Do You Get Stifled by Option Paralysis

  • The only reason I dreaded getting this thing is because I knew this would happen (OCD LOL).

    I found that when I do this (I have OCD bad too) if I save 2 different tones, then pick the better one in a couple of days to my ears, that helps.

    If you use FRFR the benefit of a merged profile is that the cabinet is totally separated in the profile.

    For my edification only... ;) Kemper/Axe-FX III/ Quad Cortex user

  • It depends on 'where you come from ' I guess... having had modelers for ages - Line 6 Pods and Helix Native software, the switch is pretty easy....

    And compared to some stuff I had, and working a whole lot with softsynths as well, it is now a breeze having the hands-on experience of dialing a knob and having instantaneous response...

    Sure I will need to spend time on organising rigs and performances but I myself have loved flexibility for as long as I played - one of the reasons I use Variax guitars and bass as well as synthesizers and also a drumkit with Roland drum module connected.

    And knowing what sort of sound to expect helps as well...

    For the band there will be a selection of most used sounds, mainly because I want to have our music contain sort of a signature sound and not having too many different lead sounds help with that too in my opinion...

    So - no surely no option paralysis - options and killer sound are the reason I bought this :)

    cheers Hans

    I love being versatile....

    Kemper profiler toaster, Variax guitar, variax bass and variax nylon Acoustic. softsynths and pearl drumkit/roland TD20. Composing and singing for my band Whitecave (also on facebook, spotify, apple music etc)

  • Depends if you are a tweaker or not. I'm probably like you, I don;t like tweaking as I go down rabbit holes...e.g. IR route and I don't trust my own ears.

    My advice:

    1) If you like your gear, profile it and use that - that is the main purpose of the KPA

    2) Look for amps that you are used to - I've been playing ENGL's for years and unsurprisingly my Rigs are mainly based on ENGL profiles!

    3) Don't tweak profiles you don't like to try and make them better, move on..

    4) Audition at volume

    5) Go with what you think you like and play for some time. I do a few gigs to determine if I like them

    6) In general, no one else will notice or care so its really about pleasing you.

    7) Don't bother with external valve amps, pedals, IR's etc to further change your sound unless you really have to. Just more variables...

  • Quick and dirty answer:

    Not with the Kemper I don't. Yes, there are a million parameters. The rule I've learned (and heard repeated)

    1. It's ALL about the profile. If you have to tweak an amp sound more than a touch....find a different profile.

    2. For effects, just because you can doesn't mean you should. The mix parameter is your *very* best friend.
    3. Go back to #1 and start over. As in :||∞

    To quote and old George Carlin punchline "These are my rules. *I* make 'em up."

  • Just to re-affirm my previous post...

    I downloaded Michael Britt 'Crank n go' pack last night as i fancied finding some more good gigging profiles for the Whitesnake Tribute Band i play in. There were 88 profiles in this pack i think... so again, i felt the 'option paralysis' again.

    I loaded them in to Rig Manager and then set about trying them all out by giving each one a quick 2 minute blast at decent volume.

    I went with my gut feeling with a handful and made them favourites, then moved on to the next.

    Once through the pack i went back to the favourites and tried them back-to-back.

    This whittled them down to 4 or 5 profiles i can turn into Performances and start to try them out at band rehearsals and gigs.

    Over the next few week ill spend more time trying the non-favourite profiles just to make sure ive not missed something awesome the first time.

  • Option paralysis has never been an issue for me-I know what I'm after, I know how to get it, and I'm not distracted by the things that aren't part of achieving my goal. This is true of my life as well as my gear.

    I’m the opposite. Option paralysis has never been an issue for me either but it’s because any tone I try is inspiring for me, so rather than trying to shape the tone rigidly around me I will flow with it and see where it takes me. Every tone has a melody within it and it is the task of the guitarist to discover it.

    Perhaps it’s because I’m just not in a situation where I have to be precious about the finished products, they’re all WIPs to me, they’re not my income, just Art. There’s no pressure to find that final perfect tone, so every tone is perfect in its own way, at least for one specific task. And on top of that I’m not caring about mix when I’m picking a tone, that comes later, I’m still learning, so it’s all delightful.

  • I’m the opposite. Option paralysis has never been an issue for me either but it’s because any tone I try is inspiring for me, so rather than trying to shape the tone rigidly around me I will flow with it and see where it takes me. Every tone has a melody within it and it is the task of the guitarist to discover it.

    Perhaps it’s because I’m just not in a situation where I have to be precious about the finished products, they’re all WIPs to me, they’re not my income, just Art. There’s no pressure to find that final perfect tone, so every tone is perfect in its own way, at least for one specific task. And on top of that I’m not caring about mix when I’m picking a tone, that comes later, I’m still learning, so it’s all delightful.

    We're actually not that different. If I have a specific goal, I stay 100% focused on achieving it. However, sometimes I like to just spend a couple of hours browsing through the Rig Exchange and finding inspiration in sounds that I otherwise would not have sought out.

  • 3) Don't tweak profiles you don't like to try and make them better, move on..

    1. It's ALL about the profile. If you have to tweak an amp sound more than a touch....find a different profile.

    Just to re-affirm my previous post...

    I downloaded Michael Britt 'Crank n go' pack last night as i fancied finding some more good gigging profiles for the Whitesnake Tribute Band i play in. There were 88 profiles in this pack i think... so again, i felt the 'option paralysis' again.

    I have the Crank n Go. Okay, fine. I have all of them. Some Black Friday offers are difficult to ignore. (Looking at you, Michael.)

    I totally understand the paralysis thing, especially when pretty much all of them are usable. However, it doesn't bog me down like trying to tweak a tone does, where I second guess every tenth of an increment that I do. When I'm going through a list of profiles, even if it's a chunk of the 16,000 on Rig Exchange, I just do a quick listen and it either speaks to me or it doesn't. Throw it in the list if it does, move on to the next one if it doesn't.

    Yeah, it does take a lot of time to step through all these options. Best problem I've had in years. But I'm very much in agreement that unless you enjoy the Art of Tweaking, just moving on to the next profile is a great way to avoid getting stuck in the mud.

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

  • Since my original post I've been able to find stuff I like a lot and use a lot. I got two different packs from Choptones; 1 based on the Mesa Boogie JP-2C and the other based on the Mesa Boogie Mark IIb Coliseum. Both are outstanding. I made minor tweaks to the two rigs I use most (added reverb and made very minor EQ adjustments). I'm a huge Whitesnake fan and love a John Sykes-type tone. I'm rolling with them and continue to learn how to use my Kemper better. I do spend time looking through the amazing amount of profiles available. I'm an explorer by nature and will continue to look through things because it's a lot of fun. I love this thing. I wish I'd gotten it sooner.

    Edited once, last by jestremera1 (August 9, 2019 at 4:17 AM).