What I Hear Is Not What I Get

  • He recorded with a cam mic, maybe you're hearing the non-amplified string attack.

    Yes, actually at the beginning I recorded while sitting by my desk (where both camera and monitors were also situated) and after listening to the recording I noticed that the (non-amplified) strings were quite audible. So for the takes I uploaded I sat about 3 m from the camera but it might be that it still picked some of the string sound.

  • As many here, I had many commercial profile disappointments.

    I realized, later on, that

    a) some Profilers post EQ or double track their demos
    b) Kemper is not based on an amp modeling, so, the amp profiled, speakers used, profiling process/gear and taste, differ between Profilers, so all Fender Deluxe profiles do not sound the same. It depends on what you like to hear.
    c) guitar pickups impact a lot the result, it can over push the profile or make it sound thin, but you can tweak it, just like a real amp.


    So, before buying profiles try their free packs first, some are already available in the factory content or in their websites.

    if you don’t like a profile move on to the next one. Once you find some that are close, try changing the profile cabinet (cab section), sometimes a different cab or speaker IR, makes a dramatic change.


    And, you can always count on this forum to find what you are looking for. Start here and have fun:

    What are "your" hidden gems in Rig Exchange? Post your best finds here ...

  • I just bought the TJ 64 Dlx Rev set and made this quick recording with my Custom Shop strat (bear in mind that TJ tunes down a half step or so):


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  • This may be completely in my head, but to me it seems like I can hear differences between guitars/pickups more with the Kemper than with "real amps." Even switching between guitars that have very similar pickups there is a noticeable difference.

  • This may be completely in my head, but to me it seems like I can hear differences between guitars/pickups more with the Kemper than with "real amps." Even switching between guitars that have very similar pickups there is a noticeable difference.

    I would agree, I have generally noticed that the KPA is more "sensitive" to changes...which is a good thing as it shows how dynamic it is...although some of that might be from FRFR...


    I didn't realise how much "smoothing" a guitar cab does....

  • I would agree, I have generally noticed that the KPA is more "sensitive" to changes...which is a good thing as it shows how dynamic it is...although some of that might be from FRFR...


    I didn't realise how much "smoothing" a guitar cab does....

    THIS! I think that when we compare the KPA to an amp in this way, we forget that what we’re really comparing is the through-the-eye-of-a-needle sound of a microphone close to the speaker cone and the sound of a speaker cab set on the floor, off-axis and a few feet away from our ears. I’m pretty sure that if you mic’ed up that same amp and cab, sat in a control room and listened through monitors, you’d get the same sensitivity to different guitars and pickups. Otherwise guitarists wouldn’t take all manner of different guitars and their pickups into the studio with them.

    That sounds pretty much like it. Which set up did you please use to record this? And any additional tweaks?

    I recorded via the main outs into the line in of a Mackie Big Knob interface, into Logic. The Clean Sense was set to zero, input noise gate to zero, Pure Cab to zero, output EQ flat, no tweaking, no processing in Logic. I must just say, the first two clips I had the output set to Master Mono, but the last two I remembered to switch back to Master Stereo, if you were wondering about the different respond in the reverb.:wacko:

  • I recorded via the main outs into the line in of a Mackie Big Knob interface, into Logic. The Clean Sense was set to zero, input noise gate to zero, Pure Cab to zero, output EQ flat, no tweaking, no processing in Logic. I must just say, the first two clips I had the output set to Master Mono, but the last two I remembered to switch back to Master Stereo, if you were wondering about the different respond in the reverb.:wacko:

    Ok, thanks. I ordered used Focusrite 2i2 for about 80 bucks so I will play around with that as well once it arrives.

    Do you perceive any substanstial difference between direct Kemper -> headphones setup and recorded session using the same rig and listening to it with the same headphones?

  • Ok, thanks. I ordered used Focusrite 2i2 for about 80 bucks so I will play around with that as well once it arrives.

    Do you perceive any substanstial difference between direct Kemper -> headphones setup and recorded session using the same rig and listening to it with the same headphones?

    No. I have a feeling that either there is a major difference with your pickups/guitar set up or your Profiler settings.

