Kemper Power Kab + Stage Setup - Best Tone Questions

    Just took connected a new Kemper Power Kab to my Stage. I had been using headphones (Beyer DT770) up until now.

    Firstly, I do find the Imprint mode (Monitor off mode) sounds better than not using any of the Imprints.

    Followed the instructions and was wondering about some additional questions.

    1. Where should I be leaving the Power Kab's volume dial? Should I be maxing it out and lowering the Stage's volume? Or, are there other Stage settings I should be dialing in? For example, I know there's that wattage meter - should I be adjusting according to that somehow?

    I'm using this only for home studio btw. basically a 10x17 room with 8' ceilings.

    2. Noise Gate: Should I readjust this from the level I was using with Headphones? I find it can use a lower Noise Gate setting with the Power Kab vs. the headphones.

    3. Directivity: should I be adjusting this? I find it seems to sound better when maxed out.

    4. Sweetening: I find it seems to sound better/less harsh when this is turned up all the way - any feedback on this?

    vs. Headphones - what is the general feedback of the "amp in the room" vs. using headphones

    Quote from BayouTexan

    My best advice is to use your ears. Everyone is going to have their own personal way of tweaking things to their liking. Also read the manual (many times) and watch all the cool video tutorials on the Kemper Support pages... there are over 20 of them.

    https://www.kemper-amps.com/video#a-videos-tutorials#a-videos-tutorials

    Got it - will do.

    I just didn't know if there was some kind of optimal balance of the volume settings between the Stage's main vol/Stage's menu setting vol/Kab knob volume.

    Hey Joe - On a related note, the Space control (found in the output block) to my ears adds a great stereo widening to the sound which makes using headphones much more enjoyable.

    The thing I miss most when switching between headphones and the Kab for just jamming or practicing is the stereo effects.

    I often have a bit of stereo delay and reverb, plus the rotary effect sometimes and with headphones it's huge and trippy, but not so much in mono through 1 Kab.

    Finally - So true....around 2 years ago, I bought the Kone and put it into a regular 1x12 guitar cab (open and closed back options, multi-ply birch). As the Kemper Kab is smaller (closed back), I wonder how much sonic difference there really is between the Kab and mine? As we know, it's more cost effective to have a stereo rig with 2 Kones in two separate 1X12 regular guitar cabs.

    Quote from OffBeat

    Finally - So true....around 2 years ago, I bought the Kone and put it into a regular 1x12 guitar cab (open and closed back options, multi-ply birch). As the Kemper Kab is smaller (closed back), I wonder how much sonic difference there really is between the Kab and mine? As we know, it's more cost effective to have a stereo rig with 2 Kones in two separate 1X12 regular guitar cabs.

    Personal taste will account for more difference in this particular case than the cabinet differences, at least in my opinion.

    I have an open back 112 pine cabinet with a ½" birch plywood baffle. I had a Kone loaded in it and did a side by side comparison with a passive Kabinet switching the output from my power amp back and forth between them. Bought a powered Kabinet and did a side by side comparison with it switching between my 112 and it by swapping back and forth from the Monitor output. I preferred the 112 open back in both cases, but most of my amps over forty years have been open back so that might have been what made it a little more appealing to me, it was closer to what I am accustomed to.

    HowardBrown - Thanks, appreciated your personal insight....If ever I go stereo, it'll be with another 112, Kone-loaded setup.

    From my understanding, as open back projects sound from both the front and rear of the cabinet, this allows more of the room to become part of overall sonics. Not sure if Kemper Kabinets had a specific design requirement to go with closed-back only?

    Also, is it true that the Kabinets are not made out of solid wood like most traditional cabs are? Read that somewhere, and want to factually confirm.

    Quote from OffBeat

    HowardBrown - Thanks, appreciated your personal insight....If ever I go stereo, it'll be with another 112, Kone-loaded setup.

    From my understanding, as open back projects sound from both the front and rear of the cabinet, this allows more of the room to become part of overall sonics. Not sure if Kemper Kabinets had a specific design requirement to go with closed-back only?

    Also, is it true that the Kabinets are not made out of solid wood like most traditional cabs are? Read that somewhere, and want to factually confirm.

    I would venture to say the best scenario might be to buy a Kabinet as it was specifically designed to work with the Kone. That being said they do state the following on the Kemper store site:

    https://www.kemper-amps.com/kabinet-kone

    No specifications are listed for what type of cabinet the Kone can be loaded in. There is nothing noted on the site to indicate what material the Kabinet is constructed from and I never opened mine up to see before returning it. This is pure speculation on my part but given the weight I'd guess it to be a light weight ½" MDF. Maybe another user could share that information if they know the specific details. Staying with the Kemper made products may remove unwanted sound reproduction variables for the majority of users, I've stated this previously in other posts but I am in a small minority of users and my opinion will be different than the majority.

    Quote from OffBeat

    HowardBrown - Thanks, appreciated your personal insight....If ever I go stereo, it'll be with another 112, Kone-loaded setup.


    From my understanding, as open back projects sound from both the front and rear of the cabinet, this allows more of the room to become part of overall sonics. Not sure if Kemper Kabinets had a specific design requirement to go with closed-back only?


    Also, is it true that the Kabinets are not made out of solid wood like most traditional cabs are? Read that somewhere, and want to factually confirm.

    Solid wood is wasted on speaker cabs. Engineered wood products like ply are better from my experience. Walnut cabinets are for cork sniffers. 😀

    Quote from Steve5478

    I would be curious to know if the Jensen Imprint has been optimised for a closed back configuration or if imprints are just a Kone that reflects a raw speaker.

    I don't know if i'm understable.....

    As far as I know from CK's comments in posts around the time the Kone was launched the imprint is a raw speaker and it takes on the characterises of the cabinet just the same way as any speaker would.