Profile ideas for gigging in a cover band?

  • I'm posting this in the main user section to try and get a good cross section of people who own and use the KPA (some may not be full members of the forum or might have problems posting in the private forum). I'm looking for ideas on my profile usage for gigging with a pop/rock cover band. I have found after playing ~50 gigs over the past year that I use:
    1 or 2 very nice clean tones: crisp, precise, detailed either / or Vox / Fender inspired. Right now I'm using a HiWatt profile I grabbed from TAF and while I do like it and it cuts, I'm not sure this is the ONLY clean profile I need. Looking for something more spongey and full with a lot of perceived headroom. In the pop songs we do a lot of "Reggae-esque" songs - "Santeria" (Sublime), "Lazy Song" (Bruno Mars), etc... and damn if my humbucker and P90 guitar distort the KPA's output/input very often at gigs.
    2 rock gain tones: LOVE the Ceriatone Yeti profile that I believe is free off the exchange. I'm also dabbling with an Orange profile, but might be interested in more Marshall hot rodded stuff. SLO?
    1-2 lead tones: Again the Yeti is killer but would like to add a second, thicker, smoother -- again, the SLO from TAF? Mesa Maybe?
    I need ORGAN and SYNTH-like stuff... any help? I know a lot can be done with the new harmonizer stuff, but I'm daft at setting that up... I do know that for organ we are dealing with pitch (probably 1 high, 1 voice low?) and usually a Rotary behind? This would be for Bob Marley "Three Little Birds" and Rihanna "We Found Love"... whatcha got?
    "We Found Love" also has a crazy whammy type break... right now I'm using WAH on my lead tone with is just OK. My Zoom G3 has an effect called "Bender" or something? Really easy and pretty cool, but I want to do gigs KPA only... ideas?
    Here is Rihanna's official vid, Clav/Organ ~54 in and Whacked out "Helium" sounds ~1:45 in.


    I'd like to hear and see what you other guys are gigging with and if you have any "special FX" songs with neat ideas using the current and new KPA FX.

  • Hi,
    I made 4 different amp sounds, a clean fendery blackface, a crunchy Bluesbreaker-type, a typically SLO and of course some bad motherf....
    This 4 "channels" plus the ability of the Ground Control Pro (and two pedals) to switch on and off all "stomps" (wahwah (auto), compressor, booster, tube screamer) and the EFX-section (solo volume boost (EQ), chorus, delay, reverb) is everything I ever needed.


    Because of the way-pedal with auto-engage, there´s a button for the tuner, too!
    Everything is perfect for my gigging with every band.


    But I made 4 more rigs: First for a special song with a special delay setting,
    a U2-like sound for a U2-Medley,
    and two settings for my acoustic guitars (one channel for everything, very easy for the mix on inear or FOH.


    It has never been more easy to go on the road with a cover-band or a rock-band - I do a lot of gigs as a substitute (is it called this way? just helping, if someone get´s ill or something...)


    Best regards
    Mario

  • Tap Tempo is a cover band guitarist's best friend, especially for "instant requests". A single repeat delay can be footswitch tapped to provide a tight slapback, 1/8 or 1/4 note beat synched rhythms and melodic lines, and a longer big delay for a soaring legato solo. You only need one tremelo effect, if it is tempo tapped. And, with a drummer who pushes tempo in the chorus, and pulls it back a little for the breakdown, you can instantly be right there with his timing dynamics.


    My main gig is '80s music - but, we do a really wide variety of material. I also sometimes play with others, in "throw together" bands, or subbing for some other guitarist in some other band.


    I use four main amp tones:
    Pre-shred era Marshall gain (Jubilee)
    Just a little hotter than vintage Marshall (tweaked Golub)
    Sparkly Tube clean, that gets warm and bluesy (Matchless)
    Jc-120 clean (like I said, we play '80s)


    I also have some song-specific sounds: acoustic sim, shred, 80s Metal, etc.


    A couple of really great clean sounds have shown up in the Forum that I am going to try out at Friday's gig:
    That 69 Deluxe Reverb from the Teeny Tiny rig
    The compressor+JTM30 from Zappledan's Pedal Steel rig.


    And that ACM Marshall will also get a workout.



    Organs and synths:
    I recently posted two dirty rock organs. If you need them to be cleaner, try dropping the amp gain and/or use a different amp/cabinet. They also have Pitch used for a specific drawbar setting, and EQ to make them Lo Fi.


