Posts by SeanChristopher

Quote from Nsc217

So I just got my stage profiler and I played around with the default amp profile and the chords sound great but when I hit single notes they seem to be thin sounding and heavy on the pick attack (reminiscent to me of Mesa Boogie amps that I don’t like for that very reason). Changing the “pick” setting doesn’t solve the issue for me. I profiled my amp and have the same issue.

Try adjusting the values for "Power Sagging", "Tube Shape", and "Definition" in the Amp menu. Push the Amp button and go

through the pages of parameters to find them. All of those parameters are super important to familiarize yourself with

"Power Sagging" controls the bloom of the notes just like sagging from a Power Amp would cause. 0 is no Sag or bloom and higher values increase it.

"Tube Shape" controls shaping the distortion characteristics of the tubes. Around 3 is going to sound like preamp tube distortion, and higher up around 9 is going sound more like power amp distortion.

"Definition" controls the characteristic fingerprint of the amp. So it basically controls where the harmonic content of the amp sits. Lower values will sound like a vintage amp since the harmonics for a vintage amp are usually lower harmonics. And higher values will sound like a modern amp since modern amps have more pronounced harmonics higher up than Vintage amps. And higher values are supposed to also work for expensive boutique amps, because a lot of boutique amps supposedly have a lot of harmonics in the high up frequencies.

The Kemper manual has a lot of really great and easy to absorb info in it. I'd highly recommend checking out the info about working with different types of Profiles, how to use them, and working with guitar cabs and power amps. And also, all of the sections regarding the different sections and menus in the KPA. It really helps ease your workflow and entire process if you're familiar with the UI, and especially the parameters in the Amp menu. When I'm dialing in a profile, I usually end up tweaking parameters in the Amp menu first. So I'd say at least read up about those

If you get familiar with the Amp Menu, Input Menu, Rig Menu, and Output Menu, you'll be unstoppable when dialing in your tones!

I hope this helps

Quote from Ibot39

Do we know for certain, that the amp part of DI and merged profiles are 100% the same? What really happens, when the merge button is used? Can we be sure the amp part is 100% unaffected?

Great question! This depends on the DI and Studio Profiles used to create the Merged Profile. The DI Profile needs to be the exact same as the Studio Profile, but without the Cab in the Profile. If the DI Profile is done after the Studio profile, and done with the same settings, the Merged Profile's amp section should be the exact same as in the DI profile and the Studio Profile.

Of course, this is all in theory and the outcome comes down to the way the process is executed. When you press the "Merge Cabinet" button, Kemper compares the DI profile to the Studio profile that the Cab section was taken from, and subtracts the DI profile from the Studio Profile to get an accurate assessment of where the Amp section ends and Cab begins. Otherwise, CabDriver is just guessing where the Amp ends and Cab begins. So "Merging" a Studio Profile's Cab section from a different profile set or something, can change the amp section (in certain situations).

And of course, you can always test these things for yourself, as I try to do when I'm curious about something such as this You can go through the process of correctly making a Merged Profile, and before saving, you can turn the Profile's Cab section off and run the Kemper into a real Cab, and then toggle "Merge Cabinet" on and off while keeping the profiles cab section turned off to see if the Amp section changes when being "Merged". This is how I have tested this out with various Profile sets (its important to use Studio and DI Profiles made in the same session or equal to each other for accuracy) and I found the outcome varies and really depends on the DI and Studio Profiles, and whether or not they were close enough to the same to begin with. That's why for the most accurate results, it's recommended to use a DI and Studio Profile made with the same Amp settings or from the same session Profiling session.

Quote from Ibot39

Another question. I know for sure, some commercial profilers sell "Merged" profiles, that in reality are only direct profiles with copied cabs from earlier profiling sessions (or the same cab copied to different DI). If this cabs are maybe just copied from studio profiles, cab driver is still active on this rigs. Is the amp part affected too in this case (cab driver guessing again)?

