#6 Profiling for dummies Part1

Some years ago it was easy - there was only one type of profiles - called Profiles

Then Kemper developed the idea of direct profiles and merged profiles.

Now we have tree types of profiles:
Studio profiles
Direct profiles
Merged profiles

How does this all work?

Lets start with the profiles - later called studio profiles - I call them "Full Profiles".

We try to profile this setup:
tube amp - speaker - mic

1)
Lets think we have no distortion at all in this amp - so a very clean amp setting is used.

What do we need to simulate this setup?

Only an EQ - because the amp, speaker, mic ... is technically nothing else then an EQ.
If we tone match, profile or whatever this setup and then use this model of your amp - it should sound almost identically to the real world.

So instead of:
Guitar - tube amp - speaker - mic

we only need this:
Gutar - EQ

2)
What is am speaker and mic technically?

It's nothing but an EQ

3)
Now if we overdrive an tube amp - all gets a little bit more complicated.

we need this:

EQ1 - Overdrive generator - EQ2

The KPA tries to analyze the signal chain and will store it like this:

Amp EQ influence -> Amp block
Amp distortion -> Amp block
Influence of cab and mic -> Cab block

So the amp block consists of and EQ and the distortion generator
The cab block is only an EQ

When we talk about EQ it does not mean a simple EQ but a highly capable EQ.

4)
The KPA tries to analyse which EQ influence of the signal chain has to go into EQ1 and which into EQ2 - but it's technically not possible to do this 100%.

The influence in the upper frequencies (which will be stored mainly into EQ1 - the cab block) - could come from the real cabinet, the mic or the amp.
E.g. when we increase the presence of the real tube amp - this will be stored into the cab block.

So we have NOT ONLY the influence of the real cab (and mic) stored into the cab block - but this EQ was also be changed because of amp settings.

Here an example:

In case we would profile tube amp A with 3 different presence settings and cab A:
Profile 1 = amp1 + cab1
Profile 2 = amp2 + cab2
Profile 3 = amp3 + cab3

Now lets profile another tube amp B with 3 different presence settings and cab B:
Profile 4 = amp4 + cab4
Profile 5 = amp5 + cab5
Profile 6 = amp6 + cab6

Now we would like to swap the cabinet in the KPA.

Does this work?

Yes - it works - but sounds NOT like expected.

Because each of the 6 cab block settings is different - even while we use only two real cabinets.

Yes, you are right!

In a typical signal chain we have different places where we get distortion.

Overdrive/distortion pedals before the amp.
In the preamp of the tube amp
In the power amp of the tube amp
And as well in the cabinet

All this is captured in the profiling process - the KPA does not care where the distortion happens - but it will be profiled - and stored into the amp block.

Thats why I like the full profiles the most.

btw. (as also stated in the manual) the KPA works best when only one kind of distortion is used.
The sound of a distorted preamp with a overdriven power amp can not be 100% profiled.
The same is true if we use an overdrive pedal and an overdriven amp.

The solution is - use the fine KPA overdrive/distortion models.

btw. the influence of a TubeScreamer in front of a high gain amp will be captured - because this is mainly an EQ (when used for this setup with gain @ 0) and will be stored correctly into EQ1 (amp block),