Connect Kemper to Engl Power Ball 2

Hi there!

The first thing is to decide what type of effects you want to use:

1) Things that sound great in front of the amp (Kemper Drive, Fuzz, Wah, Compression, etc)

2) Things that sound great in the effect loop of your amp (reverb, delay, etc)

If you want both I think you disable the whole middle section of the Kemper (Amp, EQ, Cab) and connect like: Guitar-- Kemper-- Kemper Send-- Amp-- Amp Loop Send-- Kemper Return-- Kemper Monitor Out-- Amp Loop Return

Then you need to assign an Effects Loop to Effect Slot 4. You'll need to read the manual for that.

Make sure the mix knob on the Engl FX Loop is all the way up.

Phew...

Quote from davidcom93

Hello, I wanted to contact my Kemper profiler power amp to my Engl Power Ball 2. I want to use the effects from the Kemper but I would like to use the tube amp also because I love the sound of it. Can I do that ? If so what conections should I do ? And also any attenuators that you can recommend for my Engl tube amp ? Thank you so much.

The primary purpose of the PROFILER is to capture the sound of any particular tube amp and therefor make it redundant. The PROFILER sounds like a tube amp. So, the fact that you like the sound of tube amps is no good reason to limit the application of your PROFILER to effects only.

Quote from Burkhard

The primary purpose of the PROFILER is to capture the sound of any particular tube amp and therefor make it redundant. The PROFILER sounds like a tube amp. So, the fact that you like the sound of tube amps is no good reason to limit the application of your PROFILER to effects only.

Just to add to this, as a long term user of ENGL amps, I have fully switched to the KPA. The ENGL profiles available are pretty good IMO.

In my mind, there is no point in using the KPA for effects only, you might as well get a cheaper multi effects. Its a bit like buying a Ferrari for its boot space..

Quote from davidcom93

Hello, I wanted to contact my Kemper profiler power amp to my Engl Power Ball 2. I want to use the effects from the Kemper but I would like to use the tube amp also because I love the sound of it. Can I do that ? If so what conections should I do ? And also any attenuators that you can recommend for my Engl tube amp ? Thank you so much.

This is like buying a new pickup truck and towing your old little U-Haul trailer behind it.

For what an attenuator would cost, I *guarantee* you could buy nearly every Engl Powerball 2 profile in existence….and have money left over.

Heck, you could probably pay someone to professionally profile your amp and still save money.

I have the Kemper Powerhead, and I too have an ENGL tube amp that I love (Fireball 25w). What I did is profiled that Fireball 25 Amp as DI, no cabinets in the profile. I used a Kemper DI box to do this. I obviously use a real 2x12 cabinet. I have two choices with these captured Fireball DI profiles, I can use the power amp in the Kemper, or I can turn off the power amp on the Kemper and use the power section of the Fireball 25 amp (loop return), plus I get to use use ALL the Kemper effects (either way). It sounds best and almost identical when using the Fireball power section, but also sound great with the Kemper solid state power. You can obviously use any tube amp power section, or a tube power amp. I also like the Marshall DSL el34 power sections for DI profiles. Point is I can use all the effects, in front or after.

Quote from davidcom93

I appreciate the answers. Actually I love the sound of the Kemper but I like the sound of the actual tube amp better. And no, I just don’t want to limit the Kemper entirely for effects but I wanted to do a test and try different things. Finally, attenuators are expensive but I’m not hesitant about investing money to improve my sound and the potential of my home recording studio. I believe that actually having different tools available to explore and create new things and not using them, or just limiting yourself to only one device is a little mediocre and lazy. Thanks ?

I totally agree with you, the Kemper is great and its defiantly the best solid state solution out there BUT a real tube amp does sound better. The Kemper is convenient for me, I can DI profile amps and have them all in the Kemper.

Quote from davidcom93

Actually I love the sound of the Kemper but I like the sound of the actual tube amp better. And no, I just don’t want to limit the Kemper entirely for effects but I wanted to do a test and try different things. Finally, attenuators are expensive but I’m not hesitant about investing money to improve my sound and the potential of my home recording studio. I believe that actually having different tools available to explore and create new things and not using them, or just limiting yourself to only one device is a little mediocre and lazy. Thanks ?

If you choose to keep you tube amps as well, great. However, I disagree that because of that it gives you more flex etc as that suggests the KPA is one dimensional - far from it, few of us will even fully exploit it. I'd also argue its lazier to rely on lots of gear when 90% of your sound comes from your fingers but hey that's your opinion. I bought the KPA to have the choice of hundreds/thousands of amps, so hardly limiting.

The only point was that the KPA is designed to replicate a Tube amp, that is its strength. If you don't value that, then you are missing its major benefit. You clearly like it for some reason, my reason is because I don't need valve amps at ear splitting levels to get great sound.

I ran a Powerball for about 6 years and loved it, but it doesn't sound "better" than the KPA because its such a sweeping statement. You never record/the audience never hears the sound from the cab ( amp in the room sound). I can get a better clean sound out of the KPA than the Powerball, no question. It also has to be wound up to ear splitting levels to get a great sound out of it. So, at 130db, yeah it sings, but better? My recorded/studio sound from the KPA is way better and my FOH has never been better. I have more flex to tune the sound and of course I can even choose different amps. I think what you are trying to say is that at certain settings and volumes, the Powerball gives you a sound you can't seem to get from the KPA. Fair enough.

Each to their own though as sound is very personal....

To go back to your original question, obviously you can run the KPA through the Powerball as others have answered. Sorry for the deviation.

Hope you find "that" sound.

The Kemper is amazing, but there's still something more glorious about the sound of a tube amp. I think suggesting that the OP should stop using their tube amp altogether and sell it is biased advice.

Also, in order to get that amp in the room sound that's already available the OP will need to invest in another amp and speaker.

There's a reason tube amps are popular. ?

Quote from Finally

The Kemper is amazing, but there's still something more glorious about the sound of a tube amp.

I totally agree.

A real tube amp does not sound better than a Kemper if you were to listen to the mic'd sound of your amp's cabinet. They sound the same!

Quote from Finally

The Kemper is amazing, but there's still something more glorious about the sound of a tube amp. I think suggesting that the OP should stop using their tube amp altogether and sell it is biased advice.

Also, in order to get that amp in the room sound that's already available the OP will need to invest in another amp and speaker.

There's a reason tube amps are popular. ?

My very simple point is that most valve amps have a sweet spot, usually cranked up in a sound room or live gig.

My further point is that, as per the whole Kemper philosophy, is that the sound we love of those cranked amps are less relevant....because that isn't what you hear recorded nor at live gigs.

I have no issue if people want to keep their valve amps and use them, I never suggested anyone selling them, but I am challenging the logic.

we need people to still have their amps, because without Tube amps, we wouldn't have the sounds in the KPA

Quote from BayouTexan

A real tube amp does not sound better than a Kemper if you were to listen to the mic'd sound of your amp's cabinet. They sound the same!

They sound extremely close, not the same. What I'm talking about is not the difference between an amp and a miked amp. I'm a big fan of my Kemper, as you know, and the difference is subtle and not a deal breaker for me.

As great as the Kemper is, it does not sound like a real tube amp. Its certainly passable though.

Waaaay better than passable. Just not exact.

Quote from Finally

Waaaay better than passable. Just not exact.

Fair enough. Without question the best SS solution.