No usable Kemper Tones

  • I somehow can understand the OPs issue..what I do to most "modern high gain" profiles is:


    1. rolling back the presence to taste

    2.rolling back the "definition" to taste

    3.if needed use the treble knob bring in the "air" lost by the first two steps.


    Works fine in my case.The fizz I don't like with most modern high gain profiles goes away while the amp gets more character.


    Note that I don't do anything like that with good vintage kind of stuff (let's say mbritt & TopJimi plexis etc)..


    Ps


    The "definition" is the most crucial "voicing" asset within the whole kpa system imo.I use it a lot and before I touch bass,mid,treble knobs on any more modern "fizzy" profile.

  • It could be low level overall or simply the waveform-display-size setting.

    Good point. I only work with Studio One, and when a buddy sends me a really loud mix, I can pretty much guess that the waveforms are blown to the sky...track quieter, my dudes. :D


    Where have you been all my life, Bruce?

    F**king around with a bunch of tube amps.

    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.

  • Another thing that I think I have screwed up on... I've been sending the Kemper into my interfaces mic-pre and I would assume that is a big non-no. I think that was messing with the sound as well? On the Kemper it says the main output is at -12dB, and I would turn the mic-pre in my interface to -15 dB also or something like this. The thing I also don't get is... if the Main Out is set to -12 and I turn up the master volume or the volume switch louder... wouldn't that in effect take the main output to a higher level? Also, Monkey_Man, do you ever print effects from the Kemper. I know you run the DI as well. Just curious if there is a profile that you're like... this is perfect... I don't need to mess with it?

  • Guys, I know how shitty this sounds. It's badly out of tune. I will take the guitar into GC tomorrow to get the intonation right. C# just doesn't seem to hold on the guitar I rebuilt. I know this is painful to listen to, but the main thing is how shitty the recording sounds. Keep in mind a few things... like a dumbass, I printed the effects, I also send the Kemper into a mic-pre and probably had the mic pre at -6 to -12dB I am honestly not sure. This is a Marshall JCM800 Top Jimi. Apologies to Jimi as I know how good these sound and I surely did not do them justice!


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    Apologies to all of you... I know none of you deserve to hear this... but thank you.

  • Guys, I know how shitty this sounds. It's badly out of tune. I will take the guitar into GC tomorrow to get the intonation right. C# just doesn't seem to hold on the guitar I rebuilt. I know this is painful to listen to, but the main thing is how shitty the recording sounds. Keep in mind a few things... like a dumbass, I printed the effects, I also send the Kemper into a mic-pre and probably had the mic pre at -6 to -12dB I am honestly not sure. This is a Marshall JCM800 Top Jimi. Apologies to Jimi as I know how good these sound and I surely did not do them justice!


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    Apologies to all of you... I know none of you deserve to hear this... but thank you.

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    Edited once, last by Storms_of_Evermore: I can't get this damn thing to post. Anyway, hopefully this works? I can't do anything right: This is at Soundcloud storms-of-evermore/marshall-jcm800-top-jimi/s-LsMUg ().

  • <iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/518523405%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-LsMUg&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe>

  • The thing I also don't get is... if the Main Out is set to -12 and I turn up the master volume or the volume switch louder... wouldn't that in effect take the main output to a higher level?

    Of course. The point is that if the output signal is too hot and clipping the input of your device, -12 db might just bring it down to a level that will not.


    EDIT: Put the brakes on son! Edit, don't chain-post please. Take your soundcloud share link, pack it in between [ media ] and [ /media ] (take out the spaces in the media tags, only way could get it to show up), and it should work a little better than whatever is going on here.


    Edit2: You did it right, but the track is private. You need to click "share track" or whatever it says, and post that link.

    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 ().

  • Of course. The point is that if the output signal is too hot and clipping the input of your device, -12 db might just bring it down to a level that will not.


    EDIT: Put the brakes on son! Edit, don't chain-post please. Take your soundcloud share link, pack it in between [ media ] and [ /media ] (take out the spaces in the media tags, only way could get it to show up), and it should work a little better than whatever is going on here.

    It's not clipping in the DAW. The DAW is showing generally -20 to -24dB, sometimes I bring it up to -15dB max in the DAW.

