Posts by ampjunkie

Currently, if you have all your local profiles organized under directories under Local Library, then only the total number of profiles (in parentheses) are shown next to each directory. But it isn't shown at the next level up (Local Library). Only profiles that are at that level are counted -- not ones that are in the sub-directories. Showing the total number would be good to have, and also be consistent with the behavior at the very top level -- where the total number is correctly displayed (includes Local Lib and Rig Exchange). Thanks.

Glad to hear that my comments are helpful. Note that this is coming from a long-time user of the Axe-FX Ultra, and now, a dedicated Kemper user.

Just wanted to give my two cents' regarding this ....

1) Preset switching lag. It was one thing that made some poeople prefer the Axe FX for live use
--> I don't have any issues with preset switching lag with the FCB1010 UNO4Kemper installed. And that solution is much cheaper than Fractal's pedalboard

2) Booting time - axe fx in few seconds, Kemper nearly a minute (at least 30s was it?). Not a problem in studio or at the rehearsal, but when the electric shuts down for brief moment and then the gig must continue as soon as possible - 30s is killingly long time.
--> I have 400+ profiles and the latest FW boots in 35s. If you're gonna use it for live use, maybe you'd have less than 20 profiles on there so boot time would be even faster. How often does this really happen? If you play in clubs where this happens all the time, I'd be more worried about frying my gear -- so get a UPC as suggested earlier. You'd want to do this regardless of whether you have a Kemper or Axe-FX.

3) Two amps at the same time
--> This sounds like a great thing to have, but practically, you almost never see this live. You might see multiple amps on stage (like Eric Johnson does), but he NEVER runs them at the same time. It's almost never done.

4) Ultra Resolution cabinet IR's alternative
--> This is marketing. The Ultra-res IRs allow Fractal to get longer tail IRs with less compute power. But there's a caveat. They are proprietary, and as confirmed by Jay Mitchell on the Fractal forums: "The data in an "Ultrares" IR contains less information than the original IR from which it was derived.....To produce an Ultrares IR, the tail beyond approximately 20ms is decimated: lowpass filtered, then downsampled. Based on the frequency content of this tail - it cuts off very sharply at 2500 Hz - the decimation ratio is 8:1. IOW, the sampling rate used by the algorithm that processes the tail is 6kHz rather than the system rate of 48kHz. The demand on CPU goes down approximately as the square of the decimation ratio. This process has been in use for decades, for exactly this purpose (reducing cpu demand). "

In essence, the Ultra res IR contains information about the room -- not extra info on the cab -- which is in the first 20ms. And even the room info has been compromised. A suitable algorithmic reverb and delay can easily make up for this, as anyone who has used a TC or Lexicon reverb can attest vs a convolution reverb.

5) Tone Matching alternative for getting the exact sound from record or whatever.
--> This technique is not new. It is EQ matching of two audio signals. For best results, it assumes you have the IR of the cabinet used, and an amp model in FW that matches well. There definitely is a lot of tweaking and experimentation needed here to achieve a match. For an existing amp/cab, Kemper's profiling method seems to be the more accurate method. For matching an existing recording, the Axe-FX may get you there faster -- but with tens or thousands of profiles, it isn't hard to find matched profiles as can be seen in the Rig Exchange or in commercial profiles.

IRs do indeed make up a lot of the character of the tone of a guitar amp because of the cab, but note that if you are only looking at reproducing the sound of the cab and NOT the room, IRs only need to be about 20ms in length. Anything more than that and you are also getting early reflections and characteristics of the room. However, the latter is sometimes what makes FRFR sound like an "amp in the room" which is what we are used to hearing.

The Fractal Ultra res IRs are essentially longer tail IRs which capture this room effect. But make no mistake, it does not mean it is a more accurate IR when it comes to the cab. As has been detailed in the Fractal forum, processing IRs involves convolution, and longer IRs need more power. In Ultra res, they low pass filter after 2.5kHz and decimate (downsample) so that processing is much easier for the CPU. See here for more details: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1389699

My opinion is this is a lot of work and overkill to really just produce early reflections and reverb. It has nothing to do with what the cab contributes, which is the first 20ms. Convolution reverb has been out for a while, and though it seemed like the holy grail in providing a large number of real spaces to use, I think most recording/mix sessions have continued to use algorithmic reverbs (Lexicon, TC, etc.) and they sound just fine.

Where are you in Canada? I might be interested if you are in the GTA and no shipping is involved ...

In the Basic manual on page 51, there is a sentence stating about profiling:

"However, there is one exception: some distortion pedals use a special design that cannot be profiled accurately, for instance the
Tube Screamer."

