Could I be doing something wrong? Not totally happy with sound.

  • Hi,


    I've just recently got my Kemper, and while I am having fun with it, I've got to say I'm a little underwhelmed by the tones I'm getting.


    I've been through most of the factory profiles, as well as MBritt's sweet 16, Pack 2, Sample pack, and 50 profiles downloadable from kemper-amps.com.


    The clean sounds are nice, but it seems like most of the profiles with even a little bit of gain sound quite fizzy. I'm even pulling up review videos I watched before buying my Kemper, such as Rabea's top 5 profiles, but I'm not hearing the same thing from my own kemper.


    For example, Rabea shows off Britt's Dumble C CLN $+, which is a profile that I have. He's playing a strat and I have a Tele so they should be somewhat similar at least, but the sound I'm getting is far more distorted and fizzy, even though Rabea even says that he put a boost effect on to get his profile to break up more!


    The first thing that comes to mind is that it's peaking somewhere in my signal chain. But both my input and output LEDs are green. I also amp not peaking on the interface I'm plugged into (Scarlett 18i20). I'm plugged into the Kemper with a cable so there is no Wireless pack that could be gained too high.


    The only thing left in the chain is my speakers, but Rabea's video is playing over the same speakers, and his sound is good.


    It should be noted that since I have only recently bought the Kemper, everything is still stock, I haven't changed many settings at all. Are there any settings that most people change immediately?


    Thanks for any help

  • Have you got good headphones? Plug those in to see if you get the same general result.


    I find any distorted tones have a shrill top end and are not usable unless you use an EQ high pass filter. My X slot is wasted just for this single purpose. There have been lots of comments about this but it is what it is.

  • Yes, I do this too. Lock a Graphic EQ in slot X, with HiCut to about 3000Hz, LowCut 100Hz, everything else on 0.0.
    The day I started doing this was the day that everything started sounding good.


    I don't understand how all these demos say there's no EQ modification, but it still sounds great.

    Sterling Musicman JP150, Fender USA Strat
    Kemper Powerhead & Remote > ElectroVoice ZLX12-P | Palmer 1x12 Cab(G12M) | Sennheiser HD558
    Audient iD14 > Reaper

  • Thanks so much Finally and Rod, the EQ in slot X has solved all my issues :)
    It's such a shame that we have to waste an effects slot on making a profile sound good but oh well. Hopefully in a future firmware update we can have a graphic EQ in the amp section.


    I'm really loving the Kemper now with this EQ! :) They should put that in the manual haha.

  • You're welcome. I'm pretty sure they've heard this request and probably have it on a backlog feature list.


    My preference (but not my idea) is to have high and low pass filters in the Output EQ section. Some want it in the Cab section so it can be per rig. :)

  • They should put that in the manual haha.


    Yes, I think they should have a whole bit with advice on how to get a personally satisfying sound.


    I wasted months working on the premise that the kemper was delivering the correct sound (whatever correct is, its so subjective), and that me messing with what the professionals were creating was a destructive process to the sound. But I've learnt so much along the way, not only about the kemper, but also about the world of guitar amps, speakers and their history, so it's been worth it.



    I've tried various settings, from HiCut of 2000Hz to 3500Hz, and settled on 3000Hz. If any further slight adjustment is needed, just lowering/raising definition a little fixes it.


    You might need different EQ values, having different ears, taste, monitors etc. My ears are lacking at hearing very high frequencies.




    have high and low pass filters in the Output EQ section


    I agree, in fact, I would have thought it would be best to have all EQ types available at all points in the chain (stomp/stack/effects/output). I started off using the output EQ, but then decided it was better to lose a slot using the hicut/lowcut. I'm OK with just reverb and delay but others might not be.

    Sterling Musicman JP150, Fender USA Strat
    Kemper Powerhead & Remote > ElectroVoice ZLX12-P | Palmer 1x12 Cab(G12M) | Sennheiser HD558
    Audient iD14 > Reaper

    Edited once, last by Rod Staples ().

  • Hi Rod, you really go that low? What kind of music do you play/what are your favourite amplifiers? I’ve been hovering between 6000-8500… depending on the profile… Maybe I should try 3 or 4K…
    Keith

  • After more than 4 years with the kpa i can say that if you have a good interface and good monitors you def can reach cool results, but there are many things to check. Low and highcut is one way but not the only thing to check.


    For me, the first and biggest part is the cab. If you find a good cab you got 90% of the cool sound. The rest could be the amp parameter and a liitle eq with low and highcut.


    A highcut setted to 3000 Hz is not ok ( imho) , if you need such a cut something other is def wrong.


    I can highly recommend to check out different cabs and you get expirience what an impact the sound of a cab has. My cut settings ( if needed)
    are between 80 to 120 Hz low, 5500 to 7500 Hz high.


    Best cabs that i have found:
    Desdlightstudio cabs megs boobie, 1960 fredman1.
    Guido Bungenstocks cab from his new soldano pack ( awesome).


    If you need soundsamples and you have s little time, check out my soundcloud. There are lots of short recordings to present the sound of the kpa. Use the link under my signature or search for eltzejupp on soundcloud. Questions are welcome.


    The last track is the soldano. No fizz and lots of low end and power.


