Kemper Kabinet and the beam

  • Where do you place the Kabinet when you play guitar? Do you aim it straight at your ears or do you angle it away from yourself?


    When will I get the best idea of what the profile actually sounds like (what's going to FOH) = inside the beam or away from it?


    Thanks!

  • If you want to use it as a monitor for the sound that is being sent to the PA, use the Kabinet in Full Range Mode, aimed at your face.

    So if it feels harsh in the beam, it‘s most likely also harsh going into FOH?


    I‘m asking because with normal amps I find they sound better if they‘re slightly angled away from me.


    And how about using imprints, is their “real” sound also in the centre or does something like this not exist?

  • So if it feels harsh in the beam, it‘s most likely also harsh going into FOH?


    I‘m asking because with normal amps I find they sound better if they‘re slightly angled away from me.


    And how about using imprints, is their “real” sound also in the centre or does something like this not exist?

    You may find this to work very similar to when you are using a real amp since you are using a cabinet for a monitor. It also won't necessarily be an indication of how harsh it may be out front. You really have to get out front and hear what it sounds like in a mix. I would tell you that my amps on stage are close to sounding harsh to me but in the mix they sound great. Part of this depends on whether I happen to be next to the bass player or on the other side of the drummer by myself. That is why it is always good to get out front and hear it in the mix.

  • So if it feels harsh in the beam, it‘s most likely also harsh going into FOH?

    Yes, the mids and highs you hear on-axis are present in the signal, but are more direction than low end. If you are hearing a harsh sound in full range mode, with the Monitor EQ set flat, you are also sending a harsh sound to FOH. If you use Kabinet to tweak your sounds, I suggest using it this way to do that.


    When your sounds are right for FOH, you can then change the physical position the cabinet, use Imprint Mode, etc. If EQ changes are needed for your onstage sound, use the Monitor EQ and Kone settings.


    I also prefer guitar sounds to be a bit off axis, even when using the Kabinet, because I want it to sound like it is in the same room as the other instruments I am hearing onstage.

  • I have a favorite profile for which I usually use an imprint since the imprint is closer to what the profile feels via studio headphones. I was just wondering how I should position the Kemper Kabinet to get the best impression for more subtle changes that I might have to do with my guitar knobs.

  • You can mimic a stage setup in your studio. It's how I have mine setup. I have my studio monitors spread out to 10 feet and I place the kabinet in front of me for monitor position and behind for cab feel. When in monitor position I have in on the floor. In cab position I have it stacked on top of another cab (but the lower cab is not connected) so the Kab is level to my pickups to use natural feedback dependably. It's really an incredible full surround sound experience doing a setup at home this way. Makes practicing 100x better plus you pretty much know exactly how it will sound to you on a stage.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • You can mimic a stage setup in your studio. It's how I have mine setup. I have my studio monitors spread out to 10 feet and I place the kabinet in front of me for monitor position and behind for cab feel. When in monitor position I have in on the floor. In cab position I have it stacked on top of another cab (but the lower cab is not connected) so the Kab is level to my pickups to use natural feedback dependably. It's really an incredible full surround sound experience doing a setup at home this way. Makes practicing 100x better plus you pretty much know exactly how it will sound to you on a stage.

    No monitor speakers yet. Only the Kabinet and good headphones.

  • You need to get some. They really make a difference on how you approach profiles for recording and using a PA live.

    I hear you, trust me. Nonetheless, my questions are about the beam of the Kabinet when used as the monitor. Unlikely I would bring monitor speakers to a rehearsal and unlikely there's another monitor than the Kabinet for me.

  • I hear you, trust me. Nonetheless, my questions are about the beam of the Kabinet when used as the monitor. Unlikely I would bring monitor speakers to a rehearsal and unlikely there's another monitor than the Kabinet for me.

    I understand that. I am talking about using studio monitors as pseudo in the same way a real PA is used to find what position the Kab works best to your ears. The Kab is going to sound like the Kab and the FOH is going to sound different.


    I had assumed you meant "FOH" as a PA system the kemper is sending to.


    If you just mean "hear the Kab like the audience hears it" (no PA) then only those standing directly perpendicular to the kab will be "in the beam" and only a very few people. The other 90% of audience would be off center and most likely stone drunk if they having a rockin time. So, suit yourself for the 90% because their opinions on your sound is worth more. Besides, if a record producer comes to check you out for a major label then they are usually hiding the the back corner somewhere (something to note in case you need to turn the kab that way). ;)

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • I think this became more complicated than I intended it to be. All I wanted to know was whether inside or slightly outside the beam would give me the best representation of the profile. I know that the profile sounds good on headphones and assume it will sound good through a PA. I play mainly through the Kabinet because it's the most fun and I don't have monitor speakers here right now. Depending on where I stand in position to the Kabinet the highs sound different. I can teach myself to either listen to the beam or to what's outside of it. This is for practice. If I later use the Kabinet during rehearsal I need to know to which sound I will have to adjust my guitar knobs, beam, or outside of it.