In the situation you're talking about, it depends on whether or not the Cab from a different Studio Profile from a previous session has been "Merged" or not with the DI Profile (whether or not "Merge Cabinet" was pressed). It's possible to just use Cab section from a Studio profile with a DI profile and not merged the cabinet. If the Cab section isn't "merged" then the algorithm that compares the Studio and DI Profile to find the Amp and Cab seperation isn't engaged. And if it isn't engaged, then the Amp section of the profile should remain unchanged.

Without engaging "Merge Cabinet", it's just like layering a cab section after the DI Profile and it won't change the Amp section. But once you "merge" the cab section, that's when the Amp section can be affected by the "Merge Cabinet" function depending on the DI and Studio Profiles used to make the Merged Profile. If done correctly (by using equal DI and Studio Profile), the Amp section of the Profile should be the same as before. But like I said before, In practice there are a lot of variables and the outcomes vary quite a bit.

I've actually experimented a lot with "merging" cabs and making Merged Profiles out of various combos of DI Profiles and Cabs from Studio Profiles that I've saved as Presets. Sometimes using "Merge Cabinet" with Profiles from different sources can yield really good results depending on your preferences. I actually posted a thread about it a while back called - "Revelation for Merge Cabinet" or something like that. It explains some of the results I've gotten when experimenting to give some insight for people wondering more about the "merge cabinet" function.

But regardless, you can test all of these things yourself to find out the effects of making Merged Profiles using different methods and that should at least give you some perspective on the questions you asked, as well as helping you form your preferences as far as using different types of Profiles for different situations. It can't hurt to try some of this stuff for yourself It definitely helped me get a better understanding of using the "Merge Cabinet" button and helped me gain a better understanding of the different types of Profiles and making Merged Profiles And if anything, it'll at least give you the opportunity to find the answers to your questions first-hand, so you don't have to just take my word for it

All the info given in this reply is based on research, experiences, and info from other Kemper users. But I'm not always right and there's probably info I'm missing, or info I'm not getting 100% right lol. But I'm sharing in hopes that some of it might help answer some of your questions, or encourage you to try these things to find out first-hand and get answers that you can be confident about

Quote from V8guitar

Very interesting..

Its a very interesting situation indeed, my friend After watching the video, it drove me to do a comparison of my own. And that's what actually finally made me come to the conclusion that I prefer DI and Merged Profiles through a real cab. It was an eye openening comparison

In direct comparison to DI and Merged Profiles, the Studio Profiles sounded more boomy and muffled. I even tried through a solid state power section to try non tube power section and it was the same.

I guess that makes sense though. DI and Merged Profiles are more for the purpose of running into a power amp and cab, than Studio Profiles are. And with DI and Merged Profiles, there's no CabDriver algorithm guessing where to split the amp and cab, so you get a more accurate amp section with no coloration from the cab.

Both can get good results though

I guess it comes down to preference and experimentation

Quote from SQUAREHEAD

Yes, the key here in the video is the KSR power section…

I too thought that there was possibly a factor in the video that was affecting the outcome aside from the different types of profiles being used. It drove me to do a comparison of my own using a studio profile w cab off and the equivalent DI profile and tried running into a cab to see if the results were really that different I tried running through my Mesa Road King power section, and then my Orange Micro Dark solid state power section to see results not influenced by a tube power section. The results were always the same regardless of power section used.

The results weren't night and day different but, the Studio profile had a noticeable amount more low end and sounded more "bloated"(not sure how else to describe it lol. It was definitely noticeable in direct comparison to the DI Profile, that the Studio Profile w/cab off still had some EQ from the cab in the amp section. Because it slightly had that effect that happens when you leave the cab section of the profile on when running into a real cab, and it causes the sound to be way too thick and muddy and sounds like a blanket is tossed on the cab, but to a more mild extent than when leaving the cab section on.

I tried this comparison with a few different Studio and their equal DI or Merged Profiles. Pretty much all had the same type of outcome. The DI or Merged Profiles always sounded less muddy and less boomy.

