Kemper player and stereo effects

    Hi guys.

    Really interested in getting the player just for ease as I only go through FOH when I gig so no need for powered head or cabs...just a quick question regarding stereo effects, I've noticed the player only has mono out (XLR) to FOH so I'm guessing you won't be able use any stereo effects especially the double tracker as I have that locked on on all my rigs as I'm the only guitarist in the band.

    Thoughts please.

    Thanks 🙏

    As Bakersounds sounds said. :thumbup:

    As you only go straight to FOH you should have the monitor outputs free to use as stereo outs to the FOH desk.


    If you wanted to use the monitor outs for onstage monitoring then you would be limited to mono FX using the XLR out to FOH.


    This seemed a counter intuitive to me at first but the more I think about it, the more it makes perfect sense. The size of the Player means there is only limited space for inputs and outputs. Therefore, something has to be sacrificed to fit in the available space. The reality is that in virtually all club/pub/festival/etc situations the FOH engineer is going to give you a single mono channel on the desk and run your guitar in mono in the mix. Even if you give them a stereo out on two XLR they will almost always only use one of them or sum both to mono.


    However, as some players do like the onstage feeling of stereo, it makes sense to keep the stereo option for on stage monitoring where players might use it but ditch it for main out where engineer typically won't use it.


    In the worst case scenario, you could set the KPA to Master Stereo and give FOH two XLR cables but they only use one of these so one half of your signal (including any rhythmic delay effects or modulation) would be lost. By limiting main out to Mono XLR this possibility is avoided.

    Quote from Tapps1980

    Hi guys.

    Really interested in getting the player just for ease as I only go through FOH when I gig so no need for powered head or cabs...just a quick question regarding stereo effects, I've noticed the player only has mono out (XLR) to FOH so I'm guessing you won't be able use any stereo effects especially the double tracker as I have that locked on on all my rigs as I'm the only guitarist in the band.

    Thoughts please.

    Thanks 🙏

    As it was mentioned, if you'd like to run stereo you'll need to use the monitor outs. You could get a stereo Radial ProD2 DI box to convert to XLR for FOH - but a lot of venues have DI Boxes too. But, as it was stated above - most locations will run you mono unless you have your own board and sound engineer.

    Maybe it could be an idea to the developer to add an option to use the XLR as Monitor out (including cab off and Kone settings) for the people that wants to go stereo

    ckemper

    If something is too complicated, then you need to learn it better

    Like 3
    Quote from nwmusic32

    As it was mentioned, if you'd like to run stereo you'll need to use the monitor outs. You could get a stereo Radial ProD2 DI box to convert to XLR for FOH - but a lot of venues have DI Boxes too. But, as it was stated above - most locations will run you mono unless you have your own board and sound engineer.

    I guess the monitor outs would be fine....all the places I've played so far with the kemper have always used a stereo channel.

    Quote from Kellerblues

    Maybe it could be an idea to the developer to add an option to use the XLR as Monitor out (including cab off and Kone settings) for the people that wants to go stereo

    ckemper


    I vote: Yes, please!

    I would have that set up most of the time if it was an option, instead I’m often unplugging the stereo to run a Kone and the XLR’s stays unused throughout.

    Quote from nwmusic32

    As it was mentioned, if you'd like to run stereo you'll need to use the monitor outs. You could get a stereo Radial ProD2 DI box to convert to XLR for FOH - but a lot of venues have DI Boxes too. But, as it was stated above - most locations will run you mono unless you have your own board and sound engineer.

    And ind addition, if you need, you can use the "Thru" jacks ("to split the signal") to an active monitor box for stage sound.

    But then you loose the Monitor Out Kone functionality.

    Quote from pippopluto

    There's also a stereo Headphone out IIRC?

    Indeed. Although that would obviously require a splitter cable to get from Stereo TRS to individual mono TS for FOH. Also, i’m not sure how the output and impedance of the headphone amp (which normally serves 32 - 660ohm headphones) performs with FOH desks etc. In general, I try and avoid using headphone outputs for anything other than headphones but maybe I’m just being over cautious?

    Hope it's ok if I add my question here, since I'm also struggling with the mono output of the Main Output.

    My setup is not for playing live but for playing in my home studio.


    What I want to do:

    - have the stereo signal including the cabinet to my DAW (to play over studio monitors/headphones and use the space effect)

    - have the mono signal excluding the cabinet to a poweramp and a 2x12 cab


    So my thoughts where: use the Main Output, which is mono, for the poweramp. And use the Monitor Output, which is stereo, for my DAW.

    Issue is: I can't deactivate the cabinet for the Main Output. It's only possible for the Monitor Output. And the space effect is also only available for the main output.

    Use the Headphone Out (it has main out signal) for the DAW with a Y split cable and keep the Monitor Out (Cab off) to main mono for your cab

    If something is too complicated, then you need to learn it better

    Like 1
    Quote from Wheresthedug

    Indeed. Although that would obviously require a splitter cable to get from Stereo TRS to individual mono TS for FOH. Also, i’m not sure how the output and impedance of the headphone amp (which normally serves 32 - 660ohm headphones) performs with FOH desks etc. In general, I try and avoid using headphone outputs for anything other than headphones but maybe I’m just being over cautious?

    Well, a power amp/strip channel input's impedance is much higher than a cab's/HPs', so there's no danger of burning anything (amps drive a load in tension, current is determined by the load's impedance).
    At the worst, it will sound not-so-clean-as- :)

    Still chasing a worthy one :/

    Like 1
    Quote from Wheresthedug

    To be fair that is really what I was thinking about rather than burning anything out like you would with too low an impedance on a valve amp power transformer.

    The issue may present itself or not, depending on the HPs amp and the nature of the load. Kemper's are usually very good, and in most cases you won't be noticing particular issues at normal signal levels.

    I've used this solution many times in the years with good results, so I'd be perspectively positive :)

    Still chasing a worthy one :/

    Like 1

    I believe the manual of the Player warns the headphone output is more powerful than many typical devices so it should have no trouble sending a strong enough output level for a line input on the receiving end.

    A Cabinet Off option for the Main Out would be indeed a very neat thing. My current setup with the KPA is to send stereo Main Out with CabSim to the FOH, and have it returned as a Stereo feed to my IEM, but I always use the Power Out into a 212 Engl Pro on stage as a failsafe solution in case my IEMs die or the FOH guy fucks up my monitor mix so badly I have to take my headphones off.

    On the other hand, I am considering a Y-cable from Headphones Out into a stereo DI to go to FOH and a mono Monitor Out to feed the amp and cabinet onstage.

    Nevertheless, CabOff option on Main Out and possibly routing a stereo signal to that XLR would be amazing, and presumably very easy to program into a future firmware upgrade ckemper . I am confident the Player hardware allows this tiny extra bit of code :)

    Yes, I do believe that the KPA cured my GAS.