    Besides, if a record producer comes to check you out for a major label then they are usually hiding the the back corner somewhere (something to note in case you need to turn the kab that way). ;)

    This made me chuckle! ^^ I think I'm unfortunately too old for that major label to send someone over, but hey, you never know. 8)

  • I think this became more complicated than I intended it to be. All I wanted to know was whether inside or slightly outside the beam would give me the best representation of the profile. I know that the profile sounds good on headphones and assume it will sound good through a PA. I play mainly through the Kabinet because it's the most fun and I don't have monitor speakers here right now. Depending on where I stand in position to the Kabinet the highs sound different. I can teach myself to either listen to the beam or to what's outside of it. This is for practice. If I later use the Kabinet during rehearsal I need to know to which sound I will have to adjust my guitar knobs, beam, or outside of it.


    This made me chuckle! ^^ I think I'm unfortunately too old for that major label to send someone over, but hey, you never know. 8)

    I think you will find that you will want to be just outside of the beam like you do with a real amp. If you have a sound man let him tell you what it sounds like out front or step out front yourself. It could sound different than it did in the headphones since it is going through a different signal path. There are some things in the monitor signal path and the headphone signal path that are not in the main outputs.

  • I think I'm unfortunately too old for that major label to send someone over,

    nonsense ! As someone once said “you’re never too old to rock’n’roll ???


    As for your question about the beam effect, the FoH and on stage are two separate issues.


    The whole idea of imprints was designed to allow the best of both worlds rather than trying to make the onstage sound match the FOH sound or the FOH sound as dull as off axis on stage from a traditional cabinet.


    If you are using imprints it is presumably because you want to capture that traditional amp on stage sound that you love (which is typically off axis / outside the beam) therefore you would want to do the same thing with the Kabinet. Will that sound closest to the FOH sound? No - but you will enjoy it and have fun which will probably make you play better.


    If you want to sound most like the FOH then use Full Range mode and accept it won’t sound and feel like you are used to with a traditional amp and cabinet but it will be close to what the audience are hearing.


    To a certain extent, the live in the room sound and feel of imprints and the studio miced clarity of FOH are mutually exclusive so trying to get imprints to work this way is going to be a battle you never win.

  • I hear you all. But I feel this creates a problem for me as a musician. It's important to have a feel for the sound you're creating. By writing 'feel' I want to make clear that I do understand the sound you hear on stage is never exactly the sound the audience hears. But the character of your sound should be more or less the same. The story it tells, if you know what I mean.

    When I listen to a profile it has a certain character. How much distortion sounds good with it, is it a tight or a flabby bass, how shrill are the highs etc. I often feel the Kabinet does not give a good representation of that sound unless I pick an imprint that matches. In a way I believe the imprints can get closer to the story than running the cabinet in fullrange mode.


    Now, I'm someone who plays a lot with the volume and treble knobs on his guitar. That's the way to do it in my opinion. And in order to do so, you need to hear yourself. How much volume until clean turns into crunch, how much treble to take away for a bluesier rhythm until you crank it up for lead parts. With a real guitar cabinet, that's what I would do, hoping much of it translates to FOH.


    I've often read here that the Kabinet is just for fun and doesn't give you a representation of your sound. But then I'm afraid it just doesn't work for me the way I am hoping.


    My question about the beam was about what I described above. In order to know how much I need to adjust the knobs, do I have to be inside or outside of it.

  • I am betting you can get the sound on stage to work the way you want it to. I connected the monitor output of my Stage to my Fryette PS-100 and then to a cabinet. I turned the cabinet off on the monitor output of the Stage (there is a setting to do this). The sound was amazing. I honestly would have sworn that I was playing through a real tube amp. The sound from the main outs was exactly the same as it had always been. You may need to consider different ways to get sound out of a cabinet on stage to get it how you want to hear it.

  • It‘s a good habit to care about the sound that your audience hears. And the Kabinet is tailored for that.

    In this case, it is truly recommended to use the fullrange mode, as it has been said on this thread.


    The best listening position for the Kabinet and the most linear representation is slightly off-axis. You will find that angle by following your instinct!

  • The best listening position for the Kabinet and the most linear representation is slightly off-axis.

    That's what I needed to hear. Almost everyone told me otherwise, even in this thread. Will make sure to place the Kabinet off-axis from now on as that was already my instinct.

  • That's what I needed to hear. Almost everyone told me otherwise, even in this thread. Will make sure to place the Kabinet off-axis from now on as that was already my instinct.

    I wouldn't say "almost everyone." There were at least two of us telling you that it would pretty much be the same as you were doing with an amp. In fact I didn't see anyone tell you otherwise.

  • Almost everyone told me otherwise, even in this thread.

    I wouldn't say "almost everyone."

    I didn't talk about this thread alone. That's why I wrote, "even in this thread"...

    In fact I didn't see anyone tell you otherwise.

    Let me help you then. First reply:

    If you want to use it as a monitor for the sound that is being sent to the PA, use the Kabinet in Full Range Mode, aimed at your face.

    Last reply:

    The best listening position for the Kabinet and the most linear representation is slightly off-axis.