To cab or not to cab?

    is it just me suddenly thrown into confusion and now reconsidering my approach to playing live? One reason for getting the kemper for me was for its ease of use going foh and not needing to cart around lots of heavy gear. I sold my valve amp and my 1x12 and 4 x10. Then what do Kemper go and do? Come out with another great update aimed primarily at using the beast with REAL cabs, the swines! Then what happens? Great profilers like Sinmix and others follow the natural evolution and start bringing out great profiles to be used with real cabs! Aaaaaaarrrrrrhhh!


    Now what do I do? Go out and buy a nice 2x12 and start carrying around more gear again to get the sound I really want in the back line? Damn you Kemper for making the product better and better and more flexible!! And all you people making awesome profiles and tempting me into buying more new cabs!! I hate you all!


    Grrrrrrr












    love you all really :love:


    oh oh and this is NOT a serious post

    In summary: conventional cab or FRFR will in the end depend solely on personal preference.


    While I love a good cab with Greenbacks or Celestion Blue's for the music that I play with my band I have come to love the consistency and wide dispersion that I get with a DXR 10 or with a CLR.


    The conditions in the venues I play often allow only for sub- optimal results with a conventional cab (either I'm too loud or forced to put the cab in ice- pick position). Changing to FRFR has been a relief for me.

    For me it's all about the weight and convenience. I can now get an amazing tone without worrying about how to lug a ton of gear ;)

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

    Like 1

    Neither. Get some IEMs.


    My reasons for going ampless: (now that one digital signal processor finally got it right.)
    No mics, no 4cabling effects, no carrying cabinets, no soundman telling me my stage volume is too loud, no audience members telling me they can't hear the guitar (because the soundman took it out of the mains because the stage volume was too loud.)


    Kemper has given us the gift of extremely realistic sounding amp sound in a 3U rack box with zero stage volume. These guys that are turning their cab sims off and pumping 600W into a 4X12 are refusing the keys to the kingdom. They are enslaved to an antiquated paradigm.


    This concludes this episode of Dr. Lackey's "You're doing it wrong!" :D

    Lol khaki, I intend to go iem as soon as I can persuade anyone else in the band to as well. But so far they won't . Seems pointless just me doing it ...although I might just to push the point :thumbup:

    Quote from Netheravon

    Lol khaki, I intend to go iem as soon as I can persuade anyone else in the band to as well. But so far they won't . Seems pointless just me doing it ...although I might just to push the point :thumbup:


    I was the first in my band to go that route, now four out of five are using them, and the last hold out (the other guitar player...imagine that!) is considering it. It takes some getting used to, but it's well worth it.
    Another reason: it will save your hearing. The best part about using them is taking them out at the end of the night and noticing how your ears aren't ringing!

    For me the biggest problem with IEMs (In-Ear Monitors) is the cost. Wireless systems can be amazingly expensive and the moulded in-ears do not last as long as you think they should, given their cost! There is some hope that the new digital systems will drive prices down in the future.
    Next problem is the sound - some feel there is no bass or the sound is lifeless, dry and weak. Whatever the sound is like to you, it does take a lot of getting used to!
    Next problem - many venues and events simply do not have facilities/setup time to allow the use of IEMs. Bands become used to playing with terrible monitoring and just get on with it.


    Protection of hearing is the most important point - my band rehearses with headphones on. After four hours of play in a room, you do not want your ears to be ringing!


    Perhaps there could be a thread on IEM systems that KPA users have proved do the job well, whatever the volume of the band.


    To come back to the original poster's point, I am also confused about which way to go, being a long-term amp and 4x12 cab user. I guess we just have to try to adapt to the new ways and see which suits us best. I am currently trying KPA and DXR10, but may go the KPA-Guitar/FRFR 2X12 route later - we shall see!
    \m/

    Quote from Khaki_Lackey


    Kemper has given us the gift of extremely realistic sounding amp sound in a 3U rack box with zero stage volume. These guys that are turning their cab sims off and pumping 600W into a 4X12 are refusing the keys to the kingdom. They are enslaved to an antiquated paradigm.


