Some weird and counter-intuitive behavior is going on with "Monitor Cab Off" setting and Rig Manager/Editor

  • Burkhard as well as fellow Kemper users,


    I have a Kemper PowerRack, which I previously had connected to a XiTone FRFR passive wedge, via Speaker/Monitor Out. In that configuration, I would always have the Cab block active.


    However, I recently broke out Marshall Vintage Modern 425A cabinet from storage, and have hooked my KPA up directly to it. Man, what an AMAZING sounding cab. But I digress. Here is the anomaly:


    I load up any given rig, and it is populated on the Editor window. I then go over to the Output Section, and select "Monitor-Cab Off". The toggle box is checked off, and I immediately hear the change in sound. Obviously, the tone is much, much better when the Cab section is disabled, and I am playing through the Marshall cabinet. Now, I click back into the Cabinet block. Again, the Cabinet has just been disabled, via the Monitor Cab Off global parameter. Yet, I can adjust the Cab parameters, such as Definition, High Shift/Low Shift, and Character. Furthermore, these adjustments radically change the tone of the Rig, as if the Cab is still active (although it is supposed to be disabled, via "Monitor Cab Off"). Then, if that isn't confusing enough, I can go back to the Output section, and de-select "Monitor Cab Off"...and that immediately changes the tone, once again. However, now I am not sure if this is the original tone with the original Cab setting and parameters, or if this is a completely modified tone, with corrupted Cab parameters. In either case, what doesn't make sense is that there would be any change in tone, or that the Cab parameters can even be adjusted, when I have already disabled the Cabinet section via "Monitor Cab Off".


    I am running the most recent OS / Firmware (8.5.8).


    Can anyone advise what is going on, here?

    Edited 2 times, last by Tritium ().

  • Two things:


    1. The cab is not disabled overall with monitor cab off. You still need it for the other outputs.


    2. The monitor output shouldn't be affected though. That doesn't sound right.

    Kemper PowerRack |Kemper Stage| Rivera 4x12 V30 cab | Yamaha DXR10 pair | UA Apollo Twin Duo | Adam A7X | Cubase DAW
    Fender Telecaster 62 re-issue chambered mahogany | Kramer! (1988 or so...) | Gibson Les Paul R7 | Fender Stratocaster HBS-1 Classic Relic Custom Shop | LTD EC-1000 Evertune | 1988 Desert Yellow JEM

  • 2. The monitor output shouldn't be affected though. That doesn't sound right.

    while that is true in theory I think I remember Burkhard saying that the way cab driver works it is impossible to fully disable it so there is always an effect on the monitor output. I think it is because cab driver only estimates what portion of the sound is amp and what portion is speaker but I could be wrong.

  • Two things:


    1. The cab is not disabled overall with monitor cab off. You still need it for the other outputs.


    2. The monitor output shouldn't be affected though. That doesn't sound right.

    Agreed, on both points. I am only listening to sound via Monitor/Speaker Out...which is why this doesn't seem to make any sense, and I am wondering if this is a bug.

  • while that is true in theory I think I remember Burkhard saying that the way cab driver works it is impossible to fully disable it so there is always an effect on the monitor output. I think it is because cab driver only estimates what portion of the sound is amp and what portion is speaker but I could be wrong.

    Hmmm. Well, if that is the case, then it calls into question if the KPA can accurately and authentically separate the Cab and Direct Amp sections of a Merged Profile. Because, if it can, I would have thought that this would (obviously) mean that adjustments to any Cab parameters would have absolutely no effect on the Monitor/Speaker Out signal, if the Cab section has been disabled via "Monitor Cab Off" setting.

  • Let's say I take a merged profile and want to use only the amp section of the profile. I use main outs (for example into DAW, IR loader...).

    So I deactivate cab section. But the amp section now sounds DIFFERENT with different settings in the deactivated (!) cab section?!?!?

    So in the future I have to look at the cab section before turning off, to get the right sound of the direct amp part of the merged profile?

    Can this be correct?


    In a merged profile this is not caused by cabdriver?!

  • O.k. after some testing, now I realize (and somehow remember) that with the Kemper the cab always influences the sound (like an amp connected to a real cab). A direct amp profile sounds only unaltered when no cab is loaded at all. Loading different cabs (even when turned off) results in different sound of the direct amp profile.