Yes. Touching the strings makes some difference but touching the bridge seems to be even better. Like I said I know it's the guitar because all I hear with my acoustic is the 50Hz hum (and it's very low). I just figured the ground lift on the kemper would sort it, guess I was wrong. Something not grounded in the guitar electrics?
It is either the guitar wiring or a problematic guitar cable.
Yep. Guitar and/or cable are not properly grounded.
Hammerclaw humbuckers with a shield plate. Which one is in use makes no difference and where I stand in my room makes no difference.
Does touching the strings, bridge or tailpiece make a difference?
Ground lift is used to remove hum from ground loop induced hum. Ground loop, in simple terms is from connecting two grounded pieces of equipment together, i.e. in a loop, but they have different potentials. I.E some extraneous current is flowing between them. Lifting the ground on one, breaks that loop, and thus the noise.
However your hum is from your single coils, not from a ground loop. The ground lift would help, when profiling an amp for instance, where you have the two connected together, KPA and Amp X. That is, assuming they created a ground loop.
You need to use techniques for reducing hum in your guitar, (again assuming single coils, P90s, etc.). Shield the guitar better. Remove hum inducers in single coils from the environment (old school fluorescents, ceiling fans, computers near, etc, look at the EHX Hum Debugger, etc.
Is it a single coil guitar? Strat? Try in positions 2 and 4. Should be hum cancelling in those. P90 guitar? Try the middle position.
Display MoreJust a short test... Commercial and non commercial DI and Merged profiles all through the same cab and mic vs a real amp through the same chain. Can you identify the real amp? All are Marshall style amps.
JTM45
JTM1
Super Lead
Brown Eye
Dirty Shirley
IMHO there is a big difference in dynamics and low end quality.
In the room it's not so different because of the volume.
Not to be obtuse. But, the Brown Eye is recorded at a significantly lower level. The dirty Shirley, super lead are a little better but still less hotly recorded, and the JTM1 was just a tad low ut the best recorded. The JTM45 is almost clipping into the Daw. Hard to compare like that.
Hi Waraba,I do use a power amp with the kemper I have a Fryette 292 and a Rocktron Velocity 300.(not at the same time)Sorry I didnt mention that before.
ok great and what is your cab then ?
My main cabs on stage are 2 laney Iommi signature 4x12's,I also have a Marshall 1960 JCM900 4x12,Ive tried my live rig with other cabs in the past,all 4x12,Peavy,ENGL,and an old Mesa and its always the same results.
Display MoreWow, 2 4x12 and still no umph ??
The fryette is a tube power amp , no ? Don't use a tube amp with a kemper it will had too much colour and changes in the whole EQ balance.
the rocktron looks solid state but definitely not neutral too , same problem.
Did you ever try a powered Kemper on your 4x12 ? ( you'll have to use direct profiles then)
Might also be pertinent to know what kind of profiles the OP uses, Studio, with cab off, DI, merged?
Display MoreI dont know why you are so upset.Calm down buddy..
I also believe that it is no good idea to call me (or any other of the millions guitar players including the best of the world) "tube amp bigots".Or all the other musicians of this world using old steinbergs,stradivaris or whatever instead of carbonfiber and glass or silicone..
It is actually a really bad idea.
Anyway..I do not like to discuss in this tone.I guess the best idea is to let this thread stay like this.Have a nice evening dear @cybermgk
First, I didn't CALL you a tube amp bigot, I said, your posts in this thread give me that impression.
Additionally, I never said, nor implied that anyone that uses, or has a tube amp, is a tube amp bigot. YOU put those words in my mouth.
I said "Overall, from all your posts, seems to me, and this is just how it is coming across to me, is that your a slight bit of a tube amp bigot, and ultimately, are trying to say in a passive aggressive way, that they are better than the Kemper, or modelers out there."
A tube amp bigot would hold that ONLY a tube amp can sound good, do X, etc. It is more than liking a tube amp. I love tube amps (I just found that my Kemper, and also my Axe II provide me with everything I got from my tube amps, in a more consistent, and smaller volume using package). It is even more than preferring a tube amp. Again, it's the belief that only a tube amp can do/sound like/perform like X, and/or that Digital amps can never do/sound like/perform like a tube amp. It's not even a "bad" thing to be. In my opinion, perhaps misinformed, or overly sentimental in viewpoint",, but it isn't a denigration or pejorative. It is, what it is.
