Posts by OhG

    @OhG, I'm glad you're finding the Kemper better with the DXRs. But I wouldn't dismiss a good set of headphones with them either, especially with headphone space, sounds absolutely pristine and you can fine tune things like delay and other FX.


    No, I should have clarified what I meant better. I'm sure the headphones can sound great. What you said about the headphone space feature is 100% true. It made my headphones sound a lot better as well. What I meant was that the particular headphones that I own (Bose QC15) are not great with the Kemper (IMO). That's not an insult to the Kemper, but more toward the Bose. I think the Bose are great for noise cancelation (which is the primary reason I bought them), but they're not the best in terms of audio. Regardless, they certainly do sound better now after tweaks have been made. And the Kemper sounds great through the Yamaha DXR10. And finding the right profiles as others have mentioned is key. I've spent a decent amount of time with about 30 medium to high gain commercial profiles so far and have only liked 2 of them. But, those 2 sound great and have shown me that the Kemper can in fact sound great if the time is put into it. So that makes it worth it to me.

    I'll leave it with this. There are obviously some people here with a "holier than thou" attitude. If anyone has read my threads, it should be obvious that I'm looking for help because I want the Kemper to sound as good as I can get it to sound. Earlier in the week, I've also edited my very first post in this thread to say that the unit sounds SO much better now. And I've also stated that my first impression was wrong about it in other threads. So to claim this:


    "Right or wrong, my impression from the get go reading your various posts is you want other folks to do the hard work for you so when you finally decide the Kemper isn't right for you, you can blame it on them."


    That's flat out idiotic and about as presumptuous as someone can get, I don't care how much experience you have with the Kemper. If I turn out to be unhappy with the Kemper, it wouldn't be the Kemper's fault, and certainly wouldn't be the fault of those who tried to help me. If I don't end up being happy with the Kemper, it'll be because of my personal preferences, not because I was looking to blame it on someone else.


    I'm here on the forums every day because I'm trying to learn as much as I can about this thing in a very short period of time. In regards to info that has already been answered in other threads, take a look at the subject lines of the threads on the first two pages of this forum. If you counted up how many of those subjects have already been answered in other threads, or in the manuals, it's over HALF of the threads. So it's not as if I've done something out of the ordinary with this thread.


    I've come here to get as much input as I can on the KPA from other users. That's one of the primary purposes of a user forum. 99% of the people on here have been very helpful. But for the other 1%, if you feel the best use of the forum is to try to rip apart the new users and act as if you know anything about them because of the way they're trying to get information about the KPA, then that says a lot more about your own personality issues than mine.


    Thanks!

    Or maybe it was the click-bait title? Right or wrong, my impression from the get go reading your various posts is you want other folks to do the hard work for you so when you finally decide the Kemper isn't right for you, you can blame it on them.


    Could you be a little more presumptuous? Asking people for advice on something they have FAR more experience than I do is not asking them to do hard work. And the title wasn't intended to be "click bait." It was honestly what I was thinking at the time. Maybe I have a misinterpretation of what the intent behind a forum is supposed to be. I thought it was to help others out. But obviously I'm wrong. Now that I realize that every title and word of every thread will be completely over-analyzed on this forum, I'll be sure to choose them more carefully going forward. I'll try to fit in better by not asking questions, but rather posting pictures of my Kemper rig, various Kemper sitings, etc.


    Wait, how did I get on the Fractal forum?

    Glad it worked out, and fair enough. Yes we are all here to help... Quite honestly I wasn't worried about you getting help, I had no doubts many on this forum would help out. Quite honestly I wasn't even being that serious in my first post due to the fact I knew you would get help. It just so happens that 6 pages later my post was quoted, so I responded. It's hard to decifer ones tone on a forum though so I understand...


    I was just about to post the exact same comment about it being hard to determine a person's tone through messages. So please don't take anything I wrote as me having an attitude (because it could read that way). I just meant people learn differently, and I'm definitely one to interact with people. I like the conversation piece and picking people's brains. (c: Hopefully other people will find useful info in this thread too. It helped me immensely and will likely be the reason I decide to keep my Kemper.

    Everyone is entitled to their opinion... My opinion is that there is LITERALLY pages and pages and Pages of threads of this exact scenario all over this forum, as well as countless others...you gotta help yourself before others can help you, just the way I look at it. If I have a problem, I'll be doing MY part of trying to figure out the issue first before I come asking someone for help. Chances are, I'm not the first person who has had the problem im having and chances are really good there is info about said problem... Feel free to disagree...


