Distortion Sense Setting

    To clarify, the dist sense is like a global gain control (or offset, as Don puts it), but only for distorted sounds. For those profiles, it works as the "regular" gain control.


    If you find yourself increasing the gain on most of your profiles (or lowering it), then it would be easier to just use the dist sense. It also makes sense in the scenarios where one guitar drives the profiles harder than others (ie. more distortion), and you want to match the amount of distortion between your other guitars.

    Quote from Michael_dk

    To clarify, the dist sense is like a global gain control (or offset, as Don puts it), but only for distorted sounds. For those profiles, it works as the "regular" gain control.


    If you find yourself increasing the gain on most of your profiles (or lowering it), then it would be easier to just use the dist sense. It also makes sense in the scenarios where one guitar drives the profiles harder than others (ie. more distortion), and you want to match the amount of distortion between your other guitars.

    There is at least one major difference however in that unlike the gain control the Distortion Sense comes before the stomps section, right?

    Quote from Michael_dk

    No, I'm fairly certain there is no difference other than what I mentioned. What makes you suspect it comes before the stomps section?
    @DonPetersen?

    How would it not come before the stomps section, where else in the chain would it reside? Between the stomps and gain knob somewhere? If it is meant to basically be a guitar signal attenuator it seems logical to reside at the front end of the signal path inside the KPA.

    Quote from Michael_dk

    But it is not.
    Why does it have to reside anywhere in a signal chain?

    I didn't choose the best term, attenuator. I meant that in the sense of altering the signal level, not merely a reducer.


    How else would an input adjust reside anywhere other than at the front end of the signal chain? Unless it is not an input signal adjustment and instead a global gain KNOB boost. In other words it is a value essentially added to the gain knob setting of each profile. That would be a really strange implementation IMO.

    Quote from SonicExporer

    Unless it is not an input signal adjustment and instead a global gain KNOB boost. In other words it is a value essentially added to the gain knob setting of each profile. That would be a really strange implementation IMO.

    That's exactly what it is - more or less. As stated, it only affects the gain of rigs that are already in "distortion", so it does not add gain to profiles that are clean. The benefits have already been stated earlier in the thread.


    Also be aware that it s differently scaled than the gain knob.

    Quote from Michael_dk

    That's exactly what it is - more or less. As stated, it only affects the gain of rigs that are already in "distortion", so it does not add gain to profiles that are clean. The benefits have already been stated earlier in the thread.
    Also be aware that it s differently scaled than the gain knob.

    Right so then it is a global gain knob boost that is parceled into two different groups, distortion and clean. Very strange design then, that's why I asked if that is ALL this parameter does. Think about it, if the intent is to balance out different guitars then normally the boost would happen first thing in the chain, not 1/3 of the way after the stomp section. Are we 100% sure there is nothing else to this Distortion Sense setting beyond a gain knob boost? No other impacts or side effects to the tone?


    As to the scaling, what's the general difference, is the Sense parameter designed to be more fine or coarse?

    The clean sens parameter allows you to adjust your level (volume) of cleans in relation to the distorted tones. That means that your volume can be consistent from rig to rig, whether it replicates an amp turned to 1 or an amp turned to ten. Pretty useful stuff. It also means that a very hot guitar might require a different setting than a guitar with a less hot output. Provided you care to dial it in like that.


    Your distortion sens then lets you dial in the amount of distortion per guitar. If you use it like outlined above, that means you can dial in the general amount of distortion equally across profiles AND guitars. Also pretty useful stuff. Or if you always find yourself turning down or up the gain on the profiles you like, it will allow you to do so "globally". Still pretty useful stuff.


    Both parameters are saved when you store the input settings so they can be recalled per guitar (essentially an "input preset" for each guitar, for example)


    You don't NEED to use any of the controls (provided nothing is clipping) - you can just leave them both at zero and never have to worry about it again.


    What would a boost do in front of an amp? It would drive it further toward overdrive to some extent. The kemper allows you to raise JUST the volume of a clean signal (and, for dist sense, JUST the amount of distortion for an already overdriven amp). That way, you have a consistent level whether you play a distorting or a clean amp profile.


    Regarding the scaling, I don't know. I'm pretty sure it's finer. Try it and listen.

    That's right, I forgot the Clean Sense had a different intent, my bad.


    Still think it's strange to have the Dist Sense impacting the gain knob though, so to speak, rather than being on the front end before the stomp section. Because you aren't really achieving the desired intent if you have a lower input guitar that is hitting FX in the stomp section that would impact the gain, like boosts, overdrives, etc. In the case where there is nothing gain-related in the stomp section then yes, I agree the gain knob is a more valid target for the Dist Sense implementation. But it doesn't logically make sense when viewed in light of the stomp section IMO. If a person dials in a tone with a guitar on a profile that uses, say for example, a Green Scream and later changes to a weaker output guitar and adjusts the Dist Sense that isn't going to be the same as if the signal boost occurred on the front end. Instead the signal will be weaker going into the Green Scream, resulting in less clipping and yet then having a higher gain knob adjustment afterwards, so to speak. That is hardly a "linear" adjustment experience as the Dist Sense is portrayed to offer. Rather it will alter the tone in a much different way. Unless I'm completely misunderstanding things.

    I think you have to stop thinking about it as affecting signal level, but rather as a multiplier in an equation for the gain controls of distortion Stomps and the Amp; it's only affecting the parameter as a purely numerical value once the guitar signal has been digitised.


    Edit : I think! @DonPetersen ;)

    Quote from SonicExporer

    That's right, I forgot the Clean Sense had a different intent, my bad.


    Still think it's strange to have the Dist Sense impacting the gain knob though, so to speak, rather than being on the front end before the stomp section. Because you aren't really achieving the desired intent if you have a lower input guitar that is hitting FX in the stomp section that would impact the gain, like boosts, overdrives, etc. In the case where there is nothing gain-related in the stomp section then yes, I agree the gain knob is a more valid target for the Dist Sense implementation. But it doesn't logically make sense when viewed in light of the stomp section IMO. If a person dials in a tone with a guitar on a profile that uses, say for example, a Green Scream and later changes to a weaker output guitar and adjusts the Dist Sense that isn't going to be the same as if the signal boost occurred on the front end. Instead the signal will be weaker going into the Green Scream, resulting in less clipping and yet then having a higher gain knob adjustment afterwards, so to speak. That is hardly a "linear" adjustment experience as the Dist Sense is portrayed to offer. Rather it will alter the tone in a much different way. Unless I'm completely misunderstanding things.

    Actually - good point on the pedals, and come to think of it, I think that maybe it DOES impact the pedals too - but I'm not sure about this. Maybe this should be tested :)


    I also seem to remember something about dist sense should be set to zero during profiling.