Kemper Amps Forum

Quoted from "viabcroce"

To support your statement, I've come across this from my FSA (Forum Secret Archives). I'm afraid I can't say who wrote what tho :/


"The compressor in the amp section of the KPA works differently than any normal Compressor. I am not sure how it works internally but i guess that it just temporarily alters the binary data concerning volume and dynamics of the profile. Normally, a compressor would need to react on the input audio Signal. Because of this, a compressor always has some latency in its effect on the audio signal. The results of this can be audible as the typical compressor artefacts like the "snap" of longer attack time, distortion because of too small attack and release times, "pumping" or "breathing".
The KPA Amp compressor does not show these behaviours, in fact it works like a "perfect" compressor would react. It has no effect on the gain structure and it does not pump or breathe.
I use the compressor on every clean tone. You instantly get this beautiful warm tone even it this profile was rather harsh or thin. I never use it on hi gain rhythm, but sometimes for soloing.

I agree, the Compressor in the amp block is excellent, sounds awesome with any of the clean Profiles, it brings them to life".

I think i wrote this. But i only use the amp compressor for clean tones. Radley´s settings sound very cool too, will try them out...

This makes sense, but isn't that what the tone match does? The comparison I refer to is between the axe and kemper based on an actual amp, but when you tone match a track don't you have to select an amp then it eq's from there?

Quoted from "viabcroce"

Quoted from "jeddie"

I would like to hear a axe clip tone matched to the kemper then we could really hear whether it's improved. I think this would be the ultimate test! So someone with both devices have at it and do a poll to see if people can pick what's what?!?

Hey Jeddie,
there's much more to an amp sound than tone alone: its dynamic, the way its sound changes depending on the fretboard section you're using...
Tone matching, as I see it, is a way to match the tone of an amp provided you are using a model of the same amp and you're just after the sound the artist is using on a specific tune. Tone-matching a Marshall track applying it to a Fender model won't give you the same sound. A single note might sound similar, but on phrasing and chording you'd perceive the different response each amp is characterized by.

Were it otherwise, a simple 32-band graphic equalizer would turn any amp in any other one, and Fractal should have just developed a single model and applied different EQs to generate any other.

Trivial considerations maybe, but it seemed they were worth it

Quoted from "jeddie"

This makes sense, but isn't that what the tone match does? The comparison I refer to is between the axe and kemper based on an actual amp, but when you tone match a track don't you have to select an amp then it eq's from there?

Yes I just meant that you might not have the right amp for the matching. And even so, the whole sound chain is involved in the final tone (including the player of course, but this is a different story :p). If a musician is playing a certain amp with certain settings, mic'ed in a certain way, with a certain guitar which exalts some sound characteristics and so on... Eq is just one of the variables.

In the end, my idea is that it's not so important (even for a cover band) to exactly match a tone: player's sensitivity, intention, touch, feeling is what makes "the tune" IMO.
What KPA does is much different from this, and here's the news: you ideally capture the feeling of an amp. But you will always end up sounding like yourself (with that amp, which is not trivial at all!). By now, I've seen too many times musicians sounding exactly the same no matter what rig they were using... guitar included

I support Davide here: I'd be not interested in comparing the two machines side by side, I believe the "knot of the choice" lies elsewhere.

Quoted from "tylerhb"

But i only use the amp compressor for clean tones. Radley´s settings sound very cool too, will try them out...

This is a notable aspect about the Kemper - although the parameters are adjustable in very fine increments, sometimes a very small amount 'does the trick'. I used to avoid the amp compressor on OD sounds because I thought it degraded the attacks (in direct comparison), but after a lot of playing I feel that the .1 setting makes the attacks feel and sound more amplike to my ears, whereas no compression feels a little too flat or direct, without enough 'bloom' to the notes (for my tastes). There still seems to be plenty of attack there when you 'dig in', imho.

Quoted from "Radley"

Quoted from "tylerhb"

But i only use the amp compressor for clean tones. Radley´s settings sound very cool too, will try them out...

I feel that the .1 setting makes the attacks feel and sound more amplike to my ears, whereas no compression feels a little too flat or direct,

Is this the Compressor in the amp block you're talking about?

Are you talking about .10 or .1....you can hear and feel a difference between 0 and .1?

I can't.

Quoted from "Guitartone"

Quoted from "Radley"

Quoted from "tylerhb"

But i only use the amp compressor for clean tones. Radley´s settings sound very cool too, will try them out...

I feel that the .1 setting makes the attacks feel and sound more amplike to my ears, whereas no compression feels a little too flat or direct,

Is this the Compressor in the amp block you're talking about?

Are you talking about .10 or .1....you can hear and feel a difference between 0 and .1?

I can't.

Yes, I can hear and FEEL the difference - you have to play with authority to feel what's happening, otherwise it's a bit subtle... I'm now using up to .5 on the amp compression, depending on the natural/unnatural attack of the amp... IMO the Kemper distortion can sound a bit sterile/solid state if there is too much attack compared to the sustained body of the tone.

Quoted from "Radley"

Yes, I can hear and FEEL the difference - you have to play with authority to feel what's happening, otherwise it's a bit subtle... I'm now using up to .5 on the amp compression, depending on the natural/unnatural attack of the amp... IMO the Kemper distortion can sound a bit sterile/solid state if there is too much attack compared to the sustained body of the tone.

It highly depends on your style of tone. The cleaner your tone is, the more effect the amp compression will have, since high gain tones are already highly compressed on their own. On clean to semi crunch tones, Radley´s settings might be the way to go. For my metal stuff it´s not working out as clearly.

But thx for sharing your ideas

That's what makes life interesting - we all have somewhat different sonic needs, as well as playing styles...