Display MoreHonestly,
why would anybody want to do that?
Have a nice sunday:)
August Burns Red is by no means a “tone chasing” type of band, but they use profiles of their own 5150s and mic the cabs live because they feel anything they heard from the profile that wasn’t authentic to the real tone was hidden when micing the cabs.
I’ve done it all, merged, direct, my own direct profiles, Guido Bogner profiles, Berts Friedman profile pack, Which are great for live use without a cabinet, but nothing captures the real amplifier tone and feel, nothing…
If you find top Jimi’s (Merged) profiles sound good through guitar cabinets, then we are on a completely different wavelength… I guess we all have different ears, tone is subjective…
Sorry, They sound and feel nothing like a real tube guitar amplifier through a 4×12 cabinet…
Hope you’re having a great weekend bro!
what kind of cabinet do you use? What kind of speakers? Are you using a seperate power amp or the powered Kemper? What tones are you chasing?
I have played live JCM800s, 900s, bassmans, etc. I had a chance to A/B the Kemper when I got it with the 800 and a silver jub. We blind tested in the studio standing in the room with the amp and had someone switch the input back and forth. After about 2 min people would lose track of what they were playing through and wouldn’t be able to tell anymore. I’m not saying someone couldn’t discerne, but I have seen some really experienced engineers and musicians get lost during the comparison.
If you are ever in the LA area I would love to get together and do some testing.
I will schedule my electric shock treatment early next week and hopefully by the end of next week I will have my partial lobotomy done
just try some direct/merged profiles instead from a reputable profile maker. Also, some profilers have studio and merged in the same pack. Make sure you’re on the right one.
Hey Sunshine, which of your amplifiers have you done direct profiles?
I hope you’re having a great weekend, Keith
I have actually only DI profiled a custom head that I had made for me. It is based off the train wreck and I need to redo it. I used an SM7b and think I want to use the regular 57 instead. I have studio profiled my 70’s Bassman just as an experiment when I got the Kemper.
I mainly use Top Jimi profiles:
Slash AFD, Caswell modded, JCM800, Orange
His profiles have been my go to for merged/direct
My main sound right now is the new JCM800 in the free Lars pack, but there is something I find lacking in the mid range with his profile and I may be going back to one of the TJ.
I use the powered Kemper into a 2x12 guitar cab with direct profiles. Anyone who says it doesn’t respond like a real amp is insane. It’s indistinguishable, especially in a live setting.
I will admit that when I first got the Kemper, using it with studio profiles definitely didn’t sound great through a traditional cab.
I still own several amps, but not one has hit the stage since I got the Kemper. It’s been a game changer.
It shouldn’t matter in this case, but I put the gate in the very first stomp slot. I run the the noise gate dial on the Kemper at about 4 and the noise stomp at about 6 for the really gainy stuff. Without the stomp noise gate, my rig would feedback like crazy and I would have to ride the volume dial.
I’m not sure if it would matter, but have you inadvertently turned your input sensitivity up too high? Is the input light clipping orange or red? A gate at the very front of the chain should have no problem closing, even if your pickups are microphonic.
How loud are your IEMs overall when all instruments are present? Are you cranking anything in the chain? The fact that your guitar by itself sounds good, but the sound deteriorates as more stuff is added makes me feel like you are driving something in the signal chain too hard, or something is faulty.
Do the added instruments start to sound crappy as well?
I use dual driver customs and the clarity is almost too analytical. I can hear every strum and drum hit, and slightly flat vocal and it almost makes us scrutinize our playing too much. I often pull my monitors loose just to get some room sound.
You wanna bet he's been on this forum and is checking us now. We're coming for you Cornbread!
Yeah. I feel like even though the Kemper continues to grow in popularity, this is a pretty tight group. Makes you wonder how many Kemper owners are out there that are oblivious to this awesome community.
I could have sworn that when I bought some of the profiles I own, I accepted some sort of non-transfer/ no resale agreement.
I'm tempted to ask him for a document with a full list of all the profiles so we can post it here for any profilers to check and see if their content is included.
I found this guy on Craigslist and this seems really shady to me, if not outright illegal.
[link removed]
I happen to have a powered toaster and am looking to trade for a powered rack for the road. Is yours still available?
Yes I wouldn't max the volume for the JBLs. I'm in the same boat... I get to play late at night, and wife works in surgery and is in bed by 9pm (townhouse, so I have neighbors, but not as bad or paper thin as an apartment). I have the LS305's, running through a Scarlett 18i8 interface. Generally I have my Kemper Master volume somewhere between 2.5 and 3, the JBLs set around middle or I believe slightly past ("6" or 1 o'clock). The focusrite Scarlett volume is on average about 9 or 10 o'clock (not loud at all). That's kind of the "late night" setting, and I find it's in a similar volume level range with itunes, backing tracks, to play along with (and those you can adjust/tweak the volume as well). When I can play louder, I just use the Scarlett volume to crank it up.
Def the way to do it in my experience. Aren't the 305s such a great little speaker?
I personally feel that the output volume on the Kemper has no effect on tone whatsoever.
