EQ on Kemper or in DAW?

    Hello all!


    All of the profiles normally have one or two EQ slots turned on, and when turned on or off it creates an obvious difference.


    I'm just learning about EQing and I'm wondering if these pre loaded EQ settings would interfere with my overall mix if I record the profile wet. And whether it would make it more difficult to cut and/or boost in relation to the overall mix when I come to the mixing stage.


    Would it be wise to turn off the band EQs, like the high pass filter etc and just wait until I've got the whole mix recorded?


    thanks. :)

    I prefer to record "as is" without any effects or EQs going on in the KPA. EQing and all that is done later in the DAW when everything is recorded. I prefer this way because it can be undone afterwards.
    But i think it´s just a question of personal preference. No "wrong" or "right" here. ;)

    I like to get the sound as good as possible before recording it, if it needs EQ from the Kemper to achieve this I 'll do it.
    In the mix I normally only use EQ to fix conflicts in the spectrum and then mainly cut, rarely boost.
    Also I try the lowest gain possible.
    Additional I record a dry signal so I can reamp if I like to use a different amp, speaker etc.


    Anyway, always let my ears make the final decision :)

    If the tone is what your after before tracking then so be it. you can then fit that in the mix using DAW EQ/ H/W EQ or whatever you want. - Source has to come first. less work to do in processing that way.


    Using an EQ in whatever form is necessary anyway. (post tracking) but you don't want to be sculpting sounds after its tracked. you simply want to be creative with it and make it work with the tracks. - if you have to do a lot of corrective EQ in the DAW after-tracking, then there is no room for being creative.. right?

    if a EQ is pre-STACK, it is basically a custom boost pedal that influences the distortion, something that cannot be done later in the DAW.


    post STACK EQ, erverb, delay, etc.
    there are basically two schools of thought about it:
    one wants to keep everything as close to the original source as possible, so if you don't like it you can adjust/compensate for it later,
    the other one basically says, commit to the sound and move on.


    the latter one takes experience, but conditions your workflow/thinking into making decisions.


    to quote Frank Herbert from God Emperor of Dune:
    “The difference between a good administrator and a bad one is about five heartbeats.
    Good administrators make immediate choices. […] They usually can be made to work.
    A bad administrator, on the other hand, hesitates, diddles around, asks for committees, for research and reports."


    bottom line is: you have to find out which one works for you, however don't dismiss the 'committing' approach just because it doesn't give you as many options later on -
    having options isn't always a good thing.
    especially not if you have to finish a mix. ;)

    I don't think there is an overall rule that fits all situations.


    A profile with nothing else on it (no EQ, no FX, no nothing) will occupy a certain range of frequencies. A profile with an EQ on it will occupy a slightly different range of frequencies depending how you set it. Either can sound better in a mix depending what you're doing :)


    Whether you use EQ in the Kemper or not, be prepared to also have to EQ in the mix because what the overall mix will sound like will be entirely dependant on the other instruments and where you put them.


    My personal approach would be to use whatever sounds good out of the Kemper, however it is achieved, and then tweak in the DAW once the other instruments are in play. So if a profile has an EQ on it but I love the sound, I'll use it. I'm careful of any profiles where an EQ stomp is adding a load of bottom end because, whilst that might make it sound fat / awesome on its own, it'll almost certainly result in a bunch of mud at mixdown. But that's also a reason to be careful of non-eq'd profiles that are bass heavy - once you've got the actual bass guitar in play, is it too much energy at that part of the spectrum? It possibly is..... But gentle toneshaping EQ's in the Kemper? Why not.... You'll still have to EQ at the DAW end to make it sit in the mix but at least you'll have been happy with your sound going in which means you perform in a happy way.


    What I nearly always do, though, is turn off the reverb in the Kemper when recording. That's not me saying I don't like it - I do. It's me saying that there will be other reverbs in play inside the DAW for the vocals / whatever and it works better in my opinion if they all sound like they're in the same 'space'. And you can't turn reverb down if you recorded it wet so if it's not working for you, it's not working for you and you have to re-track. My only real exception to this would be recording an amp sound with spring reverb but we can't currently do that :) If recording and the profile has a room verb on it, I'll turn that off and tweak to taste in the DAW as part of the mix because it'll almost certainly sit better. Obviously if you're using reverb as the essential part of the sound as opposed to making it sit, this again might not work for you but I still think with reverb it's easier to leave it off as you've got more flexibility. I take Don's point above about 'too much choice can be bad' but, since I started losing the reverb whist tracking, my life has become easier, not harder. But I still lack experience so that could just be me :)

    When Studio, always DAW. More surgical and therefore more precise.


    I actually don't like that you can't set the band in Studio-EQ more narrow. Even on 5 it's still too wide for me and affecting frequencies I would not want to touch.

    I see both sides of the fence. I try to get a great sound committed to "tape", so I apply some eq on the Kemper. If it is too much eq, well, I likely have the wrong profile. I generally don't eq too aggressive in the DAW for the same reason (get it right at the source), aside from a mild hi pass to clear up the super lows for other voices.


    Getting the tones right on the Kemper also helps that when you find that perfect tone you can then translate that right into a live band situation.

    How's it go, Cranky? Garbage in/garbage out?


    Final eq and cleanup is good, but I've always leaned toward getting it close to perfect out of the guitar rig and than add a light fluff of icing on the tone cake. :P

    I am a Profile Whore... Sometimes a Recovering Profile Whore...
    but mostly a Complete and Utter Profile Whore... I want them all... aCk!!! 8|:love: