Hey guys,
I’m running a Godin A6 Ultra into my Kemper and love it. I’m looking to add a compressor to help balance the dynamics and frequencies, but I’m not really getting there. Anyone have some compressor settings or tips that they can share to get me started? Admittedly, I’ve never really learned how to use the Kemper compressor appropriately, so any help would be appreciated!
For everyone experiencing the hiss, I would strongly suggest using the profile that waraba shared earlier in this thread (he links to the video and download). I originally started off using a different profile and was getting the hiss. I tried his, and it was hiss-free. So then I just used his as a starting point and tweaked it to fit my pickups (using the neck pickup of a Guthrie Govan Charvel with the coil-tap on). No hiss, and starting to get really good sounds. It'll NEVER sound like an actual acoustic - so if you have that as your goal, you're likely going to be disappointed. I'm comparing it to past piezo pickups I've used, and it sounds comparable. Put it this way, I was going to buy a Taylor T5 for my acoustic duo project I'm starting, and instead, I'm going to save the $1800 and roll with this. Just my opinion, but I'm happy with it . . . . . IT WAS FREE!
Display Moreby popular demand, here is the rig used in my demo ( played on a P90 semi hollow )
It's based on the famous morgan AC20 minus AMP & CAB
with a good gate , plus a noise gate set around 6 , it's dead silent & dynamic , huge with the Delay/VERB.
add a comp in slot D if needed.
Adjust acoustic sim parameters to your taste as well as other EQ parameters , comp ...
Enjoy
demo ref :
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How did you get the sound of the 3rd piece of this demo? Sounds like the acoustic sim while played with another profile (like 2 sounds at once)? Or is this literally two different tracks? Sounds great, so I’m hoping there is a way to do this.
I got a chance to sit down with it today. I started with a free Ampeg profile and then shut the cab and amp off. I kept the EQ on, but set it to flat other than reducing the bass by about -2.0. On the acoustic sim setting, I have the pickup set around 6.8, body around 4, bronze around 3.4 and sparkle around 0.3.
I’m using the neck pickup of a Guthrie Govan Charvel with the pickup split on.
Overall, I think it sounds really good. It doesn’t quite have the fullness of a real acoustic, but is definitely as good as or better than any piezo I’ve had in the past.
If I move to the 4th pickup position (bridge and center pickup) it gets too “spanky” and thin sounding. On that pickup, I added a studio EQ into one of my slots to bring some low end and fullness back. But in general, the first configuration I mentioned above sounds great. And adding a studio EQ shouldn’t be an issue for anyone because in general, with acoustics, you don’t need as many slots for effects available anyway.
I was thinking about buying an acoustic for an acoustic duo project I’m about to start. But instead, I’m going to save the money and just use this sim.
As per my other thread, tried it very quickly and not getting great results (very noisey and not much difference with it on or off...). I need to keep playing...
I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but I’m curious as to how realistic it’ll sound. Or, if it’ll be any different than what I already do for an acoustic sound (e.g. use an MBritt Fender profile with the cab turned off - sounds like a pizeo).
"Kemper Stage - Rocks on a flat surface"
That's why I bought a rack. It rocks hard on all surfaces.
Sorry. Had to do it. 
I usually record totally dry and then use plugins to add effects later. I'm sure there are several ways to accomplish what you're trying to do, but one easy way would be to record your main and then layered tracks in stereo with the stereo effects you want on them. Then in your DAW or sound editing software, just reduce one side of the wav file's volume to zero, and then do the same on the other side in the other wav file. Then repeat the process (record two new tracks to use for left and right layered tracks and then again mute one side of each). Just make sure you're muting the same side on each track. The key will be to make sure your playing when layering tracks is spot on.
For sound editing programs, I use Sound Forge, but free programs like Audacity will allow you to do the same thing.
I'm running a similar setup.