I'm not saying it can't sound good. Because it totally can. But, DI and Merged profiles were made to be used when using a real cab for a more accurate amp section with no cab section coloration. So it makes sense that DI and Merged Profiles would produce the most accurate results

Quote from joshriggs

You can do both. Assuming you have access to a rehearsal room and a PA system, start by getting some rigs together with virtual cabs that are similar to your real cab. Next, tweak your tone to sound good on the PA. Once you're close, start A/B'ing the PA with your real cab, and use the monitor EQ or power amp EQ to fine tune the sound coming out of your cab. Doesn't have to be perfect, but you're aiming for a sound you're happy with out of both. The real cab is used just for you on stage to have that real amp feel, and the FOH gets the virtual cab signal. Everyone wins. I played several shows with this setup when I had a Helix (and bands still played live?).

I totally agree. That's the best type of setup for real cab feel and FOH gets a more consistent tone than mic'ing up that real cab. I think one of the best features of the Kemper is the ability to go FOH and have a real cab for stage sound.

I was talking about was someone utilizing that instead of just using a real cab and mic'ing it up. I was commenting on the aspect of utilizing the ability to go FOH. I probably should have said that for more context haha. My bad, I should have elaborated on the setup I was referring to for the backline. My post was more focused on the FOH aspect and people trying to mic' up a real cab instead of just going FOH. The FRFR aspect is up to the user and I could go either way lol

The insight given in the post I was replying to seemed to be quite enlightening as far as pointing out the fact that what the audience hears is extremely important. I think people should consider that when putting together their setup, whether that be FRFR and FOH, or FOH and real cab, or real cab mic'd up. That's all I was saying my friend

But I actually agree with you as well. Using a real cab and still going FOH is the best of both worlds.

Hi dacop1313! Another Kemper user actually recently made a video about this exact scenario and there's sound samples using both situations. You get to hear the difference with a mic'd up cab when using a DI profile vs a Studio profile with the cab turned off.

Both DI and Studio profile with cab off can sound good through a cab depending on the situation but, the DI Profile won't have any coloration from any cab section and will be the most accurate representation of an amp. Studio profiles w/ cab turned off through a real cab can get pretty good results but in direct comparison to a DI or Merged Profile of the same Studio profile being used through a cab, the DI or Merged profiles typically sound less boomy and woofy. I think it might be because DI or Merged profiles don't have the factor of having any of the cab section in the amp section due to CabDriver not having to guess where to split the amp and cab. But I'm not entirely sure, that's just my guess lol

I personally always just turned off the cab section in studio profiles and didn't think much of any difference until A/Bing them after seeing the video. Now I typically will use DI profiles through a power amp and speaker.

Of course, if you get good results doing it another way, then do what sounds good to you But if you're wondering which kind of of profiles will most likely work the best with a setup involving a real cab, then DI and Merged profiles are going to be your nest bet for accuracy. DI and Merged profiles were made to be used for the exact situation you described

Here's the video for anyone wanting to check it out

Quote from V8guitar

I found the opposite.

Why would I go to the bother of running a real cab and the hassle of miking it etc. That for me is the whole point of the KPA - plug and play. If you run a cab but don;t mike it, then you have a significant difference in the sound you hear and the audience.

Its not about changing cabs, its about a consistent FOH sound although cabs/speakers have a big affect on sound, so why not have that option.

I always thought the audience heard what I heard...they don't, they hear my cab through a mike and then through a PA. For me, FRFR gives me closer to what the audience hears ( which I think is the most important) rather than a different sound.

Every Guitarist loves that Amp in the room sound that makes your chest thump and trousers flap, but its not what the audience hears, hence I made a change in mindset. My backline sound is secondary to my FOH. Doesn't mean its bad, it just means that's where my emphasis lies..

Similar principle with IEM's but that is a step I find harder to over come

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This is some really great insight V8guitar !

Focusing on the tones that the audience hears, ensures the audience gets the best representation of your sound. I think that aspect is really important as well, and it's another thing the Kemper excels at and it makes a lot of sense to utilize that. Kemper allows for consistency that wasn't easily attainable before. So, why not take advantage of one of the Kemper's strengths?

And pointing out that both backline and FOH both get focused on, but FOH gets your primary focus, was a great way to explain the importance of both while still emphasizing FOH to ensure getting the best sound for your audience

Cos you're right, I love the amp in the room sound as much as every other guitarist. But I can agree that the sound that the audience hears is the most important when playing live. Your backline can sound great but if that doesn't carry to FOH and the audience, and FOH sounds bad, then what the audience hears is going to be sh*t and that can/will ruin the percieved performance.

