Kemper vs. Real Amp Test - Cameron CCV

    Quote from Dimi84

    It does. That is why I still use some pod amp models -- they excel at vintagy-Marshally-midrangy metal tones. Using the kemper cab emulation along with the pod just gives way more flexibility as it appears what we see as weakness in some mids and bass frequencies seems not to be part of the cab but the kemper amp modelling. If I profile the pods direct tone I get the same "congested" and "slightly altered mids" effect as I get with my high gain, real amp tones. But if I run the pod through the kemper cab modelling it is another story. Plus I can also get fairly close to many great kemper profiles just using the pod amp and kemper cabs, but with maybe more of that signature pod mid thingy that sounds Iron Maideny as heck. I have set up such a tone now and will try profiling it direct.


    Dimi,


    By any chance, do you own Till Schneider's "Cab Lab" pack of cabinet profiles?


    If you do, I recommend you try something. Take your favorite Marshall profile, or similar (e.g., I recommend Michael Britt's Friedman BE100)...and combine it with Till's Cab #49 or #50. You will have more punchy and crunchy Mids than you will know what to do with. Seriously, it is one of my favorite Cabs to really cut through, and make a solo sing.


    Cheers,
    John


    Edit: I just did a little checking to get some more information on the #49 and #50 cab. It is a Marshall 1960 with G12H30 and Jensen C-12K:10 speaker, mic'd with the following:
    C3000/SM57/PR20/D189

    Edited 2 times, last by Tritium ().

    I have not tried them but will do so. Thanks a lot

    Quote from Dimi84

    It does. That is why I still use some pod amp models -- they excel at vintagy-Marshally-midrangy metal tones. Using the kemper cab emulation along with the pod just gives way more flexibility as it appears what we see as weakness in some mids and bass frequencies seems not to be part of the cab but the kemper amp modelling. If I profile the pods direct tone I get the same "congested" and "slightly altered mids" effect as I get with my high gain, real amp tones. But if I run the pod through the kemper cab modelling it is another story. Plus I can also get fairly close to many great kemper profiles just using the pod amp and kemper cabs, but with maybe more of that signature pod mid thingy that sounds Iron Maideny as heck. I have set up such a tone now and will try profiling it direct.

    For years until not too long ago I used the old POD 2.0 on nearly every recording and demo I did personally. For all the shit the POD and Line 6 get, you wouldn't believe how many players commented on my "warm" Marshall tone, which often was recorded with an Epiphone Les Paul from the 90's. Only after I told them or they looked at it did they start to try picking imperfections to discredit their own compliment...

    Okay, in an effort to figure out how to resolve some of the issues plaguing profilers, I've been getting my feet wet profiling my Axe FX. Here are a couple of samples to compare.


    Can you identify the KPA vs the Axe FX?


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    I hear the difference, though hard to say which is which. I'll guess #1 is Kemper, #2 Axe.


    Since you're the most shamelessly 80's rocker here, I thought for sure when I heard the beginning you were going into Dio's "Caught in the Middle". Drab...


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    SonicExporer wrote:

    Quote from SonicExporer

    Yeah, I said from the onset and caught all kinds of hell (still am) that the POD has some really good attributes of tone. There is just something in the POD logic that does an awesome midrange replication, the kind often found in the Marshall realm.


    FYI @Guidorist Makes the best profiles, his profile in my humble opinion have an edge over the best commercial profiles (much better signal to noise ration than anything out there), his Bogner XTC is still my all time favorite all time profile and is a must have for every KPA owner,
    BUT he also made 32 profiles of the POD 2.0.


    His prices are more than reasonable. For less than 5 US dollars his packages are a steal considering the time saved.



    I recommend that you get the BOGNAR XTC and the POD profiles if you want to consolidate all you amps in one location. Maybe Guido's profiles will be the cause of another turning point in your appreciation for the KPA once you hear and feel the mojo of a perfectly profiled amp.
    Here's the link for the POD profiles and if anyone will nail it, it would be Guido



    http://www.guidorist.com/en/pr…amp-profiles-love-69-pod/

    Edited once, last by Dean_R ().

    Like 1

    Just discovered Guido's stuff today from a post in the Kemper Facebook group (possibly you?). Very tempted.

    Quote from ColdFrixion

    Okay, in an effort to figure out how to resolve some of the issues plaguing profilers, I've been getting my feet wet profiling my Axe FX. Here are a couple of samples to compare.


    Can you identify the KPA vs the Axe FX?


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    I haven't listened on good reference monitors yet but fist impression is you did a very commendable job for first time profiling. That said, I can hear a slight difference but would not try to guess because I don't know what an Axe sounds like. And keep in mind, this first sample set is more what I consider as still on the border of "crunch tone" territory. The main challenge I've found (and others) is when you start getting into the higher gain territory. That's where things can start becoming more noticeable for certain types of tones.

    Quote from ColdFrixion

    Okay, in an effort to figure out how to resolve some of the issues plaguing profilers, I've been getting my feet wet profiling my Axe FX. Here are a couple of samples to compare.


