Kemper Profiler Stage - Live Situation - Help needed - Disappointed

  • Greetings. Throughout my playing life, I played mostly on Mesa Boogie Tube amps. Since I wanted to follow the trends, I decided to buy Kemper Profiler Stage. Since I knew right away that I was going to have trouble getting used to it, I bought a power cab right away for live, on-stage situation.

    Basically, after approx. 6 months after configuring Kemper Stage, yesterday I used it for the first time in a live situation, and realistically, I’m so disappointed that I’d rather cry. I put it on sale today as well as the expression pedal and power cab. In the band, we use a great mixing desk and a great PA System (Digico, Kv2) so there is no problem. I go stereo to the mixing desk, so that's ok too. I only use MBritt profiles which are great, I only use Bert’s (BM) acoustic nylon profiles for that stuff. Also note, when I configured my Kemper Stage, sound reference was my band loudspeaker system, the KV2 EX 10 system.


    Basically, what's the problem? Clean and crunch tones are OK, even though clean lacks "body" or headroom feel, but you could work with them, the effects are also great, but lead "gainier" overdrives. It’s so artificial and plastic that it sounds like the cheapest multi-effect. I feel it most in the 4,5,6 strings on the neck pickup. So artificial that everything hurts me. A friend of mine, who also owns Kemper Stage, advised me to reduce my presence right at the start to reduce that kind of “artificial” sound, but that doesn’t help either. Most of the lead profiles I use are Mbritt old Marshalls and Bogner stuff from Profile 1 pack. Other profiles are most from the MBritt 2020 pack. Had someone with similar problems, does anyone have any advice on where to play with eq or some other item in the global parameters. Because I am so desperate and disappointed, I feel like throwing it into the wall. And yes, guitar is Suhr Standard PRO S1, but this is not so important.

    And yes, it hurts the most that my band team members also asked me why I changed the previous setup with Kemper Stage, because this sounds quite artificial.

  • Basically, what's the problem? Clean and crunch tones are OK, even though clean lacks "body" or headroom feel, but you could work with them, the effects are also great, but lead "gainier" overdrives. It’s so artificial and plastic that it sounds like the cheapest multi-effect.

    To get the best help here, you would need to post some sound clips to help people figure out what the problem is.


    There are some settings depending on where you are taking the sound out of the Kemper. Such as PURE CABINET, SPACE, Etc I would turn all of these off in the global settings (OUTPUT).


    From my experience, the CABINET is the "voice" of the sound. Clean and crunch sounds have less distortion. Distortion creates harmonics (multiples of frequencies). So a high gain sound will be playing a lot more frequencies at the same time. When you hear all of these frequencies at once, you hear the full frequency response of the CAB/IR.


    The more gain, the more the CAB/IR affects the sound.


    Depending on your monitoring source (PA, Amp, etc) your sound will also be "colored" or affected by the speakers you are hearing it come out of. Because of this fact, the PROs on here sometimes have two different outputs. They adjust the sound to be great for the PA and use MAIN OUTPUT. Then they use the MONITOR out for on-stage monitoring like an AMP, FRFR, etc.


    If you dont like the sound in general your best bet is to adjust the EQ and the CABINET. In the CAB section you can tweak the CHARACTER up/down. CHAR down removes the effects of the CAB creating a clearer sound closer to a direct out. CHAR up adds more of the CAB effect.


    Without knowing what you are trying to do, it is impossible to give you any exact help. Everyone likes different things. SoundCloud is your friend for posting clips that people can hear to guide you.

  • Following.


    One year of struggle with the kemper here.


    I’m used to dial to go direct to foh, was using a tube amp and a torpedo live before the kemper. But nothing of what I used to do before work with the kemper stage.


    One year that I’m trying to get a realistic and great sound with the kemper, no matter what profile I try (Britt, Bert’s etc) sound without body, clean got no headroom, even if I turn down presence, cut at 6,5/7k I have that king of fake artificial fizz.


    No matter I had profile or tweak I always have like a high layer that don’t want to leave.


    I’m really lost. I’m even thinking my kemper is defective sometimes.


    I also have like artifacts each time I put a drive (even green scream) in front an crunch profile.

  • I am sorry the Kemper isn't working as you had hoped. There are a lot of things you can do to tweak things which can radically change the end result. There have been some great suggestions so far so I won't repeat them. Make your tweaks and set your sounds at volume as well. Give us more specific info and we will try to help further.

    The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.

  • I forgot to mention the one thing that fixes most sound complaints with the Kemper:

    The Kemper outputs are VERY HOT. They can drive well over a typical LINE OUT signal level. So make sure you are not clipping your output into what ever you are plugged into. I normally run my main volume at -12dB or less to be safe. Even at -12dB I can over power things if I am not watching.


    Another thing I find with some profiles is they feel like they go from to 100 in the gain. Adding a touch of AMP CLARITY (.5 - 2.5) seems to bring them closer to what my brain expects. Many profiles also benefit from adding some DIRECT MIX.


    Many higher gain profiles are done at very loud volumes. Some may not be. If the profile is missing that low end thump of a loud amp, add some AMP SAG. I also like the pedal Compressor since it adds some more thump. Just trying to think of things that may not sound like an amp in the room cranked.


    Since you mentioned using the neck pickup for these profiles, a Treble Booster after the AMP with a low MIX setting can help liven some bluesier to rock sounds.

