Powered Rack Rig Volume Issues [SOLVED - Guitar Issue]

  • Hey guys, Recently me and the other guitarist built a performance set for our Kemper Power racks out of the Memphis may fire STL packs emailed it over and copied the same set into my kemper. When we rehearse there’s an incredible volume difference. His master is on -15db and most of his rig volumes are at 0 - +2db, I have to crank my master all the way to max (0.) and some rig patches up anywhere from +3 to +7 to even be able to hear myself over the top when playing lead.. He’s using an orange open back 2x12 and I’m using an orange closed back jim root 2x12. Not sure on pickups he’s using I have seymour duncan passives. I’m just worried when it comes to sound checking for a live show it’s going to be incredibly difficult to balance the rig volumes out between us if I can’t even get it right in rehearsal room.

    I never had any issues when I had a Helix, especially gets really really quiet when I play on the neck pickups on my clean channel. I've tried checking majority of the settings between but im still a fresh user as is he, we both bought our powered rack kempers on the same day so none of our settings are any different really from factory.


    My Signal Chain - Furman - Line6G90 - Korg Pitchblack - Kemper

    His Signal Chain Furman - Line6G30 - Korg Pitchblack - Kemper


    Anyone have any suggestions?

  • Hey Jake, welcome to the forum, mate.


    Sounds like there's an offset in-play. Maybe he has the Power Amp Boost setting cranked up. From the manual:


    Power Amp Booster

    As mentioned, the power amp is internally connected to the MONITOR OUTPUT, which provides enough headroom to support even the loud attacks and transients of clean guitars. However, this comfortable headroom will naturally lower the signal volume for the power amp, so you might not achieve the desired loudness. Turning up the "Power Amp Boost" will increase the volume loudness by up to 12 dB, in addition to the other volume controls in the signal flow, such as "Monitor Volume" or "Rig Volume". The "Power Amp Boost" has no further impact to the sound or dynamics of the power amp. When the power amp is switched off, the "Power Amp Boost" is deactivated, thus returning the full signal headroom to the MONITOR OUTPUT.

  • Hey Mate thanks, and thanks for the Reply


    The few things I've managed to check so far is the -12db pad option is disabled on both kempers, And the Power Amp booster you're specifically talking about I believe is set to +6dB from Factory, Both our kempers are set to that, Also I havn't used it live yet so I havn't used the Monitor Output, I only ever use the Speaker output for Rehearsal if I'm interpreting the use for monitor output correctly

  • My first suggestion would have been the same as Monkey_Man but if you have already checked that then the next stage is to work though it systematically.


    I’ll do my best but in the end paults will probably end up chiming in with the correct answer :)


    You are both using different wireless systems. I don’t know them specifically but do they both send the same output? Is the receiver output adjustable? A quick test would be simply to switch over to each others radios and compare. Assuming the radio isn’t the issue move onto the Kemper from Input to Output.


    Are both input lightson your KPAs flashing a similar colour/brighteness indicating they are getting similar signal levels?


    Are you both using the same input (main or alt)?


    The performances don’t override the input and output sections. If you have you input settngs locked with a very low clean sens this might contribute to a volume difference.


    Do you have volume pedals connected? If so is yours calibrated correctly and reaching max level? Is the Volume pedal range set the same for both of you. It can boost as well as cut.


    Have any of the Stomps or Effects got a level boost in there somewhere?


    In the Output section - are you both sending Master Mono to the Monito Output?


    Have you linked the volumes to the Master Volume knob while monitor out was lower than something else? For example set MV to 0db (max). Untick Monitor Out Link and turn down only Monitor Out volume to say -15db then re tick the link box. Now turn MV up and down. Even at full Monitor volume never goes above -15db.


    If none of that solves it. Do both Orange cabs have the sam speakers or speakers with the same sensitivity? A more sensitive speaker receiving the same power will sound louder.


    If that still doesn’t fix it then we are back to the original strategy. Sit back and wait for paults to tell us the answer ;)

  • Thanks Wheresthedug , Also look forward to hearing from paults Ok , Lets work through this


    I'm not sure about the output settings of the wirelesses I don't think they're changeable, I've been considering the Shure Wirelesses lately, Anyway the G30 is an analogue signal, and the G90 is Digital, That could be something. But the thing with this aswell is I've tried plugging direct into the front input of my Kemper not using wireless and volume issue still exists.


