What are your favourite DI/merged profiles, and what IR's are you pairing them with?

  • Thanks for the explanation! I'll give it a shot sometime.


    When you get the DI do you get to set the mic/position? Or does it come set in the profile?

    The DI is just the amp, before it gets to any speakers - like if you just plugged e.g. a JCM800 head straight into the mixing desk instead of into a cab. The speaker/cab/mic(s)/mic position(s) - that's all contained in the IR. If you're not sure what IR's are, google "Celestion digital" or Ownhammer IR" for more info. When you buy a set of IR's, for any given cab or speaker you'll generally get a good range of options of mic type and placement - this is how you customise the tone to your tastes, by finding an IR which complements the raw amp tone contained in the DI profile. There are a bunch of free Celestion IR's included with the Kemper btw, and most companies offer a few free samples too.

  • The DI is just the amp, before it gets to any speakers - like if you just plugged e.g. a JCM800 head straight into the mixing desk instead of into a cab. The speaker/cab/mic(s)/mic position(s) - that's all contained in the IR. If you're not sure what IR's are, google "Celestion digital" or Ownhammer IR" for more info. When you buy a set of IR's, for any given cab or speaker you'll generally get a good range of options of mic type and placement - this is how you customise the tone to your tastes, by finding an IR which complements the raw amp tone contained in the DI profile. There are a bunch of free Celestion IR's included with the Kemper btw, and most companies offer a few free samples too.

    Definitely important to bear in mind that Direct Profiles do (usually) have the influence of a cab/load on them, but they're still capturing the sound that comes directly out of the output of the amp before the cab. The cabinet (or load) affects the sound of the poweramp. If you capture a direct from an FX send (or preamp output), then it wont have the poweramp colouration on it - these sound quite flat to record with as the poweramp adds quite a lot of tone to things. They can be sometimes useful for running into an FX return of an amp though.

  • Definitely important to bear in mind that Direct Profiles do (usually) have the influence of a cab/load on them, but they're still capturing the sound that comes directly out of the output of the amp before the cab. The cabinet (or load) affects the sound of the poweramp. If you capture a direct from an FX send (or preamp output), then it wont have the poweramp colouration on it - these sound quite flat to record with as the poweramp adds quite a lot of tone to things. They can be sometimes useful for running into an FX return of an amp though.

    I had wondered what the "load box" was that people talk about when creating DI profiles! If I understand you correctly, you're saying it simulates running into a cab, without which the power amp wouldn't respond authentically?

  • I had wondered what the "load box" was that people talk about when creating DI profiles! If I understand you correctly, you're saying it simulates running into a cab, without which the power amp wouldn't respond authentically?

    Yeah exactly - basically the power amp will change its tone based on what is connected to it. The interaction works in both directions (rather than just flowing out of one into the other). It also varies between different poweramp designs. It’s kind of complex but it’s a huge part of an amps sound.


    The best load boxes are usually designed to have a very similar response to a particular real cab, so that a poweramp reacts in the same way. A resistive load doesn’t push back like a cab does, and makes the poweramp sound flat compared to how they sound driving a cab load. Reactive loads with an impedance curve based on a cab fare much better.

  • I'm amazed with the Pete Turley's DI and Merged profiles of the Voodoo Amps Modded Marshall. (Pete's profiles).

    Pairing with the Cab M+ and The Uber 75 cab (Celestion G12T-75 and V30).

    This sound just like one of the best Marshall tone. Wao

  • Thought I'd try keeping this alive. Both some observations and some likes around direct profiles.

    • I have seen some profilers move to a "neutral" tone stack approach i.e. everything at noon. I'm not sure I like it. The problem...as I see it...is I can't get the high end to sound present and right through use of amp treble and presence on the profile. And, sometimes the low end is too woofy. I could use other types of EQ cuts but don't want to have to do that.
    • I wish more profilers would share their EQ settings, especially direct. Reampzone is great about this.
    • I also wish I had my own amps, or, dare I say it...a modeler. It gets expensive searching for your ideal sound by trying out commercial profiles.

