hi guys,
since i'm a hi-gain lover, i'd like to propose a feature that could allow for tweaking the distortion in hi-gain patches:
[bGRAIN:[/b]
Since everybody has their own understanding of terminology when it comes to amps/tone, i'd like elaborate a bit on this.
Distortion 'grain' describes an inherent characteristic of distortion, namely what most refer to as 'smooth' vs 'gritty/grainy'. I like to think about it as the 'density' of distortion. Take for example a crunchy and dry sounding 800 marshall vs a smooth and dense boogie. This is exactly what i mean by 'grain'. In higher gain applications, smooth sounds (think ENGL) tend to make leads more effortless but also compromise 'crunch' at the same time. In contrast, if you take a 5150 or recto in modern/diode mode, there's also plenty of distortion, but with a more grainy and raw character.
the reason i propose this is because i find it difficult to tweak hi-gain patches in combination with low tunings with the advanced amp settings. when increasing clarity, you can feel weird intermodulation of lower frequencies. almost like cross-over distortion. when increasing definiton, it tightens up the sound but also adds a 'cocked wah' character (remember the old boss COSM?). What i would be looking for in particular would be a way to tighten up a higain profile, while also counteracting the ’cocked wah sound' by adding more 'grain' to the distortion. Even when you start with a 'grainy' amp (for example a 5150), the sound tends to become smoother and bouncier with lower notes.
i'm not knocking on the kemper, since i've been able to get great higain sounds from some profiles. i'm just saying that the two controls i mentioned, are not optimal for tweaking a higain sound, while they work incredibly well for clean and crunch sounds.
disclaimer: i'm 28 years old and have been playing prog-metal for the past 14 years. i've been experimenting with 7-strings and incorporating lower tunings for the past 10 years or so, and that's when my hunt for the holy grail of tone began. i'm not a scene kid trying to 'djent' with his kemper, nor a drop-tuning powerchord chugger, which is often associated with metal players. although i do love elements of both this kinds of playing.