  • First of all, your band needs to chill before dissing your rig after the first live use as you clearly haven't totally wrapped your head around the variables yet. Nothing more annoying than getting this pressure when you are trying to figure things out, it's a complex problem they have no idea about. Although it's often the truth, you can't just say to the band "don't worry if it sounds awful on stage, I actually sound great through the PA".


    Get a recording from your PA from a rehearsal; that's what it will sound to the audience. If that's no good to you then work on your profiles and tweaking tips that many will contribute to in this thread. If it is good to you, then the problem is the monitoring. Of course you need to adjust your monitoring individually from the Mains but while I haven't tried the Kemper Kabinet yet, I've come to believe that there are certain situations with modellers (or KPA) where you just can't win monitoring-wise. In certain situations, people are used to and expecting the amp in the room sound and some "push of air" and sometimes all other monitoring solutions (short of an amp) seem inadequate. In those scenarios, you have to decide what is the most important in that specific situation (having a great sound in the room versus all the other advantages the KPA gives you). There are many types of gigs and the answer is not always cut and dry. I strongly believe there is no "one rig fits all".


    When it's a gig with no in-ear monitor, my first time with a new band where I'm being hastily judged on the tone in the rehearsal room, if there is an "old school" producer/bandleader, a very low volume gig/rehearsal, etc, I would often go with an amp + pedalboard instead. I also often do the rehearsals with the amp and use the KPA at the gigs only. Again, maybe the Kemper Kabinet or various power amps solves that (or maybe not), but straight through the monitors I'm being provided in various rehearsal rooms, etc the problem usually remain to some extent.

  • First comment to make is some people just don't get on with the KPA and this could be the case. However, I do not get artificial high gain sounds and many people do not so there is a good chance its just the settings.


    One other factor, physiologically, you can get into the mindset that its digital therefore its artificial. I had this feeling for 6 months. The best way to deal with this is get someone you trust to listen as well.


    Its important to establish whether its tweaking or major issues. when you say sounds like the cheapest effects unit, to me that sounds fundamental and not about tweak power amp sag etc.


    The best way to trouble shoot is to start with the basics -

    1) can you get a good sound through headphones or from your powered Kabinet? If its consistent then you know its the general set up. Did you have a good sound before you had a gig and so its the sound from the FOH only that's an issue? Please clarify.

    2) Check your output parameters - levels, config etc

    3) Rehearse your sounds at volume

    4) One other point - why Stereo? To me that always has an artifical edge.

  • I've only ever had great feedback from band members, so it can be done. Are you using a high cut to knock off above 7K or so? I recommend starting with it rolled right back, then bring it up until you have all of the brilliance you need. It'll make your sound sound thicker and more clear, less "fizz".

  • I discovered high cut power few weeks ago and it changed my life.


    I also decrease the gain of my rythme and lead sound. At high volume, it was too muddy.

    I have 2 sets of input settings for each of my guitars. 1 for Studio and 1 for Live. At volume I use a lower distortion sense. This allows me to use the same rigs for both. Necessary EQ adjustment (Fletcher-Munson) is always made from the FOH mixer

    If something is too complicated, then you need to learn it better

  • I normally run my main volume at -12dB or less to be safe.

    Just wondering if you have read this. Basically saying if you run -12 or less the signal to noise goes up and you should press the -12 button so you can bring the output volume up to reduce noisefloor. I understand pushing that makes all the way up -12 and I run it that way -3, so in reality it is -15 but keeps the signal to noise OK by letting you have the volume up.. This won't likely help the OP but just a reminder to those like me that need less than a -12 signal in their line drives.


    Whenever the device (e.g. mixing desk or audio interface) connected to the MAIN OUTPUT XLR or TS jacks indicates too much level coming from the PROFILER, or there is the need to set the Main Output Volume to less than -12 dB, then activate the Main Output Pad to reduce the signal level of the Main Output by 12 dB. This increases the range of the Main Output Volume control and preserves the signal-to-noise ratio of the Main Output.

  • As stated never tweak tones at anything but full band volume. The Kemper also tends to thin out when cranked so I lock an eq stomp in slot D for live situations. It bumps the mids at 750 and 500, +2db with a Q of about 1.000, I’ll adjust the mix of the stomp a bit for different venues. And yes use a hi cut to get rid of that fizz. Pretty sure you’d have to do that with a triaxis too if it had the ability to reproduce those frequencies like the Kemper does.

  • I've only ever had great feedback from band members, so it can be done. Are you using a high cut to knock off above 7K or so? I recommend starting with it rolled right back, then bring it up until you have all of the brilliance you need. It'll make your sound sound thicker and more clear, less "fizz".

    Yes, it is better with high cut on 7k, maybe too muddy now, but i will try to find perfect spot here. Tnx. Still some artificial tone is present, will try with other elements from above threads. Thank you all. Another question, anyone use Bogner XTC profiles that are better then one from Mbritt`s?

  • Yes, it is better with high cut on 7k, maybe too muddy now, but i will try to find perfect spot here. Tnx. Still some artificial tone is present, will try with other elements from above threads. Thank you all. Another question, anyone use Bogner XTC profiles that are better then one from Mbritt`s?

    you can buy the Bogner pack made by Bert meulendijk. Very good pack. Different tones than me Britt but really worth the try.

  • Yes, I have that pack. It is good but sounds too thin. Everything from BM sound good to me for recording, but for live, too thin.

    Did you tried other cab?


    Sometimes we change rig and amp instead whereas the cab make a drastic difference in the sound.


    That's why I like merged ou Di profile and the use of the same cab for all of my rigs.

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    no disappointment here.