  • It's not clipping in the DAW. The DAW is showing generally -20 to -24dB, sometimes I bring it up to -15dB max in the DAW.

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  • Edit, don't chain-post please.

    I wish the entire forum would heed this excellent advice, Bruce. Cheap posting is a huge bugbear of mine, as is quoting entire nested quotes by default (unnecessary), even when someone is a first responder to to a post.


    Oh forum-etiquette thread, wherefore art thou? Oh yeah, that's right, linked to in my sig.

    I've been sending the Kemper into my interfaces mic-pre and I would assume that is a big non-no. I think that was messing with the sound as well? On the Kemper it says the main output is at -12dB, and I would turn the mic-pre in my interface to -15 dB also or something like this.

    You sure you're using the mic pre? It may be automatically-disabled in the interface if you attenuate, which you're doing by dialling it in at -15dB. Technically a mic pre should not allow attenuation (negative values) 'cause it's a preamp, and no microphone needs to be turned down before it's amplified to line level, which is what mic pre's are for.

    The thing I also don't get is... if the Main Out is set to -12 and I turn up the master volume or the volume switch louder... wouldn't that in effect take the main output to a higher level?

    You can decouple the master-volume knob from your output-dB setting, so that takes care of that (done in the Output menu).

    Also, Monkey_Man, do you ever print effects from the Kemper. I know you run the DI as well. Just curious if there is a profile that you're like... this is perfect... I don't need to mess with it?

    I haven't actually recorded with it yet (long story), so it's all-theory at this point, but I don't expect to print effects often if at all. My old-school philosophy is to favour studio FX (these days that'd be plugins) over built-in ones, whether they be on a guitar unit, synthesiser or whatever. The reasoning is that not only are dedicated effects units and plugins generally-better, but as an engineer I'd prefer to be able to tailor them to an arrangement during mixing.


    If you're light on plugins or require certain FX from the Kemper to be used, that DI track you're now always going to record can save you:

    Reamp the track and experiment with the onboard FX "in-situ" whilst the song is playing. This way it's pretty much the same as tweaking a plugin whilst mixing.


    Ideally, you'd record the FX separately via the main outs. I'm not up with what the settings are called and whatnot, but IIRC it's possible to feed the Kemper's FX to these outs separately. My guess is you'd set the amp block to go to the monitor out (mono) and FX to main (stereo).


    EDIT:

    Crumpets, what a flurry of new posts. Here I was responding to post #25 and you guys have added 8 since then.


    I'll read the new entries now and amend this post if it's redundant...

  • Sorry guys, I tried to post the Soundcloud links but could not figure it out. Did not mean to spam everyone. I will just experiment and figure it all out. You guys have given me tremendous guidance. Thank you so much.

  • The links for soundclound aren't working?

    Works for me.


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    When I went to his track, it said "private". OP, right below your track on soundcloud should be a share button, click that and copy the link provided, If there is no share button, look into your settings and see if you need to make your profile public or something?

    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.

  • Works for me.


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    When I went to his track, it said "private". OP, right below your track on soundcloud should be a share button, click that and copy the link provided, If there is no share button, look into your settings and see if you need to make your profile public or something?

    This :thumbup:It needs to be public! Your track shows up fine, Bruce! ;)


    Edit: Sounds awesome BTW! :D

  • It's not clipping in the DAW. The DAW is showing generally -20 to -24dB, sometimes I bring it up to -15dB max in the DAW.

    That's fine, but by "device", I mean your interface. It is super-duper possible for me to clip the input of my babyface, but not clip into studio one as long as the output of my device is low...(apparently Studio One 3 doesn't clip no matter how hard you push the Input level). But oh boy, I can hear it clipping in the speakers.



    Edit/disclaimer: I am new enough at this to be totally and completely wrong, please pay more attention to Monkey_Man's posts than mine, this is just my current understanding.

    This :thumbup:It needs to be public! Your track shows up fine, Bruce! ;)


    Edit: Sounds awesome BTW! :D

    Thank you 397f7c95538961c9090da40b2b0b6e229b278069 ! But Matt Belamy wrote the riff, "AlexSlenders" did the backing track, and deadpan made the profile, so I am not how much credit I should take. :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.

    Edited 2 times, last by Locrain ().