The 'Foundational Sonics of the KPA' thread (officially sanctioned by CK)

    Christoff - I am trying to be helpful. I am very impressed that the KPA can copy my show-tested presets from another modeler so well - it is a very handy function indeed! I profiled 3 more of my amps yesterday, and it's getting better and better. 8) (I guess I still don't understand why my requests for thread deletion have not been honored - they were not posted to create a 'kerfuffle'!)

    All modelers known to man 8o

    Quote from Radley

    Christoff - I am trying to be helpful. I am very impressed that the KPA can copy my show-tested presets from another modeler so well - it is a very handy function indeed! I profiled 3 more of my amps yesterday, and it's getting better and better. 8) (I guess I still don't understand why my requests for thread deletion have not been honored - they were not posted to create a 'kerfuffle'!)


    "Kerfuffle" now thats funny :D

    Quote from Radley

    This thread is a chance for me and *anyone else* including Mr. Kemper, to speak their mind concerning the KPA. The idea here is not to simply complain, but to offer helpful suggestions to improve the product for everyone:


    I will start with this observation: I believe the KPA is a very innovative product, with vast potential - for this reason it *will* be copied (the highest form of flattery), and it is important for the originators to stay ahead of the game.


    My main issue with the KPA is not it's EQ matching abilities (they are excellent), nor it's current effects arsenal (they are limited, but adequate), nor it's Cab matching capabilities, but rather the basic nature/character of the main 'distortion engine' that is used to build all the different distortion and gain models when profiling. It simply doesn't sound/respond tubey enough - to my ears, it sounds/feels somewhere between a digital simulation and solid state, especially on the transients and attacks. There is a certain 'crackle and sputter' graininess that gives it away for me - I realize that the EQ & Cab matching is enough for many users, but I believe the *nature* of the distortion must become more analog/tubelike for the final result to be totally convincing.


    Since this thread will apparently *never* be deleted :pinch: , I will attempt to expound on my original post:


    Take your favorite distortion pedal or overdriven amp - play something sensitive with your fingers - that's right, bare flesh on the strings (a la Jeff Beck). Listen to the way the attack translates into tone - now do the same on the Kemper with a similar gain patch. It is *not* the same - it is a different feel/response altogether. My 12 year old Boss GS-10 does it way better than this, and that is why I used it as an example. The KPA is a whole new generation with so many incredible new features - I just don't want to see us lose some of the most foundational aspects for building great tones...


    Edit: As Lance reminded me - this is only a discussion. If we can do it without flames, it would be preferable and probably more profitable. To be sure, I love my KPA and it's a keeper - such a brilliant new way of approaching guitar tones - it's young and has much room to grow, and we get to enjoy the ride! :thumbup:

    All modelers known to man 8o

    Edited 2 times, last by Radley ().

    Hadley


    It's not flaming, it's discussion.


    Do you enjoy playing your 12 year old GS10 more than you enjoy playing your Kemper?
    Which tone do you prefer to feel & play, one of your GS10 tones, or your Gibson Lancer that you Profiled?
    If the sonic level of the Kemper is less than a GS10 then why would you want to keep the KPA?


    The thing is.
    You enjoy modding things, experimenting, think of all the amps/pedals you've modded over the years, do you have anything that's still stock 'standard'?
    Not everyone would have modded their gear exactly the way you have over the years, your mods were made specifically to satisfy your ears, your fingers.


    Basically, you want a modded Kemper.
    You've requested at least a dozen or so changes/mods be made to the Kemper, beginning at the foundation.
    Unfortunately for you the Kemper isn't a tube amp where you can open it up and change transformers, etc, and have someone or yourself perform all these mods...you need about 25 years of DSP coding experience to mod your KPA. :)
    CK doesn't know how to please you, he has a thousand guys raving about the "Foundational sonics of the KPA", and one guy complaining that it's all wrong.


    If you were CK what would you do, how would you please you? :)


    Blessings & Shabbat Shalom!

