I don’t see many posts or much information about these. Also noticed retailers only carry the unpowered cab. I’d like to hear opinions from actual owners. For live I go straight into FOH but I’d like to have an option for an actual amp.
Powered Kab
- JC MUSCLE SHOALS
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I don’t see many posts or much information about these. Also noticed retailers only carry the unpowered cab. I’d like to hear opinions from actual owners. For live I go straight into FOH but I’d like to have an option for an actual amp.
I don't have a powered version, I have an unpowered run by my powered rack....which essentially sounds the same, so my comments should be relevent.
Is it any good? I love mine ( in fact I bought 2). Gives you a good compromise between FRFR and guitar cab. Its light ( the powered will be heavier than mine but not much) and loud with a good spread. Personally, I find the spread better than a regular cab..
Note - its not designed to be miked up, so its an ideal monitor on stage.
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As long as you use a decent Class D power amp, you won’t find any difference in sound quality.
What always has to be remembered is that the Kone is not meant for sound reinforcement. It can do that - but its real purpose is to give the player a dedicated monitor that sounds like you’re standing in front of a real amp with no mic in the signal path. -
The reason for not so many posts about the Kabs is because they simply work brilliantly with the profiler. You plug it in and your are done. Posts that you do see is all of us recommending them. I even use my unpowered Kab as a footrest which is not even mentioned in the manual.
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I own the powered cab. My experience is good. It is solid, is loud and sounds good. I would like to lift it to a bigger angle but the radius of sound is better/wider than a regular guitar speaker.... nothing to complain! well as BayouTexan wrote, it's working as it should. Feel free to ask if you have specific topics!
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the radius of sound is better/wider than a regular guitar speaker....
This!!
People seem to think that a 4x12 is the ultimate in sound but its got an very narrow spread - I think the Kabinet sounds "bigger"...
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This!!
People seem to think that a 4x12 is the ultimate in sound but its got an very narrow spread - I think the Kabinet sounds "bigger"...
Yuge, even.
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It seems I am the consistent naysayer regarding what the Kab offers. Why you would need/want a Kab to replicate standing in front of a real amp is confusing to me. The end result is that the guitarist using a Kab does not hear a replica of what the audience hears. This creates a situation in which you can tweak your rigs/perfomances for one or the other, but not both. And this is preferable how?
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If you haven't tried it - don't knock it. For me - it's a more inspiring sound for the player. As has been stated previously between us - the audience never hears what the player hears. The perfect profile in the rehearsal space sounds different at the club....the other club.....at church.....outside...
Give the FOH guy a good signal. The rest is up to him and you (quite literally) have NO idea what they do with it.
If you have tried it - then you don't like the same things many of us do. NBD.
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I use the Kabinet all the time and love it for its size and lack pf weight. Unlike many people though I run it in Full Range mode almost exclusively. While I find it fun to mess around with imprints for the “amp in the room sound’ I’ve always preferred a polished studio sound to an onstage racket. I suffered a valve amp and pair of Mesa cabs for 30 years and was never happy that my sound didn’t match the recorded sound I heard in my head. When recording I am almost always in the control room listening on monitors rather than on the floor with my amp so a full range sound is much more to my taste. The great thing about the Kabinet is that you have the option of using it however it works best for you. As others have said, you shouldn’t experience any significant difference between powered and passive Kabinets as long as you are using a decent power amp.
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I use the Kabinet all the time and love it for its size and lack pf weight. Unlike many people though I run it in Full Range mode almost exclusively.
Just out of curiosity where do you set the High Cut filter when running it this way?
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Just out of curiosity where do you set the High Cut filter when running it this way?
I generally use my Kabinet in full-range mode, too. I don't have the High Cut Filter turned down. I like the sound of some the effects to have that same sparkle that is heard in the FOH speakers.
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Just out of curiosity where do you set the High Cut filter when running it this way?
I don’t touch the high or low cut filters
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It seems I am the consistent naysayer regarding what the Kab offers. Why you would need/want a Kab to replicate standing in front of a real amp is confusing to me. The end result is that the guitarist using a Kab does not hear a replica of what the audience hears. This creates a situation in which you can tweak your rigs/perfomances for one or the other, but not both. And this is preferable how?
I hear you on this and we see many people coming at it the opposite end - how can I make my Kabinet match my FOH?
For me we have a choice ( and massive thanks to Kemper for at least having the option).... FRFR gives the same as FOH but for some reason doesn't give "amp in the room" and guitar cab's cloud everything. The Kabinet is the right compromise to me.
I know you know this, its just what compromises people want to make as physics seems to stop the perfect answer.
My view is:
1) Kabinet for size, portability and spread is a winner winner chicken dinner already - for me no debate there.
2) FRFR or imprints - I feel more at home with the imprints and accept the compromise that its not the same as FOH, BUT I contend its fairly close. I don't fiddle with E.Q. at all at gigs so for me that's not a problem. I have confidence in my FOH (unless someone tells me its crap and I'll go into panic mode ha!), and the sound through imprints is great on stage.
Logic says FRFR, heart/nostalgia/self centered says imprints
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I have the Powered Kabinet and enjoy it very much, and appreciate the small size, weight and footprint. I am careful to choose the imprints that match the speakers in the profiles. There is a difference to the main out tone but I can live with that. I also appreciate that if I use the acoustic sim it goes into FRFR mode.
One thing you have to be aware of is that you need to engage the Power Amp Boost in the Output menu to get significant volumes, while running the Kab itself flat out. Once the Boost is set to a fixed 'boosted' value, I keep my master volume linked to the monitor out only for this reason, to control the final volume of the Kab.
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Once the Boost is set to a fixed 'boosted' value, I keep my master volume linked to the monitor out only for this reason, to control the final volume of the Kab.
I do this as well and love it. If I need more 'me' in the mix, I can control it without anyone else being affected. Sometimes I run a volume pedal linked to monitor volume.
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My main pro argument is: when using a tube amp, it usually has a sweet spot in volume to tone. Most of the stages I play on are small. In the past I was not able to turn the amp up to his sweet spot, cause it was too loud and the full volumen was 3-5 meters away, I was about 1 meter away. So my stage sound was in most cases shit. Now I have my sound in ANY volumen and can place my KAB or FR monitor to the best angle of my ears and I sounds killer!
