Running my Kemper through a cab

  • I have tried to run my (non powered) Kemper through a cab. I have just ordered an official Kemper cab but I realise this still won’t work. What do I need to do to ensure that I can get my Kemper working and that I can run it through a cab. I am quite new to the amp modelling world. So I’d really appreciate some help.

  • I have tried to run my (non powered) Kemper through a cab. I have just ordered an official Kemper cab but I realise this still won’t work. What do I need to do to ensure that I can get my Kemper working and that I can run it through a cab. I am quite new to the amp modelling world. So I’d really appreciate some help.

    In fact you have aswered your question by yourself. Since you have non powered Kemper you need power amp :). There are many threads in this forum on the subject "best power amp for Kemper". But definitely don't forgett to read "Main manual 7.5" that is available in the download section on the web. You will find answers for majority of your current & future questions there. Good luck!

  • Hi thanks for your replies that have just ordered the Seymour Duncan powerstage 170 as I thought it be a good option. Hopefully it will all work ?

    SD PS is a good choice for sure. When I was looking, I ended up going with the Orange PB100 and it sounds great but it is not compatible with the Kemper Kab. The SD PS170 will push to 4 ohms that the Kab needs and the Orange wont.

  • I know it's too late, but I wonder if someone like British Audio could just install the power amp that comes with power heads in. The whole deal with 600 watts can be carried around with one finger.

  • So I’ve got it all hooked up now. It’s god a bit of a flat sound? I’m just wondering if I’ve hooked it up correctly. I have the speaker input running into the output of the powerstage via a speaker cable. And the input running into the direct output/ send of the Kemper. I presume this is correct? But it doesn’t sound great

  • And the input running into the direct output/ send of the Kemper.

    Try using the Monitor Out of the Kemper to the Powerstage input.


    If you press the Output button on the Kemper you can get to various pages to set options. On the first page check that Monitor Output is set to Master Mono and you'll probably want the Monitor Cab Off box checked if you're using a guitar speaker cab. You can set EQ for the monitor output on page 3.


    If you have the Kemper Kone, options are on Page 8. You'd probably want the Kemper Kone box checked if you want to use the imprints.

  • Using the Kemper this way takes your ears a bit to adjust. There are many posts here on this. I've found that when low volume, it sounds great but kinda "flat" and because my speaker is not getting enough juice to make it have some of the normal color we associate with an amp/ cab. Record it direct and you will likely hear a big difference. Most people may have done it the other way around, but I have spent most of my time with the unit working to get the direct sound to sound like my Powerhead into my CL80 Cab in the room as it sounds great as an amp in the room with that cab.

    It took me a bit to figure it out but all I have to do is shelve some high end in my DAW and it sounds like my cab does in the room to my ears recorded and hopefully FOH when implemented. I just kept going back and forth playing, recording and going "what about the recorded sound isn't matching the cab?" and instead of changing cab eq s I just rolled off some highs and I was there. I figured that way when I go into a live FOH, if it's not what I want I know it's just a slight EQ adjustment on the board.

  • Hi thanks for your replies that have just ordered the Seymour Duncan powerstage 170 as I thought it be a good option. Hopefully it will all work ?

    Do you have a real tube amp with an effect loop? You can use the return on your tube amp to power your non-powered Kemper unit, and imo this will sound allot better and allot less "flat" then any solid state power amp. Trust me I have tried many including the 170 and an Orange Pedal Baby. I have the powered head myself but I like to experiment. The best results always came from a tube power source, in my case it was a Marshall DSL 50w head. It even sounds better going through the Marshall power section then the Kemper 600w section. But for gigs and convenience I still use the 600w power on the head, just more tweaking needed. BTW...always make sure your CABS are OFF when running this way into a real cabinet.