Posts by SeanChristopher

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    Even if they sound more accurate right off the bat, they're way less flexible and there's way less you can do with the Captures.


    Neural DSP came up with a cool thing similar to Profiling but it has some fundamental drawbacks regardless of whether or not they sound good.

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    You guys, I posted on TGP about the discrepancies mentioned in an earlier post, regarding the QCs processing power in relation to Neural DSPs research paper data.


    Doug Castro literally refused to give an explanation or any info about it to clear up how the marketing they're putting out could be possible with the QC given the processing power it has. Definitely didn't feel like a positive exchange and he was pretty defensive from the start. Kind of a bummer lol. I was hoping he'd give an explanation and prove me wrong.


    That doesn't mean it'll be a bad unit by any means. I'm still interested in what it has potential to be. But I'm starting to doubt some of what Neural DSP's marketing suggests


    And the exchange makes me feel not so positive about the company. I know that I and many Kemper users get treated right on this forum and the man Kemper himself is always communicating with us and answering our questions and it's typically positive exchanges. I really wish I felt like that kind of company-user relationship could exist with Neural DSP but I think with that, Kemper is one of a kind :)

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    Quote from Calaban

    The QC can also do “full rig” captures.

    But with full rig Captures, there's no way to use a different Cab in that Capture. With Profiles, CabDriver separates the Amp+Cab to allow Profiles to be used like Amp Models in which case you can experiment with different Cabs and IRs. With Captures, so far it looks pretty limited.


    Same with the parameters you get for Captures. Only a 3 band EQ and Gain

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    Quote from Alfahdj

    Serious question, ¿can we even disable the cab part in the QC? if there is anything I am impressed with the kemper, is how spot on is the algorithm for separating profiles. Also, I suppose direct captures are possible, ¿any example yet?

    I think the only way to use other cabs with Captures is to use a Capture of just an Amp. Kind of like a Direct Profile instead of a Studio Profile. If you do an Amp+Cab Capture then you're stuck with that Cab in the capture and you only have a 3 band eq and Gain. I've looked do that quite a bit because it seems like a HUGE drawback to me compared to Profiles. Not too much flexibility for the Captures so far. So I'm wondering how usable they'll be in comparison to Kemper Profiles due to the lack of tweak-ability for Captures.

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    These are all really important and overlooked points!


    And it definitely doesn't add up. Is it possible that the Capture technology could be something like Profiling with automatic refinement or something?

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    Quote from dean701

    Like I said before, I prefer the endorsement/influencer ads over Joe Shmoe so-called "honest" comparison videos because I just want to see an overview of what the product has to offer and how a pro can make it sound. If it piques my interest then I'll buy it, and if it turns out it is not for me then I'll return it within the grace period. These devices are way too deep to make a simple binary decision of A is better than B without trying them first hand.

    I can 100% agree that trying a product is the only way to truly form an accurate opinion for yourself and for your your circumstances. I've also been very vocal on this forum about comparing units side by side if possible, whenever people are asking for advice along the lines of " Should I buy Unit A or Unit B?"^^


    Before getting my KPA, I was only considering the Headrush pedalboard. And comparing my Headrush to the Kemper first hand, was the only was able to check out and directly compare workflow, tones, UI, Effects, etc. Because otherwise I was just looking at the Headrush's touchscreen and UI and scribble strips for the stomp switches and all of the truly sick features lol. But comparing them directly instead of just thinking of pros and cons, gave me a real idea of the capabilities of each unit and the sonic results I could get with them. And that experience was what made the best choice for my situation so obvious. So I definitely agree with you on that. People comparing the QC and whatever they have first hand, will never have to wonder "which is truly better to me?". Because they'll have a preference based on that first hand comparison:)


    I'm not saying one unit is better than the other definitively. I'm just stating some drawbacks that have been overlooked. I'd like for this unit to be what it was promised to be just as much as anyone else. But I don't want to base my opinion off of the ads and marketing and hype either. I think at this point, everything's about preference and this unit will for sure be a contender if it's at least even decent. And once it's established and bugs have been worked out and everything, it might be cool to check out one day.


    But it hasn't launched and everyone who has preordered and bought one so far has literally done it based off the hype and based off of the promos and advertising and what the unit was promised to be. People shouldn't get it for the "newest coolest thing" factor, because that's like upgrading iPhones when you don't even need to lol. People could really benefit from only making big gear purchases after making an informed decision based off of credible sources. That's all i'm sayin:)

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    Quote from dean701

    I would definitely take Rhett's review with a grain of salt. All of the other major reviewers that get youtube visits seemed to pull off fantastic pieces of music. (Tom, Bea, PT) DCastro is on the TGP forum discussing upcoming features as many of you may know. Looper, button configurations, and stuff. Regardless, until I can try it myself, I won't know.

    I would definitely take all of the influencer's reviews (mostly basically promos and ads) AND the hype with a grain of salt lol, that's all i'm saying:)

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    Quote from Alienator

    The question that remains for me is if Neural could simply add all those supposedly missing features (during and after the capture process) in future updates and if this is important for their captures to begin with.

    True ^^ And that would be sick


    As I said previously, the QC has potential to be great. But as it is right now, to me it only seems like it might only do everything decently. Even Rhett Shull said the amp models leave a lot to be desired and the Effects aren't very good compared to other gear, other modelers, and the KPA. And Rhett Shull likes the majority of Helix amp models when a lot of KPA users don't like them much lol. So if he's saying the amp models lack, then the Helix amp models must sound better to him and that's not a great sign for the amp models in the QC. And Rhett's video is the only one so far that wasn't a paid promo or a video done by someone connected to Neural DSP. So it's the only one that seems to not just literally be a commercial for the QC so it's the only unbiased opinion so far.


    If the amp models leave a lot to be desired, and Effects are only decent, and the Captures are good but limited in flexibility and versatility, then the unit isn't the "next level" unit it was poised to be. As it is now it seems like it might only be decent at all of the things it does, and doesn't excel in all areas (or even one area at that). For people looking into getting their first digital unit, this might be a cool option. But for users with other units already like the KPA and Helix and Axe Fx 3 and stuff, it's currently looking like it might be a downgrade.


    No matter what way you spin it, a unit with only decent amp models, decent effects, and a good but limited Capture ability, isn't going to be a good choice compared to a unit with great amp modeling and great Effects, or a unit with great Profiling that's extremely versatile and great Effects.


    It has potential. But it just doesn't look like the "best of everything all in one" unit that it pretty much was hyped up to be. And that's not to say it's bad. It'll probably be good and anyone who is good at dialing in tones will be able to get great tones out of it, just like it's possible with anything else in the right hands. But it was hyped up way too much to be something so next level and great and better than everything else and it currently just doesn't seem to live up to the hype. But then again, with how much it was hyped up, it would have to blow everything else out of the water to live up to that hype lol. So maybe it's more realistic to lower those expectations, for everyone including myself hahaha. Because I wanted the QC to come out and be sick as f*** too lol. It's always nice to add another piece of gear to the arsenal :) But I don't wanna waste money either !8o


    When its more developed, I feel like it has a good chance at being a great unit

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    Quote from madbanjoman

    I think the QC comparisons so far have left out one very big difference in getting the profile dialed in closer to the amp. The Kemper exposes a number of parameters that allow one to fine tune the profile to the room, the output system. All I saw on the QC was an EQ. When I am tweaking a profile I very rarely reach for the EQ.

    I totally agree! I mentioned this and a few other things earlier in the thread. It's great to see another person, noticing some of these big limiting factors. This is a HUGE drawback of the QC's Capture feature (especially in comparison to the KPA) that is getting extremely overlooked for some reason lol. The QC's Neural Capture feature only has a 3 band EQ and Gain, whereas the KPA has many parameters in the Amp section that give pretty much complete control over the sound of the Profile. This makes the Captures significantly less flexible and less versatile than Profiles. I personally use the Definition, Clarity, Pick, and Compression parameters in the Amp section when tweaking every Profile to perfection and I wouldn't be able to achieve a lot of the tones I get now without comparable parameters or functions.


    Another huge drawback I noticed is that with Captures, if the whole signal chain with Amp + Cab are Captured, then there's no way to try out different Cabs with the Amp in that Capture. So with Captures, you're stuck with that mic'd up Cab sound (only referring to Amp +Cab Captures and not just Amp Captures) and can only tweak it so much until it reaches a limit with it's flexibility.


    Unless I missed something with the QC's Capture feature and how it works, it seems far less flexible than Kemper Profiles for those 2 reasons. For some reason, everyone who is hyped about the QC's Capture feature seems to totally overlook this. And people on the Hype train thinking that Captures are the next step to Profiling, are going to be disappointed when they realize the limitations of the Captures after being used to the crazy flexibility of Kemper Profiles.


