Kemper Stage buzz I can't seem to get rid of

  • You might try moving to a different room to see if the problem changes. Sounds like the guitar/cable system is picking up EMF from the environment. Even try just moving the guitar around to see if the buzz changes, or gets louder or softer.

  • You might try moving to a different room to see if the problem changes. Sounds like the guitar/cable system is picking up EMF from the environment. Even try just moving the guitar around to see if the buzz changes, or gets louder or softer.

    It's the same around the whole apartment, very strange. But yes, I think it picks up signals like an antenna or something. But as I've understood it, it's not possible to get rid of it completely.

  • Yes, ground-lift does absolutely nothing. I don't know why that option is even there. Tried them all but had no effect

    They are there for hum generated by the unit and incorrect grounding conditions with the unit. I suspect your hum isn't caused by the Kemper, the Kemper is picking up something exterior.

  • I went through 3 different small TV set once that had wavy pictures. Turns out , I had it sitting on a 4X12 speaker cab (bachelor days)and the magnets in the speaker were causing it. (Man did I feel dumb when I realized it) I had a new EVH amp and with no footswitch attached, if you had your cellphone on top it might switch channels randomly. I had an apartment once that was totally irradiated by a nearby tower and some electronics did the same thing or worse. Point is you may need to look elsewhere besides the unit itself. We used to regularly do a 700 seat outdoor gig that I loved playing but 15 ft away from the stage were some transformers that would make single coil use very challenging and I'd get upset when the engineer would make faces about my guitar hum that wasn't the fault of my rig.

    I'd say if it doesn't do that elsewhere, your location is to blame. Since it doesn't do it with a wireless, I'm guessing your cable is being a big antenna to some electrical interference. Every minute of every day we have the radiation of every radio, cellphone tower, TV station and much much more all around us and passing through us constantly day & night. Hope yours doesn't cause you to grow another limb or something.

  • I went through 3 different small TV set once that had wavy pictures. Turns out , I had it sitting on a 4X12 speaker cab (bachelor days)and the magnets in the speaker were causing it. (Man did I feel dumb when I realized it) I had a new EVH amp and with no footswitch attached, if you had your cellphone on top it might switch channels randomly. I had an apartment once that was totally irradiated by a nearby tower and some electronics did the same thing or worse. Point is you may need to look elsewhere besides the unit itself. We used to regularly do a 700 seat outdoor gig that I loved playing but 15 ft away from the stage were some transformers that would make single coil use very challenging and I'd get upset when the engineer would make faces about my guitar hum that wasn't the fault of my rig.

    I'd say if it doesn't do that elsewhere, your location is to blame. Since it doesn't do it with a wireless, I'm guessing your cable is being a big antenna to some electrical interference. Every minute of every day we have the radiation of every radio, cellphone tower, TV station and much much more all around us and passing through us constantly day & night. Hope yours doesn't cause you to grow another limb or something.

    Thank you for this thoroughly explained story. I think I'm experiencing something similar, allthoguh my singlecoil is not the problem here, since it's Suhr coils.. But as you say, the jack is picking up some external sound, and it's not necessary coming from my apartment, because if I take the KPA to the far end of my apartment and connect it in my bathroom (far away from all of my electronic equipments) I still get the exact same buzz..


    If anyone know of a good wireless system for my guitar that does not micro-dropout (like my Relay G10 2.4ghz does all the time) I'd be happy to hear. Preferably if you guys have experience with professional recording with a wireless kit, I'd like to know which kit did you good :)
    Relay G10 is ready for my trashcan soon.

  • Hum eliminators actually make it twice as bad. I tried it between the guitar and KPA input yesterday. It's just more horrible


    You need place it after the Kemper output, before whatever it's going to. I have this; Pyle hum Eliminator. But single coil pickups will hum and if you are near any light dimmers, that will make things hum. Turning the volume down on the guitar will stop that. I got the hum eliminator because I was fine until I got to a venue then it would hum/buzz, and through IEM's its not too fun for the band. It stops the buzz the guitar volume doesn'.

  • You need place it after the Kemper output, before whatever it's going to. I have this; Pyle hum Eliminator. But single coil pickups will hum and if you are near any light dimmers, that will make things hum. Turning the volume down on the guitar will stop that. I got the hum eliminator because I was fine until I got to a venue then it would hum/buzz, and through IEM's its not too fun for the band. It stops the buzz the guitar volume doesn'.

    I tried it in between KPA and Mixer table aswell, and I got the exact same result. I returned the hum box yesterday, since it just made it worse, unfortunately. It was a passive box Rolls Buzz Off

  • if I take the KPA to the far end of my apartment and connect it in my bathroom (far away from all of my electronic equipments) I still get the exact same buzz..

    Take it out of the house/area and try it. You may have to move or line your walls with lead.

  • My G10 will only drop out around some pretty heavy interference. Otherwise it's very solid. If yours is dropping out I'm going with area radiation.

    I'm not talking about regular droputs, but micro-dropouts, unaffected by any interference. It's almost inaudible, and it can only be heard when recording soft solos with a very calm soundspace. It's very small microscopic "tics" that occurs in a timely manner. As if it's constantly "re-checking" the signal. It sounds much more like a G10 thing

  • Hum or noise is easy to locate.

    When you turn down your guitar, and the hum stays, then it might be a ground loop, to be prevented by a ground lift.


    When the noise is turned down with the guitars vollume pot, then it is catched by the guitar only. There is no interaction with the Amp, just reaction.

    The only cure for that is a noise gate or a humbucker (sic).


    When your Wireless produces less noise, then I assume it has a build-in noise gate.