Kemper Profiling Day in Tokyo Vol 2

  • As some of you know, I have a nice "little" collection of profiles already, but today I found something NEW!! I was searching for profiles of Koch Amps and a pack of Suhr Badger. And then:


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    Amplifiers

    • Fender '65 TwinReverb...6 rigs (GAIN 0.0)
    • Hughes & Kettner TriAmp MkII...16 rigs (GAIN 0.0~6.3)
    • Koch Powertone MarkIII...16 rigs (GAIN 1.3~6.7)
    • Marshall JCM2000 TSL100...8 rigs (GAIN 2.9~5.0)
    • MESA/Boogie Dual Rectifier...8 rigs (GAIN 4.8~7.5)
    • Peavey 5150II...24 rigs (GAIN 2.0~6.1)
    • Splawn NITRO...24 rigs (GAIN 0.0~6.6)
    • Suhr Badger 18...28 rigs (GAIN 1.4~6.9)

    https://gumroad.com/l/wsPr
    https://gumroad.com/vivix


    I think I'll purchase the complete bundle and give it a try - the demos sound nice. What do you think @ashtweth @Monkey_Man

  • I bought the H&K Triamp MKII pack. I'm always on the lookout for MKII profiles, It's my favorite amp I've owned, and It's not profiled often. It's a decent pack, the tones are mostly good...they don't include any profiles of channel 3B, which is a very strange decision when profiling this amp. And there's only 16 profiles. I don't mind paying $13 for 16 profiles, but this a pretty simple pack. Looks like you get 4 different gain/eq settings and 4 mic/cab profiles for each gain/eq setting. There's probably 4-6 profiles I like, I'm glad I bought it, I'm not jumping up and down in excitement, buy it's not a bad pack.


    Edit: Unless my ears fail me, the four LEAD profiles are identical to the RHY ones...I can't tell any difference at all switching back and forth...weird.And it is odd that the LEAD profiles show channel 3A like the RHY ones, same gain and everything, when you would expect they use 3B, I wonder if they doubled up by mistake. I mean, they sound IDENTICAL.

    Disclaimer: When I post demo clips for profiles, there will be some minimal post-processing, unless stated otherwise. I normally double-track hard L/R, and add to the main buss a small amount of EQ and a limiter/comp set pretty light as well. Sometimes I get test profiles in advance of release, though 90% of my clips will be from packs I have purchased.

    Edited 2 times, last by Locrain ().

  • No delay or other FX added?


    I've often seen vendors changing only the FX and maybe drive setting for lead Rigs. Could it be that this sort of thing was done but that you've got the slots that might've been used locked off?

    That was my thought too, but no, all the stomps and effects are blank (except reverb) on all of their profiles. And If I switch to something else all effects switch and work fine. So I don't think it's that.


    Edit: This is what I mean when I say identical..maybe I'm losing it, but I can't hear any difference. I start why the rhythm and switch back and forth quite a few times over the course of the recording.


    https://soundcloud.com/user218712932/rhy-lead


    One thing I did notice...they have a PDF where they show gain levels for each setting (CLEAN/CRUNCH/RHY/LEAD) and they show 6.3 for RHY, but 6.1 for LEAD. Which would make perfect sense if they had profiled channel 3B, that they would have turned the knob down and still gotten a higher gain lead tone. But not if they had left it on 3A. If they had done that, the only way it would have made sense is if they increased the gain on the amp, or added a pedal...but they sound they same to me.


    Who knows. ?(

    Disclaimer: When I post demo clips for profiles, there will be some minimal post-processing, unless stated otherwise. I normally double-track hard L/R, and add to the main buss a small amount of EQ and a limiter/comp set pretty light as well. Sometimes I get test profiles in advance of release, though 90% of my clips will be from packs I have purchased.

    Edited once, last by Locrain ().

  • I bought the H&K Triamp MKII pack. I'm always on the lookout for MKII profiles, It's my favorite amp I've owned, and It's not profiled often. It's a decent pack, the tones are mostly good...they don't include any profiles of channel 3B, which is a very strange decision when profiling this amp. And there's only 16 profiles. I don't mind paying $13 for 16 profiles, but this a pretty simple pack. Looks like you get 4 different gain/eq settings and 4 mic/cab profiles for each gain/eq setting. There's probably 4-6 profiles I like, I'm glad I bought it, I'm not jumping up and down in excitement, buy it's not a bad pack.


    Edit: Unless my ears fail me, the four LEAD profiles are identical to the RHY ones...I can't tell any difference at all switching back and forth...weird.And it is odd that the LEAD profiles show channel 3A like the RHY ones, same gain and everything, when you would expect they use 3B, I wonder if they doubled up by mistake. I mean, they sound IDENTICAL.

    The LEAD rigs are not from 3A as you have written, they are from channel 2B - and that is correctly shown in Rig Manager! Channel 2B is perfect for lead tones on the Triamp - so that fits.
    It's also common to use channel 3A for riffs and power chords - even the manual from H&K says so.
    The TriAmp RHY 8 and the ViViX TriAmp LEAD 8 are noticeably different. You are totally right, the other RHY vs LEAD are very close in this pack! But I can hear sliiightly differences. To prove that these are not the same, do this: Set Definition on both corresponding rigs to 10 and compare. Or go for the extreme and set Gain and Defintion on 10. Now you see, that the profiles react and sound very different. That there is some kind of "sameness" between the channels was discussed with the real amp too. And when in this case the same speaker and mic (position) are used - that's the result. Ask Sinmix for this :thumbup:


    I give a feedback to the other packs after some testing.