See the difference?
And, calling it like I see it. The whole premise of this thread you started is, and I paraphrase, "Every guitarist should buy a tube amp because only it can provide ____________" It's that __________ that has been nie on impossible to quantify what you mean, and pin you down to exactly what you mean. See above. Kind of fits that description, doesn't it.
I think this argument is not valuable at at.I could name you a thousand issues from navigation to urgency-hospitals to military to whatever where the guys are being thought to forget about modern tech and to depend on ancient tools in the "case of cases" when everything else fails..now you will tell me that making music is not "emergency" but THIS would be indeed the start of an "academic discussion".
Not sure your point here either. There is absolutely no parallel between military personnel learning to ALSO use non tech techniques, and anything in this discussion. For their job, there is a possibility they will need to rely on that for life and death situations. Just not the case for music and miusicians. Sorry. IF anything then, if you felt this had any relevance, you would recommend people learn acoustic guitar. Sorry, but um, tube amps are not any more survivable to a civilization collapse than digital amps.
Regardless, that wasn't the point above. The point is, technology gets replaced, all the time by newer, better iterations of the tech. Happens in all fields, all disciplines, across the board, and all the time. Simple fact.
but vinyl is back in fashion
an pencil is still a valid tool , doesnt chrash , doesnt need electric power etc.
also the KPA doesnt look as sexy as a marshall stack
Vinyl isn't back as a majority though, is it. It's part nostalgia, part cork-sniffing.
Please, PLEASE go write a 50 page term paper with a pencil, or calculate the return entry of a spacecraft YOU would travel in with a pencil and paper only. As to the electric power? FWIW, ALL a Kemper needs is power. Tube amp needs power, and factories still producing tubes for ever. So what?
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Have you ever played a rectifer with a 2x10 or a 1x15 cab;
Have you ever played a vox through a 4x12 cab;
Honestly dear friend..how could this NOT be a problem;
I think this argument is not valuable at at.I could name you a thousand issues from navigation to urgency-hospitals to military to whatever where the guys are being thought to forget about modern tech and to depend on ancient tools in the "case of cases" when everything else fails..now you will tell me that making music is not "emergency" but THIS would be indeed the start of an "academic discussion".
I have played a a Rectifier with a 2x10. Also a Rectoverb with it's own 2x12. So? I can get the same experience, tone, response with my Kemper, Matrix Amp and Atomic CLR passive cabs.
Never did a Vox through a 4x12, but Marshalls, Riveras, Ampegs, Fenders, deLisles, Kustoms, Mesas, Blackhearts, Blackstars, some others. Again, I can get the same, et al, blah blah with my KPA, a Vox profile, and my 4x12, and damned close with the Matrix/CLR/KPA rig (tone yes, feel yes, close to same in room total experience).
But, the response of ine above, if you will check was specifically responding to:
"But this is not the reason I bought me the KPA.I want flexibility with the best possible result.Only an FRFR as monitor can give me that flexibility using all kinds of tube-profiles in just one performance.Also If I ever again carry around my bulky orange cab which its "limited" and "specialized" sound characteristics I would also bring in some of my tube amp which fits 100% to it.".
For some reason, your not "LISTENING" to what I am saying. You may be hearing it, but not listening to it. Again, comments like above in italics, seem to say, well frankly, I'm not sure what your trying to say.
Overall, from all your posts, seems to me, and this is just how it is coming across to me, is that your a slight bit of a tube amp bigot, and ultimately, are trying to say in a passive aggressive way, that they are better than the Kemper, or modelers out there.
come on guys , the KPA or other digital / SS amps arent going to kill the tube amp industry.
the microwave didnt kill the charcoal gril
But the digital camera DID kill the analog, silver film based camera.
The computer DID kill the abacus/slide rule/pencil paper calculation
The Automobile DID kill horse powered vehicles
Cell phones have ALMOST completely killed landline phones
I can go on and on.
Display MoreIMO it is "pragmatism" to keep at least one tube amp..
