Real amp into kemper vs direct profile into kemper

    Hi

    I have been running a friedman runt into suhr reactive load into kemper with really great results.

    So i have tried to do the same thing with other direct profiles using the same irs but with little success. It sounds so so but then when you compare with the real amp it is a long way off. Even running a distortion pedal into kemper only using irs sounds better then all the profiles from britt, choptones, ect. I have bought from almost everyone without success.

    Has anyone else found this to be the case when running your amps into the kemper vs direct profiles of the amp.

    I will keep the kemper as it works as a great ir box with fx and tuner but feel let down with the amp profiles.

    I asked some of the profile makers the same question and they were all great but said they dont know what im talking about so its possible i just might be in my head, that why i reach out to you all for idea.

    Cheers

    It is a bit confusing, if you talk about IR when you mean Kemper cabs or Kemper cab section with IR. If you are talking about just using Kemper cab section with some hardware amps and pedals, you should know that there is a big BUG affecting tone.


    The bug is only affecting tone, when you have amp part of Kemper turned off, while using the cab section. The (amp) profile - even if turned off - bleeds through and is colouring your tone. If you change the profile (in the "back", still turned off) the tone (bleeding through) changes. So it is not possible to use the cab section of the Kemper alone and get authentic results.

    I have been using a ir pack from 3sigma audio. I have cab on with the selected ir and also have the eq on (soft button ontop of stack button). I did not know of this bug.

    I will experiment with a few profiles with amp part off and cab on to see this bleed affect your talking about.

    Thanks alot for the advice

    I bought the kemper 7 months ago..i have been using it with a 2x12 cab v30. I tried some frfr but..amp-cab in the room is the real deal for me and a must when you play with a full band in a room in my opinion. But i am not sure about it, not entirely satisfied. I need a lot more mids in almost all profiles. I use the most middy profile i found, and i add mids in amp eq, post eq module, and direct monitor eq. And a bandmate already complaints about too much bass and treble. So i have been a/b-ing my amps, and yes, i find always, not a lack of mids always but a lack of mids-high mids texture and harmonics, and a little bit lack of the clean attack, the clean transient you have even with high gain on tube amps. This makes a lack of presence, when you compensate eqing..you can get shrill but without kick.

    I am making right now some DI profiles with a DI-E box millenium, and the same.

    For the profile research i used headphones and cabs, on rig exchange, all the free packs and some cililab packs(for the excelent presence they have) and mbritt cran n go.

    I know using a cab reduces versatility, but in my experience all the profiles sound a lot more similar than swaping real amps in the same cab.


    I have to try extensively the same but making studio-merged profiles.

    This is my experience right now, excelent for studio, very good for amp in the room sound, but not yet there...trying to convince myself it is user error..

    Kemper plays best with the embedded Kemper cabs- which can be astounding!

    Using something else as an IR loader will work but is needless and usually worse IME. Don't force more gain into your chain- instead look for better profiles and/or cabs.


    If you insist on using other IRs, note the differences between studio and merged profiles. Either will work but merged makes more sense on paper.


    As always, IMO & YMMV

    I can honestly say I have found the Kemper to be even better than any of my Mesa Boogies which I’ve been using almost exclusively for nearly 35 uears. I don’t feel any need to use direct or merged profiles with a traditional guitar cab either. Although when I have had to use a traditional cab it has also sounded fantastic. Ikve gigged and rehearsed mainly with MBritt profiles of amps that I don’t own and find them fabulous sounding. I have also made my own profiles of my Boogoes and in a blind A/B comparison can’t reliably/consistently tell the difference.


    The last couple of gigs I did use a guitar cab through necessity but that wouldn’t be my preferred option. You can just see the Kemper and my Mesa 112 on the front left of the drum riser below.


    In the rehearsal studio I just take the main outs and send them to the PA desk so I don’t ise any personal monitor. Ultimately, I reckon I’m going to end up with just IEM very soon.