Kone & Kabinet Q&A

  • @ Frodebro

    Just a note on efficiency ratings - 2 identical speakers/cabs sharing the same power as one alone will still be 3 dB louder. If one driver has an efficiency rating of (say) 100 dB at 1 watt, two will be 103 dB @ 1 watt.

  • Hi Jenfi,

    i have my 4x12 DIY Kemper Kone "bigbeast" from a MDF case. Due to the fact that the kone is a speaker simulation and not a "cab simulation", the best way is to have a stiffer/heavier box setup. Go for a stiff MDF case, if you want to build your own DIY-case., you will avoid/mild the possible resonance "colour" of the structure itself

  • Yup, I don't have a Stage but that looks like you'd have stereo Kabinets, and stereo to FOH.

    You may find that stereo doesn't work well for some situations, so you could then send either stereo or mono to FOH, and mono to either channel of the SD700, or I suppose you could use a Y cable to split a mono output from the Stage to both inputs of the SD700. Never tried that myself.

  • Yup, I don't have a Stage but that looks like you'd have stereo Kabinets, and stereo to FOH.

    You may find that stereo doesn't work well for some situations, so you could then send either stereo or mono to FOH, and mono to either channel of the SD700, or I suppose you could use a Y cable to split a mono output from the Stage to both inputs of the SD700. Never tried that myself.

    Yes, I know and agree about stereo. In rehearsals, stereo is ok for me, but in certain gigs I agree is a source of problems, then I'd just go to the output section of the Kemper Profiler Stage and set Master Mono in Monitor Output and Main Output.

    Again, thanks for your kind support ;)

  • Hi Jenfi,

    i have my 4x12 DIY Kemper Kone "bigbeast" from a MDF case. Due to the fact that the kone is a speaker simulation and not a "cab simulation", the best way is to have a stiffer/heavier box setup. Go for a stiff MDF case, if you want to build your own DIY-case., you will avoid/mild the possible resonance "colour" of the structure itself

    Ply is stiffer than MDF. I've said my peace on the MDF vs ply debate in this thread so I won't rehash it. But if you must use MDF for the cab, at the very least, use a quality ply for the baffle.

  • It depends whether you're in the camp that wants to hear the colouration of the cab (plywood) or whether you're trying to limit that (mdf). I'm in the process of making a couple of oversize 2x12 cabs from 18mm plywood, I think that will be a benefit for high gain. I currently have my Kones in a plywood 4x12, but I'm over 4x12 cabs

  • Though I know, that in real guitar Cabinets the Cab itself matters a lot, I didn't notice this Impact when I compared a standard Kemper-Cab to a Kone, which I installed in a 1x12"-Thiele-Cab.

    Due to it's Efficiency the Thiele-Cab sounded a bit louder but the Sound itself was identical for me.


    So -soundwise- I wouldn't spend too much thoughts on the cab. (at least with 1x12" cabs)

  • @ Frodebro

    Just a note on efficiency ratings - 2 identical speakers/cabs sharing the same power as one alone will still be 3 dB louder. If one driver has an efficiency rating of (say) 100 dB at 1 watt, two will be 103 dB @ 1 watt.

    This is indeed true, but due to a characteristic in the design of most solid state amps, you will not get the same power in each speaker if they are connected in series (actually this is the case of most amps). You can get the efficiency benefit with many solid state amps if you connect the speakers in parallel, provided the amp can handle the halved impedance.


    The 4 ohm impedance of the Kone and Kab is terrific if you use only one speaker per solid state amp output, and also works well if you have 4 of them wired in series-paralleled pairs (giving 4 ohms total). But using two together in one amp output will either require a 2 ohm impedance from the speaker (not as common as 4 ohm minimum), or wiring them in series for 8 ohms total (halving the total power from the amp).


    The main reason solid state amps act like this is due to their having a constant maximum voltage in the power supply. If you know the power a solid state amp can provide at a specific impedance, and grab a calculator and simple power equations, you can get an approximate idea of what power your speaker configuration will receive from an amp (and why your 250W amp works great with a Kone, but can't even keep up with a drummer when used with your stock 16 ohm Marshall cab).