-It sounds great through nice hi-fi headphones. This is how I dial in my stage sound now since I am familiar with how it sounds through both methods of monitoring. It even sounds amazing through my super flat and unforgiving CIEMs. I often times come across an amp that I will get stuck on just noodling around exploring the expressiveness. You can really hear every nuance through headphones. I haven't messed with the space setting at all.
-It sounds great through my JBL LSR305s (Also what I use to mix and master demos for my band)
-It even sounds great through my stage cab at low volumes.
I feel like this is one of the biggest benefits of this unit. It sounds great at low volumes! If you are seeking better tone I think you may be SOL. If you just want sheer volume, which is totally understandable, you need to find somewhere else to rock .
I will add that when listening through my JBLs, I am actually running into an interface and the JBLs are hooked up to that, giving me another level of volume control on the minterface itself. I havent tried running the Kemper directly into them, but the JBLs have a 1-10 volume attenuation on the rear, so I don't see this being a problem. You can also pad the input signal with a switch.
Display MoreHi Guys,
So, I just got my Kemper and played through it for the first time today.
Firstly, the built in presets are damn good. I played through the built in EVH head and it's awesome. However, it's so so loud!
I'm running through a cab, so instead of turning the "Cabinet" button off on the front panel, I've gone into output section and checked "Monitor Cab Off". I assume this does the same but still allows cab simulation on FOH.
This is how I use mine. That way you know a cab sim will never go through the guitar cab. You wont have to worry about this again unless you end up with a passive FRFR speaker.
What I'm concerned about is playing it through my Orange PPC212 120w cab at live volumes over a drum kit. As it's 16 Ohms, it's essentially taking 300w instead the 600w that the Kemper can achieve at 8 Ohms... but I'm still unsure as to how far I can push this thing without blowing the cab. Anyone have any experience with this ordeal?
Volume wont be an issue. My cab is also 16 ohms and I run the power amp boost at 8db and the volume at about 13.5db. Battling another guitar using a traditional amp and a bass player using a vintage Sunn rig with a Road 4x12. Not a problem and it seems like I have plenty of volume left on tap.
(EDIT: Only after switching to professionally made merged profiles did I really feel the Kemper through a traditional cab was up to the task. the rest of my band also noticed a huge difference. the Kemper does a great job removing the speaker with it's own algorithm, but a truly merged profile makes it feel exactly like a real amp as far as speaker thump and responsiveness. I recommend Top Jimi profiles. I have been using his stuff live and constantly get compliments.)
Also, I'm having to turn down the master or rig volume to around 2 when I practise... in the manual it says that this doesn't effect the tone but are there any settings I'm missing? Are there any pointers for playing a lower volumes?
I usually link the master volume knob to the speaker out since i'm generally only going to be adjusting stage volume. I leave the main outs locked at -12db. I would advise doing this. It will make volume adjustments much easier. There aren't really any other settings in regards to volume that would effect tone that i know of, other than pushing the speakers around.
One more thing... I've been advised to turn the XLR main outs to -30 and set the master knob to not control that volume....how do I do that?
I think a lot of people typically go -18db on the output. Some argue you don't need to lower the output at all. I think -12db is a fine middle ground and its also an option in the settings to lock the mains at this level.
Thanks
I love Top Jimis Marshalls, but I always tone down the reverb.
The TJ merged AFD #34 is my go-to sound for live and when I’m recording I double it with the TJ AD 30 “Tangerine” profile. It has a bit more high end and clarity. I’m thinking of using it for my lead patches eventually too.
Best profiler IMO, though. Doubly if you prefer a traditional cabinet and only use merged profiles.
The Top Jimi ones are great. They are some of the only merged profiles I have but they are hit or miss for me personally. Some of them, like the VH ones, the merged sounds are just as full as the studio but with a touch more clarity. Others, like the Caswell AFD, sound thin thru my cab compared to the studio. I noticed that on some of them the merged profile comes with the gain higher than the studio. Not sure why that is. I could definitely see my self going down the rabbit hole with this. Ha.
I use the AFD #34 and it kills through my cab. To me, the profiles (merged/studio) sound exactly the same through headphones. Through a cab, the studio version does sound a bit more gainy, but I think its perceived due to the extra high end the cab section misses on the studio profiles. At first I thought I liked the studio better, but at band practice at high volumes, the merged version is face melting. The first two shows using those profiles I have had more feedback from other bands than ever before.
Its funny seeing people coming up and looking at the remote, thinking its some amazing multi effects...
I think we digital amp dudes are tinkerers and perfectionists by nature. We're also stubbornly conservative at times. The differences (in my opinion) are subtle in the heat of a live gig and I guarantee that the audience will not know if you used a studio profile or merged profile going to a cab or vice versa. My approach? I'm 98+% FRFR so I'm mostly using MBritt profiles and going right to the board. When I'm playing live guitar, it's typically in a variety cover band at what I would call mixed-use venues (in the US). That means one thing if you want to get invited back or get good reviews...volume control. I also figure out what the rest of the band is going to use (amp/cab or direct) and match up to that so that I don't get an offset of one guy dominating because of a combo of amp/stage volume and PA. For the times I do need an amp/cab approach (which I haven't in years), I'll likely use the Top Jimi merged Marshall profiles and call it good mostly so I can use some of what I bought. I'd be just as happy to use my MBritt stuff for this application. Or, if I'm playing bass on stage it's likely to be an originals project and I'll use the MBritt Ampeg 8x10 to my 4x10 cab and send the other to the board. I don't even know if it's Studio or Merged. I don't really care on bass though. The net is, it's not too hard to cover all the bases and have a profile/rig set up to meet any need you may come across...and don't sweat it too much!
