Posts by kylehoegen

Thanks Ingolf that did it!

I noticed my noise gate is locked at 3.5. Is this better to do on a per rig basis rather than just locking it?

Hey Everyone!

I was poking around in the input section today and noticed something I thought was weird. I mainly use Tone Junkie profiles and noticed that several profiles are set to -7.3 for the distortion sense. This applies to a lot of the distorted profiles and some of the very low gain profiles. Some medium to high gain profiles are also set to 0. The noise gate is also turned up fairly high (3.5) on some low gain profiles and at 0 for some high gain profiles. I assume I royally screwed up somewhere and got these profiles out of wack. Are these setting normal? My understanding was distortion sense and clean sense are a set once and lock type of thing. If it is my indeed my fault, should I just do a global reset to return to factory settings?

Quote from dmatthews

My wallet hates you right now...

This resonates with me so much.

Quote from Ramspi

Headrush 108, good solution

The price point on the 108 is so low it almost scares me. Are you using this strictly for monitoring purposes or is it sufficient for a backline as well.

I bought a Kemper with the sole intention of using it on stage and ditching my less than desirable VOX Valvatronix. It is two years later and this poor Kemper hasn't seen the stage once. I bought a Line 6 L3t to use as a backline/monitor, but I have not been a huge fan of what I'm hearing. Just to remind everyone I also suffer from a case of "shit ears" where everything (even the most godliest of tones) sounds like a garbage disposal.

I've had may eye on a few different options including the MBritt Xitone, Redsound, and now MBritt ValveTrain. I have a few concerns with each. I can't find the MBritt Xitone on the Xitone website anymore, or really anywhere. Does anyone know if this has been discontinued? Redsound really interests me, but I'm concerned about the limited options. The ValveTrain interests me most. When looking at the specs it says that it contains a solid state rectifier. Has does this differ from a tube rectifier? I though the general attraction to the ValveTrain was that it was all tube.

Many have now said Kemper Cabinet will be active as well as passive. This option is best suited considering its specifically for the Kemper, but I'm concerned about the timeline. I need instant gratification and I need it now! Do you guys think I should just hold out for this, or go with one of the earlier options?

Quote from digbob

this noise can't be eliminated with the ground switches,

to me it clear that you pickup the noise thru the Pickups,

its some light or maybe the power line, or a computer or computer monitor,

when you put

an overdrive or boost in your signal chain this will amplify the noise

you have to find the source of the noise

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You got it man! In my case its the lights and I have a massive radio station antenna thats located right next to my apartment.

Quote from nightlight

At the back of the unit, there are a few ground switches. Turn some off, turn some off and the hum should go away. But at least one should always be in a different direction (in/out) than the others.

No combinations of the ground switches reduced this noise in anyway for me. It was to first thing I did when moving into the new apartment.

You're not going insane. I moved into an older apartment last year and have been experiencing buzzing the entire time. I was convinced my unit was defective because I bought it around the same time. One day my girlfriend turned off the outside hallway light as I was playing my Kemper and the buzzing went away completely. Sure enough I have her turn the light back on and there it goes again. This solves the problem for me 90% of the time. Unfortunately, something in the downstairs apartment also affects it (most likely just another lightbulb) and obviously I can't just shut my neighbors lights off. Another way I mitigate the issue is using the middle pickup position. I hope you find a solution!

I almost never have my Kemper connected to any computer and intermittently have this issue.

I have had the exact same issue at my apartment. I purchased a Furman PL-Plus and it didn't solve the issue for me. It does make me feel more protected against surges and things of that nature. Oddly enough I found that if my hallway light is shut off (next to the music room), then the noise goes away 75% of the time. Unfortunately something in my neighbor's apartment definitely messes with it as well, so I've resorted to my middle pickup a lot of the times. Good luck, I hope the Furman works for you!

Quote from Mats_Nermark

I'm not sure this is a good thing.

I'm glad you enjoyed my track.

I don't think you can profile acoustic instruments as the signal from (and back to) the KPA is electronic. All the stuff I have used so far has been electronic and so far I've been surprised more times than disappointed by the results.

Cheers,

Mats N

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That makes sense. Ill put down the horns haha.

This is awesome! You have opened up a musical wormhole for me. Excuse my ignorance if this sounds ridiculous, but could an instrument like a trumpet be profiled? Obviously the end result wouldn't be the sound of a trumpet, but would it sound musical? I just have never heard of someone profiling equipment and now I want to profile everything in my house

As do I.

