Is my profiler faulty??

  • I got an ex-demo version of the Power rack delivered yesterday. I have noticed a couple of things that lead to suspect the unit may be faulty.


    1. The factory profiles seem to have different names to the amps we all know, so instead of saying "Vox AC-30" or "Peavey 5150" they have different spellings, e.g "V 150". Have these been changed or are they meant to be like that? They are the Martin Britt profiles. So is this an update? I can't see amps like the Bugera/Buddha/Blackstar/etc unless they're under a different name. Has the previous owner in the store I bought it from changed this by deleting the factory profiles? And adding their own?


    2. The backlight on the display goes out after a few minutes, making it very hard to see when browsing profiles under dim lighting. It comes on for a bit when in system mode and I try to adjust brightness, etc but it goes out. Shouldn't it stay on permanently? How do I switch it on?


    3. I had trouble connecting to a speaker cabinet despite following the correct connections from speaker output to the input of the combo amp speaker. The amp is a DSL5 with a detachable jack into a 1x10" speaker. It was only when I used the FX loop and turned on the amp that I got any sound, but as the unit is a powered one I shouldn't have had to do this? I changed output settings to live cab and monitor output was on? What else should I have changed?


    If the above 3 aren't normal behaviours for a new unit then I may have to conclude the unit is faulty.

  • The amps do generally have slightly different names to avoid copyright issues. As for the backlight, I do not have a rack unit but my Stage unit backlight is always on. I would assume that is the same across all units, that might be faulty. The speaker connection issue sounds like it maybe a settings issue based on how the previous user had it set up.

  • When I first powered it on and browsed profiles, there were 327 of them, the factory brand-new number is 287 so obviously the previous owner added a few!


    Yeah the backlight never stays on and didn't light up when first switched the unit on. I've spoken to Kemper and they have diagnosed this as a hardware issue.


    And I would like to try it through my Orange 4x12 cab but its in storage at someone else's house however, and with the lockdown we're not allowed out. I have a friend who has the exact same Kemper and he's connected it through 4x12 speakers fine.

  • I use my Stage unit through my Mesa 212 cab alot. I enjoy the feel much more like that but I have an FRFR cab as well since it handles changes for different tones better. An AC30 or a Fender looses some of its character when I push it all through a Mesa.


    Is Kemper going to fix the hardware issue for you? If you have it going in for service, I am sure they will sort out all the issues.

  • Hmm, why am I getting buzzing and hissing through my speaker then? Is it because it has an FX loop in it? It works when I run a cable out of main output (L) then into the return of the combo speaker's FX loop. Is the DSL5 speaker not able to handle 600w of power amp wattage?


    They said they can fix it as its still under warranty, but I would have to cover the shipping costs. My first option is to ask the store who sold it to me to arrange it or send me a new one, as I was under no impression the backlight didn't work in the item description.

  • Hmm, why am I getting buzzing and hissing through my speaker then? Is it because it has an FX loop in it? It works when I run a cable out of main output (L) then into the return of the combo speaker's FX loop. Is the DSL5 speaker not able to handle 600w of power amp wattage?


    They said they can fix it as its still under warranty, but I would have to cover the shipping costs. My first option is to ask the store who sold it to me to arrange it or send me a new one, as I was under no impression the backlight didn't work in the item description.

    If you are going into the FX loop return, make sure you are not using the power amp of the Kemper. Amp into amp will for sure get you undesired effect. Only use the powered out into a passive cab. DSL5 speaker is certain to now be able to handle 600w but that is a class D power amp so you only get 600w to 4 ohm. You speaker is likely 8 ohm or 16 ohm and you will have considerably less wattage into the higher ohm rating. According to the Marshall website you have


    SPEAKERS

    Speaker configuration
    1x10"

    Speaker model
    Celestion Ten-30 speaker (16Ω, 30w)

    Unit impedance
    16Ω


    Without doing the math, because its not exactly half, you would be pushing about 150 w to that speaker and that is a 30 w speaker so you would still want to keep the volume below 25%.


    Edit: If you are using the passive mode of the Kemper into the fx return, then you can use the volume control of the amp without worrying about blowing the amp

  • Yeah I think with it being such a small amp it may not handle such a large power amp. I've played a few times via the FX loop though at reasonable volume and it seems to be working fine. I turn the cab sim off though as it sounds terrible haha. Basically I should turn the power amp off on the Kemper?


    I prefer the sound of moving air through physical speakers as I'm quite old school - I've been playing for over 20 years via tube amps.


    Am I better off getting the Kemper Kabinet so I can use solely as a speaker without messing with another combo amp's pre-amps?

  • Yeah I think with it being such a small amp it may not handle such a large power amp. I've played a few times via the FX loop though at reasonable volume and it seems to be working fine. I turn the cab sim off though as it sounds terrible haha. Basically I should turn the power amp off on the Kemper?


    I prefer the sound of moving air through physical speakers as I'm quite old school - I've been playing for over 20 years via tube amps.


    Am I better off getting the Kemper Kabinet so I can use solely as a speaker without messing with another combo amp's pre-amps?

    Yes, absolutely do not use the Kempers power amp in that setup. The FX goes straight into the power amp of the Marshall, iIf you do you are pushing a power amp into another power amp. The Kemper Kabinet will give you great results and will allow you to get the correct profile tones when switching profiles. Pushing into a Marshall cab/speaker will give everything a Marshall like color to it. The Kabinet will allow you to change the speaker tone but I do not have a Kabinet, I use an FRFR speaker. It is my preference to use FRFR incase some day I get a unit made by someone else, the Kabinet only works with the Kemper.

  • Ah right I get you, so in the output settings I think the last page is the Power amp option, that should be turned off (I must remember to turn it back on though if I use a cab live!)


    Yeah I mean I do like Marshall cabs for certain amps but as you say they will colour the tone a bit. I have a liking for V30 speakers too.


    Definitely will get a Kemper Kabinet once this unit is fixed, I'm just so annoyed I can't use it to its maximum potential.


    I have a pair of monitors too that I will be using directly from the unit, this is 2 x TRS cables right? The monitors are Mackie CR4's.

  • You can run straight into them I think but as I want to do recording with the Kemper I will need an interface eventually.


    Also! I think I may be connecting my Kemper to my Marshall DSL incorrectly. What I noticed is there's ALREADY a cable coming out of the DSL amp into the speaker cabinet of the amp. It is this cable that I suspect that I have to plug into the Kemper and not a separate one! That would explain why I wasn't getting any sound.

  • Yes, but that cable will likely not be long enough to get to the Kemper. The cable plugged into the speaker out of you amp goes to the speaker by itself and could be used by the powered output of the Kemper but you could easily blow that speaker using the Kempers power amp. In your situation I would use the the monitor output of the Kemper to the FX return with the cab shut off.

  • After all this time I was using a separate speaker cable! And yes you are right the Kemper power amp could blow that speaker. Obviously with a passive cab e.g a 2x12 or something I'd hook it up exactly like a head as there's no other sources between amp and cab.


    And yeah you're right its not long enough to get the Kemper anyway so no use in trying haha. FX loop method it is then, for the time being anyway until I get myself a nice Kabinet!

  • Yeah the backlight is still the main issue and I don't wanna be gigging under dark lights with it! It was always going to be difficult at first moving straight from tube amps but like you say I can see myself liking it, some of the Fender champion/twin clean profiles are lush!


    I will try it through monitors too apparently it sounds better but takes getting used to.


    Hoping it doesn't take too long for this to be turned around.