Posts by skoczy

  • Is there a difference between FRFR and active studio monitors?

    Hi


    I recorded some samples of factory patches (latest firmware 1.1.1.7641) and uploaded them to soundcloud. Please don't mind sloppy playing just listen to the the sound. All patches are stock, no changes to gain or EQ (which was all flat as I remember).


    Naming (suffixes after patch names on soundcloud):


    BHB - bridge humbucker.
    NHB - neck humbucker.
    BHBS - bridge humbucker split to single coil + middle single coil.
    NHBS - neck humbucker split to single coil + middle single coil.


    For me crunch patches sound dull, and miss clarity, clean ones don't differ as much (AC Clean and D'Lux Clean) as they are supposed to (AC30 is much different than Fender amp). How do you judge them? Please be honest. How your guitars sound on the patches I did my recordings?


    Thanks for any opinions.

  • Is there a difference between FRFR and active studio monitors?

    My guitar is made in Japan Ibanez PGM301 equipped with 2 DiMarzio PAF PRO humbuckers and FS-1 single coil in the middle. They used are sold for lot of money like here. I know that some part of price is Paul's Gillbert signature.


    Yes on headphones (AKG K271) sound is the same flat. Noise gate is most often down, if it is engaged it is just little bit, but turning it down wont change anything.


    I will change EQ on output if it is not adjusted.


    Will check also input and output lights staying green when playing and going off when not playing.


    Factory reset is this procedure (Found in wikpa)?


    - switch the main knob to off;
    - hold the left/top soft-key above the LCD;
    - switch KPA to tuner while still holding this key;
    - Maintenance Module will be started;
    - in the Maintenance menu go to Memory;
    - use Memory FormatFlash and InitFlash;
    - check if the KPA works (booting, tuner);
    - check all the KPA settings;
    - go into the System block and hit Factory Rigs right most soft button. This restores all factory defaults.


    After that I will have 200 factory presets?


    I will record some samples of popular amps which are in stock presets (Fender Bassman, AC30, some Marshalls) to let you here.


    Thanks
    Tom

  • Is there a difference between FRFR and active studio monitors?

    Thank you for replying me.


    To answer your questions:


    guitarnet70
    How are you connecting the KPA to the Tannoys?


    Master Output with XLR cables straight to the tannoys XLR inputs, OR Master Output with XLR cables into the Focusrite Saffire 6 USB interface XLR inputs and from interface RCA outputs to Tannoys XLR inputs - really no difference. Cabs in KPA are off course ON.



    Stevoe
    YES - I always watch profiling sessions on Youtube when KPA perfectly becomes VOX AC30 or Marshall Plexi, then I download preset, load it to KPA, plug my guitar - and... dissapointment.
    Sorry if it sounds weird, but so good to know someone has the same problem as me. When I plug KPA Monitor OUT to RETURN of my tube amp (cabs off in KPA), sound is bigger and more airy. Anyway when I have some dirty preset and pick one of the thickest strings on first frets (for example A string 5th fret) it still sound thin to me.


    mbenigni


    If it sounds like "someone put a towel on the speaker", then you're not getting enough high frequency content.
    Whats more the low notes (on E A D strings) seem thin. I know 5" monitors are kind of compromise, but hey if I hear on youtube session nice tube amp recreation, doesn't it mean that my speakers/monitors are able to create that same sound directly from KPA? In youtube session what I hear is KPA running through some monitors (rather bigger than 5") then sound is captured by camera or mic, then youtube compresses it all slightly, then it is finally played by my Tannoys.... so my home studio situation which is just KPA -> Tannoys is simpler isn't it?



    How does other program material sound through your monitors right now? Listen to a familiar recording, sound OK?


    What you exactly mean? Like I should record some strumming or chords using my setup and compare it to someone's else? I would be grateful to test it with someone, I play some preset at default settings and compare as someone else plays it. But maybe guitar has important role here? And it cannot be compared? Maybe it is my guitar? Bit in the other hand it was not 100$ gear...


    I wonder how recreation of profiled sound is dependent on guitar used while playing (not profiling).


    Just found video of cheap (I think) asian toy powered with battery, which plays in the way that I would be satisfied if my KPA would.


    HERE - starting from 1:41 there is nice glassy fender sound, later we have some rock chops which sound nice, recto also... can that be guitar equipped only with single coils? If humbuckers (recto full sound) how can tweed simulation sound so bright...


    Tom

  • Fortin Kemper profile Pantera clip

    perfect tone (I would say Dime's way just litttle drier/rawer), great playing also, but my golden ear caught some mistake :)


    just starting main riff from 0:29 (clip on soundcloud) 5th and 6th notes should be played half tone up so if you start plaing from E notes will be:


    E E A# E B C (what I hear, you play E E A# E A# B) - at 0:33 you should play the same pattern - try that it will work :)


    not trying to being rude, just my ear noticed that...

  • Very satisfied KPA user here

    Always been attracted to shredders and technical guys (fast moving fingers, tapping etc).


    Maybe that's why never improved my guitar playing (trying be Paul Gilbert without knowing scales, progressions etc. ;) I learn everything by ear.


    Anyway I love this tune - as 1fastdog stated, feel is what makes you want to hear music.


    Your guitar sounds fantastic.


    Have a good day.

  • Is it Kemper or is it just me? Seeking for ultimate help.

    Quote from Per

    Record what you play and then put it up for everyone here to listen to (along with the rig/patch) and that way we can give you good constructive criticism that's not so much stabbing around in the dark.

    I recorded some noodling, to let you hear, how it sounds, and if any of you could record on the same patch I could compare.


    The profile was stock "UWE JCM C 335" - no changes at all.


