Posts by missionman

I would simply say that it's honestly not as difficult and daunting as it first appears. I'm an older user (63) and I think it's completely logically set out; there's a signal path set out right in front of your eyes in the buttons on the unit, to the right of the master volume - stomps, then amp/cab, and finally mods/delays etc. after the amp/cab.
Personally I use Rig Manager (RM) a lot to set up Performances and import rigs. As others have said, there are lots of videos online to help out.
I would say:

1. Remember there's a difference between Browser and Performance mode - the former is to store profiles or audition them, and the latter is there to set up banks of Performance patches for playing live, with your chosen selection of effects etc.

2. By all means buy or collect profile packs, but don't be tempted to import them all into the unit itself. You can import and audition them easily within RM. Once imported, back up RM regularly. It takes seconds.

3. Within Performance mode, get to understand morphing. It's a great feature.

4. Again within Performance mode, there are 125 fixed slots available on the unit itself (unlimited within RM, where you can set up folders). Most of these will be labelled 'New Performance' - you change the name once you've set it up. There are a set of example ones installed, called things like 'Example: Song A'. I wouldn't touch those.

5, Each Performance will hold 5 rigs (1-5 on the bottom row of your Stage), each with its own selection of stomps/effects etc (buttons above). You can copy rigs to these slots. The Up/Down arrows navigate between Perfs.

[Many people set up one Perf. per song. Personally, I set up one main one based on different gain stages of one specific amp, from clean to lead, with appropriate rig volume changes; then have a similar separate one for E flat, one for drop D, one for a very specific song (requiring completely different rigs), one with an acoustic patch on it, one completely double-tracked.]
6. Assigning effects to the buttons on the top row of each rig is dead easy. Myself, I select and set up the effect using RM, as it's visually easier, but of course you can do it on the unit itself, it just takes longer (for me). Then once it's there, press the coloured soft effect button on the Stage that you've selected for the effect, and the metal stomp button simultaneously, and it's assigned.

7. Always remember to Save when you've made a change, and you're happy with it.

8. Once you're familiar with those basics, look at morphing, and more obscure things like Clean Sens/Distortion Sens, Definition, Clarity etc, how to set up expression pedals, and so on. Also how to assign outputs (e.g. Main Output - Mono or stereo? and Main Out volume; Monitor outputs)

P.S. Despite what it says on my user status, I'm not a Beginner..!

Hi, has anyone attempted to match the tones on Ghost's more recent output, or their current live shows? I realise that live, they use Axe FX, so there's no direct correlation; and in the studio, the guitarist of the moment is Fredrik Åkesson from Opeth. However perhaps someone has tried to get those tones?

Quote from Amcolan

I understand the concept of changing the mix but by changing the mix to zero on the non morph setting it then turns off the effect and doesn’t allow that effect to be used in non morphing mode. If I want to still turn that effect on with the effect switch I can’t anymore.

This is not my experience at all. I have just tried reverb at Mix 0% and at a higher value in Morph, and it seems to work.

I find the Paste command is sometimes disabled. It seems to depend on how you do the Copy. It took me a few goes to copy a rig to a new Performance for an experiment. I had locked everything except the amp and cab, I wanted to preserve the stomps etc. A bit odd

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.

Welcome to a fellow UK user! My moniker says 'Beginner' but it's because I haven't been very active on this forum. I've actually had a Kemper for about 5 years now, I now have two (Kemper Powered Head and Stage), as well as a Powered Kabinet. I'm mostly a live user, with some home recording. I have never profiled anything, I wouldn't trust myself!

I had a Helix LT and like you, I had to get to grips with snapshots, which were the only way to change patches without latency. However there are none of those problems with the Kemper, and it sounds and feels more like an amp to me. I sold the Helix for the Stage.

Others may say this to you too, but picking the right profiles for you is key. The stock ones are good, but I ended up buying a lot of others over the years. I also play in a covers band and although I have an extensive library of third-party profiles, to be honest, one profile maker and indeed one particular amp (with various different profiles of that amp) has been my go-to for the majority of my Performances.

Understand how to build Performances, and look at Morphing. It's a great feature. Rig Manager is your friend, it's much better than it used to be and helps if you like to visualise settings, including rigs and effects. Good luck!!

Quote from b_ryan

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 can't really see ToneX being an upgrade/replacement/'Kemper killer'. It probably has its place in the studio, I get that, but not in a live environment, not without a set of pedals around it or HX Stomp etc. I use the KPA as an all-in-one solution in live environments. If the ToneX tones are better replications of real amps (as some say) then fine, that's something that may attract some, but by the same token, if it's an audible difference, it's something that Kemper could address.

This question has been asked before, and I totally get it, I am an Android user myself. The trouble is, it needs a significant development effort and Kemper's minds may be currently otherwise employed - they probably built the iOS app with the iPad in mind, not so much the iPhone, and there is a big install base for that. Also, the Apple eco-system is a closed system so is more predictable (in some ways - though Apple do have a habit of surprising people).

Android tablets are great, I have one myself, but I think they are less common than Android phones or Apple iPads, and as Android is an open system they might vary in behaviour and skin.

I am sure it's possible to develop using tools that will create apps for both, but they clearly didn't do that, maybe the graphics are hard to replicate using tools that do both, I don't know. But don't expect this anytime soon, I'm afraid.

Interesting. However I spend most of my time in Performance Mode. Perhaps there's a use to see what Performance I'm in without trying to read the name, but not which rig, as each one is lit on the remote footswitches anyway when engaged.

