P.a compatability

Have you checked that the Cab portion of your Kemper is turned on while you go through the PA? If it is, I'm having the exact same problem as you, through PA and into an Interface to record.

I seem to be having very similar issues to you too. I can't see how people are getting useable direct tones from these amps (from what ive experienced) but I've saw friends get great sounds using the exact same settings and profile's.

I actually tested that today and my friend was clueless as to the difference. Mine is always fizzy.

I am not sure I got this right. You tried the Profiler on a PA and it was crap. You swap the device and it's the same crap. Then you swap the desk and it's much better... And you want to throw the Kemper from the window? Is this what you wrote? O.o

On a serious note, I guess the desk strip is set for a mic. Kill the mic pre on the desk and, if you can't, set the channel gain to the minimum. A good idea would be to use an 1/4" mono connector rather than an XLR, that is enough for many desks to engage the mic pre.

Last but not least, be sure that the Input and Output LEDS on the Profiler don't steady go red.

let us know

Quote from bigfastbike

If I take the desk out of the equation & take a non powered line out of the Kemper & straight into the active speaker it sounds ok.

Does that mean you're feeding the desk via a KPA's powered output? If yes, don't do this! Take the unpowered output as well.

my first guess would be the problem is at the desk some where. Does the desk have a graphic eq which may be boosted or set strange by accident, Maybe the speakers have an EQ curve on the back that might have been changed by accident

Did you check your sounds through headphones ?

Quote from bigfastbike

I've tried it with cab on & off, sounds crap either way. If I take the desk out of the equation & take a non powered line out of the Kemper & straight into the active speaker it sounds ok.

Do you only use distorted sound? I suspect that you would hear distortion even if you play loud clean tones.

This sounds like an issue with the gain-setting on the desk's channelstrip. The KPA's output is line-level and by default rather hot for the mic-pres on a mixing desk, while an active speaker is designed for line-level input. There should be no colouring of sound to speak of through a mixing-desk if input gain is set properly and EQ/FX is off for the channel used. You should be able to connect headphones to the desk and hear almost exactly the same as if you plug them directly into the Kemper (provided that you're using a stereo setup with the desk). My recommended setup is to lower the main-out in the output-settings on the profiler by 15-20dB ("Main Volume" on output page 2/6), and also disconnect it from the master volume (uncheck "Main out link" on same page) so that any adjustment to monitor or cab-out on stage does not affect the level sent to the desk. With that reduction a modern desk should be able to pick up a decent signal with channel input-gain at about +4-6dB (still very low compared to microphones). What surprises me about this thing is how often input-clipping on the mixing-desk is overlooked. Any desk designed in the last 30 or so years should have a clip-indicator blinking bright red on that channel-strip. With default output levels the KPA will saturate the mic-pres, but anyone with just a minimum of experience with a mixing-desk should spot that immediately and either request the guitarist to reduce his output or inject an appropriate PAD on the line.

An alternative to running direct with balanced/XLR is to use the 1/4" outputs through DI-boxes. Those boxes have PADs to reduce the signal from line to mic-level. However, I have not had problems with any desk or soundman with my profilers "Main Volume" at -15dB and disconnected from the master-volume knob.

Quote from bigfastbike

Viabcroce the reason I am frustrated with the Kemper is that I have tried 2 desks that sounded crap & 1 that sounded ok. I didn't expect to have to replace my desk when I bought the Kemper. It's not a cheap desk either so I don't understand the compatibility issues. I have only ever run the non powered outs to the desk and at andertons we even tried a d.i box which was routed to the inserts which should bypass the desks preamps. & I have tried all sorts of e.q settings including turning the e.q off which gives a flat e.q. I have tried different speakers too which have a flat e.q setting on them but none of this makes a difference. I haven't tried headphones as I don't actually own a pair.

If everything is flat on the desk then it should sound fine and you shouldnt have to change your desk. I personally thing something is changing the sound FOH somewhere along the chain. Ive played my kemper through many PA and many desks when we have played gigs where the PA has been supplied. My band uses a yamaha DXR/DSR PA system with a QU-16 desk. The graphic EQ is near enough flat and all i do is take a little 80hz and 2Khz out so it sits in the mix. I would play a CD/Ipod through your mixer channel that connects to the kemper and see what it sounds like.

Quote from bigfastbike

Viabcroce the reason I am frustrated with the Kemper is that I have tried 2 desks that sounded crap & 1 that sounded ok. I didn't expect to have to replace my desk when I bought the Kemper. It's not a cheap desk either so I don't understand the compatibility issues. I have only ever run the non powered outs to the desk and at andertons we even tried a d.i box which was routed to the inserts which should bypass the desks preamps. & I have tried all sorts of e.q settings including turning the e.q off which gives a flat e.q. I have tried different speakers too which have a flat e.q setting on them but none of this makes a difference. I haven't tried headphones as I don't actually own a pair.

I had the same issue for sometime. I tried it through 2 PA's and got a really poor sound, very tinny/fizzy sound, like a very poor digital amp..as it was 2 PA's, I assumed a possible fault with my Kemper as the desk wasn't clipping. With the first PA I thought it was a faulty channel.

I then heard someone mention lowering the output to -15 to -20db and then ran direct into a powered monitor and whilst the profiles were very different ( certainly the variation) it sounded good.

I've not managed to run it live through a PA yet but I am absolutely convinced your issue is balance of input gains. One original level signal was not controlable from the desk, now I've lowered it it seesm to be fine!

I'm not a dufus when it comes to PA's and inputs, but its not that clear when setting it up - its not plug and play and requires some tweaking/time to get it right. I rushed my original test becuase both times it was before rehearsals etc as I had no PA at home to take time to balance the inputs.

Quote from heldal

Do you only use distorted sound? I suspect that you would hear distortion even if you play loud clean tones.

This sounds like an issue with the gain-setting on the desk's channelstrip. The KPA's output is line-level and by default rather hot for the mic-pres on a mixing desk, while an active speaker is designed for line-level input. There should be no colouring of sound to speak of through a mixing-desk if input gain is set properly and EQ/FX is off for the channel used. You should be able to connect headphones to the desk and hear almost exactly the same as if you plug them directly into the Kemper (provided that you're using a stereo setup with the desk). My recommended setup is to lower the main-out in the output-settings on the profiler by 15-20dB ("Main Volume" on output page 2/6), and also disconnect it from the master volume (uncheck "Main out link" on same page) so that any adjustment to monitor or cab-out on stage does not affect the level sent to the desk. With that reduction a modern desk should be able to pick up a decent signal with channel input-gain at about +4-6dB (still very low compared to microphones). What surprises me about this thing is how often input-clipping on the mixing-desk is overlooked. Any desk designed in the last 30 or so years should have a clip-indicator blinking bright red on that channel-strip. With default output levels the KPA will saturate the mic-pres, but anyone with just a minimum of experience with a mixing-desk should spot that immediately and either request the guitarist to reduce his output or inject an appropriate PAD on the line.

An alternative to running direct with balanced/XLR is to use the 1/4" outputs through DI-boxes. Those boxes have PADs to reduce the signal from line to mic-level. However, I have not had problems with any desk or soundman with my profilers "Main Volume" at -15dB and disconnected from the master-volume knob.

This!
I would try lowering the input gain on the mixer and lowering the output of the Kemper. I run my output around -15 to -25 depending on the mixer I am going through.

On The mixer, press the "solo" or "pfl" button, then you should see the incoming level somewhere on the display or the central level meter (don't know the presonus)

getting the right levels into a mixing board should not take longer than 5 seconds per channel used

Yep, weird that there's no level monitoring at the input...