LP question.

    I'm not sure if this has been covered before but the manual reads: "The Bass, Middle, Treble and Presence controls in the tone stack will function and sound exactly like the original controls of the reference amp"

    Does this mean that in single channel amps with no buttons or options only one profile is needed to cover the entire amp's spectrum rather than a "profile pack" containing several amp tone stack variations? For instance profilers offering a 1982 JCM800 profile would only need include 2 profiles "High" and "Low" correct?

    This is exactly how I understood it Too.

    But then I thought that it would be valid only for DA profiles, (assuming that Kemper's Mars CM800 works Exactly like Your Profiled JCM800 '82, and I'm Not sure at all 'cause Many marshall has been modifies for one reason or another and their Tone Stack is Not Original anymore)

    Actually, if you realize a Liquid Studio Profile with differnet cabinet/speaker/mic Settings You need 2 (High and Low) of them for each setting right?

    And what if You change Pre Tubes or Power Tubes, You need other 2 Profiles right?

    Quote from Sollazzon

    And what if You change Pre Tubes or Power Tubes, You need other 2 Profiles right?

    I have spent years "rolling " tubes. EL34 marshalls 6550 marshalls, Blackburn Mullard tubes, Chinese tubes,Raytheon, Sylvania, RCA,Tung Sol and many many more.

    I have friends that are vintage collectors and tube nerds (like I was). We used to get together and have a "rolling party" to examine tubes and sometimes old pedals. (I know, get a life right!)

    Even between a 6550 Marshall and an EL34 one, I dare you to be able to pick out the differences unless pushed way up. In volumes you can still yell under, tubes make very little difference compared to the electronics they work with making the most difference.

    IMO most of what people perceive about tubes is the characteristics they've read about, and in a blind test, can't tell the difference unless there is a bad tube or something.

    The circuit matters more than tubes. In a "pure" simple amp circuit like an old champ it matters more than like a Blackstar amp where you can put any functional AX7 under the sun in it and it won't make any difference that anyone could tell.

    So from here on out, profile packs will only need to have have 5 variations instead of 25 unless they're adding FX or tweaking them "artificially" later. (Which I suspect many profilers do) Like boosting the definition then saving/selling. I have bought many profiles with the definition on 10 but have not ever made a profile that came out that way "naturally" even with condenser mics and high gain. maybe they're doing something I cannot but I suspect paid profiles are often "tweeked" and not a "straight" profile.

    I personally would leave the Definition as is after the profiling process is completed, and let the user decide to lower or raise it as needed per song/mix. If the profile came out very dark/muddy then I would raise Definition, or vice-versa. But like you said, I would opt to keep them untweaked.


    I like to be handed a blank canvas and begin to paint, but I get that others may need the full picture. :)

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

    Like 3
    Quote from Dynochrome

    I have spent years "rolling " tubes.

    Cool .. my experience in this is much more limited.

    I ve spent some weeks on an AFD100 where it's very easy to swap tubes and also tweak bias and I did some DA profiles to compare them.

    It has been interesting.

    IMHO Kemper has been a great instrument to get this kind of differences.


    Anyway, tubes are just an example that came to my mind, there are details You can hear but LQP do non cover yet.

    That 's a great way to examine differences. Could you tell big differences in the sound when you switched tubes? I'm guessing you just mean power tubes. That's where I was saying it matters what the circuit is. Some amps the tube plays a major role and some have a bunch of other circuit in with them.

    I had a buddy that argued with me and got upset when I told him (the truth) about his "tube" line 6 that he bought. It has power tubes but 100% of the pre circuit comes from a POD so the tubes were just the output power. I'm sure they're coloring it somewhat but you could likely get the same thing with solid state power and an EQ until you pushed it until it started to break up then it would likely sound worse distorting the POD. Tube distortion can be great but not like that.

    Humm Big is relative.. there are for sure some details you can hear, And no not just Power tubes, I also have compared different pre.


