Posts by Deny

    Here's an idea: now that "undo" is working, this means that the KPA maintains and knows the original parameter values of a profile that's being edited. So what if when the user presses "store", the KPA compares the edited values with the original ones and if parameters in the amp or cab block have been edited (including amp gain), it then sets a permanent flag indicating that the profile is no longer original as profiled?


    I can see that ideally there would be a reset option that would take all relevant parameters to their original values, but that would have the side effect of making profiles bigger because the original values would have to be stored with the profile, and thus affecting maximum number of profiles in the KPA, load times and startup time. A permanent "non-original" flag occupies just one bit, and it's quite possible that there's one available somewhere in the rig structure already.

    +1 Agreed, The Skreddy Deluxe Lunar Module is one of my favorites, it is a great and flexible fuzz. The Analogman Sunface pedals are all fantastic too.


    How does the Skreddy work with the Kemper? Are they playing nicely together?

    I use my Lunar Module in a different rig, which is a pedalboard with a switching system that allows me to take it, along with other pedals, in or out of the signal chain using a MIDI pedalboard, going into (also switchable) either a Marshall JMP1 or a Boogie Triaxis, then a G-Major2 and finally into the FX return of a tube combo. Never tried it with the KPA because I think it derails from the purpose of ease of use and simplification of set up, I'd rather use the internal dirtboxes in the KPA and hope that one day they'll incorporate something like the LM.

    Since you've asked... :p


    Skreddy Pedals' Lunar Module is an incredibly sexy and flexible fuzz, especially at low gain settings, would love to see it added to the KPA.

    Thanks for the very informative review! :)
    Personally I'm always struggling with making the KPA sound like a real amp in the room (flame suit on) :p


    With fw 2.6 the low end got a lot closer IMHO, but I still have a hard time dialing the top end. I've tried lots of things but still haven't got it the way I want; if I take some of the top end off the profile loses its "bite" or "edge", whatever you wanna call it. Tried lowering the cab high shift, doesn't sound natural to my ears plus it affects the mids/bottom end as well. Tried boosting high frequencies below the high shelf cut point in a variety of ways, with limited success. Raising the bias in the amp block or using a booster/distortion pedal before the amp helps, but does not solve the top end problem by itself. Some times lowering the definition helps, but at the cost of... well, definition :)


    Anyway, it's not that I don't like the KPA - I love it - it's just that I'm a perfectionist and invest a lot of time and sweat trying to marry stage and PA sounds so the audience hears what I hear, and I feel inspired enough by what I hear so I'll be able to play better.

    What a horrible experience!
    Good great the profiler was ok. What other damage was done to your gear?

    AC adaptor of my Lexicon MPX-R1 MIDI footswitch - gone
    AC adaptor of my Rocktron Banshee talkbox - gone
    Joemeek FloorQ compressor - is now making a loud hum noise and "wind" noises


    Luckily the KPA, DXR10, MIDI footswitch and Banshee are all ok, but it was a learning experience: will never leave my (to me) expensive gear unprotected against AC fluctuation again.

    Thanks for the reply Nightlight, good to know that the KPA is safe. I did have surge protection in the extension box I was using for the linear power supplies, but it only works for high voltage surges, if that. I am already sourcing the parts for the circuit which will protect my gear from fluctuations like the one that happened last weekend, probably due to some stupid electrician installing a circuit breaker in the neutral line.

    Last weekend I had a gig that was a complete disaster, two AC adapters burned (MIDI footswitch and talkbox) and a bass amp fuse blown because of power fluctuations and the show even got cancelled after 2 soongs. But the KPA didn't even blink, I know its power supply accepts something like 100-240V, but I was wondering if it ever got above its limit (240V), is there some kind of protection that would turn it off automatically?


    I am planning on building one such protection myself because linear power supplies won't take that kind of abuse, I'm guessing the 127V outlets there were at least around 170V for a while, won't ever risk that happening again, so I'm building a very simple relay-based overvoltage protection box that will go between the AC outlets and my gear.

