Not possible with the KPA?

    Quote from ColdFrixion

    It might not sound real to your ears, but Andy Sneap has proven that the KPA can replicate high gain just fine. Jump to the 9 min. 22 sec. mark for a comparison:

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    Also a sidenote, but imho, @ColdFrixion, whether Sneap's profile sounds "like a real amp" or not, there's quite a difference between the profile and amp. Maybe even bigger than I'm used to with my profiles and the congestion issue imho just listening on phone with cheap headphones. It's congestion plus quite a difference in gain..

    Edited once, last by Dimi84 ().

    Quote from Dimi84

    Also a sidenote, but imho, @ColdFrixion, whether Sneap's profile sounds "like a real amp" or not, there's quite a difference between the profile and amp. Maybe even bigger than I'm used to with my profiles and the congestion issue imho just listening on phone with cheap headphones.

    Uhm, wait, I has as confuse. Doesn't the profile start from 9:59? Not 9:53?

    Quote from SonicExporer

    Then, maybe, the kemper isn't for you. I get that you're hearing a difference. I do too. More in some profiles, less to none in others. But the fact is, it isn't enough to bother me. The added convenience the kemper offers is worth the 2% it sometimes looses. Especially live, but in recording too, the differences are negligable to me and mostly a matter of taste, not make or break sound. If you're after that 1% it might be the kemper is not the right gear for the job you're asking it to do. ?(

    Realize I have posted this track before, but the question was asked...


    my attempt to cover some George Lynch action


    Been a couple of years since I recorded it, but I think the profile in use was "MTS MR SCARY" from Michael Wagener's pack. I used a cheap tiger-striped ESP knock-off pawn shop find that I threw a Seymour Duncan Screamin' Demon in. I also think the paint job helped out...


    Thanks for listening (again).

    Sounds damn good to me.

    Quote from Dimi84

    Sounds damn good to me.

    +1 Nice playing, commendable attention to detail. Very cool.


    However, the tone is the same paradigm as with the Rainbow in the Dark replication tone though. While it might sounds good at first impression, it doesn't sound like a real amp to my ears, and the major giveaway here with the Mr. Scary clip that anybody can (should) be able to very easily notice is the transition starting around 2:35. For those of you who doubt what I've been saying, or are confused by it, or can't seem to hear it, then this is your chance to learn. Listen to both clips starting at the 2:35 mark (the original is page #2 of this thread) and you'll very clearly hear what a real amp w/output tube saturation sounds like vs. something trying to emulate it. Now, all that said, agreed this is not definitive proof the KPA can't do that sound, or that a profile doesn't exist to do it. I'm just saying I have not heard those style of tones yet come out of the KPA. Which is agani why I'm reaching out for people's help and constructive input.


    Thanks again,



    Sonic

    Quote from Dimi84

    Uhm, wait, I has as confuse. Doesn't the profile start from 9:59? Not 9:53?

    The profile audio starts at about 9:53. It's worth mentioning that the sample wasn't re-amped. He apparently played a couple of different sections from the same song, so that may account for a lot of the differences, however on close inspection, when I line up the parts that are similar from both sections and A/B them, they're so close that I seriously doubt the vast majority could even begin to tell the difference in a blind test.

    Quote from ColdFrixion

    The profile audio starts at about 9:53. It's worth mentioning that the sample wasn't re-amped. He apparently played a couple of different sections from the same song, so that may account for a lot of the differences, however on close inspection, when I line up the parts that are similar from both sections and A/B them, they're so close that I seriously doubt the vast majority could even begin to tell the difference in a blind test.

    That's my mistake if it starts from 9:53. That it is indeed extremely close.

    OP, Check out a couple of mine on the rig exchange.


    I've got some that I profiled using a loner X88r and custom power amp setup shown in this vid


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    And I also have some I've done with my Splawn Nitro that sit squarely in that 80's hair metal world.