    Quote from JonG


    Now you're talking my language :thumbup:


    As far as I know Radley's posts are genuine and not directed to manipulate any sort of argument and clearly few people here are getting so weird about it.The only 'thing' it can't get better is the beauty of those smiling happy girls .If you probably spoke to their parents and explained to them how their daughters could be improved..well probably you would get a kick on the back side immediately and probably you would be told 'If you don't like them then go and look for some other girls'. Fair enough!But here we're talking about a tool that helps musicians do a better job than they would with an amp. So it's perfectly fine (in my opinion) to be unsatisfied with the KPA and pointing out potential issues to its creator. I personally don't like the argument 'Ok -- if you don't like it then sell it' or 'You don't like it??Then use your 30 years old boss pedal".
    I hope there will be still room for improvement for the KPA.I deleted several profiles as I could hear some sort of 'staticity' as well. However I'm quite happy with what I've got and I still need to learn how to tweak those parameters in the amp section Mr Kemper (entrepreneur and genius) was kindly talking about . So all I do I keep what sounds good, I delete what doesn't sound good. Easy like that.Personally I'm enjoying the unit and very happy about it.


    Cheers

    Quote from Radley

    I actually agree with this part of what Hadley said and many have felt it. They usually describe it as 'stiff' Hadley There are things you can do to mostly but not completely eliminate this the first being turn down the input sense below what you think would be ok secondly roll your axe volume/tone down a bit more than you would with other devices and only if needed compensate any lack of sustain by adding a little compression with the amp block parameters. Ive found this gets me the fleshy dynamic sensitive feel i like but it took me a while to get there. obviously getting the right profile to start with is important. I love my Kemper and have no purchase regrets but i did notice this stiffness from day one but you can get it where you want it with some experimenting. I think if CK added an input impedance selection choice it would greatly help in getting this type of feel as much lower impedance settings naturally get you in this ballpark.




    Chris

    Quote from Radley


    Since this thread will apparently *never* be deleted :pinch: , I will attempt to expound on my original post:


    Take your favorite distortion pedal or overdriven amp - play something sensitive with your fingers - that's right, bare flesh on the strings (a la Jeff Beck). Listen to the way the attack translates into tone - now do the same on the Kemper with a similar gain patch. It is *not* the same - it is a different feel/response altogether. My 12 year old Boss GS-10 does it way better than this, and that is why I used it as an example. The KPA is a whole new generation with so many incredible new features - I just don't want to see us lose some of the most foundational aspects for building great tones...


    I would also add that the AFX II delivers here much more convincingly than the KPA. Bring on the flames people...I really don't give a damn any more! 8o


    I agree with you. I raised this a few times in other threads in that although the profiled version of my amp may initially "sound" the same as the real amp, it certainly does not respond as well as the real amp. I find that when I play the real amp there is lots of reaction from the amp which makes for a "lively" playing experience. However, the profiled version of the amp lacks the same "liveliness" completely, unless of course you start using compression pedals, but I don't want to use a compression pedal because that then changes the sound completely. I always call it how it is. I have no vested interest in any particular piece of equipment other than I want it to do the job that I expect and if it doesn't quite do that then I will say so.....but it always results in "defenders of the faith" launching an assault on what should actually be a useful discussion to further the development of the KPA. Ready the flame-thrower !

    Quote from ChrisBeaver

    [quote='Radley',index.php?page=Thread&postID=26466#post26466]


    There are things you can do to mostly but not completely eliminate this the first being turn down the input sense below what you think would be ok secondly roll your axe volume/tone down a bit more than you would with other devices and only if needed compensate any lack of sustain by adding a little compression with the amp block parameters. Ive found this gets me the fleshy dynamic sensitive feel i like but it took me a while to get there.


    Chris



    what he said. this helps a bit. i also belong to the "still-missing-a-little-bit-of-true-amplike-response-crew", especially with extremely dynamic picking styles, as described by radley. stop beatin him for having a point here fellas... ;)