The studio profiles always sounded good through my cab at home and at lower volume. Battling the other guitarist live is where the studio profiles fall apart for me. They retain some high end that makes them feel loud enough, but when the band kicks in, the cut goes away.
The Top Jimi merged profiles are a great set to A/B with, since the ones I got came with both studio and merged versions. The studio ones are noticeably buzzier through my v30 cab. Funny thing is I thought they sounded better at first. I was disappointed when I discovered the "M" in the profile titles meant merged. Then, when I got to practice I realized the merged ones at volume sounded much fuller through the cab.
About that well balanced mix before a mic ever approaches your cab being a good idea, off course it is, and if that's the case all the PA needs to do is 'support' things. Even your monitors will be there to "support" things, and your stage volume will eventually be lower. But I've mixed more bands who suffer the 'more me syndrome' than those who successfully balance their mix on their amps, so you could get away with only have the singer on the PA. And offcourse, when there are holes in the cones, that's end of story
But then you have to think: how am I the most flexible? And that could mean you ditch the cab sometimes to go DI out to reduce stage volume, sometimes you'll use a cab to commit the crappy FOH situation. But If that cab is FRFR it'll be more consistent with your DI out sound.
[GAS-mode]Offcourse, that's theory I bring from being a sound tech. I'm a piano player too, and I feel that a grand resonates at you in a way a digital piano will never do. I sometimes tell people my Nord Stage sounds like a music box instead of a piano (but that's a difference a live audience will not hear due to microphone issues). But then sometimes, as a beginning guitar player I start wondering: will a real 4x12 inch cab make the same difference? Honestly, never tried it, but I'm tempted. But there are 2 things holding me back, first of all being the volume wars I've witnessed as a sound tech, but on the other hand: If I play for example Sultans of swing, I'll do that on a profile from a Twin Reverb, while surely for AC/DC I want a super lead profile. I can't have both a 4x12 closed back cab and a 1x12 open back cab connected to the Kemper (or I'll need to switch the cables), but I can have both studio profiles loaded into the Kemper and use FRFR. That's like: do I bring a real hammond+leslie and a grand piano, or do I just bring my Nord Stage? Or do I ditch the hammond in favor of the grand? Off course the difference between a hammond and a grand is bigger than the difference between a grand piano and a Nord stage, not to say a hammond an a grand don't fit my car (and are heavy), so I bring the Nord Stage :D. BUT: 2 guitar amps DO fit in my car! The question here is: is the difference between FRFR and a real cab bigger than the difference between a profile from a clean open back 1x12 and that of a profile of a clean 4x12 cab.
So much gear to buy... must... resist... :D[/GAS-mode]
Well stated and definitly agreed with.
In 30 years of gigging, my amps have always been mic'ed and only loud enough for monitoring purposes; many times in front of me and tilted up
at my head so there is no sound pointed at the audience. The PA is for that and the audience receives a balanced and mixed sound.
FRFR allows me to hear profiles as they were originally captured. A profile captured with tone settings for a 4x12 cabinet will sound different if I run it through
a 1x12 with, probably, a different speaker than what was used to capture the profile. Imagine having to re-EQ for all those profiles.
FRFR sounds fine to me, as do studio profiles. Even Michael Britt ceased to make anything other than studio profiles after a brief experiment creating merged profiles.
I'm going to assume you are a working musician. The flexibility of FRFR clearly makes more sense in your case. I play in a band that only plays originals at the moment and only have to focus on my own tone, rather than emulate many different sounds. I happen to prefer a traditional cabinet in this scenario, regardless of volume.
The you have to wonder if your live situation is becoming a recording or not. If you manage to play live, without extra amplification from the FoH system, you might be right.
But from the moment you need a mic in front of a cab, going through the PA to be heard, all of the ear-candy from using a cab on stage is lost to your audience. stage noise and mic bleed aren't a FoH engineer's best friends, and those effects are bigger as opposed to the 'amp in the room sound'...
You are painting with a wide brush here.
It should go without saying that noise pollution coming off the stage at high volumes is going to make the room sound like crap. On the flip side, having a well thought out and balanced mix before a mic ever approaches your cabinet is also a good idea.
Venues come in all shapes and sizes with different levels of PA support and quality. Even some bigger venues that have arrays of mains mounted above the stage have a dead area if you are standing right up against the stage. I have also played bars that have holes in the main's speaker cones. We never leave that much creativity up to FOH. We also play clubs that have in-house FOH guys, so they don't really give a crap in the end, anyways.
