Using a Gemini 1 FR and Kemper - difficult getting accurate tones. (thin, nasally)

    I've had my powered Kemper for about a year now, and have tried using a custom built Mojotone 1x12 with a Celestion Redback, but have really struggled to get a good tone for any Fender, Vox or Marshall rigs. Cab-emulation turned off, and I'm still getting just thin, annoying tones as compared to other guitarists on stage with me using Orange or Princeton amps. Last weekend was the last straw at a live gig and another guitar player played through my rig and even out front it sounded absolutely awful. On stage it wasn't any better. Thin, no body, no presence. My bandmate right next to me was playing through an Orange rig that sound incredible.


    So rather than throw the baby out with the bathwater, I went out and bought a Gemini 1x12 powered FRFR cab. ($$$$). Thinking I'd have a GREAT rig now, I had a rehearsal last night and my rig sounded pathetic as compared to a Deluxe my buddy was playing through. (e.g. thin, no body, no presence).


    This morning, I factory-reset my Kemper, turned off the power-amp, enabled profiles with cab-emulation turned on and tried a side-by-side comparison with numerous Deluxe profiles in the Kemper and an actual Deluxe Reverb amp. The amp was the clear winner with presence, oomph and tone in general. The Kemper sounded like a knock-off, even with the Gemini.


    I'm still very excited about what this can sound like, based on what I've heard online and the numerous big names already using these in live situations, but I feel like I'm missing something SUPER obvious as to why I can't get meaty, present sounds from my setup. I'm not gonna give up, but if anyone has a suggestion, I'm all ears. :)


    have you done much tweaking with profiles ?

    And are the profiles off rig exchange or paid for ?

    Does seem a Bit strange, but I don't really know as I use through studio monitors, so I can switch cab profiles to what suits.


    I'm sure some of the guys on here will give you decent advice.

    But I generally tweak definition and clarity in the amp section of the profile to wear I want it and adjust the rest to taste.

    Have you tried profiling the comparison amp yourself ?

    Check out the Tone Junkie Youtube series Kemper Tips and Tricks, if you haven't already. Lots of helpful stuff in there.

    Quote from dm0410

    Check out the Tone Junkie Youtube series Kemper Tips and Tricks, if you haven't already. Lots of helpful stuff in there.

    I watched many of those videos. I'm gonna take some time today and experiment with EQ on the amp section in several profiles to see if I can bring a few of these profiles to life with the Gemini.

    The EQ should not be massively different through headphones so that's a bit strange.


    I would start with your profiles. Don;t use a regular cab to choose profiles or EQ them, start with the Gemini. If it sounds good through that, it will sound good FOH. Use that as your starting base.

    I have a Gemini 1-P with my Powered Kemper and have never felt that I got thin or nasally tones from it. I'd work through the definition control, clarity control, and presence and seeing if that helps anything.

    Well I did the deep dive into going through my performance banks of AC30's, Fender and Marshall amps and fine tuned high and low shift, along with character and particularly pure cab. I'm liking what I'm hearing now for sure. Seems like the profiles have come alive a bit. Way better than before.


    What saved my bacon was backing up everything to a USB stick, and being able to try the full reset without losing all the work I'd put in for various performances slots, morphing and pedal assignments, etc.


    Of course I did all this with a strat, so I'm sure I'm in for some surprises when I strap on a Les Paul. ^^


    Thanks for all the advice folks!

    One question about using a powered Kemper with a powered FR (Gemini). Would it be a problem leaving the poweramp on in using a powered speaker? Just curious if this happens inadvertently, would anything bad happen?


    I'm not using the speaker out when the poweramp is on, only the monitor out.

    According to your pictures your Gemini was connected to the MAIN-R out, perhaps that was part of your initial issue. The Main-outs should go to FOH or a mixer. (according to the manual).


    Now that you are using high quality profiles and the MONITOR-OUT (cabs on), you may want to try the EmPower option of your Gemini, sometimes settings between 85-98% flat works fine shapping the speaker to your taste. Please notice, that this setup is not fully comparable to an amp in the room or on stage. Your kemper profiles are a snapshot of a miced amp+cab using a Gemini as a monitor. You should have the results you expect comparing both, the amp of reference (miced) vs. your profiles, both through FOH or studio speakers.


    According to the manual (Working with Amplifier PROFILEs, Cabinet PROFILEs, Power Amps and Guitar Cabinets page 64), there should not be any damage leaving the Power Amp on, as long as you don't connect active devices to the Speaker-out. Please check manual sections: Power Amp Switch and Power Amp Booster, it may give you a good idea of the relation between the Power amp and the MONITOR-OUT.

    Quote from Syntek

    According to your pictures your Gemini was connected to the MAIN-R out, perhaps that was part of your initial issue. The Main-outs should go to FOH or a mixer. (according to the manual).


    Now that you are using high quality profiles and the MONITOR-OUT (cabs on), you may want to try the EmPower option of your Gemini, sometimes settings between 85-98% flat works fine shapping the speaker to your taste. Please notice, that this setup is not fully comparable to an amp in the room or on stage. Your kemper profiles are a snapshot of a miced amp+cab using a Gemini as a monitor. You should have the results you expect comparing both, the amp of reference (miced) vs. your profiles, both through FOH or studio speakers.


    According to the manual (Working with Amplifier PROFILEs, Cabinet PROFILEs, Power Amps and Guitar Cabinets page 64), there should not be any damage leaving the Power Amp on, as long as you don't connect active devices to the Speaker-out. Please check manual sections: Power Amp Switch and Power Amp Booster, it may give you a good idea of the relation between the Power amp and the MONITOR-OUT.

    Thanks so much Syntek. You're right. In the photo, I had tried an XLR from the main out, in addition to a high end speaker cable from the main out during those earlier tests. I was experimenting and testing for variation in sound coloring between the main and monitor outs.


    So you're right on the money with the use of the EMPower on the Gemini. I found 85%-90% flat sounds the best for me and I'm using the speaker cable from the monitor out.


    I find it interesting that via the monitor out, the sound from the Gemini changes when the poweramp is turned off or on. Dramatically better with the poweramp on.

    Surely it is obvious the monitor out uses a different signal path to the main outs? otherwise you wouldn’t be able to do things like Monitor Cab Off without affecting FOH.


    The bit that surprised me was that Monitor Out and Speaker Out share exactly the same signal path. I had always assumed that they were ”paralleled” (as the manual says) up to the point where the power amp is involved. I had always assumed power amp boost only affected the power amp.