    That amp has a really distinctive tone so basically the Main sound is always there, but you can play with differend shades of tone just tring different valves.

    Anyway.. I don't want to argue with anybody about valves.. I did my test, I had my resluts, I ve moved foward and start using (sometimes) those parameters in kpa amp section as compression, power sag, .. they're pretty good !

    I have a THD BiValve non-master volume head which can literally take any combination of preamp and power amp tubes. Even mismatched like I EL34 and 1 6L6 or EL84 for a Box flavour.


    I was looking forward to hearing an amp swing from vintage Fender to Vox to Marshall as you swapped valves. In reality the tonal difference was relatively subtle regardless of what combination I used. This proves that the amp circuit is what determines the vast majority of it's character.

    I was reacting to this part:

    Quote from Dynochrome

    In a "pure" simple amp circuit like an old champ it matters more than like a Blackstar amp where you can put any functional AX7 under the sun in it and it won't make any difference that anyone could tell.

    The amp I tested this with was definitely more in the Blackstar camp than Champ camp (Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 18) :)

    It was the first time I tried switching out tubes and for my part I was surprised how much of a difference it made going from the cheap stock tubes to JJs. I wouldn't call it subtle at all. But of course not to the degree like switching from LP to tele, or putting a pedal in front etc. In that light I guess you could call it subtle.

    I wouln't characterize going from 'cheap stock tubes' (whatever that is) to JJs as a significant upgrade. Perhaps none at all. Going to something like 50s and 60s Sylvania, RCA, Telefunken, CBS, Mullard, etc... will result in a more significant difference, but those differences do tend to small. I've designed, built and seviced many tube amps over decades and there are tube differences to be had based on the design and particularly where the distortion is generated. For instance, preamp tubes in Dumble type circuits and power tubes in Trainwreck Express circuits are important.


    A big side benefit of the Kemper is no more dealing with increasingly hard to get and increasingly expensive tubes that have a limited life. :)

    Quote from lbieber

    A big side benefit of the Kemper is no more dealing with increasingly hard to get and increasingly expensive tubes that have a limited life. :)

    TOP! Totally agree!

    (I was not going to shift the topic to valves)



    There's another thing is not clear to me that I've read in the manual/addendum that made think about proprieties / benefits of LQD.. but I don't have it here right now.. :| It was about restoring profiles as they have been capured..

    I don't remeber exactly but it was interesting. Maybe I ll find it tomorrow. :P

    Quote from lbieber

    I wouldn't characterize going from 'cheap stock tubes' (whatever that is) to JJs as a significant upgrade. Perhaps none at all. Going to something like 50s and 60s Sylvania, RCA, Telefunken, CBS, Mullard, etc... will result in a more significant difference, but those differences do tend to small. I've designed, built and serviced many tube amps over decades and there are tube differences to be had based on the design and particularly where the distortion is generated. For instance, preamp tubes in Dumble type circuits and power tubes in Trainwreck Express circuits are important.

    I can tell this is coming from someone with genuine experience, not perception of what tubes do.


    I couldn't agree more with this entire paragraph. It's just been parroted over and over on the internet what certain characteristics certain tubes have and those statements get in people's heads and may be true, but apply when they are turned up way beyond the volumes that the IEM era stage volume bands usually run. Tubes DO make a difference, just not in the way that 90% of people use them.


    I have a bunch of primo 1961-1963 Blackburn Mullards and in some cases cheapo (stock) Chinese silver dragons appear superior in certain circuits. In my old champ, they don't make much difference either. Now if I give that thing the beans, I can tell differences between different tubes in that amp. But it's like a 7% thing

    Quote from lbieber

    A big side benefit of the Kemper is no more dealing with increasingly hard to get and increasingly expensive tubes that have a limited life.

    And this is exactly why I became a big Kemper proponent, stifling my erroneous ways as a tube corksniffer.

    I'm confident I can do what any tube amp will do with mine. I still love everything about tube circuits, There is just no NEED to use them now.