Regarding liquid profiling, absolutely correct that if accuracy is your goal, then you need to know the amp settings used when the profile was created. However, the introduction of liquid profiling with its amp models has made possible some interesting new ways of changing the sound of a great profile so that it sounds equally great, but different. You can deliberately apply the “wrong” amp model to a profile and get interesting results. E.g., apply the amp model of a Vox AC30 to a profile of a JTM45.
Posts by BadBadger
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Be careful or they’ll close the thread… in 3… 2… 1…
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I’ve got a balanced 1/4” to xlr from the monitor output and it seems to work fine.
The monitor output connection is unbalanced. So using a TRS to XLR would be the same as using an unbalanced TS to XLR.
Whether running the signal unbalanced will be a problem depends on how long the cable run is, and how much interference is picked up along the way. The advantage of balanced connections is that noise and hum picked up along the way is cancelled out when the phase of the two signals is reversed again and summed at the other end. Which is why balanced is the pro audio solution.From the manual:
Analog Outputs PROFILER Stage
MAIN OUTPUT L and R:
XLR balanced, ¼-inch TS unbalanced with ground lift, output level: XLR +4 dBu, TS +4 dBu
MONITOR OUTPUT L and R:
¼-inch TS unbalanced with ground lift, output level: +4 dBu
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I run my main xlr outs in mono. One side goes to FOH and the other to my in ear monitors mixer. Is it possible to link just one of the xlr's (my IEM mix) to the main volume knob?
Perhaps you already know this, but whilst the Stage’s XLR main outs are balanced (obviously, being XLRs), the monitor out jacks are unbalanced TS sockets.
Something to be aware of if you follow DonPetersen‘s suggestion.
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Apologies if you know this already, but when you activate tap tempo then the delay times are set in note values, not milliseconds. If you set dotted 8th as a note value, then the Kemper will definitely give you dotted 8ths - but of course you need to tap in some quarter notes so it knows the tempo.
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Turning Monitor Cab Off if you’re running a Kemper into a guitar cab is certainly the way to go.
If the Kemper is second hand it might have some unusual settings you’ll want to undo.
In Output Module, have a look at the Output Filter page, there’s a High Cut parameter which will muffle your sound if it’s weirdly low.Also, check the EQ controls (bass / middle / treble / presence) in the Amp Module. The Main Outs and Monitor Outs in the Output module also have bass/middle/treble/presence controls. Any weird treble and presence cutting there?
If that doesn’t provide a solution, I wonder if what you’re hearing is just down to what a Creamback can sound like.
Earlier this year I bought a Marshall DSL1 head (these days I buy valve amps solely to create profiles of them!), I tried it out into what the shop happened to have, a Marshall 1x12 cab loaded with a Celestion Creamback, it sounded very muffled (admittedly the DSL1 has no presence control), whereas the DSL1 into an Orange PPC112 loaded with a Celestion Vintage 30 sounded brighter. I have cabs with various Celestions, and find the Creambacks to be relatively dark. Sometimes this works - my Plexis (100w, 50w, and JTM45) sound so super bright on the bright channel that a Creamback can be an interesting option because they’re darker.If you have access to a regular valve amp you might find it useful to try your Creamback cab with that, just to confirm that what you’re hearing is just what that cab sounds like. So you might want to switch to a different cab.
But you can always compensate for a cab that’s too dark by using EQ. Either the EQ controls above, or by putting an EQ into one of the fx modules.
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I’d assign five different amp rigs with different gain to the five performance slots foot switches, and assign four different fx to each of the fx foot switches, and lock the fx.
Then label each foot switch with gaffa tape and large marker pen. And label bank up/down as ‘don’t use’. I think that should be easy enough for players at the event to understand.
Using cheap fx pedals would be sonically inferior to using the Kemper’s fx.
But then I wouldn’t be putting a Kemper Stage of mine on the floor in an open mic scenario. The venues I know of that run such things don’t have a separate stage platform. The Kemper would be on the floor in an area where punters wander around, slopping beer etc. My greater concern would be the safety of my expensive gear, so the Kemper would be out of sight, with cheap pedals on the floor.
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Sounds like a fault, have you raised a support ticket? The unit might need to go back to Kemper.
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On the kemper player is there a global EQ? I don't see anything in the output section.
Apologies I think you’re right. Here’s a post making a feature request for global eq on the player. Interestingly they also mention the sound being too bassy in a rehearsal room Player - Global EQ
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I wouldn't go that far. My Friedman BE-OD sounds like a real tube amp. At least, I can't tell a difference when in a mix.
Yeah many players like solid state circuits distortion pedals. Personally I’m not a fan. At least not for rock guitar tones. I’ll use them eg with modulation, delay, reverb and volume pedal fade-ins for almost synth type single note sounds though.
