New Kemper with Friedman ASM 12

  • Very excited about my new Kemper (powered). I ordered the Friedman ASM 12 to start with the option of returning it to try out other options.


    Funny thing is that when I was playing the Kemper through the Friedman in my living room I was just blown away, didn't seem to need a lot of tweaking on the sounds I liked.


    Took the units down to my band's practice room, cranked the volume more and the tone seemed a lot more shrill. The rooms aren't that much different, both carpeted. Played the Kemper next to my 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue and the sonic difference was enough to make me have doubts.


    So, I know that some tweaking is in order for sure. But...it made me wonder if going the guitar cabinet route might be better to my ears. I've read a couple of the threads about FRFR vs Cabinet route so I know that the cabinet will color the tone and maybe too different from what I like about the profiles I'm using.


    I'll probably try a cabinet anyway, but do you have any recommendations of what tweaking I should try using the Kemper and the Friedman? Anyone encounter what I'm describing and was able to adjust the Kemper/Friedman to their sonic satisfaction?


    Noob issues! ;)

  • Definitely try a guitar cab and see how you like it. Some people prefer them. Most guitar speakers simply cannot reproduce the very high end tones that a FRFR speaker can, at least at similar output volume, so you may find you like the more even sounds you get from a guitar cab.

    PRS Singlecuts
    Kemper PowerHead/Remote



    Quote from skoczy

    When you turn the knob on KPA, you wake up the captured souls of tube amps living inside.

  • So the Friedman ASM-12 is a "Powered" FRFR speaker, and you are using this with a "Powered" Kemper?

    If you use FRFR the benefit of a merged profile is that the cabinet is totally separated in the profile.


    For my edification only... ;) Kemper/Axe-FX III/ Quad Cortex user

  • I can recommend that you try other cabs in your rig, at rehearsals and at gig volume.

    A lot of rigs I like at home don't work at gig volume and I've found a couple of cabs that I've saved from other rigs that always works for me.

  • I guess you are using the monitor out into the powered cab, not the speaker out into rhe Friedman? If you connect rhe speaker out you'll fry the Friedman. Powered cabs are fed with line levels.

    Never too old for rock'n'roll

  • So the Friedman ASM-12 is a "Powered" FRFR speaker, and you are using this with a "Powered" Kemper?

    I'm connecting the Kemper from the left main out to the input of the Friedman. I spoke with Kemper and they confirmed that was fine. You just cannot connect the speaker output to the Kemper, which you'd have to have a separate cable for that. I could do monitor out to the Friedman, but again you'd have to have a separate cable.

  • Find a Deluxe Reverb profile that you like (or a Carr from TAF for instance) and then run the powered Kemper in to your actual Deluxe Reverb speaker, for starters. And sure then experiment with other guitar speaker cabs. FRFR’s have plenty of volume but the feel is completely different. They’re great as monitors in conjunction with a traditional cab but on their own run the risk of feeling like you might get blown off the stage by someone using even a tiny amp like a Pro or Blues Junior. Of course that’s just my experience.

  • Find a Deluxe Reverb profile that you like (or a Carr from TAF for instance) and then run the powered Kemper in to your actual Deluxe Reverb speaker, for starters. And sure then experiment with other guitar speaker cabs. FRFR’s have plenty of volume but the feel is completely different. They’re great as monitors in conjunction with a traditional cab but on their own run the risk of feeling like you might get blown off the stage by someone using even a tiny amp like a Pro or Blues Junior. Of course that’s just my experience.

    It's definitely a different feel. To be honest (and this definitely betrays my rookie status with FRFRs), I was thinking I could use the Kemper into the Friedman much like a Head to Cabinet. given the total wattage of both units. This is helpful advice, thank you.

  • It's definitely a different feel. To be honest (and this definitely betrays my rookie status with FRFRs), I was thinking I could use the Kemper into the Friedman much like a Head to Cabinet. given the total wattage of both units. This is helpful advice, thank you.

  • Well you can use it that way and many people do. I did it with alternately a CLR and DXR10 for a couple of years. Plenty loud enough but somehow didn’t matter. Those frfr speakers are meant to be sitting on the floor in front of you like a traditional wedge or up on poles left and right level with your ears. Pretty much all other usages are not considered best manufacturer-approved practices, even though commonplace. Back then I received plenty of compliments on my tone from people in the audience, but the playing feel was always sort of compromised. My sense is that if there’s a good PA, going direct and chancing it with whatever monitor they provide for you is ultimate convenience and if stage feel is important, then using a traditional guitar cabinet as well may be the way to go.

  • To me, FRFR is fine when playing alone in a room, or when you’re monitoring or recording, as it’s the miked sound.


    But in a band mix, live, it has nothing that I love about how a guitar should sound.


    I use a Line 6 Powercab and it sounds great. It thumps, it has decent cab models and I can use FRFR if I so wish at home.


    Even if I take a good profile of an amp I love and play it live with cabs on, it won’t sound like it does when I’m playing the amp. Not even close. It’s a completely different thing.


    Like you say, it sounds shrill and alien to me. But each to their own.

  • Do you use your Kemper live? Straight to PA?

  • Do you use your Kemper live? Straight to PA?

    I use the Kemper with a Powercab. If we play somewhere where that isn’t loud enough then I can use the output from the Powercab (I believe) to go to the PA. But it’s never been an issue so far. It’s loud.

  • Oh wow, I wasn't thinking you used that for a live setting. I guess I'm confused...you can use the Powercab like a regular guitar cabinet and then switch it to frfr? Powercab doesn't give you that shrill sound?


    Nice to hear that the Powercab works live...I can't see the Friedman working live like that...

  • So what the Powercab does is it is a FRFR speaker and it has Cab modelling in it. I have the Plus, but it’s not essential. It just means you have some more options with microphones and a display and being able to load IRs.


    So when I connect the Kemper to it it can play with cabs on so it’s essentially FRFR, or I can turn the cabs off and it models a speaker. So it’s like a real guitar cabinet.


    Your best bet is something like this or a real cabinet, if you have the powerhead version.


    It doesn’t sound as good as a real amp with pedals and a 2x12. Nothing except that will. But I’d say it’s 85% - 90% of the way there. I’ve got a JCM800 profile from The Amp Factory that’s kind of low to medium gain, and when I play All Right Now with the Creamback model on Powercab it sounds amazing.


    Some profiles sound amazing with some models, some profiles are made to sound digital. It’s all about finding the right profile and cab for the right cab and profile.


    I can only say I’m very happy with it. It's pretty much all Amp In The Room.

    Edited once, last by PhilUK84 ().

  • I'm connecting the Kemper from the left main out to the input of the Friedman. I spoke with Kemper and they confirmed that was fine. You just cannot connect the speaker output to the Kemper, which you'd have to have a separate cable for that. I could do monitor out to the Friedman, but again you'd have to have a separate cable.

    Ahhh ok just didnt want you to blow your ASM-12 input using a powered cab out on the KPA. I have my ASM-12s on poles about 4 feet off the ground, turned to about 1/4 up volume wise on both speakers. Running the KPA (non powered) and Helix outs into a mixer, with the outputs of the mixer L&R into the ASM-12s. They are "plenty" loud .

    If you use FRFR the benefit of a merged profile is that the cabinet is totally separated in the profile.


    For my edification only... ;) Kemper/Axe-FX III/ Quad Cortex user