Recently purchased used Kemper profiler

Try not to worry about it, mate!

I hope I didn't come across as uncaring just before. I was simply saying that it's ridiculous to think that you won't be able to pull awesome tones from your Kemper. Heck, even an ape can do it with shitty guitars and zero tweaking. Many plug in for the first time and are floored within seconds.

I have to believe that something's amiss with your setup or whatever; we'll know more when we get to hear the clip/s you'll post when you can find the time. I'm guessing you'll have to get your interface working properly with your 'puter first 'though, right?

If you like, why not start a thread in the "Other Gear" category specifically for getting your Focusrite happening? The brand is probably the most popular here in Kemper land, so there'll be many with plenty of experience who'll be able to help.

Again, don't worry mate! In both cases, I reckon it's likely it'll be simple "fixes" of classic-newbie nature. Let's hope so anyway.

Hey, no worries mate.

You know, even if worse comes to worst and he'd dumped it on you in a broken state, if it's less than 3 years old, you should (I'm pretty sure) be able to get a warranty repair on it if necessary.

Failing even that, Kemper ain't gonna charge you a dime more than absolutely-necessary in the event a non-warranty repair is required.

Let's first see how it sounds through clip/s once your Focusrite is happening.

Quote from Ragnarok

I really do appreciate everyone's input. It's cool that total strangers would invest their time and wisdom to help someone like myself (who stumbles through). I do believe somethings amiss with the unit itself and am starting to believe previous owner was aware of it. I should've given it a more thorough play through before I handed him that big wad of cash. But, hopefully it's something that can be fixed. Thanks for the direction. I will try the "other gear" category and hopefully have a recording to show soon.

Uggh. That's the worst, I hope it's something you can get resolved. If you say where you are located, maybe there is a nearby Kemper owner who can check your unit out and do a direct comparison.

The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if he didn't buy Inthrutheout's unit.

(BTW, I'm not actually a conspiracy theorist).

Original post deleted, upon further consideration. Discretion is the better part of valor.

I really can't determine whether there is something wrong with the unit or if there's some issue with your setup at this point. Alternatively, the third possibility is that you don't like the Kemper tones themselves, which is another possibility. A bit hard to figure out at this juncture.

Why not set up a Skype meeting?
Camera on the Kemper...mic is not ideal...but would be possible to check some basics

Quote from nightlight

the third possibility is that you don't like the Kemper tones themselves

Drugs are verboten in Singapore, AJ. Naughty boy!

IMHO, to say this is no different from saying that he mightn't like the tones of tube amps. Sure, it's a possibility, in which case he's definitely bought the wrong product.

Quote from Ragnarok

Hi guys, one last question while I'm working out this recording issue. I do love the sound of a tube amp, in fact I'm a die hard marshall junkie. I realize we're going in circles here without some kind of audio as a reference point. But, lately I've found a few profiles that sound pretty good through headphones. But even running out of the headphones jack,as well as all the other "non-powered" outputs, into all the different kind of powered cabs and moniters I've tried it loses A LOT of the "tube-ampness" that I'm hearing through the headphones. In other words I believe I'm hearing what this thing is capable of through the headphones , but that's the only way I've found so far. Is it just absolutely impossible to reproduce that through the 8-10 other cabs/moniters/p.a I've tried. Does anyone get acceptable results through a traditional cab or average p.a. system? Should I be able to plug into the house p.a.at any given gig and be able to get pretty decent tone ? I guess that's 3 questions . (back to work with focusrite )

Have you tried out pure cabinet? That may get you the response you are looking for.

Quote from Monkey_Man

Drugs are verboten in Singapore, AJ. Naughty boy!
IMHO, to say this is no different from saying that he mightn't like the tones of tube amps. Sure, it's a possibility, in which case he's definitely bought the wrong product.

I've seen many users who sell their Kemper to go back to tube amps. Some people just can't gel with the way FRFR works.

While I think using the Kemper with a cabinet works well, I think it would have to be with profiles created for that cabinet in order to get the maximum "realism".

I get by just fine with FRFR. I want my tones to translate well more than I want my pants flapping.

Reply for the original author of this thread. Depending on your setup it can take a while to understand what and how each component influence the end result, many of us are still learning. In the touring circuit, a lot of folks are now switching to KPA and there is a reason: it's somewhere in there but you might just need a bit of patience and research.

A little backstory in my case, it sounded terrible in my practice room through the bad PA/speakers the first time. Then I made it work for stage sound with a 4x12 during a tour but needed to tweak the monitor out EQ. I finally started to be happy and knew I was on the right track when I got good studio monitors and switched to good and sonically consistent commercial profiles. I prepared my sounds loud and then sound guys stopped complaining I have too much treble, etc. Listened back to recordings and figured I don't need reverb on that one, too much gain on that one, etc. Recently I got a new guitar that makes the input light clip to red in a lot of profiles and threw everything off balance again so I have to address that, probably something with distortion sense, pickup height and get different profiles more suited for that guitar. Just do your homework and don't give up, it's all somewhere in there. Good luck.

Quote from Ragnarok

Hi guys, one last question while I'm working out this recording issue. I do love the sound of a tube amp, in fact I'm a die hard marshall junkie. I realize we're going in circles here without some kind of audio as a reference point. But, lately I've found a few profiles that sound pretty good through headphones. But even running out of the headphones jack,as well as all the other "non-powered" outputs, into all the different kind of powered cabs and moniters I've tried it loses A LOT of the "tube-ampness" that I'm hearing through the headphones. In other words I believe I'm hearing what this thing is capable of through the headphones , but that's the only way I've found so far. Is it just absolutely impossible to reproduce that through the 8-10 other cabs/moniters/p.a I've tried. Does anyone get acceptable results through a traditional cab or average p.a. system? Should I be able to plug into the house p.a.at any given gig and be able to get pretty decent tone ? I guess that's 3 questions . (back to work with focusrite )

Bear in mind you can also connect to the Focusrite via SPDIF.

the Kemper can work as a standard amp, but studio profiles are meant to be amp plus cab thru mikes, basically what should come out of the PA speakers, so the outs should be plugged into a flat speaker system. Some profiles even sound more as recorded amps as heard in recordings of the 70s, etc, than as in your face raw amps. Merged profiles and direct ones are more biased toward getting a raw sound, and that is where a power amp plus cab equation may give you a great tone or be a terrible headache till you sort out things. And even many studio rigs can sound great thru the direct out if the setup is good. I check up rigs thru good studio headphones and monitors and usually the good rigs stay good in different conditions. If you try the free rigs from Britt, Bert or TAF and they all sound bad thru good headphones or monitors, then there must be something wrong with your unit or you are one of the few that cannot like the Kemper once they have tried it. If the demos you have listened to sound great to you and your unit sounds nothing like it thru headphones than I would rather guess your unit or your setup is not up to it. Keep on trying.

Ragnarok, sorry to hear you are having trouble with the Kemper. First thing I'd do is a factory reset. We're here for you and we will get you rolling. Don't give up!