Kemper Main Outs sound different (worse) than headphone/monitor out

    I have been using my Kemper for a while and have always been underwhelmed with it through my interface, I obviously thought it was the interface/Daw's problem.


    I did a test today in which I plugged my headphones into the various outputs to see if there was any sound difference, the headphone and the monitor outs sounded great but the moment I went to the main outs it sounded like I had rolled down my tone knob, any suggestions.


    I have checked all the obvious, EQ, Space, ect ect everything is set completely flat. I even did a reset to check and make sure.


    This has been an issue the whole time owning the device so I'm pretty sure it isn't a firmware thing.


    Any advice would be very helpful

    I have done all that jazz, everything is exactly the same.


    I have literally taken my headphones and plugged into the different outputs, very distinctive dullness in the main outs.


    Broken unit????


    Interestingly the Main outs are also considerably quieter that the rest...if I have the main at -3db I have to have the monitor at -11db to get the same volume

    Edited once, last by Riggsy ().

    You can't really compare that way. The line outs of the Kemper are not designed to drive headphones. The impedance mismatch may be enough to change the tone.


    Try this:


    Set the Master Out to Master Mono


    Set the Monitor Out to Master Mono


    Make sure the Output level is the same for both Outs.


    Send one cable from Main Out and a cable to two channels of your interface.


    Make sure every setting in your interface is the same for both channels, panned to the center.


    In your DAW, bring up the two channel faders to an identical level, with one of the channels muted.


    Listen to that channel.


    Mute it, and listen to the other channel.


    If they don't sound identical, repeat this experiment without your interface/DAW/speakers. This will be the ONLY way you can be sure it is not your other gear.


    How to do this?


    Plug one output at a time into a guitar amp, or home audio system, or iPod , iPhone, or someone else's interface.

    I have done a similar thing to what you have mentioned.


    I plugged the main outs, monitor out and headphone out into my mixing desk on different channels and cross-referenced them with my studio monitors, same problem :(


    I will try what you have suggested and let you know, thanks :)

    Hi!
    have been using my Kemper for a while and have always been underwhelmed
    with it through my interface (Apogee Duet 2)


    THe Headphone out sounds great but the moment I went to the main outs and pluged my Headphones to my interface it
    sounded like I had rolled down my tone knob.
    The Kemper headphone out sounds better and slightly thicker even when I match or adapt its loudness to the interface's headphone output. Maybe it's got to do with the main out signal I guess?? , Any suggestions?
    Thanks!

    Did you check the things mentioned in the posts above?


    The first thing I'd look at is the Space parameter. It was originally designed to add a subtle room reverb to the Kemper's headphone output to reduce ear fatigue when using headphones (an amped guitar signal can sound very dry and "direct" when delivered right into your ears). Hence, by default, it isn't applied to the other outputs.


    However, if you like how it sounds, you can enable it for all outputs. Go to the output section and look for a checkbox marked "Headphone Space" or "Space>HeadphOnly" (depending on your OS version). Uncheck it to turn the Space effect on for all outputs (as opposed to just the headphone jack).

    I have my Kemper connected via the main outs either directly to my monitors or to my Apogee One via a custom passive switcher. There's no difference in tone between the two through the monitors, and if I listen to the Apogee or the Kemper through headphones they sound the same also. No significant difference between headphone tone and tone via the monitors (other than the sonic characteristics of my MDR V6s versus the monitors), so there's definitely no issue with the main outs on my rig.


    How long are your cables? Have you tried other cables? Are you using the XLR outs?