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    Quote from SonicExporer

    Thanks. Yes, absolutely, spent many hours learning the imprints the overdrive stomps impart. But those won't fix things if the underlying amp/profile is missing the core tone elements. Tried the stomps (internal & external) along with many amp/cab combinations. Seems the structural framework of the tone can be reached but some of the key elements I'm after are still elusive as of yet.
    Sonic

    Ah wait. In light of your comments about the Mr Scary cover, I guess you've been meaning the lead tone in RITD all along? I was commenting on the rhythm tone, haha! Anyway, that lead tone reminds me of some of Marty Friedman's leads on Megadeth's Rust In Peace album. I think I get what you mean now. The Mr Scary track also bears hallmarks of those tones, especially from the 2:53 mark, as you pointed out. I had a mess with one of my own test profiles of the JMP, made at bedroom volume levels at home, just to see if altering the Tube Shape and Bias parameters could get me in the ballpark. The jury is out. I'll report back after more investigations... :)

    Quote from sambrox

    JMP PowerTest - 2017-04-14 18-29-03.kipr.zip


    Sounds nothing like the Rainbow solo, but it was interesting exercise, none the less :)

    Doesn't surprise me, messing with the controls on the KPA isn't going to get you power amp saturation unless it was there to begin with. Still, I'll try to load your profile over the weekend and give a listen. Thanks for taking a stab at it.


    But to clarify, I wasn't referring to the solo, but rather to rhythms. Listen to Mr. Scary at 2:35 where the break is and compare to the KPA replication track. That's power section saturation at work. I haven't heard anything like that out the KPA yet. The reason I pointed out that passage is that only the guitar is playing and there's also a nice ringing chord as well, so it might be easier for some people to hear what I'm referring to. But the power section saturation is all over the entire duration of the track, not isolated to that one passage.


    Sonic

    Edited once, last by SonicExporer: Clarification ().

    Back For The Attack is undoubtedly one of my favorite albums. At the time, I thought Lynch's tone was the be-all-end-all. While I still think the songs are awesome and the essence of the distortion still holds up pretty well, the tone sounds a lot more thin and anemic now than it did back then to me.

    Quote from ColdFrixion

    Back For The Attack is undoubtedly one of my favorite albums. At the time, I thought Lynch's tone was the be-all-end-all. While I still think the songs are awesome and the essence of the distortion still holds up pretty well, the tone sounds a lot more thin and anemic now than it did back then to me.

    Agreed, that's what happens when the tones evolved to being very preamp-heavy, over-the-top gain, drop tuned and mid-scooped. Not to mention the frequency shifts in the mixes, things had to change to accommodate those guitar tones so the whole essence of the mix now days is different than back in the 80's. I used to love hearing the deep thump of a great snare, but many producer started shifting the snare up to make room for z-flat guitars and now many snares sound like a toy drum. I had a drum set when I was three years old that had more balls than the many of the sackless snare tones I hear on metal albums now days. :rolleyes:

    Quote from SonicExporer

    Agreed, that's what happens when the tones evolved to being very preamp-heavy, over-the-top gain, drop tuned and mid-scooped. Not to mention the frequency shifts in the mixes, things had to change to accommodate those guitar tones so the whole essence of the mix now days is different than back in the 80's.

    I tend to shy away from mid-heavy distortion, though I'm not into scooped mids, either. To my ears, the guitars on "1000 Miles Away" from Don Dokken's debut solo effort still sound pretty good to me.

    Quote from SonicExporer

    Agreed, that's what happens when the tones evolved to being very preamp-heavy, over-the-top gain, drop tuned and mid-scooped. Not to mention the frequency shifts in the mixes, things had to change to accommodate those guitar tones so the whole essence of the mix now days is different than back in the 80's. I used to love hearing the deep thump of a great snare, but many producer started shifting the snare up to make room for z-flat guitars and now many snares sound like a toy drum. I had a drum set when I was three years old that had more balls than the many of the sackless snare tones I hear on metal albums now days.

    Testify, brother!


    Personally, I hated what grunge did to mixes in general, and especially kit sounds, back in the early '90s. I equated the sloppy playing, mushy guitar sounds, boxy, cheap-kit-in-a-room drum sounds, lack of clarity in mixes and so on with the trend towards messy hair, ragged clothing, "loose" language (whatever, man) and rising lack of respect for others, their property, both intellectual and physical, and the generally-accelerated breakdown of old-school values.


    That was just my experience, so I don't expect anyone to agree with me, but I can tell you that it put me off "pop" music for 20 years 'til I discovered the asian equivalent. That was my antidote - better production, arranging, playing, performing and mixing by a country mile. It's as if the whole asian market chose (wisely, IMHO) to ignore the trend towards disorder and lowest-common-denominator product production.


    Again, just my experience. Others' mileage will vary.