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Welcome to the world of Kemper!
The fact that the profiles sound good through your studio monitors but not through the PA suggests that the PA speakers/cabs themselves are just very bass heavy or poor quality. Plus there’s the bass trap issue of being in corners, as you said.
I think it’s just a PA issue: “The PA did have channel and global EQ but I kept them flat for this experiment.”
I think you really need to adjust the PA’s eq. If the Kemper doesn’t sound good, but does through your studio monitors, that would be down to the PA’s quality, or cabs in corners, or both.
If you’re going to correct the issue with eq changes on the Kemper, I’d do it at global output level for simplicity. You don’t want to be tweaking individual profiles, as when you plug into a different PA you’ll probably find it’s different again. -
first, the profiler isn´t modelling any amp
i´m sure you know about rig exchange. https://www.kemper-amps.com/rig/exchange
i just checked and found hundreds of Diezel, Bogner... PRS profiles.
What are you missing?
I suspect there’s a misunderstanding here. When the original poster said they’d like to see more amps modelled, I don’t think they meant modelled = profiled. I think they meant can we have more amp models for liquid profiling.
For years there was only the Kemper Generic Amp Model, then with Liquid Profiling they introduced a number of new amp models, based on the way the tone stack and gain of the original amp would behave. So, for example, if you were creating a profile of a Marshall JTM45 bright channel, instead of just creating a snapshot of one setting, you’d set the tones to noon, volume to max, select the JTM45 Amp Model in the Kemper, and your profile would behave like the real amp if you changed the tones or volume. Whereas without the JTM45 Amp Model, you could change the eq and gain on the Kemper, and you might get a result you like, but it wouldn’t be responding like the real amp.So I think they want more amp models, so they can create liquid profiles of those amps.
Sorry to labour the point! OP, correct me if I’m wrong.
EDIT: “Marshall JTM45 clean channel” to “Marshall JTM45 bright channel” -
With Liquid Profiling I don't see this as necessary. I would prefer something like Liquid Cab and Mic-ing so we can shape our own cab sound.
You probably know about this already, but altering the Character and Pure Cabinet settings in the Cab module provides a large degree of variation in the cab sound. Of course it’s all down to manual adjustment, rather than being able to select a specific cab sound, which I guess would be the advantage of what you’re suggesting.
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A simple way to achieve this is to stack Distortions in the Stomps or before the Kemper. I have done this before. We really need Liquid Cab and Mic-ing next.
I’m sure you can achieve interesting results by stacking distortion pedals, but personally I don’t think there’s any solid state distortion circuit pedal that sounds anything like a real valve/tube amp - or Kemper profile thereof.
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One way to achieve this (at a financial cost) would be to buy a second Kemper (a Player would be cheaper than another Rack or Head), and another cab. Then buy an ABY splitter pedal to go from guitar into the two Kempers.
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Great playing and tone. Personally I like the kick and snare as they are, but we’re all different!
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Thanks for the answers, which, in my opinion, all have a valid point. After watching some of Tone Junkie's videos on YouTube yesterday a lot of things started to make more sense. Very excited to play with my Kemper tonight!
Had a listen to the tracks on your Soundcloud page - very impressive! Great playing, tight riffs, interesting compositional ideas.
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For the first 4 years of using a Kemper I stayed with third party profiles, mostly bought from Tone Junkie and Top Jimi. Apart from some subtle eq tweaks I didn’t change them much. Then I decided I wanted to create my own profiles, for the fun and satisfaction of having created all my own sounds.
With my own profiles I do a lot of tweaking, mostly a combination of Definition and Clarity (Amp module), and Character and Pure Cabinet (Cab module), plus eq adjustments.
For every profile I’ve created, I’ve found it’s possible to create another 3 or 4 others that sound very different but equally good, just by juggling the parameters above. Though very different, they don’t sound unnatural to me, just what that amp head would have sounded like if I’d used a different mic, or speaker cab, or mic placement, etc.
There are no rules to this, as you’ve said, if it sounds good to you then it is good. -
Congratulations! I used to have one of these, bought it new around 1998-9. Got some good tones from it for lead lines.
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I’ve sometimes had initial attempts to create very high gain profiles fail with the error message too much noise. The 6505 was one such amp head.
It may not apply to your case, but have you activated a ground lift? That can make the signal too noisy. I’d lifted the earth at one point due to an earth loop and hum, but found that with very high gain it was better not to lift the earth, in order to not get the “too noisy” message.
When liquid profiling, my strategy is to set tone controls at mid point (noon), but gain at max. That way the Kemper doesn’t have to try to guess what a higher gain distortion would sound like. If that is too noisy, then I’d start nudging the gain down, a little at a time, until the Kemper stops complaining and completes the profiling process.
But do whatever works for you, and have fun!
