Kemper Stage buzz I can't seem to get rid of

    Hi guys

    So I've been in contact with both KPA support and I sent my unit to the dealer for testing. Upon testing they found nothing wrong with the unit, and I got it back yesterday from the dealer and decided not to RMA it like originally planned. I've tested all outlets in my apartments, checking turned off lights and made sure there's no EMI issues. This buzzing comes no matter what I do, even if I only use headphones and no other cables connected.

    The strange thing here is that the buzzing disappears when I use a wireless transmitter. I can't figure out what this buzz is coming from, and it's driving me crazy.. It happens on all guitars I have no matter the cables used. As long as I am using a physical cable, the buzzing comes on.

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    Quote from GuyJames

    Interesting ? does it do the same thing when you plug in at other locations? I had an apartment with dirty power that caused buzzing. When I moved my new place doesn’t have the buzz

    It could be that, I don't know. I was not able to test it at the dealer-shop myself, because of the COVID restrictions, so I just had to take their word for it that it was fine. Not sure how to test it other places at the moment.

    Your guitar is switched to the neck pickup which is a single coil pickup. These easily pickup all sorts of EMI in the room. Does it happen as well if you have the guitar switched to the bridge humbucker pickup?

    Also ... (with the pickup switch set to the neck single coil) the EMI noise should change when you move / turn / rotate the guitar cause it acts like an antenna.

    Bryan Daste  Wheresthedug the issue goes away if I swap the guitar cable with a wireless transmitter. The issue seems to stem from the guitar, but it doesn't. I've tested with many guitars, and they all gives this amp-buzz in the background when I am using guitar cable. I've tried 4 different guitar cables and they all yield the same. Also four/five different guitars with Humbuckers, SC, Suhr pickups, asatobuckers etc. (Yes, hum goes away if I turn down the volume on guitar!!)

    It's not ground-loop either, as you say. Some guitar tech from Peach suggested that the wireless transmitter worked as a buffer, effectively nulling out the buzz, and something to do with impedance when I am using cable instead. I'm no electrician, so I don't know what this mean, so I need to try and ask stupid questions here in hopes of figuring this thing out, as I'm sure I'm overlooking something mandatory, or even better/worse, it's supposed to be like this, perhaps? Maybe I'm nitpicking?

    Either way - if it's supposed to be like that - I'm probably nitpicking, but if I am able to completely remove it with wireless transmitter, I really want to do it with cable aswell, for recording purposes. So I don't have to rely on iZotope RX software and remove hum afterwards..


    My dealer-shop where I bought it, here in norway, they tested it and concluded the unit to be fine. They said however that there is a slight very low volume hum, but that it's normal.. This is what led me to believe I'm nitpicking. But If I am able to remove it with wireless transmitter, there's gotta be a way for cable too!

    If it’s only happening with the guitar cable, I’m assuming you’ve tried other cables?


    Even the best shielded guitar cords will pick up some noise.

    If this is the case, it seems more an issue with the cord than the KPA.


    Also make sure that no wireless devices are nearby. Bluetooth, WiFi etc. My phone will add noise sitting in my pocket. That stuff should always be (at least) a foot away.

    But do we know of a good wireless system that has strong and good connection without dropouts? That would solve my recording needs, since this buzz is a very hit and miss thing.. My Line 6 Relay G10 is too weak, it has microscopic dropouts that is audible on the recorded track. Do you guys happen to know of a better system, and maybe not too expensive? Something that doesn't use 2.4ghz perhaps?