Posts by Michael_dk

  • Re-amping straight from the DAW to the Kemper front input?

    OK, the signal coming out of your interface is probably line level, which is not the correct signal for the input on the Kemper (or any amp) - due to signal strength and impedance.


    You should connect to the return input (look at the REFERENCE manual - i.e. not the basic manual - the chapter called "Reamping"). Then you shoul dgo to the input section (Press and hold "Input" button), and set the input source to be "Return input reamp", and adjust the reamp sense as per the instructions in that chapter (which I recommend reading).


    I seem to see that the return input comes in two flavours, an XLR connection and a jack connection. The jack seems to be a TS (i.e., "mono" / unbalanced). If you have an electrically noisy environment, you might be better off with the XLR connection - but I don't think it would be a problem. Just don't have the cable running parallel close to a power line


    If you want to use the front input, you would need a reamping box (same as any other amp).


    Now, the million dollar question: Did this help or did it just confuse matters more? I'd be happy to try again

  • 2.4.0 out now


    Great idea!


    Suggestion for additional feature: Once a suggested update for a tag has been approved by the person who originally uploaded the file, the updated tag can't be edited (to ensure the original poster isn't inundated by updates).
    furthermore, original poster isn't presented with options for tag updates until x people have suggested updates - original poster can then choose the one that fits the best

  • Soft clipping, DI tracks and clean sense

    Hello Christoph!


    Just want to say it is truly an awesome unit you have built; it's PERFECT for my situation (home recording in an apartment), also due to the DI and reamping via S/PDIF. And it seems thoroughly engineered (as an engineer myself, I can appreciate this!) - I mean, I've never seen so many ground lift switches on any device before


    Anyway... Didn't find what I was looking for in the reference manual when re-reading, but did look at the basic manual again, and it seems I've gotten things mixed up, as the only place the soft limiter is described pertains to the power amp version (which is not what I have).



    Now thinking about it, I guess I would never have to worry about a raw guitar clipping the input section (unless maybe using active pickups or pedals in front of the Kemper) - the signal must be way below what could cause clipping, I guess.
    If this assumption is correct, then I really SHOULD just use my ears and forget about the LED (I know you have explained this numeruos times on the forum in different contexts - sorry for being dense!).


    Is it then correctly understood that a red flashing of the LED while playing would indicate that a (clean) profile may be distorting in the same way that as if the gain was turned up higher than it really is? So that it indicates potential "amp distortion" rather than potential clipping at the input?

  • Best way to Fatten up my lead tone

    Quote from Gezza

    Matrix GT-800FX


    Long, disjointed answer/more questions below


    I'm no expert, but I think your thinking is off on this subject. Frequency responses given by the manufacturers rarely mean all that much in these situation. In any case, having a high frequency response unit driving a unit with lesser frequency response should not give any problems.
    That being said, combining different gear can often yield unexpected results. I would just advise against using the specs given by the manufacturer to sort it out For instance, these specs are usually given as the value at which an incoming signal has been attenuated by 3 dB - this means that there is still SOUND above and below these frequencies, it is just not as loud. This is just to say that the numbers are (or can be) misleading. Often they are just used to sell stuff



    EQing in lower mid frequencies - I would be wary of this, as it can sometimes turn to mud real fast, and maybe clash with the other instruments or vocal.


    If you up the gain a lot, maybe you should dial down the presence or treble a bit. You could knock down your guitar's tone control a bit, too. That might be the best way.
    Which pickup do you use for solo stuff? If you're on the bridge pup, maybe you would be better of switching to the neck pup or something.


    I realise that you have not had these problems during band practice with your "previous" amp, but this is like using any other completely new amp that might react differently.


    Have you tried many/some other profiles? Do they all react the same way?


    Does the problem occur on all strings above the 12th fret?


    (I realize these are probably stupid questions, hope you bear with me :-))


    Is there any chance the string height is too low, or something has happened (exposed to sun/cold) - do you have string buzz when playing without an amp in the "problem areas" of the neck?




    I think you should maybe try without the pedal for the solos if you can - sometimes "gain" (distortion) makes guitar tones THIN rather than thick.
    If you do play with high gain, I would suspect that a compressor wouldn't be of much help (distortion is essentially compression).



    Did you remember to turn off the "cabinet" part of the kemper profile you were using?


