Boost or cut (clean/distorted sense)

    I know... another distortion/clean sense question... and I swear I've looked everywhere for a definitive answer on this one. So if it is here please just point me in the right direction and I'll be on my way.


    Currently I have my CS/DS set to 0 for my strat, and for LP's and other HB equipped guitars I run negative to even things out (-6 for my LP with Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge seems to be comparable.)


    But I've read rumblings that seem to imply that hitting the input on the KPA a little hotter, into the yellow regularly, will yield better results.


    I really never leave green on my input/output LEDs. And while I realize I need to try this out for myself with my own ears, I'm wondering if the suggested use is to use the louder guitar as baseline and boost weaker guitars, or use the weak guitar as a baseline and cut the louder ones?


    Hope that makes sense and maybe you can save me a bunch of time messing about with it.

    I too struggled with the CS and DS settings.


    I'm currently using a PAF set of Bulldog pickups in my LTD EC1000 (essentially a slightly thinner LP) and running both on '0'. These are 8.3k and 7.3k approx respectively - and that seems to work just fine. When using previous hotter pu's - I just had it set so when I 'dug in' on single strings or strummed hard it would go yellow/orange - and occasionally, just go red - but I did not notice any unwanted distortion through my monitors.


    The trick is to use your ears, then check the input light and maybe even record a few clips of different settings to a/b - then store them and forget about it - get back to playing guitar. AFAIK on a distorted profile, the CS only works on the 0-3.0 (or is ist 4.0?) portion of the profile. So check this by lowering the gain to ensure the profile volume remains uniform.


    Hope some of that babble helps!


    -Tonerider

    I'm pretty sure the original intent was to set the clean sens with a dialed down distortion to the point that you no longer clip, then adjust the distortion sens so that as you raise the gain no perceptible change in volume occurs. That was how it was originally marketed, a way to keep volume at parity while changing gain (or control the balance as you'd want).

    Quote from Per

    I'm pretty sure the original intent was to set the clean sens with a dialed down distortion to the point that you no longer clip, then adjust the distortion sens so that as you raise the gain no perceptible change in volume occurs. That was how it was originally marketed, a way to keep volume at parity while changing gain (or control the balance as you'd want).



    That is not what the official message is anymore - and Christof Kemper himself seems to fight a tireless fight to stop this understanding :)


    Distort sens is simly a way of increasing gain of ALL rigs - equal to tweaking the gain knob by some amount for every rig (although the scaling of dist sense is different from the gain knob, so it's not a 1:1 relation).


    Clean sens is only there to balance the level of clean in relation to distorted, so you don't get a volume increase or decrease when you turn up the gain.

    What I've done is to make a preset for the input section of the kemper for each guitar I have, where I've set the cs individually. So one preset for my LP, one for my tele etc... Sounds like what you've done already, but it also sounds like you've done it by eye rather than ear (i.e. looking at the LED rather than going by ear and finding the setting where the AVERAGE volume is equal when you have the gain at zero and when you have it at 5+. But maybe you've done this already).


    Since then I've just decided to use one setting for all. I found they were all around the same value, not too far from each other.


    Start by finding the "ideal" setting for each guitar you're gonna use, and if they're close to each other, you could just use a single "middle of the road" setting. Otherwise, take the cs value that is HIGHEST and try it out with the hottest guitar you're gonna use. Mess around with it a bit.


    Generally, the LED shouldn't turn red when strumming HARD.


    In any case, the function is to LEVEL signals between gainy and clean - and should have NO effect on the tone as such.

    Quote from gtrgriff3

    I appreciate the input... but my question is not how cs and ds work... I got that.


    My question is, do you boost weaker pickups or cut hotter pickups?


    I do, right or wrong, I make my LP and Strat have the same perceived volume on a clean profile by adjusting the CS. I have saved a preset for each of my guitars. The CS is still set so to the old way of not bumping the output into the red. Strat 8.8 / LP -1.1

    Quote from gtrgriff3

    But I've read rumblings that seem to imply that hitting the input on the KPA a little hotter, into the yellow regularly, will yield better results.


    ^^^ this is nonsense.
    use the Clean Sense if you have exceptionally hot pickups, like a EMG81, and hit the INPUT LED turns red often. Clean Sense doesn't change the tone. At all. The signal will get a little louder and some people misinterpret that as better tone. If you want more volume, use uh, VOLUME or MASTER VOLUME instead. ;)


    also Distortion Sense does not alter the gain on ALL rigs as was stated here.
    iI is not a gain off-set, as it does not affect clean rigs.

    Quote from DonPetersen

    ^^^ this is nonsense.
    use the Clean Sense if you have exceptionally hot pickups, like a EMG81, and hit the INPUT LED turns red often. Clean Sense doesn't change the tone. At all. The signal will get a little louder and some people misinterpret that as better tone. If you want more volume, use uh, VOLUME or MASTER VOLUME instead. ;)


    also Distortion Sense does not alter the gain on ALL rigs as was stated here.
    iI is not a gain off-set, as it does not affect clean rigs.


    Good catch - thanks!

    There's a lot BS about CS and DS.


    Please follow what the manual says.
    CS is not primary used to avoid distortion.
    Chose a clean sound and turn CS into red. It has to go all red until you hear a distortion. The Profiler has lots of headroom.

    Quote from Gizmo

    Someone should write a Master's thesis on this.
    The more I read about it, the more confused I get.
    ?(


    ^This
    I think it's the most asked question from newb's to experienced users ever, even it they didn't post the question. Just my two cents, cause I have read a lot about it including watching the factory tutorial.

    Quote from ckemper

    There's a lot BS about CS and DS.


    Please follow what the manual says.
    CS is not primary used to avoid distortion.
    Chose a clean sound and turn CS into red. It has to go all red until you hear a distortion. The Profiler has lots of headroom.


    But Christoph, correct adjustment of BS clearly makes the sound 99.99% realerer and more artifact free! I have the AB files to prove it...

    Quote from Zapman


    ^This
    I think it's the most asked question from newb's to experienced users ever, even it they didn't post the question. Just my two cents, cause I have read a lot about it including watching the factory tutorial.


    Same here. I avoid touching the settings for fear of messing things up somehow.

    I set CS as high as possible without clipping (red lights) for every guitar. By doing this, I don't have volume drops when switching guitar.
    If you feel, that one guitar has too less gain (distorted profiles) compared to another one, just raise DS. It will affect the amount of distortion but won't have a serious effect on the rig volume.