Mac Desktop w/Yamaha HS8 speakers and a toaster. I'm using a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 interface and it works fine. Just connected the Kemper SPDIF out to the SPDIF input of the interface (but you can use XLR or 1/4" if you want). The Focusrite connects to the computer via USB cable. So as long as your MacBook has a working USB input, that's all you'd need.
I like the 6i6 because I can connect my Kemper via SPDIF and then I have my Korg Kronos connected to the MIDI inputs, and then just run a couple cable from the 2 outputs of my 6i6 to the HS8 speakers. Nice to be able to connect multiple sources at the same time.
The only thing I don't like about the 6i6 is the software that it comes with can be a pain in the a**. It's more complicated than necessary and seems to be the only complaint with the Focusrite stuff. Once you get familiar with that, everything works great. And it's an affordable interface.
There is no definitive answer to this because it’s not a one size fits all kind of answer. Depending on the guitar and amp, some people would suggest a small boost around 200Hz. Others will say the life of the guitar really shines in the 400-500Hz, but at the same time, too much in that area can result in a muddy sound.
Your pickups, the guitar, the profile, etc, those are all factors that come into play. You can do a quick search online for guitar EQ tips for general starting points and then go from there.
Other things to keep in mind is that you’ll want to use different EQ settings based on if you’re playing live versus recording; or depending on what other instruments your guitar is playing around.
Sorry it wasn’t a quick answer. But when it comes to EQ’ing a guitar, it’s very rarely a one size fits all solution.
Display MoreThe latency and metallic sound could be settings in the Scarlett control mix.
In simple terms, I've had so many problems with my scarlett and Windows not playing nicely together which results in latency and a small echo ( you can hear the note played without effect. I aslo could not play 2 sound sources at the same time ( wanted to play along with youtube vids). I spent a long time with Ableton ( my DAW) and focusrite support teams basically saying it was windows as a result of competing
Yesterday I tried to install a webcam and use a different mike input and it screwed it again...ARGH.
In the end I played with the mix control ( avoided the zero latency setting), selecting the DAW input and output settings at random until it worked. You can change the latency settings in the mix control BTW.
I can send you my settings if that helps but I'm sure I've set mine up wrong in some way - I ended up trying multiple, random combinations before I got it to sound right.
My point here is that I assumed that windows, focusrite and the DAW were pretty much plug and play but I found loads of problems. Your issue is less likely to be your Kemper, so get those bits sorted first ( if you haven;t already). Then look at the profiles - I find different profiles work better for different applications so your live ones may not be of use to you.
Not sure if this helps or not as I'm a total amateur in the studio...
Thanks! Your issue sounds a LOT like what I'm dealing with. My Kemper sounds fantastic in EVERY other setting. Including when I record straight to our digital mixing board. So I know the issue isn't with the Kemper's sounds. It's somewhere after that. If you're willing to send your settings for the Scarlett, I'd certainly give that a shot. I will say, the Focusrite interface is anything but plug and play; it's a constant headache. So I'm guessing you're right, and my problem is in there somewhere. I'm not using Windows, I'm using a Mac, but again, I think the issue is the Scarlett 6i6.
PD: to conect via spdif, do you use 2 normal RCA cables?
I just use one spdif cable - out from the Kemper and in to the Focusrite.
The latency could be coming from your buffer settings in your DAW. Try a lower setting.
You might need to tweak the Definition amount. You should also try using the Eq and filter the highs down to 10k or so. You might also try different profiles and don’t be afraid to Eq more if needed. Using pedal in front of the Kemper with some mid boost like a Klon can really help too.
I just use the xlr outs to avoid any spdif issues that might arise. My RME interface had trouble but other interfaces might be fine.
Here's my recording inexperience showing, but I know nothing about buffering, or what it does. Is there a downside to lowering the buffer? And what setting exactly should I reduce, and what increments should I try? Media buffer size is set to 1200ms, prebuffer is at 1005, Render-ahead setting is at 200ms. I'm totally lost with that stuff.
Hey bud,
Are you monitoring from the Scarlett? That could explain the extra latency.
Are you using the Scarlett's headphone amp? That could explain the wimpier sound. Double-check against the Kemper 'phone amp just to be sure.
Uhh, I think so? I've got the Scarlett hooked into my 2 Yamaha HS-8 speakers and use that to record, listen back, monitor while playing, etc. Not totally sure what you mean by the headphone amp. When I'm recording, I usually don't use the headphones since it's just me sitting in front of my computer and speakers. So I just listen to it through the HS-8 speakers as I'm recording. The only time I use the headphones is after I've got everything mixed well on the HS-8s, I'll use the headphones to compare and make sure it sounds good there too.
Hi Guys,
After years of using my Kemper strictly for live performances, I'm FINALLY starting to sit down and record with it. Are there are any must-do, or obvious tips that I should be aware of? I ask because the way my tones sound going into my Mac aren't all that impressive. I'm using the same rigs I use live, but when I play live I use 5-driver in-ears and everything sounds amazing. I know they won't sound identical - but my point is, I'm not using a cab or floor monitor live - I'm hearing them through in-ears. For recording, I'm monitoring using a pair of Yamaha HS-8 speakers as well as AudioTechnica ATH-M50x headphones. And it's not just the tone that sounds off. It feels like there is almost a little lag in the playing, and sort of a thin metallic sound behind everything. It's nowhere close to any of the recordings I hear online (I'm using MBritt profiles).
The way I have everything hooked up is I'm plugged straight from my guitar into the Kemper. Running out of the Kemper using SPDIF (also tried running stereo XLR outs as well), into my Focusrite Scarlett 6i6, into Reaper. I'm also using the most current firmware release.
Are there any settings I should be changing? I'm getting signal and can hear everything fine. But it just doesn't sound nearly as full as what I hear online (I've tried various profiles from different creators), and the slight bit of latency seems to be messing with me. I don't know anything about clock speed, bitrate, and all the more technical terms. I've always been a plug it in and play it kind of guy.
Any tips you can provide would be much appreciated.
Just got an email back regarding my support ticket that I submitted for the “E” issue. They said it’s a bug with the firmware. So hopefully they’ll be able to correct this bug in the next release.
I don't think that's it Barry. I never changed anything in my settings to begin with. This began happening to me 3 firmwares ago and I've never touched the tap/tempo settings. The way I read Burhard's comments is that this is something that has to be done by replacing a rig through a save feature, but I'm not what he meant.
An "E" glitch is not common.
The "E" is normal, if a Rig is stored in old file format and gets automatically migrated when it gets loaded. This can be permanently "fixed" by a simple Store/Replace, which stores the Rig in current file format. I just have user data on a PROFILER in front of me, where that works like a charm.
Thank you Burkhard. I think this must be what happened to mine because it was never a problem before - and then around 3 firmware releases ago it started and has been the same ever since. Can you further explain what you mean by a store/replace fix? Is this something I'd do in Performance mode? Thank you.
Fixed in OS 7.2.2.
Burkhard, any idea when the “E” glitch will be fixed? I’m using the most current release 7.2.2.16146, and for the last 3-4 firmware releases, the “E” that indicates that the rig has been edited, shows up on EVERY rig, even if it hasn’t been edited. I’ve tried everything (restarting, saving a rig, saving performances, etc.) and the E shows up all the time. I’ve submitted a support ticket and it was acknowledged last week, but still no resolution.
Hi I just update my Kemper,
BUT my Tap Tempo activates the Stomp A of the unit ?
Any ideas of what can I do ?
Thanks for your time ???
I’ve seen a few people on Facebook having this issue. You should open a support ticket to make sure Kemper is aware of it. This will likely be a very quick fix.
I figured it out. It's blinking in Morse Code. When decoded, it translates to "we gave you the editor, forget about the light".