I am just curious why this is true. The distortion from a tube-screamer type circuit is diode clipping in the feedback loop of an op-amp. A huge number of OD pedals use this technique (Zendrive, Timmy, Eternity, etc. the list goes on ...). I see a lot of amp profiles where a TS is used in the front of the amp. Do the profilers who use this technique feel that the TS is not adequately profiled as part of the signal chain? Is there a profile available with a signal chain with a TS into a clean amp (rather than to goose a high-gain amp)? Can somebody comment on the accuracy of the sound?

I've got a few OD pedals that have a unique distortion sound into a clean amp, and would love to have the Kemper profile these tones.

I can sort of see why the TS may not be modeled properly, but it is speculation only: I assume Kemper has exhaustively analyzed how amps distort (mainly tube amps) and modeled his box as a harmonic distortion generator. The profiling determines the proper parameters in the algorithm used to create the distortion. However, a TS may distort in ways not taken into account by his algorithm, and thus is not captured during the profiling process. But the EQ and gain may be taken into account as they would be part of the algorithm.

Any thoughts?

Quote from Soundhead

In the USA, at least, if a piece of electronic gear is missing the legally required origin label, most people assume it is made in China. Many people avoid Chinese products (because of unfair trade, human rights issues, slavery, etc.). A label that says the product is made in Germany or some other reasonably democratic country is a strong selling point...and not a wise thing to leave off.

Unless of course that product is made by Apple -- in which case, it's designed in California, but made in China. I don't think people care much at all about the unfair trade, slavery, etc. I think 90% of stuff in Walmart is also made in China ....

That's what I always said. Class D is the best for modelers.

Just curious -- for the Camplifier 360 -- are you using ICEpower modules also in stereo?

Anybody who is going to do a DIY and add an ICEpower module (either 125ASX2 or 250ASX2), let us know how it goes. For example, will you run them in bridged mode (mono) for a 600W amp like KPA does, or will you run it as a stereo unit? Also, what points will you use as the inputs to the ICE modules? I have read that these modules like to be driven by a low-impedance. I am assuming these points need to be chosen carefully so as to maximize the signal path to the power units while not loading the preamp outs.

Awesome that the KPA power amp is using ICEpower modules. These things are simply amazing. I have an old guitar solid-state stereo preamp that has been modded to have an ICEpower 125ASX2 module (also running in stereo), so it's now a power amp also. It is running into a stereo 2x12 cab, and the sound is awesome. The bass response on these new class-D amps is stunning. Yes, THD goes to 10% at only the very high-end of the range, but my cab won't ever get that much power. Plus, the THD from the speaker will probably be much greater and affect the sound long before you hit the limit of the power amp.

The NCore modules from Hypex also look really cool, and you can buy the N400 modules as DIY only. But you then need to get the PS. The 125ASX2 is completely self-contained. Some people have mentioned that the Hypex modules sound better. Specs do look comparable, but I think the ICEpower stuff is cheaper since they actually have a custom-designed ASIC in there for some of their functions. The Hypex guys seem to like discrete stuff, and are really expert analog guys.

Either way, you can't go wrong.

You can get the ICE amp module 125ASX2 (125W/ch into 4 ohms) for $200. Or a stereo amp (mainly used for hi-fi) for $800 in a nice chassis. Or maybe the ICEpower 1000ASP which is 550W into 8 ohms. and is only 23.2cm wide x 15cm deep:

http://www.icepower.bang-olufs…utions/speaker/ASP_SERIES

That is less power than the KPA head @600W into 8 ohms, but pretty good performance spec wise. I would be curious what is the THD and freq specs for the KPA amp. Does anybody know?

Has anybody tried using the KPA with the new class D amps out there? I am talking the ICE amp or the NCore modules from Hypex. These are class D amps or modules which occupy very little space, highly efficient, and don't need a heatsink! They are good enough for high-end audio now, and are relatively inexpensive to DIY. It would be cool to see if you could put one into the KPA as there is plenty of space for it. I've seen some old preamp racks modded with these new modules so it makes it into a full-fledged power amp as well ... with almost no extra weight or heatsink needed. Idle power is also stunningly low for some of these modules (5W) though they can pump out hundreds of watts. Some modules have two amps to support stereo operation.

http://www.icepower.bang-olufsen.com/
http://www.hypex.nl/

I am thinking of getting a separate stereo unit and using that as a power amp. Would be a cool little setup with the KPA.

Try using the SPDIF inputs which will reduce the number of A/D and D/A conversions. The issue is that the FA101 uses optical SPDIF, and the KPA is coax, so you'll need to use a converter. I believe this is probably the cleanest way to get the Kemper signal into your DAW.

