The Kemper thread

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  • I use HD650's but they cost more than that...I love 'em though!
    Read my guitar/gear blog at medium.com/redchairriffs

    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • AndyJPAndyJP Frets: 219
    I have a pair of Beyer dynamic dt880. Very nice. Quite a flat response. A cheaper studio style recommended in a Mike Senior book.
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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    AndyJP said:
    I have a pair of Beyer dynamic dt880. Very nice. Quite a flat response. A cheaper studio style recommended in a Mike Senior book.
    Same here, great sounding with the Kemper.
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  • Just discovered the Choptones "Just Play" packs...really great sounding profiles that are just plug and play. I'm a high gain fan, so I assume, like a lot of Choptones profiles, they're aimed to the market I'm in...so if you like your blues, probably not for you!

    I picked up the Friedman BE50 pack and it's a thing of beauty.

    Thing I really love about the Kemper is how it keeps the bass thud and thump of the amp and retains a clarity and definition I've not found elsewhere. 

    Like I said a week or so back, I had a flirt with amps again and it's really pointless when the Kemper does such a great job of sounding awesome.

    I also bought the TopJimi Hiwatt pack and that sounds superb too, for cleans. Makes a nice pedal platform.
    Read my guitar/gear blog at medium.com/redchairriffs

    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    Personally, I really hate the Choptones method of selling. The way they have multiple pack versions, and don't really explain why and what's in them - plus the high price - really put me off them.
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  • I don't think it's bad at all. Easy pack. "Best of" pack. And a pack that has everything. 

    That said, would be nice to have a crossgrade or upgrade price.
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    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    Yeah, I'd agree it's bad form not to have upgrade packages.

    I remember when I dropped a load on his helix stuff - was a massive rip-off, and that's kind of tainted my view of him.

    Still think top Jimi and Big Hairy Profiles are the best ones, for my style of playing anyway
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  • A good profiler isn't necessarily going to be a good programmer, so they're selling presets based on their good rep as a profiler...same can be said for a good programmer, doesn't mean they can profile for shit.

    No offence as this is by no means aimed at yourself, but I've never got why people buy preset packs, makes no sense to me.
    Read my guitar/gear blog at medium.com/redchairriffs

    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • This post is pointless as it asks no questions and raises no points but you'll probably all read it anyway...

    I have noticed a lot of differences between a lot of the commercial profiles and think now there are generally 2 types of studio profile, ones that are mix ready and ones that are play ready. Let me explain - I love Top Jimi profiles, I often switch between his AFD Caswell, #34 Slash, Friedman Brown Eye and EVH 5150. Despite having their differences they are all great sounding profiles and you can switch between them without it being noticeable. I also like M Britt profiles but if I switch from a Top Jimi to an M Britt profile then suddenly the M Britt profiles sound ridiculously bass heavy and boomy. After a few minutes of playing my ear adjusts but when I switch back to a Top Jimi they now sound unusably shrill and thin.

    Now I know there are quite significant tonal differences in all amps and some will naturally be bigger and bassier sounding than others, but if we take similar amps from both profilers the difference is still there. The M Britt profiles are more pleasing to play when just practicing and playing alone but the Top Jimi profiles sit in a mix better when jamming along to backing tracks etc.
    But it is almost impossible for me to flip from one to the other in one practice session because the difference is too noticeable. I have started to use the studio EQ to tweak the bottom end. By adding a couple of db of gain at 150hz to the Top Jimi profiles and taking a couple of db of gain off the M Britt at 150hz (depending on the profile, the clean stuff doesn't need it as much) then I can switch between them without noticing the difference and without it affecting the overall character of the profile. I am probably going to find myself in a position where I have 2 versions of every profile, one for practice and one for recording, but its the only way I can find that allows me the freedom of playing any profile I want in one given session rather than having to only play music that uses a Top Jimi profile because switching to an M Britt sounds too bad.

    I'm assuming these differences are all down to how the cabs are mic'd etc, so saying there are two types of profile is a bit too generic but it does seem just adjusting the gain at 150hz can compensate a lot for differences in profiles. I don't think I realised the complexity of it all until I got a full Choptones pack and saw the sheer number of options for a single amp - all of the mic and EQ choices for one amp make you realise just how difficult finding a profile you like can be. There was only one profile that sounded how I expected in the JCM900 pack and theres like 80 profiles in there or something so if you just go on the rig exchange hoping to find a good sound for 'x' amp then its really a shot in the dark because to find a profile that sounds how you expect requires someone to have used a specific mic, cab and EQ setup. Its a total minefield.