    A great tone is a great tone, and the ones we enjoy from our favorite guitar players in recordings have gone through mics at some point, still they sound as good as any "in the room" tone I've ever got. So I take a slightly different approach, I try to achieve the "polished" tones like the ones we hear from commercial recordings using factory, RE or commercial profiles as a starting point and applying the tone shaping tools available within the KPA to get the final result. I'm still working on a few points, EQ is particularly difficult to get just right - an art form in itself -, and compensating for volume changes is still a mastering mistery to me, but slowly and steadily I think I'm getting there ;)

    I'm using DiMarzio Areas both in my Tele and my Strat, had to dig deep into special wirings and even inverted the magnetic polarity on the middle pickup myself in order to have the out-of-phase positions in the Strat sounding closer to single coils, but it was worth it, I feel I've got 99% there :)

    Sharing my first impressions on 2.6: since we perceive frequencies in relationship to one another, changing the bass characteristics of the KPA will affect not only low frequencies, but the tone as a whole. I'm pleased that it changed for the better IMHO, so even the mids and highs seem different; I feel profiles now sound more realistic overall. Thanks Kemper team :thumbup:

    It seems that the lack of low end during profiling and the excess of low end in some profiles are two different issued, and are differently adressed
    :D


    I am even going to try switching off the 100Hz cut in my DXR10 tonight. So this also means I won't have to add a parametric +2dB @160Hz Q0.6 to future profiles in order to get that 4x12 "oomph"? :P


    WAIT, WAIT, does this also mean the Michael Wagener profile pack will have that sexy bottom end as is, without the need for adjustments? :)

    Indeed all that's needed is a latency test, but I'll go out and say that I *feel* that cab high shift and low shift introduce some added latency. I could be wrong of course, only a proper test would present real evidence. I'll see if I can do it over the weekend.


    I'm thinking that another benefit of "compiling" profiles could be improving load times (switching lag). Not sure it makes sense because I have no idea what the architecture of the KPA is, although I think I've read somewhere that it's based on linux.

    Just a FYI, I see that you've mentioned you're keeping clean sense at 0. Here are my clean sense settings:


    - Ibanez Universe, Fender Stratocaster with low output DiMarzio Areas, Ibanez RG with DiMarzio Fred: Clean Sense at -6.0


    - Jackson JDR94 with DiMarzio PAF Pro: Clean Sense at -10.0


    With clean sense settings higher than those I feel the tone becomes a bit too brittle to my taste.

    Here the word "compiling" is used in the same sense as in "compiling C++ source code".


    I was just thinking, would it be possible to make the changes to a certain profile permanent? The reason I ask is because a lot of times what I would call my "base tone" from a profile often needs to have bass and top end cuts, some times adding a bit of midrange - which I wish would be selectable in the tonestack BTW. So all this processing consumes DSP power and thus adds a bit of latency, doesn't it?


    Just curious if all the changes we make to a profile can be incorporated into that profile, modifying it permanently and resetting controls like bass, treble, presence, mid to <0.0> so from then on they don't consume any more DSP. Cab high and low shifts are also excellent candidates for that IMO.

    That deep bass can be in the actual amp/cab.


    A close-miced Profile can have boosted low frequencies because of the microphone's Proximity Effect, and/or because of a combination of the tone control settings and the frequency response of the speaker cabinet.

    Right you are, also did a little research myself and found this:


    Quote

    2. Isolate The Amp From The Floor
    When recording guitars in small spaces, such as a bedroom or a project studio, the physical connection between the amp and the floor can cause the amp to sympathetically vibrate with the floor. This creates an artificial sense of low end that is often hard to eq out and can make your recording sound muddy. By isolating the amp from the floor with dense insulation or a product such as the Auralex Gamma Pad, the amp can accurately reproduce the low end without vibrating with the room. This can be very useful with dense guitar arrangements where layered guitars can stack up to create a muddy mess in the mix.
    3. Understand The Room
    The sound of the amp is largely impacted by the room that is exists in. Standing waves are created when a loud guitar amp is played in a small space. To minimize the impact of standing waves, angle the guitar amp at 45 degrees to parallel walls. This will help to keep prominent frequencies from building up in the room.
    For more control of the room sound, try draping a heavy blanket over the speaker cabinet. This will eliminate the room sound for microphones close to the cabinet. A second room mic can then be added for control of the room sound in the mix. This creates the possibility for all types of sonic experimentation when it comes time for mix. For example, the room mic can be panned opposite of the close mic. A delay can be added to the room mic for even more spatial distinction.

    Source: http://audio.thedelimagazine.c…rs-secrets-of-the-pros-2/