    For me, what I can achieve tone-wise is more important than than the indistinguishable differences in accuracy (although the base tone being as authentic as possible is always preferred). And as they are now, Captures seem to have less flexibility and less options for what you can do with them once the Capture is done. To many that might not matter because they'll be using amp models. But for people that like to work with real amps and then tweak in the digital realm like Profiling allows, it isn't possible to do as much with the Captures.


    Idk, that's just how I feel about it! Some may disagree lol^^

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    Quote from Vinny

    No, not for me but for me this is some advantages over the Kemper - smaller, less than half the weight of the Stage. a design that is more intuitive and easier to navigate the menu. If the tone is acceptable and price range is close some user will prefer this over the KPA. I am happy with the Kemper but i hope they consider some of this features for the Kemper 2.

    I can definitely see the appeal of the QC. It has some potential for sure! :)


    I think the QC has some advantages as far as UI and user features go. One thing that not everyone has gotten on with, is the KPA's UI and work flow. So I totally see how an easy to use UI is really appealing! But unfortunately, the advantages don't extend to the important aspects such as tone. And those are the aspects that make a bigger difference to me. But everyone is different!


    I agree with you about the KPA 2! I really hope that some of these features get considered for a Kemper 2 in the future. A lot of the things implemented in the QC are features that KPA users have been asking (begging!) for, for a long time now haha. I think, if a lot of those features were put into a new KPA 2, and the Profiling process was updated (although it's great where it is), then the KPA 2 would be at its best and it would literally be in an untouchable position at the top of the gear food chain! Haha


    By the way Vinny , didn't mean to call you out or anything with the comment about the Headrush. I legit was trying to save you some money if the UI and touchscreen was the selling point for you haha :) because I used to have a Headrush and those pedalboards have amazingly fun and easy to use UI. I ended up liking the tones from my KPA much more but, I still miss the touch screen and how fun it was to make a rig! Lol. 8o

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    The QC definitely has a great UI and a cool touchscreen. It for sure is going to make some noise as the "cool new shiny toy" effect takes place.


    But when it comes down to it, if it doesn't sound better or have the capability to put out better tones than what we currently can get with what's available, then it's just another toy. It's cool that it does everything in one unit. But if it doesn't excel at all of that stuff, or at least in one of those areas, then it's just a decent all in one unit.


    Already, I can see that the captures are wayyy less flexible and tweakable than Profiles because the Captures only have a 3 band EQ and Gain compared to the KPAs Amp section.


    And Rhett Shull made a comment about the effects lacking in the unit. And he has very high standards for effects and tones considering how many pedals he obsessively goes through - like many of us tone chasers! (disregarding his Capture vs Profile comparison because he used a compressor when Profiling as mentioned by wheresthedug)


    That's already 2 out of 3 aspects seemingly lacking compared to the major players in the field.


    I don't think an all in one unit that does everything decently is going to be as worth it to me as having the best of all that there is to offer for creating tones and playing music. The unit should definitely be at least as good as the other major units as far as stock content goes (Amp models and Effects). Otherwise like I said, then it's just a decent all in one unit.

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    Quote from Vinny

    We can debate about the tone and eq. But a big selling point is form factor and simple to use and touch screen like iphone.

    If the tones are good enough and the weigh only 1.95KG/4.2lbs




    The Headrush also has a touchscreen and scribble strips and a great UI ? But the tones aren't as amp-like and responsive as the KPA and it's a downgrade lol. Although helpful and nice, easy to use only gets you so far if it only sounds pretty good instead of great. UI is important but if the unit isn't an upgrade in other important aspects such as tone and feel, then I'd feel like I'm downgrading and wasting money or something. But then again, people invest in different stuff and warrant purchases for different reasons.


    If it's really about the touchscreen and easy to use UI for you, just get a Headrush and get a bigger and more colorful screen, more UI features, more features on the physical unit and an expression pedal for almost $1000 cheaper than the QC lol. Of course, I wouldn't recommend it if you already have a KPA.

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    Quote from Wheresthedug

    Whereas Pete Thorn says the effects are stunning, lush and as good or better than anything out there ?


    beauty is in the ear of the beholder (or maybe in Pete’s case the pocket of the reviewer).

    Ain't that the truth, my friend ?? hahaha!

    It's just as they say, "different strokes, for different folks" ?

