Kemper Powerhead through speaker cabs - Tone issues.

  • Hi Everyone


    I have a powered kemper which I run through two different cabs, one with v30's other with G12T 75's. Both are 2x12. My observation is that the sound I get out of the speakers appear to me to be less crisp or muddier (?) then my heads ( 5150, MKV, H&K ), regardless of any EQ adjustments (including pre- or post amp) I make either including the clarity etc. In some cases the adjustments I make degrades the profile to the point of sounding like crap (heavier profiles). Yes, I have the cab monitor off. Also, my observation is that 80% of the profiles all sound the same, which I find frustrating. I thought about swapping out one of my cabs with the Kone, (if and when they become available again) but have note other users having mixed results. While there are profiles that I can groove on for hours others make me ask what the hell is going on. Some profiles from the rig exchange are better than some profiles that I purchased. What is your experience and what suggestions do you have?

  • I suggest you make the free rigs work first. Tweak them to your liking. If you are a strictly a Marshall or Fender fan then don't be stuck on only those profiles. Expand your perception of what sounds good to your ears without reading what amp was used in the profile.


    Once you tweak the free profiles, and you find you need just a bit more, then go for commercial profiles. And know that you will still have to tweak commercial ones. They are not "plug n play". I've heard commercial profiles that sound much worse than some free ones.


    I will tweak profiles using the Kabinet at 85db in my home studio. I always set the Kab imprint as FRFR. After you finalize a profile to your liking then you really need to play with bandmates at volume to see what imprint will work best.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • I’ve sometimes experienced the same with my power rack into a guitar cab. It’s really just profile dependent. There are some great free profiles and some not so great pro ones. It’s a bit of a crapshoot. I have heard people mention that profiles tend to sound similar in this setting since your speakers are the same for each profile.

  • Also, my observation is that 80% of the profiles all sound the same, which I find frustrating.

    That’s not really surprising. The speaker is a MASSIVE part of the sound and in many cases makes a bigger contribution than the amp. Therefore, using the same cabinet with all profiles will tend to make things sound very similar. That is where FRFR really shines. However, the downside of FRFR is that many people find they don’t have the same “amp in the room” sound and just don’t bond with them.


    The Kone is potentially a best of both worlds. I really like what it does but I’m not a metal player. The guys who don’t like it tend to be metal players as far as I can see. I think the problem they often encounter is using the Kone in a small 1x12 cabinet (like the Kemper Kabinet) and expecting it to sound like a Marshall or Mesa 412. That isn’t the speaker’s fault but rather the restrictions of the cabinet.


    The only way to know whether FRFR or Kone will work for you is to try them in person. Tone is too much of a personal thing for other people’s opinions (including mine) to be much help.

  • That’s not really surprising. The speaker is a MASSIVE part of the sound and in many cases makes a bigger contribution than the amp. Therefore, using the same cabinet with all profiles will tend to make things sound very similar. That is where FRFR really shines. However, the downside of FRFR is that many people find they don’t have the same “amp in the room” sound and just don’t bond with them.


    The Kone is potentially a best of both worlds. I really like what it does but I’m not a metal player. The guys who don’t like it tend to be metal players as far as I can see. I think the problem they often encounter is using the Kone in a small 1x12 cabinet (like the Kemper Kabinet) and expecting it to sound like a Marshall or Mesa 412. That isn’t the speaker’s fault but rather the restrictions of the cabinet.


    The only way to know whether FRFR or Kone will work for you is to try them in person. Tone is too much of a personal thing for other people’s opinions (including mine) to be much help.

    Could not agree more! I used a 4 x12 for many years and the sound was Ok but not great. Cabs add so much colour, they "smooth" everything out.


    I went through FRFR and now I use the Kabinet ( and I'm a metal player :) ).


    The other factor you have is the FOH sound. If you go direct ( as you should) then your FOH sound will also be massively different to your cab sound as its a different signal chain etc.. and its your FOH sound you should be more focused on...


    My suggestion is:


    1) Find the right profiles for FOH ( using either a rehearsal PA or headphones). A PA will basically give you the same sound as FRFR

    2) Try those sounds with your cabs....try other cabs if you can

    3) If no good, try out a Kone etc. As Alan said, they are not to everybodys taste..

  • That’s not really surprising. The speaker is a MASSIVE part of the sound and in many cases makes a bigger contribution than the amp.

    I remember watching a video where a group of some *very* well regarded and very different amp heads were compared using the same cabinet. The lack of difference was startling. Then, they compared the same amp with different cabs and again - the differences were startling.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • I remember watching a video where a group of some *very* well regarded and very different amp heads were compared using the same cabinet. The lack of difference was startling. Then, they compared the same amp with different cabs and again - the differences were startling.

    Totally...we all knew it had an affect but I was shocked it was so pronounced. I had also not realised this pre-Kemper because my sounds were based around 1 amp. Now I have thousands to choose from, it showed better the level of colouration.


    This is something else the KPA has taught me...

  • I also use two 2x12 cabinets with V30s and G12T75s. I stopped purchasing profiles because there are too many great free ones on the exchange and none of the ones I purchased thrilled me, including the ones from well known profilers. Profiles do start to sound the same but I think that's because we like what we like, and tend to EQ the profiles the same. I tried the Kone speaker and it wasn't for me, send it back the next day. I also tried the F12-X200 speaker and it sounder better to my ears then the Kone, I and kept that one in a 1x12 cab. I also have a couple Headrush 1x8 power speakers which opens up a different world because now the profiled cabinets come into play, and you can use the cab section from other profiles. I still prefer the powered Kemper head through a real cabinet, but there are many options sure sure and all of them will give you a different prospective on the same exact profile.