So Rick could one use there guitar (stage) amplifier like an attenuator being set the sound you may love even if it’s not at very high volume, mike the cab and in essence use the pa as your final/balanced volume? It appears all the best tone when we use various guitar/amp combos aren’t always at high amp volumes. Would your pa keep the tone but allow you to control volume? Thanks for your explanation btw.
That is specifically one of the magic features of a Kemper. I use FRFR cabs for most of my needs but I tried using my Boogie MkIII as a power amp for a while. Worked well, but I preferred the consistent sound thru the wedges and send a signal directly to FOH.
@Birdsofprey As
@Boogie notes, it is one of many ways you can do it. My experience is with the Axe FX line, but it’s very similar with Kemper. Here are a few options:
1. FRFR- These “full range flat response” speakers are essentially guitar PA systems. While guitars have a limited frequency range, the effects available in a modeler greatly expand those possibilities, above and below. The FRFR can handle that clearly, much like a PA does, but the cabinet is more designed for the shorter, wider throw of a stage monitor. One of the biggest advantages of a modeler-FRFR setup is that they tend to be extremely consistent venue to venue and stage to stage, as it’s much like the listening relationship of a good set of near/mid field monitors in the studio, for most of the same reasons.
2. Into front of amp- You can use a modeler like a glorified pedalboard, using your amp for tones (generally no amp/cab sim in the preset). Guys like Steve Vai and John Petrucci use the Axe Fx this way.
3. The “4CM”- This is the 4-cable method, where you run some effects into the amp input, and some in the FX loop. This also uses the amp as the tone generator (preamp, power amp, speakers), but places effects where they work best. You mic the amp.
4. Using the amp as power amp only- if your amp has a power amp input, you can replace the preamp with the amp model from the modeler, and use the tube power amp and speaker of your amp to power the sound. Again, you’d mic the amp.
4. All PA- The most non-fuss method, good for extremely small stages (or “silent” ones), or for really lazy guitarists
. You send your amp/cab modeler signal to the FOH/Monitor boards, and they give you your sound back through your floor monitor or IEMs. Some love this, and sometimes it’s all you can get! It’s workable, but not my fave. Get good IEMs if you go this route… cheap ones will wreck your hearing.
There are more ways you can mix and match, and you can even send the FOH a completely different sound than you’re hearing, if it works better that way (kind of like listening in the studio with effects while the track goes down dry). By now, you’re probably regretting you asked, but it’s a real rabbit hole to dive down if your of a mind to explore it!