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    An important thing to note is that the QC only has a 3 band EQ, and a Gain knob for tweaking the Captures, compared to the KPA's Amp section with many tone shaping parameters. The Neural Captures might be considerably less flexible and tweakable than Profiles.


    Also, there doesn't seem to be a "Refine" option for the Capture process. The only visible options on the screen when doing a Capture are "Save" and "Start From Scratch". So if the Capture isn't close enough to be able to tweak to match the amp with the 3 band EQ, you have to literally "Start From Scratch" lol. Idk for sure but the Capture process doesn't seem lightning fast so, that seems like a bit of an oversight and another drawback compared to the KPA.


    And Rhett mentions that the effects aren't up to par with the quality of the KPA, Axe FX, and Helix, and that's a huge drawback as well.


    I"ve had high hopes for the Quad Cortex. But it's major selling point was that it is supposed to have better quality Neural Captures, Amp Sims, and Effects than everything else on the market - all in one unit. But with where it's at now, it seems like it might just be an all in one unit that has Neural DSP Amp Sims, decent effects, and a decent Neural Capture feature.


    The Quad Cortex has the potential to be something next level. If the Capture section has more parameters for tone tweaking, the Captures accuracy improves, and the Effects improve, then maybe it'll be worth the price tag. But as it is right now, I wouldn't waste money on something that doesn't exceed the sonic capabilities of the KPA and my tube amps and pedals! lol8o My KPA keeps me more than happy as it is lol


    (Of course, I mean no disrespect to anyone who is getting this or has invested their hard earned cash into getting one of these units. I just figured the major drawbacks that I noticed should probably be brought to light because they're pretty big drawbacks in my opinion ?)

  • Neural Quad Cortex

    Quote from Wheresthedug

    interesting comparison from Rhett. Listening to the WAV files i think there are clear differences between all three. The KPA does sound a little muffled and muddy in the low mids but I’m sure that could have been fixed with some refining and or tweaking definition/eq etc. The amp sounded great. To my tired old ears the QC had way more top end than the real amp. Much more country snap on the last chicken pickin lick for example. It seemed to “polish” the sound in a more “produced” fashion than the raw amp. That may or may not be a good thing depending on what you are after but it isn’t any more accurate than the Kemper. To me the QC version was too bright and spikey but that is only personal taste.


    i did notice though that Rhett said the signal chain included a Fairchild compressor emulation in Luna. Kemper is pretty explicit in stating that compression shouldn’t be used when profiling so that may have contributed to the KPA profile’s slightly muffled tone.

    I agree! Any discrepancies with the KPA Profile could have easily been tweaked to match the amp perfectly. But the Neural Capture can't be tweaked as much as profiles because there's only a 3 band EQ and Gain for the Neural Captures parameters.


    And Rhett definitely affected the signal by having a compressor in the signal chain and that most definitely affected the Profile in a negative way lol. But even with that compressor basically ruining the Profile, the KPA still put out a pretty close and natural sounding Profile compared to the seemingly harsh Neural Capture. That alone says a lot about the KPAs Profiling capabilities!

  • Hissing/Fuzz in profiles?

    Hi Ajs6593 , The high cut recommendation from GearJocke is a good one, and that can definitely get rid of high end fizz. There's a High Cut in the Output menu if you select the Output soft button. That way you can save yourself an effects block for other stuff;) I typically set mine anywhere between 8k-10k depending on how much high end fizz or high end unpleasantness I'm hearing.


    Another thing I'd highly recommend looking into, is the PureCabinet settings in your KPA. PureCabinet is a feature that's purpose is to smooth out any high end fizz caused by mic phasing and stuff like that. But it tends to change the high end a lot with high gain profiles and can in my experience, either make fizz more prominent and move the fizz to more obvious frequency ranges, or get rid off the fizz and smooth out the high end. It can have very different effects on each profile especially when working with high gain. It's definitely worth turning it off overall and then experimenting with it to see if having it either off or on at various settings can help solve your problem.


    PureCab is set to 3 or 3.5 automatically on the KPA and is located in two places, the Output menu and in the Cab menu. The PureCab setting in the Output menu is a global setting, and the one in the Cab section menu is a "per profile" setting. There's also a PureCabinet soft button to turn it on and off globally in the Output menu, and unless it's turned off globally by using the soft button to disengage it, then even at 0 PureCab is still on. I just turn it off globally in the Output Menu, and set it per profile in the Cab menu. Having PureCab off globally allows you to set it individually per rig. I'd recommend experimenting with it on and off and see if it helps with any of the fizz.


