Kemper Kone - Auto switch between Imprint and FullRange mode based on profile's gain level

  • There seems to be somewhat of a consensus that the Kone's imprints sound great with clean and low gain profiles, but not the best with high gain sounds.. so Full Range mode is preferred for those.


    Kone & Kabinet Q&A


    So it might make sense to have an option (when using Kone in Imprint mode) to have any profile with a gain level above a certain threshold automatically switch to FR mode when selected.

    Then clean profiles or anything below the threshold would use the imprint selected on the rig, and the higher gain ones would use FR... best of both worlds.

  • If it is gain dependent morphing gain could create a tonal mess. And for sure there could be a time lag during transition from base to morph sound. It also would not take over the decision for each profile to check what cab or imprint fits best. So not sure about it’s benefit over the options already existing. But as long as it does not affect my settings could live with it.

  • I think this would be a negative move.


    Plenty of users are happy with (or prefer) Imprints for higher gain sounds but prefer FRFR for sparkling cleans.


    How would you decide where the changeover point in the gain range should be.


    There is already a way to achieve this with the rig specific imprint in the Cab section.


    In my opinion a better way to achieve these sorts of semi-global changes would be to add a batch edit function to Rg Manager. This would allow users to select all rigs that a change should be applied to and make the change to them all simultaneously.

  • If it is gain dependent morphing gain could create a tonal mess. And for sure there could be a time lag during transition from base to morph sound. It also would not take over the decision for each profile to check what cab or imprint fits best. So not sure about it’s benefit over the options already existing. But as long as it does not affect my settings could live with it.

    It would have to be a setting defined in the main Kemper Kone page, not morphing.

    The Kemper/Kone already has the ability to automatically switch to Full Range mode if you select a profile with a Cabinet section off (like acoustic profiles), so I don't think lag would be an issue.

  • It would be an option, so there would be no negative to anyone who doesn't want to use it.


    The gain threshold could be defined on the Kemper Kone page of the output section.


    I'm aware there is already the functionality to edit the cab section in each profile, but the point would be to save users the trouble and not have to go and do all that. Also it could be switched back on/off just as easily.


    As for the Imprint vs FR, Chris Kemper himself touched on why clean/low gain stuff sounds better with Imprint while high gain sounds better with FR here.... but again this would be an option not a requirement

  • There is no such consensus.

    Well maybe consensus wasn't a good word to use as sound is highly subjective so there will never be a true "consensus" on anything... but I've read the entire Kemper Kone/Kab Q&A thread and there are many people in agreement on this. So much so that even ckemper himself commented in the thread recommending FR mode for high gain profiles. So it seems like putting in an option like this would make a lot of sense. Here's some of the quotes from the thread.....


    IME the DA profiles don't act as the studio profiles with Kone. For metal I've had better luck with the non Kone sim full range studio option.


    I've been trying out all combinations of Kone full range and imprints, and there seem to be some profiles that sound better with Kone in full range than with imprints (mostly heavier gain profiles or ones with lots of full range effects), but as the profiles have less overdrive, the imprints start winning out. Fender clean profiles with Kone alnico imprints are a thing of true beauty.


    I mean it's a little of both. Clean/low gain/even medium gains sounds okay. It's the high gain stuff that doesn't sound good to my ears. Mr. Kemper is right that he said FRFR mode is provbably better for high gain stuff and I would agree, but then you lose the amp in the room idea. Hence, why I'll just stick with buying a regular 2x12 v30 cabinet for playing DI profiles in person and headphone studio profiles at night.



    To be honest, despite being louder (the Orange speakers were 16ohms), if you are a gain player, there are only one or two imprints that sound good in my opinion...and those took some EQ work. Most sound fizzy and thin even with the treble and presence knocked down. The imprints are nice and varied with clean sounds though.


    I am seeing a lot of reports that the Kabinet doesn't really work much for high gain.


    That is a huge bummer, if it is true. I have seen some videos where they say it's great, but I've seen more reviews that it is not up to the mark.


    Perhaps you want to switch the Kabinet to FRFR mode as Mr CK suggested in another post? Could you report back after that please?


    Is there any progress from Kemper to improve the sound when using high gain with imprints w/Kone?


    We all know that high gain (e.g. ENGL, JCM800 Cranked etc) sounds great in Kone 'FRFR' mode, but with Imprints the sound is usually muffled / blanket over speaker.


    Imprints with lower gain is flawless and awesome.

  • It would have to be a setting defined in the main Kemper Kone page, not morphing.

    The Kemper/Kone already has the ability to automatically switch to Full Range mode if you select a profile with a Cabinet section off (like acoustic profiles), so I don't think lag would be an issue.

    It will be an issue if you pass the threshold setting of gain with morphing. So what should then happen - as assigned by threshold, always FRFR, always Imprint, still rig settings? Also only „useful“ for a global imprint. Otherwise you already are able to adjust each rig to taste. So no crucial benefit.

  • maybe its just me but I really can’t see how this would be beneficial. It would seem to just add complexity and scope for errors in use. As I already mentioned, I think a MUCH better and all round more useful approach would be to at bulk editing to Rig Manager. This would be useful for much more than just the cabinet scenario too.


    In your example it would still be possible to change cabinets based on gain. Using the search function you could select a group of rigs. You could then rank these based on gain. Now select all rigs that ypu want to edit and change cabinet to FRFR. Job done.


    This would have the advantage of also allowing other things like reset Delay/Rev Routing to 0 on all selected rigs or select multiple rigs and transpose then al” down a 1/2 step etc etc etc.