Posts by Mr Strongg

  • Can't get Kemper to communicate with audio interface

    Here's some verbage from the manual:


    "For the DI recording, only one cable is required from the S/PDIF OUTPUT of the PROFILER to the input of your audio interface." <--- For starters make sure you're only using one S/PDIF cable.


    Secondly, make sure whatever DAW you're using that the inputs and outputs are routed properly. I know for my Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 the headphone output is dedicated to channels 3/4 by default while the main outs are dedicated to 1/2.


    Typical issues regarding audio often fall within improper routing with the interface and the DAW and not with the Kemper. (Took myself many hours of forum reading to figure this out).

  • Buying a Kemper -- Mission Gemini powered or unpowered?

    If price is your main deciding factor, I'd factor in how much the Kemper will be before deciding on your FRFR setup


    Getting a passive Gemini 1 and a crown xls power amp will cost you $850 via Reverb and eBay atm. Getting a powered used Gemini 1 will cost around $1100. If you can find a great deal on a powered Kemper (Under $1800) use the difference to just pick up a passive Gemini and call it a day. If you find a great deal on an unpowered Kemper (under $1600) pick up that power amp and passive and you'll still be in business.


    There's a plethora of options you can choose regarding solid state power amps but try to find one that matches the speaker output as close as possible (also never have the power amp output be less than the speaker output).


    When it comes to pro/cons of passive vs active:


    pros for passive:
    -price
    -more headroom


    cons for passive:
    -requires separate power amp
    -harder to find used
    -spec checking to match amp output to speaker output
    -needing to transport two things vs one thing




    pros for active:
    -no additional gear needed
    -plug and play
    -empower knob (gemini feature)
    -bluetooth (gemini feature optional)


    cons for active:
    -more expensive
    -not as high of headroom compared to passive




    When I mention headroom I'm NOT speaking on loudness because both of these units can get quite loud based on the reviews and vids I've watched. I'm literally speaking on how much you need to crank the master knob before sitting at a good gigging volume without any distortion. I don't believe that any of these options drastically suffer from high volume distortion anyways so I guess that isn't a major worry factor here as well, but I figured I'd mention it at least.


    Hope this helps @blandified :thumbup:

  • Best 1x12 cab to hook up with powerhead ?

    Quote from ckemper

    The Profiler needs this power as a peak headroom to faithfully play speakers at a reasonable loudness. If you play at volumes that a tube amp would produce, you will not exceed the wattage a tube amp would put out.While thousands of powered Profilers are out there, we don't even have a handfull of reports about blown speakers.

    Here's some insights I found from an old form post regarding blowing speakers and the PowerHead/Racks wattage output. Seems like keeping the volume down regardless of your setup is deemed as safe because the power output is for maximum headroom for anything that could be thrown at it.


    While this goes against most rules for matching PA/HiFi speaker & amp setups, I'll take his word for it :thumbup:

  • Best 1x12 cab to hook up with powerhead ?

    Hows it going Jean,



    I'm not sure you'll be able to pull off finding a 1x12 guitar cabinet that'll handle the Kempers speaker output ratings safely for under $500 sadly.



    The Kemper outputs 600W RMS at 8 ohms and 300W RMS at 16 ohms. Most 1x12 guitar cabs are in the 50W-100W range with a select few going above that, but no where near 300W or 600W.



    Now of course you can get any 8 or 16 ohm cabinet you want and just "not turn the volume up all the way" as lots of folks tend to do on here, but I wouldn't risk wasting my hard earned $500 to just blow a cab first use vs getting something that you know will work AND not blow up on you.



    Even if you went the FRFR route you MIGHT get lucky and find a 2nd hand Line 6 Powercab for around $550 used but that's active and completely negates your Powerheads use.



    If you're dead set on safely using a kemper with a 1x12 cab the safest way would be to bypass your speaker output, get a separate power amp that's closely rated to the exact 1x12 cab you want and go that route. Folks who typically use the speaker out with their Powerheads/racks are going into at least 2x12 cabs if not typically 4x12 cabs.

  • Noise gate -Global verse as a stomp?

    I recently got my toaster head and encountered the same question about the input noise gate vs stomp noise gate effects.


    I have a wide variety of styles I play in so switching from volume knob riding and tube screamers to high gain chugs is normal for me.


    The input noise gate is IMO not really worth using. If you volume knob ride, switching your volume from full to around half will let in more noise which leads to you turning up the input noise gate knob. Turn that up too high and your attack and sustain will immediately start to drop and have a weird "wah ish" effect (imagine a talk-box but with your pick attack closing off constantly).


