Venting post... Any words of encouragement?

Quote from GuyJames

The fact that it sounds different through every speaker (Monitors, FRFR, guitar cab) is overwhelming.

... and what one would expect, surely Guy? Different speakers, especially those purposed for different uses, sound, well, different. The three you mentioned were designed with totally-different uses in mind.

All I can say to encourage you to hang in there is... hang in there, brother! This thing rocks, man.

I don't have the answer for you but it's unsurprising that the Kemper sounds different through monitors, FRFR and a guitar cab. If you expect it to sound the same you will be disappointed.

Monitors and FRFR are both, in theory, flat response. The first is designed as a near field device to be listened to within a meter or so - you are supposed to be very close to them. The FRFR speaker is designed to project for stage use so you are not supposed to be close to them and also they will typically be cranked far, far louder. Cranking something far louder immediately changes how your hearing perceives it and, because of the way these things are designed to project, you will naturally hear more of the environment (reflections) than you will with monitors in a reasonably treated room.

With a guitar cab, they are not at all linear and that is their charm.

I think the secret for you, if there is one, is to realise that all three of these are different applications. For live use, find a few tones that make you happy through either the FRFR or guitar cabinet and stick with those. At home in front of the PC with monitor speakers, find those.

took me 3 years to get it sorted out,, but now its the best rig I have ever owned, I can do it all ,,My main gig, country, plus all the rock and hard rock stuff I care to do, also have a smooth jazz gig,, all with the same profile,,I started playing at 4 years old, took me till I was 55 to find a rig I could love, Mini mesa rec with a DR Z 2-12 cab,,,only 3 years with the kemper,
Stick with it and and you will be happy,, it works,,
http://www.mariomassi.com

most all the tracks are thru the kemper,, guitars ,bass, banjos, ac guitars , mandos,etc,,,

it took me time as well to get used to it
you'll love it more from the day you are going to rehearse with it, it sounds gorgeous at volumes... and you leave the other guitarist in his muddy sound directed at his legs.

In the more than 6 years dealing with Kemper (and in the years before with the Axe-Fx and several Pods, plus FRFR solutions) I have learned that for many users coming from conventional rigs it’s quite a paradigm shift to fully embrace this new technology, listening to a close- miked signal vs. your old trusty cab, having all these tweaking possibilities available on recall.
It takes time.
My advice is: Restrict yourself. Choose ONE listening environment, preferably monitor cabs, choose only 2-3 rigs and dial them in. Go from there, slowly and steadily.

I suggest starting as simple as possible. If you can, directly compare the KPA to the amp that gives you the sound you are used to having. Do this at gig volume.

I started with just two live amp profiles - one dirty and one clean (they were used in multiple Rigs with different FX settings).

Everyone has different needs, but: I dialed in the Golub Marshall to give me break up to singing leads (depending on guitar volume), and a Matchless that came with the KPA for chimney clean to bluesy leads (also depending on guitar volume).

Start by making it louder. Volume is the most inconsistent thing when working with different speakers, yet every guitarist expects their laptop speaker at level 2 to sound like a Marshall stack.

The Kemper also can’t be responsible for how speakers themselves sound. It’s consistent but speakers and amps ain’t. You can work at dialing in each unit to get them to the same sound, but then you go to a venu and plug into their PA and it’ll be different again. That’s the nature of the beast and affects mic’d cabs just the same. Think how your vocalist feels! That’s also a good reason to reality check your expectations for venue sound management.

Quote from Ingolf

In the more than 6 years dealing with Kemper (and in the years before with the Axe-Fx and several Pods, plus FRFR solutions) I have learned that for many users coming from conventional rigs it’s quite a paradigm shift to fully embrace this new technology, listening to a close- miked signal vs. your old trusty cab, having all these tweaking possibilities available on recall.
It takes time.
My advice is: Restrict yourself. Choose ONE listening environment, preferably monitor cabs, choose only 2-3 rigs and dial them in. Go from there, slowly and steadily.

Really good advice,,

also,,, My sound guy said I should stick with only 1 cab,, he said it was a really huge change,,, as I would switch from a profile with a 4-12 cab to one with an open back 1-12,,
I did not notice it much in the studio, but over a big system, it was very much a problem, Once I found found the M Britt 2-12 cab , and The Morgan profile,,That was the end of the search,for me, I never looked back, I have used it on everything, (I play in two bands and own a studio and do outside sessions,)
the cab can drastically change the sound of one profile ,,
Good luck,,

Tough to elaborate any more than others because they've given great advice. Think back to when you first started playing guitar? It sucked right, but with time, patience, and practice it payed off and you developed your technique and preferred tones from guitars and amps. Same goes here.

IMHO, the Kemper blows away a PJ and pedals when you get it dialed in. I just sold my 65 Deluxe Reverb yesterday because it was collecting dust for months. Every Fender tone I can imagine is available, and so much more! Try opening it up with a few select rigs at practice and take it from there.

Ps. Pm me if you want.

Quote from unclemar

also,,, My sound guy said I should stick with only 1 cab,, he said it was a really huge change,,, as I would switch from a profile with a 4-12 cab to one with an open back 1-12,,

This. The cab is like a big fat signature EQ, and in a band setting the place for a guitarist needs to be sculpted against keyboards and another guitarist mainly.
If you change the cab your sculpted place within the band will be very different, and it will at best sound unfamiliar and strange, at worst muddy when you suddenly collide with other band members sonically.

Here is my suggestion...
Go find a rig that is the same model of amp you have or better yet profile your own amp. Then a/b the sounds and tweak the Kemper as needed. I think you will be surprised at how close they are, if not exact.

One thing I also do is add in a small bit of my direct guitar signal, this helps with amp feel for that instant response as well as adding the character of the instrument.

Quote from GuyJames

Does anyone have any suggestions on the cabs to lock globally that have a lot clean fat headroom?

You won't know until you rehearse! Your ears will tell you, or your bandmates will.

Have you tried the Morgan AC20 yet? Try a JCM800 for mid gain and a 5150 for high or Dual rec??

Cabs will help a lot!

ownhammer has a mesa 4-12 that is fantastic, and its free,,I use that for all the rock stuff, M Britts 2-12 - open back is great for recording, and lighter stuff,,

https://www.ownhammer.com/stor…cPath=181&products_id=411

Quote from Ingolf

The cab is like a big fat signature EQ, and in a band setting the place for a guitarist needs to be sculpted against keyboards and another guitarist mainly.
If you change the cab your sculpted place within the band will be very different, and it will at best sound unfamiliar and strange, at worst muddy when you suddenly collide with other band members sonically.

Exactly what I wanted to say, Ingy.

The shit's awesome.

Being with-OUT the sound of a Kemper for a while is a valuable and expensive lesson.
As one who "sold" a Kemper only to buy another a couple of years later, I can tell you from experience- don't give up and sell it.
Put it in the closet for a few months, and then drag it back out. You will see what I mean then...