Is my Kemper defective?

    Hey all,


    This link has an audio recording & also describes exactly what I mean; but I will copy & paste the description provided in that link.


    This buzz is driving me crazy!


    What I have ruled out:


    - Guitar (same noise, two different guitars)
    - Cable (same noise, two different cables)
    - Audio interface (headphones direct into Kemper has same thing, also tried two different interfaces)
    - Electronics noise (All lights off, very far away from any computer, cell phone, et cetera - noise occurs wherever I walk)
    - Room in house (Does this all the way downstairs, and on the second floor)


    This recording is using my guitar plugged into my Kemper, and the Kemper routed directly into Cubase. No effects of any kind, just a direct feed.


    Since this recording, I have updated the firmware on the Kemper, and also adjusted the sensitivity towards distorted vs clean, with no change. I have also gone through multiple high-gain profiles, and the same issue occurs.


    I'm really stuck, and could use some advice. I love the Kemper; but I can't record with this noise.


    Thanks =)

    Try playing around with the Line Frequency parameter. It's in the System menu, on the LCD/HW Setup page. From the manual:


    Quote

    The soft knob “Line Frequency” lets you choose between a line frequency of 50 or 60 Hz. The Noise Gate will use this setting to eliminate ground hum which frequency is based on the physical location the Profiler is being used at. “50 Hz (auto)” and “60 Hz (auto)” will detect the line frequency automatically.


    Check your noise gate setting as well (the big knob on the left) and see if turning it up makes any difference.


    You could also try different combinations of the red Ground Lift switches on the back of the Kemper. Just make sure they are never all activated at the same time -- at least one of them has to be off (= grounded, = not pushed in) at any one time.


    Quote

    If you should hear noise on any outputs, please check the ground-lift switches on the back panel. These may only be used selectively, and must never be activated all at the same time. This is very important. Otherwise, you might not only face a shielding issue, but also a serious health risk.


    I adjusted the Line Frequency between 60 Hz (fixed), 50 Hz (fixed), 60 Hz (auto), and 50 Hz (auto) with no change.


    I also adjusted the ground switches with no change either.


    My noise gate has been set to 5.0 for a month or two because, if any lower, that buzz is constantly there if my guitar has any volume.

    Quote from meambobbo

    Have you tried using the rear input instead of the front? What ab going straight into your interface, routing that to spdif out and connecting to kemper that way and monitoring via headphones plugged into kpa.


    I've been monitoring through the Kemper's headphone jack the whole time to reduce the amount of steps in between; but I can try the rear input next time I try it out in a few hours.


    Quote from paults

    Do your guitars have single coil pickups? What specific pickups are they?


    Did you use as much gain with your previous rig at the same house?


    The guitars both use Humbuckers - one set is active (EMGs) and the other has passive (Burstbuckers). It's literally the same profile with the same settings as what I was using at the previous place, haha.


    Quote from Raoul23

    if you use single coil and have tube lighting or are near computer monitors this can cause buzzing ive had this before with band s who come to record with single coil pickups


    I've already eliminated noise sources by bringing the Kemper to rooms which have no electrical interference - I've plugged it into 7 different outlets in 4 different rooms across 3 floors, all of which have the exact same sound no matter what way I turn the instrument or the Kemper.


    Thanks for the advice, all!!!

    Quote from bassman2112

    It's literally the same profile with the same settings as what I was using at the previous place, haha.


    So, the Kemper sounded fine at your old place? Good.


    Now, take it somewhere else - to a friend's house. To a Music Store. But, away from where you recorded this noise. If the noise is still there at a completely different location, the issue may be in the Kemper.


    BUT - If the noise goes away, and the ONLY thing you have changed is the place, then you have a problem at your new place. Is there a nearby microwave transmission or cellphone tower? Are there many large electricity wires nearby?

    How do you know a particular room has no electrical interference? Unless the room itself is a giant Faraday cage, i suspect that is not the case. If you can tune into a radio station, there are EM waves in the room. The question is are there more than normal, and what is the source. Even with the lights off, something from the house can be generating them. Dimmer switches particularly suck. Usually for interference issues, you can point the guitar in different directions, and the noise will get better/worse, or at least change. But it seems like youve tried walking around without any change in sound.