    Hope this helps!:)

  • Best Kemper soft bag these days?

    Hey malcomowenflood , Check out the Headrush backpack. It's basically the same as the Helix bag with another pocket, bigger overall pockets and more space, but the same general size. Its like the Kemper Stage bag but with a bigger main compartment, bigger front pocket, and an extra front pocket.


    Super padded and fits my Kemper Stage, 2 expression pedals in the main pocket, fits all my 5 instrument cables and 4 xlr cables along with a bunch of other stuff in the big front pocket, and the top front pocket holds a few pedals, power cables, strings, etc (and there's a mesh lining in the front bottom picket that holds other random stuff I can fit pretty much all I need for a gig in there, besides my guitars lol. And it's pretty affordable compared to the Kemper bag and Gator bags. Definitely worth at least looking into! :)


    I had the gator bag first and it wasn't padded enough and wasn't sturdy enough to me. And it was a tight fit for all my stuff for a gig. I can fit all I need in the Headrush backpack, and there's still space for some more stuff if I need it. I'd highly recommend it ^^

  • New KPA prospect

    Hi Tom Sawyer, I think Chris Duncan and V8guitar had some great answers and great insight.


    Regarding your question about profiles and their flexibility, you can approach working with profiles a few different ways. Some users cycle through profiles until they find one they don't need to tweak at all and prefer to not mess with the EQ. And that method works well for a lot of users. Others tweak the EQ and Amp section. The Kemper has a really powerful and musical EQ and you can honestly tweak profiles to sound completely different, the EQ is really versatile. Others (like myself) approach profiles as being capable of being used as building blocks just like an Amp Model and IR in a Modeler, and you can mix and match Amp sections with IRs and Cab sections from other Profiles. You can truly create your own tone and build your own rig using profiles others have created by tweaking profiles and experimenting with different Cab sections and IRs.


    The Kemper has limitless opportunities. And the beauty of it is that there are a bunch of different approaches, so you can find the one that works best for you:)


    I'm sure you'll love your Kemper ^^ and any help you might need along the way, is always just a post away on the Kemper Forum ;)


    Hope this helps, and welcome to the Kemper Community!

  • Notes lack bloom

    Quote from jon9max

    Why don't you like pure cab? Maybe I'm missing something. I've tested, and tested it, recorded and use IEM's live, I think it sounds great FOH.

    hi jon9max I know this question wasn't directed at me but, I think some of this info might help :)I'm not sure about Ibot39 but, I personally prefer PureCabinet off with high gain profiles and most mid gain profiles. Ibot39 makes a great suggestion regarding that. On lower gain and overdriven profiles I don't mind it because it doesn't affect the sound so much. But I find that to my ears, PureCab alters some of the overall sound of the profile and and can sometimes change the high end in an undesirable way when used on a high gain Profile. PureCab is supposed to basically dial out any phase cancellation or comb filtering issues that the mic setup of the Cab section has from when being Profiled. High gain Profiles tend to get more noticeably affected by these things when mic'ing and it can cause the high end fizz sometimes and other things like that. And the PureCab parameter is supposed to combat that and smooth it out.


    To my ears, if a Profile has a lot of "fizz" or any sonic effects from the mic'ing, then PureCab changes the fundamental tone too much, even at .1 lol. But if a Profile doesn't have much "fizz" or anything like that, then PureCab doesn't change the tone so drastically and that's when I don't mind it at lower settings(between .5-3). I just like don't like the fundamental tone to be changed too much. And PureCab just happens to be more noticeable on high gain Profiles haha 8o


    An important things to note is that PureCab has 2 locations in the KPA. One in the Output Menu, and one in the Cabinet Men (this one has a soft button to turn PureCab on/off, and a knob to set the value of the global setting). The one in the Output Menu is global so, unless any Profiles have a higher value set in the Cab Menu, then the value in the Output Menu will take priority in the KPA. So if PureCab is on globally in the Output Menu, then it'll be on even if you set it to 0 in the Cab Menu. You should be able to tell if it's on because in the Cab menu it'll show under the Cabinet name if there's any Global PureCab setting active. So unless it's turned off in the Output Menu, it's always on basically. I personally turn it off globally in the Output Menu and set it individually for each profile in the Cab menu:)