LIVE USE

    Ok, some of you have posted Pros and Cons of using the Kemper in a live scenario, now I know some things have changed since many of these comments such as the effect/ pedal unit.
    So have you folks had time to adjust to the new system? Has it markedly changed the versatility and playability of the Kemper? What about the power head? Other sites, including this one have mentioned the lack of one meant using other amplification and or disabling the cab section. Has the addition of the power amp been a positive experience?
    also since we are in the subject since the implementation of the changes are there any draw backs or side effects that need addressing?
    thanks for any feedback... Not a great word for a soundman but totally except able for a guitarist!

    Hi Danger,
    I've been using an unpowered
    toaster live for a while now. Initially using a Boss GT10 to change rigs in performance mode, then using the Remote since I got that.
    I connect direct to a stereo channel on the sound desk and recieve a headphone monitor mix that I send through the Kemper to add more me to the headphone out. This works quite well for now but I am aiming for proper IEMs in the long term.
    I find that when doing our own
    sound, the kemper more than holds it's own and lots of people ask how I get so many great tones without an
    amp in sight. Obviously, I tell them that I am, in fact magic!
    The only time I've had any real issues has been when other people have been doing the sound. We played one festival where the sound man kept messing with the FOH mix on an I pad and didn't realise he was also changing the monitor mix at the same time. This caused all kinds of issues on stage and ruined what should have been an enjoyable set! In that set I had a Green scream overdrive on one rig which sounded fine in all our rehearsal but was blisteringly loud during the gig. I had to back off my guitar volume so much the whole rig sounded dire. I think the sound guy boosted my channel and didn't realise. Then he did nothing
    to bring it back down until it was too late in the song.
    Otherwise, I have no need to lug
    any cabs or other gear. Just the Kemper and remote plus guitars. Set up takes a matter of minutes and I have
    all the advantages of a consistent sound source for guitar.
    It's brilliant live. I play a wide range of different sounds and it does them all with style.
    I think a few more flexible FX additions would help. Though this not a reason to ignore it as live tool.
    I hope this helps. Sorry I can't comment on the powered version, I simply did not need the power amp so didn't spend the extra cash on it!
    Good luck!
    Cheers
    Pre-Amp

    I own the Power-KPA and started using it live 2 years ago. At first just like any other amp i.e. with my normal Guitarcab.
    When many of this forum recommended using FRFR-monitors on stage I started carefully during our rehearsals and learned that really more authenticity of the rig-sounds come through these FRFR-monitors. So for more than one year I now only use FRFR-monitors (RCF ART 710 II and since a few weeks an active Alto 12" Coax-Monitor). Though I'm still suffering sometimes from the "change of paradigm" (I seem to be very old-school) I think it's the right way to go. This, because EVERY sound-engineer is happy with a KPA on stage, because they have no more trouble with too high stagevolumes. My experience is that despite of this general attitude very few Engineers nevertheless succeed in ruining the guitarsound, but I think they also would have done with a miked cab on stage. I also learned that during a live gig the stage-monitor sound changes often (by the sound-guy) and I often had to correct it during our gig by showing or saying "more guitar in the monitor". Because of this nerving fact I nowadays use my own Alto-Monitor box aditionally just only for my personal independent Guitar-Monitorsound .
    To make things even more complicated I begin to consider again to use a guitarcab on stage, since the new OS 3.02 allows Direct-Amp-Profiles and after I got the Kemper-D.I.-Box and profiled my Two Rock Amps I'm now keen on testing my "virtual Two Rock" through my 2x12" Mojo-Box together with my Alto Monitor. (My new friendship with the sound-guys may suffer from this)


    Seems that the story will not end very soon for me. But make your own experience, don't overestimate my (and others) opinion, just do it , search and find your own way. It's fun !

    PowerHead user. I've started using the Kemper a lot more live since I got the remote. Before that I used either a 2-button TRS footswitch for scrolling up/down through Performance rigs, which was small and convenient but too limiting, or a pedalboard with an MFC-101 controller with a couple expression pedals, which provided a lot of flexibility but was also much bigger and heavier and required more cables. Plus programming the MFC was annoying.


    Now with the remote I've got a much smaller/lighter board still with two expression pedals, minimal cables, and seamless integration. I don't have to walk back to the Kemper itself to tune or to check which performance or preset I'm on or to see what presets are in a performance and make sure I'm not lost since everything is displayed on the remote. The only "programming" I have to do is assigning effects toggles, which is quick and easy to do on the remote and even moreso on the Kemper.


    I run through a cab if anyone else in the band is using a cab, otherwise I only run direct. Most people I play with, or most guitarists at least, still use traditional head/cab setups. Running the Kemper through a cab blends much better in those situations, especially for band practices, so I'm extremely glad that I went with the powered version.


    The only thing that really bugs me is not being able to disable "show tuner when volume pedal at 0." It was useful before because I didn't have to waste a button for tuner on/off, but the remote has a dedicated tuner button so it's just a big annoyance. I want to be able to kill my volume and still see all the information on the display without having the tuner pop up and then having to hit the tuner button or a preset button to make it go away. I saw someone in another thread recommend setting the volume pedal range to 4.9 instead of 5.0 to disable it but that doesn't allow the volume pedal to mute the sound completely. It's less noticeable when the volume pedal is post-amp, but it's pretty obvious when it's pre-amp, which is how I like to run it.

    Very interesting comments so far. Thanks! I have taken note that in all three comments thus far the monitoring of the onstage sound seems to be an Achilles heel? Is this because the consoles are older units? Is this because the sound person is unfamiliar with how to properly send a signal to a monitor without a channel change effecting it's level? Or is it that the method of monitoring is just incorrect? Hurricane has an FRFR speaker connected, is the sound person effecting the monitor mix with off stage balance as in the perceived level or actually effecting the volume on the monitor? It would seem that the Kemper can disconnect the main outs from the volume control which should isolate the FRFR from the sound engineer and place the control with the performer via monitor out, am I right? I suppose this assumes the FRFR is self powered and directly connected to the Kemper. This should also be possible with a power amp to cab.

    Quote from Danger

    It would seem that the Kemper can disconnect the main outs from the volume control which should isolate the FRFR from the sound engineer and place the control with the performer via monitor out, am I right? I suppose this assumes the FRFR is self powered and directly connected to the Kemper. This should also be possible with a power amp to cab.


    You are correct - the Main outs can be can be disconnected from the Volume control for users of both self-powered and unpowered FRFR or guitar cabinets.


    I've not had any problems using the KPA live - I've used a Yamaha DXR10 FRFR for the past year, and used a Bose L1 FRFR for 1.5 year before that.

    That's reassuring as I have two QSC 153i's that I intend to use. They have Crown amps mounted to the back of them and my plan is to use them as side fills for myself and two other guitarists. We will run the vocals for now through a couple BW cabs. Ironically the QSC 153i's ( a second pair ) will be used as mains with a single 24" sub cab. They do sound fairly sweet ran post the board into a stereo 31 band graphic EQ. Most of the shows we do as a band are small private outdoor gigs. But normally there are several bands at a time so it's tons of fun. I call em mini festivals. I do sound for others on a per show basis on virtually any gear that shows up. My favourite bands to mix are folk bands partly because of the variety ( new material ) and partly because of the lower volumes. It is more pleasing to the ear and more of a challenge to mix because of stage/ mains balance.