If you have a tool which can do "everything" you will always fail to refuse to "try everything".It is the nature of the musician.Would I ever resist to put a little reverb on my beloved TJ-superleads..guess not.It is there..right to my feet.
For the lead..could I resist to increase the gain and add some delay;No.I could not.It is there..it is just a little move with my expression pedal.
You already know where I want to go right;
Using "just a tube amp" gives me the chance to do more with my fingers and my volume poti trying to rectify all shortcommings of the given "puristic sound" of a (lets say) onechannel tube amp.You HAVE to do more with your ears,fingers and the few buttons on your guitar and amp.
This is not "puristic" neither "sentimental"..it is a school..learning to do as much as possible with what you have which is not much.But it is the most important thing of all:ears,fingers,guitar and just one pure great sound.without any "tricks".You are absolutely "naked" and you will try to "cover" it with all means(which are just your ears and fingers)..thats the "challenge" I believe every electric guitar player should be not afraid to accept.
Blue: That's an issue with you, not the amp your using, be it a Kemper or a Fennder Pro Jr. I, actually use the Kemper JUST like I used to use 'conventional' amps. Really, there is no difference for me. Sorry, but what you describe is also NOT a universal failing of all guitarists.
ERGO your following conclusions stem from an erroneous assumption, imho
Red: Again, one can do this with a Kemper. Point of fact, since it acts just like that amp, it is really easy to coax sound out of a simple amp, using technique, guitar knobs etc. EVEN Better, one can go a step further and do this with more than just one amp with the Kemper. So if anything, what you speak of is even better tended by the Kemper. With the Kemper you can try to coax that great tone from any number of single channel, no MV Class A amps (take your pick). Or you can try simple, single channel Class A/B amps, ones with a tube rectifier, etc. Point of fact, because of this, it is actually better for developing in the guitarist what I believe your trying to say. You don't just learn how to get the best out of one simple amp setup, but can do so for several, many, all, and thus expand your techniques in these areas even more.
The key here, that your missing, for some reason, or not fully acknowledging is that all those things you mention, can be done with the Kemper, and not just for one amp..
You also keep, and sorry this is how it comes across to me, justifying the need for a 'tube' amp, by saying it is the only thing that can do what your saying. Again, that is an erroneous assumption/precept. Point of fact is, If you can do it on/with amp XYZ, then you can also do it on Amp XYZ profile.
In reality, the ONLY thing that would be hard to do with the Kemper, that is so much easier to do with a tube amp, is learning and practicing on, overcoming the day to day inconsistent tones that a tube amp produces.
Display MoreSorry did not see your post yesterday..
I dont doubt it dear friend..I dont doubt this a second that the profiler can do the aitr with a cab on stage..
No doubt I could use a good direct/merged vox/matchless-profile with a powered profiler with a nice 2x12 and have the same result as with any real matchless-type of combo.
Actually this is where I have the difficulties to communicate with cybermgk..
If I would use the Kemper like this (lets say a 4x12 orange cab) I would myself absolutely bind to profiles which fit to this cab.4xEL-34/6l6-big rock monsters.
If I would use a (lets say) 4x10/1x15 or a 2x12 cab on stage I would bind myself to Vox,matchless,Fender etc style of profiles..
But this is not the reason I bought me the KPA.I want flexibility with the best possible result.Only an FRFR as monitor can give me that flexibility using all kinds of tube-profiles in just one performance.Also If I ever again carry around my bulky orange cab which its "limited" and "specialized" sound characteristics I would also bring in some of my tube amp which fits 100% to it.
And, not sure what the problem is here.
Salutations and greetings
Display MoreThe cabinet,the type of speakers play a huge role for the ampintheroomsound(can we call this "aitrs" from now;).And it does not make any sense to me to use a real cab as monitor while I use many different amp-profiles of which most just dont fit to my cab.My 60s orange 4x12 with (black)greenbacks does sound unreal with my Rectifier or my JCM800 but will not fit to any twin or vox type of profile.
The whole thing would be against the reason why I use the profiler with all its abilities to sound like any of the many profiles through a FRFR..
I never bought the Kemper for aitrs use..and I wonder how many guys actually did..
