Yep, went back and forth with Kemper Support for over a month. Issue was never resolved. Same question to you, what cable are you using?
Just a regular cheap cable I’ve been using forever. I’ve only used this and not used other cables. It was just lying around. Don’t know where I got it from.
But it was never discussed, that you could send the unit to Kempers workshop, so they could try to identify the problem first hand instead of emailing back and forth?
I’m also running a MacBook M1 with RM. It’s not a Pro but an Air though. My Kemper is from the first batch of green/black toasters. Never had a problem regarding connection on any computer. So it’s pretty weird. Have you tried to send it to Kemper and let them try?
I don’t see the IK Tonex being mentioned much as a new player in the field. That could potentially change everything actually. I’ve not seen or tried it myself though, but if profiling can be done with a reamp-box and software, the need for a new physical Kemper MKII might become close to obsolete. The Kemper Stage might have its place still as a complete solution for touring and recording artists. But as I see it the Tonex can change the game.
I remember asking about this once. Whether or not it would be possible to use the computer to profile amps, because they have more power and such and now the answer is actually here. Less than a year after my question. Whether or not it’s going to be a success and change the game, it’s hard to say. But to me it surely would be something I would be very aware of, being a producer of expensive physical units.
One would have to wonder if “reality” has caught up to you and if there are valid reasons to put out new physical versions now. What would be the such valid reasons if the Tonex happens to be as good at capturing profiles as the Kemper?
It’s very interesting. It just opened my eyes….that’s for sure. As much as I love my Kemper and the company and the value it has given me over ten years, the fact that a new company presents a cheaper and “easier” solution and possible equally as good makes ME wonder, what reason of existence a new physical Kemper will have.
It would have to be a seriously crazy unit, because the Tonex opens up brand new possibilities using the computer. The computer you’re using already to record and stuff. Easier reamping just by changing amp in the plugin (like all other plugins of course). It’s definitely interesting and very convenient. Maybe this is the way, Kemper needs to go? 🤔 Probably not since they do not do what others do.
I love my Kemper and will not jump ship as long as it keeps working like a charm. At least not right now. But what will happen in a year or two from now? No one knows. I just know that if buying a Kemper MKII, it has to be a very huge upgrade. Otherwise I will doubt its reasons of relevance in the future and I cannot justify a purchase. Not when an easier, cheaper and probably equally as good alternative is there.
Again….the Kemper Stage is a different thing and might be “future proof” as it fulfills other stuff than profiling.
Hey man. Thanx again 🙏🏻 I know you already told me that, a noise gate would be bad. I just thought that a second opinion would be good 🙂 But your references to the manual is all the proof, I need. Again….thanx.
Hiss or hum? Just a lot of loud noise from extreme distortion.
Not a direct A/B comparison, no. I have my original HM-2 Japan model and this Grindstein clone to get two different hissing buzzsaw tones to compliment each other. But I didn’t as such do an A/B. The both of them are noisy though and when using them on an already existing profile, I have to turn the pedals off, when not playing. That’s normal. The buzzsaw sound is famous for its insane and uncomfortable distortion and noise.
I could do that, indeed. But that kinda makes the whole idea of profiling obsolete for me, since there aren’t many profiles that take the pedals convincingly. I found 1 or 2. I doubt that this will either once profiled, so I wanted to do my own profiles, so I didn’t need to plug in a pedal. But it seems like there’s no real possibility to this, but to reamp in the studio using real amps, when the Kemper can’t solve this.
Who would have thought that, one was locked on using real amps 🤣 Not the end of the world. But I guess it’s just not happening, the way I wanted it to.
I’ve tried three guitar. Same result. I’ve tried to turn off lights. Same result.
The pedal is extreme and creates very loud noise when not played. That is normal. That’s where the noise gate comes in. But that’s when playing.
I’ve seen others do profiles of this type of pedal in front of the amp.
I think I need to create a new topic for this.
When I try to profile a distorted amp, the profiling process stops and states, that it’s too noisy to make a profile. What do I do? I am doing a profile with a very heavy amount of distortion. A Boss HM-2 type profile. The amp itself is pretty quiet, but the pedal on the amp’s lead channel makes a lot of noise.
