Feedback in headphones.

  • I had a quick search and couldn't find anything related to this, so apologies if it has been covered previously.

    I have a strange issue: high pitched, squealing feedback in my headphones when using higher-gain profiles.

    I have discovered that it only happens when the Monitor Volume is above zero (i.e. the lowest setting) in the Output Settings. When Monitor Volume is at zero, it stops. This isn't a problem when playing with headphones normally, except that the singer in one of my bands refuses to wear in-ears, so I have to use a cab for him. The rest of us use in-ears, so the problem arises: I'm using Headphone Volume plus Monitor Volume and the result is unbearable feedback in my 'phones.

    Is this something in my settings? Is it a fault? It seems as though there is signal bleed from one output to the other.

    Any help would be much appreciated.

  • Are you receiving a monitor mix from the mixing desk and feeding this into the PROFILER Aux In?

    In that case you might use Aux In>Headph. to mix that monitor mix with your guitar signal for your headphones. But you need to make sure, that Aux In> Monitor is cranked down. Otherwise you are perhaps feeding the vocals signal back into the singer's microphone via your cab.

  • Thank you for your reply, Burkhard . I did actually experience this in a gig situation, so was aware of it, but I actually had the squealing feedback in my headphones whilst at home, with nothing connected to Aux In, and the Aux In level at zero.

    I've experienced it again since the last time. The circumstances are as follows:

    Guitar connected to the front panel input. Headphones connected and Headphone volume at the halfway mark. No other connections, i.e. nothing connected to Monitor Out or Direct Out.

    As I scrolled through my Performances, certain ones induce a very high-pitched squealing - usually the high-gain ones or ones with a distortion pedal in the Stomp section. When it happens, if I go to the Output section and turn Monitor Volume to zero, it stops.

  • I think it is normal with high gain rigs and loud headphones and single coil pickups.

    It is simply an acoustic or electromagnetic coupling.

    It is characteristic that this coupling disappears when the strings are hit.

    I also experience this especially in the sitting position when the headphones are closer to the guitar pickups.

    You can try to reduce this coupling by putting a parametric equalizer behind the stack and find the frequency that is excited and suppress it.

  • PS. For my headphones it was 4,4 kHz . I Cutted it with Q=5 Mid freq =4.4kHz and Gain -6 dB

    1.) Start by setting Mid Q to max

    2) Set Mid gain to max

    3) Sweep the Mid freq to find the problematic frequency

    4) Set mid gain to -dB untill feedback stops sounding

    5) Fine tune Mid freq to find ideal frequency spot.

    6) Fine tune Mid gain

  • Thank you, DamianGreda , that's interesting. Why, though, would it disappear when the Monitor Volume is turned to zero? It's as though there is some signal bleed or cross-contamination from one output to the other.

  • Thank you, DamianGreda , that's interesting. Why, though, would it disappear when the Monitor Volume is turned to zero? It's as though there is some signal bleed or cross-contamination from one output to the other.

    I have to check it. If i change Monitor Output Source the feedback stops. But this is because the change stops audio engine for a moment.

    EDIT : For me Monitor volume does not have influence on Feedback problem.

  • Do you own a powered PROFILER? In case yes, what if you deactivate the internal power amp?


    Please explain, which output sources you have tested. Just "off"?


    Have you activated "Monitor Stereo"? And is anything connected to the Direct Output?

  • As for me, I have an unpowered version.


    I have tested all Monitor Output sources with no ot max volume and for me it have no influence on the feedback. The feedback stops only when I switch source but like i said this is due the audio muting /cutt off when switching.

    There is nothing connected to Di Out, Monitor Stereo is off.

    I get this feedback only on high gain rigs wich have a lot of high frequency content. So for me this is normal feedback.


    But @Horspip case may be different.

  • Mine is an unpowered Profiler also.

    With the Profiler sitting on the desk and nothing connected to the outputs on the rear panel whatsoever - just headphones connected to the front headphone socket, and a guitar in the front input, of course - the feedback is exactly as DamianGreda describes in the previous post, whenever the Monitor Output is at anything above zero.

    I will check tomorrow to see if I have activated "Monitor Stereo" and report back.

  • In case it's of any help or interest to anyone, I think I discovered the reason for the feedback in my headphones.

    I had previously stated that nothing was connected to any of the outputs on the rear of my Kemper. This was, in fact, incorrect; I have a short lead permanently connected to the Monitor output, so that during setup, I can connect quickly to the power amp, if I'm using one.

    At home, just running through some Performances on my Profiler with just headphones connected, the aforementioned Monitor out lead was not connected to anything (i.e. power amp). As soon the headphone feedback started, I pulled this lead out of the Monitor Out on my Kemper and the feedback stopped.

    I have no idea why this was causing feedback on high gain profiles, but it seems that this was the case.