Black Magic or Science?

    I find it a bit disconcerting how few posts there are about getting better sounds and profiles from the KPA, either from the users or the creators. I have tried to add my 2¢, but there really seems to be a vacuum on this all-important aspect of the Kemper. It leaves one with the impression it is mostly 'dark magic', which neither the users nor creators totally understand...

    All modelers known to man 8o

    It might just be that the users are happy with the sound they get from the Kemper?


    Also it can be concluded that if there is no need to tweak things are great as they are?


    Just my 2 EURO Cents.....


    Dote

    To me it's the same as getting a good sound with any other fx unit, or even with an amp (with the difference being that with the KPA you have to be much more careful about making smaller adjustments to the tone and gain than you would with a real amp as it goes so much further than most real amps).


    I simply scroll through till I find a sound that I like and that reflects my mood today, then play and do most of the adjusting on the guitar. Maybe dial up a little verb or delay and that's pretty much it. If I want more definition I dial up presense and treble, if i want a tighter sound i remove the mids, and if i want to reduce bass flub i reduce the bass... the rest comes down to my guitar and fingers really.


    One thing I do with the Kemper and I'm looking for sounds is listen to the distortion characteristic and pick based on that, then from there decide if I want to change out the cab or not to sculpt the tone further. Whether I want smooth or more crunch distortion.


    Final good sound in a mix is down to arrangement and a touch of hipass. Just making sure there's room for the other instruments, especially any vocals and bass.


    TBH the unit is pretty much no-brainer for me most of the time. The one way I wish it were more amp like is if it's tone stack could mimick my amp more accurately, maybe blending through profiles using the controls at different settings. That way I could ditch the amp altogether (all I'd need to do is profile it at the different tone and gain settings and have the ekmepr automatically link them togehter based on the settings I gave it at the start of the profiling process). Sure a profile might grow, but I think I can just about squeeze a 60kb profile onto my usb stick (assuming 3 position per knob, though of course it'd be 72kb if volume = master was also profiled).

    I've noticed the same thing, and it's the first time for me, with all previous modellers the 'how to fix/improve my tone' discussions dominated the guitar forums.


    Obviously the overwhelming majority of KPA users are happy with the tones they're getting, they don't feel the need to 'fix' anything...isn't that a good thing?
    If improvements come in time then great, if not then it doesn't change the fact that it sounds great as is right now.


    The KPA has been declared a "game changing" product, read the pro reviews, they all say the same thing.


    CK changed the game, now the 'players' must get on with it.

    I just think it's a good thing for users to 'connect' and figure out what techniques seem to work best, because the manual is very vague, even to the point of being unhelpful - it's only normal to want more, no?

    All modelers known to man 8o

    Yeah, I find its a bit of a no brainer to use. I just find a profile in the ballpark of what Im looking for and dial it like an amp. Add a couple of fx and Im done.
    It felt at first as if something was missing ( not having to fiddle around to get the sound I want ) but its a luxury Ive quickly come to appreciate.
    I had my first band rehearsal without mine last night (my replacement arrives today) and we all missed it for sure.

    I know what you mean Radley.
    I find its a bit of a no brainer to use. I just find a profile in the ballpark of what Im looking for and dial it like an amp. Add a couple of fx and Im done.
    It felt at first as if something was missing ( not having to fiddle around to get the sound I want ) but its a luxury Ive quickly come to appreciate.
    I had my first band rehearsal without mine last night (my replacement arrives today) and we all missed it for sure.

    I think it's great to connect, but at the same time we're all so busy making music. I think the majority of KPA users aren't in "the race" anymore.


    I figure it's less about sharing, because that's more like writing tutorials for playing the guitar. And more about asking questions. if people need to knwo how to do something then they'll ask or complain and people will come to their rescue.


    TBH that's the way I like it. Concise information, less waflle, more doing. Good signal to noise ratio :)


    I realize I am setting myself up for endless flames, but I don't care about the majority of KPA users - I must be concerned about getting the quality/cutting edge sounds that put food on the table for a guy like me who does this solely for a living. When it comes to equipment, money is not the object - only the sonics.