    I'm don't want to sound like a jerk when saying this, but not everyone uses a forum the same way, or even the same purpose. FYI, I did try using the search function on this site, but IMO, it's often more annoying than helpful because it either brings up nothing if the search criteria is too specific, or WAY too much irrelevant info, with many duplicate threads shown, if the search criteria isn't detailed enough. And in some cases, due to the evolution of the KPA through firmware releases and people just learning more about it, some of those existing responses aren't even the most accurate responses anymore. So for people like me, who have a limited time to actually test the KPA out and make a decision as to whether or not to keep it, starting a thread to get a relevant response makes sense rather than searching through countless, and sometimes no longer relevant threads.


    I've had my KPA less than a week. But even though I've read both manuals (twice, now), I can guarantee you that I'm going to have more questions, and in all likelihood, they're "newb-ish" questions that have already been asked at some point on this forum. But if a thread doesn't interest you, nobody is forcing you to open it, read it or comment in it. I'm sure you probably had some very similar questions when you first got yours. And while you may have found your answers in a different way, that doesn't necessarily work for everyone (hence, the point of an open forum). And a thread does prove to be pointless or redundant, it'll quickly fade off the main page of the forum. So this really shouldn't be much of an issue unless someone is spamming the boards, which is obviously not the case here. But the fact that this thread has over 3,300 views shows that enough people were interested enough in it to warrant it being on the forum, whether it be to provide answers, or because they may have had some of the same questions.


    This forum has proven to be without a doubt the most helpful resource I've found when it comes to the Kemper. The people on here are awesome. So as long as I'm able to get answers from it, I'm going to continue using it in whatever way is most useful to me. Eventually, I'll have enough experience with the KPA to be on the other side and helping other newbs out.

    In the Output Menu, Unlink your Main Output from the Master Volume knob, and set the Main Output to -15db. That setting will provide a healthy signal level to the PA, without sending too much signal.


    Link your Monitor Output to the Master Volume knob, and you can use it to control the signal you are sending to your monitor :)


    So in this case, the Master volume knob would then control my main volume from the stage, and then if the sound guy needs more or less signal, I would go into the Main Output menu and adjust the -15db setting accordingly, correct?


    Thanks paults!

    I looked in the Kemper reference manual for this, but I'm still a little confused on how to actually do this.


    I'm going to be using the Yamaha DXR10 as my stage monitor via the monitor out. And I'll be sending the signal to the mains direct to FOH via the main L/Output. So exactly how do I set it up so that there are two separate volume controls for the stage monitor output and the main output? I'd like to be able to adjust my stage volume without affecting the main output volume, and vice versa.


    Thanks!

    I'm finally getting a chance to start scrolling through the many profiles I now have on my Kemper. There are a lot of times when I'm in Rig Manager and I go to the next profile and the volume difference is CRAZY! To the point where I'm sure I've nearly given myself a heart attack on several occasions.


    Is there a way to level the volume automatically on all the profiles? I thought I read somewhere that all the profiles on the Kemper were designed to be the same volume. But I'm guessing that only applies to those that are factory installed on the Kemper.


    If there isn't a way to level them all automatically, am I correct in assuming that in order to get them to the correct volumes, I need to adjust the rig volume of each profile and then save them that way so that when I'm going from one distorted rig to another, there aren't any volume jumps?


    On a related note, if I'm saving a lead tone rig, should I just bump up the rig volume to an appropriate level to use as a lead boost for that particular profile?


    Great idea. I didn't think of that. I'll try turning the Kemper off later tonight when I have a chance and see if it's just the Yamaha. If it's just the Yamaha, then that's great because like I said, the noise isn't anything that is really disruptive at all. And if it's just coming through my Yamaha, and not being sent to the mains, then it's definitely not an issue.


    Yes, the ISP is a noise gate. It works excellent (IMO).

    What settings and input channel are you using?


    Here are the settings I'm using. And no, I don't play a 7-string. I'm currently in 440 tuning. Although I do occasionally tune down to 430 and drop D.


    I'm going from the monitor out of my non-powered Kemper to the L/Mono line in of the channel 2 input on the DXR. I have the D-Contour and HPF both set to "off", and the DXR set to "mono". I have the volume knob of the DXR set to 0db. On my Kemper, I've got the outputs set to 0db as well. I used one of the Amp Factory's BE100 profiles and didn't change anything in it (I earlier mistakenly thought it was one of Tim Owens' profiles). So I haven't increased the bass or changed the EQ at all.


