First try with other musicians and stompboxes... HISSSSSS ??!!

    Hi everyone, last monday i take my kemper with me to test it in rehearsal condition.


    I had not a lot of time to test a lot of things but i wanted to tell you some "issues" i had and maybe have some comment about that if someone ever noticed those kind of things.


    First: The Hiss


    I was plug in a system audio (low-medium quality) and i was surprized by the Hiss noise ! level of hiss wass so high, i didn't understand why but that was not good at all.
    For comparison, i played this system with Pod 2.0 and a guitarist who i played with used an Axe-fx ultra i it. I never noticed Hiss problem in those case.
    For me smothing was wrong cause in can't imagine have hiss noises like that in live conditions (especially from a numerical product)


    Second: The Stompboxes


    I used : Digitech whammy, Ibanez OD-9 overdrive and Maestro Fuzz (miam) in front of the kemper.
    So i put a clean sound but it was almost impossible to use clean and stomp distortion sound in the same tracks.
    The clean sound was too little compare to the distortion sound even the level/volume of the stompboxes were to Zero ?(


    Third : Digital aliasing sometimes


    I also noticed sometimes notes who have some digital aliasing (single or more) maybe more with arpeggios playing (not sure)



    I hope to have some return from you users that test kemper like that.



    Finally i loved a lot some tone i'd never had with digital products before and i really hope the hiss problem can be solved by an update or something.

    Hiss: my KPA is dead silent on clean sounds, with higher gain ones (specially with stomps) you need to use some noise gate to eliminate it.


    Stomps: Go to the input menu and set the clean sense to a point where it doesn't clip the input, then use the distortion sense to balance the levels between clean and distorted sound.


    Aliasing: ??? never experienced that with the Kemper, check the setting of the noise gate on that Rig, if it is to high you could experience some artifacts when the notes fades down

    "Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" Serghei Rachmaninoff


    Quote from guitarnet70

    Hiss: my KPA is dead silent on clean sounds, with higher gain ones (specially with stomps) you need to use some noise gate to eliminate it.


    It's also the case for me at home but in a system audio with other musicians it's really different. (i used the left output btw)
    Did you use it in rehearsal or live conditions with a frfr system or something ? no differences than at home ?


    Quote from guitarnet70

    Stomps: Go to the input menu and set the clean sense to a point where it doesn't clip the input, then use the distortion sense to balance the levels between clean and distorted sound.


    I didn't noticed input clipping but i didn't try to adjust the distortion sense, i will try that next time but distortion sens change the clean sound so if there is any other way...


    Quote from guitarnet70

    Aliasing: ??? never experienced that with the Kemper, check the setting of the noise gate on that Rig, if it is to high you could experience some artifacts when the notes fades down


    Can't say if noise gate is link to this aliasing but i'm pretty sure it's also appear with no nois gate, it's really less annoying than the HISS NOISE but when it comes, something weird happen that disturb you.

    I regularly play live with the Kemper since january (I'm not a studio cat), we own our PA (QSC). No hiss problem at stage/audience level.


    The distortion sense just balance the levels, do not change the tone, just how hard your PU hits the preamp stage.


    I've posted all my rigs, check them starting from the newest: no aliasing...and tha was the reason I sold my HD

    "Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" Serghei Rachmaninoff


    Thanks for that, i think that need more test anyway cause it was really not good !


    It's maybe a link to my direct output problem, i thought no cause i had not this problem at home but maybe.

    For the aliasing issue, you might try resetting your KPA's software by holding the System button while turning the unit on. No rigs will be lost in the process. It worked for some people.

    Use your ears, not your mathematical sense.

    This much I know:


    The self-noise coming from the Stomp ODs and the Loop is way under par for modern digital equipment - why this is I have no idea....

    All modelers known to man 8o

    Hiss? That's odd. Have you checked the global eqs at the master section? I like how the kpa takes external stomps, so I wonder what went wrong with yours. I prefer the rig 'simply clean' wich works well with almost anything I have, must be around 20 ODs/Dists. When you want to lower the volumeboost that the ext stomp causes you can increase the gainsetting of the rig a bit, that will influence the sound of that rig basically too, but that's the same that you would have to deal with with real amps.

    Ive no idea whats causing this issue for you. My kemper is very quiet even with hi gain amps with no gate on at all. I have come across a few noisy profiles but they usually have the gain maxed to a degree that sounds bad anyway. note im talking about profiles only as i don't use any drive/compressor stomps before the profile. Maybe your kemper is bad?

    [quote='MisterC',index.php?page=Thread&postID=31069#post31069]Hi everyone, last monday i take my kemper with me to test it in rehearsal condition.


    I had not a lot of time to test a lot of things but i wanted to tell you some "issues" i had and maybe have some comment about that if someone ever noticed those kind of things.


    First: The Hiss


    I was plug in a system audio (low-medium quality) and i was surprized by the Hiss noise ! level of hiss wass so high, i didn't understand why but that was not good at all.
    For comparison, i played this system with Pod 2.0 and a guitarist who i played with used an Axe-fx ultra i it. I never noticed Hiss problem in those case.
    For me smothing was wrong cause in can't imagine have hiss noises like that in live conditions (especially from a numerical product)


    Tonight I had my third gig with the KPA on a big stage (support Carl Palmer band). I use 2 powered QSC K12. A lot of power and with clean and crunch sounds no hiss. With high gain sounds I use the NG set at 2-3 and then I have some hiss but not much for a high gain sound! If I use stomp boxes from the KPA (compressor and/or boost) there's more hiss but for me no big deal for liver performance.

    Quote from ckemper

    Silly question, but does this noise disappear, when you disconnect the main outs, by pulling the cables?


    It certainly does


    As an example if I choose the 'Twin 1 Clean" factory patch and turn off the DIST and REV, put master on full and volume on full.


    This is into a Konnekt 48 and then adat to a fire face 800, no guitar connected.


    Cables disconnected noise floor is around -98 db no audible hiss.


    Cables connected noise floor goes to -82db now we have audible hiss.


    Turn DIST on noise floor goes to -72 db with lots more hiss.


    As I said it is pretty low level so doesn't bother me but it is definitely there.


    Cheers


    Andy