What is the Kemper Kone?

madbanjoman · February 22, 2023 at 5:43 AM

Ok that may sound like a silly question but hear me out. I have limited space and I had decided to replace my FRFR that I was not happy with a Kemper Kone. I use an A/B box to send the the monitor output of my Stage to utilize it as intended. Sounds great with the Stage

I also could use it with my HX Stomp or Boss GT1000 core if desired. I assumed that The tone from the Kone would essentially be a cab into a cab tone. I didn't think much about as I don't use it this way as much as with my Stage.

Today I thought I would try the Kone with those other modelers with the cab simulation off and see how it sounded. Much to my surprise it sounded very much like an amp without a cab into a FRFR. Pretty bad with that shrill high distortion.

What gives? Is the Kone really a guitar cab or a special FRFR?

I compared the sound of those other modelers through headphones and the Kone and they weren't that different.

Anyone else experiment with this?

dmatthews · February 22, 2023 at 5:59 AM

The Kone is a modified/tailored speaker that is "FRFR" (don't say that in front of CK) but modified in such a way as to take advantage of the "Speaker Imprints" that only a Kemper can feed it.

It can be used in FRFR mode without the Imprints, but is not optimal without them.

Kemper Support #1 · February 22, 2023 at 6:57 AM

the Kone is a broadband speaker. It relies on the Kone technology in the Profiler to either sound like other guitar speakers using the imprints or as an FRFR speaker if the monitor cab off option is not check marked.

Plexi5820 · February 24, 2023 at 9:48 PM

Quote from dmatthews

The Kone is a modified/tailored speaker that is "FRFR" (don't say that in front of CK) but modified in such a way as to take advantage of the "Speaker Imprints" that only a Kemper can feed it.
It can be used in FRFR mode without the Imprints, but is not optimal without them.

Why is it not optimal without them? I'm using mine mostly as an FFR depending on if I like how the cab was profiled and either way they sound great.

dmatthews · February 25, 2023 at 2:02 AM

Quote from Plexi5820

Why is it not optimal without them? I'm using mine mostly as an FFR depending on if I like how the cab was profiled and either way they sound great.

Merely because that's why it was made. Not saying it's no good without them, just not complete.

Finally · February 25, 2023 at 7:38 AM

Quote from Plexi5820

Why is it not optimal without them? I'm using mine mostly as an FFR depending on if I like how the cab was profiled and either way they sound great.

Do you mean with a Kemper? Yes, that's by design. But with another modeler you need the speaker imprint in that signal, since the Kone doesn't sound like a guitar speaker by itself.