What I learned from Kemper

  • Before using the Kemper I played a Mesa Roadster for about 3 years in my cover band. Last night while going through my library of profiles it hit me just how much I dislike the tone of Mesa...pretty much all of them. Over the 3 years I had the amp I was subconsciously trying to turn it into a British sound via EQ, how I set mode switches and tubes. Even then it still retained most of the inherent Mesa tone. Going through Kemper profiles, comparing, bouncing back and forth, all of the inherent characteristics of our favorite amps that we've heard or read descriptions of come through in a very bold and unmistakable way. What I'm getting at is this. Unless you are fortunate enough to have 50 amps in a room to A/B, it is very difficult to really know what you like or how to get that sound you heard on a particular song and can't get it out of your head . Kemper cures this problem. Now I know exactly what I like...Fender type cleans and EL34 monsters (especially Friedmans). And there isn't a Friedman within 500 miles of where I live. I would have never known nor would I have paid that much for one. Kemper has opened up a whole new world to me!!!

  • Indeed, I could not agree more!


    I'd spent a lot of time believing I knew exactly what I liked and was influenced a lot by bands I admired and reviews I read. But it turns out that my favourite clean tones aren't from Fender type amps at all and my ideal drive tones are far less modern than I thought! I'm not really that bothered if my Splawn crunch profile sounds exactly like the real deal, or if the Friedman BE100 clean profile is 100% authentic, I just know that they are perfect for me. I've never had a 'proper' amp where I could get my perfect clean channel and perfect lead channel before; I'd always have to make a compromise but now I don't. And I finally feel that if I was able to have a signature amp, I'd have a very good idea of what I'd want!

  • I had a similar realization. At home I used the line6 pod studio with pod farm for years. I always knew it's not the nicest tone you get, but, you know, it kinda does the job at home and enables you to record ideas n stuff. I used to play some dual recto simulation. Then, when I went to get myself a tube amp after playing on a borrowed Diezel Herbert for quite a while, I wanted to go 6505. Glad I saved for the Kemper instead (I have to admit I didn't know about it for quite some time... 8 kind of slept for some time in that regard, learned about it just in time), because it showed me that 1. I really dislike the recto, 2. the 6505 was close but not quite there yet and that, simply because I had a nearly endless virtual tube head testing room at hand, 5153 el34 is absolutely what I want.


    Still, dealing with the Kemper feels finding your feet. I barely made my first steps.

  • Kemper is great that way, but there's a tendency of almost all profiles/ profilers to use common usual microphones. As much as you think you dislike Messa, with a different Microphone, you might be surprised who much you would like the sound.


    I haven't seen any profile using the coles 4038 ribbon mic. It adds so much midds and low end.
    Also with speakers, most you will see the usual celestion speakers as they make most of the profiles. You don't see many eminence for example.


    From my experience. fortunately you can load impulse responses. try something other than celestion speakers and try whatever not so common microphones and you will be surprised how much even the microphone type will have maybe just as much difference as using a different amp all together.

  • Yeah, that's been a big shock for me, how much of the "tone" comes from the cab/speakers, and how much variation there is between different cabs and speakers. I never really swapped speakers IRL, I definitely didn't appreciate how big of a difference they can make. Along with the mic/mic technique. Pretty amazing really, the kind of difference a cab sim swap can make.

    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.

  • This is definitely one of the great things about the Kemper. Especially if you load up a load of profiles in RM and scroll through them without looking to see which is which (preferably with the cab locked). Can learn a lot about what you like/dislike.


    To the point about mics & cabs making a big difference, this is one of the reasons I wish more commercial profile vendors would include more Direct profiles (although my preference is probably based on mainly playing live with a powerrack and guitar cab). Was glad to see ReampZone include DI profiles with all the knobs at 12 o'clock. While the Kemper EQ may not replicate that of the original amp its a good starting point for tweaking.

  • Yes kemper teaches some great things about amps and tone , I'm now very found or Vox ACx amps , it's my main tone ATM . I also bought a real JTM30 and a mark IIC++ after liking the profiles so much. Yes KPA is so great for comparison purposes , it's so easy to get A/B without having to swap real cabs , cables ...


    I you like warm fender tones and want to test my best boogie warm clean tone home made profile, please give a try to my ' boogie on spring ' with built-in spring verb


    I'm sure you"ll reconciliate with boogies then ;)


    original thread here

  • "I'm sure you"ll reconciliate with boogies then "


    Lol.....you know, I did love my Mesa clean. And honestly, I didn't mind the other channels but it wasn't until I was scrolling through profiles and every time a Mesa came up it had that same...not sure what you call it...scooped, big bottom and slightly fizzy top. No matter how it's EQed there is still that inherent "thing" that makes it a Mesa!


    I will check out your mesa clean. Also want to find a Mesa TC50 profile. I need the EL's!!!!!

  • SouthDakota : It is a very interesting point of view. Thank you We got terrific basic amp tones , the dry sound is interesting. I think Kemper must now work on developping better effects (like the reverb that is coming soo... well errrr .... (coughing) like the reverb that is coming.... eventually ;)

  • I have played pretty much only Mesa since 1984. I’ve loved them all and still do! The Kemper gives me a way to get all my Mesa’s in one head though whoch is just mind blowing.


    I know what you mean about the Mesa profiles though. It seems that most people only profile them with Metal tones and V30 4x12 Recto cabs. I fnd those profiles WAY too scooped and fizzy for my tastes (in all the years I’ve owned Boogies I’ve pretty much never engaged a scooped V GEQ on the real thing sounds don’t want to load profiles like that either). The one thong I have learned about Mesa’s though I that I absolutely hate the Recto 4x12 cab. My old Rev G 2 channel Recto with a pair of EVM12L thiele ported cabs is much more my thing. I confirmed this before buying a Kemper as I had been using a Two Notes Torpedo loadbox and Wall of Sound for IRs. Every time I would load a Recto 4x12 IR the sound would go all horrible scooped mids with hyped bass and fizzy highs. Different cabinet IRs totally changed it though.


    However the Kemper has also taight me how much I love Vox AC style amps for cleans and edge of break up tones!

  • Very good point. I think you are spot on as for most mesa profiles being dialed into that traditional scooped sound. And I didn't mean to bash mesa. I had mine sounding great with KT77's and some EQ changes. Even so, I'm still drawn more to the Friedman's, JCM 800, Orange kind of vibe......And again, even more so now after scrolling through my Kemper!