MBritt Dumble Pack

this is the reason i buy from sinmix the [profiles sound like the demos or videos and he has excellent service

Quote from jkhenders

I'm new to the forum, but I have had my Kemper for a couple of years. I just got the Dumble pack, but this question has to do with basically all professional profiles. I liked what I heard on line, but when I installed the rigs, they sound nothing like the demos. Granted, I have a different guitar etc, but maybe I am missing something. EQ, delay, etc, all has to be added to the profiles? Also, the clean profiles are sooooo quiet compared to the distorted ones, that I have to adjust the volume on all of them. Is this normal? Sorry for sounding like a neophyte, but I really need help dialing these things in.

Jk,

Have you played around with your KPA's Clean Sense settings? From what you describe, that would be the first place I would start tweaking. In case you haven't seen the Kemper tutorial on this subject...here you go (see 00:53 time stamp):

Quote from jkhenders

Thanks for the reply. I have messed with the clean sense before. I was just wondering why such a huge difference in the Dpack here, but I don't see the same with other clean profiles. There are several Splawn profiles out there that I really like that dont seem to have this issue. Is it just the recording level of the profile? For the record, these profiles sound great on Michael's site, I just have to get them sounding like that with my setup.

Update: Just messed with the clean sense again and it certainly helped. It just seems like I am having to boost that clean signal a lot (7dB) to get parity when the gain is up.

JK,

You might also want to consider saving whatever Clean Sense setting you are going to use with your Michael Britt Dumble rigs (and your guitar) as a specially named Input Preset. That way, you can switch back and forth between your regular Input (Clean Sense) setting and your new MB Dumble rigs Clean Sense setting, simply by hitting the input button, and turning the BROWSE knob on the right of the display.

I have four (4) different Input Presets, all with different Clean Sense settings, which I select depending on the guitar/pickups I am using.

Cheers,
John

I'm still struggling with this to an extent as well. It could just be that my playing sucks and that I do not get the tone from my hands. I have always thought and repeat here that I think commercial profilers should provide the D.I from the examples so buyers can re-amp and do a proper A/B with the advertised sound examples. This would help users like me who are constantly second guessing themselves say if the issue is the hands or the signal chain or some post processing adding to the final sound examples.

Anyone else agree?

Yes, Demo-Tracks for reamping is a great idea to compare sounds.

The differences come from a great variety of factors, but mostly the guitars themselves and the players hands. There can even be huge differences betweens two similar guitars, woods , pickups all that matters a lot in the final tone. Don't expect a HSS with Emgs sound like a p90 telecaster

I personally won't test a tone with a DI file, I'll just swap the guitar, or switch from HB to single coil on my main guitar's coil tap.

I think that's the point I was making. It is currently impossible to simulate the conditions under which the sound clips were made without access to the D.I file from the profilers end. If the A/B with the D.I is a match for the sound examples then the factors you describe are the difference and not some issue with the users signal path - or post processing.

Of course this would only be possible once the user has purchased the pack and frankly I'm happy with that. Nor would I want more than say 1 D.I file per amp so I wouldn't have thought that would be too much of a chore for the commercial profiler to include in the download.

This is a much a piece of mind thing than anything else and I'd bet I'm not alone in this view - more surprising to me that the commercial guys don't do this already?

I agree with the concept, but only in a technical way , this is an engineering approach to me, far from the way I test new profiles : mainly on the feeling & the way the guitar interacts with it (dynamics, warmth, vol pot response, gain range ...).

Anyway that shouldn't be a major issue for profilers to give a DI sample.

I believe Michael uses a P90 equipped guitar for the most part.

Whilst you may think this doesn't make a difference, the difference it could be making is that Michael will set up the amp for a sound that is great with that guitar and then profile the amp.

I use a range of guitars but pretty much all of them are low-ish output...... My main two that I reach for are a P90 equipped gold top and PRS which has vintage 58 pickups - Both pretty low output. I don't have the Dumble pack so cannot comment on that directly buy I do have packs 1,2 and 3. I've had good success with Michael's profiles but maybe part of that is down to the choice of guitars that I have which perhaps hit the front end in a similar way to Michael. If only I could play like him!

Definitely an engineering approach and couldn't agree more that the only profiles that will be 'the ones' for the user will be the ones that they can make work for them. Still, there remain plenty of threads, particularly from new users, who are experiencing some of the post pack disappointment when they can't coax the sounds from their own gear to match the glorious examples on the various vendors sites.

It's perhaps not such an usual human response to question actual hardware issues as well as the player/guitar specific combination, the D.I would certainly settle the users internal debate once and for all.

I'd much rather be depressed but certain that my own playing is the issue than keep wondering at some post processing of the clips or some non-existent hardware issue either in the kemper or the remaining hardware path. If it turns out to be my playing then I can devote all my energy to improving that rather than futzing around gear in my studio.

