Posts by psyaud

Thanks again, everyone. Special thanks, V8guitar--your input was exactly what I needed to hear. But everyone's input has really opened my eyes.

Using all this feedback, I just sat down for about three hours and put together a suite of performances that I'll toggle between for a particular song I'm now working on. In case folks are interested (e.g. if you're like me and looking for ideas on using the kemper)...

I put together 4 performances, each based on profiles of a single amp. Two of the performances are meant for "lead" playing and two are for more "rhythm" work. The two lead performances started with profiles featuring high-ish gain. The rhythm performances used a single profile with very low gain. Aside from the differences in starting profiles, each performance varies in terms of how the profiles are parameterized, as well as differing in what effects sit on top of the profile.

After all the helpful comments here, I felt pretty in command of what I was doing in this process. I'm sure there are better ways to go about this, but I finally feel like I'm getting below the surface of my kemper.

Thanks again!

Thanks, all. I really appreciate the pointers. This gives me a lot to go on.

I've been using my Kemper for about a year (i.e. still a noob), and I've got a little stable of performances that I downloaded and have placed on my kemper. For the most part, all I've done is downloaded performances, tweaked them a little bit either in Rig Manager (maybe swapping or adjusting effects) or in the Kemper itself (e.g. adjusting EQ or amp parameters) and then saving the tweaked profiles as performances. Then, when I play, I just toggle between performances as needed.

This workflow seems OK, and it has gotten me through about a year of working with my kemper. But Im stuck on something of a beginner's plateau. I feel like I don't have a good sense of how to really dial in details of the profiles I'm working with. For example, if I buy and/or download a performance and I want to make changes to it, what's the best approach to doing that? Furthermore I don't really understand the use of the kemper's "browser" mode, as opposed to "performance" mode, when it comes to auditioning profiles and building up usable tones. Lastly, I don't really understand how to venture more widely from the performances I've bought (e.g. Mbritt or Tonejunkie), building usable tones from components like profiles, effects, cabinets, etc.

I'm not sure I'm describing this well. Basically, I just feel like I'm barely scratching the surface of the kemper's and rig manager's abilities. I'd be really curious to hear how more advanced folks do things like audition profiles, build up performances, and then use those performances either live or in the studio. Do you work mostly in rig manager or with the kemper itself? In what mode? How do you organize tones so they're available when you need them? Things like this. I hope this isn't too broad of a question. Answers relating to any part of this process, or suggestions of stuff to read or watch would be awesome. I'm basically just trying to get past this rank beginner stage that I'm stuck at.

Thanks!

Thanks, Wheresthedug.

That's too bad. But, it makes me feel a little better about not being able to find that functionality.

Total noob here; apologies if this is asked frequently (I wasn't able to find an answer but...)

I am using Rig Manager to audition profiles, build performances and load performances onto my KPA (a rackmount unit with the Kemper remote). I'm finding a workflow I like well, except for one step I can't seem to solve. Namely, I want to assign control of various stomps/effects in my profiles to the effects switches on the Kemper remote.

I can accomplish this just fine once I've got a profile/performance on the Kemper itself. But it's a bit tedious to go through each profile I load onto the machine and assign those switches. It seems like there must be a way to do that within Rig Manager. But so far, I can't find a way to do that.

Is there a way to assign control of effects to the remote from inside Rig Manager?

Thanks.

Sim

Quote from BayouTexan

Welcome to the forums!

Best advice I could give is don't have preconceived opinions on what tube amps are good for a specific tone and just use those profiles with the Kemper. Try profiled amps that you wouldn't normally think would sound good for that type of tone, like a JTM45, you might be joyfully surprised.

I'm using profiled amps I would have never dreamed of using.

That's great advice. In my brief time playing with the KPA so far, I've noticed exactly this. Have been having some great luck with a cleaned up mesa tone, for instance.

Wow, thanks so much for the replies, everyone! I'll start looking through these. I really appreciate it.

ST asked which model I got...I ended up with an unpowered rack model along with the remote. I'm experimenting with two (or maybe 2.5) ways of playing through it. First, I have a pair of QSC k12 powered speakers, and those sound great. I also have a little crown power amp that I'm going to use to try monitoring through my old mesa 2x12 guitar cab, once I get the a particular cable I'm waiting on. The 1/2 method is through headphones, which sounds great.

I'm definitely starting to see how shapeable these rigs are through the kemper's various controls. It's a bit overwhelming. But my first goal is to get one or two tones I'm happy with and just get some time under my belt playing through it.

The wealth of free rigs is amazing. Yikes. So many options.

Thanks again for the kind welcome.

-sim

Hey, everyone.

I'm a brand new Kemper user; have had my new KPA for about a week now. I've been enjoying a few lovely profile packs I bought from mbritt and tone junkie. Things sound just wonderful. But, so far I haven't had a lot of luck dialing things in for the sort of tone I tend to go for. I wonder if folks might have any pointers on how I can get there.

I mainly play jazz, and I'm trying to find rigs and settings that will help me get into that zone, tone-wise.

In terms of what I'm going for, I'd say the closest would be stuff like Kurt Rosenwinkel, especially on albums like The Remedy. Gilad Hekselman also is wayyy up there for me. I also adore older jazz tones like Jim Hall's stuff (especially on his collab with Paul Desmond).

Generally, looking for lots of warmth, with a fairly uncompressed sound. Usually clean, though some of the more modern stuff can edge over into edge-of-breakup territory. Smoky, woody, but still musical, if that makes any sense.

I play a lot with low-wind humbuckers on a 335-type guitar. But I also love the sound of single-coils for jazz, a la Ted Greene, and with that in mind I spend a lot of time playing a tele, also with low-wind pickups.

Up till now I always ran a stereo rig through two Fender Princeton Reverbs. Nothing fancy. But it could get me where I wanted to be.

I've found a few threads around here with some jazz rig recommendations, but they've all been pretty old. I wonder if anyone has pointers to current favorites of theirs in that area? I'm happy to spend a few bucks to get great tone, though of course free stuff is also always welcome.

Maybe also pointers on tone shaping would be helpful. I've been playing with some really nice 3rdPower and Dumble profiles from mbritt and an AC30 pack from tone junkie. Some of these actually aren't that far from what I'm after, I suspect.

Thanks a bunch!

-Sim