  • Preliminary conclusions and findings:


    - This Masahiro "Godspeed" Aoki guy is a crazy good player and composer - and Kemper user for a long time as can be seen in his videos.
    - These are merged profiles. At least they call it merged in the video. For example of the Triamp pack: I think they did 4 direct profiles of 4 channels and then combining each with 4 cab/mic combinations - resulting in 16 profiles.
    - The complete package covers a nice range of classic amps. Except for the Splawn Nitro, I am familiar with these and they did a good job to present very authentic recreations!
    - I think they did not intend to make single packs that represent necessarily the full potential of each amp in EVERY detail. It can be seen as a complete bundle that covers sweet spots from clean to highgain from different amps.
    - But although the packs belong together in my opinion, the purchase of single packs can still be worth it. I have to test more, but the Boogie and Koch amps are spot on and really sound as I remember them. The Koch KCC412 B Cabinet is great! Love it!
    - I guess they'll use external pedals (or Kemper stomps) with the profiles. At least this works better here as I did have experienced with other profiles - not only with clean rigs. For example the Boogie responds to (and benefits from) a TS pedal like the original amp. Very nice.


    Some of the profiles sound very close. I think they have a clear vision and just go for the guitar sound they need and like (even if it results in a few very similar profiles). It's more like a complentary signature bundle than a few neutral amp packs. If you like one of the sounds, you can be sure you like the others too. You can see this aspect also the other way around ^^


    I will test further ... but I have already some fun with them :thumbup:

    Edited 3 times, last by Ibot39 ().

  • Great review, Tobi!


    In case anyone's interested, here's a list of Aoki-san's video-game compositions, arrangements and playing contributions:


    http://capcom.wikia.com/wiki/Masahiro_Aoki


    Of course, he plays "normal" music too ~ prog rock & metal, jazz, "instrumental" rock and "epic" rock...

  • The LEAD rigs are not from 3A as you have written, they are from channel 2B - and that is correctly shown in Rig Manager! Channel 2B is perfect for lead tones on the Triamp - so that fits.It's also common to use channel 3A for riffs and power chords - even the manual from H&K says so.

    You're right of course, I looked but must have clicked on the wrong one. I see what you mean about the profiles changing differently when you adjust the parameter you mentioned. Yes, 2B is great for lead tones, but in a heavier context, I really preferred 3B for leads with 3A for my rhythm tone...it just seems weird to me to profile this amp and not profile 3B, I guess I'm just salty about not getting my favorite channel, haha. Plus, like you mention, 3 out of the 4 rhy/lead profiles sound soooo close, they are practically the same. I hear the difference between lead 8 and rhy 8, but the others are too close for me to tell the difference. No one every accused me of having a great ear though. :D


    And this is all spot-on:

    Some of the profiles sound very close. I think they have a clear vision and just go for the guitar sound they need and like (even if it results in a few very similar profiles). It's more like a complentary signature bundle than a few neutral amp packs. If you like one of the sounds, you can be sure you like the others too. You can see this aspect also the other way around

    Not my favorite approach. but the tones that are here are very good. Some of the better ones I've found for the MKII. I still have one of them, maybe I should try profiling it. I've never profiled anything, so I don't know what I'm doing. But I do have some SM57s and a couple different cabs so maybe I should try it.


    - The complete package covers a nice range of classic amps. Except for the Splawn Nitro, I am familiar with these and they did a good job to present very authentic recreations!
    - I think they did not intend to make single packs that represent necessarily the full potential of each amp in EVERY detail. It can be seen as a complete bundle that covers sweet spots from clean to highgain from different amps.
    - But although the packs belong together in my opinion, the purchase of single packs can still be worth it. I have to test more, but the Boogie and Koch amps are spot on and really sound as I remember them. The Koch KCC412 B Cabinet is great! Love it!

    Interesting points. here. I might consider the whole pack, because like I said, the tones that are here are very good.

    Disclaimer: When I post demo clips for profiles, there will be some minimal post-processing, unless stated otherwise. I normally double-track hard L/R, and add to the main buss a small amount of EQ and a limiter/comp set pretty light as well. Sometimes I get test profiles in advance of release, though 90% of my clips will be from packs I have purchased.

    Edited once, last by Locrain ().

  • @Locrain What about "just" doing direct profiles of your Triamp? All channels! ;)


    It will be loud as hell, but it is done rather fast and you don't have to move mics... Cause the “Tokyo Pack" has merged profiles, you can than use the cabs with the direct profiles and get authentic results.

  • @Locrain What about "just" doing direct profiles of your Triamp? All channels! ;)


    It will be loud as hell, but it is done rather fast and you don't have to move mics... Cause the “Tokyo Pack" has merged profiles, you can than use the cabs with the direct profiles and get authentic results.

    That's a really good idea, thanks.


    Loud is fine, no neighbors, just need earplugs. Can I do it outside? :D

    Disclaimer: When I post demo clips for profiles, there will be some minimal post-processing, unless stated otherwise. I normally double-track hard L/R, and add to the main buss a small amount of EQ and a limiter/comp set pretty light as well. Sometimes I get test profiles in advance of release, though 90% of my clips will be from packs I have purchased.