Flat amp profile + Wall of Sound

    Say I want to find a direct amp profile of a few amps amps that are my bread-and-butter, say a few ENGLs, a few Diezels, a few Mesas, and I want to find profiles of each with all the amp EQ set at noon (flat). With the idea being of combining that with the Two Notes Torpedo Wall of Sound so I can choose not only the cab that I want but also the mic and importantly the mic position.

    What's the best and most cost-effective way to go about that? There are so many profiles and profilers out there that it gets overwhelming, and each profiler/producer seems to only sell rig packs. Also, it seems to be more difficult to get pure amp profiles w/o the rest of the stack, and more importantly w/o any boost and settings at noon.

    Is there anything wrong with this train of thought?

    Edited once, last by xzyryabx ().

    The only issue I think you have is that there are still so many variables that you will be trying to recreate sounds from scratch, which is not really what the KPA is about.


    Its more about capturing the whole signal chain of a great sound. So personally ( and this is just me personally) your best bet is to find a profile sound that you like along the lines of those described.


    I use an Engl profile for my main rhythm and its great out of the box ( can't remember where I got it from)..

    Thanks both.

    As I said in a different thread I'm still trying to get my head about the profiling concept since I've only used physical and VST amps before!

    Does the signal chain of profiles usually have a mic-pre in there or does the mic go straight to the kemper?

    Quote from xzyryabx

    Does the signal chain of profiles usually have a mic-pre in there or does the mic go straight to the kemper?

    I'd say there is no "usually". Many different ways lead to good results. The more pro the profiles are then probably higher end studio equipment comes into the game. At least some of the commercial profilers are very clear about the studio gear they use to create these profilers. And you will find comments even on the RigExchange talking about mic preamps used for a certain profile.


    There is often discussion if the Kemper with a particular profile sounds exactly like the profiled amp. Does it sound like the amp in the room? No. Most probably not. It will sound like this amp in the next room but mic'ed well and treated with appropriate gear, e.g. mic preamp etc. - that's the beauty for live use as well: It is a well mic'ed amp.

    Finally: Michael Wagener, a producer who early adopted the Kemper for studio work (look at YouTube for interview with him) even uses the Kemper to create profiles based on several amps in the studio used at the same time. A blend of these created with the mix console can also be foundation for a profile.

    As the others have said, there are many different ways to use the profiler. There are 3 types of profiles:


    Studio - full signal chain: amp, cabinet, mic(s), mic pre amps etc


    Direct Amp Profile (DAP) - speaker output from amp into a DI box with no speaker attached (this is what you want for using with Two Notes Wall Of Sound). You asked for all amp settings to be at noon but that often doesn’t give a great sound. Instead take a DAP which you like the sound of with any Kemper cab or a Two Notes IR and use that as your starting point for experimenting in WoS.


    Merged Profiles - actually the opposite of what the name suggests. These are actually subtractive profiles. You need to make a full studio profile and a DAP with exactly the same settings on the amp. Then you subtract the DAP profile from the Studio profile to leave you with just the Cab (like an IR) section of the Studio profile.


    Although sound is purely personal taste and there is no wrong or right, i used WoS with a Torpedo ReLoad before I got the Kemper. I haven’t felt the need to use WoS since. The Kemper cab is effectively an IR but it is more organic as it captures the speakers interaction with the poweramp section which a basic IR can’t do.

    I just searched the forum for how to distinguish b/w a studio and merged profile, and all the responses said you couldn't unless the profile was tagged properly. Has this changed recently?

    Also, if you have a well-made merged profile, it should sound identical to a studio profile...with the major advantage being able to switch out cabs more accurately in the merged...so in that case why are the majority of profiles out there studio profiles? The only reasons I could think of it is that creating a merged profile involves more steps/hardware, most ppl don't switch cabs in a rig, and the cabdriver works well enough in allowing cab changes in studio profiles. Is that it?

    Quote from xzyryabx

    I just searched the forum for how to distinguish b/w a studio and merged profile, and all the responses said you couldn't unless the profile was tagged properly. Has this changed recently?

    Also, if you have a well-made merged profile, it should sound identical to a studio profile...with the major advantage being able to switch out cabs more accurately in the merged...so in that case why are the majority of profiles out there studio profiles? The only reasons I could think of it is that creating a merged profile involves more steps/hardware, most ppl don't switch cabs in a rig, and the cabdriver works well enough in allowing cab changes in studio profiles. Is that it?

    I think that's exactly it.


    And unfortunately, unless I missed something, there is no ability to tell which is which without asking the person who did the profile.

    Disclaimer: When I post demo clips for profiles, there will be some minimal post-processing, unless stated otherwise. I normally double-track hard L/R, and add to the main buss a small amount of EQ and a limiter/comp set pretty light as well. Sometimes I get test profiles in advance of release, though 90% of my clips will be from packs I have purchased.