Ok, I like how my profiles are sounding now. Some people like em too. Some people don't. If you don't, save yourself some time, go read another thread. I won't take it personally, all this is really like preferring a color over another. If you like how my profiles sound, read on.
I don't like most profiles put up on the exchange - I HATE the nasal phasey sound that SM57s have especially. Most profiles to my ears have this washy thing going on. Here's how I minimized that on my profiles. BTW, I probably prefer my profiles because I'm dialling in the amp how I like, using a mic set up how I like, etc... it's no wonder I like what I profile. I am going to bet most people are the same way - they like the way they set up their amps/mikes for the Kemper.
1) Buy a MXL144 mic from guitar center. $99. It's a ribbon, and is a tiny bit dark compared to an SM57. I think it is much more 'in the room' sounding though than an SM57. Again, my opinion only.
2) Buy a TubeMP ART or equivalent preamp. No, it's not a Great River or anything like that, but you can make up gain easily with one, and it supports using mics that need 48v. Got mine on sale at GC for $29. A good mic cable is that much!
3) play around with mic placement. I like going center up and down and then to the left about 2-3" from center, and at least 2" back, not right on the speaker grill. Starting from there, you can move the mic around to taste.
4) remember if you're dealing with a modern amp like a mesa or VHT, the tone is in the preamp, not in cranking the power amp. So don't have the amp at earth shattering levels, you'll just get errors on the kemper because of all the noise. 
5) If at all possible, have the amp you're profiling in another room so you can only hear the miked sound off the kemper. Headphones are great for this if you don't have a lot of space. If you can't get a tone you like in the Kemper before profiling, you're making your life really hard. Garbage in - garbage out.
6) If it sounds good, it is good! Trust your ears, not star ratings or the fact that someone used super amazing gear to capture a super amazing amp. Again, just go with what you hear, not what you read. Our first instinct is to try to like something that is more expensive/rare, it's just human nature.
BTW, I'm not an audio producer or engineer or anything like that. Just gigged for 25 years and know what *I* like. If others dig it, cool! If not, cool! I was going to go into a friend's studio and do 'pro' profiles of some of my amps. May still do it, but I'm damned happy with what I get now. To compare, look for a profile of a splawn that I did - should be a much older one and a newer one. Difference was mic placement and type - an SM57 vs the Ribbon. I think the later profile with the ribbon sounds a LOT better.
Pete
