Profiling weird sounds

  • Hi,


    In a conversation about the KPA, Christoph Kemper once said there are things you shouldn't do if want to result to be amp like. But if I don't care if the the result is amp like and my only goal is that the result is musically useful, then I can do whatever I feel like. So I started profiling weird and not so guitar oriented equipment. This is a blast and I'm keeping profiling and having so much fun.

    Here's a clip with all sounds except drums coming from the KPA and a PRS McCarty.


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    Cheers,


    Mats N

  • Well, it's sort of a two part process.

    It first started out as a love affair with Bill Ruppert's GR-300 profile. I really got into that profile and started to change it around to fit my playing style and my touch.


    Then I wanted to see how much I could change that using the built in fx in the KPA. The shapers, pitch fx and the delays have been the most rewarding fx to work with so far.


    Then I thought that if Bill could profile a sort of synth sound, then I should try that too. That has been alternated between somewhat successful and spectacular failure. Today's session was not a winner. On 14 out of 15 setups I tried to profile I got error messages saying there was "no amp connected or the signal was too low" or "the amp is too noisy". The profile of the setup I could actually profile sounded nothing like the original setup, but was very fun to play with anyway. I do wish there was a way I could bypass these warnings and let the KPA profile anyway. Maybe it would produce some spectacularly cool sounds that could be musically very useful and fun to play.


    So what did I profile? Almost anything I could get my hands on that has a signal input and output. And most of the time connected in ways not recommended to get a good guitar sounds. Examples being old radios, cheap last century stomp boxes and practice amp (especially an old Vox transistor amp from the late 60s/early 70s) and a few guitar synth units.


    So, to sum it up, the sounds played in this track are the total combination of the profile, the tweaks made to the profile and the (usually) heavey use of KPA fx.


    The very cool thing about most of the rigs I've made so far is that there are so many ways to play them but most sound like crap if I play them like I would play a guitar through an amp. So one day it may sound one way and the next time I play, I play differently and I get other sounds and textures.


    As some of you know I have a page on my web site where I post KPA rigs for free. These are quite popular (according to my statistics, not donations) and people seem to think there's a level of quality there and this makes me happy and proud. I'm still very new to this kind of profiling/sound design so I will spend some more time on it and when I'm happy with the result I will post a few "weird sound" rigs there.


    Cheers,


    Mats N

  • Thanks for all the comments! This is a such a fun way to spend too much time.

    The hardest part is remembering all the stuff I play when evaluating the profiles/rigs so I can record it in a proper musical context.

    I may just record some noodling around and post that for reference so you can hear where I'm heading with individual sounds.


    Cheers,


    Mats N

  • This is so much fun that yesterday I took all of the pedals I haven't used since getting the KPA (so many it's embarrassing) and traded them in at a local music store for other products I'm going to try to profile. Please note that the words "try to" are the operative words here.


    Cheers,


    Mats N

  • I'm still at it, profiling more weird sounds in the KPA.

    I thought it may be interesting for you to hear what I'm doing and what my new weird profiles can sound like. So I recorded a few snippets of playing and, believe me, they can sound much weirder!


    All sounds by the KPA. Guitar: Jim Tyler SE HD. All fx from the KPA. No post processing what so ever!


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    Cheers,


    Mats N

  • Hi!


    Still at it as it's so much fun.

    Here's a new melody that I found in the synth lead from my latest profiling/programming session. I underscored that with one of the most beautiful pad sounds I've heard, if I may say so myself.

    The drums comes from a set I made in Superior Drummer 3.


    Hope you like it!


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    Cheers,


    Mats N

  • Probably should dig up the Dumble thread, but for some odd reason, the other day I was just screwing around (rare that I have time for that these days...) and was playing one of your Black Goop profiles (I think thats what they were called?) and da-ha-amn!!! I am not looking forward to the process of setting up an entire performance, but it was so spot on right where I wanted to be, it might be my new go to for a while.

  • Probably should dig up the Dumble thread, but for some odd reason, the other day I was just screwing around (rare that I have time for that these days...) and was playing one of your Black Goop profiles (I think thats what they were called?) and da-ha-amn!!! I am not looking forward to the process of setting up an entire performance, but it was so spot on right where I wanted to be, it might be my new go to for a while.

    Hi!


    I really glad you found it useful and rewarding. Some of my profiles go in and out a favour except for one, that's been a go-to profiles since day one.

    And I really appreciate you letting me know. Feedback is so very rare so I take what I can when I get it. :D


    Cheers,


    Mats N

  • Hi,


    Yet another tune using synth style sounds in the KPA.

    Just one guitar through the KPA and some drum sounds.


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    Cheers,


    Mats N

  • I love that idea so much! That i one strenght of the Kemper more people need to use imo.