Cannot replicate profile demo sound

  • HI all,


    Been using Kemper since 2012 but somehow always sticked to just a couple of profiles that I obtained early on. Recently I decided to try out some commercial packs and purchased HEAVY TONES BUNDLE 2 by Josh Middleton. This stuff sounds absolutely killer in the demos

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    It just so happens that my guitar is exactly the same as in the demo (except for the colour). Even the pickups are the same (Fishman Fluence Modern). So you can imagine how excited I was when I uploaded the profiles to the unit. Unfortunately, the tone that I got was quite far from the reference. I tried everything I could to fix the situation (even tried full system reset) but did not succeed. So maybe you guys could help me with the issue.


    I did my best to record the same riff as in the demo (obviously I'm no Josh):

    I would really appreciate any input/advice!

    Edited once, last by ddtm ().

  • It makes quite a difference when you add the bass to the mix! It would more fair comparison to compare plain guitar recording instead of full mix.


    To me your demo doesn't sound that bad.

  • The clips sound pretty much the same to me. What's different is how they are played and with what guitar/pup combination. Technique and technology will have an effect on how good or bad a profile will sound.

  • It makes quite a difference when you add the bass to the mix! It would more fair comparison to compare plain guitar recording instead of full mix.

    I agree, that's why I'm comparing against the snippet with guitar only (see the second youtube link - there should not be any other instruments).

    The clips sound pretty much the same to me. What's different is how they are played and with what guitar/pup combination. Technique and technology will have an effect on how good or bad a profile will sound.

    I agree with that too. But my guitar and the pickup should be identical to what Josh is using.


    To my ears, my clip doesn't have enough pick attack (transients) and has a bit less gain. In other words, I can't get the same nice chug from this profile no matter what I do (hitting the strings harder doesn't really help). It's a subtle difference but it's there. And it's not like I can't get nice attack from other amplifiers. I'm at loss here :(

  • I agree, that's why I'm comparing against the snippet with guitar only (see the second youtube link - there should not be any other instruments).

    I agree with that too. But my guitar and the pickup should be identical to what Josh is using.


    To my ears, my clip doesn't have enough pick attack (transients) and has a bit less gain. In other words, I can't get the same nice chug from this profile no matter what I do (hitting the strings harder doesn't really help). It's a subtle difference but it's there. And it's not like I can't get nice attack from other amplifiers. I'm at loss here :(

    Doesn't sound bad at all. Wasn't it Brian May that was dissapointed he didn't sound like Van Halen when he played with his rig and guitar? You will never sound like someone else no matter what just like no one will ever sound like you. Never judge a sound on it its own unless you plan to use a profile just for solo rythm/ideas.

    Think for yourself, or others will think for you wihout thinking of you

    Henry David Thoreau

  • These kinds of differences could be because of pick choice (gauge, material, placement relative to the bridge), and pickup type and distance to strings.


    If a demo includes any other instruments, a guitar-only comparison will not sound the same.

    He has already said twice he has the same guitar and pickups. :rolleyes:

    Think for yourself, or others will think for you wihout thinking of you

    Henry David Thoreau

  • He has already said twice he has the same guitar and pickups.

    OK, I removed the phrase "type and" :)


    These kinds of differences could be because of pick choice (gauge, material, placement relative to the bridge), and pickup distance to strings.


    If a demo includes any other instruments, a guitar-only comparison will not sound the same.



    The two players physical approaches affect the tone, too, of course.


    BUT - the "Wet Signal" recording tone sounds essentially the same to me as the "Reference" video. It just hasn't been mastered for video. If the level of the "Wet Signal" recording was hotter, and compressed/limited, they would sound even more alike,

  • Thanks a lot guys for your feedback!


    I tried putting a pure booster (+3) in front of the amp section and that made the sounds quite a bit better (IMO). Then I performed an experiment where I would record DIs both from Radial J48 DI-box and from my Kemper (it gets its signal from the THRU output of the DI-box). I noticed that the loudness of the DI from the Kemper is somehow ~2db lower (in the screenshot below are the spectra of both DIs – red corresponds to Radial, bright white – difference).

    I must admit I'm not super knowledgeable in this topic. Is it supposed to be like this?

  • Then I performed an experiment where I would record DIs both from Radial J48 DI-box and from my Kemper (it gets its signal from the THRU output of the DI-box). I noticed that the loudness of the DI from the Kemper is somehow ~2db lower

    Interesting. I think your sound is pretty close to Josh.

    This means that you have already done a reamp with the J48 box.

    Q: So far I've only done line output recordings with Kemper but I want to improve to be able to edit (and reamp) my (DI)recordings. I once made a reamp without a DI box only with my audio interface and the Kemper. The tone was the same (as I heard) but the gain was somehow less. I know the reamp sense feature is designed for this in Kemper but I think a DI box might work out better. I have no experience with this but in DI box-videos the DI signal is somehow "cleaner" and "tighter" as I hear it.

    As I see it the J48 has been called a kind of "industry standard". Do you think it's worth to get one? (I use active and passive pickups too)

  • Your playing here is pretty tight but Josh is utterly, utterly clinically tight with his rhythm playing. Take a look at where on the string you are picking, this can make a huge difference to your clarity, also how you are contacting the string (Angled/Flat), try out different pick materials and thicknesses. I'm also hearing slightly more low end in your example, it may be coming from whatever pre-amp/interface/DI box you are using to record. You also need to factor in your listening environment, you may be making changes based on characteristics of your room


    I'd say you are 95% there with this sound, this last 5% is the stuff that seperates 'really great sounding guitarist' from 'That guy is not of this earth' and I really believe that most of it comes from technique first and foremost.

  • The best thing about the profiler is that it is unforgiving, just like a real amp. The profiles sound near enough identical except for the playing style which is going to be different no matter what you do. You have to accept that you will never get a profile to sound 100% the same because you are not the one playing it in the author's clip. 95% is as close as anyone can hope to get when it comes to commercial profiles. If you profile your own setup then the resulting profile will be 100%...

  • I don't remember which vendor that put up where three or for(?)different guys played the same guitar and pick and the same profile here on the forum. If we hadn't been told it was different guys playing I would believed it was different profiles used. So yes it makes a huge different who's playing and can never sound identical to someone else no matter what.

    Think for yourself, or others will think for you wihout thinking of you

    Henry David Thoreau