;
Still not getting your point sorry.
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You forget the cab-side of things..
Maybe these "old sticks" are just happy with their sound;I think this is completely okay.Why should they even try something new;Theyare straight happy with what they have and use since many,many years.
And some of theyse "old farts" still kick ass and sound amazingly good just with their one-channel tubecombo and one guitar..
Sorry, I don't follow your post.
I think that's partly true. While the Kemper has certainly convinced some of those previously skeptical of digital emulation, there are plenty of old sticks in the mud that have already decided before they heard it that it will never stack up to their tube amps. And maybe it doesn't, but you see the passion and vitriol that this conversation inspires in people. "HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST THAT MY [insert product] IS NOT THE END ALL BE ALL OF EVERYTHING EVER!". Even some of the Kemper guys on this forum can get a bit riled at the suggestion that the KPA might not be perfect. We tend to emotionally invest in our equipment.
I have to wonder if you were told you were playing a real tube amp through a real 4x12 in a room, if you'd have the same visceral experience, even if it was actually the Kemper. It's an emotional response built on expectations, hence why lots of effective advertising begins by blind-testing or even fooling a consumer. You hand someone Coke in a cup and tell them it's Pepsi, and hand them another cup of Coke from the same can and tell them it's Coke, they'll tell you how different each tasted. Our brains respond to suggestion and it makes you wonder what is objective and what is subjective.
And Bingo was his name o.
Same goes with tube amps. They are heavy, unreliable, bulky, but their original, imperfect design is what so many crave and swear by. They want to fight their equipment in order to "earn" their place. It's why advances in solid state and digital emulation technology will never get a sizable part of the guitar market to embrace them, let alone even entertain the idea. Just go to any Kemper video on YouTube and you'll see a number of guys lecturing people about how it's not a real amp and they should feel some sort of shame, as if it's cheating. To them, there's a certain spiritual (and pride) component to the gear they are emotionally attached to.
That being said, I think among younger players there is an embrace of innovation. Yet to this point it's interesting how guitarists romanticize over dated, cumbersome technologies and designs because they feel a purity about it. While nearly every other enterprise and technology tries to advance, the guitar industry tries to jockey new ideas with old ones that most of its players just aren't interested in letting go of.
I'm in my 50s. If I can 'see the light....
Frankly, the only thing that has kept 'digital' from taking over the market, has been the quality of the digital amps. It has NOT been very long that the digital amps had as good tone, response, feel as the conventional 'tube' amps. This is recent, relatively speaking. But, we have hit that point now. In fact, we are moving into the next phase, where we are starting to see almost that same quality at the lower price points. Helix has finally made Line 6 ready for prime time. Your seeing limited modelers in Katanas and Blues Cubes that are pro level quality.
The snowball has been pushed down the mountain, and is only just starting to gain speed. It will only increase. As that quality gets better and better at lower price points, you WILL see digital become the dominant share of the market.
It really is NO different than digital photography. You had people fight digital camera tech at first. But, as the tech got better and better, particularly at non pro price points, it took over. When was the last time you had film processed?
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Untill yet I have never used direct/merged-profiles with my 4x12 cabinets.Untill yet I am still on the studio-profiles train so what I hear is the miced tube amp and the cab choosen by the guys who did the profiles...all this through stage-/studio-monitors.
This is ocourse a difference to standing next to the cab..no mics,nothing..just pure ampintheroom and the acoustics of the environment close to it.
I had situations in small coffeehouses sitting on my 4x10 peavey classic getting the most unbelieveable harmonic and sweet as honey feedbacks with my ´77 Stratocaster which held on "forever" just controlling them by my vibrato and the slightest moves of my body..when I open up my legs the feedback was different than with closed legs..
..actually sounds for which I am "ready to die" for..
You cant do this with a miced amp/cab through monitors on a loud stage with some distance from your rig away.This has nothing to do with the capabilities of the Kemper.It is just physics.
But it is just one example for the being very close to the "naked tube amp"/cab and doing "things" with it..and before you ask..no..I did NOT make sex with my amps.