    I've got 3-4 profiles that really work for me in terms of my set up. I'm using a Kemper Kab and an Ownhammer IR. Mostly I'm playing and rehearsing through my Kemper Kab these days whereas I was all MBritt profiles and direct to my CLR and/or the board before. The direct profiles I like the most for my current set up are:

    • Tone Junkie 72 Superlead Direct profiles (Jumpered) - my favorite current setup. Minimal adjustments on the EQ and the low end, mids and high end are all where they need to be. Sounds like the Marshall sound in my head. To a lesser extent, I like his Purple Plexi direct profiles but they need less low end and more high end, at least for humbuckers. If I didn't have another profile, I'd keep my Kemper for the 72 SL.
    • Reampzone Friedman JJ100 - Reampzone is hit or miss for me. I like a few of the JCM800 profiles (just not enough in there) but really like the JJ100. I always liked the Mbritt Soldano pack but the Reampzone direct profiles are just too dark and don't have any presence relative to some others. This JJ though is nicely dialed in and is in the same neighborhood as the TJ 72 Superlead
    • Tim Owens HAWP Freidman BE 100 - these are free. Lots of detail around the EQ and setting used. He's done various shoots on request of others with certain EQ set ups. My favs is the HAWP21 BE 100 session. The bass is a bit a little lower than others, the different saturation settings and such are off, and the high end and mids are dialed in right...all for humbuckers. Pretty similar to the JJ100 but like it, more gain on tap than the Marshall Superlead if needed.
    • Tone Junkie AC 50 - These are cool for a vintage Marshally vibe. Nice cut (more tweaking needed for me) but a little less gain on tap than the 72 SL. I like these better than the 68 Purple Plexis.

    For those familar with these profile packs and sounds, I'd be interested to see if there are any others I should check out that you feel are in the same neighborhood. Seems like Tone Junkie gave up on direct captures as I haven't seen any in the last number of profile packs he's done. Still looking for a really good vintage JCM800 sound. The Reampzone is close, just limited in terms of which captures I actually liked.

  • Thought I'd try keeping this alive. Both some observations and some likes around direct profiles.

    • I have seen some profilers move to a "neutral" tone stack approach i.e. everything at noon. I'm not sure I like it. The problem...as I see it...is I can't get the high end to sound present and right through use of amp treble and presence on the profile. And, sometimes the low end is too woofy. I could use other types of EQ cuts but don't want to have to do that.
    • I wish more profilers would share their EQ settings, especially direct. Reampzone is great about this.
    • I also wish I had my own amps, or, dare I say it...a modeler. It gets expensive searching for your ideal sound by trying out commercial profiles.

    I've got 3-4 profiles that really work for me in terms of my set up. I'm using a Kemper Kab and an Ownhammer IR. Mostly I'm playing and rehearsing through my Kemper Kab these days whereas I was all MBritt profiles and direct to my CLR and/or the board before. The direct profiles I like the most for my current set up are:

    • Tone Junkie 72 Superlead Direct profiles (Jumpered) - my favorite current setup. Minimal adjustments on the EQ and the low end, mids and high end are all where they need to be. Sounds like the Marshall sound in my head. To a lesser extent, I like his Purple Plexi direct profiles but they need less low end and more high end, at least for humbuckers. If I didn't have another profile, I'd keep my Kemper for the 72 SL.
    • Reampzone Friedman JJ100 - Reampzone is hit or miss for me. I like a few of the JCM800 profiles (just not enough in there) but really like the JJ100. I always liked the Mbritt Soldano pack but the Reampzone direct profiles are just too dark and don't have any presence relative to some others. This JJ though is nicely dialed in and is in the same neighborhood as the TJ 72 Superlead
    • Tim Owens HAWP Freidman BE 100 - these are free. Lots of detail around the EQ and setting used. He's done various shoots on request of others with certain EQ set ups. My favs is the HAWP21 BE 100 session. The bass is a bit a little lower than others, the different saturation settings and such are off, and the high end and mids are dialed in right...all for humbuckers. Pretty similar to the JJ100 but like it, more gain on tap than the Marshall Superlead if needed.
    • Tone Junkie AC 50 - These are cool for a vintage Marshally vibe. Nice cut (more tweaking needed for me) but a little less gain on tap than the 72 SL. I like these better than the 68 Purple Plexis.

