I binned my Whammy for the effect in the KPA - just not needed anymore...with the added flex of switching the effects etc.
I have zero pedals now. For me it does everything.
I binned my Whammy for the effect in the KPA - just not needed anymore...with the added flex of switching the effects etc.
I have zero pedals now. For me it does everything.
yeah me too. but i think it does everything except compression. compression is sounding cool, but not perfect. no way to sustain with comp only and attack is not impressive.
Have you tried the Comp and Pick etc in the Amp Stack ? While not a 'pedal' it's very playable .....
ive tried comp on amp stack, better but still not perfect. pick is never changed my sustain. all i need is that old attack and sustain like boss cs-3. so im using it externally. but it would be perfect to use it with kempers comp.
there is no guitar in the signal chain and hence cannot influence the profile itself.
When creating a Studio profile, during the initial stage of the process, the Kemper outputs proprietary sounds into the amp you are profiling. So no guitar influence at all. Once the first stage is complete, you can use your guitar to audition the results.
If you hate the results, start over. Try positioning the mic differently. Try putting a mover's blanket over the cab. Move the amp in the room. Replace the mic with a different one. Try two mics with a mixer. You get the idea. Profiling is an art. It takes some time to nail it.
If you think it is close but not quite the sound you are looking for, you can try refining the profile in the refining stage. It does have you playing your guitar to generate the sound the Kemper uses to do the refining stage. So technically speaking, your guitar is getting a tiny amount of influence on the finished product.
However, if you make a profile and refine it twice with different guitars, I doubt you will be able to tell the difference between the two results.
Pedal Profiling:
If you want to profile just the sound of a pedal, I have a suggestion. The drawback is that this method requires 2 Kempers; one will host the pedal profile, the other will host the amp profile. If you look here+ in this post, I describe a way to use a single Kemper with a tube amp which replaces the need for a second Kemper.
To make the pedal profile, make a Direct Amp Profile with this chain:
Kemper --> Re-amp box --> Pedal(s)* --> Solid State Preamp** --> Kemper
The re-amp box is in the chain so that the Kemper's output is at the correct level and impedance to be input to the pedal. The solid state preamp will be totally clean by itself, so it will not add or take away from the sound of the pedal. It is in the chain to do the reverse of the re-amp box. It takes the pedal's output and makes it a low impedance, line level output.
*Note that you can use two or more pedals and make a profile of their combined effect.
** Use any decent home stereo receiver or preamp that has line level outputs. If your receiver only has -10dBv output, you can use a clean mixer to convert the signal to +4 dBu. Most mixers will have RCA -10dBv inputs so you won't even need cable adapters.
Once the pedal profile is made, you have some patching options.
1. You can connect the two Kempers in series. It is your option as to which order you want the profiles. For example pedal --> tone stack or tone stack --> pedal.
2. Connect Kemper #2 in the X slot of Kemper #1. Host the pedal profile with Kemper #2.
It isn't clear to me whether the X slot can be set up before the tone stack with the latest release. If it can, you have another option to consider with this connection method. Do you place the X slot in front of or after the tone stack?
There is something else to consider. Using a fuzz, distortion, or boost pedal alters the gain staging and tonal character which determines the overall sound.
A lot of manufacturers design their pedals to emulate the gain staging and tonal character of classic amps. My Weehbo Plexface is a great example. Much of the characteristics of a specific tube amp's sound comes from the preamp section.
So why not make a profile of a preamp instead of a pedal? Then use the two Kempers to create this chain:
Preamp Profile --> Tube amp profile.
In effect, the preamp profile replaces the pedal profile. Note that routing a preamp into a preamp is the same thing as the classic Marshall Plexi and Fender Bassman amps with channel jumping.
+ There is no reason that you can't use a single Kemper with a DAP of a preamp or a pedal with a real tube amp. This has some significant advantages over a pedalboard.
I have a Voodoo Labs GCX and an RJM Mastermind GT. I place my Kemper in a loop on the GCX and patch the GCX so that the Kemper's output can go to two different destinations.
The destinations place the Kemper either in front of my amp or in the amp's serial effects loop. I can switch destinations instantly with the MMGT.
Effectively (pardon the pun), the Kemper becomes my pedalboard.
I can use the Kemper's built in time based effects by themselves in the amp's effects loop.
Or I can place a pedal or preamp profile in front of the amp by connecting the Kemper to the front of my tube amp. My setup is just like the classic one where pedals do the distortion, fuzz, etc. and the tube amp channel is clean.
At this point, I have not figured out a way to use both types of effects (distortion in front, time based in the amp's effects loop) at the same time. Of course, that would be ultra tasty.
I would be so damn happy to have my beloved marshall bluesbreaker pedal tone into my kemper! Nevertheless , the effects the kemper profiler offers work pretty well with whatever you need, i cant complain, but it would be damn perfect if you could just add this feature that allows you to add a specific profile for a pedal you really love, and add it to your preferred amp. I mean, if it is possible to profile an amp’s tone and overall sound, i think it should be possible to create a way to profile a pedal’s tone and use it with your profiler. Kemper, please let us know if this becomes something real in the future .
Meanwhile ill just keep adding it to the signal chain and continue to enjoy it as i have done all these years, and tweaking it by hand between songs…
I would be so damn happy to have my beloved marshall bluesbreaker pedal tone into my kemper! Nevertheless , the effects the kemper profiler offers work pretty well with whatever you need, i cant complain, but it would be damn perfect if you could just add this feature that allows you to add a specific profile for a pedal you really love, and add it to your preferred amp. I mean, if it is possible to profile an amp’s tone and overall sound, i think it should be possible to create a way to profile a pedal’s tone and use it with your profiler. Kemper, please let us know if this becomes something real in the future .
Meanwhile ill just keep adding it to the signal chain and continue to enjoy it as i have done all these years, and tweaking it by hand between songs…