Quote from DamianGreda

Try to uncheck "Download rig list on connect" in settings tab.

That did it Damian! Thank you very much for all that you do!

Hello Everyone,

Every time I attempt to connect on the new update for ToastME my Kemper displays an error message. I have opened up a support ticket, but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue? I have used ToastME in the past and have had some issues connecting before, but I have never received a message on the Kemper side of things. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance!

Quote from Wheresthedug

You don’t have a case of “shit ears” but a case of shit room. As Gary_W pointed out your room is nearly square. I’m not sure what heoght your ceiling is but if it is also at a “bad” ratio the sound in your room could be really terrible. In a room that size your listening position could be very close to the dead centre of the room which is also the absolute worst place to be listening. Very small changes to your listening position can make a massive difference to the sound you hear in a room like that. To experience this try running a test tone generator (most DAWs have one built in) startng at very low frequencies and gradually increasing this. With each selected frequency move around the room and notice just how much the perceived volume changes.

Another thing I failed to mention about the room is I am on the third floor and my ceiling is at a very odd angle. The ceiling is 7ft 10inches in the first seven feet of the room. At that point the ceiling angles downward at a 140 degree angle until it meets the wall. In this portion there is a skylight. Attached is a small sketch of the room. The red line represents the point where the ceiling begins to angle downward. The green lines represent sound coming from the monitors. My plan would be to start with acoustic paneling there first. Does anyone have any recommendations on my configuration?

Thank you all for your continued input. I am so sorry to hear many of you suffer from the same affliction as myself. If I had know I would have started a support group far earlier . But in reality hearing your responses have made me feel a lot better about what I perceive I'm hearing.

Quote from V8guitar

I also have shit ears.....I often don't know what I like! I load a profile, try it, quite like it, try another, like it also, go back tot he previous one, don;t like it and then don't like the other one...profile blindness...

Some suggestions from me:

1) Part of it for me was " it's digital, it can;t be as good as a valve amp"...in other words psychological. I kept thinking it doesn't sound as good as a JCM800...until I tried a JCM800 again...I had to get used to the sound.

2) Volume does help - played on Sat and probably the loudest I've been for a very long time. It does sing ( although my ears are killing).

3) Good amp sounds often don't sound as good on their own and vice versa. Best to mix with a band as well...

4) Try a guitar cab - I often run a 4 x12 but to be honest I'm almost permanently on an FRFR

5) Personally I've struggled to get a good sound out of headphones - I would go for a dxr10 knowing they are good. Then focus on your profiles. I suspect on use profiles no-one else likes. Funnily enough my main sound is the same as the valve amp I like - ENGL. Strange that

6) Change cabs in the profile - this make s a big difference

7) You are a guitarist, you'll never be happy, so aim for 90% happy. I wasn't really happy until other people told it sounded good. I get more compliments on my sound now than I ever have..

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I think you hit on all the major points. Even though I'm adamant I don't, I also have some reservations about admitting digital cant be just as good as valve. Don't tell my lead guitarist though, because I talk the Kemper up way too much lol. I also agree that I'm generally used to hearing myself in a mix and not just on my own.

I have to admit I'm a little lost when it comes to cabs. My live set up for 4+ years was Vox AC30C2 with a large pedal board, but Im never played out of a cab in my life. My first introduction to cabs have largely been due to the Kemper. What cabs do you like?

Quote from normtailor

I think it can get even worse. I'll spend hours delightedly playing with a couple of rigs that have "my sound", then return to the same rig, same guitar, different day and wonder what the hell happened to make it sound so lame. Drives me crazy but I'm pretty sure the Kemper isn't the problem...maybe some Fletcher Munson corollary, I don't know, but I imagine it's a human problem.

Also, to your question, and although I have no sane reason for doing so, I bought an Atomic CLR Neo II wedge. Kinda pricey, but in combination with the Kemper, literally the most fun I've ever had. Really brought things to life in a way my headphones couldn't. No affiliation, just sayin'. My $0.02, hope you find your sound!

This is me to a tee. One moment I'll be playing a profile and be like "wow this is the bee's knees." Come back twenty minutes later and the profile sounds like my sink's garbage disposal. I'm also looking into CLR as well.

