Advice dialing in metal tones, understanding parameters?

  • I just got the kemper a few weeks ago and havent spent a ton of time with it because ive been really busy. But ive made a little progress, mostly with the stock dual rectifier, peavey XXX, and the Engl Invader profiles. I have a few problems however.


    1. The most problematic is that I have been playing on a Line 6 combo for the entirety of my guitar playing for the last 13 year's, so this is a massive upgrade, but I dont understand parameters well enough to understand them beyond the obvious bass, treble, mids and gain, to dial them well, let alone understand them from a physical/sonic/electrical perspective. This becomes a problem when trying to dial in FX parameters, knowing which FX to use, and where. I have the quick start manual and the main, big manual.


    2. I love the sound of the XXX and the Engl Invader, but I still am not spot on yet. What tends to happen is without a distortion FX, they dont sound gainy enough. When I add distortion they sound way too compressed, harsh, and thin. It seems like there is a very fine line when adjusting distortion FX parameters.


    3. When I do get close, it seems to sound either harsh, thin, or both, not warm enough. I'm wondering if there are other FX I should be using, or not using, or if I'm just doing something else wrong. Ive gotten about as far as using a distortion FX and an EQ and the EQ is pretty confusing to me. It seems like when I just use a boost instead of distortion its not enough gain. I'm kinda lost. I feel like I need a class.


    4. I'm using FX generally after the rig in the signal chain, because that is how a lot of the stock high gain profiles are set up. Dont know if thats correct.

    Also, this is a dumb question but is there a list of the real names of the available stock rigs? I just want to have an idea of what is there and is not. I'm trying to get as far as i can with stock rigs, before I treat myself to buying some for purchase ones. I havent even touched Rig Exchange yet. Someone did tell me that I'm missing out on the really really good shit though thats for download free and for purchase and said its a massive world of difference.


    For reference I'm currently playing through a Headrush FRFR 8 inch 1000rms speaker. I really like FRFRs i can see myself getting a much higher end much bigger one one day, id also like to try the Kemper thru a tube power amp thru a 4X12 guitar cab too. But thats just future for now I'm happy with my FRFR

  • Might be the Profiles that you are using. Look at some Ola Englund profiles. He has a good YT channel as well... if you arent familiar with him.

  • I also came from a Helix, then Fractal FM3, and now Kemper Stage. My typical process for setting up a metal patch on the Helix and Fractal was to 1. pick a high gain amp, 2. put a boost in front, and 3. add an EQ after the amp and get the mids where I want them. This process works for most modelers.

    Well, turns out Kemper isn't a modeler, so that process didn't give me good results. Think of it as an IR for a whole amp chain. Here are a few tips for getting good heavy tones that work for me:

    1. For me, the best stock metal tones on the Kemper are in the Lars Luettge pack. Guidorista also has some good ones. Start with those. Also look for Jevo's 5150III rigs on the Rig Exchange

    2. If you're up for paid profiles, ReampZone has some great high quality packs

    3. Look for rigs that were actually recorded with a boost

    4. Instead of adding a boost/drive, adjust the Definition and Clarity. To my ears, cranking the clarity sounds like adding a boost. The two settings are pretty interactive with eachother

    5. Try using different cabs with the rigs. I've found 4-5 cabs that I really love that sound really thicc. If I find a rig that I like the gain and character, but maybe it doesn't sound big and thick, I'll change the cab. That usually gives me what I want.

    I've attached some of my metal / heavy profiles based on free rigs. Maybe they'll work for you. metal-rigs.zip

  • Try the profile I have of my Peavey Jsx on the exchange. Search "Selby".


    With playing metal through my experiences a 4 x 12 cab sounds so much more natural to me, its what most of us have been hearing for years. Will never go the flat response route as they never sounded natural to me and I know a lot of that is what i've been used to for so long.

  • BERNARDIJ For dialing in metal tones, try perfecting gain staging and getting familiar with the Amp parameters in the Kemper. This is my process and maybe it'll help you get a different perspective on dialing in profiles :)

    I start by adjusting the Profiles EQ, Definition, and then Clarity (I don't usually put Clarity above 2-3 maximum for high gain because it seems to scoop out some mids or something. And for modern metal tones you want present mids in my opinion.) Then I'll set the profile's gain right before full saturation (this makes it so there's room for Boosting without over-saturating tree signal) and then I'll use a boost (I typically use the Green Scream) with low Drive, Mix 70-90%, and I'll adjust the Level to taste (for me it's usually around 3 or 4). The boost will push the profile into full saturation and clean up the low end for extra tightness.

    For any harshness in the profile, experiment with PureCabinet in the Cab and Output menu's(I turn it off in the Output menu so I can adjust it from profile to profile in the Cab menu. I typically like it off for high gain or at most below 1. But YMMV and it depends on your preferences. But PureCabinet is meant to smooth out any harshness caused by mic phase issues or something like that in the profile). And also try using the High Cut in the Output Menu and set it anywhere from 10,000khz to 7000khz and it should smooth out the top end.


    If I'm still not happy with the overall EQ of the profile, but I like the gain structure and the feel, I'll try swapping the cab section with either another cab section (I often save my favorite cabs as presets to be used in other profiles) or an IR (I use a plugin called Mikko to dial in IRs for profiles if I can't find a cab I like for a Profile). But that's the extreme scenario where dialing it in wasn't working out but I loved the gain structure of the profile lol


    But one of the most important pieces of advice I can give is to read the Kemper Manual and experiment with the Amp parameters. It's crazy how much control the Amp parameters and EQ are capable of!

    Its easy to learn from others on this forum, and as long as you can take something from each person's opinions and experiences, you'll always be learning :) I know I always am!

    HTH! ^^

  • Petr Canov , has the best dialed in merged profiles in my opinion merged are the way to go DI with added cab or without. I actually only use the my kemper kones, but all accounts his a cab profiles are are also seriously good


    Dialed in and with different front boosts added of some more regarded front end boosts


    Also super cheap for there quality


    STL Lasse Lammert profiles were much more expensive and often just quite to my taste but high quality non the less


    JEVO files were good free but needed the eq work done, and boosts added


    I actually run a TS9+ infront and try it sometimes tightens things up on profiles without boost already

  • BERNARDIJ Another important thing to note, that I had left out of my post, was explaining the Definition parameter in the Amp Menu, and elaborating on the importance of the Definition parameter. It's a really powerful parameter and it basically sets where the harmonic content of the profile sits. When an amp is profiled, the Definition gets set to match where the harmonic content of the amp sits and that is an integral part of an amps sonic fingerprint.


    When you take a high gain amp or profile that's set almost to full saturation, and then Boost it into full on tight saturation, the harmonic content that's focused on in your tone shifts up a little bit. So the Definition parameter can help get that harmonic content in your tone, exactly where you want it. But also keep in mind, where the harmonic content sits for an amp is an important part of its sonic fingerprint. So for me personally, I typically will only adjust definition if it's set really low, so I won't need such an extreme Boost to get it where I want it. I don't often adjust Definition past 1-2 more higher than it was originally set, to maintain the general harmonic content of the amp used for the profile.


    Also, Clarity is a really powerful parameter and can add some clarity when needed. It does it by scooping out mids, and pushes some clean signal into the mid frequencies while maintaining the distortion across all frequencies. It can help add some Clarity when used at mild settings for high gain situations. So I'd advise using low levels of Clarity for modern metal tones unless you're going for the scooped mids sound.


    But, knowing what these controls are doing can help you get to whatever tone you're after, with much less work and much less trial and error. I hope this info can help you out!


    Edit: Also, the "Pick" parameter in the Amp menu can help add a lot of that transient attack without too much compression. Idk how they do it exactly but, I really like bumping it up to 1 or 2 if I'm wanting a really percussive tone. That's a really handy parameter to get familiar with as well! Especially for aggressive and tight metal tones with a lot of attack ;)lol

    Edited 4 times, last by SeanChristopher: Corrected "Attack" to "Pick" parameter ().

  • And while exploring these options, put the looper in input mode and record a loop. This allows both your hands and your mind to be free while tweaking.

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  • For "attack," are you referring to the Pick parameter? I just went looking for a control labeled "Attack" and didn't find anything. ?

  • if you're not convinced at least 85% of the profile just keep searching


    just use a little tweak on bass middle treble and prescence


    for a more modern sound (under amp options) increase definition and you can try clarity (just a little)


    if you want more gain and tame low end, add a green screamer before the amp, Green Scream Gain 0, tone (your preference), volume, could be at maximum(on the green scream), if there's too much gain just reduce the gain of the amp until you find your spot,


    hope this helps! greetings!

  • For "attack," are you referring to the Pick parameter? I just went looking for a control labeled "Attack" and didn't find anything. ?

    Yeah lol! Thanks for catching that, my friend!

    That's definitely something I wanna correct so I don't confuse anyone (especially new users looking for some help). Thanks for keeping me on my toes! ^^ I'll go edit that right now hahaha :)


    That's what I get for being up at late and posting at like 4am :D