Can I put a noise gate in the chain?
So I can’t do profiling? The profiling process stops and the Kemper states, that there’s too much noise. No way around that? I need to do profiles with the extreme Boss HM-2 buzzsaw tone. That is generating a lot more noise, than a typical distortion pedal.
what output source is assigned to the main output and can you confirm that you have selected the reference amp as the input source in the profiling menu?
Can I use a noise gate stomp box in the chain as well? It’s a pretty distorted profile, I’m going for and the Kemper just stops profiling, because there’s to much noise from the amp.
what output source is assigned to the main output and can you confirm that you have selected the reference amp as the input source in the profiling menu?
Thanx 🙂 Missed the “reference amp” tab.
A Grindstein distortion pedal. VERY audible from the amp. But switching the pedal on/off cannot be heard in my monitors/headphones. It should be VERY easy to hear a clean amp turn into a distortion hell 🙂 It stays clean though even the amp in the room is bursting out a distortion sound. It’s weird.
Hey good people. I've tried to search for posts about this, but didn't get closer to the fix the problem.
I'm trying for the first time ever, since I got my toaster 10 years ago, to profile an amp/setup again. This time I'm trying to profile a Peavey Bandit 112 Red Stripe with a stomp box. There is connection between my guitar and the amp and I can engage the amp and the stomp box. I don't hear the stomp box coming back though. When I play the clean or slightly driven amp and engage the stomp box, the amp responds and I can hear It coming from the amp, but it's not being engaged in my monitor or headphones connected to the Kemper. Why am I only hearing the amp returning? I am trying to listen trough my monitors to get the sound, I'm looking for. Shouldn't that be possible? I am definitely doing something wrong here.
My connections:
Guitar -> Kemper front input
Direct Output/send -> stomp box in
Stomp box out -> amp input
Shure SM58 microphone -> Kemper return input
Kemper L/R out -> RME Babyface Pro input
My setup:
Macbook Air M1 2020
RME Babyface Pro
ADAM A7X
Best wishes from Brian
Monitor out is not used in the loop. Alternate input/Direct Out is what's used for Toaster/Rack.
Damn….I’m blind I guess. Thanx 🙂
the MONITOR OUTPUT should still be able to supply the dry signal you want
I just have to make sure. By this post from the November 2. you mean, that it should work, if I put the pedals in front of the Kempers guitar input and NOT the loop, since Monitor Out is occupied by the loop in/out.
You might be right. Yes, the Line6 Helix hits me somehow as less user on the road, but I’ve got no real data to back it up - only a gut feeling. I wonder why that is.
Of course. But that could easily have been a digital solution other than the Kemper. But I agree. Not having to a thousand amps and so on is great. That’s why I went digital already 22 years ago. The technology has improved at lot since. But when Li e6 came out….that was really cool at that time. Prior to that I used digital pedalboards. It’s a great thing to be able to avoid all these things when considering analog gear. But that is not the same as there’s nothing new to add, that would be killer and good for everyone.
Maybe you’re right about the fx side of the Axe-FX and that THAT is the main purpose for its use live. I have no clue, but I bet that it’s a factor as well.
Needs are different for different people of course. But I could definitely see a usb connection as a great option. Not to let the unit work as an interface. Like you said….that would be weird, if you have a great interface already. But the usb connection is for me a better way of carrying the digital signal. The s/Pdif solution is old and nany interfaces doesn’t have that opportunity anymore. Then you can use it through ADAT. But that solution doesn’t work well on my RME Babyface Pro. It crackles. So I use the analog signal. I prefer the digital solution though and therefore would love a usb connection instead of the old outdated s/pdif connection. So I’m almost at the point that, usb is paramount to me.
And I never use anything other than RM to tweak the tones, so work flow and its setup in the device is of less importance to me. The software solutions all seem pretty similar and easy to learn.
OneEng1 and Wheresthedug
Do you have any reliable data on the usage of Kempers and Axe-FX III on the road by established artists and their musicians? I was under the impression that the Axe-FX III actually has taken over as the most used now. U2, Metallica, John Mayer, Satriani and so on. That’s only an excerpt of the big artist. Then there are big artist, that has live musicians, that are not exposed as much. Of course Kemper also has their endorsed artists as well. I was just under the impression that the Axe-FX was the king of the road now. I might be wrong. But do you know this or do you think you know this?
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In regards to the sound of the units, I’ve seen quite a few tests of recordings of the units, where people can’t really guess which is which. They can only say, that they sound different. So to me that points in the direction of it being a difficult topic to discuss as many seems to struggle to pick out the different units. I know that these are not scientific tests and it depends on the individual sounds being used (is it a good profiling engineer behind the profile) etc. It still says “something” about the sound of the Kemper not being more real. In fact I’ve seen many use some of the same arguments for the Axe-FX and that it has a more realistic feel and that the Kemper lack some “realness”. So I guess it’s really subjective which conclusion one reaches at the end. So why should I believe “you” and your subjective perception?
Monkey_Man
True…the sm57/sm58 is a mic that has been used on many recordings and yes….a great engineer can get better sound out of bad or mediocre gear than a noob can with great gear. No doubt. I’ve used the sm57 a lot as well. But never alone. Always with another mic for flavor. One mic CAN be dull sounding and not as rich and “full” as blended mics….placed correctly of course.
The thing is…regarding cheap gear and studio quality gear...it’s exactly my point. The direct line from the cab to the Kemper is a clean signal, but when you insist of using two mics, you have to introduce a mixer and the signal gets disrupted. If introducing a bad mixer to the equation you’re having an inferior signal chain compared to yet another direct input from the cab. I see that as an obvious awesome possibility for home musicians not needing external gear that can flavor the signal. Unless you want it to of course….in the case of having expensive preamps and stuff.
The sm57 is an okay mic to have. It can take a beating and works forever. I don’t see the mic as a good mic though. But a mic that is reliable and if you know how to use it, it’s definitely good enough to use in a pro environment. But alone I still find it dull even if it’s usable in a mix. I know that the guitar sound doesn’t have to sound awesome on its own but in the mix and it can sound dull or really bad on its own but be perfect in the mix. I just have a hard time accepting that fact 🤣 And I mostly just play and need it to sound non-dull playing.
It’s important for me, that you know I’m completely satisfied with my Kemper and that this is just thoughts in the direction of improving my favorite gear for the future and take it to the next level. If it happens of course 🙂 As much as I love Kemper and what you stand for, I really hate the secrecy strategy 🤣
Of course mic placement is paramount and as I said…. of course you can do it home…. and of course some people are better at it than others. All valid points. But they are not the only factor. Yes….the good technicians tend to work at a studio or having a studio at their disposal. I’ll also admit that many profiles especially in the beginning were good and these were mostly done at home….I presume. But I really had to go trough tons of profiles to get to those good ones.
But if you tell me that having a setup of the cheapest mic, the cheapest mic preamps in a mixer and so on will be equivalent to the most expensive setup regarding sound quality, I don’t believe it. The quality of the signal matters before it hits the Kemper again.
But I acknowledge your points otherwise.
mixing two or more mic signals hardly requires a studio, or studio-level equipment - quite a number of entry level mixers can do that - plus EQ.
True. But to me it seems like there is a big difference regarding sound quality between the profiling in packs done in a studio and people fiddling around at home. I, myself, have never been able to make a good profile and therefore gave that up many years ago and mainly use it with others profiles. But in theory, yes. You can do it with the worst possible mixer in the world. I mean….when Kemper puts out a new pack of profiles….are they done in a studio environment or at home at someone from the company or the guys apartment? I’m pretty sure that the environment consists of nice mics, nice preamps, nice rooms, nice monitors etc. If that’s not all important to get the “pro” sound, why not just make it in the garage for all of us? 😉
I love this unit…but it can be even better with a “few” tweaks. 10 years in now and of course people look at the competitors units and dream of some of it. I’m usually on to the next thing quite fast. I’ve not gone away yet, so you’re still doing a lot of things right (imho), but that doesn’t mean, that I cannot wish for more of what I love.
Look at this way. We have all these wishes and thoughts, because we love the Kemper and the company. Not the opposite. It’s a good thing that we care and want to be loyal. But loyalty only gets you so far. At sometime loyalty isn’t enough anymore. We are consumers and musicians first and foremost.
