Built-in Overdrive and Distortion FX

    I can't seem to get a good tone using the built in distortion and overdrive FX in the kemper. I use beyerdynamics dt-880 pros 250ohm headphones for quiet playing and an atomic neo wedge for loud playing. Is there any advice you have for when or how to use the distortion and overdrive pedals built in the kemper without them sounding thin and annoying. Plus, what is the difference between the default and pure distortion and overdrive fx?



    Here is a good tone at 2:53. I believe he is using a 59 bassman and mar distortion pedal.

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    With the right profile you really don't need drives,right?? the Marshall SRV profile from Katzback is outstanding and has become my go to lead tone, no stomp necess.
    the whole reason we needed drives is because we could not turn the head up. now we can,,YEP,,,,

    The sound in that video is really really low quality!


    But I hear a few things, firstly the sound sounds like the input of the amp is being driven with a treble booster rather than a specific distortion pedal, so try that. Second it sounds like the good old neck pickup doing their job. Thirdly there's a heap of room noise/reflection in there, so maybe slap on some verb, i found the dark hall preset quite pleasing after increasing it's mix and reducing it's length. I got pretty close using the S.Mehl 50 Vintage 2 preset, adjusting the gain a tinge, slapping on Treble Booster with a higher tone value and adding some verb.


    Oh and crank it up! You need volume for feedback.


    Best of luck!

    I tend to feel overdrives and distortions that are built in sound good when playing loud and not as inspiring when in headphones. Not impossible for me to find a clean to mid crunch profile and add a boost/stomp/dist to it but a little different approach eq wise for me and my likes.

    Quote from Dean_R

    Usually for distortions/Fuzz (muff, Rat, etc) you're better off with a very clean profile, think HIwatt, Fender twin, etc.

    there really are no rules.
    Personally, I almost never use one of my many, many fuzzes in front of a clean amp. I like the amp to have a little bit of breakup and the addition of a let's say Fuzz Face gives me many options to shape the gain-staging:

    • guitar volume alters the fuzz response
    • fuzz gain the amount of clipping in the pedal
    • fuzz volume influences the clipping in gain stage of the following amp

    It's a tightrope walk to balance all these levels.
    That being said, there is nothing wrong with the drive stomps in the Profiler, best advise is to select an amp (Profile) that works well with these.
    Just like real amps they respond differently to drive stomps, there is no magic OD setting that will make everything sound better.


    It's important to keep in mind what you are trying to achieve with the stomp:
    more gain? most likely not needed, the Profiler can create more gain than an tube amp
    tighter, more mid-focussed distortion? the classic job for a Green Scream
    adding the characteristics of a stomp to a Profile, see above this requires proper gain staging, which btw. also applies to real amps and pedals.


    Adding a stomp isn't a shortcut to great tone, it's an introduction of another preamp stage and this requires ears, intention and a careful touch to make it work.


    hth