all profiles sounds the same?

  • I think you should mic up an amp, listen to it with the headphones through your interface/soundcard, then profile that amp with the mic in the same position and listen to that profile with the same headphones and see how different they sound. If it’s drastic there’s clearly an issue.

  • well there is something like the Kempertone or the Kemperflavour... the amps sound ultra close to the original + the distinctive Kemper sound, stiffer sound less cream, compression and sag and not so dense mids. Let's say the kemper is 95% the original sound and 5% other stuff. Once you hear it is hard to unhear it but still for me there is enough left of the original sound that i like the kemper versions overall.


    But don't hate on the kemper all digital devices have this. Helix has the Low end problem, Axe fx highs, Bias has the gainstructure problem, elevenrack has the dynamics problem ... only because they mimic other tones doesn't mean they have a sound on their own, so yeah. Don't Worry! :)

    So much knowledge and truth on a few lines.

  • I think you should mic up an amp, listen to it with the headphones through your interface/soundcard, then profile that amp with the mic in the same position and listen to that profile with the same headphones and see how different they sound. If it’s drastic there’s clearly an issue.

    All of that is not really in the cards for me. I live in an apartment and all my tube amps I had are blown . I also have no recording gear

  • well there is something like the Kempertone or the Kemperflavour... the amps sound ultra close to the original + the distinctive Kemper sound, stiffer sound less cream, compression and sag and not so dense mids. Let's say the kemper is 95% the original sound and 5% other stuff. Once you hear it is hard to unhear it but still for me there is enough left of the original sound that i like the kemper versions overall.


    But don't hate on the kemper all digital devices have this. Helix has the Low end problem, Axe fx highs, Bias has the gainstructure problem, elevenrack has the dynamics problem ... only because they mimic other tones doesn't mean they have a sound on their own, so yeah. Don't Worry! :)

    This is extremely true..I've owned most of these, and they all have their issues. I typically play my Powerhead thru a Recto 4x12 (turning off the cab) and once I dial in the eq and gain the way I like it,the subtle differeneces between different amps becomes less apparent...I.E. my cab has a "tone" to it that colors whatever I put through it. Recording direct with the cab sims is a whole different story. Fenders sound like Fenders, Marshalls sound different than Friedman, etc.. Thte Kemper does it's own "thing" to the sound a bit..(A bit more compression, sag, sometimes too pristine..etc,,) but I find it's super close to the original...I tend to back off the gain a smidge, roll off the presence, but add treble, and add just a bit of low end to make it not so "perfect"..(Like a tube amp can be).These are all very slight adjustments (for me).

  • So oddly the one profile ive found that sounds like a tube amp is an ola profile (bug area3 rack) now I'm confused beyond belief haha. Because that rack profile sounds great. So now I'm thinking it's not a problem with the Kemper but just maybe how I think things the sound? :/ either way I appreciate all your help guys. Any more profile sites to check besides tone junkie is greatly appreciated (and yes I have rig manager) so any profile's in there I should check out would be cool too. :)

  • I found a profile with less mids issue. After trying thousands of profiles (even paying for some commercial packs) i stick with one profile for my main gainy rhythm tone, and i only use another profile for clean to crunch tone with my band, i tweak both profiles depending the song-gain-fx's.

    This profile is the XTC PLEXI BLUE 2 ANAL by maizin you can find in rig exchange. Equalized for even more mids and gain up to 6.9 for juicy and organic metal tone, versatile. (Yes, metal, but i hate all reampzone, sinmix, and similar extreme and scooped tones). Apart from these i can recommend mbritt cranckngo, cililab, and tonejunkie. They have free demo profiles.


    Recently i have been a/bing between a lot of profiles with my ironheart 60w. I always use a 2x12 v30 cab. There was always more richness in the mids with the ironheart, even compared to one profile I made using the loop send of this head. This mids issue make the profiles more similar through a cab and less defined. I also notice a weaker attack with the kemper, with tubes i hear like a clean transient even with tons of gain, and that makes also a better note definition.


    Maybe is an issue with my kemper.

    I think the kemper is the best option, but it makes its best using the line output, for recording or PA, but i can,t get used to the frfr monitor sound in a full band live, i don't have a high quality monitor, but i am not sure it will make the difference.


    Soon i will profile some amps in a studio and then i will be able to judge if the mids issue or any possible difference is negligible or not, but i suspect this way (through studio monitors) in a mix is where the kemper shines.


    I recently DI-profiled my blackstar ht-5 and the mids weakness was slightly there (maybe is a DI fault).

    Maybe my ears are blown, some people recomend more bass and treble in profiles buy i always need more mids or filtering bass and treble.

  • Is it at all possible that you have the cab section turned off? If you do that all profiles will sound so different from what a tube amp through guitar speakers sounds like, and each in the same way, you might percieve them as similar. There are still pretty significant differences between profiles, but the term "fizzy" could probably be universally applied.

  • The cab profiles not turned off, and yes in regards to the pick attack, that's another thing I was noticing. if you turn the gain up past 6.5 it seems to just become mush . I thought maybe I was crazy

  • The KPA is not a modeler, so the Gain knob does not work like on a modeler. If you are substantially turning up the Gain on most profiles, that may explain why they sound similar to each other. The KPA is adding pure gain to the original amp Profile, not modeling the original amps Gain structure at a higher setting.


    If you want results with the Gain Control that more accurately reflect the original amp, find a rig with more gain than you need, and turn the Gain down.

  • The KPA is not a modeler, so the Gain knob does not work like on a modeler. If you are substantially turning up the Gain on most profiles, that may explain why they sound similar to each other. The KPA is adding pure gain to the original amp Profile, not modeling the original amps Gain structure at a higher setting.


    If you want results with the Gain Control that more accurately reflect the original amp, find a rig with more gain than you need, and turn the Gain down.

    Great tip, thanks!

  • Hey Sheepfan, I mentioneed it before, but if I were you I would check out the Tone Junkie Kemper Tips and Tricks videos. They have one specifically on the Gain control. Before I got my KPA I watched them all and could diagnose what was wrong with YouTubers who had bad tone on their KPA. Most of the time it's just that they were used to how a tube amp functions and trying to dial in the KPA the same way.

  • I feel like this is a common issue in Kemperland, and there is no "one size fits all" solution. Everything suggested in this thread is good to try. Here's a few more:


    - Try completely disabling Pure Cab, not just turning the value to 0.


    - Try switching from over-the-ear headphones to in-ear monitors. I now use Shure SE215s which made a positive difference.


    - Experiment with enabling/disabling the Space parameter (it is supposed to add "air" into the sound with headphones to better simulate hearing it in a room I think.)


    To be honest, I do still experience that feeling of sameness in profiles though, especially since I tend to favor British style amps with similar characteristics. So you are not alone.