    Sometimes adding a slight delay of say an 8th or 16th note, set to low feedback (so maybe just one "echo") and mixed in to taste can really fatten up a lead guitar, I find.



    My advice: Process of elimination. Show up to the next band practice an hour earlier, and start by removing all pedals from the chain and experiment with different profiles on the kemper instead (for now at least). Guitar->Kemper->Power amp -> Cab. Turn off all stomps and effects in the kemper, using only the amp and eq sections of the stack, nothing more. Mess around with different profiles. mess with the gain and the EQ on the Kemper. Then try adding that delay I was talking about :-). See if any of this helps.

  • Soft clipping, DI tracks and clean sense

    Hi guys


    I have a question regarding the DI portion of the output (I use SPDIF).


    I record stereo tracks always so I can reamp later if I have the need (I just use a gain plugin with the balance set to either the processed or DI side of the stereo spectrum).


    If I understand correctly, there is a soft clipping feature on the input of the Kemper, and I really want to avoid hitting that when recording, because I especially don't want the DI side to be affected by it. Hence, I set my clean sense lower than what gives the best balance between clean and distorted sounds, ensuring that the input led does not go into red under any circumstances.


    This is not a huge problem for me, but I saw in another thread mr. Kemper talking about maybe a future firmware upgrade would remove this functionality from the LED, as this tended to cause more trouble than help when people set their clean sense (i.e., people would use their eyes more than their ears).


    So I guess what I am asking is this: Does the DI track hit the soft limiter (i would guess that it does), and does the clean sense even have an effect on whether the signal reaches the (soft) clipping level??


    Hope somebody knows the answer.

  • There's a sausage in my tuner????

    I don't know, Ingolf... Playing guitar has just always been something i did by myself.


    Today, when writing music, I just think I am too much of a control freak to want to give up control of any part of it, I guess :-). It has probably also become something I want to prove to myself that I can do without help.


    So I kind of have to do it all by myself - which I dig. I may start to regret it before it is done, but I can't take that into consideration until it happens, hehe

  • There's a sausage in my tuner????

    ...Well, maybe I should give a bit more of an introduction


    I work as a mechanical engineer (development of medical devices), and I have been playing guitar as a hobby since 2000, I think. Late starter, as I was 18 at the time.


    I am one of those strange people who have never played in bands, but I have a SMALL home studio setup, where I am working on my first album - in other words, I am in over my head big time, but it is great fun!!! In a word, I play rock music, but since I live in an apartment (and the walls are really thin) I can't crank an amp. I have tried with various modeling software and amps with direct out, but without much luck. So now I'm giving the Kemper a spin, and really liking it so far. It's just what the doctor ordered with regard to features.

  • There's a sausage in my tuner????

    Thanks for the welcome, guys (and girls?)


    No, it is definitely a pølse, not a wienerschnitzel...



    I don't think I'll eat the sausage as suggested. It seems to be modeled badly, which is a bit surprising...



    But this thing sounds great!!!

  • Best way to record Kemper

    When you get a S/PDIF cable, be sure to get the coaxial 75 Ohms impedance one, just in case. It's not enough that it has the right connectors (is what I hear).


    I have recorded a bunch since getting mine a few days back. S/PDIF is awesome. I don't have any stereo effects active on the unit (prefer to do whatever has to be done in stereo inside the DAW). But I record to stereo tracks anyway, getting both the DI (left) and the processed (right) signal. I then put a gain plug first in the chain, set to mono and the balance all the way to the right (so only the processed signal comes through). This lets me work with the track just as if it was a regular mono track (the gain plugin is set for a 6dB boost, to compensate for the gain law - this varies from DAW to DAW).


    So when I have to reamp for the final sound, I can just set the output of that track to the correct S/PDIF out, and turn the balance to the left channel in the gain plugin.


    Works a charm!

  • There's a sausage in my tuner????


    ...Also, new user here, from Denmark
    Just got the KPA a couple of days ago to use for recording my solo album (sounds WAY more professional than it really is - it's actually quite amateurish).


    I'm really liking it so far, so I don't think I will be using the return policy. I promised myself I would be critical of it and return it if I wasn't convinced. Don't see that happening.


    Anyway, just thought I'd pop in and say hi!


    BR,
    Michael