    The noise gate stomp effects are way cleaner and remove noise regardless of your volume knobs position, so if you need noise gates I highly recommend using the stomps. :thumbup:

  • Hello from Ireland

    Welcome! :thumbup:


    Like Zapman said, there's definitely a difference going from a real cab to any FRFR setup. There are lots of ways you can go within FRFR (PA speakers, Keyboard Amps *this is me atm/Crate KX 160*, FRFR Cabs/Wedges (Atomic, Mission Engineering, Line 6 PowerCab).


    If you don't have any shops nearby who carry these products you might have to just check YouTube for reviews/demos. Sadly you have to take those videos with a grain of salt because they're only as good as the miking and setup the person did on the day. Learn to optimize to your liking the global "Pure Cabinet" and "Space" features on your Kemper before demoing so you're fully optimized before judging a speaker setup.


    Remember that more wattage = more headroom, not volume and try to get something with a coaxial speaker if you end up going FRFR :thumbup: .

  • New Kemper Owner From Ohio

    Got the kiddos started in some jam sessions over Labor Day weekend. I guess having access to a Kemper in a basement is the best way to start off the next generation of possible future musicians! :D:thumbup::thumbup:

  • New Kemper Owner From Ohio

    Quote from paults

    Welcome!


    I’m in a Columbus-based band (The Reaganomics), and use my KPA live, and for recording.

    Heck yeah man! I checked out some of your live shows via YouTube and yeah your tone sounds great! I'll try to make it out to one of your next shows 8) . Do you prefer cabs as monitors live, FRFR cabs or IEM's @paults?

  • NGD - New Gear Day!

    Oooh, this amp was on my wish list if I decided on strictly tubes vs the Kemper :thumbup: I bet that thing is an absolute beast! First heard about it from the Andertons Youtube channel and also Rabea's demos on the Victory site.

  • Kemper users are tone chasers Who tune his guitar 1/2 step down in Eb like Hendrix?

    Quote from Wheresthedug

    As for tone chasinf with rigs and amps. I have bought a few profile packs just to get a better flavour for what the KPA can do but basically I use a couple of sounds and hardly ever tweak them at all.

    Yep I 100% agree with you here. Even though the Kemper is an amazing piece of gear, my end game isn't to play through hundreds of profiles a day. Hell if I would have went tube amp route I would have spent at least $5k on SEVEN amps (all second hand) so if I can find those seven amps via profiles I love, I just saved myself at least $4k and then some.

  • Ok I will read the big manuel ENOUGH IMPROVISATION !

    Quote from chu

    I wanted to be certain that the Kemper would fullfil all of my requirements before dropping a wad of money on it. Therefore I fully checked out the manual before buying it. I don't usually do so but the manual is so well written that I hit the ground running and have had barely any surprises.


    It's really not that deep for a manual and I would urge everyone to read it at least once.

    +1

  • Ok I will read the big manuel ENOUGH IMPROVISATION !

    Funny thing is I was watching tutorial videos and reading the manuals before I even pulled the trigger on my own Kemper! I wanted to get the knowledge in my brain ASAP so i could not only operate the demo version at my local Guitar Center but also would save me some time when I finally get my own.


    One thing you can not avoid though after unboxing is a firmware update and waiting on Rig Manager to copy all those profiles onto your Kemper -_-.

  • New Kemper Owner From Ohio

    Whats up everyone,


    I'm a new Kemper user based out of Columbus. I've had a home studio since I was 18 and played guitar ever since I was 13. Like most folks I started off with Squier bullets and Line 6 Spyder amps...oh the days of tone. After some years of getting into other ways of music creation, I wanted to get back to my roots. Got myself a new guitar (Epi Les Paul Standard), new bass and a whole redesign/setup of my home studio. I used programs like Amplitube and Revalver with Rosen Digital IR's to record my own covers but I just kept feeling like my tone was laking or for better words "it wasn't inspiring". I used to think I'd never end up with a Kemper during those days haha.


    After some research and numerous trips to my local guitar center I realized that getting a Kemper would be a dream come true in every sense. I was never really up for debates on technology advancements and how "tubes always win" because all I ever wanted was to feel the way I do at guitar shops when playing at home...blissed the hell out lol. I took the plunge and picked up an unpowered toaster head for $1400 off of Reverb (best deal I could find). It arrived yesterday and mannnn this thing is a beast and a half! I finally got my Rig Manager going and my firmware updated to the latest version, so tonight I can finally start playing without worry.


    Looking forward to chatting with everyone here and helping any folks I can :thumbup: