Allow me to clarify. By small, I mean 5 inch monitors or smaller. I have 8 inch monitors and am quite happy.
i’m using A7x without a sub and I couldn’t be happier 
In fact, for many people a sub creates more problems than it solves unless their room is adequately treat with sufficient bass trapping.
(I am replying to both silhouette and tyrone with one “quote” just to save space as it’s difficult to quote properly on an iPad)
Distorted guitars can sound good on any size speaker? Even earbuds or a laptop? Sorry, not my experience at all.
Well it may not be ideal, but we all listen to music containing distorted guitars on all of these different types of speakers (so if you are comparing in a mix or for recording you can definitely get used to that sound)
...it does not sound like guitar->amp->cab->room->ears, of course.
We can rule out lack of playing skills. You're a player man. 
There you go, Les Paul - Kemper - Reaper via SPDIF.
No EQ, compression. Fist clip is a Topjimi Caswell profile, the second M Britt JCM 800.
Maybe it sounds a little annoying. But, can you post a soundclip with the same riff (or at least played twice) a) with the profile and b) only DI Guitar sound?
Just plug your kemper via direct send and in the output section select GIT STUDIO in that output. For me is something with your guitar, but maybe i'm wrong. Maybe your signal is muddy...like tone knob or something.
Display MoreI think I need to leave this thread before it drives me crazy.
Distorted guitars can sound good on any size speakers (including ear buds or a laptop). Are they going to sound like a 4x12 cranked?.... probably not.
The Kemper is really incredible at reproducing the sound and feel of any amp as played in the studio. That being said, it's also great at outputting studio sound to full range PA monitors for live use. I'm not sure how it would compare to a real amp through guitar speakers unless you were using direct profiles; I've never personally used it that way...but it seems that a requirement for accuracy would be a direct profile that eliminates differences in mics, mic preamps, and speakers.
Good tone is good tone, regardless of the playback. It's completely amateurish and unrealistic to expect the bone shaking crunch or ear piercing transients that you might get when sitting directly in front of a tube amp, after it's gone through a mic, mic preamp, been converted to digital and recorded, converted back to analog, amplified, and played back through speakers of varying sizes and quality.
I've got a room full of tube amps that rivals the showroom at most music stores, and with a good profile I could replace any one of them with the Kemper and get professional results in the recording studio or live. I mean, sheeeeeeeesh, don't even get me started on the frustrations of live sound reproduction in any venue larger than a small club. I don't care what boutique tube amp you have...it can (and likely will) be reduced to sounding like a shrill solid state pile of junk after the talentless soundman puts a misplaced junk mic in front of it and applies EQ and effects to it. The Kemper can at least help by eliminating a few of those variables.
If you're not happy with the Kemper, fair enough! If I was sitting in my bedroom jamming out during business hours, I'd probably pick a "real" amp over the Kemper myself. For any professional application (recording/live/low volume rehearsal) however, the Kemper has multiple advantages, with few if any disadvantages.
Just my opinion....signing out!
I can confirm that Direct profiles through a guitar cab sre indistinguishable from the real thing. I did a test recently with my Boogie Mark Five:25 and a pair of identical mesa cabs. I made a direct profile with a really cheap ART DI box and used an RJM PBC as a high quality A/B switcher. I used a DB meter to balance the levels betwee the two rigs. I didn’t check which was which until after I’d changed a few times. They dod sound VERY slightly different but a little EQ tweaking fixed that. However, the funning thing is, I actually preferred the Kemper profile to the real thing before tweaking.
This is something I have found with other profiles too.
I literally hate Marshalls (other than the old 4 input JMPs etc) to my mind the JCM800 is one of the modt horrible sounding amps I have ever played. However, some of my favourite rock profiles turn out to be JCM800s :-0. To be fair, I actually think I know why this is. marshalls NED to be cranked to hit the sweet spot and come to life. However, the only ti,es I’ve been forced to ise them in the past os either in rehearsal studios or on gigs with backline supplied where I just couldn’t crank them. As a result they sounded thin, tinny, shrill etc etc. The Kemper lets me get the sound and feel of these monsters at any volume I want. Still more Boogie than Marshall but the Kemper is slowly winning me over 
There you go, Les Paul - Kemper - Reaper via SPDIF.
