Profiling a rig with headphones only?

  • Is it possible to profile a rig without using an audio interface and a computer and monitors and all that ... that is, just by using (well-isolating) headphones plugged into the front of the KPA (and of course also using a mic in front of the cab)? I can't test this myself any time soon, so hopefully someone here can guide me ;) Just to clarify that in this scenario, one wouldn't connect anything to the main outs of the KPA. Will this work?

  • Hi laardi,


    the profiling will work regardless of the monitoring device you choose. But in your scanario it will be hard to judge whether the miced sound and therefore the resulting profile is usable for you or not and also the A B comparison between reference amp pand profile. So it may come out as some trial and error experiment. But anyway give it a try.

  • Thanks for the replies dudes. During the profiling process, the output is muted and also the levels need to be adjusted/matched etc, iirc (done this once only so far :)). I am just wondering if all this is reflected well to the headphone output.


    I guess A/B:ing might be a bit difficult, because the cab sound will leak through the headphones to some extent if done in one and the same room. Or is there another reason for A/B comparison being difficult, HELL-G?


    In more detail, my plan is to go to our rehearsal place, somehow mike up the cab of our band's other guitarist and create a profile with just headphones. Then I would connect that same (or a similar) cab to my power rack KPA and use the profile with MonitorCabOff through the built-in poweramp. So the exact miking position hopefully wouldn't matter too much here, especially since I am hoping to "clone" the amp-in-the-room sound. This way both guitarists could have a similar tone during the rehearsal. Voila, maybe. But yeah, I will try this. :)

  • I guess A/B:ing might be a bit difficult, because the cab sound will leak through the headphones to some extent if done in one and the same room. Or is there another reason for A/B comparison being difficult, HELL-G?


    Exactly this.

  • So the exact miking position hopefully wouldn't matter too much here, especially since I am hoping to "clone" the amp-in-the-room sound.


    Your Kemper will give you only that sound, which your MICROPHONE is recording - so the position (and the quality) of the microphone is very important.
    However, good luck and tell us, how satisfied are you with the result of your profiling session!

    Play it like you mean it.

  • I've profiled them both ways, but now I almost prefer to profile to headphones. My reference amps are ones that I am very happy with so I just compare to those with headphones. I also have an atomic powered speaker as well, but most of the "work" is done with just the headphones. I find that most studio monitors color the eq just as much or more as headphones. I bounce back and forth between AT headphones, Ultimate Ear molds and the Atomic and if it sounds good on all then I'll run the profiler program.