Imported Kemper profiles sound too warm and dull and nothing like the demo's

  • I've owned a Kemper stage for a few months now and recently decided to buy some profiles. More specifically the Top Jimi Kemper profiles as i was blown away from the demo's he had posted on YouTube, which was one of the leading factors in me buying a Kemper in the first place. I bought the Eddie Van Halen brown sound pack then followed all the instructions and imported all the profiles with relative ease but when got to actually playing though the profiles they sounded nothing like the demo's at all. They sounded really warm, much too warm to how i would normally have my amps sound and also there was a real lack of brightness and bite to the tone, just really dull sounding overall and nothing like the demo's on YouTube. I tried the profiles through all 17 of my guitars but still the same result. I've been trying to edit them as much as i can to get to sound more like the demo's but to no avail.


    Does anybody know what the problem is or have any suggestions?


    Much appreciated,

  • Is the Profiler connected to the Monitors directly or through an audio interface? Does it make a difference when you connect the monitors directly to the Profiler?

    How do the rigs sound when you monitor them with a pair of good quality headphones connected directly to the Profiler?

  • I sometimes use the Treble Booster in the Stomps area to overcome dullness in a rig.

    I do this for a guitar I have that I dearly love, but it often too dark for what I need. A treble booster with the mix turned down works absolute wonders without destroying the guitar's inherent character.

    I reality....I should hunt down the 'right' amp and profile....but I'm also incredibly lazy.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • My Kemper goes through my M-audio Interface into my monitors. I have used the Kemper with out the interface before but it makes little difference. when using the Kemper with my studio headphones there is definitely a change in the sound. Its not necessarily a good or a bad change it just sounds different, Maybe a bit more present and clear with my own profiles but with the imported profiles it doesn't really help the tone much.


    I tend to always use the boosters when making my own profiles, however with the Imported profiles i still can't get close to what the YouTube demo's sound like.

  • I too found this to be an issue with Topjimi profiles in fact I found this to be the case with many Marshall profiles. They lack the mids and the highs associated with the classic Marshall sound and often are boomy.


    Here is two things that have worked for me: Find a cab from another rig that you like and think sounds good and use that cab instead of the baked in cab. I also really like the combo of an SM57 paired vintage MD421 so I bought an impulse response pack from Ownhammer that was made using a vintage Marshall 1960 Cab, T1221 greenies, and the mics mentioned above. I found that often using a direct profile of my amps or direct profiles from the packs that I have purchased used in conjunction with third-party impulse responses get me the sounds I want and like.


    The biggest issue I have with someone elses profiles is that you're at the mercy of what they think sounds good meaning amp setting, mics, mic placement, speakers etc.


    Finally, I would highly recommend you try Matt Figgs “Marshall experiment” pack. It is truly the only paid profile that was plug and play and sounded good just as is for me.

  • I find that no commercial profiles ever sound the same as the demos. I am not sure why that is, so I stopped buying them and found many great free ones in the Rig Exchange. I recently profiled and posted (Rig Exchange) a Marshall 410 head. Take a look at those if you like the Marshall tone.

  • I find that no commercial profiles ever sound the same as the demos. I am not sure why that is, so I stopped buying them and found many great free ones in the Rig Exchange. I recently profiled and posted (Rig Exchange) a Marshall 410 head. Take a look at those if you like the Marshall tone.

    This is why I have yet to purchase a commercial profile. To get the same tone you hear in a demo you would;


    (a) have to have the same exact global settings in your Kemper as the profiler. (Something I have not seen profilers readily sharing).

    (b) have the same exact guitar and pickups used.

    (c) maybe even have the same interface and DAW the profiler used.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • This is why I have yet to purchase a commercial profile. To get the same tone you hear in a demo you would;


    (a) have to have the same exact global settings in your Kemper as the profiler. (Something I have not seen profilers readily sharing).

    (b) have the same exact guitar and pickups used.

    (c) maybe even have the same interface and DAW the profiler used.

    Spot on...not to mention the same power source and speakers, too many factors come into play. This goes for tube amps also, they never sound the same as in youtube demos either.

  • I don't want to knock anyone, but all profiles are not the same.


    I have bought several commercial. At the moment, Tone Junkie's Hiwhat (Hiwatt) pack is incredible, and I'm really liking Liveplayrcok's Rockman X-100 packs.

  • This is why I have yet to purchase a commercial profile. To get the same tone you hear in a demo you would;


    (a) have to have the same exact global settings in your Kemper as the profiler. (Something I have not seen profilers readily sharing).

    (b) have the same exact guitar and pickups used.

    (c) maybe even have the same interface and DAW the profiler used.

    I think A is the key here. The guitar wouldn't make a huge difference IMHO. I also don't think the DAW would make a difference. If you listen to them using headphones from the Kemper or run it to an FRFR speaker and listen to them that should be really close to what you hear on the demos. To me the real missing link is the global settings. These could vary a lot.

  • To me the TJ Brown sound pack sounds a bit too trebly, make of that what you will. Sometimes I'm happily playing a profile I like, and then the next time it feels like it needs the treble booster, and then it sounds fine without it again.

    I swear profiles always sound different when you're actually playing as opposed to listening to a recording, your ears are expecting a certain sound when you have a guitar in your hands, for me I think it's a mental/perception thing.

    I've learned to accept all these peculiarities now

  • A lot of demos from commercial profilers are deceptive in the way that EQ/compression/reverb is added after recording. Many are even double/quad tracked. Of course if a profiler doesn't do this and everyone else is, his profiles will sound weaker in comparison, therefore a lot are doing it in spite of what they claim. Thankfully, there is Rig Exchange.

  • Another thing that could be a factor with this is what the sites like YouTube are applying to the audio once the video is uploaded. They compress the heck out of the audio on the videos.

  • A lot of demos from commercial profilers are deceptive in the way that EQ/compression/reverb is added after recording. Many are even double/quad tracked. Of course if a profiler doesn't do this and everyone else is, his profiles will sound weaker in comparison, therefore a lot are doing it in spite of what they claim. Thankfully, there is Rig Exchange.

    I agree. Lets face it, its all about $ales, and these profilers will do anything to make their profiles sound great in their demos. Unfortunately there is no return policy on profiles. I have purchased a few in the past that I would like to send back. Rig Exchange is the way to go, there are MANY great ones out there.

  • I like the idea of going with the best of both worlds. I've found some great profiles on rig exchange, but sorting through the crap ones to find good ones gets old... Wish there was a better rating system. Tone Junkie has crazy sales and recently Liveplayrock have 90% off sales. I have used these profiles in new recordings after I could not find the Hiwatt's I wanted in rig exchange. I think I got Liveplayrock's Rockman X-100 pack for $4 last week and it's quite fun, and gets rid of the occasional urge to own a Rockman again, which are now crazy high priced.