do I need to buy profiles?

    Quote from guenterhaas

    Our taste, playing-styles, guitars, monitor-situations and finally our ears are totally individual, it doesn't make sense to dismiss any profiles here. Even we don't like some profiles we should keep in mind, that other guitar-players may love them. And to rate Armin's profiles as "non-professional" is simply competitive behaviour and we don't need that.


    Is an opinion and everybody selling a product is exposed to that. I'd never say the same about a free profile because that would be unpolite. If I think that profiling such good amps with always the same cabs is amateurish, this is my opinion and is as valid and yours. Some people will agree with me some will disagree but NOBODY using an strategy like "my opinion is better than yours because I'm a professional" will change my interest in sharing my opinion about COMMERCIAL profiles.

    Yes, I know - but he uses different heads with the same type of speakers - as many others do.
    Currently uses Joe "Van Weelden" cabinets.


    I have different reference cabinets for my heads - the Elmwood 4x12" is one of the best cabinets I ever heard - it was used about 11 times for 49 profile packs.

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    Great Profiles --> soundside.de

    Quote from db9091

    BTW, want to clear up one thing: Just because I find I cannot re-create Armin's sound clips don't mean I don't like his profiles. I like many of his profiles and have bought a bunch of his amps. Just have not been able to figure out why I can reproduce Andy's but not Armin's sound clips.

    A profile is just one part of a long chain: we are all different and we play different, I made exactly the opposite experience: if I use Armin's profiles I haven't to do anything, I just pick up the ones I like, don't edit them and use them. If I buy TAF-profiles they sound very well on the homepage, but not when I use them. In fact I deleted everything I bought except two profiles (Bassman '59 + Cornford Carrera).


    There are so many things influencing the guitar-tone: playing-techniques, plecs, strings, guitars (!), room-acoustic ect.. That's the reason why the same profile can please one guitar-player while somebody else will delete it. ;)

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    first name: Guenter / family name: Haas / www.guenterhaas.de

    Quote

    Yes, I know - but he uses different heads with the same type of speakers - as many others do.
    Currently uses Joe "Van Weelden" cabinets.


    I have different reference cabinets for my heads - the Elmwood 4x12" is one of the best cabinets I ever heard - it was used about 11 times for 49 profile packs.


    Yes, Armin, but Joe is looking for his Signature sound so using the same cab can be a good approach.


    Sorry. Qualifiying that approach as unprofessional is too radical. I prefer different cabs with different amps. I've tried 10 different speakers with my three amps to find the best for each one so...


    Saludos!

    Edited once, last by pacocito ().

    Yes, use what works best.


    And I'll create some EVM12L profiles for you ;)

    (All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with soundside.de)


    Great Profiles --> soundside.de

    Quote from burningyen

    It's also important to keep in mind that different playing styles and guitars will react differently to the same profile. This youtube clip of a Golub crunch mod Marshall profile is one of the best tones I've heard out of a KPA. But when I tried it with my Strat, it sounded miserable. You have to match the right dish with the right sauce.


    This really needs to be shouted from the rooftops.


    I'm not talking about the Golub/Marshall specifically, just that everyone brings a very long, very different tone generating chain with them when they play (their hands, pick material, pick attack style/angle, strings, pickups, guitar wood, cable, power amp, and speaker. Even if you use FRFR, there are variables in the power amp and especially the speaker. No speaker truly has a perfectly flat response, so ALL these things will affect how a particular profile sounds when WE play it.


    And that's all before we even take our individual ears and personal taste into account. Different strokes for different folks, to be sure 8)

    PRS Singlecuts
    Kemper PowerHead/Remote



    Quote from skoczy

    When you turn the knob on KPA, you wake up the captured souls of tube amps living inside.

    2 cents...ok closer to 1 cent - Until people that have purchased the Kemper start profiling their "specialty" amps you have to buy them if you want them (amps not found on the exchange). There are many with some of the specialty amps that have not profiled them which is a shame because that to me is the purpose of spending so much for a device (KPA)...to share your amp profiles for everyone to build their own sound choice from amps they would never buy or never be able to buy. You will have every opinion on every profile because people have opinions and opinions are subjective. Are the paid profiles head and shoulders above free....no way. There are many choices with the free and paid profiles. Change the cabinet and you have variations that could take your not so favorite free or paid profile into the favorite status. I would determine what kind of sound you would like and work on collecting those style amps. If you go crazy you will be chasing rabbits for years as their becomes so many variations that can be tried it will make your head spin. Find your amp type/sound and play with those types of amps from the free ones. Buy one Amp of similar style from the paid sources and compare. You decide then if you want more or you feel happy with what is provided free.

    "More Guitar in the Monitors" :thumbup:

    To me, the longer I play And learn about recording and what profiles work in a mix, the mic preamp used make a huge difference when laying guitar tracks Etc... This should be a bigger concen to me than it has been, and will make a big difference in your mixes... Paid or free, try and pay attention to this if you can. It may not be evident single tracked on your own, but will be in your mixes.

    'My mama always told me life it like a box of Profiles, you never know what you're going to get'. :)


    I bet if we did a survey here no two guys would own the same guitar with the same set of pickups in it.
    I'm always amazed when I get together with other KPA owners and ask them what Profiles they're using and what their favourites are...almost every time their favourites are completely different to mine.


    Having said that, I think we get used to our own sound system, guitars, pickups, etc, and then our ears adjust and rate Profiles accordingly.
    I have a demo KPA setup in a music store right in the middle of the amp 'testing' section, with mainly stock Profiles in it, connected to a mediocre set of studio monitors.
    Sometimes I'm cruising around the guitar section of the shop, 15 yards away from the KPA, some guy is playing through it and I'm hearing this glorious tone.
    I walk back to the KPA to see what Profile he's using and it's one I hardly ever use, sometimes it's a Profile I didn't even know existed.
    The weird thing is, almost every single Profile sounds good in this situation if a good guitarist is playing, no matter where they turn the 'Browse' knob the tone is good to great.


    You can't convince a guitarist how best to use his KPA...unless you're some kind of highly qualified famous psychiatrist. :)
    Some guys spend months only on stock Profiles, some guys buy Profiles before they even get their KPA.
    Either way, you will hit the sweetspot, and when you do you'll know you bought the coolest piece of guitar kit EVER.


    [Blocked Image: https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1000826_600936419936900_2088727246_n.jpg]


    nice pic!


    and P90's :thumbup:

    Quote from VESmedic1

    To me, the longer I play And learn about recording and what profiles work in a mix, the mic preamp used make a huge difference when laying guitar tracks Etc... This should be a bigger concen to me than it has been, and will make a big difference in your mixes... Paid or free, try and pay attention to this if you can. It may not be evident single tracked on your own, but will be in your mixes.


    One things for sure there's definitely a difference between profiles that sound great to just play and ones that work better in a mix context but perhaps don't sound so great on there own.

    No you don't really need to buy profiles right away, there are many excellent factory profiles. I have TAF pack I (got it with my Kemper as a deal) and only use one amp from it, because I don't feel the need to try more (I am pretty sure they sound great tho)


    What lots of people can't understand is that Kemper won't play guitar for them, and TAF profiles don't come with the demo guitarist fingers included ;) Kemper is very reactive and dynamic amp (just like a good tube amp) and lots of profiles will sound very different depending on player ability (and guitar to some extend).

    Quote from AlexanderDoyle

    One things for sure there's definitely a difference between profiles that sound great to just play and ones that work better in a mix context but perhaps don't sound so great on there own.


    I actually struggle with this a lot, mostly I end up finding a good mix of both factors (sounding good and fitting well in a mix), but sometimes my favourite profile gets recorded and I end up being disappointed with the outcome that sounded so good in my head hehe.


    I find that most 5150 profiles sound pretty nice in a high gain mix, I have tried the Cadaver EVH 5150 with the TillS Recto 056 and it sounds killer in a mix (on a sidenote, it sounds pretty damn good on its own as well)

    no need to buy profiles !



    the ones from rig exchange are more then enough!!


    BUT


    it ist a great pleasure to play all these wonderful sounds created by TAF and soundside!
    So --- it's a fairly cheap way to have a looooooot of fun!


    My recommandation : BUY!!!