Kemper powerhead + Marshall JCM 900 1960 lead cab: I need help UPDATE

  • Hi everyone,

    I'm the owner of a Kemper powerhead since 6 month ago and I have a big problem when i play my kemper directly into my Marshall cabinet.

    When the cabinet section is activated, it sound very deaf and muddy, like a bad POD tone

    And when I disable the cabinet section with the cabinet button of the front panel or with the monitor cab off fuction, it sound absolutely awful, like a vey synthetic distortion with the presence at the maximum.

    I read a lot off people who are very happy with playing a Kemper powerhead straight into their cab.

    Can someone help me please ?

    PS: i'm a french user, sorry for my average english:(

    UPDATE:

    Hello,

    I have try my kemper into the cab of a friend (a Mesa recto 4x12) and we have make a comparison with his own Kemper with same profiles, same eq and same output settings.

    Both sound great and absolutely identical.

    However, i think the probleme i hear in my cab does not show up very well in the video.

    When i play my Kemper in my room, i really hear a "swar of bee" effect and i think we can't hear it clearly in the video

    Perhaps something is damaged in my cab or the combination of this cab and the kemper is bad...


    I don't know...

  • Welcome to the forum! I think I would start by checking how it sounds recorded or through powered monitors.

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

  • Hi Antonio F,


    I’ve experienced a similar problem over the years with my Kemper – obviously with the cabinet module switched on and running into a real cabinet the sound becomes more muddy, as you are imposing a cabinet simulation on top of a real cabinet.


    However, I also find a lot of the profiles to sound very brittle and harsh when the cabinet is turned off.


    I have yet to find a solution for this, but more than once it’s made me think about returning to real tube amps. At the moment I’m using my Kemper more as a sophisticated patchbay than a great sounding unit.


    If anyone can enlighten me as to how to remedy this situation I’d be grateful!

  • Hi i also had this problem sometimes going into a 1960a cab. You can try a studio eq and play around with the low pass filter to get rid of some of the fizz. Try cutting from around 10k and downwards to taste:)

  • Welcome to the forum! I think I would start by checking how it sounds recorded or through powered monitors.

    Hi everyone,

    Thanks for your answers.:)

    When i record my Kemper in a daw (cubase) it sound great.

    The main probleme is what i describe wehen i play my Kemper into my cabinet.

    I have already tried the monitor output EQ and the studio eq tricks.

    I think it sound better because we can cut the extra treble and presence but in my opinion, it's not miraculous because we still can't ear the identity of the specific amp profiled and it still synthetic....:(

  • I don't have a powered head, and I always use so-called FRFR setups, so I guess someone else will have to help at this point. All I can say is that I've only had poor sound when there was clipping somewhere. Good luck!

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

  • Hmm..I have the opposite exprerience..I run my powerhead right into a Mesa Recto 4 x12 and it sounds just like the profiles I use (all are profiled through the same cab..) I have to say, even my other profiles (Marshall, Fender, Deiezel, etc..) all sound great through the cab..Although the cab (Vintage 30's) colors the sound (just as any cab does..). Clean and super high gain, everything in between sounds awesome. I have NEVER had any issues that I d=couldn't dial out or in with a little eq. If the Kemper Profile sounds good direct, it should sound good through the cab. So, my suggestion is to find presets or rigs that were originally profiled through the same cabinet you are using. That should clear up a lot of issues... Keep in mind that those tone controls (Treble,Bass,Mid, Presence) are very sensitive and a little goes a long way. And always turn CAB off when running into a cabinent, otherwise it will be over compressed, muddy and fake sounding.

  • Hmm..I have the opposite exprerience..I run my powerhead right into a Mesa Recto 4 x12 and it sounds just like the profiles I use (all are profiled through the same cab..) I have to say, even my other profiles (Marshall, Fender, Deiezel, etc..) all sound great through the cab..Although the cab (Vintage 30's) colors the sound (just as any cab does..). Clean and super high gain, everything in between sounds awesome. I have NEVER had any issues that I d=couldn't dial out or in with a little eq. If the Kemper Profile sounds good direct, it should sound good through the cab. So, my suggestion is to find presets or rigs that were originally profiled through the same cabinet you are using. That should clear up a lot of issues... Keep in mind that those tone controls (Treble,Bass,Mid, Presence) are very sensitive and a little goes a long way. And always turn CAB off when running into a cabinent, otherwise it will be over compressed, muddy and fake sounding.

    I have tried to play with rigs profiled through the same cabinet as mine...The probleme persist...

    The sound is absolutely fizzy when i play with the cab section off...

    Perhaps an important detail: i have only try it at bedroom volume

  • I have tried to play with rigs profiled through the same cabinet as mine...The probleme persist...

    The sound is absolutely fizzy when i play with the cab section off...

    Perhaps an important detail: i have only try it at bedroom volume

    Hmm..Not sure...IPower Head definitley sounds better the louder it gets, but you should be able to dial out any fizz..That being said, maybe the guit cab is not for you..Go FRFR. (Come on Kemper cab!! )

  • Hmm..Not sure...IPower Head definitley sounds better the louder it gets, but you should be able to dial out any fizz..That being said, maybe the guit cab is not for you..Go FRFR. (Come on Kemper cab!! )

    Do you think my Powerhead have definitely an issue ?

    I can lessen the fizz effect with the studio eq or the monitor output eq but i can't totally erase the problem...

  • I suspect the profile(s) you are using have the buzz.. If not, something else is wrong. Most profiles should sound pretty darn awesome right into and decent sounding cab... Here's a quick clip of Michael Britt going right into a cab...Sounds just liek a dumble.. Try cycling thru some other profiles.. ?


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  • Here is a copy of the last mail i send to the customer service

    "

    Hello,



    My i run my kemper through the speaker output with the "monitor cab off" function activated.



    I have also try the "init global settings".



    The output source for monitor output is "master mono".



    I have try it with different speaker cables and a lot of different profiles (factory profiles, SinMix, Michael Britt paid profiles etc...)



    Have a nice day."

    That being said, maybe the guit cab is not for you..Go FRFR. (Come on Kemper cab!! )

    Perhaps i'm not as clear as i must be.

    It doesn't sound like it's a matter of taste or something similar.

    It sound like a technical problem...

    What i hear is very far of what i can hear in the Michael Britt video...

  • Ummm..sorry man, but that sounds great! Seriously, I don't hear any issue..just good tone. Sounds just like mine : )

    Unfortunately, i think the sound of my camera minimize the problem a lot...


    Anyway, i will try my kemper through the cab of a friend and compare the tone of my powerhead with his own powerhead... Same profiles, same settings and same guitare, cable and cab...


    We will see if there is a notable difference...

  • Hello,

    I have try my kemper into the cab of a friend (a Mesa recto 4x12) and we have make a comparison with his own Kemper with same profiles, same eq and same output settings.

    Both sound great and absolutely identical.

    However, i think the probleme i hear in my cab does not show up very well in the video.

    When i play my Kemper in my room, i really hear a "swar of bee" effect and i think we can't hear it clearly in the video

    Perhaps something is damaged in my cab or the combination of this cab and the kemper is bad...

    I don't know...

  • So, the KPA is sounding great direct and with a Mesa cab. Have you tried your 1960 cab with a tube amp? Perhaps something is going on with its speakers or they need some time to break in. (If new). Have you discarded power noise issues? If you can, find a similar 1960 cab and test again.