Getting a kab - Should I sell my Head and get a Power Head?

collinisballn · June 19, 2023 at 7:12 PM

I want to get a kab to bring to jam sessions, and I'm looking for the most streamlined solution. I currently have an unpowered head, so I would need to either get a powered kab (tough to get at guitar center, etc), or use a separate solid state poweramp (worst case, clunkier, then i'm carrying around 3 things).

Or, i can sell my head and buy a powered head, and use that with a normal kabinet. This is what my gut is telling me to do. I don't mind being out a few hundred bucks (vs the powered kab option).

With the powered head I can use other cabinets in the future, I can get a used kemper kab for like 300 bucks, and I shouldn't have any issues with my current setup.

Am I missing anything here? are there any downsides to option 3 that I'm not seeing? Are there any specific advatages to the powered kab/unpowered head option?

BayouTexan · June 19, 2023 at 9:32 PM

If you never plan to output to stereo then one profiler and one kab is all you need. I have the powerrack and a single Kab, but I love going stereo into a DAW and studio monitors out. So, I would answer the question first: mono or stereo?, and then decide.

dmatthews · June 19, 2023 at 9:58 PM

I use an older stereo version of these (290) at home. Also worked well at a gig for backline support whilst going to FOH.

Camplifier add on amplifier moules for the Kemper Profiling Amplifier (digitalguitargear.com)

Depends how much power you need, and as BayouTexan says stereo or not. I also have a SD 700, but it's fairly heavy and just lives at our practice studio.

V8guitar · June 20, 2023 at 11:35 AM

Quote from BayouTexan

If you never plan to output to stereo then one profiler and one kab is all you need. I have the powerrack and a single Kab, but I love going stereo into a DAW and studio monitors out. So, I would answer the question first: mono or stereo?, and then decide.

Agreed, this is the main disadvantage.

I'm fully mono and I like the advantage of a powered rack in that I can drive anything, which is useful for festivals etc.

I run the unpowered Kabinet and love it so I'm a big advocate of the route you are going!