Well...Finally got a Kemper after months of research..And...Not so good

    Cool,
    The original post was from a guy like me who has played real tube amplifiers for 30 years…
    He struggled with his powered Kemper through guitar cabinets, to get that immediate attack and tube amplifier smoothness and feel he was used to with real tube amplifiers.
    But you have this issue solved as you use a separate power amplifier, which power amplifier do you use?

    Just a thought have you tried messing around with settings in the stack section, even small tweaks to say definition, pick attack or power sagging has helped in a number of profiles I have tried. I have most of M Britts profiles plus many from Tonejunkie TV, Mattfig, TAF, Top Jimmy, Calilab and Guidorist plus many more and some are not as good as others, but on the whole I have accumulated a great number of lovely tones including a few profiles of my own. It’s worth spending on some commercial ones, that are no more than the price of a coffee from well known chain, just to compare?


    I have a powered rack running through a 2x12 Victory cab (vintage 30’s) and I’m getting great sounds live. FOH sounds are even better and always consistent.


    I hope the guys struggling manage to find the tones they are looking for, but for me the kemper is the best investment I’ve made in guitar gear.

    Deej09...
    Are you asking me, bro? If so, yes… Two days after I got the powered KPA, six months ago, I learned about the monitor off setting,
    Thank you though,
    Keith
    By the way, if you don’t mind me asking, what kind / style of music do you play?

    Quote from SQUAREHEAD

    Deej09...
    Are you asking me, bro? If so, yes… Two days after I got the powered KPA, six months ago, I learned about the monitor off setting,
    Thank you though,
    Keith
    By the way, if you don’t mind me asking, what kind / style of music do you play?

    Hi @SQUAREHEAD is was more to the OP but anyone that would find it useful really. We are all on the same journey :thumbup:

    Also, now you have my mind really thinking…
    What is the advantage of this over something like the Fryett power station which has real 6L6 tubes in it?
    Sorry, I’m just trying to understand this whole thing… But I do know for sure, I do NOT like the class D solid-state power amplifier

    That's actually reassuring because I've often kicked myself for not getting the built in power amp version. My number 1 need was originally for recording but I have since made direct profiles of my favorite amps and I've found the matrix to faithfully amplify the tones in a great way.

    I have heard nothing but good about the matrix also, although I think I will get the fryette power station, as I have heard it has less peaks in the highs and the low-end and responds a little bit more evenly.
    Class D power amplifiers do not respond the same is a real tube amplifier, at least to my ears, and obviously many many other well-known Kemper users as they do not use the power section of the Kemper either… I’ll just leave it at that…
    But I will say, live for gigging, it’s the best machine in the world! The tones I am getting through different PA systems are just nothing short of terrific, absolutely stunning!

    I will say that I feel the kemper power amp is a little on the "boring" side, but it's suppose to be. This is why I spend more time getting the right profile and getting it to sound how I want at loud levels or at least prep them before I edit at loud levels. It doesn't sound bad but compared to some other amps it can SEEM a LITTLE lacking in SOME spots at times. But honestly I don't think your cab should be the only thing holding it down, a PA as a backline like guards or at least the monitors in front of you need to carry some weight. If your not going direct in addition to and only using your cab like in a small venue then it can be a different thing all together. To put another way, it's like Morgan Freeman talking to you with a napkin held a few inches from his face. You know it's him but the napkin is *blocking part of the way his voice is delivered. Lol

    Hey, Thanks Elvis… It’s something I have just learned to live with, but watching all the YouTube videos, I was under the impression I wouldn’t know or feel or hear the difference between the amplifier I just direct profiled, through the same 4×12 cabinet… I can feel and hear the difference immediately…
    It’s 90% of the time I play, we are using in ear monitors without cabinets at all so it’s mostly when I am at home just playing for pure enjoyment… which is not really pure enjoyment because it’s irritating…
    But it’s all good! The KPA more than makes up for this every time I play live, Great Piece of gear

    I’ll be honest. I originally bought a powered toaster and played through a Mesa Thiele cab. Loved it. Everything sounded great.
    Then I (for whatever reason) sold that and went back to a tube combo. I then bought a Kemper non-powered rack and tried several PA speakers (Yamaha Dx10, etc) and was really disappointed. I did play it through a 2x12 but it just never sounded as good as I remembered it, so I returned it.
    I have now ordered another non-powered one. If it doesn’t sound good through my 1x12, I will find another Mesa Thiele. If that doesn’t work...I may exchange for the powered model.

    If I were to do it again, I would get a non-powered unit and spend the money I saved on a Fryette power station, I finally got to try the combination and it is absolutely stellar! It now feels like a real tube amplifier, I just wish I could’ve achieved this with the class D power section in the Kemper.
    I will order a power station tomorrow,

    Quote from SQUAREHEAD

    If I were to do it again, I would get a non-powered unit and spend the money I saved on a Fryette power station, I finally got to try the combination and it is absolutely stellar! It now feels like a real tube amplifier, I just wish I could’ve achieved this with the class D power section in the Kemper.
    I will order a power station tomorrow,

    Steve Fryette is a fantastic guy. I used to own a VHT UL and had a blow out on a Friday night with a big Saturday gig coming up.


    Steve mailed me the schematics (I am an electrical engineer), and helped me get my amp back up and re-biased once the repairs were made. He even offered to call to walk me through it if I needed.


    I have nothing but good things to say about him and his products.