    So i really dont know. It sounds more like a short or something like that, but if youve tried different guitars and cables... thats why i brought up using a different input jack, or even try complete spdif.


    Also try going straight into your interface into cubase and try a vst amp sim like lepou's legion. If that still gives you the hum/noise, then there is likely a grounding or interference issue, but if not then it seems specific to the kemper.


    Do you have any amps or other processors you can test in your house?

    Lots of good opinions till now.
    The noise sounds very "interference-ish" to me. The first thing to do isto try another place, far from that building.
    there are some rooms\apartments where the electric wires run all around the rooms, creating but a gigantic electric coil .
    If the Profiler is silent with no guitar connected, then your guitars are picking interferences.
    Have you noticed whether the noise is modulated when you move the guitar around the room and you turn around yourself? If it's the guitar, something should change.

    Hey all, I just did a few tests:


    One, I tried using my guitar plugged direct into my interface, and running Guitar Rig. On high-gain presets, there is still a noticeable amount of buzzing - so this lends credence to there being some kind of interference present.


    Two, I used my UPS/Battery Backup, drove out somewhere very remote (no cell signal, no power lines) and tried the Kemper with direct headphones in. I made sure the UPS was far away so that it itself wasn't providing any kind of interference, and I still heard the buzz.


    So..... Bleh, I guess I will just have to live with it?


    Edit: Another thing that makes me feel EMI could be a factor - I am in a condo/townhouse. It could be possible that my neighbours are using dimmers or similar. Otherwise, I can't really think of what would be causing the EMI!

    I'd have my guitars checked and heavily shielded! It's enough that a single weld joint is missing\defective to mess the shielding up.
    It also might be that this issue affects both of your cables.


    Also, you did not report if or how the noise changes when you move your guitar around.


    :)

    Quote from viabcroce

    I'd have my guitars checked and heavily shielded! It's enough that a single weld joint is missing\defective to mess the shielding up.
    It also might be that this issue affects both of your cables.


    Also, you did not report if or how the noise changes when you move your guitar around.


    :)


    Apologies, I have moved the guitar at every angle possible - as well as moving to different rooms while connected - same issue occurs. I would find it strange that the issue would affect both cables, and both guitars though =/

    Damn. The ups test should eliminate the condo emi as the issue. It sounds like some kind of electrical/wiring issue. Could be in guitars, cables, or kemper. Easiest test is to try a fresh cable...


    Also, try different ins and outs on the kemper to see if its specific to one of those. Really using spdif in and out and reamping someone else's DI would tell you if its completely internal to kemper

    Did you know that some profiles just hiss a lot due to the capture?
    I stopped using a few due to an amp like buzz that was ever present. Have you tried a lot of different profiles In your search for answers?
    Check every cable ! I bet it's dimmers like u said - try a furman power filter?

    Powered Rack / Windows 10

    Hey bassman,
    I also struggle with noise. You have run a good set of tests. The fact that the noise reduces when you turn the volume on your guitar down means that it is not coming through the power line. This is also confirmed by your battery/ups test. So any noise conditioners you purchase will not solve your problem. Since it's not coming through the line, it must be coming in through the air. As others have said, good shielding and grounding will help, as will eliminating the offending transmitters.


    I spent a summer at my father in laws house outside the city a few years back, and my guitar playing never sounded better. When I returned home, I suddenly realized how much noise I live with in my home. When neighbors turn on appliances (especially motors) I hear them as noise, and since it is RF, its nearly impossible to block or eliminate. So I have taken great pains to make sure my cables and guitars are all really well shielded and grounded, but it is still a small problem.


    One thing I will add is that the newest noiseless single coil pickups (I have some Dimarzio Areas) are better at removing hum than almost all humbuckers. Also, if you do like hummies, get ones with balanced coils (same number of winds on each coil) for maximum hum canceling. I don't know how actives stack up in this regard since I don't have any. Anyway, good luck.