I'm loving my shiny new Kemper :-)

    Hi everyone


    I'm Steve, I live in Worcester, right in the heart of the UK 'Midlands', and about 20-odd miles from where Tony Iommi invented heavy metal ;) Incidentally, the 'Strummer' part of my username is my tribute to the late, great Joe Strummer of The Clash.


    I've had my KPA for a few days now and I'm absolutely over the moon with it - I've already downloaded loads of your awesome profiles!


    I don't play live, apart from the occasional jam with a great old friend of mine. We've been playing covers of songs from bands like Judas Priest, Saxon and Status Quo for nearly 35 years, since we were at school together.


    The main reason I decided to get a Kemper was for my hobbies of song writing and home recording. I currently own a couple of tube amps, a Peavey 6505+ 112 combo and a Line 6 Spider Valve MkII, and I've been recording them using my Shure SM57 and Sennheiser e906 microphones. I also use Line 6's POD Farm 2.5 Platinum software to record with, and my DAW is Cakewalk's SONAR X2. I use a Line 6 Toneport UX2 as my interface, and monitor with a pair of Edirol MA15s.


    I play guitar as my main instrument, and I'm lucky enough to own two neck-through hand-made guitars. One I've had for about 30 years, and the other was recently custom built for me in America by a good friend of mine on the Cakewalk forums. I play bass as well, and my instrument of choice is a USA Standard Jazz Bass. I don't play drums, so I use Toontrack's wonderful Superior Drummer 2 & EZ Drummer, and Steven Slate Drums inside SONAR.


    Although I can get some very usable sounds from POD Farm, I've recently become addicted to recording the speakers of my tube amps. However, as I live in a semi-detached house, and I have great neighbours who I wouldn't upset for the world, it is often impractical to crank them up loud enough to get the valves really glowing and get the tone I want.


    It seemed that the ideal solution to me would be a product that would give me the practicality of recording with software like POD Farm, without sacrificing the amazing tone that I can get with my tube amps. And after a good deal of research, I decided that this ideal solution was a Kemper Profiling Amp :)


    My intention initially was just to profile my amps, by setting them both to all my favourite settings, and then have those tones available 'on tap' to be able to record with any time I wanted.


    But then I discovered the incredible resource you guys have created here with the Rig Exchange :thumbup: Wow! It's almost like I stumbled into amp heaven when I started playing through some of the incredible rig profiles I've downloaded so far!


    Aside from my own projects, I'm also part of two online collaboration projects. The Coffee House Band was formed about 4 years ago by a group of us who frequent the Cakewalk 'Coffee House' forum. I've mainly contributed rhythm guitar, with the occasional solo, and have composed the music for five of our seven finished songs. At various times, The CHB has included members from the UK, The Netherlands and The USA. My other online project is with a guy from The States, we record punk and metal cover songs under the name VeRy MeTaL. I produce the music for these projects, and my friend Troy adds his incredible vocals later.


    If you want to take a listen to any the music I've been involved in, here are a couple of links:




    I'm really looking forward to getting more involved around here - in fact, I've already been given some friendly and helpful advice in the Problems & trouble-shooting forum - and as soon as I've recorded something new with my wonderful KPA, I'll be sure to post some links. I also intend to do some profiling of my amps, and upload those to the Rig Exchange.


    Best wishes


    Steve

    Thanks Raoul!



    Quote from Ingolf

    Welcome and enjoy! :)
    Interesting collaborations you have there going!
    Not a chance to find a drummer & bass player and crank it up sometime? 8)


    Thanks Ingolf. My friend who I jam with plays bass and sings, but I reckon we're getting too old now (I'm 51) to look for a drummer and actually put a band together ;(


    When we were much younger, and before we both married our respective wives and had kids, we used to practice and play at least twice a week, and at every other opportunity we could. We used cheap guitars and even cheaper amps, but it was always great fun. We had a drummer from a local band sit in with us once or twice, but we never actually got around to forming a proper band and do any gigs. The irony is that now we have some really nice gear, we rarely get the opportunity to jam, let alone crank it up.

    Steve, your story sounds quite familiar. I'm nearly 50 myself, but let me tell you,
    when you really look for a drummer and you will eventually find one.
    In my 20's I was playing out or rehearsing several times a week, but now the quality has become much better.
    What I mean is: we may rehearse only once or twice a week, and only play out once a month, but we're rocking better than ever, really. :)

    Quote from SteveStrummerUK

    ... but I reckon we're getting too old now (I'm 51) to look for a drummer and actually put a band together ;(


    Dude... that's crazy!! :huh:


    If you still have your health... go for it. Working with a group of musicians in a 'band' setting is some of the greatest fun you will ever have as a guitar player. I want to put another band together and play live more than anything but my health won't allow it. I always thought I would have the time.


    If I didn't have my small home studio... I would go insane!


    Just my two cents.

    Peace...
    bluzkat