Lag / Latency / Sluggishness when playing

  • I've been trying to figure out what feels/sounds wrong with all the rigs on my new Kemper. I noticed that my playing feels extremely sluggish/spongy, especially when trying to play shred type leads. At first I thought the amp rigs were just too dry, and I needed to add delay/reverb, but the more I listened the more it became clear that there is a latency, a lag on every note that I am playing, like the amp is a second behind what I am playing. The faster I try to play, the more and more obvious it becomes.


    I have NO effects running, no delays, nothing in front of the amp, I have reset to wipe out any global settings that may have been causing it. I am plugged straight into the amp, and then either straight to headphones, or straight to FRFR speakers from the mains out, or straight to a powered cab from monitor out. Nothing seems to make a difference in what I am hearing. It is very noticeable. I can't even play my usual faster shred stuff because it throws me off.


    It does NOT sound like standing a few feet away from a real amp. It is much more drastic than that. Other effects units run into the same speaker setups do not have the problem. Is there some obvious setting I am missing? The "Constant Latency" does not seem to effect it at all as far as I can hear. This new Kemper has already had a few problems, so maybe it is still not functioning properly? Anyone experienced this before?

  • Just checked it. Yes, I get the same lag/latency going from "direct out" to the monitor, regardless of the output type selected. When I was just whanging on chords trying to find a rig I wanted to invest some time tinkering with it was not so obvious, but when I speed up and start picking single notes it is very obvious and completely unusable.

  • The direct out works like a true bypass with the Git/Analog Output source.

    In that case the signal is not passing thru any of the digital components in the PROFILER.

    It is basically like connecting your guitar directly to your monitor input.

    If you get latency in that situation please check your other components in the signal chain.

    If you cannot figure out which component is causing the problem please open a support ticket.

  • There is nothing else in my signal chain. Guitar -> Kemper -> Powered Amp.

    Also tried Guitar -> Kemper -> Headphones

    and Guitar -> Kemper -> Studio Monitors


    I have reset the global setting a dozen times to make sure there isn't anything in the signal that isn't supposed to be on.

    Other units through these amplification setups sound fine, no lag. I have been talking back and forth with support for over a week. It has been one problem after another since it began crashing the first time I started it up day one.

  • I think you should take it back to where you bought it. It seems, with two complaint threads going that you are over it. Some people and the tools they use just don't mix.