    Does anyone else find there is a huge difference in some profiles to others? I'm using studio monitors (Presonus Eris E5s) and wonder if it is less of an issue if playing through something that naturally has more bass like a PA speaker? I'm assuming all of this issue is in the cab section of the profile and if you play through a power amp and guitar cab then this issue doesn't exist?

    Check out my band Coral Snake if you like original hard rock!

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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413
    I was watching the Tone Junkie podcast with Michael Britt, and they were talking about the definition control being really important for control over the low end.  I've haven't experimented yet, but that might be another option for adjusting the low end.
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  • FreebirdFreebird Frets: 5821
    edited February 2019
    Its a total minefield.
    It's a bonus for me as I can loop a section of dry guitar, and then scroll through all sorts of various sounds until something inspires me. I would't have a clue how to dial in the eqivalent sounds in a room full of real amps and microphones, so I'd rather leave it to the tone professionals. Of course, you can also do a bit of tweaking to match an amp with a particular guitar that you own, just like you would with a valve amp.

    I get what you are saying about stage sound and studio sound, I'm just curious if similar sound variations occurs in the real amp world?
    If we are not ashamed to think it, we should not be ashamed to say it.
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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    I find that Live Ready Sound and Big Hairy Profiles are typically 'darker' sounding so sound better live - however, I always have a studio EQ in the X slot, cutting at 90Hz and 7400MHz, and reducing the frequency at 3400KHz by 4db. I find that takes the fizz and shrillness away when practising at home, but it then comes back at gig volume (but obviously tamed somewhat).

    Might be worth a try?
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  • FarleyUK said:
    I find that Live Ready Sound and Big Hairy Profiles are typically 'darker' sounding so sound better live - however, I always have a studio EQ in the X slot, cutting at 90Hz and 7400MHz, and reducing the frequency at 3400KHz by 4db. I find that takes the fizz and shrillness away when practising at home, but it then comes back at gig volume (but obviously tamed somewhat).

    Might be worth a try?
    Already got the studio EQ in the X slot cutting at 90 and 7400 (well I have it at 7200) - I haven't felt the need for fiddling with anything at 3400. I find this is a must for every profile to take away the 'digital' feel, but this still leaves the massive difference between profiles such as Top Jimi and M Britt that I compensate for with the 150hz adjustment.

    Check out my band Coral Snake if you like original hard rock!

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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    Fair enough.

    It's something I've done with the Helix, AX8 and Kemper by searching with a narrow Q band for nasty frequencies and then cutting them.
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  • FarleyUK said:
    Fair enough.

    It's something I've done with the Helix, AX8 and Kemper by searching with a narrow Q band for nasty frequencies and then cutting them.
    I think if I was recording I would probably end up doing the same but at the moment I’m just jamming and don’t really notice anything once the lo and hi cuts are on (which is a tip I learnt here, quite possibly from yourself so thank you!)

    id love to revisit a helix now I’m used to playing through studio monitors, I may have to try the 15 day native trial!

    Check out my band Coral Snake if you like original hard rock!

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  • Jonathanthomas83Jonathanthomas83 Frets: 3466
    edited February 2019
    2 of my favourite old pedals - Neunaber WET and EQD Organizer...Kemper just sounds more natural to me than both of them now. Maybe my ears have changed as surely that's bollocks! In any case, they're on the block in the classifieds as a result!
    Read my guitar/gear blog at medium.com/redchairriffs

    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • sgosdensgosden Frets: 1993
    2 of my favourite old pedals - Neunaber WET and EQD Organizer...Kemper just sounds more natural to me than both of them now. Maybe my ears have changed as surely that's bollocks! In any case, they're on the block in the classifieds as a result!


    are you using them into kemper?

    With drives in particular I find stomp boxes react different into helix amp than they do valve amp, and helix drives hit helix amps and valve amps differently.

    I much prefer helix drives > helix amps and analogue drive > valve amp.

    Gonna do a similar test with modulation when I get some free playing time.

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  • Important that you use certain pedals in front and some in the loop and make sure the loop is set to be either post or pre depending on the type of pedal or approach you like. Sure people are doing this but worth saying as its not that obvious (like most Kemper features)
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  • Jonathanthomas83Jonathanthomas83 Frets: 3466
    edited February 2019
    Yep, into the Kemper and putting drives and pitch before the amp and reverb in the loop. They both sound great, but I'm happier with the Kemper algorithms that approximate the sounds I'm getting with the pedals.
    Read my guitar/gear blog at medium.com/redchairriffs

    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • Yeh I figured you would know just worth saying
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