As for the profiles stored on the unit itself in Browse mode, I can't see a use for it but as long as I wasn't forced to take it I'd be fine with that. In Rig Manager, I have so many profiles, that I organise them by profile maker and pack (I've just accumulated them over the years!) and colour wouldn't do much for me there...

Quote from Finally

This is me as well.

Me too - but I have the option of pressing the morph on the main rhythm too, and engaging a rig volume boost as well as a lead boost - just sounds like I'm in the same channel but with extra bits and pieces. I still have two separate solo patches, one with EQ to cut through, one softer with a morph for big temporary delays for effect.

Performances can only be 'Initialized' when you're editing slots on the KPA itself. There are 125 slots and you can reset them, not delete them. 'Delete Performance' is available in Rig Manager if you've copied the Performances to a separate folder OFF the profiler (which I do quite often as a backup, within RM. I make dated backups). Those, you can delete.

I'm not sure why you can't swap rigs within RM? I find that quite easy... As others have said, there have been quite a lot of bugs in the past, but I am finding the latest S and RM versions much more stable.

Strange. I bought a Stage after having a powered head, and kept them both. I made sure they were on the same OS level and just backed up Performances on the Head and copied them onto the Stage. They sounded identical...

I use boost to increase a different type of smoothness or gain, rather than get an increase in volume, and engage it in a lead. If you use morphing (or a different rig in the Performance) you can increase the rig volume easily. This might be necessary if you have a noisy band (!). Press the Rig button and you'll see the rig volume on page 1 (I find this is easier to see on Rig Manager but that's up to you). Press the assigned rig switch to go into Morph mode. Raise the rig volume. Pay attention to the Rise Time and Fall Time of the morph change (page right for that - again, easier to see in RM). This controls how quickly it 'morphs' from the main setting (quieter) to morph (in this case, louder). Of course, with Morph you can increase other parameters - delay etc.

Just checking... did you say it's between the film protector and the screen? I could be wrong, but isn't that film protector designed to be temporary, and removed after acquiring it? I may have misunderstood.

I have a screen guard on both my remote and my Stage, but it's a non-Kemper product, just to protect against accidental damage, such as dropped items (not dust, of course, though they do seem dust-free). However I'm pretty sure I removed the film if it had one on both, pretty early on. I've had the remote since 2017, I think...

Like some others here, I would suggest not using your Marshall to power the head... but it's your choice, of course. Way back when I first bought a Kemper toaster, one of my concerns was weight and convenience. So I bought a powered head and a super light 2x12 passive cab (Matrix). I just didn't want to carry my heavy Mark V Boogie to gigs anymore. However I did notice the cabinet sounded quite different to the sound out front.

I then bought a Stage, as a backup unit, which of course isn't powered. So I bought a Powerkab for that, and I now actually use that with both units. Because of the speaker imprints, it sounds closer to the profile (with cabinet ON) sent to the PA. As mentioned above, you have to activate the power amp boost to get a decent volume.

If I wanted a power amp and only had the Stage, I would probably look at the Ritter Camplifier series - they are small and offer stereo options. If I only had an unpowered toaster, they make one that fits in the back of the toaster, I believe. There are other options...

If you really, really never want the cabinet engaged, i.e. you're not sending a signal to FOH or using the KPA for recording, then of course you have the cabinet soft button on the front of the unit, in the signal chain.

However it's still better just to press the Monitor Cab Off though, because it will at least give you options if you ever do want to use the cabinet in other circumstances. You also won't accidentally turn it back on again.

I disable the cabinet to the monitor (Output menu pages 1, 3, 8 - latest OS), and unlink the master volume from everything EXCEPT the monitor (also a setting in the Output menu, page 2 I think).

Hi all

Just re-introducing myself.

I have been using Kempers since 2017 but never much interacted with this forum, so I am still classed as 'Beginner' (you'll usually find me on the Facebook pages). I am semi-pro, and play in a covers band in South East England. I have a modest home studio and use Kempers live, for the following reasons: I finally have complete control over volumes, it saves me carrying heavy gear around, but most importantly, it sounds amazing. Generally playing small venues, I always struggled to get the same sound each time, whether it was using Marshalls (I have owned a few) or Mesa Boogies (I still own one). I also always struggled to keep rhythm quiet while boosting leads to a reasonable cut-through volume and EQ. All of that is so easy now.

Although I own hundreds if not thousands of profiles, but I use a variety of Performances which are mostly based around BE100 rigs created by Bert Meulendijk. I have other experimental performances based on other amps and profile producers.

I mainly use a Kemper Powerhead, but since I sold my Helix LT (which was my backup solution, with an FRFR cab) for a Kemper Stage, I also bought a Powerkab, which I can now use with both units. I still own a Matrix NL212 cabinet. Even though I mainly play pubs and clubs, I will put the Kemper also through the PA in stereo, and use the Powerkab for monitoring.

Although I am not a pro, I have been playing since 1975, and the Kempers are hands-down the best guitar gear I've ever owned.

Cheers

Ian

It's OK, I've answered my own question... I had it set to 'Momentary'

I feel really stupid asking this question, as I'm a long-time Kemper user and I've never had this issue. I have set up several performances on a Stage.

On ONE performance only (as far as I can tell), on ONE rig only, the second press of the rig button doesn't activate morph mode. The morph button lights up momentarily, then both the LED and the morph light rever to their previous state. I've tried looking through the forum for a similar issue. It's not a massive issue, but I'm sure I'm doing something wrong. Does anyone have an idea?

I do have a powered toaster so I could check what that's doing, but I would have thought it must be something simple...

Ok, it turns out somehow I had switched monitor out off. Thanks. It's going to take a while to get used to this!