I always use a real 2x12 or 4x12 cabinet, don't like the FRFR option, and I gig often. I have the powered head, but don't use that power source anymore as I prefer tube power. I now use the KRS PA50 power amp w/el34 tubes.
Posts by dacop1313
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Has anyone ever purchased a profile pack that sounds like the sellers demos? I haven't, not even close, that is why I stopped buying profiles. But to be fair, that goes for real amps too, nothing ever sounds the same even at the same settings and speakers being used. If you are looking for good metal profiles, start with SinMix, there is a free pack somewhere online and its great.
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I played out this past weekend using a KSR PA50w tube power amp with 6L6 tubes. I used a Marshall Jubilee and ENGL Fireball profile, real 4x12 speaker cab. WOW...never sounded better. The built in solid state power amp in the Kemper will never see the light of day again.
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Profiles will never sound the same from youtube videos, and that goes for real amps too. You can dial in the same settings and you will get different results. I am sure there is lots of post processing going on in those videos to make their product sound better for sales. And yes of course you need to consider how the profiler is presenting these profiles, FRFR, using a real cab, IRs, power section used. I have stopped buying profiles because if this, there are plenty of great free ones on the exchange, seek and you shall find. You can tweak this and tweak that, but those downloaded profiles will never give you the same results as the presented video, stop wasting your money.
The best results I get from the Kemper is running it through a tube power amp or return loop of a real amp, using a real cabinet and turn the cabs off. That method has given me the best "real tube amp" tone.
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Interesting post. I have the Fireball 25w version and it too has an integrated noise gate. I was able to create DI profiles without issue.
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Any standard CAT5 or CAT6 cable will work. You can also purchase this from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G…dt_b_product_details&th=1 -
Don't do any finesse playing when refining. Do chugs, palm mutes, and knarly chord play.
Do you suggest this with just normal DI profiling when it comes time to refining? Does it make a difference?
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Nice idea but I dont think that will ever happen.
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Waaaay better than passable. Just not exact.
Fair enough. Without question the best SS solution.
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As great as the Kemper is, it does not sound like a real tube amp. Its certainly passable though.
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The Kemper is amazing, but there's still something more glorious about the sound of a tube amp.
I totally agree.
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Not that I know of once the profile is saved with a different gain setting. You could use "Save As" to create a new profile with that different gain setting, that will keep the original as is.
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I appreciate the answers. Actually I love the sound of the Kemper but I like the sound of the actual tube amp better. And no, I just don’t want to limit the Kemper entirely for effects but I wanted to do a test and try different things. Finally, attenuators are expensive but I’m not hesitant about investing money to improve my sound and the potential of my home recording studio. I believe that actually having different tools available to explore and create new things and not using them, or just limiting yourself to only one device is a little mediocre and lazy. Thanks ?
I totally agree with you, the Kemper is great and its defiantly the best solid state solution out there BUT a real tube amp does sound better. The Kemper is convenient for me, I can DI profile amps and have them all in the Kemper.
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I have the Kemper Powerhead, and I too have an ENGL tube amp that I love (Fireball 25w). What I did is profiled that Fireball 25 Amp as DI, no cabinets in the profile. I used a Kemper DI box to do this. I obviously use a real 2x12 cabinet. I have two choices with these captured Fireball DI profiles, I can use the power amp in the Kemper, or I can turn off the power amp on the Kemper and use the power section of the Fireball 25 amp (loop return), plus I get to use use ALL the Kemper effects (either way). It sounds best and almost identical when using the Fireball power section, but also sound great with the Kemper solid state power. You can obviously use any tube amp power section, or a tube power amp. I also like the Marshall DSL el34 power sections for DI profiles. Point is I can use all the effects, in front or after.
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Big difference from the DI and the Studio. From what I am hearing the DI into a real cabinet is much more accurate and emulates the amp more so then the Studio into a real cabinet.
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I use a powered Kemper head with a real cabinet only. I have the Kemper DI box and have been capturing some DIs and there is a big difference in compared to Studio when using a real cab, I like the DI much better, sounds more amp like when using a real cab. I have also been experimenting with Merged profiles, I will capture a Studio and then a DI with the same amp settings and then use the Merge feature on the Kemper using both of those Studio and DI profiles, but I dont hear much (or any) difference from the DI and Merged profiles. Should I be?...or is that Merge feature just a way to add a "cabinet" into that DI profile IF I even wanted to go FRFR or FOH with that DI profile?
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Yes...thats a way to do. Or in most cases I just use the real cab with no FOH, just like a real amp head and cabinet. The sound guy will just mic the cabinet.
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I have the Powerhead and also use Marshall and Marshall style profiles for practice, rehearsals and live shows. I find the best results when it comes to cab options is to use a real cabinet. I use a 2x12 with v30s, a 2x12 with G12T75s and a 4x12 with G12T75s. I have dabbled with FRFR but the real cab is best for me. I also use a Celestion f12-x200 1x12 for FRFR when I want to use profiles with their cabs.
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I didn't care for the Kone speaker myself that I installed into a Mesa 1x12 cabinet, I sent it back the next day and purchased a Celestion f12-x200 and I am very happy with it.
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...which is exactly what happened when I switched to FRFR from a Guitar cab....totally showed up crap profiles. This was replicated FOH.
So its great to have a fab on stage sound, but no point if FOH sounds crap. Hence I worked to get my FRFR sound and the Kabinet adds something to sound better as a monitor without masking duff profiles.
Got it...I sort of go the other way with it, I work on getting the tone I want with a real cabinet and never go FOH through the Kemper. I insist on the sound guy micing my cabinet instead. Plus some of my profiles are DI, so FOH is not an option.
