Sound at homestudio vs Sound at rehearsal (Kemper Kone / Imprints...)

  • Love my SD 700 and Kabinets.

    Man I wanted to, I tried for close to a year. Another class D power amp before the sd700, 2 Kones just in case they sounded different, a passive and powered Kabinet, every combination of settings imaginable but it never gelled for me, I was more than disappointed but I finally found an acceptable compromise.

  • Thanks @Howard Brown for such an extensive feedback.

    I'll follow your suggestions and give a try to both dxr10 and headrush 112 since I've already largely tried #3.

    "...Next, small speakers like Rocket 5 has significantly reduced bass response. KRK in particular are also famous for their bright aggressive highs (...) The higher end rolls off quite a bit faster than studio monitors."

    This is curious, since my perception is just the opposite: the highs sound much more aggressive (even harsh and yes, I tried to fix it with eq) to me through kabinet (with any of the 3 options before mentioned) than through krk.


    Again, thanks for the answers. I'll try both dxr and headrush ;)

  • Man I wanted to, I tried for close to a year. Another class D power amp before the sd700, 2 Kones just in case they sounded different, a passive and powered Kabinet, every combination of settings imaginable but it never gelled for me, I was more than disappointed but I finally found an acceptable compromise.

    And... what was your solution? Maybe dxr or headrush 112?

  • your assumption that turning the Kemper Kone mode off would activate full range mode is wrong. Without the Kone Mode the Kabinet is a broadband system. You always need to have the Kone Mode active when you use a Kemper Kabinet. If you want to use the Kabinet in full range mode you must make sure that the Monitor cab off option is not activated.

    When I use the Kabinet in FR mode, with the Monitor cab off not activated, unfortunately the sound of my beloved profiles is still extremely far from the perfect sound I get at homestudio. Might it be the influence of the SD 700? It would be logical.

    I'll follow the suggestions before mentioned and try both headrush and dxr.

    Thanks! ;)

  • 2/ Kemper Kone on / Monitor Cab off and select imprint on

  • When I use the Kabinet in FR mode, with the Monitor cab off not activated, unfortunately the sound of my beloved profiles is still extremely far from the perfect sound I get at homestudio. Might it be the influence of the SD 700? It would be logical.

    I'll follow the suggestions before mentioned and try both headrush and dxr.

    Thanks! ;)

    a sound difference is to be expected. The Kone would need an imprint of your studio monitors to match their sound. I was just pointing out that turning Kone mode off is not activating full range mode.

  • And... what was your solution? Maybe dxr or headrush 112?

    I tried QSC CP8, EV ZLX12P and Headrush FRFR-108, none of these worked for me but I believe that puts me in a very small minority of users, I went an alternative that probably limits me in tonal range difference from one profile to another but it sounds very good to me, better than anything else I've owned in 40 years, now I spend more time playing than changing settings 👍

  • Might it be the influence of the SD 700? It would be logical.

    No. Absolutely not.

    Class D amplifiers (which the SD700 is) provide no discernible color of their own. In terms of 'clean' power, things don't get a lot better.

    The fact is - you will not get the same sound elsewhere. It doesn't matter if you spend $10 or $10,000. You may get close, but if you're insistent on getting 'that' sound and nothing else you'll be in a constant state of disappointment.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • No. Absolutely not.

    Class D amplifiers (which the SD700 is) provide no discernible color of their own. In terms of 'clean' power, things don't get a lot better.

    The fact is - you will not get the same sound elsewhere. It doesn't matter if you spend $10 or $10,000. You may get close, but if you're insistent on getting 'that' sound and nothing else you'll be in a constant state of disappointment.

    On top of that, the SD700 uses the same Icepower amps that the Kemper power head/rack do.

    That's why I chose it.

  • Badass.


    That’s what it is. 😀

    That's the claim.


    In reality, it is a diifference between speaker systems that forces a profile to sound different through each. Seems inconsistent given all the claims by Kemper users that speaker cabinets are more important to the final sound than any other part of the chain. I see amp in the room similarly to Monster cables, $400 power cables and the like.

  • That's the claim.


    In reality, it is a diifference between speaker systems that forces a profile to sound different through each. Seems inconsistent given all the claims by Kemper users that speaker cabinets are more important to the final sound than any other part of the chain. I see amp in the room similarly to Monster cables, $400 power cables and the like.

    The only purpose of the Kabinet/Kone is to provide the sound of standing in the room, with the amp.

    What you're basically calling bullshit, isn't. Laughably so, I'm afraid.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • The only purpose of the Kabinet/Kone is to provide the sound of standing in the room, with the amp.

    What you're basically calling bullshit, isn't. Laughably so, I'm afraid.

    We can laugh at each other, but I'm not afraid of disagreement. :)


    I believe that amp in the room is related to some tradition, for which guitarists have many, that is rooted in how guitar amps have been monitored on stage for decades.

