for you to set the level of each rig you use so that the volumes sound right relative to each other. Then you will deliver a consistent level to FOH while being able to set the monitor level as you prefer. You should never have to adjust rig-volume during a performance session.

  • I tried new settings out at rehearsal last night. I reduced the main output volume to -20db to get to unity level input on the mixing board. I guess this would differ from board to board. We rehearse with headphones, with everything straight into the board and no audible instrumentation, except for drums, course. It was the best mix and sound quality we have ever had! My bandmates and I are blown away by the rich, nuanced guitar tone coming out of the Kemper. It's so much nicer than my Marshall rig, and the speaker cabinets aren't flooding the room with sound that spills into the vocal microphones. I can't wait to try this live!

  • I tried new settings out at rehearsal last night. I reduced the main output volume to -20db to get to unity level input on the mixing board. I guess this would differ from board to board. We rehearse with headphones, with everything straight into the board and no audible instrumentation, except for drums, course. It was the best mix and sound quality we have ever had! My bandmates and I are blown away by the rich, nuanced guitar tone coming out of the Kemper. It's so much nicer than my Marshall rig, and the speaker cabinets aren't flooding the room with sound that spills into the vocal microphones. I can't wait to try this live!

    I had a similar and yet completely different experience last night at rehearsal. :)


    We rehearse at relatively low volumes but with live amps and real drums - no headphones. Last night was my first actual rehearsal with the KPA and I was not sure what to expect. Earlier in the day I loaded a few of the free Michael Britt profiles into a performance and tweaked to meet my needs, which was mostly just assigning stomps to specific remote buttons.


    I was very pleasantly surprised by how awesome everything sounded. As soon as I hit those first few notes/chords I was stunned by how huge this rig sounds and feels. I set up my Yamaha DXR10 behind me, pointing up to my ears, with the KPA rack mounted and leaning on the monitor. This rig just filled the room with great tone. You could not tell there wasn't a live tube amp in the room. It was funny to turn around and see this tiny rig back there making this huge sound.


    The profiles I used were absolutely perfect. Hats off to Mr. Britt for just nailing these. I used the 3rd Power profiles and was blown away by their versatility and how perfectly they sit in a mix.


    Honestly my favorite part was how realistic the KPA sounds. I did not for one minute miss my AC30.

    Husband, Father, Pajama Enthusiast