Is my Stage broken since I bought it? I’m desperate

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    Here is my take. I don't think it sounds any better than yours. You can hear that my strings are bit dead at this point (don't play it much these days).

    Interesting.


    Yours sounds much darker than either Joshua's or mine. The only one I hear the strange pick squeak thing in though is Joshua's.

  • Yeah. Strings are dead for sure.


    The squeak could simply be the pick material.

    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

  • Yeah. Strings are dead for sure.


    The squeak could simply be the pick material.

    And pick technique. How much edge is used, type of pick slant and how the pick escapes is critical. In fact, it is a huge part of why we guitarists sound different from each other. Every amp responds to picking differently. Some drastically so. No surprise that Kemper profiles would too.

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    Here is my take. I don't think it sounds any better than yours. You can hear that my strings are bit dead at this point (don't play it much these days).

    thanks for your take. Nice playing.


    It’s strange that 3 takes does so much differences on the exact same profile. I know, pickups, blabla but they react really differently.


    Just like if the components between the units were not the same.


    This profile is known to be one of the best Marshall available, so why does it sound like That?

  • And pick technique. How much edge is used, type of pick slant and how the pick escapes is critical. In fact, it is a huge part of why we guitarists sound different from each other. Every amp responds to picking differently. Some drastically so. No surprise that Kemper profiles would too.

    yes i totally agree.


    But I didn’t start playing last year and i never had that pick attack thing with any of the gear I played through all my life.

  • Helix is ordered and on its way, I will try to update you guys with some profiles and discussions versus the Stage.


    It is interesting that you guys are talking about Picks and Strings. The thing I am looking for in my Kemper is this harmonic grindy sound that sings and chimes. It just seems to be hard to get on my Stage. But everyone else sounds fine.


    I recently put a set of strings on my acoustic and those strings have that grind I am looking for. On an acoustic!


    So this led me to my cheap Ibanez with an EMG HZ pickup. The EMG was never that great sounding to me. But I bought a heavy set of strings to make it stay tight when drop tuning really low. I am 95% sure I put Dean Markley Blue Steels on it. That guitar grinds and sings more than any other guitar I have. Strumming a chord sounds like an orchestra, fantastic.


    The Blue Steels are stainless steel so I fear for fret wear? Do you guys have any suggestions for strings? Maybe I just need some better strings to get the Kemper where I want it. I have used Dean Markley Lights since I started playing guitar in the 70's.


    Recently I tried some new ones, I bought Slinkys and they were complete garbage. They sound dead and are missing plating everywhere. I would never buy them again.


    Another weird thing I have found is that I can increase this grindy sound on my PodHD using the Cabinet RES LEVEL setting. Maybe this could be added to the Kemper easily? It totally transforms the sound to a grindy easy to play distortion. In fact I plan on running the Kemper into the HD so I can try using this on Kemper profiles.


    EDIT:

    The more I think about it, the more I think my strings are 98% of my Kemper issue. I have been playing the crap out of my guitars since I got the Kemper and not changed strings. So they are probably very dead compared to the normal wear for the amount of time used before I got the Kemper. If I listen to recordings I made when the Kemper was new, it sounds better.


    The more I used the Kemper the better I got at tuning it up so I may not have noticed the strings were slowly dying :wacko:


    Another problem for the PEBCAK file boys.

  • did you compare the reamped recordings that our support team sent to you to your own ones?

  • did you compare the reamped recordings that our support team sent to you to your own ones?

    Yes I did, there were some technical issues/differences but they sounded identical generically. They support that my Stage is functioning normally. Thanks again! I did not want to totally hijack the thread. But I should talk about why I ordered a Helix since it has nothing really to do with the Kemper.


    Helix LT Story:

    I ordered the Helix because the Kemper has pushed me into using my PodHD again. Which I never liked. But it is so easy to get a good stack solo sound that I find myself playing and being inspired a lot on it. So I can use the Kemper for realistic amp sounds and the PodHD for fun solo stuff or metal.


    Since the PodHD sounds pretty bad next to the Kemper and the Kemper does not have USB integration for audio, I figured I should just bite the bullet and get the Helix as well. Then I have the best of both worlds and can finally just record music like PER and forget about the technical garbage.


    I also tend to play at two different computers so having only one Kemper that had 6 cords going in and out of it made it so I only played 50% of the time. Now I can have one at each place and not have to move them as much. The Helix will also only need power, guitar, and USB. All of which I can have doubles so I don't even need to move cables, just the box itself. I have computers, guitars, and amps in every room of my house so mobility is nice. Since the Helix LT is 1/2 the Stage price, that will be the unit I move around all the time. The stage is safely tucked away on my recording desk.


    Kemper story continues:

    I love so much about the Kemper that I do not want to give up on it. So I will keep it and use it for what I can.


    I seem to get better response when running Clean Sense as high as possible. It sounds less compressed and dead. As most have stated here I get clipping if CS is higher than +6. So I am running my guitar into a pedal first to decrease volume and running CS at +12. I thought this may also rule out impedance issues (if the Kemper is not 1M as advertised). I do not notice a change from +6 to +12 but I want to play it safe for now.


    I have also set the Distortion Sense to -5. This may do nothing, but helped on the profile I was working on. So I am keeping it there for now and adjusting profiles to that value.


    Others have said the Kemper seems to shine on lower output pickups (basically reducing Dist Sens?). Mine also seems to lack articulation to some degree. Since all of my guitars run humbuckers, I also ordered a pre-wire Texas Special kit for my Strat. So I can get a better correlation to others I have heard with single coils.


    I play a ton of Rush and the Kemper gets me the closest to Alex's 80's sound. The PodHD cant even come close. So like having a Marshall and a Fender I will have a Kemper and a Helix. Hard to complain about that.

  • Apologies, I can't find words which don't sound so rude but that genuinely isn't my intention:

    It sounds to me like you're using clean sense and distortion sense incorrectly. Do you understand what they do?

    Again, no intent to offend, maybe I've misunderstood.

  • Final Post on this topic:

    The Helix is here and have played around with it for a day or so. It will be great for what I want it to do.


    First impressions:

    Helix sounds like a great recording of a good amp.

    Kemper sounds like a good recording of a great amp.

    Kemper Rig Manger software is much better than Helix Edit. Helix is a step back from even early pod stuff (weird). And the plug-in is buggy in my DAW, but works.


    Solution:

    Run Kemper into Helix and you can run as many IRs/cabs as you want. Run them in series, parallel, stereo, etc. Ahhh perfection.


    Final Thoughts:

    - Kemper is a pro level device meant for use on stage. All of its functions support easy sound setup and live use with multiple outputs. Helix is a computer interface/recording solution, this is where it shines. And this is the only way I will use either.


    - For a low price you can get the Helix Native plug-in also with a Helix purchase. So now I have the Helix setup on computer 1. Helix plug-in on Computer 2. Move the Kemper as needed between them.


    - Since the Helix is modeled after real amps, the controls try to react like the real thing. This gives it a lot of flexibility, but also increases the amount of time needed to get a great sound. Since each control interacts with other controls. Kemper is the speedy one stop solution, find amp you like press save to profiler.


    - The Helix models give me more control of the dynamics issue I have with my Kemper. The Sag and Bias really let it open up and be more dynamic. The Resonance control, I like from the PodHD, is missing from the Helix.


    - The Helix takes pedals very well from my early tests. Early tests with my Kemper were meh, so I did not explore it much.


    - I have the best of both worlds. Life is good. Not sure what the HX Stomp (Strymon?) has for IRs/Cabs but may be something small, cheap, and fun to add to your Kemper for more tonal options.