Posts by SHOOTOUT

    'So i think also the age of a cable could be important.'


    Cable capacitance is what affects the tone of a passive pickup. There is a harmonic circuit created that features a low pass filter with a resonant peak...
    http://www.shootoutguitarcable…e-resonant-frequency.html


    Single coils are most affected, and you get the single resonant peak with them.


    Good shielding is important, but that doesn't affect tone so much a stops additional noise entering the signal path. Then there is the connector quality and strain relief, otherwise cables just don't last long getting yanked about and stop working full stop until re-soldered or new plugs are put on.


    Hope this helps.

    From the point of view of someone who plays hand wired amps, Neve preamp etc. if I was going to buy a modelling system tomorrow it would be the Kemper.


    The models are a little different when compared side by side often by very very small amounts but basically sound real and are smooth and I don't notice any weird phase to the dirt.


    I have found with modelling stuff that it tends to sound either real but has a harshness to it, or is smooth but lacks that reach out and touch it three dimensionality, hard to explain. Same with virtual analogue synths.


    I am getting an impression of the Helix being on the smooth side but missing the sense of realness. However I need to hear the amp models flat without effects to be sure. Real amps can soon lose the sense of the amp being 'there' when plastered with effects also.


    I have also heard some third party commercial stuff for the Kemper of old Marshalls, a Vox etc. recently that are really stunningly good.


    School's out on the Helix for now. ?(

    Dynamics are the biggest issue... attack of notes and sustain thereafter.


    However eq wise that is a matter of eq directly after the input for passive pickup equipped guitars.


    Assuming the guitar cable used had very little capacitance and retained the highs (as they can't be put back once gone without incurring noise) then pickup resonant frequency is the main issue.


    You would need to filter out the existing resonant frequency, and then put it back in a different place.


    I suppose one way to have the Kemper 'know' say the original guitar used for a tone, would be for it to measure the spectrum of an open string strum, then compare it to your guitar and match it with an eq as best it could without boosting non-existent highs into noise.


    It could also measure the pickup output likewise.