    Chain was Ibanez PGM301 Dimarzio PAF PRO (bridge position), volume at 90%, Kemper Master Output into Focusrite 6 USB interface, Reaper


    UWE JCM C 335 sample (bitrate 256) - here is uncompressed wave zipped.


    Thanks for any opinions on this folks.

  • Is it Kemper or is it just me? Seeking for ultimate help.

    Yes, I am talking about Ibanez PGM301 (in my avatar). HSH Dimarzio pickups. Full specs here . And yes, I was trying to get anything close in terms of sound and feel to the fender twang using single coil or 2nd and 4th position. Well I am trying to get anything thats close soundwise to any of published Kemper samples. Anyhow I have seen no samples recorded on Ibanez.


    Well I just got home and will try to noodle on profile UWE JCM C 335 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QgcyHGVwGc and upload what was recorded soon.

  • Is it Kemper or is it just me? Seeking for ultimate help.

    Thanks everybody for your input.

    Quote

    Firstly you may just be used to modellers and their sounds

    Just to clarify. I was never modeller guy, I just couldn't play tube amp since in my room I couldn't crank power tubes. I never liked sounds produced by any DSP. Boss, Zoom, etc. And the fact that one week after purchasing new gear I couldn't get nice tone, made my throw away my guitar onto the wall. From time to time I tried to get again to the gear and tried to tweak it. Nope. And because of that I am sure, I never improved my playing. I am just that of that kind. Sounds ugly, flat, lifeless - stop practicing, stop playing.


    Few minutes ago I tried to get the sound of Blackface profile http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCAnRP8q3ro (starts 00:18) but I couldn't get that "straty" sound on my single coil. Maybe my guitar is crap? Maybe these pickups are.. I don't know. Maybe the wood (basswood) is of a kind that will never give that "fenderry" twang?

    Quote

    I don't know anything about your Tannoy speakers, but if they emulate an
    amp cab then you may even want to disable cabinets on the Kemper and
    let them do their job.

    These are off course not ADAM or Genelec but they got nice reviews for small home studios. Maybe there are not FRFR? Anyone can help? Maybe this changes sound? When I omit cabinet it is all fizzy.


    Summing up and repeating myself: I can hear that Kemper is breaking product in its domain. I am not trying to state that it is not that good, or that Axe-Fx is better (I never had one). Just trying to get as close as possible to what I hear from others Kempers...

  • Is it Kemper or is it just me? Seeking for ultimate help.

    Hello


    Got my Kemper last week. It looks beautiful :) so better than on youtube and web images. However when the package came I thought: "wow, is it that small...?"


    Anyway - I started this thread to get some help from you guys, more experienced with KPA. To give you snapshot what kind of player I am...have musical ear, don't have a band, don't have youtube channel with awesome songs, I'm just room player noodling around - hard to say but haven't recorded single song (maybe one) because.......... because of tone.


    Tone.


    I had numerous effects: LINE6 POD 2.0, Vox ToneLab, Rocktron G100, ZOOM g9.2tt, Eleven Rack, some USB interfaces (EMU, TC Electronic, Focusrite) paired with VST modelers (Guitar Rig, Amplitube, some freewares + cab loaders). But I always was missing the right tone.


    Tone.


    Cleans were sometimes acceptable (Eleven Rack), effects not so bad, hi-gain presets... uhhmmm... just hi-gain, crunch tones? the ugliest from all. Never ever, heard the difference between crunch amps in my case. Just small difference, but not what I see on youtube, where Kemper's AC30 crunch is lovely, Marshall Plexi crunched is the only tone I would live for, etc etc.


    To help you judge anything, this is my small rig in small room:


    [Blocked Image: http://i41.tinypic.com/35a2n9x.jpg] 


    1) Ibanez PGM301 (basswood body, DiMarzio PAF Pro bridge position, DiMarzio FS-1 single coil, DiMarzio PAF Pro neck position) - with Paul Gilbert autograph on back side of body :)
    2) Bullet cable and Monster Rock Cable
    3) Kemper Profiling Amplifier
    4) Tannoy Reveal 501 active near field monitors
    5) Last chain of this rig is me :)


    Is Kemper better than any previous devices that were sitting on my desk? YES. It is one huge step above. Like CD-Audio over tape. Like HD over VHS.


    In Kemper (firmware upgraded to fresh 1.07):


    - the gain knob reacts like gain should,
    - picking strings harder gives more bite,
    - turning volume pot on guitar cleans the dirt,
    - strumming on crunch profiles allows to hear every single string.


    So what is wrong? Maybe the factory presets are not the best - "Mr Nice Guy" was the one that make me noodling for 20 minutes. Most of them sound like in a paper box, or covered by thick blanket. Please could you send me some nice profiles and instruction how to upload it? If the best profiles with best cabs will not make much difference, I think I return KPA, however never thought this could happen, when I heard youtube and soundcloud samples.


    Thanks in advance!
    skoczy

  • Hello from Poland

    Hi!


    I'm Tom from Warsaw (Poland's capital), I'm 33 and playing for fun in my room. I owned LINE6 POD 2.0, Rocktron G100, ZOOM G9.2tt, Eleven Rack (now lays under the KPA on desk) till now, and many many audio interfaces with many VST. Today unpacked my KPA, went through factory rigs and found nice "Mr. Nice Guy". I'v been noodling with that around 15 minutes.


    I play Ibanez PGM301, but may be buying some Squier/Fender soon to get the best from clean/crunchy rigs I think....


    I have to get through manual to operate the menu etc.


    Anyway hope to stay here for a long time and have proved KPA was the right choise.


    With greetings from sunny Poland


    Cheers,
    Tom