Kemper Stage with Bogner 20th Anniversary Shiva?!

  • Most full range speakers on the market are powered but tend to come with unto 1000w so don't worry about needing a 600w power amp for full range. The real advantage of the power head is that you can plug straight into a regular guitar cab if needed. As others have pointed out, I always try and avoid this and very rarely play anywhere that doesn't put the guitar through the FOH PA. It gives much more control and generally better overall mix than running off back line (especially if running a 412 on stage - those beasts are the work of the devil and should be outlawed ^^).

    The Kemper powered cab I saw is only 200w.


    I don't mind using a 412.

    I still think nothing sounds as fat and smooth.


    And I used to gig modeling amps and full range speakers for years.

    I noticed a live tonal improvement that was noticable when I went back to tubes.


    This is my chance to dive back out of the tube world.


    But I did talk to the guitarist of VH Nation. Great guy and knew his stuff. Said he has the full range setup and has run direct but disnt like it as much as using his 412.

  • I'm sure the Rev Generator is a great amp. If you really want valve go for it. For my money, the KPA is half the size and weighs 13lbs compared to 46lbs for the Revv. Valves can be temperamental and noisy so I'll take the KPA every day of the week but everyone is different. At the end of the day all that matters is that you are happy, inspire and making music 8)

  • Im trying to understand the arrangement - its normally in house PA with an engineer or bring your own. I've not seen a set of " there's the PA" situation for many, many years - in fact I've only ever seen it for venues for duo's, not those for full bands.


    If the PA is "horrible", its not a proper PA. In those instances that is why I would sort mine own out. If thats too expensive problematic, then I understand there is little choice, but Im just saying, you are doing yourselves an in justice playing like that.


    BTW - that's not retro....few sound engineers have ever wanted valve amps and 4x12 flat out, it causes so many problems with sound balance.


    I've also seen many bands playing off the backline and done in the past before - the sound is sub optimal. That's not debatable, its physics. It will always sound better through a reasonable PA. Yes it will sound better than through a crap PA though..but I haven't had that dilemma for....over 20 years and I play in pub bands...


    I'm not saying its not true, just surprised that places like that still get away with it. Hence always better to carry your our PA for places like that.

  • Been playing thru the Stage today using Brit profiles. I think that's the guys name. Got them from a good friend.

    Played thru my friends good PA on his studio. Also thru two of my amps, turning can Sims off and running into my cabs.

    So far I can't get it how I'd like it. It feels like I'm playing a recording of an amp instead of actually playing am amp. I come from a world of cranking up my tube amps and feeling like I'm one with thr amp, speakers and cab.

    Almost like I am playing the amp, not just the guitar.

    Right now I feel like I'm not playing an amp but playing along with a recording. Hard to explain what I'm feeling.

    I know a lot of guys have modeling and profiling rigs but still have their tube rigs and cabs. Maybe that will be me.

    I don't think anything could ever replace the real thing.but this is a fun tool to have!

    I don't know if I could gig with it, at least not yet because I can't quite connect to it like my tube amps. At least not yet!

    Maybe I'll get there.

  • Couple of things:


    1) MBritt profiles are commercial ones and you should not be sharing them. You are breaching copywrite/licencing.


    2) What you are describing is amp in the room sound you are "missing". You will not get "that sound" off the PA - that is the same for a valve amp. You only get the "amp in the room" from your backline, so make sure that is what you are listening to. You should try different profiles and I would suggest try "direct" profiles. If that doesn't hit it then I suspect you won't get on with it. Before you ditch it, just know that many blind tests have been done between valve and the Profiler and its difficult to discern the difference - so just make sure its not psychological as I suffered from that for years.


    3) It might be that you are now noticing the difference between the sound through a PA and backline. We as guitarists rarely paid attention to this because the only way to get sound from a PA was via the backline and so not many people realized that the sound the audience hears is NOT the sound you hear from your backline. Which sound is more important? To me its the FOH so I don't stress that my backline doesn't sound like a fully cranked marshal ( although I think it does), I just care that the sound out front is the best I've ever had. I'd rather have that than a Valve amp any day.


    This maybe a revelation to you ( it was to me) but Kemper actually talk about this in their web pages and hence why they take this approach. I'm not sure any other supplier states this...