    For those familar with these profile packs and sounds, I'd be interested to see if there are any others I should check out that you feel are in the same neighborhood. Seems like Tone Junkie gave up on direct captures as I haven't seen any in the last number of profile packs he's done. Still looking for a really good vintage JCM800 sound. The Reampzone is close, just limited in terms of which captures I actually liked.

    I too often wonder if I shouldn't have gone for a modeler, or switch to one! As you say, if you're at all particular about tone, it's very difficult to find profiles that work well for your specific gtr/pickups/style. I don't even like to think about how much I've spent on profiles... probably about a hundred packs from dozens of different companies, and out of all these, only a handful of individual profiles that really sound completely perfect (once tweaked...) - I've probably got about a dozen (all DI's plus IR's) which I feel couldn't really be improved on, then maybe about 2 dozen more "in reserve" that aren't bad, but just slightly off tonally despite extensive eq-ing. And these do cover a pretty broad range of tones, so mainly I have what I need - but often I just want e.g. a basic Marshall crunch tone, something I could probably dial in easily on any modeler (or the real thing), but no-one seems to have profiled it with quite the settings that suit my pickups! Gets very frustrating/expensive... I guess the axe-fx and possibly helix are on my radar as far as modelers go - but the thing is, I do have some really unique and dynamic tones with my Kemper that I suspect I'd be hard pushed to recreate - but what I do think would be easier with a modeler is just basic workhorse tones, simply due to being able to dial in the modeled amp to taste.


    Re. JCM800 profiles, for some reason good ones are really hard to find! I see posts all the time on the facebook groups from people struggling to find ones that work for them. There's lots out there, but almost all are too muddy. What I've settled on for "basic" 800 type tones is this:


    1) Choptones Laney GH50R - obviously not even a Marshall, but in this DI pack there's a perfect mid-gain crunch tone that comes closer to how I'd dial in an actual 800 than any actual 800 pack I've tried! Have two great boosted leads from this pack too.


    2) Choptones 800C2 - there's a profile in here, boosted with a Plexitone pedal, that doesn't exactly sound quite like an 800 (due to the pedal) but does give a great Marshall crunch.


    Re. Marshall type leads/higain, again, I've ended up mostly with other amps - e.g. the Engl Savage, tho a bit more brutal, is pretty Marshall-esque - and probably my all-time favourite profile is the first one in Guidorist's HiWatt pack (boosted with 808) - haven't liked any other HiWatt profiles I've tried, but this one is the closest I've come to finding my ideal gtr tone - swapped the stock cab for a Celestion IR tho of course ;)


    But it really does become like a lottery buying profiles - you pay to try them basically, and most of the time you wish you'd saved your money...


    To my mind, the best way to improve the Kemper user experience would be to be able to try any profile before you buy it - e.g. if Kemper set up some sort of of official marketplace, maybe an extra tab in Rig Manager, where you could try the profiles for a limited time, or with a sporadic bleep or something (like when you demo a soft-synth for example). Thing is, I suspect if profiling companies sold this way, they'd make far less money! Think about it: almost everyone says that out of the many profiles they've bought only a few are really any good - therefore the vast majority of the money these companies make is from customers who are not satisfied with their purchase! Not many businesses can operate on this basis...


    The other thing that would help, and this especially with DI profiles, is if someone made packs that really covered a lot of tonal options. Take a very popular, but really rather basic amp like the JCM 800. Most packs, if you try the first profile and it doesn't work, chances are the rest won't either, because generally people seem to dial in the tone knobs to what sounds good with their gtr/pickups, then try and tell you it'll work on yours too ("works great with single coils or humbuckers" - yeah right...!!) - however what really would work for anyone would be a pack where say just two gain ranges were chosen, e.g. a crunch and a high gain, and profile each of these with multiple tone settings. Some, scooped, some mid-boosted, some less bass, more treble etc. This way you'd be almost certain to find something that worked for your pickups. Gain can be quite effectively reduced on the Kemper - it also takes pedals rather well - so in a way, finding the right gain range is less important than the right tonal balance. Yes, you can EQ a profile to improve it - but there's only so much EQ you can apply, either pre or post amp, before it starts to sound unnatural. Yet oddly, most packs focus on a variety of gain ranges and boosts... all nice to have, but if the basic tonal balance isn't right, all useless!