    Can you identify the KPA vs the Axe FX?


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    Just listening on cheaper earbuds, but Sample2 seems to have a more extended low freq response and seems to be more 3D.
    I guess #1 is the Kemper, it seems to be the difference I was feeling when comparing the KPA to the real thing. I hope I am wrong though.


    PS:
    But... are they level matched exactly? Listening to them again #1 seems to be a tad quieter, which can change everything when comparing 2 soundfiles like this.


    Thank you very much :thumbup:

    Quote from Erazorblade

    Just listening on cheaper earbuds, but Sample2 seems to have a more extended low freq response and seems to be more 3D.I guess #1 is the Kemper, it seems to be the difference I was feeling when comparing the KPA to the real thing. I hope I am wrong though.


    PS:
    But... are they level matched exactly? Listening to them again #1 seems to be a tad quieter, which can change everything when comparing 2 soundfiles like this.


    Thank you very much :thumbup:

    Since level matching is done by ear, it could be slightly off by .1 or .2 dB. Likely not more than that, though. I'm usually pretty obsessive level matching, though. It can definitely have an effect on how we perceive the quality of a sample compared to another.

    Quote from SonicExporer

    I haven't listened on good reference monitors yet but fist impression is you did a very commendable job for first time profiling. That said, I can hear a slight difference but would not try to guess because I don't know what an Axe sounds like. And keep in mind, this first sample set is more what I consider as still on the border of "crunch tone" territory. The main challenge I've found (and others) is when you start getting into the higher gain territory. That's where things can start becoming more noticeable for certain types of tones.

    To my ears, the power chords that rang out for each note sounded high gain but the palm muted portions sounded crunchy.

    Quote from Erazorblade

    Just listening on cheaper earbuds, but Sample2 seems to have a more extended low freq response and seems to be more 3D.I guess #1 is the Kemper, it seems to be the difference I was feeling when comparing the KPA to the real thing. I hope I am wrong though.


    PS:
    But... are they level matched exactly? Listening to them again #1 seems to be a tad quieter, which can change everything when comparing 2 soundfiles like this.


    Thank you very much :thumbup:

    2 - sounds better for me (even on single track) IMO 1 is Kemper 99% sure :D


    Stay Metal!

    Quote from ColdFrixion

    Okay, in an effort to figure out how to resolve some of the issues plaguing profilers, I've been getting my feet wet profiling my Axe FX. Here are a couple of samples to compare.


    Can you identify the KPA vs the Axe FX?


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    I will be surprised if the first isn't the kemper and the second the Axe Fx. First sounds a bit more "congested". Same effect as with real amps... similar to what happens with my Laney, Orange, pod xt..

    I just put the 2 files in my DAW and by directly switching between the 2 tracks it's even more obvious.
    The 1st sounds like theres less gain and bass, but more high mids/highs/fuzz on it. Same thing I felt with the KPA profiles against the real amp.
    Now that experiment would be a lot more interesting, if the sample of the kemper wouldn't be a profile of the AXE, but one of the real amp instead.


    We know already that the Profile of an amp is not able yet to create an exact copy of the tube amp (for some sounds at least).
    I guess more or less the same is happening when profiling an amp like the AxeFx.
    Its like profiling a profile in some way.


    Notwithstanding the 2 samples above:
    Has anybody already tried to create a profile of a Profile, and so on, and then compare it with the real amp in the end?
    (without altering mic positions, etc).
    Maybe in this way it gets easier to understand where the problem is on the amp part of the profile.
    With each profiling process the sound should suffer always a little bit more in the same way so at the end it maybe seems even more obvious what the exact degradation is and what could be done about it?


    hmm.. :huh:

    Quote from Erazorblade

    Has anybody already tried to create a profile of a Profile, and so on, and then compare it with the real amp in the end? (without altering mic positions, etc). Maybe in this way it gets easier to understand where the problem is on the amp part of the profile. With each profiling process the sound should suffer always a little bit more in the same way so at the end it maybe seems even more obvious what the exact degradation is and what could be done about it?

    This is a really interesting point. It seems logical that a profile would already have removed the portions of an amp the KPA struggled with, so by then subsequently profiling that profile the results should either be an indiscernible replica or rather something that more clearly conveys the problem area(s) for further analysis.


    Anybody have two KPA's and the initiative to try this...???


    Sonic

    Erazorblade had mentioned overcompression with high gain sounds, which is something some of us have noticed with the palm muting issue, however I think this video may hold some answers:


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    Quote from ColdFrixion

    Erazorblade had mentioned overcompression with high gain sounds, which is something some of us have noticed with the palm muting issue, however I think this video may hold some answers:


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    Sweet Googly Moogly...that is one of my "go to" amp profiles. The incredible Soldano HR 4 Merged (Soldano Hot Rod 100), by @Thumas.


    In my top 10 favorite all time KPA profiles.


    Sorry @ColdFrixion, didn't mean to go off-topic. I was just surprised to click the video and see one of my personal favorite profiles being used. Very cool.