  • No. I have a feeling that either there is a major difference with your pickups/guitar set up or your Profiler settings.

    Ok, interesting. Fender Player should supposedly have the characteristics of the US Fender Strats of the 2000´s, so nothing extreme. But those Alnico V puppies are quite bright, I reckon. And will check the KPA settings too (so far I left everything as it came out of the box).

  • Try TJ‘s profiles:

    Thanks. I know about this profile as well but first I wanted to find out why I sound (that much) different compared to the rig presentation before spending money on another one, since the situation might be the same with another rig as well.


    On a general note, do you guys find commercial profiles really better sounding than those available at Rig Exchange? (I understand that the quality of RE rigs varies, but let us speak averages/consider only those RE rigs with high rating).

  • Some of my favourite profiles come from the Exchange or from users sharing on the forum, but the hit ratio with commercial profilers is way higher, once you’ve found one that dials the amps in in the way you prefer.

    As for strat pickups, Custom Shop strats tend to have pickups that hark back to the golden age of Fender, the 50s and 60s. The neck pickup in my CS strat was wound by Abigail Ybarra before she retired; she had been hand-winding pickups since the 60s, for example. TJ’s guitar sounds like it is of the same ilk.

  • Just for comparison, this is a Blackface tone I am getting from my POD:

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  • Just for comparison, this is a Blackface tone I am getting from my POD:

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    The level is much higher?

    Is it a level perception issue?

    Up the RIG VOLUME, Up the HEADPHONE LEVEL in the Output settings and see if you hear it differently.



    :)

  • Like an amp, every guitar is going to sound different through an amp, thus different through the Kemper.


    With that said, I have found that Top Jimi is hit or miss. The Van Halen set is amazing, and sounds like the videos. On the other hand, the Black Sabbath set sounds NOTHING like the videos. I've tried them with 12 different guitars, with different pickup configurations, and couldn't get close to the videos.


    I guess that's with all profiles. I'm sure people hate some of mine. I dialed in the amp to my guitar and profiled it.

  • Like an amp, every guitar is going to sound different through an amp, thus different through the Kemper.


    With that said, I have found that Top Jimi is hit or miss. The Van Halen set is amazing, and sounds like the videos. On the other hand, the Black Sabbath set sounds NOTHING like the videos. I've tried them with 12 different guitars, with different pickup configurations, and couldn't get close to the videos.


    I guess that's with all profiles. I'm sure people hate some of mine. I dialed in the amp to my guitar and profiled it.

    I believe Jimi double tracked the guitars in the Sabbath video iirc (to emulate double tracking on the albums)

  • Hey Guys as les paul said I tried Top Jimi Boston Pack and it sounds nothing like the video.. Also Mbritt profiles sound flat to me almost muffled. I have several Gibsons, Suhr, Fender Musicman etc.. I watched a video from Zilla Cabs on youtube. I use one of the Guido berkonstock Mesa single rec profiles and it sounds great through Monitor and mesa 2x12 celestion vintage 30's now..

    How to dial in the Kemper for the Celestion F12-X200 FRFR speaker.

    Changing the output eq made a big difference for me.. Look into it ..

  • Hi,


    The demo was recorded guitar direct into Kemper direct in the DAW using SPDIF. The Strat in the demo is loaded with a Lindy Fralin Blues Special in the bridge and the standard Custom Shop Strat pickups in the middle and neck. The Blues Special takes a little of the top end ice-picky bite out of the stock Strat sound. Otherwise nothing special.


    The Kemper is an extremely powerful tool with a ton of options to alter the tone any way you choose. My Kemper is at factory settings for everything in order to make the profiles the most widely usable for the largest number of people. Unfortunately it's possible one setting somewhere is making your setup different from mine.


    I always recommend, when people are having trouble getting the tones of the demos, to save off any profiles they want to keep and then do a factory reset. That way we're using the same settings.


    Hope that helps,

    Jimi

  • If you don't like some profiles, that's fine. Not every profile will work for everyone. But if you don't like what you hear with most profiles you have that means it's not the the profiles that are wrong. It's probably your pickups that are wrong for your sound ideal.

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

    Henry David Thoreau