Achieved MY Amp in Room Sound want to share

  • Not having a go or anything but surely the idea of the Kemper is to eliminate the need for other amps or am I missing something here?:)


    That's a good question and you are right the Kemper does eliminate the need or a "requirement" of an amp. When I bought the Kemper I started with a Friedman ASM-12 monitor FRFR and then tried it through studio monitors as well. For ME personally the Kemper sounds very good through those options but in my opinion it sounds and feels a lot better coming out a Solid state 2x12 combo amp. It sounds and feels (obviously) more like an amp "in the room." The sound sweet spot is significantly larger compared to the studio monitors and the Friedman. If I'm giving up any character of the cab in the profile I'm not noticing it and I am gaining a lot n the "feel" department when playing.


    I'm not saying this way is better for everyone but maybe it is for some. I'm so used to having that feel and sound of a physical amp in the room it was the missing link I needed to fully appreciate the Kemper.


    I'm sure some will wholeheartedly disagree and that's ok......no one can take the smile off my face now.

  • For what it's worth, when I'm playing at home using my bose soundlink as a speaker, the kemper sounds kinda mediocre and all the profiles sound similar. It's not until I plug into a PA at a show that the kemper comes alive for me. Doesn't matter if I'm using my IEMs or wedges, it always sounds awesome. But honestly if I hadn't had several friends giving me positive reviews and hadn't heard it being used live, I wouldn't have kept the kemper.

  • For what it's worth, when I'm playing at home using my bose soundlink as a speaker, the kemper sounds kinda mediocre and all the profiles sound similar. It's not until I plug into a PA at a show that the kemper comes alive for me. Doesn't matter if I'm using my IEMs or wedges, it always sounds awesome. But honestly if I hadn't had several friends giving me positive reviews and hadn't heard it being used live, I wouldn't have kept the kemper.


    I would definitely try using something else at home because the profiles should not all sound the same. Hook it up to your wedge or studio monitors and try that out. My studio monitors and Friedman wedge all worked as advertised but I wasn't getting the sound in the room or feel I desired from playing. Only time the profiles (mostly high gain stuff) all sounded similar to me was when I hooked it up to my EVH 5150III amp. The 5150III power tubes and speakers were overpowering and coloring the flavor of the profiles too much. Going through a solid state amp and "relatively" neutral speakers really helped me achieve what I was looking for.


    Definitely try it through something else other than the Bose. Even though I read on here from Paults that he has one and likes it so maybe you got something off with the settings or connections. Hate to think someones out there with a ton of profiles that all sound similar. :)

  • Hey Mateo11,


    The other way to disable cabs is to click on the AMP button, then press down on the wheel to goto page 2, which should have a setting for which cab you want to use. Just scroll through till cab is set to OFF.


    I found that this works way better for me than changing the return loop to postfx via the settings, as that results in a huge volume drop and some tone suck for some reason.

  • Not sure if it was the EVH power tubes or the EVH speakers causing the profiles to all sound very similar with a lot of EVH character


    It's probably both, anyway keep in mind that by using a guitar power amp you're listening your guitar through 2 power sections in series, one of which being the profiled one and both of which give a strong contribution to the overall tone.
    You might try and use the external power amp in its (more) linear window, that is taking care of not saturating its input (fx return?), not exaggerating with the output volume and finding the neutral spot of the tonestack (which is of course far from the "12 hour" position).


    HTH

  • Hi Mateo11


    Great info. I run a CLR but am putting together a new rig for a colleague who *doesn't like* FRFR and like you, wants more real amp feel. ... so just a few very quick questions please:-


    -> am I right in saying that the EFX Return on the Mustang IV is a full stereo rig ?


    -> if so, does that mean that if you run the Kemper in to it L + R [ Stereo ] that the Mustang Power Amp is also Stereo and speakers are also split L+R stereo ?


    -> if it is a full stereo signal path to speaker from the EFX Return, can it also be configured to "sum and run mono" from the EFX return through to the speakers ?


    -> lastly, when running via the EFX Return with the Mustang Cab Simulation offcan you also bypass all the other eq / efx processing etc.... -or- do you simply just set them all to off / flat / null ?


    BTW ... those Celestion G12P-80 [from memory that's what they are ? ] are massively under-rated speakers .... they are not FRFR but are very GRFR speaker hence why the Mustang iV is such a fantastic amp in its own right :)


    Ben


  • Hey Ben,


    1) Yes the FX return is a full stereo Rig. You will have to run from the master outs on the Kemper Left and Right to the Left and Right of the FX Loop. Then set the Kemper on the Output screen to Stereo. The issue with doing this (I tried) is the only way to turn off the Cab button on the kemper is to run Monitor out which won't give you stereo. I much prefer turning the cab sim off on the Kemper and running Mono monitor out than stereo/Master outs, The profiles sound way better IMO this way. You will need to get a 1/4 inch Y cable from the Monitor out and then run two 1/4 inch cables to the left/right of the Mustang IV. MAKE SURE TO SET THE FX RETURN IS THE SYSTEM MENU ON THE MUSTANG FROM NORMAL TO LOOPER PEDAL. If you don;t it will sound terrible.


