How do you feel about profiles with Distortion/OD embedded in them?

  • I found a Peavey 5150 profile I would like to tweak but it is only available with a TS9 embedded in. I feel like I will be limited with what I can do with profiles like this. It's good for high-gain stuff but not so great when trying to clean up with the volume knob. Sort of a one trick pony, I guess.


    How do you guys feel about OD/Distortion embedded profiles? Would you rather just the bare rig and add your own pedals?

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • Maybe it's just in my head as I am one that would never stack two overdrive pedals with a tube/ss amp, (If I had to do that I wouldn't own that amp). The profiles with baked in overdrive sound good on their own, like a amp with an overdrive, but when I add drive to them they seem too pushed to me. Previously with my tube amps I never understood why someone that cares so much about having a tube sound would want to start the whole signal chain with solid state clipping. If my amps didn't have enough drive to do anything I wanted squeals, harmonics etc. I would have never bought it. My vote is to have a pedal-less profile and then add a pre drive from the Kemper. It seems to add that sensitivity to your picking instead of just creating the "with pedal" sound.

  • Maybe it's just in my head as I am one that would never stack two overdrive pedals with a tube/ss amp, (If I had to do that I wouldn't own that amp). The profiles with baked in overdrive sound good on their own, like a amp with an overdrive, but when I add drive to them they seem too pushed to me. Previously with my tube amps I never understood why someone that cares so much about having a tube sound would want to start the whole signal chain with solid state clipping. If my amps didn't have enough drive to do anything I wanted squeals, harmonics etc. I would have never bought it. My vote is to have a pedal-less profile and then add a pre drive from the Kemper. It seems to add that sensitivity to your picking instead of just creating the "with pedal" sound.

    Exactly my opinion. I've always been into guitar - cable - amplifier, nothing else.

    Everything else was and is an exception. But of course everyone likes it differently.

  • I personally can't say I've found a profile I like with a baked in OD pedal (except the one I made myself, but I only liked that through my Marshall cab, not great through the kones). I'm also not a fan of using any OD's in the Kemper, nor my modded SD-1 in front of the Kemper. My pedal in front of my JCM800 adds clarity and string definition which I guess isn't typical for an overdrive, every OD in the Kemper seems to compress the sound rather than add dynamics which isn't what I'm after.

    Personally I'd suggest if you find a profile you like but you feel it needs more gain, just tweak the gain knob. There'll be a million people here suggesting not to do that, but I believe it gives the best results

  • I found a Peavey 5150 profile I would like to tweak but it is only available with a TS9 embedded in. I feel like I will be limited with what I can do with profiles like this. It's good for high-gain stuff but not so great when trying to clean up with the volume knob. Sort of a one trick pony, I guess.


    How do you guys feel about OD/Distortion embedded profiles? Would you rather just the bare rig and add your own pedals?

    If a profile doesn't work, move on. There are other profiles with different gain staging.

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

    Henry David Thoreau

  • Maybe it's just in my head as I am one that would never stack two overdrive pedals with a tube/ss amp, (If I had to do that I wouldn't own that amp). The profiles with baked in overdrive sound good on their own, like a amp with an overdrive, but when I add drive to them they seem too pushed to me. Previously with my tube amps I never understood why someone that cares so much about having a tube sound would want to start the whole signal chain with solid state clipping. If my amps didn't have enough drive to do anything I wanted squeals, harmonics etc. I would have never bought it. My vote is to have a pedal-less profile and then add a pre drive from the Kemper. It seems to add that sensitivity to your picking instead of just creating the "with pedal" sound.

    Depends on what genre. Metal guitarists want a tight as possible sound.

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

    Henry David Thoreau

  • I personally can't say I've found a profile I like with a baked in OD pedal (except the one I made myself, but I only liked that through my Marshall cab, not great through the kones). I'm also not a fan of using any OD's in the Kemper, nor my modded SD-1 in front of the Kemper. My pedal in front of my JCM800 adds clarity and string definition which I guess isn't typical for an overdrive, every OD in the Kemper seems to compress the sound rather than add dynamics which isn't what I'm after.

    Personally I'd suggest if you find a profile you like but you feel it needs more gain, just tweak the gain knob. There'll be a million people here suggesting not to do that, but I believe it gives the best results

    I believe it gets the best natural results as long as you don't stray more than a few blips. Add a bit of pre pure boost too. At first I didn't understand the pure boost and thought why would I waste a slot for just a volume jump in a digital chain but lately I have been finding that it can give a bit of drive and leaves the tone alone. The newest update likely helps with that but I never used pure boost before the last beta.

  • Exactly my opinion. I've always been into guitar - cable - amplifier, nothing else.

    Everything else was and is an exception. But of course everyone likes it differently.

    I would only buy amps that serve their purpose and supply all necessary distortion without a pedal. Pedals are noisy and unless you run a drawer switcher, often require you to run long cable lengths. But I like effects, a lot. Basically why I bought a Kemper, because I refuse to compromise. I use flangers, phasers, slap delays, multidelays, harmonizers, and it's all in a 600 watt amp I can carry around easier than a shopping basket.