DT's use of the KPA is creative. With that said, his present guitar sound choices are not my favorite. Too much farty bass and fuzz with no smoothness anywhere.

I think the best sound he had was on his CD "Cloud About Mercury" many years ago. I think he was using a Klein Electric and a Pearce SS amp. That combo is awesome ...

The one great thing I have recently seen is that David Torn is using the KPA, and he's pretty enthusiastic about it. His KPA clips are awesome. The TGP moderators (many who are FAS fanboys) don't dare try to question him on his opinions as he's a *true* professional musician with plenty of experience and awareness of great tone.

I think I'll end the bashing on this thread as was mentioned earlier and focus on the product.

BTW, with the new firmware and lots of profiles loaded, how long does it take to boot?

Quote from ballantine

That Jobs response was a fake... blame him for whatever you want, but not for that answer...

Yes, you may be right on that. Nonetheless, the arrogance displayed by Apple is very real, with condescension being a main attribute (i.e. I know what is good for you, I am the expert, you are all idiots). Unfortunately, that seems to be oozing from the FAS camp ... Don't get me wrong -- I love the products. Just lose the attitude please!

Quote from guitarnet70

Ampjunkie: welcome! Are you Javajunkie on the FAS forum?

Nope ...

As mentioned previously, it is pretty biased over -- but that is somewhat expected. The few times I asked questions, the fanboys attacked. me.

I'm an early Axe-FX user, and was impressed early on the customer support and Cliff's responses to people's questions. But over time, things started to change with him and Atomic:

• I asked the Atomic guy a long time ago to post the frequency response curves of their tube power amp/speaker unit. They are claiming FRFR, yet not posting any specs. This was rather suspect. I had a feeling based on the design that it was far from flat. Many users did comparisons also against other monitors (like the Verve), and it was clear that the Atomic stuff was not close to being FRFR. Atomic claimed I had an issue or beef with them, but I didn't. I thought it was a fair question to ask for those specs when all their competitors post such data. You can't claim FRFR unless you post *some* data.

• I never understood why Cliff decided to partner with Atomic. Those amps, though they can sound good, are the antithesis of the whole Axe-FX philosophy: solid-state reliability, creating the entire sound within the unit (no coloration and and relying on a good FRFR system to display that), and made in the USA. NONE of these characteristics are evident in Atomic.

• After Fractal started to get more popular and be the new "king of the hill," I perceived a shift in attitudes -- condescending towards any detractors, constantly defensive, etc. Cliff started to act like Steve Jobs.I remember once in his forum, when someone asked why the unit did something unusual (because the action itself was weird), his response was "don't do that." Similar to Steve Job's response about phone reception when holding the older iPhone a specific way. Simply arrogant.

• Cliff mentioned early on about thinking about using an idea similar to what Kemper is doing (I call it empirical behavioral modeling), but he dismissed it as not good enough, and he went the route which he is doing now (I call it device modeling, based on schematics and component modeling). Now he introduces "tone matching" which confuses users that he can do something like profiling. If the Kemper method wasn't as good, why introduce tone matching now? Sounds like a very defensive, desperate move to me. The fact that there is no waiting list time now may reflect lost sales to Kemper and his resorting to competitor bashing.

• His recent bashing as well as the Axe-Fx cultists out there against the KPA is ridiculous. One TGP moderator (who will go nameless but owns a Axe-FX) is *constantly* hyping the Axe-FX and any new monitor he happens to have. The guy went thru QSC, then Verve, now RCF. And his sheep followers continue to buy whatever he touts. Simply amazing. I've owned an RCF way before him, but didn't hype it like he does now. He'll also rag on anything that isn't what he's using. I happen to like the ELX112P. Great monitors for the price (half the RCF), and with much better serviceability.

Moral of the story: carefully read the forums and get to know the content. Read previous postings of a user to see if there are any biases. You'll see plenty, so be careful. Often, they'll tout what they are using as "the best," then 6 months later, move onto to something else and say the very same thing. They are hype machines. There's a guitarist on TGP who's famous for this. He'll hype up his current guitars, get endorsements, etc. Then 6 months later, these will be on sale and he'll be on to the next thing. Be wary of these people.

That said, I think both the Axe-FX and KPA are great. Each has its strengths. I am tending now towards the KPA because of the attitude issues of FAS as well as having too many options in the box to tweak. Personally, I'd rather have a few great tones and some good effects. So a few great profiles would cut it. I also like the simplicity and knobs to adjust things. This allows me to spend more of my time playing to get better and enjoy the music.