Kemper On The Way, Any Advice On Getting Off To A Good Start?

Hey Snowbird,

I suggest you download the wiKPA from here. It's crammed with tips & tricks... I believe you'll find it useful

Enjoy your new machine

There's plenty of info in the introduction and other topics, though I would like to stress the importance of backing up the system. Install the latest firmware and back system up to your USB so that when you get the download itch for trying new profiles and cabs (it happens to everyone usually at the start) you can just restore your backup rather than having to clean up all the stuff you don't want. There is programs out there to make clean up and renaming easier, though it is still a lot easier to restore to factory profiles and cabs then add the ones you decided on keeping after.

I would also suggest taking a look at tills cabs (do a search on here or Google for them). Once you find a good cabinet that works for your speaker set up, it can really change your perspective on which amp. Profiles you end up liking (or more likely, keep you from missing out on a good profile just because the default cab did not complement the profile for your set up.

ALso I would learn what tonal settings are at your disposal and how to get tones you like from the included profiles before buying any online. Basically if you don't like the included and free ones from the exchange, you are doing something wrong and need to tweak more before dumping a bunch of cash. Nothing wrong with buying some after that though as there are some paid packs that will have other good cabs and may have a bunch of amp styles you like all in one.

ANd the wiKPA is set up nicely in a way that allows you to quickly skim through the Kemper setting and what they do.

Quote from Snowbird

I'm really excited and feel like a kid right before Christmas.

I can assure you that your excitement will last over and over the months...

My advice is to start playing as much as possible instead of searching/listening throught hundreds of amps.
In the beginning it's better to take the factory amps and discover their capabilities (more than 80% of them are really really good). Don't search for others now, try now to understand all the parameters and effects on the Kemper, you will see that almost every factory profile can be tweaked to your style and taste. Save your settings of each of them.

Then you will go to discover the rest: forum, Amp Factory, Soundside ecc... it's unavoidable , but not at the beginning in my opinion

Have good KPA times!!!

I'm jealous. Still saving for one. Soon though...very soon

My experience was excitement, amazement and then I was soon overwelmed trying to test every profile .

so take your time..... after a over a year I continue to discover great stock Amps.

if you download a amp I think you would love the Morgan AC 20 on the Rig exchange.

Profile your favorite Amp just for the experience.

I have a pair of M-Audio BX8 for my ears they get harsh and I get ear fatigue so I use them for the TV now.

I now use my very old school JBL 4311B Control monitor's and my ears are happy. I will buy a DXR10 soon.

Plug in and play. The rest will happen as if by magic.

and if its at all possible take the next few weeks off work!

Here go the three most important tips I can give you:

1. What you put the KPA thru is just as important as the KPA itself. Use it with crappy speakers, and it will sound crappy. Use it with awesome speakers, and it will sound awesome.

2. Mind that gate! Many factory and user rigs come with the gate set too high, which kills some dynamics, so be sure to set the gate correctly for each rig.

3. Clean sense sets the amp sweet spot. Try 0 - 2.5 for humbuckers and 3.5-7 for single coils. When in doubt, usually lower is better.

Quote from Snowbird

Thanks for the response. Sounds like there's some good factory profiles that come with the Kemper. I remember reading a while back that the factory profiles were not that great. I read a lot of praise for The Amp Factory profiles and listened to a bunch of them through good speakers. There's a few I'm definitely interested in. Number one is the Champ 64. When I listen to the sample audio file, it makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I just love that simple clean tone. I also love the Two-Rock Jet and the Lindy Frallin VVT. There's a bunch more that stood out, but I'd be happy a long time with the three I mentioned. Are there any factory profiles that come close to the Champ 64, Two-Rock Jet or Lindy Frallin VVT?

As long as clean sense and gate are set correctly, some factory presets sound *really* good, and if those don't do it for you there are many truly awesome free ones in the rig exchange - "Marshall Golub Crunc" is one of my favorites there, I think you'll like it. It's the one used in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qs4arEelwM

+1 for clean sense. I would start at around +7 for the strat. It not only balances the overall perceived volume between clean and distorted profiles but (it might just be in my head) but I think if you have low output single coils, increasing the clean sense allows for a much better feel and more dynamics with clean profiles or ones with a little breakup.

Congratulations, now the real fun begins. Oh and say goodby to sleep, your wife,kids, your friends, etc! At least for a little while

Generally speaking, I would not question the quality of the factory presets. They are all profiles that have been created by professional players with their own instruments and setups. Those are sounds they actually use or used in actual records.
But, like any gear setting, their choices depend on the guitar and PUs they used (you generally don't dial an amp for a Strat the way you would for a Les Paul), on the personal sound (give Clapton a LP and it will sound like a Strat) and on the destination of that sound (dialling a tone for a mix is not the same as dialling one for playing alone). Usually, a mix-ready tone does not sound amazing alone (it also depends on the mix of course!)

With this in mind, I'd rather explore which factory profiles would match my needs. And, don't forget that the profiles can be dialled quite deeply.

This is my basic starter suggestion. It's meant to be a very broad brushstroke. Besides being guitar freaks some guys have tons of experience and comfort level with sequencing, MIDI, computers, etc. they tend to be methodical. Other folks prefer the organic path. I think the beauty of the KPA is you can approach in whatever way best suits you. That said, here's my take on getting started:

1) As you scroll through the hundreds of sounds 1st thing I'd learn is how to mark the rigs you really like as "Favorites". After picking a dozen or so Faves I'd stop there. This will keep you from experiencing sonic overload. Just groove on your sounds for a while.

2) Next I'd fool around with "Clean and Distort Sense". Very important if you have multiple guitars with varying pick up outputs (single coil, humbuckers, etc). This input setting is storeable and name-able. Oh yeah, you'll want to learn how to name stuff.

3) Once you have your sounds and your guitar(s) dialed in, start goofing around with the FX's, verb, delay, etc. Learn how to store them to your rigs. You'll eventually want to dial down into amp sag, clarity, pick attack, etc. this lives in the Amp, EQ, Cabinet settings.

1, 2, 3 easy! Favorites, Clean/Distort input sense and FX's. The big fun begins when you're ready to dial down and tweak your faves. Just remember to enjoy yourself. Dont forget to try profiling your own amp(s). And if you ever get frustrated, just stop what you're doing and go play your best sounds.

The best part? There's more, so much more when you're ready ... Have fun!

Yes, you must unzip any compressed files.

A little clarification regarding Clean and Distorted Sense:

Clean sense does NOT alter the sound, it trims input level at the AD stage. Which in turn alters the level of clean rigs (not distorted ones). You'd want to adjust Clean Sense in these two scenarios:

- Input LED is flashing solid red. Reduce Clean Sense to avoid clipping the AD stage.
- Balancing clean and distorted rigs. E.g you switch to another guitar and suddenly most clean rigs gets too loud/weak compared to distorted ones. You can store Clean/Dist sense settings for different guitars if needed.

Use distorted sense if you for some reason need more/less gain for all rigs. E.g. when switching to a guitar with much different output level.

Myself, I create rigs for specific guitars so I don't really touch these parameters at all!

This thread has got some really good ideas on how to get started with the Kemper. Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Kemper is. You have to see it for yourself....

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