I am a Black Metaller - I don't care for tone
Man, seriously, this is the coolest saying I've ever heard here. It should definitely be on T-shirts! 
Neural Quad Cortex
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I am a Black Metaller - I don't care for tone AND I can not play anything challenging
It's all about evoking some demons here - and a tiny bit fun making music.
I've heard that there's a secret chord
That Ibot played which shocked the Lord
'Cause he don't care too much for tone now, does he?
Just play it on a seven or six, don't worry if the audio clips
Just blast that speaker kone to bits
Hallelujah
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I've heard that there's a secret chord
That Ibot played which shocked the Lord
'Cause he don't care too much for tone now, does he?
Just play it on a seven or six, don't worry if the audio clips
Just blast that speaker kone to bits
Hallelujah
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Display More
I am a Black Metaller - I don't care for tone AND I can not play anything challenging
It's all about evoking some demons here - and a tiny bit fun making music. But not too much fun - you know, it's still Black Metal
But seriously, I can understand all kind of people. For example, I know a few people that just love guitars... more than playing or recording or writing songs. They just love the look, the feel, the smell of their guitars spending most of their time polishing and upgrading.
Others love "tone" or the "quest of getting THE tone". Some famous mixing engineers and producers have made this a profession - and they do unbelievable, crazy, obsessive things to get the right tone
Of course it can be a rabbit hole. But if some people get happy digging rabbit holes, they should do so.
I have to admit, I learned a lot from such "freaks" and "gear nerds", because they are experts in their "world". And I also learned much from people that "only" can play guitar but have no clue about ANYTHING else. I think they must have a deal with Satan. But wait, I have too, but still I can not play as good
I agree mate, however you get your thrills is fine by me. The line gets crossed when people try to steer others to suit their own passion.
Persuading someone why Fishman Fluence pickups are an abomination and should be avoided (because of how they are built and do not constitute a real pickup) or lecturing people on how to achieve great tone live (and the finer points or acoustic coupling) when you've no experience playing more than a few notes in your bedroom gets up my nose.
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I had a very interesting moment of truth yesterday.
After months of only playing the Kemper (during the lockdown and beyond) mainly using my fav clean/crunch/mid gain profiles I had a "disgust" for everything high gain. I said to myself this is ofcourse because of "digital" and monitors and headphones and no "loud tube rig in the room" and that I finaly after years of using the profiler reached the point of "hearing the difference through these high gain sounds"..
Than yesterday I plugged into my beloved high gain tube rigs (rec rev F and steavens poundcake)...and had the exactly same problem.Harsh,piercing highs,mushy mids and lows I cant stand (anymore) .
Truth is that modeler technology indeed is on par now with tube rigs. If something today with good modelers is "harsh" or "muddy" or "undefined" it is not the modeler.
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I’m always amazed how many people get stuck in a tone obsession. It drives the amp and pedal industry. To anyone on the outside it looks like insanity. I’m as guilty as any. I had a friend come over a while back and look at the 25 guitars I have in my music room and ask what the difference was. I said they sound different and I played a bit on two of them for him. He said yeah they did sound a little different but who cares. This is how everyone else sees our insane behaviors. Anyway I’m glad he said it because I think it was what got me putting lots of guitars in different tunings which has had me picking up more of them more often. I feel the same way about the quad cortex, kemper, axe fx 3, and helix. All of them are excellent tools and any one person is probably better off sticking to one and learning it in and out rather than chasing the latest thing. Gear obsession is mostly just a waste of time.
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I’m always amazed how many people get stuck in a tone obsession. It drives the amp and pedal industry. To anyone on the outside it looks like insanity. I’m as guilty as any. I had a friend come over a while back and look at the 25 guitars I have in my music room and ask what the difference was. I said they sound different and I played a bit on two of them for him. He said yeah they did sound a little different but who cares. This is how everyone else sees our insane behaviors. Anyway I’m glad he said it because I think it was what got me putting lots of guitars in different tunings which has had me picking up more of them more often. I feel the same way about the quad cortex, kemper, axe fx 3, and helix. All of them are excellent tools and any one person is probably better off sticking to one and learning it in and out rather than chasing the latest thing. Gear obsession is mostly just a waste of time.
But the colors... don't forget all the beautiful different colors!
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I’m always amazed how many people get stuck in a tone obsession. It drives the amp and pedal industry. To anyone on the outside it looks like insanity. I’m as guilty as any. I had a friend come over a while back and look at the 25 guitars I have in my music room and ask what the difference was. I said they sound different and I played a bit on two of them for him. He said yeah they did sound a little different but who cares. This is how everyone else sees our insane behaviors. Anyway I’m glad he said it because I think it was what got me putting lots of guitars in different tunings which has had me picking up more of them more often. I feel the same way about the quad cortex, kemper, axe fx 3, and helix. All of them are excellent tools and any one person is probably better off sticking to one and learning it in and out rather than chasing the latest thing. Gear obsession is mostly just a waste of time.
The moment I start caring about what other people think over what I think, is the day the entire artifice of my artistry falls apart.
So every Tuesday then.
