My new Kemper sounds horrendously bad

  • I mostly Play clean to crunch or slight distorted sounds.
    From one Moment to the other the Sound became dull and distorted (kinda digital-overload) and lost volume.
    A restart couldn't solve the Problem and also loading an old backup couldn't help.

    The Support Team advised me to make a backup first and then to clear up the System (Holding the knob just near to the type-knob when switching to Tuner-Mode). This helped immediately.

  • Ok I've tried to factory reset it now several times by pressing system when turning on the Kemper. Doesn't change the sound in any way.


    Here's two recordings on soundcloud. It can't possibly sound this bad? or does Kemper take a mixing genius to make it sound good?

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  • Holy crap dude!

    That does sound bad. Besides what the guys have suggested, I'm not sure what could cause this. Have you contacted tech support? Hope you get this sorted out soon. But the Kemper can sound WAY better than that, for sure!

  • Those examples sound like preamp or D/A clipping to me. What is the signal-chain for recording?

    Note that the balanced main outputs (XLR) from the KPA are line-level and need attenuation if you connect them to mic-preamps in a mixing console or recording interface. The easiest solution is to de-couple the main outs from the master volume (use master volume only to adjust monitor/headphone level) and lock the main outputs to -25dB or therabouts in the profilers output section. You will of course have to raise the main level back up if you use the line-level TS (1/4") outputs or use XLR->TRS balanced converters.

  • Ayyy I finally learned how to properly respond to specific questions.

    Holy crap dude!

    That does sound bad. Besides what the guys have suggested, I'm not sure what could cause this. Have you contacted tech support? Hope you get this sorted out soon. But the Kemper can sound WAY better than that, for sure!


    No I haven't contacted them yet. But I've contacted the shop I bought it from. I should probably contact Kemper I suppose.


    Those examples sound like preamp or D/A clipping to me. What is the signal-chain for recording?

    Note that the balanced main outputs (XLR) from the KPA are line-level and need attenuation if you connect them to mic-preamps in a mixing console or recording interface. The easiest solution is to de-couple the main outs from the master volume (use master volume only to adjust monitor/headphone level) and lock the main outputs to -25dB or therabouts in the profilers output section. You will of course have to raise the main level back up if you use the line-level TS (1/4") outputs or use XLR->TRS balanced converters.

    Guitar is plugged into Kemper, Kemper is plugged into soundcard and soundcard is plugged into the computer.

    I'm not tech savvy when it comes to sound equipment, so I'm guessing that's what you're asking.
    But it really shouldn't matter. When I plug my guitar and headset directly into the Kemper I get a pretty awful tone as well. Pretty sure it's the exact same tone I'm getting when I'm recording.

  • Hi i think that you said you have changed pickups lately? Are you sure that theese are wired correctly and are not set too close to your strings? I dont know if you have tried the guitar on something else than the kemper to rule out the guitar? Sorry if this has been mentioned already:)

  • Hi i think that you said you have changed pickups lately? Are you sure that theese are wired correctly and are not set too close to your strings? I dont know if you have tried the guitar on something else than the kemper to rule out the guitar? Sorry if this has been mentioned already:)

    Yeah I've recorded a comparison using the metal guitar gods plugin without kemper

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  • When I plug my guitar and headset directly into the Kemper I get a pretty awful tone as well.

    I missed that. It still sounds like digital clipping somewhere in the signal chain, or you are dealing with faulty hardware that makes it sound like clipping. Clipping may theoretically happen in the internal signal-chain inside the profiler (between preamp, effectsm eq's etc), but you would have to push every possible boundary to make it so. If headphones sound awful while both input and output LEDs are green/yellow, it would have to be something in between. Try to disable any effects in the signal chain one by one. If that doesn't produce a result I suggest you contact support. They will probably ask you for a backup which they will try in the lab with a guitar with pickups similar to yours to determine whether it is a hardware or configuration issue.

  • The Youtube video, is that something you have made or is it just a reference? If the tone from your headset output is bad (very shrill, sterile and overly bright) it may have something to do with the adapter you are using. I've had problems with that before, can't quite remember if the problem was that the adapter was not stereo or that it was simply bad, but I bought a brand new Planet Waves stereo adapter and the tone got so much better right away! I figured that it had to be something like that, because it sounded epic through speakers even when I fed them from the headphone output (with a guitar cable).

  • I'm sorry to hear that. I think perhaps you got a dud, cause it doesn't make sense for it to sound the way it did on your clips. As everyone who has chimed in here to help you has said, the Kemper doesn't sound like that. To me the Kemper even sounds BETTER than my Mesa/Boogie Mark V (I've compared them side by side in my studio).

    Anyway, good luck!