V8guitar has shined a light on some important concepts to consider

Stoked you're loving your Stage! Mine is the best gear investment I've made and I LOVE the tones I get from my Kemper. So, I'm right there with you brother!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Quote from Rat Tomago

I use it with my studio monitors most of the time but i also ordered three headphones: Superlux 668, 681 and an Audio Technica ATH50x. The Superlux sound pretty decent, regarding the low price! I like the punch and loudness of the ATH 50x but they appear a little muddy with driven sounds. The Superlux have more clarity but sound a lot thinner than the ATH. It would be great, if i could find a pair of headphones that provide the great sound, coming out of my monitors!

Can anyone recommend some good headphones with the rock n roll of the ATH but a little more transparency?

I'd highly recommend the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x headphones if you're looking for something less muddy. They're even a little bit cheaper so you'll save like $50. But don't let that $50 cheaper price tag fool you, they're great headphones and sound great for monitoring the Kemper. I've tried both the ATH-M40x and ATH-M50x headphones and the ATH-M40x's have less bass and less low end rumble. They're much more flat and have a more even frequency response.

You can actually even find reviews online with people making remarks about how much more flat the M40x's are. The M50x's seem more hyped in certain areas of the frequency spectrum (bass and low end especially) and they're great for listening to music, but not as great for reference headphones. (I confirmed this because when researching a new pair of headphones, I find their frequency response charts online) There are definitely more options as far as more flat reference-capable headphones but, the M40x's are cheaper than the M50x's and honestly sound great. The stereo image is surprisingly wide. They have a lot of punch without being muddy or boomy. They have a super clear midrange and crisp high end that isn't harsh and present low end that's detailed but not overpowering. And most importantly, they're not as hyped in certain areas of the frequency spectrum so they're not deceiving when you're dialing in tones lol. (or at least, not as deceiving as other headphones can be lol ). I've had mine for a long time now and I prefer them to my Sennheiser HD280 Pro's, and my Beyerdynamic DT770's. I actually sold both a while back because I never use them after getting a pair of ATH-M40x's. I'm honestly surprised they're cheaper than the M50x's considering how much more clear they are for monitoring and how much more effective they are when used as reference headphones. I'd highly recommend them

Hope this helps!

I can also vouch for the really great quality in feel with Tone Wars Profiles. Jarrod really is all about making sure the feel is there as well as the sonic richness. The Tone Wars Profiles I've gotten end up making it to my favorites list! Really great high gain profiles!

I play a lot of different genres but mainly play modern metal. I use a Headrush FRFR 112 for rehearsals and it's great. I I've heard a bunch of different opinions on it, but for me personally it's been great. I have profiles that I've dialed in for when using it and that approach gets me really good results. Unfortunately, no FRFRs are completely neutral and flat. All it takes is a little dialing in depending on what the speaker calls for, and you'll be golden

I hear good things about the smaller Headrush 108 but I haven't tested it out personally. And I also hear good things about the Yamaha DXR10 but when I tried it out it seemed a little less powerful and cutting than the Headrush 112 but the Headrush also is a bigger speaker so I'm sure that was a factor. And I didn't spend much time with the Yamaha DXR10 so, I'm sure if I dialed in a profile just for the DXR10, it might have sounded more similar to the Headrush 112. Honestly, it's possible to get great sounding results with most speakers or FRFRs as long as you make some adjustments and adapt to whatever the situation needs.

You can probably get good results with just about any FRFR if you dial in your tones to work with it. If you're looking for something to use at rehearsals and for jamming with a band (or with a drummer with an acoustic kit) I'd recommend trying to get a decent size FRFR and at LEAST get a FRFR with an 8inch or even better a 12 inch speaker. You're going to want to be able to keep up volume-wise. And my buddy has a Headrush 108 and when we jam it considerably lacks punch and cut compared to the Headrush 112 I have.