    All modelers known to man 8o

    Quote from Radley

    I just think it's a good thing for users to 'connect' and figure out what techniques seem to work best,

    I'm interested in Till's discussing what the heck he did when he mic'd his "Tills1960 006" cabinet. :D
    I'm also interested in a discussion about us hiring Till's to create more 'special' cabs....or Kemper working with Till's.


    Having said that, your Gibson "Lancer" Profile sounds fantastic...it sounds 'special', so keep doing what you're doing and don't forget to share. :)

    Quote from Radley

    I realize I am setting myself up for endless flames, but I don't care about the majority of KPA users - I must be concerned about getting the quality/cutting edge sounds that put food on the table for a guy like me who does this solely for a living. When it comes to equipment, money is not the object - only the sonics.


    So then it's not a comment on the forum, you want help with producing a specific sound? The trouble is that's very circuitous, you need to start out with "I want to create this sound (insert example), help me". Otherwise no-one is going to know what you want or how to help you.

    Quote from Radley


    I realize I am setting myself up for endless flames, but I don't care about the majority of KPA users - I must be concerned about getting the quality/cutting edge sounds that put food on the table for a guy who does this solely for a living. When it comes to equipment, money is not the object - only the sonics.

    I understand.
    Keep in mind you've used a ton of gear over the last few decades to find the special 'sonics' you've used.
    Aren't you expecting too much from the KPA at this point in time, after all this is just the beginning?

    First of all it's hard to make a decision on what profiles i'm goin to use.


    Once i've tweaked a rig to my taste and i'm happy with it, there's another great profile coming up, and i can't resist trying it out, tweakin it to my taste and i'm ending up with lots of "favourite" rigs. Makes live not easier, but that's not the Kemper's fault.


    On the other end, every user plays different guitars, live setups, recording gear etc. - hard to give consequent advice that works for everybody.


    How do you proceed when you have a rig that sounds great in a recording situation or through headphones or studio monitors , and you want to have that sound in a live situation through FRFR or another live setup. Thats were i start getting lost, caus' i've been playing tube amps for 30 years, and never had to think about microphone types and postions, EQ tweaking of line signals to get that typical amp sound through an FRFR.


    But i feel that i'm getting closer to what i've ever been looking for : A versatile guitar amplification unit that keeps on evolving.


    And i must admit that i own a lot of nice amps that i really dig, but the last time i played them was at a profiling session ! :D


    Tipps and tricks to improve the live sound through an FRFR and FOH are welcome! :wacko: That's a little bit of an issue to me, but as i said, i'm getting closer .... :rolleyes:


    Cheers,


    reznor

    Quote from Guitartone

    I understand.
    Keep in mind you've used a ton of gear over the last few decades to find the special 'sonics' you've used.
    Aren't you expecting too much from the KPA at this point in time, after all this is just the beginning?


    Good point Lance - You are always balanced and fair, and I truly appreciate that! I still look for reasons to solidify my reasoning for going for something so new and different (I know, it's a personal problem) 8o . There is still so much to be learned & defined with the KPA , but I guess that's the exciting part, no? ^^

    All modelers known to man 8o

    Edited once, last by Radley ().

    Quote from reznor


    On the other end, every user plays different guitars, live setups, recording gear etc. - hard to give consequent advice that works for everybody.


    How do you proceed when you have a rig that sounds great in a recording situation or through headphones or studio monitors , and you want to have that sound in a live situation through FRFR or another live setup. Thats were i start getting lost, caus' i've been playing tube amps for 30 years, and never had to think about microphone types and postions, EQ tweaking of line signals to get that typical amp sound through an FRFR.

    This is exactly what i would say. With the KPA my personal quest for whether a modeller/profiler or whatever sounds good enough to replace my tube amps in certain situations is over. For me it is not "is the sound good?" anymore but "what situations requires which kind of tone?" A true professional like Radley (who is a fantastic player btw) who perhaps is more into getting the spirit of mellow rock, blues or jazz tones out of the KPA might need something completely different than somebody who needs to get a tone that cuts through a ultra-loudness-maximized death metal track. What might work in a mix might sound completely wrong when played alone. The KPA in a way sets a guitar player more into a producers perspective.

    Its magic of course:



    Sylvia Boorstein


    Sylvia Boorstein[/quote


    I love this quote
    perfect