Thin lifeless sound! Never thoguht about it until now

    I just realized I have SUPER THIN sound and I have no idea why


    This weekend I brought some recording equipment to one of my bands gigs and also recorded the three other bands


    EDIT: THE LINKS DOESNT WORK TO CLICK ON, PLEASE MARK THE WHOLE LINE ALL THE WAY UNTIL "dl=0" AND COPY PASTE TO YOUR ADRESS FIELD, OTHERWISE YOU JUST GET 404 ERROR


    Here's the first band, this time I miced their speaker:
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/9f185jduepfxcce/other band live 1.mp3?dl=0


    Here's the second band, which I recorded directly with Radial DIs and then just added some Cubase ampsim plugin
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/og6a2fjkltm1kzs/other band live 2.mp3?dl=0


    Here's the third band, which I then again just miced up
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/9vg4rtkspww11e0/other band live 3.mp3?dl=0


    Notice how full all these guitar sound.


    Then comes Kemper...


    I recorded directly (just like the second band) and when I got home I reamped with Kemper hoping for a great sound but fuck no, it sounds thin and lifeless
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/4eiu8l4cujekwjc/my band live.mp3?dl=0
    (please note I play drums in this band, so it's not me playing guitar... we play punk rock so dont expect any virtiuosity haha)


    Anyway, I just had to try out some 3 different profiles and yeah, they ALL sound thin and boring.
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/i27tv3g2pxcaaz5/3 different proriles.mp3?dl=0


    There's no power in any of them, and they are all profiles of 5150s and Engl Savages, so they SHOULD be powerful.


    And YES before you start saying stuff like the bass is in the bttom, I know all stuff about highpass filters, and I dont like mid-scooped guitar sounds, and bla bla.


    What I wonder is why my sounds are so THIN compared to both real amps and that Cubase ampsim plugin (which doesnt even sound good, but still fuller than Kemper?!


    I reamped with SPDIF, and then I tried the same thing iwht Main Outputs both through XLR and guitar cables, but nothing works.


    I have also checked output settings, and all EQs are at 0.0db so nothing wrong there...


    What am I doing wrong? please help :(

    haven't listened to your examples yet,
    but the obvious thing would be that the DI track you're sending through the Profiler to reamp isn't at the proper level. Did you use the Reamp level parameter to compensate?
    Do the rigs sound better when you connect a guitar instead of reamping?
    That would confirm my suspicion ;)

    Quote from Cederick

    No, both reamping and plugging guitar directly to Kemper gives the same thin and boring sound on ALL profiles


    Cederick,


    Let's back up a second. How exactly are you connecting your Kemper, when you are just playing (not recording, not reamping). In other words, what is your set-up? What type of FRFR or traditional guitar cabinet are you using? What is the connection (on the rear panel) are you using?


    There is no point trying to diagnose or offer advice on your perceived reamping/recording issue...when you state that you are having unsatisfactory results with your KPA's normal, live sound. That is the problem that needs to be addressed first.


    Can you confirm that you have thoroughly read the KPA's Basic and Reference Manual?

    Quote from mikeb

    Those profiles sound not-that-great. Even a great amp can be profiled badly. Some are created for recording, others for live playback. What you are missing from these tones is lower mids and mids.


    Is this sound thick enough for you?


    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.…745912/theconstant_g1.mp3


    I didn't like that sound, it's way too clunky.


    I'm after a sound like this, it starts at 0:42:

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    Sharp and distorted as fuck but still heavy

    I am also not sound eng. or digital genius , but even it is simply to connect Kemper, it must be done properly and slowly .
    The sound from the video you call "thick" is not even close thick to the thick sounds I can make with my KPA .
    You are doing something wrong .
    I will de-assemble everything and start with routing from the scratch, following simple KPA procedure .
    I will check all of the cables ./connections on physical damage .
    Then, I will look is everything in the place with softer routing in System, Input and Output KPA section .
    Then, I will look at my guitar , guitar cable, speakers .


