How to enhance Kemper dynamics using internal Studio EQ -- comparison and explanation

  • Dear all,


    I have been using the Studio EQ and ducking parameter to modify how profiles react for quite a while now. I think there was another user explaining this in a video too. Maybe it has been mentioned here already already, but repetition isn't inherently evil.


    I'm using a profile of Doug Aldrich's own amp, which is also boosted with the green scream. It's a great profile. Problem is it does not clean up as well when boosted to hell (no wonder).


    Well -- enter kemper's built in Studio EQ. With a bit of help from there and its "ducking" parameter and I can get an even bigger tonal range. Can get blasting metal to blues to really clean cleans, all accessible via guitar's volume knob. Perhaps I'm not illustrating the effect that well here, but there's indeed quite a difference.


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    Bear in mind I'm also switching between bridge to neck pickup within this comparison. Dimarzio injector on neck (stacked humbucker, Paul Gilbert pickup), hot rails on bridge.


    Now how you'd set the Studio EQ depends on your profile, of course, and intended purpose. A few cool uses here.


    Anyway, I hope you'll find this useful in case you hadn't tried it before. Am high on fever... but still filming :) Just chose "studio EQ" and play with the settings and "ducking" parameter.


    It's not like this cannot be done with other units, but I find it works very well with the kemper. Quite natural feeling.


    Cheerios


    PS: I say "picking velocity" in the video. I actually mean how hard you pick, picking dynamics of course.

    Edited 2 times, last by Dimi84 ().

  • I wonder if this could help @SonicExporer with his power-amp-saturation quest at all. Anyway, he'll see it now that he's been called.


    Maybe it has been mentioned here already already, but repetition isn't inherently evil.

    Evidently-not, Dimi! :D


    Hey, thank you for your effort, man.

  • How the hell can Dimi bust out chops like that and flick the EQ on and off so fast LOL
    that freaked me out man!!! :D


    Ash

    Have a beer and don't sneer. -CJ. Two non powered Kempers -Two mission stereo FRFR Cabs - Ditto X4 -TC electronic Mimiq.

  • It can also be used to take away some of the muddiness of pickups when pot is turned low. Or to do both this and clean up the signal -- depends on how you set it. To attenuate the whole signal you can follow what I do at the end of the video.


    Also the EQ should be placed before the amp section. What happens (the way I set it in the video) is just that the EQ attenuates the whole signal when picking softly and guitar vol is low -- then gets out the way if picking hard/guitar vol full.


    The reason why this is as cool is that the ducking duck works very well... So if you set the whole thing right for your tone you don't feel so much that there's EQ trickery going on. After all, it's like the amp/profile itself reacting to a lower gain tone.


    People do this for leads some times, but I like to set it just to get a wide range from cleans to gain :)

  • How the hell can Dimi bust out chops like that and flick the EQ on and off so fast LOL
    that freaked me out man!!! :D


    Ash

    Haha, cheers :D Actually it was weird to me too, seeing the video. No re-amping.

    Edited 2 times, last by Dimi84 ().

  • Interesting vid. Love the bluesy licks at around 1:40 btw!

    Thanks :) I'll be doing several videos like this with kemper tricks I haven't seen talked about much. Profiling as well.

  • This is very cool indeed, I hadn't even considered using it like that. Thanks very much!


    "So does the Kemper sound like the real amp?" - "Yes, except that it's more responsive" :D


    Nice playing too btw!

  • Love this! The ducking feature in general seems really musical. I use it all the time for the delays. Now that i think of it, you could also use the EQ and boost those frequencies lost, like the way a treble bleed mod does. Combined with the amp block compression, you can get a lot of versatility without changing rigs or even adding a clean boost or morph of the gain.

  • Love this! The ducking feature in general seems really musical. I use it all the time for the delays. Now that i think of it, you could also use the EQ and boost those frequencies lost, like the way a treble bleed mod does. Combined with the amp block compression, you can get a lot of versatility without changing rigs or even adding a clean boost or morph of the gain.

    Yes, also can be used as treble bleed :) Or other, more wacky stuff too. Cheerios!

  • Wow, this is really an effective technique!
    One of my biggest peeves with the Kemper is that there always seems to be a constant level, no matter how dynamic you play or how dynamic the profile is. This really takes care of that and gives the illusion of depth. There definitely is a tipping point you need to find where it doesn't feel artificial, but when found I like the way it enhances the profile.

  • Wow, this is really an effective technique!
    One of my biggest peeves with the Kemper is that there always seems to be a constant level, no matter how dynamic you play or how dynamic the profile is. This really takes care of that and gives the illusion of depth. There definitely is a tipping point you need to find where it doesn't feel artificial, but when found I like the way it enhances the profile.

    Cool guys, glad you are finding it useful.


    More videos like this coming with tips so subscribe to the channel if you wanna keep up :)


    Cheerios

  • Thanks a lot.


    But what frequencies do you boost or lower for this exemple ?

    No prob -- settings shown at 3:08 in, should be: high frequency 20.6, high gain -12, ducking at 3.5 ;)