    2) Yes if you run it stereo as mentioned above


    3) You can change the stereo signal to Master mono on the Kemper if you wish (Output settings)


    4) If you set the MUSTANG IV to Looper pedal all eq/fx etc are bypassed the only knob that will work on the Mustang will be the Master volume.


    Hope that answers your questions if not just let me know. Matt

  • Hey Mateo11,


    The other way to disable cabs is to click on the AMP button, then press down on the wheel to goto page 2, which should have a setting for which cab you want to use. Just scroll through till cab is set to OFF.


    I found that this works way better for me than changing the return loop to postfx via the settings, as that results in a huge volume drop and some tone suck for some reason.


    Thanks Havohej .... I'll definitely try that out.

  • Thanks Matt & Havohej - really great info.


    Just to clarify ... I only use Studio Profiles and therefore only need to use the Mustang's Power Amp and Speakers ...... so .... I would:-


    -> configure the Kemper to Run Stereo L+R Main with Cabs on
    -> run the Kemper Main L+R in to the EFX L+R Return
    -> leave on the Kemper Cabs for all my profiles
    -> and therefore only use the Mustangs Power Amp and Speakers [with the Mustang set to Looper pedal so all the eq/fx are bypassed and and therefore only the Mustang Master volume knob still working]


    In short, leave the Kemper Cabs on -and- turn all the Mustang speaker / cab simulations off.


    In this sort of live setup, I have no need to acces or use any other Kemper Outputs.


    Make sense ?


    Ben


  • Thats how I run it, but others swear by turning off the Kemper cab as well. Try both !


    So 2 methods we are seeing here, in both cases the connections are the same so trying both out is very easy.
    1) Goto the setting pages in the mustang and set the return to looper pedal mode. Turn off cabs in the kemper.


    2) Put the return to normal mode in the mustang (default) but play with the Kemper cab on. You will have to manually turn the cab off in the 2nd page of the amp section in the Mustang.



    Try both and tell me which works better !

  • Trouble in Paradise! I noticed tonight when playing the Kemper through my Mustang I am now getting some weird fizzy overtones on high gain profiles, I played the Mustang solo w/out the Kemper to see which one was causing the problem and it's doing it with just the Mustang. I just researched it online and looks like others have had the same issue. Some said updating the firmware fixed it for them so I updated the firmware and it didn't fix it. for me I have no idea why in the world this would just now start happening? I didn't hear this before but its very apparent to me now. May have to take her back to GC for a return or replacement. Man just when I thought I was all set....:(

  • Damn, do you have a V1 ?
    Those have notorious power amps that fizz out...
    Replacement is you only option, I hope you're under warranty.


    I actually got the Mustang IV and have the absolute latest firmware on it. I just bought it like 10-12 days ago so I can still return it or get a replacement if they have in stock. It seems to be a fairly common issue so now I;m a little gun shy of getting another one like this and sounded fine at first and then developed the issue. I'm looking on positive side of things now though and glad it happened now instead of months from now when the option for return is gone.

  • Its not a firmware issue its a power amp issue as was found out. While it may seem that this problem is "common" its actually one of little problems the Mustangs have, so if you search about it you are sure to find a lot of people reporting they have it, making it seem like more common than it really is.


    I know a ton of people that have been using Mustangs reguarly for gigging and its been rock solid for them as for me. I have the mustang III but if I search online I find lots of people talking about the fizz issue as well.


    Goodluck anyhow !

  • Its not a firmware issue its a power amp issue as was found out. While it may seem that this problem is "common" its actually one of little problems the Mustangs have, so if you search about it you are sure to find a lot of people reporting they have it, making it seem like more common than it really is.


    I know a ton of people that have been using Mustangs reguarly for gigging and its been rock solid for them as for me. I have the mustang III but if I search online I find lots of people talking about the fizz issue as well.


    Goodluck anyhow !


    Thanks man!

  • I am waiting to get my hands on the new Roland JC40, it should be great with the Kemper. Right now I use a Roland KC-350 keyboard amp and my Kemper sounds incredible.

  • I am waiting to get my hands on the new Roland JC40, it should be great with the Kemper. Right now I use a Roland KC-350 keyboard amp and my Kemper sounds incredible.


    When researching the Mustang to use with a modeler like Kemper or Axe the Roland was mentioned a few times as a possible great option. I would be interested in hearing how that combo would work.

  • I did some further testing today and for me keeping the fx loop setting as default with the kemper cab on (and mustang cab off from page2) works way better than setting it to looper mode and having the kemper cab off. That just seems to kill the tone for me.The cleans especially seem to lose their shimmer and something funky goes on in the mids.


    Maybe other people will have a different experience but I suggest you guys try it this way and see :)
    Cheers