    Then I will look at some nice hot chick, once I have that easy achieved thick tone , but only once I've done all of the above it properly ;)
    Good luck !

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    Like 1

    Your recording of the Kemper sounds like there's clipping in an A/D-converter somewhere (digital clipping makes tinny distortion). It could be the Kemper input, in which case you should see it on the input LED, or it could be on return from the Kemper. Many people get caught out by the line-level XLR-outputs that are too hot for most mic-pres unless you reduce the output-level from the profiler. We need a description of your signal-chains into the Kemper and back to your recorder to give further advise on what to do.

    Quote from Cederick

    I use SPDIF connection
    The input light is on green, but can go a bit yellow when strumming hard, but the output is constant green except not playing haha


    However, I do really need to have my Clean Sense down in the bottom at -12 otherwise it starts getting red, while the Distorted sense is at -4 only


    those Clean and Distortion Sense settings don't seem right.


    I know for certain that new units ship with Distortion Sense set to 0, and I'm reasonably certain that Clean Sense ships that way as well.


    I would suggest resetting them, making sure gain staging is correct, and possibly recording in some other fashion than SPDIF for now, just to rule that out.

    Note that the Distortion Sens has nothing to do with level but only with the amount of distortion across all rigs (global). You can bring it back to zero unless you feel that there's too much distortion due to a guitar with high output PU's.

    I could have farted and it would have sounded good! (Brian Johnson)

    Calaban,


    The profiles sound absolutely ok. No setting is wrong.
    I even think the profiles do not sound too thin, but you might find others that will fit better to your guitar, style and playing.


    Anyway, please check if the equalizers in the output section are set to neutral.


    You said that you have done recordings of your band. Do you have a mix ready?
    You might find that the profiles will fit much better in the mix than your amps, that you have miked yourself, just because they sound relatively thinner.


    By fitting the sound into a music context (at least drums and bass) you will see how the profiles work.
    Send us more clips of that process, so we all can follow this interesting story!

    Quote from spottydog10

    Make sure the SPDIF is matching in terms of 44k or 48k, if there's a mismatch you'll have a problem.


    Where do I do that?


    Quote from Calaban

    those Clean and Distortion Sense settings don't seem right.


    I know for certain that new units ship with Distortion Sense set to 0, and I'm reasonably certain that Clean Sense ships that way as well.


    I would suggest resetting them, making sure gain staging is correct, and possibly recording in some other fashion than SPDIF for now, just to rule that out.


    But I can't have it higher than -12 or it goes red... :(


    I wanna go with SPDIF because I don't wanna go through my soundcards preamps. If I had a soundcard clean nonamped inputs I would use it... Or does it matter? At least I don't wanna have to mess up the volume by accidently touching the input gain knob, that could ruin entire recordings!


    Quote from Kempermaniac

    Note that the Distortion Sens has nothing to do with level but only with the amount of distortion across all rigs (global). You can bring it back to zero unless you feel that there's too much distortion due to a guitar with high output PU's.


    Ok... I have no idea


    Quote from londonjeepster

    Does your Kemper sound ok through headphones? if so try recording from the main outs and see how that sounds. also do you have Tills cabs loaded up? they will thicken up and improve many profiles. keep at it ! good luck ...


    I dont listen through headphones since the volume is so high and there's no dedicated headphones volume control, so I dont wanna screw around with the volumes and get different volumes and stuff all the time.



    All output EQs are at 0.0


    Here's a song from my bands upcoming album, first time recording an album with Kemper... I didn't have full understanding of how it worked so in retrospect the guitar sound is pretty dull and muddy, but I guess it's fine
    https://stormspell.bandcamp.co…t-in-the-enchanted-forest


    I'm thinking of profiling my rehearsal Engl rig and tweak exactly to how I want it, because I have gone through so many profiles and can't really get there.


    Does the Kemper work well with profiling things like enhancers and stuff? I have a rack sonic enhancer which is really cool to get close to my semi-fizzy preference of sound, but maybe Kemper can't profile those if I have it in the amp chain? I know it can't profile reverb and delay and stuff like that,of course