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Tone obsession is fun sometimes, it takes to some strange places and the journey is the best part, not the destination. New gear is rad too, I have loads of fun with my friends geeking out over new gear, even if the goal is to make music. Time we'll spent IME.
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I’m always amazed how many people get stuck in a tone obsession. It drives the amp and pedal industry. To anyone on the outside it looks like insanity. I’m as guilty as any. I had a friend come over a while back and look at the 25 guitars I have in my music room and ask what the difference was. I said they sound different and I played a bit on two of them for him. He said yeah they did sound a little different but who cares. This is how everyone else sees our insane behaviors. Anyway I’m glad he said it because I think it was what got me putting lots of guitars in different tunings which has had me picking up more of them more often. I feel the same way about the quad cortex, kemper, axe fx 3, and helix. All of them are excellent tools and any one person is probably better off sticking to one and learning it in and out rather than chasing the latest thing. Gear obsession is mostly just a waste of time.
I agree, but I'm not sure the real driver is tone but grass is greener/change/latest gadget.
I personally buy guitars not for their tone in most cases but their looks. I bought my Gibson Les Paul to replace my Epiphone purely for snob value ( kept the Epiphone as well
).I used to like buying amps and how I needed to match any pedal board to it ( true bypass, power etc). I do miss this a little as the fun is in the research and new toy etc.
However, that is balanced by what comes out and my biggest factor - convenience. I always hunted for amps with dual volumes so I could switch for solo volume. Previously I used the "graphic eq in the effects loop" trick but all those wires/patch leads etc...
Gear obsession itself should be considered a hobby as much as a pursuit for tone. Lets be honest, so much of the sound comes from our fingers that at this level; of sound quality, the unit is virtually irrelevent - its how it makes you feel which is then reflected in your playing
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I’m always amazed how many people get stuck in a tone obsession. It drives the amp and pedal industry. To anyone on the outside it looks like insanity. I’m as guilty as any. I had a friend come over a while back and look at the 25 guitars I have in my music room and ask what the difference was. I said they sound different and I played a bit on two of them for him. He said yeah they did sound a little different but who cares. This is how everyone else sees our insane behaviors. Anyway I’m glad he said it because I think it was what got me putting lots of guitars in different tunings which has had me picking up more of them more often. I feel the same way about the quad cortex, kemper, axe fx 3, and helix. All of them are excellent tools and any one person is probably better off sticking to one and learning it in and out rather than chasing the latest thing. Gear obsession is mostly just a waste of time.
Amen. Sometimes I really think that indeed I would be happier with just one guitar, one amp, end of story...but when you get a new guitar it's like having a kid, how can you sell it? What kind of monster are you?!?
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Amen. Sometimes I really think that indeed I would be happier with just one guitar, one amp, end of story...but when you get a new guitar it's like having a kid, how can you sell it? What kind of monster are you?!?
I've sold guitars so I guess I'm some kind of monster. ?
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Yes, the grass is always greener on the other side. Kemper ended this wish for the other side, amp tone wise. That's why my two Srages are painted green in order to always remember that.
Now it is time to also go green fx and routing wise, because in this respect the other side is really a bit greener, I'm afraid
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I've sold guitars so I guess I'm some kind of monster. ?
The horror!
(just kidding, I have too, but now it's been many years since I sold any) -
Yes, the grass is always greener on the other side. Kemper ended this wish for the other side, amp tone wise. That's why my two Srages are painted green in order to always remember that.
Now it is time to also go green fx and routing wise, because in this respect the other side is really a bit greener, I'm afraid
.Not for me.
I find palm mutes unpleasant on the Kemper.
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Not for me.
I find palm mutes unpleasant on the Kemper.
I agree about palm mutes.
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Totally agree. The Kemper is always greener.
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Now it is time to also go green fx and routing wise, because in this respect the other side is really a bit greener, I'm afraid
.Yeah I guess. I do sometimes think though ( and this is totally my opinion) that sometimes we ask for functionality that do we really need? I've given my views on Stereo before and its real practical use and I feel the same way about routing.
Now I quickly caveat that with I don't use a lot of effects and hence I can see it could be a constraint for those that do, but it always feels like edge cases.
Maybe I'm just out of touch :). Im all for make the KPA better even if I don't use some of the functions so hopefully they do improve these areas.
What I really meant about grass is greener is more the hunt for tone and the fact that there is no single unit out there that does everything. Pros and cons for each unit.
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The only unit that does everything is the one that’s being used to make music in the present moment. That’s why you never hear our heroes complaining about equipment.
C Kemper did his best to create a platform that mirrored the basic essentials, and a bit more, for most guitarists. Plus he incorporated some novel ways of thinking about getting at our tones.
I’m sure he was warned, but I’m guessing he still couldn’t have imagined just how petty, obsessive and ultimately tribal so much of the audience for guitar gear can be. Like mom said, If your friend told you to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge would you!? Umm if he had the latest clone of a Tube Screamer? Yes mom, I would. Etc. etc
Here’s to hoping that there are still inspirational CK concepts ahead that involve sounds not just routing and convenience and the ever misunderstood dsp .. things that may actually impact the music .. As is, it can only get so much easier before these companies are changing our diapers.ymmv