    The signal levels incoming into the Kemper I'll have to check but I'm fairly certain both of them are as normal and not clipping, If his is receiving a hotter signal how can I correct it to bring us both in line.


    Both using the Alt input as we're running racks so easier to access it all from behind.


    I havn't looked into the clean Sense at all yet so I'll have a read up.


    No external pedals connected


    As far as I'm aware all our patches are identical, as the performance was emailed over and dropped in, There's no stomps on any of the patches, Only Reverb/Delay on the Lead + Clean chans, but every patch is having volume issues so I don't think this is the issue.


    Output section both sending Master Mono yes, But we don't use Monitor output 1/4, We plug directly into the Speaker/Cabinet on rear of the Kemper, I'm assuming these are the same thing?


    I've quadruple checked our volume settings are identical in the outputs, Everything is set to -15dB and his is still considerably louder than mine.


    And In regards to the Cabs, He's running an Open back 2x12 Orange with Celestion V30's whereas my Closed back Orange 2x12 Jim root is running a set of speakers called Voice of the World. I've looked them up on the orange website and found this interesting information unsure if it's relevant to within the cab or general volume output of the cab- "Whilst the Jim Root signature cabinet has less internal volume than our larger PPC212" ,

    Edited once, last by Jake91 ().

  • Try this - on BOTH Kempers:

    1)In the Output Menu, Unlink the Monitor Volume from the Master Volume.

    2)Turn the Monitor Volume all the way down.

    3)Turn the Master Volume all the way down

    4) Link the Monitor Volume to the Master Volume.


    If that does not make The two Kempers closer in volume, there could still be the differences in Input settings, guitar pickups, and cabinet efficiency.


    Try switching cabinets, and see if that suddenly makes you louder.

  • to really compare two PROFILERs you should create a backup on a USB stick of one of them and restore that in the second PROFILER.

    Next you should swap cabinets to see if they are causing the issue. Last but not least swap guitars and cables and let the other guy play over your PROFILER and vice versa.

  • Thanks heaps guys,


    Have a rehearsal on Thurs night, I'll try swapping Cabs, Guitars and if none of that works I'll try the USB backup off his and restore into mine and report back!

  • So rocked up to rehearsal, Got the old volume issue tried unlinking monitor, rolled all the volumes down to 0 and linked back up and took them all back up to -15db, Still volume issue so put my guitar into his rig and found there to be a volume issue, I'm guess my Passive Seymour Duncan bareknuckle on the bridge is just shitty and quiet vs his Passive Seymours

  • So rocked up to rehearsal, Got the old volume issue tried unlinking monitor, rolled all the volumes down to 0 and linked back up and took them all back up to -15db, Still volume issue so put my guitar into his rig and found there to be a volume issue, I'm guess my Passive Seymour Duncan bareknuckle on the bridge is just shitty and quiet vs his Passive Seymours

    Presumably his guitar through your KPA sounded fine which would be the final confirmation its guitar related.


    Exactly what pickups are being used by both of you. You mentioned Seymour Duncan bareknuckle bridge. I’m not aware of SD making a pickup called bareknuckle so cant check the specs. What is you mate using?


    It definitely sounds like the problem is your guitar but it seems surprising that the difference is as extreme as you are experiencing. You might expect a big volume difference on totally clean sounds but once you add distortion to the picture I would expect there to be very little volume difference just ss drive and thickness.


    It sounds like there may actually be a fault with your pickup(s) or they just aren’t setup right. How far are the pickups from the strings (measured both bass and treble sides with the strings pressed at the last fret. If the pickups are way too low that might account for a volume difference. If the heights are OK then its also possible that you have an other problem such as a faulty volume pot or a partial short that is sending some signal to ground.


    If everything is OK on the guitar then try incrasing the clean sens and/distortion sens on your KPA to compensate for the lower input.

  • Time for EMG's again I guess

    Excellent, Jake!


    Hey mate, maybe you could edit the thread's title to reflect that it's "User Error" or "Caused by Guitar" or something. Adding "[Solved]" night be misleading in that it implies that some anomaly within the Kemper might've caused it.

    Definitely! Already done.

    Thanks about to leave for training but as Soon as i get home I'll get back to you with the info