Kemper questions

[Random3]

Hey guys, I am looking to buy a Kemper Power Amp in the next few months and I had a few questions about it. I have watched a load of videos and read basically all the info on their website so I do know all about the profiling side of it, but I have some queries more about the practicalities of using it.

Does the Kemper act as an interface or would it need to be plugged into an interface?

Does it have a DI pad or something similar, because one of the most irritating things about recording high output pickups or bass guitars is that the signal clips like hell on my interface even when the input gain is on 0.

Can I take pre-recorded DI signals and reamp them using the Kemper or would I need some kind of reamp box?

How does the Kemper interact with effects pedals? I have the following: Ibanez TS9DX Tube Screamer, Boss NS2 Noise Gate, TC Electronic Flashback X4 delay, TC Electronic Dreamscape modulation, Morley Bad Horsie II wah and Korg Pitchblack tuner. The wah I would plan on keeping, the noise gate and tuner I presume I would have no use for, and the delay and chorus I haven’t decided yet. The Tube Screamer is the one I am really not sure with as it is a key tonal component of some rigs. Can the Kemper profile an amp with a Screamer in front, and if so would this be preferable to profiling without the Screamer and then using a digital one on the Kemper?

Is there any kind of physical effects loop, and is there any practical reason to use it over the digital pedal emulators?

I am planning on keeping my 1960AV cab, but is there any real reason to keep my 6505 if I have the Kemper?

Is there any practical reason to go for the rack over the head or vice versa?

Although this would be primarily for home use, if I were to gig with it would the easiest thing to be to literally plug the output of the Kemper into the sound desk or are there other ways to do this?

Probably a silly question but if I were to take a DI and use a 6505 profile on it, would I need to send the DI track into the Kemper and then write onto a new track? And if I were to change my mind and want to use a Rectifier instead would I just repeat the same process and scrap the previously written 6505 track?

Any other questions I think of I’ll post here, thanks guys

 

[Eschatologist]

Does the Kemper act as an interface or would it need to be plugged into an interface?

You will need a USB or FW interface of some kind, preferably with SPDIF.

Does it have a DI pad or something similar, because one of the most irritating things about recording high output pickups or bass guitars is that the signal clips like hell on my interface even when the input gain is on 0.

It has an input level control so you can add or subtract input volume.

Can I take pre-recorded DI signals and reamp them using the Kemper or would I need some kind of reamp box?

Yes, no reamper needed.

How does the Kemper interact with effects pedals? I have the following: Ibanez TS9DX Tube Screamer, Boss NS2 Noise Gate, TC Electronic Flashback X4 delay, TC Electronic Dreamscape modulation, Morley Bad Horsie II wah and Korg Pitchblack tuner. The wah I would plan on keeping, the noise gate and tuner I presume I would have no use for, and the delay and chorus I haven’t decided yet. The Tube Screamer is the one I am really not sure with as it is a key tonal component of some rigs. Can the Kemper profile an amp with a Screamer in front, and if so would this be preferable to profiling without the Screamer and then using a digital one on the Kemper?

Yes you can profile with a pedal in front, whether that's a preferable sound is up to your ears.

Is there any kind of physical effects loop, and is there any practical reason to use it over the digital pedal emulators?

No FX loop. There are lots of FX and options to choose from, if you are looking to do anything more complex that what the KPA can do you'd probably already have an AxeFX by now.

I am planning on keeping my 1960AV cab, but is there any real reason to keep my 6505 if I have the Kemper?

Only you can decide that, depends what your application needs are. Not if you prefer playing your KPA version.

Is there any practical reason to go for the rack over the head or vice versa?

They are identical in function, again, your preference.

Although this would be primarily for home use, if I were to gig with it would the easiest thing to be to literally plug the output of the Kemper into the sound desk or are there other ways to do this?

Yes, straight into the desk. You can take an extra poweramp/cab or FRFR speaker if you want extra monitoring options.

Probably a silly question but if I were to take a DI and use a 6505 profile on it, would I need to send the DI track into the Kemper and then write onto a new track? And if I were to change my mind and want to use a Rectifier instead would I just repeat the same process and scrap the previously written 6505 track?

Yes to all.

 

[JeffTD]

Def read the product manual and visit the KPA forum. It's all in there.

 

[Random3]

Cheers guys

 

[Trevoire520]

There actually is a way to set up an external FX Loop on the Kemper, I've not done it myself but have heard about it.

Functionality between rack and lunchbox is identical. Only small differences are there's no rotary LED's on the eq and volume on the rack, and the rack has the USB conection on the front. Really whether you want it in a rack or not is more important than either of these.

I personally don't like the inbuilt tubescreamer in the Kemper, so I prefer to profile amps with the tubescreamer included.

 

[Jormyn]

I'm looking at the back of my Kemper right now and there's a pair of jacks labelled Send and Return. Who the hell told you guys that it doesn't have an effect loop?

You place it in your Kemper's chain as if it were a pedal, so you can have it before the amp or after, switch it on and off, different patches can have it different places, etc.

 

[JeffTD]

Wait, yeah, first dude is wrong - there is a physical loop. It's inserted with the "loop" block.

 

[Jordon]

Wait, yeah, first dude is wrong - there is a physical loop. It's inserted with the "loop" block.

Yea, my other guitarist uses the physical loop quite a bit, and with the ability to place it basically wherever you want in the signal chain....it's very useful.

 

[exoslime]

i can confirm the fx loop, i have a strymon flint fx pedal set in the fx loop of my kemper, mono send and stereo return (post amp fx-loop can be stereo, pre amp fx-loop is only mono), works pretty well!, you can even do some advanced functions like ducking on the fx-loop block

 

[7string]

Mine sounds really good with the TS and gate pedal in front. I'd keep the pedal board in tact. Head too.