FWIW, you can use Studio profiles and disable the cab portion, use different cabs for that matter. Again, because you don't use a Kemper a certain way, doesn't mean it can't. You can get that 'amp in the room', 'acoustics of the environment' with a Kemper, or Axe, or Helix, etc, as well. Sorry, but you can, no different than that tube amp. HOWEVER, you can get that CAB 'experience AND also go FOH at the same time. .
Because YOU choose to use the equipment that way. Sorry, but you CAN do that with a Kemper, if you so choose. I can even get it from my Kemper through my Matrix amp and into an Atomic CLR passive cab, let alone a guitar cab.
Display MoreLike many I have a great amp collection that's taken me years to build up. Heck even though I have my Kemper I still have a Kingsley amp on order and can't wait for it to turn up!
The fact of the matter is that I have/buy these things because I am sentimentally attached to the whole idea. I love to get my BIAS checker out and make sure all is cooking - I still play around with the tubes and it gives me a great deal of satisfaction. I even built a Tweed Deluxe 5E3 amp this year and it was a great experience and sounds wonderful...
Everyone should experience the trouser flapping joy of a Marshall or such like through a 4x12 with a LP - it's a visceral experience and if you've never played a tube amp loud you should - it's scary and wonderful at the same time!
Thing is that I can't see my taking any of mine on the road again since the KPA came along... just no need to any more..
Regards,
Simon
The Blue part is legitimate. If you like that care and feeding, and collecting, then have at it. But, that isn't really what the OP of this thread was going on about. But, it's the analog version of tweaking models/presets, etc.
But the red, again, I can get with both my Axe and Kemper. I can play them BOTH loud through a 4x12 if I want and get a visceral experience as well. An experience, that really isn't any different than the actual Marshall. HOWEVER, i can also do it with an Engl, a Friedman, a Dumble, etc. etc. via my Axe and Kemper.
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Reading my post above again it may be sure appear as you put it.Sorry for that.
But what I actually meant was more like "everyone out there needs a little bit of luxury".And nothing else.
People spend so much money for idiotic things (which I respect as long as it makes them happy) but for some reason spending money for making music,going to the theatre or the museum has become "nonsense" for most people who cant afford it anymore.I understand this but nevertheless I just have another opinion.
For a musician (and this is just my opinion) this "little bit of luxury" could be something which gives us joy as musicians.But not only.Having today something like a modeler will help for most things we need in our daily acting as muscians but having an tube amp could be at least as important to understand what the "basics" are.
So..IMO what I described in another post here in this thread is the way I learned music.A one-channel tube amp with a few knobs I sparely use(actually I have to "tweak" these knobs for 2 decades) and a electric guitar.All the nuances of dynamics,volume,overdrive I "tweaked" with just the volume poti and my fingers.Trying to learn all about to have a good vibrato,bending,dynamics,phrasing.To learn all these basics we need to be absolutely "naked and honest".No trick,no fx will give us a beautiful vibrato.Or will teach us how to express our feelings with a simple,amazing bending for which we love the old classic rock albums of Gilmour,Knopfler & co..which are still "the teachers" of all things.
Just a tube amp and the guitar is the most "naked thing" you can have as a guitar player.This is the "source"..as I old as I will get I will always return to my tube amp,plug in my guitar and just practice again,again and again my vibrato,my bendings and my dynamics keeping it all as naked and honest as possible to make me a better player.I will not use anything else.No fx,no pedal,no "trick" which could deviate me from the "basic thing".The pure tube amp sound is "the trick" everyone is looking for to become a great player with a distinctive tone but only a few guys get this.
Actually this is all what I wanted to say,greetings.
The fallacy, in my mind of the above red part is that you NEED a tube amp to get and do all that. Point of fact, I can and DO do that with both my Axe and my Kemper. Nothing magical or extra the tube amp brings to that 'naked' equation that my Axe or Kemper can't.
BAH.
Whty support tube amp makers. there are millions of them out there. And really, none are breaking new ground in any way, so it is just small variations on the same themes.
Amp, is just a tool, a part of the music making process. All I care about is, can my tool create as I need it to, It's that simple. All this stuff about smell, bah. If it walks, talks, sounds, quacks, etc. etc. like a duck, it's a duck.
It's a tool. And as such, the KPA excels and is all that is needed for that.