    Again, I do have it cranked pretty loud, so it may just be the Yamaha reaching it's limit. The overall tone and EQ sounds great. I just want to make sure I'm not going to kill the speaker. This should be loud enough for my on-stage needs but I won't know until I try it next weekend when I hear my drummers cymbals crashing all around me. And like I mentioned before, it's not that the flubby-ness is overly present. It's just there enough for me to notice that it's not really tight. As long as it doesn't hurt the speaker, I can certainly live with this. In fact, I may end up buying another DXR10 to put behind me on stage, and if I do that, I'll be able to reduce the volume of them a little bit which would tighten it up.


    I just wanted to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong in settings to cause this. Overall, I'm VERY happy with the DXR choice. I can hear why some people say it has a little bit of mid-range built into it. But as a guitar player, I like the additional mids.

    I'm sorry if this has already been asked. I've tried to use the forum's search function but it brings up a slew of results that weren't helpful. I've apparently got to get better at searching.


    Can someone recommend the best way to hook up an ISP G-String Decimator pedal to the Kemper? I've noticed that on a lot of the higher gain amps, there is some extra noise that the Kemper's noise gate knob doesn't quite take care of.


    Also, right now, I'm hooked up to the Yamaha DXR 10 and even with the volume of my guitar rolled all the way down, I can still hear some "whooshing" type sounds in the back. It's not loud by any means. But I'd like to kill that if possible so that when I'm not playing, the rig is 100% silent. I'm assuming this same whooshing sound would come through the PA if I'm running direct to FOH, so I'd like to make it as silent as possible. Any tips on the best way to connect the decimator, and other noise canceling features would be appreciated.


    Right now, I don't have anything external hooked up to the Kemper. But I do anticipate adding my own wah, and maybe something in the effects loop (possibly my MXR Phase 90 if I can't find an accurate one in the Kemper).

    Well that was a quick 180.
    Considering selling your amp already.


    We had an idea you would feel this way. :D Glad to hear it and have fun.


    A pro will be in shortly to help you.


    LOL. Not quite a 180 yet, more like a 170. haha. But yes, I'm almost there. There are a few things I need to get resolved with the Kemper before I can officially decide to sell my other rig. But I'm trying to figure them out on my own before asking the forum as I feel like I've reached my quota for dumb questions in the past 2 weeks.


    Right now, my concern only remaining big concern is how the Kemper will perform live. I'm going to bring it to my gig next weekend because I want to see how it sounds when run direct to FOH. And next week is one of our lesser gigs. So I'd rather risk having a bad sound there than at one of our top notch places. If it sounds as good when run direct to FOH as it does through my Yamaha, then that will likely be the last bit of convincing that I need. I'm loving how it sounds here in the house (even if the people in the 3 mile radius around me have different opinions).

    I know there is already a thread that has some Yamaha DXR settings listed, but my question is a little different than the info that was provided there.


    I finally had the chance to try my KPA with something other than headphones, my Yamaha DXR 10. It sounds MUCH better and I'm now really considering selling off my current tube amp rig in place of this.


    However, on some of the profiles I'm using, (some of the Tim Owens BE100 profiles for example), when playing some heavy palm-muted stuff, the DXR sounds almost like the speaker has a little too much flub or is farting out a bit. This happens when I'm testing it at what will likely be my stage volume, which is quite loud. Loud enough to easily hear it outside my house.


    My question is, will this flub sound, also come through the PA if I'm going direct to the front of house? The PA system is solid, with mains, subs, crossovers, etc. My assumption is this sound wont come through the mains since it has more to do with the speaker of the DXR speaker not being able to handle what I'm sending to it, rather than the signal being sent out by the Kemper. But I just wanted to check. I can probably live with this on stage because it's not TOO bad. Is there anything obvious I should be doing with the DXR or Kemper to prevent that on stage? I know I could turn down the bass, but I don't want to do that because the EQ sounds really good as is, and if I turn it down, then it'll also change the sound of what I'm sending to FOH, and I really want to hear the same thing on stage as what I'm sending to FOH.

    Quick update. I finally had a chance to try my DXR with the Yamaha. HUUUUUUUGE improvement over the headphones! Much of my skepticism has been eliminated now. I'm still in the phase of deciding whether or not to keep it, but unlike earlier in the week, I'm now leaning more in the direction of keeping the Kemper than not. As everyone has said, finding the right profiles is key. There are some profiles out there (including some that are factory installed) that make me think Helen Keller created them. And then there are others that sound REALLY good.