  • I think this will be OK, but unfortunately SD is rather poor with their specs (not listed on the web site or in the Quick Start guide). The Sweetwater page and SD home page says 700W per channel, but then later in the Sweetwater description it says 700W total power at 4 ohms. So which is it?? I'd suggest contacting Seymour Duncan and asking directly. Or if anyone knows what amp module is used in it, and its part number, we can figure it out from there.


    If it is 700W per channel at 4 ohms, and you have a Kab in each channel, that will be quite a loud setup. But be careful as I'd expect the amp could eat the Kones alive... even at 350W it could do this. FWIW, many rack power amps with internal DSP allow a maximum output power to be set so your speakers don't get fried in the heat of battle, but I don't believe the PS700 has this feature.

  • The SD700 is rated at 700 watts RMS per channel into 4 ohms. People on forums have measured the output and confirmed that that is no exaggeration. There is no need to run the amp anywhere near that output level - it has a stereo volume pot and running it below 12 o'clock is where you will typically be operating unless you need loud stage volume levels. Of course, the amp is in its lowest distortion range at moderate power levels so basically what you are getting with all that power is a lot of clean headroom.

  • The SD700 is rated at 700 watts RMS per channel into 4 ohms. People on forums have measured the output and confirmed that that is no exaggeration. There is no need to run the amp anywhere near that output level - it has a stereo volume pot and running it below 12 o'clock is where you will typically be operating unless you need loud stage volume levels. Of course, the amp is in its lowest distortion range at moderate power levels so basically what you are getting with all that power is a lot of clean headroom.

    This is indeed my experience. A few outdoor gigs had the SD700 below 12 o'clock with the Kemper at normal/stock -12db. Piles of headroom available.

  • I think this will be OK, but unfortunately SD is rather poor with their specs (not listed on the web site or in the Quick Start guide). The Sweetwater page and SD home page says 700W per channel, but then later in the Sweetwater description it says 700W total power at 4 ohms. So which is it?? I'd suggest contacting Seymour Duncan and asking directly. Or if anyone knows what amp module is used in it, and its part number, we can figure it out from there.


    If it is 700W per channel at 4 ohms, and you have a Kab in each channel, that will be quite a loud setup. But be careful as I'd expect the amp could eat the Kones alive... even at 350W it could do this. FWIW, many rack power amps with internal DSP allow a maximum output power to be set so your speakers don't get fried in the heat of battle, but I don't believe the PS700 has this feature.

    Don't bother contacting SD. I sent them a few questions about the PS170 and they never responded. Next time I'll build my own amp with IcePower modules.

  • Really love my Kone Kabinet, always use the imprints.

    That's actually a flaw for recording because there you still use the profile cab.. pretty logical but didn't think so much about it.


    Anyway just ordered a 2nd Kone Kabinet for stereo :)

    I have a powerhead but yeah mono, so ordered also a Harley Benton GPA400. pretty cheap D class amp, good enough for at home and important that it is without fan. I'm sure it will rock in stereo!


    Also hope this setup is also usable for a potential Quad Cortex, that i may also try in future. Hope it goes well with the Kone FRFR setting.

  • Also hope this setup is also usable for a potential Quad Cortex, that i may also try in future. Hope it goes well with the Kone FRFR setting.

    The Kone FRFR setting is only selectable with the Profiler, as the Profilers DSP is used to "flatten" the GFR response of the Kone. Try playing through the Kabinet/Kone without the setting switched on in the Output menu and you'll hear what you'll experience with any other piece of gear going through the Kabinet/Kone.

  • The Kone FRFR setting is only selectable with the Profiler, as the Profilers DSP is used to "flatten" the GFR response of the Kone. Try playing through the Kabinet/Kone without the setting switched on in the Output menu and you'll hear what you'll experience with any other piece of gear going through the Kabinet/Kone.

    ah didn't know yet, that standard input is not FRFR like. No problem will stick with the Kemper in stereo, love this machine!

  • I'm curious if anyone has or had a Mission Gemini 2 FRFR and also the Kemper Kabinet. _- If so would you recommend making the switch to the Kabinet?

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