    In my opinion and experience, it is illogical that the Kemper main out connected to any PA results in a sound that the guitarist wants the audience to hear, but that same sound is no good for the guitarist.

  • We can laugh at each other, but I'm not afraid of disagreement. :)


    I believe that amp in the room is related to some tradition, for which guitarists have many, that is rooted in how guitar amps have been monitored on stage for decades.

    In my opinion and experience, it is illogical that the Kemper main out connected to any PA results in a sound that the guitarist wants the audience to hear, but that same sound is no good for the guitarist.

    If you want to hear that, then just hear to the stage monitors. Normally what a guitarist hear on stage is 90% the amp standing behind him...and that IS different

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

  • We can laugh at each other, but I'm not afraid of disagreement. :)


    I believe that amp in the room is related to some tradition, for which guitarists have many, that is rooted in how guitar amps have been monitored on stage for decades.

    In my opinion and experience, it is illogical that the Kemper main out connected to any PA results in a sound that the guitarist wants the audience to hear, but that same sound is no good for the guitarist.

    We can disagree.


    All this tells me is that you've never spent much time in front of a real amp on stage and therefore have no idea what you're talking about.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • If you want to hear that, then just hear to the stage monitors. Normally what a guitarist hear on stage is 90% the amp standing behind him...and that IS different

    We are in agreement. I am saying it IS different. I'm simply saying it isn't better and that if it is good enough for the audience then it should be good enough for me. If it is not, then I must logically be the problem. And to reiterate, this setup will force me to tweak the profile for one or the other or both. This logically means one of the sounds is not optimized .


    I realize my logic does not sit well with Kab and Kone owners. I am only stating what I see and hear in terms of logic. Maybe I should rephrase and ask why any guitarist thinks that what he hears should be different than what he provides to the audience to hear? This is illogical Will Robinson! ;)

  • Your logic suggests that the player hears what the audience hears.


    They don't and never have. Not in my scenario nor in yours. It doesn't work that way and never, ever has since the days of Leo Fender tweaking his amps WHILE they were being played.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • Your logic suggests that the player hears what the audience hears.


    They don't and never have. Not in my scenario nor in yours. It doesn't work that way and never, ever has since the days of Leo Fender tweaking his amps WHILE they were being played.

    I agree. My logic doesn't not suggest anything, I am stating that the audience should hear the best sound possible and that I should too. Ideally, those two sounds are the same. Just because limitations previously existed that resulted in me not hearing what the audience hears, doesn't mean that I have given up. The Kemper allows me to to remove some of those limitations, so I have. And inserting a Kab/Kone back in is not the answer for me. In fact, it goes in the wrong direction.

    We can agree to disagree. I will not convince you and you will not convince me.

  • There is a fundamental flaw in your thinking and as mentioned a different power amp won't sort it and I doubt and FRFR will resolve it either.


    This is physics and affects every piece of audio equipment so not limited to the Kemper - its just the Kemper gives us the options. In fact, its the original premise that CK called out - we are used to our on stage sound because that's all we hear but live or a recording is totally different.


    So what is the answer? Unfortunately its as mentioned - you almost have to start again - I think each monitor solution sounds so different that you have to select profiles and sounds based upon it. Be careful not to throw money at it...


    The Kabinet itself is a compromise between guitar cabs and FRFR because people find FRFR too clinical ( which ironically is sort of what you are trying to do here).


    My suggestion - focus on a good live sound separate to recorded/studio - a good studio sound does not always equate to a good live sound anyway - I tend to want a cleaner, few effects live to ensure it cuts through well. Oh and when I say focus on a good live sound, focus on a good live sound from your FOH - your monitor is less important because its the FOH that the audience hears...


    Hope that makes some sense :)

  • I agree. My logic doesn't not suggest anything, I am stating that the audience should hear the best sound possible and that I should too. Ideally, those two sounds are the same. Just because limitations previously existed that resulted in me not hearing what the audience hears, doesn't mean that I have given up. The Kemper allows me to to remove some of those limitations, so I have. And inserting a Kab/Kone back in is not the answer for me. In fact, it goes in the wrong direction.

    We can agree to disagree. I will not convince you and you will not convince me.

    Sure it does. With your comparison of the Kone to Monster cables - you’ve basically called it snake oil. Fraudulent.


    There is no way you understand it.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • I get your point. My comparison to Monster cables was meant to illustrate that many guitarists have a desire to hear their amp onstage in a way that is somehow based in tradition and not in optimum sound reproduction. You are right, the Monster cable analogy has implications and I'm sure I could have found something better. Many think Monster cables make a big difference in audio quality while others don't. Evidently, your opinion is that they are snake oil since you concluded that I called the Kab/Kone snake oil. The Kab/Kone is not snake oil. It offers something different that is suboptimal IMO.