Getting a good tone live

When setting up a live tone you would want to set them up at gig volume. If you're using studio monitors, a powered speaker or headphones.....the sound *will* be different. There is no escaping that.

What is it about the distortions that sound wrong? Too much bass/mids/treble? How are you achieving the distortion? All amp distortion? Amp at breakup with pedals? Clean amp with pedals?

Are you going straight to PA and without a cab? Maybe you need a cab or maybe you need a better PA with 12'' speakers, or even with a sub so you don't sound thin.

Quote from angeljohng

Hello... the overdrive sounds doesn't sound real. Sometimes they sound muddy.. sometimes harsh.. they get lost in the mix//

How are you achieving the overdrive sounds? How are you achieving the distortion? All amp distortion? Amp at breakup with pedals? Clean amp with pedals?

Quote from angeljohng

Hello... the overdrive sounds doesn't sound real. Sometimes they sound muddy.. sometimes harsh.. they get lost in the mix//

I know we all have different tastes, equipment (PA) and use scenarios (style of music, size of band, venue etc) but that definitely hasn’t been my experience. I have always found that the live sound with the Kemper is the best live sound I’ve ever had and spound guys generally love it when I give then a single XLR out and say “I’m good to go”. Most sound guys I’ve worked with also say it works great live and sits in the mix better than my real amp (partly because I’m able to keep the stage volume lower and still get a great sound so the onstage amp sound doesn’t restrict their mixing options as much). I did a gig on Saturday with my Powered Head and a Kabinet at low volume on stage so the rest of the band had something to work with but not so loud that it made the horns complain (which is a unique experience 🤣) and had most pf my own on stage sound via my In Ears. Once you get used to that there’s really no going back.

I wonder if the issue you are experiencing is more self doubt than reality. Our minds often play tricks on us and we start to hear problems that aren’t actually there. What did the audience and sound guy think?

Do you mean your in ear or on stage sound?

Sometimes it helps to ask the sound engineer, if he can do a little eq stuff on in ear mix to get better sound.

And leveling the instruments and try to get your sounds as loud as possible.

What I found out for me, using the same equipment (headset) at home and live. That you don't have a other feeling of the sound live.

Or do you mean in the FOH mix?

Maybe ask the sound engineer for feedback, what you can do better.

Iam a very happy kemper stage live user.

Quote from angeljohng

Im going straight to the PA without a cab.. I only have a Headrush 8 speaker in front of me in the floor. The mixer is pretty decent and the speakers are EV 12's.. pretty decent speakers as well... we also have a EV sub

If you're basing your sound from the 8" Headrush.....yeah.....Through a set of EVs is going to sound different.

The Headrush stuff isn't bad (it's actually quite good).....but that could be one issue to consider.

Angeljohng, your question may disappear if you switch to using the same iem on stage and in studio.

But, on stage, you will *feel* some sub-bass and low-mid from the PA, added to your own iem sound (depending on the mix and the PA level).

This may produce a noticeable difference in your perceptions.

That's why, when I'm doing critical tweakings in my Kemper stage, I sometimes set a fat big ambiant guitar sound in my studio. So I get some sort of *stage proof listening* with my iem.

Quote from angeljohng

Now that you say that its funny because when I hear the recordings from peoples phones.. the guitar sounds really good.. It's the experience Im having behind the speakers.. haha.. it's so hard to explain

Boom....

Back in the day, we never worried about a difference in sound because we only had 1 solution...cranked amp with a mic. We didn't really know how that translated FOH. As mentioned it will sound different. You are not used to it sounding different because you are used to an amp kicking out as your monitor

So what is the answer? Well some thoughts from someone that ONLY uses their KPA live and I only play with higher gain sounds:

1) Profiles are king - you have to try different profiles. I found a fantastic heavy hi gain Marshall....really fat sounding....played it as a gig...it disappeared. My more "cutty sound, which is weaker recorded on its own, does work so well live. Therefore try different profiles at rehearsal with the band. You will start to tune into what works best. Start with basic ones such as Mbritt...which I didn't like but live at volume they take on a different meaning!

2) All monitoring solutions are slightly different. a head rush will sound different to a Kabinet, to a guitar cab etc. Therefore tuning your sounds to record will be different to live. This is not an issue with the Kemper, its physics and applicable to all sound sources - we were just less aware of this previously

3) Listen to other people first. I wasn't convinced in my sound from my Kemper at first but I can truly say I have never had so many compliments since getting it.

As the first responder said; dial you live tones LIVE, at volume, that’s the key.

Mbritt profiles do it for me

They sound dull and lifeless in my desk, but come alive at gig levels

I think it has something to do with the Fletcher Munson curve….

That....and if you listen to a LOT of famous guitar tones in isolation, they often sound horrible. No bottom, harsh....kind of ewe.

In a mix? They sound incredible.

Whatever you do, try to hear your guitar in the context of a song being performed. It may sound like trash, but it might sound phabulous.

My approach:

1 dial in sounds against reference tracks, that will get at least get all your sounds balanced amongst each other, to get you ready for #2. I don’t believe in dialing in on PA sets at gig volumes…cause your dialing in on PA A which is not flat in freq range Y..and the next gig is on PA B…which is not flat in freq zone X…and then you’re double screwed ;). Best to use reference monitors and dial towards a good middle ground.

2# Do not expect playback systems to sound 100% like your reference monitors. They don’t. Use a global eq or eq on the board to compensate. Which should be quick if your sounds are balanced amongst eachother.

3# Foh sound is different then stage sound. Imagine how a drumkit sounds on stage (acoustic)…and how it sounds in foh…in most cases stage sound is much more midrangy. Ime a miced sound (=output kemper) is much harder to blend with stage sound then a traditional cab. Some choose to bring a poweramp/cab for this reason..which obviously rubs against the convinience factor.

I also rely on IEM only, but am thinking of bringing an extra monitor for some speaker-strings interaction. Can be very helpful, if you‘re as mediocre as I am 😂.

Of course, I‘d need to try that in advance. But we also play an acoustic drum kit, so our stage isn‘t noiseless anyway.