If you're just practicing at home, I'd honestly recommend just using the cash for some powered studio monitors instead. You'll get more use out of studio monitors at home and you'll save some cash because if you're recording at home, you're going to need good studio monitors eventually anyways.

You can find either a great pair of 5-6inch studio monitors, or a good 10-12 inch FRFR for around $300.

Quote from joshriggs

For "attack," are you referring to the Pick parameter? I just went looking for a control labeled "Attack" and didn't find anything. ?

Yeah lol! Thanks for catching that, my friend!

That's definitely something I wanna correct so I don't confuse anyone (especially new users looking for some help). Thanks for keeping me on my toes! I'll go edit that right now hahaha

That's what I get for being up at late and posting at like 4am

Quote from joshriggs

Frankly, I don't think metal players make up a lot of Kemper users, like, say, Fractal. Which makes sense to me because where I think Kemper really kills the competition is in clean and edge-of-breakup tones.

Thanks for the kind words! For this song, I quad tracked with the Diezel panned hard left and 75% left, and the Recto panned hard right and 75% right.

Yeah, there aren't as many Metal players that are very active on the Kemper forum compared to the rest of the genre rainbow lol. But, I see a lot of Metal players using Kempers so, it puzzles me man! Lol

And I know there's a good handful of Metal Profile Makers out there making killer metal profiles too. I guess a lot of the metal players that use Kemper are more active on other forums or something. Who knows what's really up lol maybe it's just a slow week for the forum or something haha

But on a more awesome note! :

One amp per side with the quad tracks filling out the stereo spread like that sounds epic! I really dig the ambient tones in the track too. Sounds sick man

BERNARDIJ Another important thing to note, that I had left out of my post, was explaining the Definition parameter in the Amp Menu, and elaborating on the importance of the Definition parameter. It's a really powerful parameter and it basically sets where the harmonic content of the profile sits. When an amp is profiled, the Definition gets set to match where the harmonic content of the amp sits and that is an integral part of an amps sonic fingerprint.

When you take a high gain amp or profile that's set almost to full saturation, and then Boost it into full on tight saturation, the harmonic content that's focused on in your tone shifts up a little bit. So the Definition parameter can help get that harmonic content in your tone, exactly where you want it. But also keep in mind, where the harmonic content sits for an amp is an important part of its sonic fingerprint. So for me personally, I typically will only adjust definition if it's set really low, so I won't need such an extreme Boost to get it where I want it. I don't often adjust Definition past 1-2 more higher than it was originally set, to maintain the general harmonic content of the amp used for the profile.

Also, Clarity is a really powerful parameter and can add some clarity when needed. It does it by scooping out mids, and pushes some clean signal into the mid frequencies while maintaining the distortion across all frequencies. It can help add some Clarity when used at mild settings for high gain situations. So I'd advise using low levels of Clarity for modern metal tones unless you're going for the scooped mids sound.

But, knowing what these controls are doing can help you get to whatever tone you're after, with much less work and much less trial and error. I hope this info can help you out!

Edit: Also, the "Pick" parameter in the Amp menu can help add a lot of that transient attack without too much compression. Idk how they do it exactly but, I really like bumping it up to 1 or 2 if I'm wanting a really percussive tone. That's a really handy parameter to get familiar with as well! Especially for aggressive and tight metal tones with a lot of attack lol

joshriggs aside from you and a few others posting, I'm surprised more people don't have opinions regarding this stuff! I always thought boosting high gain with an OD, and using low Drive and high Level was kind of a standard in modern metal. And then a recent conversation with a friend that's from a different musical background(this is a friend I jam with and he isn't a part of the forum unfortunately), led me to question whether or not it's actually commonly done.

Their opinion included the thinking that using higher Drive than Level would tighten up high gain more than higher Level than Drive. And that there's not a reason to use more Level instead of Drive.

Since my experience is the opposite, it sparked my interest in getting more opinions and perspectives from others to gain a better understanding of tightening up and properly boosting high gain tones. I know tone is subjective so I figured hearing people's opinions and experiences and thoughts might give me some insight into how differently high Level and high Drive truly affect the signal.