    Cheers
    Frank

  • Hi Rod, you really go that low? What kind of music do you play/what are your favourite amplifiers? I’ve been hovering between 6000-8500… depending on the profile… Maybe I should try 3 or 4K…
    Keith

    Hi Keith,
    Basically Marshall type amp sounds. For what I try to play, think Blackmore, Page, Gilmour, Iommi, May, Sykes, Malmsteen.




    I do use different cabs. My favourite is Katzbach 1960B 4x12 with G12T-75s and I like Deadlight Studios stuff. Also really liking Nick Ks stuff recently.


    I listened to your soundcloud. I can't find any problem with the frequencies in your recordings.


    It's not so much the strings vibrating that cause the problem. If I turn the HiCut up to about 5kHz, strike a chord and listen to the strings sustaining it sounds fine. The problem frequencies happen with the strings against the frets. It's worst on clean sounds. I haven't got a particularly low action, but sometimes you do get a bit of fret buzz and it sounds terrible. And with slides, the metal on metal, a sort of cold, frozen, glassy, brittle type sound.


    Could volume be the issue. For me we're talking low bedroom volumes. Or maybe its just my ears. I find CDs too harsh as well. I have to put an EQ cut on my hi-fi.


    Listen to this Friedman PT-20. This is what I'd call a good guitar sound. http://friedmanamplification.com/heads/pink-taco-head.

    Sterling Musicman JP150, Fender USA Strat
    Kemper Powerhead & Remote > ElectroVoice ZLX12-P | Palmer 1x12 Cab(G12M) | Sennheiser HD558
    Audient iD14 > Reaper

  • Hi Keith,Basically Marshall type amp sounds. For what I try to play, think Blackmore, Page, Gilmour, Iommi, May, Sykes, MalmsteenI do use different cabs. My favourite is Katzbach 1960B 4x12 with G12T-75s and I like Deadlight Studios stuff. Also really liking Nick Ks stuff recently.

    Have you tried another guitar? Maybe you have a problem with a thing called stratitis here in Germany.
    If you are searching for this friedman sound like in your linked vid, i think i have to dissapoint you. Imho you didnt reach this full sound with your malmsteen strat.


    Try a fat Gibson or something near and this sound is possible ( i bet).


    I changed the bridge and neck pu's of my strat to dimarzios. ( superdistotion on bridge, air norton at neck position). Gamechanger!! Didnt lost the typical stratsound but much more punch for those kind of sounds.


    Cheers
    Frank

  • I think it could ba a volume issue, I agree with Frank, 3k is two much. to cut.,


    On the other hand there's currently a request for Low and High Cut in the output and stack section this way you don't have to waste an effect slot. So anyone interested might want to vote that thread up.


    High pass/Low pass filters in the Output EQs


    Dean_R
    Funny you should say that, I did add my name to that thread yesterday. :thumbup:



    Thanks for your suggestions Frank
    Stratitis (just looked it up) yes I remember that on my first strat, I changed the pickups to HS-3s which solved it, also no hum. With this strat though (also dimarzios) I don't notice that problem. The output is a bit less than a gibson, so I put a pure boost in a stomp to compensate.


    Maybe its easier to pickup these frequencies of the extraneous fret type noises on earphones (which I use quite often).


    Just tried Nick Ks Friedman PT-20 free sample he posted yesterday (It's excellent by the way :thumbup: - see the free rigs section), I can turn the EQ off and I'm mostly happy with it like that.


    I'll try it with a permanent cut to 5k for a while and see how it goes. I'll check it with the FRFR monitor (I'm new to this EQ cut thing, only been doing since a month ago).

    Sterling Musicman JP150, Fender USA Strat
    Kemper Powerhead & Remote > ElectroVoice ZLX12-P | Palmer 1x12 Cab(G12M) | Sennheiser HD558
    Audient iD14 > Reaper

  • Just an update: I'm loving the Kemper more and more every day!


    After trying the EQ trick yesterday I loved it, and then went back and forth between loving it and meh....
    I spent more time with it today, looking through all the profiles and It's been much higher percentage Love compared to just a little bit of meh.
    Hopefully tomorrow I'll be fully in love!


    I'm finding that I have to adjust my high cut for each profile individually. I can't find one setting that I'm happy with for all profiles. I'm ranging from around 5.5k to 8.3k.

  • Listen to this Friedman PT-20. This is what I'd call a good guitar sound. http://friedmanamplification.com/heads/pink-taco-head.

    Friedman tune according to your recommended vid link on youtube. No high or low cut. Recorded right out of the box.
    Guitar: Gibson Les Paul, Dimarzio pu's.
    First part is a half step down, like in the vid. Used the transpose fx for it.


    The mid gain part at the end is a mid gain profile and i used only the volume knob to clean the sound up. No other tricks and no eq in cubase.No crazy fequencies or fizz.


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    Hope you like it.

  • Just an update: I'm loving the Kemper more and more every day!


    After trying the EQ trick yesterday I loved it, and then went back and forth between loving it and meh....
    I spent more time with it today, looking through all the profiles and It's been much higher percentage Love compared to just a little bit of meh.
    Hopefully tomorrow I'll be fully in love!


    I'm finding that I have to adjust my high cut for each profile individually. I can't find one setting that I'm happy with for all profiles. I'm ranging from around 5.5k to 8.3k.

    and try also pure cab. Sometimes i set a high cut up to 6000Hz or near by and set pure cab up to 5,5 (yes 5,5). Take 2 minutes to noodle with it.