I prefer Studio Profiles through guitar cab!! Am I Crazy??

  • Well, some studio profiles anyway. I played a Triple Crown 50 last time I was in the guitar store and it sounded great. Thick, punchy and rather Marshally. Loved it, so I bought the Tone Junkie TC pack. To me, the direct profiles sound thin and fizzy, I was rather disappointed! Maybe they profiled the DI out? I wouldn’t think so but hey, what do I know. So last resort, I load some of the studio profiles in and bam, this is what I remember the amp sounding like. It sounds great through my Powerhead and 412. Am I crazy:?:

  • If it sounds good, it is good :)


    Did you play a TC 50 combo, or head? If your home Cabinet is aimed more directly at your face than what you heard at the guitar store, it will likely sound very bright with Direct Amp Profiles. Normally, a conventional guitar cabinet is aimed closer to the player's knees or waist.

    I played the combo and that makes sense. I’m thinking they maybe had the presence and treble turned really high when they profiled. I turned them down to -5 each and it sounds much better.

  • Could be that the (real) amp was tweaked until it sounded good with the used cab(s). And mics - sometime there is a certain sweet spot, but a little adjustment on the amp is needed.


    The separation of amp part and cab is not "authentic" on most studio profiles. In your case there might be a coloration of the cab section baked into the amp part that you like.

  • Could be that the (real) amp was tweaked until it sounded good with the used cab(s). And mics - sometime there is a certain sweet spot, but a little adjustment on the amp is needed.


    The separation of amp part and cab is not "authentic" on most studio profiles. In your case there might be a coloration of the cab section baked into the amp part that you like.

    So how much can you tweak the tone stack on a direct profile before you lose the authentic sound of the real amp profiled?

  • So how much can you tweak the tone stack on a direct profile before you lose the authentic sound of the real amp profiled?

    Don't worry about authenticity of the sound. As paults said, if it sounds good – it is good. In the end of the day the only thing you are looking for is the sound, and it doesn't matter what name was written on the box. Kemper gives you ability to capture the sound you like and adjust it to your needs and taste. So look at tone stack (and other knobs) not as "going further from authenticity", but as "going towards to what I like and what I need". With all that, don't be afraid to adjust profile settings, they are there to help you balance profile sound with guitar/cab/frfr/etc.

  • Don't worry about authenticity of the sound. As paults said, if it sounds good – it is good. In the end of the day the only thing you are looking for is the sound, and it doesn't matter what name was written on the box. Kemper gives you ability to capture the sound you like and adjust it to your needs and taste. So look at tone stack (and other knobs) not as "going further from authenticity", but as "going towards to what I like and what I need". With all that, don't be afraid to adjust profile settings, they are there to help you balance profile sound with guitar/cab/frfr/etc.

    Good points. Thanks.

  • Not only do I agree with you, I’ll go one farther: I prefer the sound of Studio profiles even if I’m replacing the Cab module. Crazy, right? I did an experiment last year where I captured a 6505 Mini into a Two Notes Torpedo Reload (reactive loadbox) two ways: directly into the Kemper without a cab, and out of that same box into a miked speaker cab. Same settings, same signal path. I found I got more pleasing results to sub in cab IRs for the Studio profiles than the Direct.


    I also tend to prefer the baked-in cab sounds running into a full-range speaker or monitor than a cab-less Rig run a traditional guitar cab, based on my experience.

  • I actually have to take this back. I purchased the Tone Junkie Dirty Surly pack and the direct profiles are absolutely killer. I guess you just need to find the amp and profiles that you like. Can’t stop playing these!!