Quote from Duncan

Definitely an engineering approach and couldn't agree more that the only profiles that will be 'the ones' for the user will be the ones that they can make work for them. Still, there remain plenty of threads, particularly from new users, who are experiencing some of the post pack disappointment when they can't coax the sounds from their own gear to match the glorious examples on the various vendors sites.

It's perhaps not such an usual human response to question actual hardware issues as well as the player/guitar specific combination, the D.I would certainly settle the users internal debate once and for all.

I'd much rather be depressed but certain that my own playing is the issue than keep wondering at some post processing of the clips or some non-existent hardware issue either in the kemper or the remaining hardware path. If it turns out to be my playing then I can devote all my energy to improving that rather than futzing around gear in my studio.

Duncan,

If you have questions or concerns as to how representative M Britt's Dumble pack soundclip demos (on his website), as compared to the actual profile/rigs available for purchase...the obvious (to me, anyway) thing to do is search for audio and/or video clips that have been recorded, using these profiles, which are external to his website. At the very least, it will give you some barometer for how these profiles sound "out in the wild", so to speak.

Here are a few examples I was able to find, in a few minutes of searching and listening. Note -- the last video clip is of Michael Britt himself, testing one of his Dumble profiles during a soundcheck before a live gig.

Love song for my wife - Michael Britt Dumble content

Regarding the upcoming M Britt Dumble Pack - now with soundclips

http://www.thegearpage.net/boa…8044/page-2#post-20311375

Dumble Funk MBritt profiles

MBritt Dumble from Pack 2 with American Telecaster

I use a circa '71 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe with stock mini-humbuckers and an '82 Ibanez Ar305 with a Seymour Duncan Jazz Neck and Seymour Duncan SH-4 in the bridge (and a nice onboard Waldo Unity Gain Buffer - sweet!). I don't think your guitars (or your playing) are the issue but suspect its more of a holistic issue understanding how to tweak everything the Kemper gives you access to, combined with the uniqueness that is inherent to your particular set up (power amp/monitor). Very, very few profiles are going to sound 'just exactly perfect' right out of the box, so to speak.

I will say that even though I am extremely happy with the tone I get from the Dumble Pack rigs that I use, I have never bothered trying to A/B it to Michael's samples. Also, I have absolutely no problem tweaking his profiles to suit my needs - in fact, none of my live/practice rigs are 'untweaked'.

I'll offer my approach - take it or leave it. When I purchase a pack I try to do a test run of every profile in the pack, cycling through them in Browse Mode. I keep a notepad handy and jot down thoughts/emotions that different rigs give me. I especially make note of the rigs that I wind up 'getting lost' playing. I then prioritize the top 3-4 (sometimes more). Then I go to performance mode, and create a new, separate performance for each of those top rigs. I copy/paste the same rig in each slot. Keeping the first slot 'pristine and untouched', I then tweak the other four according to whim and experimentation. By all means I suggest you thoroughly explore all the options including the regular Bass/Mid/Treble controls on the face, not to mention the various EQ's available. Last but definitely not least, learn the 'special tweaks' the Kemper gives you access to (Definition, Power Sagging, Pick, Compressor, Clarity, Tube Shape and Bias).

Give it a shot, spend 'some' time. I find it hard to believe you won't be able to get just about any profile (let alone those from the Dumble pack!!!) to sound close or exactly to what you really think or want it to sound like.

Quote from jkhenders

Thanks for the discussion here. I think this discussion is heading in a direction talking about a bigger topic than I originally intended. For the record, this could apply to any rig from anyone, and people like me that don't have a million amps rely heavily on Michael Britt, The Amp Factory, etc. for access to different rigs. They provide a very needed service. The real issue is the amount of time spent trying to get from purchased rig, to usable rig with my guitar(s). I have used Line 6 and Zoom equipment and always thought they sounded decent yet fake (but good for the money). I owned an Egnater Rebel 30 (noisy, but great tone), but I didn't want to spend $1500 to $2500 buying a complete pedalboard setup, so I went to the Kemper instead. Some of the Kemper rigs sound great in my setup (JCM800 patches from the amp factory), but I think I just got lucky, because they sounded great with my guitars with very little tweaking.

Concerning my particular setup, I use two guitars: A Les Paul Studio with '57 Classic pickups, and a custom Les Paul "ish" guitar with Seymour Duncan Jazz Neck and Seymour Duncan Custom Hybrid bridge pup. Since humbuckers usually lack chime like single coils, then I assume part of the issue is just choice of guitar (not a big deal!). I have coil taps on both, but you can only get so far with a tapped humbucker. I use a powered head with Xitone passive wedge cabs.

Not sure how much more needs to be said, other than I am open to the approaches people use to get their rigs dialed in. Aside from guitar choice and Clean Sense setting, I assume I will need to EQ the guitar somewhere in the chain, maybe even add compression.

I have the exact same set-up. A KPA powered rack, and a XiTone 1x12 passive wedge.

Okay...a few more suggestions, before you jump down the EQ rabbit hole.