    I'm going to spend the rest of today and some time tomorrow working on things, but I just wanted to post a quick follow-up to everyone who helped talk me off the ledge. I'm really liking the direction this is going.


    no offense ves medic but
    I think its ok hes starting a thread about this . The kemper is an expensive piece of gear and after spending 2 grand he has a right to post in the forum and ask for help if he is not getting a tone he likes , please lets not turn this into a fractal forum where any1 who blasphemes the kemper gets stoned ;)


    Thank you for typing exactly what I was thinking when I first saw that post. The whole point of this forum is to help people with their Kempers, especially the new owners who come here looking for advice.

    +1 for looper volume control. This should be a no-brainer. I'd like to use the looper to record a rhythm part and then solo over it. But if the rhythm and solo are the same volume, there's no separation to the two parts.

    Pure Cabinet is not in version 3.02 Your KPA is not completely up to date.


    Install the 3.2.1 release software, and you will have Pure Cab available in the Output Menu.


    Thanks paults. That worked. I also did a system reset before installing the latest firmware and that seems to have helped with the sound a LITTLE (or maybe it's just me). But I do now have access to Pure Cab. I'll see how that sounds tomorrow with my DXR10. Using the Pure Cab and Space feature helped improve the tones in headphones.


    Thanks Horspip. Like you said, it sounds like you and I come from similar situations. I'm getting my DXR today, but won't have time to sit with it until tomorrow (gig tonight). But I plan to spend all weekend doing nothing but Kemper stuff, and deciding whether or not to keep it. I've done a factory reset, which SEEMS to have helped with the pre-loaded profile sounds a little bit. I've installed the latest firmware, and now have over 2,000 profiles ready to sort through this weekend. I'd really prefer not to have to use a cab with this, because from what I've been told, it'll reduce the Kemper's effectiveness by not having a FRFR setup. But I'll give that a try if the DXR doesn't work out. But I need to decide within the next couple weeks because that's when my return period expires. And I don't want to be stuck with a new Kemper and/or a new Yahama DXR if they aren't exactly what I'm looking for. If the sound ends up being equal to, or less than what I have right now with my Mesa, it makes no sense to keep any of it. I drool over the idea of being able to have so many amps available to me in one small rack. But I'm the type that needs to hear it for myself before I can believe it. (c:


    That's partially true. I am reluctant to test it with the Mesa because that is my second choice in terms of how I want to use this. The main reason I bought the Kemper, was to get a variety of amps, (with high quality sound) and be able to lessen the amount of gear I'm carrying around to gigs. By the time I get home from work each night, play with my daughter, have dinner, I have limited time to do much with the Kemper during the week. So rather than rush it, I'm going to wait until I get my Yamaha (which will be tomorrow). I've got a gig tomorrow night, but I'm off all of Saturday and Sunday and will spend the majority of those 2 days with this new setup. If during those 2 days, my impression of the Kemper doesn't change, then I'll try it through my Mesa's power amp. If I end up liking that sound, then I'll keep the Kemper, return the Yamaha, sell my Mesa Roadster and just buy a rackmount poweramp (maybe a Fryette Power Station) and use it with my Thiel cabs. That again, is my second option because in that scenario, I'm not going to be taking full advantage of the true profiles the way they were meant to be. But if I get to that scenario at all, it's because I felt the profiles sounded like crap live through the Yamaha (which I'm hoping won't be the case). Plus, if I go the route of using it with a power amp and cabs, then it doesn't really lighten my load all that much, which was part of the reason I bought this.


    So between now and Saturday, I'm just focusing on making sure the firmware is up to date, enabling Pure Cab, and making all the little tweaks like that which are recommended, as well as downloading a bunch of high quality, recommended profiles (the Tim Owens stuff, some of the free Amp Factory presets, the free Michael Britt 20-pack, and some of the profiles that are free on the Kemper rig exchange that have been recommended to me). So then on Saturday, all that stuff will be out of the way and I can just go straight to the high quality profiles and see how they sound. If none of them work for me, then I'll try the Mesa setup. If that doesn't work, then I'm just returning everything and sticking with my Mesa rig.


    My preference would be for the Yamaha setup to blow me away. Because then I could get rid of my Mesa Roadster, my 2 thiel cabs, my G-System and a few other pedals that are no longer needed. Selling all that stuff alone will pay for my Kemper and Yamaha. And I'll have a much lighter and more portable rig. Just swapping the G-System with the Kemper controller would be a significant weight drop in itself. So believe me, I've got a ton of different reasons why I want this Kemper setup to work. I'm not worried at all about missing the "pushed air" feel from cabs, because 1x12 cabs don't push much air to begin with. So going from a 1x12 cab to a 1x10 speaker, shouldn't be TOO big of a difference. For me, it's more about volume and being able to hear my sound loud and clear on stage than it is having it push air back at me.