Hi,
I'm a long time Kemper user, I know every detail of the DI - Merged - Studio profiles question.
For years now I have been using almost exclusively DI or merged profiles that I combine with external impulse responses into my DAW (GGD Zilla Cabs, Redwirez, Mikko, Celestion to name a few). I'm doing this because very often when I don't like the sound of a profile I find that changing the cab helps me to make the profile alive. I really love the results, to my ears are the best tones I've ever played.
Recently I discovered a new approach that I'd like to share with you to receive feedbacks from your experience.
Sometimes the DI profiles are not so good and sounds fizzy or "empty" even with an external IR.
Sometimes I can't find DI or merged profiles from a specific producer (Selah Sounds profiles for example are beautiful but are only studio profiles).
So I take a studio profile, I turn the cab off and I let the cab driver algorithm do the magic. Then I add the external IR.
I found out that the results are very good! Sometimes it sounds even better than the DI or merged profile combined with an external IR.
If I compare a DI + IR with a studio + IR of the same amp setting I found that the combination studio + IR sounds more pleasant and fat.
Sometimes, to my surprise, both combination sounds almost identical.
I know that in this way I'm not using the exact sound of the preamp, I know that what I hear it's not "exactly" the sound of the real amp (even if it gets closer).
But who cares?
The sound is unbelievable!
I think the cab driver algorithm deserve a great respect for its perfect job!!!
Have you ever tried to use studio profiles with external IR's with the same good results?