A) Instead of using a compressor in the Stomp slots...try tweaking the "Compressor" parameter that is part of the AMP Menu. It is far more powerful, and acts quite differently compared to a traditional stomp compressor. In fact, it is one of the first parameters that I tweak, when demo'ing a new profile/rig. I typically crank the Compressor parameter up, so that is between 5 and 8, depending on the amp. I think you will find it makes a huge difference on clean to crunch tones...and really opens them up, allowing the notes to bloom and sustain. Also experiment with increasing the "Pick" and "Clarity" parameters, as well as "Power Sagging"...all in the AMP Menu.

B) This may not be relevant...but I mention this only because you also have a XiTone passive wedge. Check to see what HF compression driver was shipped in your XiTone. For some reason, on my XiTone, Mick mated a no-name HF driver (PRV Audio) to the Eminence BETA-12CX coaxial speaker. I was experiencing some harsh, high frequency buzz / distortion, which was especially noticeable on note decay. This was not present when I connected my KPA to either a Yamaha DXR10 monitor or a Tech 21 Power Engine. I decided to open up my XiTone and inspect the HF driver and the connections to the crossover. I discovered that it was not equipped with the recommended Eminence HF driver, but with a PRV Audio HF driver (never heard of the company). I decided to purchase an Eminence ASD:1001, and swap out the PRV driver. Problem completely solved. Not only was the high frequency buzz eliminated...the XiTone really came to life. I am not kidding...this made a night and day difference. The particular PRV Audio HF compression driver was either defective, or a complete piece of junk.

Cheers,
John

With the risk of hi-jacking Kenny's original thread I thought it only fair to Michael that I add a note to this thread (for future readers and potential buyers of the Dumble pack) that my mention of 'post processing' was simply my logic circuit looking at any and ALL variables in my signal path whether I suspect them or not, simple means of elimination. It certainly wasn't intended as a dig at the quality of any of Michael's work in fact of all the commercial profile packs I have his are still my favorites.

In retrospect it would have been better to have started a generic thread rather than jumping onto one which might imply it was vendor specific.

If there is still any appetite to look at this D.I issue more, focusing on studio use I will happily start a new thread, if not then peace to all and happy playing.

Just to chime in - what you hear over YouTube and Vimeo and the like are representative of several things:

• The guitar and setup the demo player is using - woods, pickups, strings, construction (hollow-body vs. solid-body), picks, action, and even the particular cables used.
• The way in which the player is playing - a Marshall rig may sound fantastic for some AC/DC, but terrible if you're trying to pull off some Steve Vai. But you have no way of knowing unless you plug in and play. I've got at least 50 AC-30 rigs in Rig Manager, but only 2 work well for me for live performance.
• The scenario the tone is being used in. An "in the mix" guitar sound is going to sound more hollow and mid-boosted than a "standing in front of a wall of Marshall 4x12s with all the knobs on 10" sound. The former sounds great with bass, drums, and other instruments, whereas the latter sounds great on its own (and horrible with a full band mix).
• The system settings of the KPA - Input Sense, Distortion Sense, and now, Pure Cab will make this more complicated.
• Any effects added in post from their DAW, whether it's simple compression and limiting, or full-on EQ to shape a mix.
• Compression from the video's audio onto a remote web server. Facebook destroys great audio. YouTube's pretty bad too.

Then, of course, the profile includes the tone stack, which may be what you would dial in, or may not be. For instance, I love Eric Johnson's tone. It's milky smooth. But when I play with similar sounds, it just sounds too muffled. The right tone in the wrong player's hands results in a poor experience.

Also, buying a pack from a commercial vendor does not guarantee you will like them. They don't have a magic formula that makes everyone love them. For me, the MBritt sounds just don't work as well as I would like them to, but I've only tried out the free sample rigs. I've had fantastic luck with Pete's Profiles, and I'm probably picking up some more of them this week. Some people swear by TAF, but I think they all sound harsh and abrasive. What you do for your playing is going to be different than someone else, and that doesn't mean what you're doing is wrong; what it means is, for the tone you want, the "popular solution" isn't your solution. You will, if you buy rigs, spend money and be unhappy with the results. But hold on to those rigs anyway; you may find you like them for a particular scenario one day.

Quote from jkhenders

I'm new to the forum, but I have had my Kemper for a couple of years. I just got the Dumble pack, but this question has to do with basically all professional profiles. I liked what I heard on line, but when I installed the rigs, they sound nothing like the demos. Granted, I have a different guitar etc, but maybe I am missing something. EQ, delay, etc, all has to be added to the profiles? Also, the clean profiles are sooooo quiet compared to the distorted ones, that I have to adjust the volume on all of them. Is this normal? Sorry for sounding like a neophyte, but I really need help dialing these things in.

How loud is your setup when you try them? besides fingers, which are #1 factor, I see many people playing at whisper quiet level (hearing more of raw string sound than the amp itself). Turn it up until you can't hear strings of your guitar ringing, see if that helps.