    Other organ sounds are easy with those - try each of these for a start.
    1)Turn off the Pitch ( sounds like a different organ without it)
    2) change the Pitch to -12, +12
    3) tweak the EQs - I think there is at least one low pass filter.
    4) for a combo organ sound, pitch may be +12, +24
    5) a combo may not have rotating speaker - use vibrato, instead.



    There are some synth sounds on the Exchange from Bill Ruppert, me, Kemper, and others, and a Rhodes, a clavinet (i need to download that one, too. )

  • Mario, this is almost to a "T" the exact same thing I am trying to build. I actually have an acoustic gig (possibly the first of many ;) in mid-May and now I'm starting to think about using the KPA inbetween my very modest Epiphone acoustic (that has an internal pickup/GEQ) and PA. Have you had good results running electrified acoustic into the KPA?
    Any pointers on any of the profiles you listed above? Like the settings for your acoustic profiles, some of the base profiles that you tweaked for your full rig?
    Also, anyone know if I could assign the tuner to an FCB1010 pedal? I didn't think that was possible, sounds like it is at least with the GCP in Mario's post?

  • Some of my special sounds that come to mind:
    (Some of these are still in my G-System, and not in the Kemper yet)


    1)12-string + AC30. Tom petty, Byrds, etc.
    2) U2 - pitch shifted to Eb, with big delays
    3) Lets Go Crazy - touch sensitive auto wah for the end solo and descending riffs
    4) +12 synth - for those Word Up or Get Down Tonight kind of gigs.
    5) Surfs Up - tap tempo tremelo, big reverb.
    6) harmony guitars solo for Outfield- Your Love
    7) Run Like Hell meets Don't you Forget About Me. Tap tempo delays :)
    8) Take On Me - I two hand tap the fast synth arpeggio while our keyboardist has his hands full with textures.
    9) octave guitars for Bon Jovi.
    10) talk box sound, in case of issues with Banshee or tube
    11) Van Halen. I do a tongue in cheek guitar solo before Fight for your Right 2 party
    12) 2Way Pedal Steel - not with my main gig, but I sure hope someone asks for traditional country at a sub gig :)
    13) Touch Wah - a clean sound, perfect for horn band gigs.
    14) Bass - for emergency use - if the bass player has a gear issue in the middle of a dance song, the rest of the song, or set, if need be, will suck much less with me keeping the low end going. If it is a guitar song, our keyboardist fills in the low end.

  • MIDI CC#31 can turn the tuner on/off.


    But, if you are using the FCB pedals, you have the option of connecting up to four momentary foot switches to the Pedal 1 and Pedal 2 jacks on the back of the Kemper. You could use one of those for the tuner, without using an FCB switch.


    And, when it is available, the new EPROM will expand tuner integration with the FCB1010, according to information in another current thread.


    Midi-Controller / Tuner

  • Mario, this is almost to a "T" the exact same thing I am trying to build. I actually have an acoustic gig (possibly the first of many ;) in mid-May and now I'm starting to think about using the KPA inbetween my very modest Epiphone acoustic (that has an internal pickup/GEQ) and PA. Have you had good results running electrified acoustic into the KPA?
    Any pointers on any of the profiles you listed above? Like the settings for your acoustic profiles, some of the base profiles that you tweaked for your full rig?
    Also, anyone know if I could assign the tuner to an FCB1010 pedal? I didn't think that was possible, sounds like it is at least with the GCP in Mario's post?


    Yes, I have!
    Best sounding for electrified acoustic guitar: just switch off the amp and cabinet and use your best "effects rig" - but you will have to do some modifications on your compressor or eq-settings, so it fits perfect to the pickup/GEQ in your guitar.
    For me, it´s very important to have a well compressed sound - I often play solo acoustic parts in a show, for example on a wedding party for dinner - and the sound of the effects plus my compressor settings is just amazing - some chorus, some delay, a little bit of reverb, some EQing - perfect!
    I did a lot of rehearsals with an AXE-FX Ultra some years ago - just didn´t find my tone...
    and the surprising thing: the Kemper delivers it not only for my electric guitars - it delivers it on the acoustical way, too!
    Just try to shut off the amp and cab knobs and listen to your acoustic guitar (of course no fuzz pedals on :thumbup: )
    Best regards