    This concludes this episode of Dr. Lackey's "You're doing it wrong!" :D


    I'm not enslaved to anything or anyone. Actually I'm free enough to use a cab even if the fanboys don't like me to ;)

    <p>&nbsp;</p>


    <p>Yeah Heavy, same set up as me, which to be honest I am happy with, but would like to go iem primarily for the saving of hearing as mentioned. I use ear plugs all the time anyway but would prefer more control of the overall volume and the ability to hear everyone in the band clearly. I think the main issues are, as you said, the prohibitive cost and the fact that some places you play simply can't cater for them.&nbsp;</p>


    <p>&nbsp;</p>

    Quote from Netheravon

    Lol khaki, I intend to go iem as soon as I can persuade anyone else in the band to as well. But so far they won't . Seems pointless just me doing it ...although I might just to push the point :thumbup:


    I was the first to go IEM and did so for about 6 months. Then my fellow bandmates jumped on the wagon. IEM's are a must for a gigging band.


    Cheers

    Quote from Netheravon

    <p>&nbsp;</p>


    <p>Yeah Heavy, same set up as me, which to be honest I am happy with, but would like to go iem primarily for the saving of hearing as mentioned. I use ear plugs all the time anyway but would prefer more control of the overall volume and the ability to hear everyone in the band clearly. I think the main issues are, as you said, the prohibitive cost and the fact that some places you play simply can't cater for them.&nbsp;</p>


    <p>&nbsp;</p>


    Yeah, It makes soundchecks really involved. In my band, we have a Presonus mixer with our monitor scenes saved in it and we use the same sound guy at just about every job we play. The first couple were a little bit tricky getting it right. It is an adjustment. Once you get used to it, most people wouldn't go back.

    It has taken me a very, very long time to make my brain FRFR friendly. Part of the problem was that I was trying some FRFR units that were not what they seemed. I've always been a cabinet user.


    That being said, I had a chance to rent some gear this weekend and I've come to the conclusion that even with the 3.0 and merged profiles, the ones that I use are of the heavier variety and they still sound similar through a guitar cabinet. There is some differentiation but after trying a good FRFR (Line 6 L2M), I've found that it works beautifully and I get the tones I want, can crank it up and it just sounds amazing!


    I am still wanting to try either a DXR10, DXR12 or DSR12 from Yamaha. Hopefully I can find one to rent and try as well.

    My mind keeps wandering to 4x12 or even a 2x12, it's the old guitarist in me. The truth is sticking to my FRFR is probably the best solution. Though I am looking at a stereo amp to fit in the toaster, just as a project to work on ;)

    I'm happy using my Bogner oversized 212 cab, its sounds good to me, perhaps not 100% the same as the profiler had in mind, but to me thats not a issue , a good guitar sound is and thats what i've got


    Do you need to turn the 'cab sim off' when playing through a cab? I'm under the impression the 'Speaker Out' doesn't carry the cab sim whatsoever - and it only needs to be addressed for FOH/monitoring does it
    not (in which cases you'd have cab sim on...)?


    EDIT: re-reading your post, you may not have meant turning the cab sim off with respect to the 4x12 ...

    CURRENT:
    (FLOOR) Kemper Remote w/ Mission exp + EB VP
    (RACK) Kemper PowerRack

    Quote from PBGas

    It has taken me a very, very long time to make my brain FRFR friendly. Part of the problem was that I was trying some FRFR units that were not what they seemed. I've always been a cabinet user.


    That being said, I had a chance to rent some gear this weekend and I've come to the conclusion that even with the 3.0 and merged profiles, the ones that I use are of the heavier variety and they still sound similar through a guitar cabinet. There is some differentiation but after trying a good FRFR (Line 6 L2M), I've found that it works beautifully and I get the tones I want, can crank it up and it just sounds amazing!


    I am still wanting to try either a DXR10, DXR12 or DSR12 from Yamaha. Hopefully I can find one to rent and try as well.


    Any progress on this? :)

    CURRENT:
    (FLOOR) Kemper Remote w/ Mission exp + EB VP
    (RACK) Kemper PowerRack