No EQ, compression. Fist clip is a Topjimi Caswell profile, the second M Britt JCM 800.
The level sounds really low, but it sounds to me like something is clipping really badly.
This is me going through the MBritt JCM 800 pack, playing some really basic stuff. (Deleted)
I deleted the clip. I didn't realize where this was (the public forum), and don't want it to get moved.
I don't use SPDIF, but from the clip you gave us, it sounds like when I was running the input on my interface too hot. I apologize if you already answered this, but what DAW are you using? What is the dB level of the track you are recording?
There you go, Les Paul - Kemper - Reaper via SPDIF.
No EQ, compression. Fist clip is a Topjimi Caswell profile, the second M Britt JCM 800.
Yeah, that sounds off. Almost like the tone knob on your guitar was half way down
There you go, Les Paul - Kemper - Reaper via SPDIF.
No EQ, compression. Fist clip is a Topjimi Caswell profile, the second M Britt JCM 800.
Which one of the caswell profiles is it?
Display MoreThe level sounds really low, but it sounds to me like something is clipping really badly.
This is me going through the MBritt JCM 800 pack, playing some really basic stuff. (Deleted)
I deleted the clip. I didn't realize where this was (the public forum), and don't want it to get moved.
I don't use SPDIF, but from the clip you gave us, it sounds like when I was running the input on my interface too hot. I apologize if you already answered this, but what DAW are you using? What is the dB level of the track you are recording?
Yep, the clip sounds pretty muffled. I can understand why Terence would be dissatisfied.
Your point about SPDIF clipping is a good one. It took me while to realise the KPA even had a separate volume for sending SPDIF
i could not hear well too, i will need to move to another computer to hear it, it is very very low
I used mp3gain to increase the volume. Doesn't sound like it changed the tone, but people should be able to hear it better.
Here is a top jimi caswell to compare. It's the TJ Cwell AFD Med 2 M profile.
The first part is the original profile with top jimis reverb. I don't like this sound too.
The second part is tweaked. No reverb, a little delay, Amp section compressor up to 4, definition down to 8,3
Main eq: Bass+1, middle-1,7,Treble +2,0, presence 0.
Guitar is the gibson. No Spdif.
Display MoreHere is a top jimi caswell to compare. It's the TJ Cwell AFD Med 2 M profile.
The first part is the original profile with top jimis reverb. I don't like this sound too.
The second part is tweaked. No reverb, a little delay, Amp section compressor up to 4, definition down to 8,3
Main eq: Bass+1, middle-1,7,Treble +2,0, presence 0.
Guitar is the gibson. No Spdif.
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on my lap top both sounded equal and i like it
on my lap top both sounded equal and i like it
check it with headphones or monitor/stereo speaker. You'll hear the difference.
But, both didn't sound muddy imho.
In the example from Terence is definitely something wrong in the signal chain.
I think it's the pick up and maybe the pots of the guitar. Dont know what kind of wiring is in his gibson. I have 0.22 uf orange drops in my gibson.
The sound from Terence is, imho, clipping. What about the input led? What about a recording without sdif and self setted headroom? Pick up hight ok?
Is your output light on the right changing color when you dig in?
The mix is a bit bass heavy!
It might be a touch bass heavy but i really like it that way!
But, both didn't sound muddy imho.
No they didn't, Frank. Your tweak sounds bang on (and better btw) to the real deal as I used to own it and a YJM100! 
i’m using A7x without a sub and I couldn’t be happier
In fact, for many people a sub creates more problems than it solves unless their room is adequately treat with sufficient bass trapping.
(I am replying to both silhouette and tyrone with one “quote” just to save space as it’s difficult to quote properly on an iPad)
I couldn't agree more. It took me a long time with positioning and foam and old seat cushions to discover that it sounded best when you don't notice the sub. There can be a tendency to have it turned up too much.
Display MoreHere is a top jimi caswell to compare. It's the TJ Cwell AFD Med 2 M profile.
The first part is the original profile with top jimis reverb. I don't like this sound too.
The second part is tweaked. No reverb, a little delay, Amp section compressor up to 4, definition down to 8,3
Main eq: Bass+1, middle-1,7,Treble +2,0, presence 0.
Guitar is the gibson. No Spdif.
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I'm going to have to try your settings on that one.
Like I said earlier, something sounds off with T's profile samples.