It's just surprising and kind of a bummer that so few people posted in the thread. Of course, I'm glad you and a few others posted and it's nice to have another brother in Metal chiming in But I was hoping for some involvement from more of the metal and high gain using-Kemper Community. It makes me wonder... Should I post this in the Public section instead or something ? Lol Ahh I'm just venting my disappointment lol But you don't let me down, my friend. And I appreciate your input!

On another note, Congrats on getting your solo stuff out joshriggs! That's awesome and I'm definitely gonna be checking that out today Did you double track with one profile on each side? Or did you quad track and layer both on each side? Or were the different profiles used for different parts in the track? I'll bet a Diezel profile and Mesa profile sound beastly in a mix together!

Quote from Finally

This is why the Kone is a game changer for me. Amp in the room with different speaker sounds. ?

The Kone is some amazing technology and I can't wait to try it. If only I could afford a Kemper Kab or even just a Kone to put in a cab. I only have a 4x12 and a 1x12 FRFR so I think I'd have to try to get a small 1x12 out 2x12 cabinet to put the cones in, or just get 4 of them and go all in for my 4x12 lol (Idk if I'm ready to mess with my beloved 4x12 Custom Diamond Cab loaded with 2 V30's and 2 G12H30's). But I definitely wanna try out the Kemper Kone!

BERNARDIJ For dialing in metal tones, try perfecting gain staging and getting familiar with the Amp parameters in the Kemper. This is my process and maybe it'll help you get a different perspective on dialing in profiles

I start by adjusting the Profiles EQ, Definition, and then Clarity (I don't usually put Clarity above 2-3 maximum for high gain because it seems to scoop out some mids or something. And for modern metal tones you want present mids in my opinion.) Then I'll set the profile's gain right before full saturation (this makes it so there's room for Boosting without over-saturating tree signal) and then I'll use a boost (I typically use the Green Scream) with low Drive, Mix 70-90%, and I'll adjust the Level to taste (for me it's usually around 3 or 4). The boost will push the profile into full saturation and clean up the low end for extra tightness.

For any harshness in the profile, experiment with PureCabinet in the Cab and Output menu's(I turn it off in the Output menu so I can adjust it from profile to profile in the Cab menu. I typically like it off for high gain or at most below 1. But YMMV and it depends on your preferences. But PureCabinet is meant to smooth out any harshness caused by mic phase issues or something like that in the profile). And also try using the High Cut in the Output Menu and set it anywhere from 10,000khz to 7000khz and it should smooth out the top end.

If I'm still not happy with the overall EQ of the profile, but I like the gain structure and the feel, I'll try swapping the cab section with either another cab section (I often save my favorite cabs as presets to be used in other profiles) or an IR (I use a plugin called Mikko to dial in IRs for profiles if I can't find a cab I like for a Profile). But that's the extreme scenario where dialing it in wasn't working out but I loved the gain structure of the profile lol

But one of the most important pieces of advice I can give is to read the Kemper Manual and experiment with the Amp parameters. It's crazy how much control the Amp parameters and EQ are capable of!

Its easy to learn from others on this forum, and as long as you can take something from each person's opinions and experiences, you'll always be learning I know I always am!

HTH!

Quote from joshriggs

Well, affordable compared to Matrix, Mission Engineering, and Friedman. ? I guess it's mid-range if you consider the PA speaker options like the Alto and Headrush.

Yeah, the Mission Engineering and Friedman stuff is more on the premuim side of the market lol stuff is pricey! Even for just a 1x10 FRFR by friedman is as much as a Line 6 Powercab Plus!

The Headrush and Alto stuff is definitely the budget options for sure lol if I could I might have gotten a mid range option instead but, times are tough lol

Quote from Awesome_Elvis

I used the mix at 65 percent give or take, and use more gain around 2 to 5.0 and the level a plus 1.5 or 3

Mouse

One DS

Green scream

Treble booster

I've tried them all even the muff lol

It really depends on how well the profile takes the boost. Cheers!

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I honestly haven't given tried it the One DS as much! That might be something I need to revisit soon

Always interesting to see everyone's unique approaches. Thanks for sharing!