Quote from DonPetersen

even with good near field monitors, you need a certain volume to get good sounding result

This is what I figured. I live in an apartment and I am very apprehensive to turn up too loud. I think I'm just too low in volume to get the proper response.

Quote from Gary_W

How does it sound to you through decent headphones?

If you have a 10x11 bedroom, that’s not an ideal environment. Your speakers are having no choice but the bounce the sound from multiple surfaces very quickly. Square (and it’s almost square) rooms are very good at amplifying certain frequencies (look up ‘standing waves’ if you’re not familiar) and consequently other important bits of the sound appear much quieter. In essence, some frequencies ‘build up’ and the effect is most prominent at lower frequencies. If you’re mixing, this makes it very difficult to trust your mix as some instruments will disappear in your room and the mix will then sound bad on a flat system. If you’re just listening to a tone, again it’ll sound very different indeed in that environment..... the only thing that makes any guitar tone sound the way it does is the range of frequencies present in it..... if the room is acting like an eq you don’t want, it’s not surprising your results are so erratic.

What to do IMO? Several possibles.

1. The cheapest is to use post EQ in the Kemper only use profiles that sound good in your room. Realise that live environments will sound different so don’t spend hours tweaking perfect sounds for your room as they are likely to sound entirely different in a big room. Things always sound pretty different in a venue but, vs a 10ft bedroom, they’re likely to be night and day.

2. Buy some really nice headphones and just use them at home. Not ideal but they will eliminate your room issues.

3. Sound treatment for your room. If you search online, there are lots of tutorials on how to make Home made acoustic treatment. Whilst you can buy it, it’s far, far cheaper to DIY and, as this is a bedroom, you can cover them in breathable fire-safe fabric that matches your decor.

4. There is some room correction software out there that eq’s to try and ‘fix’ your room. I can’t remember the name though.

What I wouldn’t advise? Buying new speakers. Whilst they’ll make things sound different, they are unlikely to give the results you want and, if they’re bigger, they might actually make it worse!

My little room that I play in is tiny. A few years ago, I spent a couple of weekends and a couple of hundred pounds on wood, fabric and acoustic density rock wool. It suddenly made all of my equipment sound considerably more expensive. It’s still not an ideal room acoustically but it has for sure made the best of the environment I have.

Hope this helps and good luck in finding the best solution for your situation

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I have Audio Technica ATH-M50X headphones, but I haven't spent to much time monitoring through the headphone jack. These should be sufficient right? Or should I shoot for some open back headphones?

I think in the meantime I'm going to try and put up some sound absorbing material in the room and turn up the monitors. I will also try and take the room out of the mix and go the headphone route.

I appreciate all of your input!

Hello Everybody,

I've got a lot to throw at you and I am very open to recommendations. First we'll start in the bedroom , then we'll take it to the stage.

I think the Kemper is incredibly versatile and I know it can sound amazing, but I've yet to get there. Im currently using my Kemper through KRK Rokits 5's in a small bedroom (10X11) with minimal sound proofing. Somedays I will turn on the Kemper and think "wow this sounds pretty good", but most of the time a lot of profiles from some very reputable makers sound lackluster. Some sound thick and muddy, while others sound thin. Im a nutcase and have come to the consensus that I'm suffering a case of "shit ear" where literally nothing will ever sound good enough even if its the most incredible tone in the world. That, or I just need to upgrade some equipment. Are the KRK Rokits too small to get a decent sound? Many forums I see trash all over these monitors, but I often see them paired with the Kemper at NAMM. Obviously, they are much larger than mine. Im thinking about upgrading to the Yamaha HS7 or HS8. Should I stick with the 7's due to the size of my room?

Now for the stage. My ultimate goal is to use this bad boy live. I have a Line 6 L3t, but haven't been trilled with the results. I have had minimal time playing this at stage volume and I know that is largely the issue. If any one is using this speaker I would really appreciate to hear how you configure things. I have attempted to contact at least four L3t users on this forum, but haven't received any responses in over three months. Once again like the bedroom, I am considering "downgrading" to a DXR 10, because I hear they are amazing. I only say downgrading because this thing was so damn expensive. I am also considering a xitone or redsound, gemini's are out of my price range.

So tell me should I calm down with my gear obsession and try some other approaches?

I believe thats a feature that will be released at a later time in conjunction with the editor.