  • I too often wonder if I shouldn't have gone for a modeler, or switch to one!

    sorry to cut your comment short, but it looked chaotic otherwise.


    I don’t know if a lot of people get the wrong idea what the profiler is meant to be.

    In my experience it’s explicitly not a modeler or a device to get any tone you would like by turning some knobs.
    I think it’s a device to profile a very specific sound. Your studio setup while recording with a real amp so that you don’t need to carry it around, for example. Everything else like the rig exchange or 3rd party sellers is just something that came along over the time.


    maybe I’m alone with this understanding of the profiler but I think the easiest solution to get the sound you want is to get the real amp and profile it. I went through my contacts and asked some friends if I could borrow their amps to profile them. It was fairly easy with the DI-box.

  • sorry to cut your comment short, but it looked chaotic otherwise.


    I don’t know if a lot of people get the wrong idea what the profiler is meant to be.

    In my experience it’s explicitly not a modeler or a device to get any tone you would like by turning some knobs.
    I think it’s a device to profile a very specific sound. Your studio setup while recording with a real amp so that you don’t need to carry it around, for example. Everything else like the rig exchange or 3rd party sellers is just something that came along over the time.


    maybe I’m alone with this understanding of the profiler but I think the easiest solution to get the sound you want is to get the real amp and profile it. I went through my contacts and asked some friends if I could borrow their amps to profile them. It was fairly easy with the DI-box.

    None of this is news to me... Obviously if you profiled your own amps you would have none of these problems. However, the fact is the majority of Kemper users (and I've seen polls conducted on this, it is the large majority) buy a Kemper to use 3rd party profiles in order to get the sounds of many real-world amps they would never otherwise have access to. All I'm saying in the post you partially quoted is that this process is very hit and miss, and could be made far easier (either by Kemper- or someone else? - setting up an official marketplace where you could actually demo profiles, and/or by profiling-companies creating profile packs that genuinely would work across a range of pickups). Nevermind that the Kemper started off more as something to just be able to capture the sound of your amps and e.g. take them on tour or into the studio more easily - it's now both marketed and widely thought of not just as this, but also as a platform for 3rd party profiles - and again, the overwhelming majority of users use it in this way. I can't see any harm in suggesting ways in which this user experience could be improved. If you interpreted this as a criticism of the capabilities of the Kemper itself, you have misunderstood.

  • Nevermind that the Kemper started off more as something to just be able to capture the sound of your amps and e.g. take them on tour or into the studio more easily - it's now both marketed and widely thought of not just as this, but also as a platform for 3rd party profiles - and again, the overwhelming majority of users use it in this way.

    Ok, I've never saw it this way, but as I tried to write: I'm not everyone ;) Of course I like to look for other profiles and have fun with them but in the end I am now settled with my own.


    I can't see any harm in suggesting ways in which this user experience could be improved. If you interpreted this as a criticism of the capabilities of the Kemper itself, you have misunderstood.

    No, of course. There is nothing wrong with that. That's what a forum is for: Discussion!

    But I don't see a technical possibility to do this.

    - Time-limited access? Pre-Record and just Re-Amp with the "trial-period".

    - Audio-Preview? Most of the 3rd-party suppliers are doing something like this (and most of the time it sounds totaly different when I play those profiles...)



    And last but not least: Back to the main topic:

    I'm using a Ownhammer 412MarV30 IR (and the new Mesa 412 Rect Essential pack has some nice IRs too).

    Profiles: my own (Marshall TSL 2000 and Silver Jubilee)

    My 3rd party tips for boosted JCM800 sounds:

    - PremierProfiles (paid)

    - Mike Williams (Rig Exchange)

    - Mago JCM 800 by Marco Cudan (Rig Exchange)

    Maybe these are interesting for you :)

  • Thanks, will check those out! btw, I used to own a TSL 2000, gigged with it for years, under-rated amp. Maybe not as classic a tone as an 800 or JMP, but I needed the 3 channels at the time, and got some great sounds out of it.