Overwhelmed by the technology and choices = frustration when trying to put together performances.

    I've spent so many hours listening and auditioning profiles on my KPA. I'll get a sound that sounds good, like the Bogner Goldfinger for instance. Work with it, dial it in with some effects needed for songs I play in the band (trem, delay, reverb, boost). Then try it out only to find it does not cut through the mix well with the band, too much distortion, or low end, or fizzy top end, or....
    I've worked with the Evil Robot profiles which also sound great on their own but the switch between the gold finger and ER is like pulling a blanket off an amp and adding a tweeter. There is also this mid-low end thing that is bugging me on many of the profiles. Even the killer RedPlate profile is not sitting right with me at rehearsal.
    There is a good Matchbox profile I like but when I try to go from any of the aforementioned profiles to that one, the sonic difference is so extreme that one sounds bad after getting used to the other.
    I have been unable to pull together a rig to fit the band I'm in.
    Then there are the effects, the very cool equalizers which I need a serious 411 about figuring out all the options as they are overwhelming. So much going on. Frustrated that I am unable to get something solid to work in the band. I'm basically tweaking the whole rehearsal trying to get it to sound "right"


    I am getting an SM57 soon and will start profiling my amps and setups with the hopes of familiar sonic territory. I'll be profiling my killer Suhr Badger 30, with and without a Bogner Ecstacy Blue pedal in front of it. (will post rigs if they sound good)


    I love my KPA but feel utterly overwhelmed and exhausted by it.


    [/end rant]

    Here's an experiment to try if you've got some time. Set one of your tube amps to the settings you use on a gig or at rehearsal. Set the Kemper to a rig you would like to use at a gig/rehearsal. Turn the volume on your tube amp to match the volume at which you're listening to the KPA and then compare tones. If you have a similar experience to mine you'll find that the tone that you liked on the KPA has more high and and more low end (and probably more gain if you're using an overdriven tone) than the tube amp does. If you EQ the KPA (or find a profile) to roughly match the frequency response and gain of the tube amp you may find that it sits better in your live mix. It may sound a little dull at low volume, though.


    Brian

    I think profiling your own amps is a great idea for your situation.


    In the mean time, you may want to try some of the profiles I posted. Rather than profiling the sound of my amps running through a recording console, EQ'd to perfection, my profiles are of raw amplifiers with neutral EQ settings on the amp. These were intended to replicate the sound of the amps when you are standing in front of them. They are intended to be further tweaked by YOU to YOUR liking.


    I have found that they cut through very well indeed when rehearsing with my band. In fact, they all commented on how much better it sounded than the real amp. Of course, the fact I run through a Matrix Q12a Coaxial FRFR amp helps a lot too. The tone is there, and it cuts through, but without being fatiguing for the band. Just look for profiles by Axeman2u. Let me know how that works for you, because your situation is exactly why I did my profiles the way I did.

    Hmm, I have 2 suggestions/thoughts for you:


    1. Always tweak at gig levels to prevent dialong in too much treble and bass and too low mids which causa your sound to disappear easily in a mix later.


    2. A cab is a VERY STRONG sonic signature and an EQ statement that you as a guitarist makes within a given context. Everyone else in the band acts accordingly, 2nd guitarist + keyboard player adapt their sounds to fit your signature, your mixer adapts to it etc.
    You hear this signature, get used to it and when you later switch amps AND CABS at the same time there naturally has to be some irritation because the signature changed completely, and also very often the frequency balance within the band context gets lost
    I personally cannot stand this change myself so I never do it. When you change amps you should at least keep the same cab. This makes the transition much better.

    I understand this all too well. I am struggling with keeping the Kemper as my main gigging amp. I find that between the Kemper and the FCB1010 (even with the Uno4) I am finding myself too distracted by "What's going on" with everything and lose focus.


    I wonder if a better floor board solution will ease things for me, but I still go back to the fact that I am constantly tweaking. I play direct into our mixer to our mains, which are ELX112p's. My monitor is my return input on an Orange TH30. That sounds ok, and I am aware that it's not representative of what's going through the Mains, which has the cabs turned on. I feel like for gigs, I need to just load in 4 profiles on the Kemper so I am LOCKED IN.

    Quote from mikeymoves

    I play direct into our mixer to our mains, which are ELX112p's. My monitor is my return input on an Orange TH30. That sounds ok, and I am aware that it's not representative of what's going through the Mains, which has the cabs turned on.


    Why not just use another ELX112p as your monitor? That would be my absolute ideal setup, hearing almost exactly what the audience is hearing. I would give up my CLR in a heartbeat for that kind of setup, but unfortunately our mains vary from venue to venue.

    I am saving up gig money (while also trying to sell the TH30) to grab a 3rd ELX112p for my monitor. That's not so much the issue. And yes, it is nice controlling the PA set up.


    The best analogy I can apply here is that I feel like I am wielding a Proton Pack from the Ghostbusters. AMAZING power, but barely hanging onto control.

    Best Advice here is to always tweek the sound with the music playing!. guessing will get you disappointed results. - and often. its funny, you can have an amazing sound at rehersal/live whatever.. - then get home plug in and think.. WTF is this!! may sound honky or too bright... - single guitar is one thing.. dialing in guitars for mixing/live is another..


    :)

    My 'core' tone idea has become irrelevant... The Kemper profiles can more than handle the duties of live play, as I don't think there's a sound that the KPA cannot cover. Try compiling a 'battery' of profiles that works best in a band context, and delete the rest.

    Edited 4 times, last by MacFangus ().