Posts by gtrgriff3

    Hi everyone, I’ve recently started profiling my amplifiers and would like to share my experience with you. I hope it can be helpful to others who are just starting out.

    I started doing profiles about 5 months ago, initially only DI profiles. In the refining process, I did some experiments and came to some conclusions.

    1. I did not get good results using the .wav file from ToneX. The sound always ends up with less definition at the end of the process. The profiles were better before refining with this file.
    2. I performed multiple refinements on the same profile, playing various techniques (palm muting, harmonics, open chords, etc.), for about 3 to 4 minutes, and the sound was always very different from the reference amp in the end.
    3. I performed the refinements quickly (about 20 seconds) by playing several chords with more energetic strummings, as instructed by the manual. This is where I got the best results.

    In summary, follow the manual instructions without trying to improvise. That's when I got the best results. ;):D:D

    This was also my experience with either high gain amps, or amps with a LOT of high end content (Matchless Chieftain with the Brilliance knob up, or a Honey Bee or Two Rock amp set for "stun" with really high presence and treble.)

    This process does, however, work very well on middle-of-the-road amps at decent levels of gain, but not what I would consider high gain like an EVH or 5150. On clean amps it's overkill, but works well.

    I've profiled dozens of amps (always DI/Merged) and the refining process makes a HUGE difference in the final result.

    In general, I've been getting my best results using a WAV file that ToneX uses in its capturing process. I believe that the reason it works as well as it does is the fact that there are a variety of guitars and some have extended low range.

    That being said, a handful of amps, once initially profiled, will get worse and worse with continued refining. Amps with extreme high gain, extreme high end, or old school 4 hole Marshalls at high gain (power amp AND preamp gain) don't always get better and sometimes get much worse.

    It's always been my biggest disappointment with the Kemper, that amps like that, which can't easily be used live, can't be profiled reliably.

    I tend to agree. Obviously I don't know the proprietary process for modeling the tone stacks, but it would seem that if that process has been established, I would hope it would have been established in such a way that feeding it nearly any tone stack on the planet would be reasonably simple and straightforward. That should mean nearly limitless tone stacks are possible and easily achievable.

    When I profile my 1959SLP with the channels jumped, I have trouble deciding which tonestack to use (brite or normal)...

    I know the real answer, "try them both and use the one you like best."

    I get that, but I'm curious which tonestack those of you with plexi style amps have tried with jumpering? I have a couple of JTM45s in the same boat and I'm about to profile those as well. I don't know enough about the electronics to know if one of those tonestacks actually makes sense. However, no matter what I realize that I don't have two volume controls (for "gain.")

    I'm trying out my 2203 ('79 JMP, pre-JCM800) liquid profile at tonight's gig. So far I dig the sound a lot, I'm hoping it's as good on stage as I think it will be.

    Having "liquid profiled" my 1959SLP, JTM45, and 2203 tonight... color me impressed!

    I'd like to have Tone Stack options for the Jubilee 2555 (as many others have said)

    and I'd like to have a DSL tone stack as well (jcm2000 dsl100) but I'll probably try it with the 800 tone stack and I think it'll be close.

    A really off the beaten path one I'd like is my Matchless Chieftain. That amp is a pain to profile because of the brilliance (presence) control... up above about 9:00 on the dial, it seems to mess up the profiler and always has if there's much gain going on. I've noticed that with Liquid Profiling the results I'm getting on my 4 hole Marshalls are much closer to the original amps at the more extreme settings (Volume on 10).

    While I'm wishing - Two Rock tone stack as well. I have an Emerald Pro, but I think they're probably all similar.

    I've asked for this is a few different ways over the years, and I'm basically at the point where I'm going to separate my Kemper for amps, and use my outboard effects separately.

    For me it's things like, I'm using a semi-dirty patch and want just a little more so I step on the EQ boost in slot B, but then I want to go to the next part of the song which is a new rig, but I still want the EQ on, or maybe I turned a little delay on today because the room is dry and I want it to stay on. It's not that I want things locked, it's that I want to be able to manipulate my "amp" and effects separately, like I do in the real world.

    FWIW, I've found I don't like "all in one" units, regardless of their maker. For my workflow and my enjoyment when playing, I like them separate. And I only need a handful of "amps" while I like the availability of a lot of different boosts and effects at my feet.

    It couldn't be relevant cause there are two solutions ;

    1- Whether you have the current behaviour, that means each switches toggle between ON/OFF position, so ; if you press FS1 you disable Boost ; press FS3 ; delay disabled. Then if you press FS4 ; your boost and delay will be activated and the overdrive will be disabled.

    2- Or you have a recall "ON" position. You can have All FX Off, and press FS1 to activate Boost, etc, and FS4 to recall all FX ON. But in this configuration, you won't be able to go back to OFF position for FX you want

    I assume, in your exemple, you would like to have a mix behaviour between 1 & 2 ; FS 1 to 3 ; toggle ON/OFF ; FS4 ; recall all ON....

    It would mean that you can (and have to) programm the behaviour of each switch in every Rigs X/:/

    I get that, and I would be okay with programming each switch in each slot. But in the end I used 2 slots of the performance... just seems kind of a waste to me, but I guess that's what they're for.

    It would be really great if I could somehow make multiple slots of multiple performances use the same "master" amp/cab combo. Then if I edit it in one place, it changes in all of them. It's a real pain to decide on a gig that my main dirty rhythm sound is a little dark, and realize that in order to fix it I'll have to edit 8 different slots (and not miss any somehow!)

    I've already made that feature request, but was trying to also kind of work around it with this solution. This is the primary reason I might go back to using a MIDI controller (ground control pro) instead of using the kemper remote. With CC controls programmed to each switch I can use rigs instead of performances and always reference the same rig with a variety of programs in the controller.

    Regardless, that's my issue... thanks to all for your input!

    I had, what I thought was a clever idea...

    Footswitch 1 - Boost

    Footswitch 2 - Overdrive

    Footswitch 3 - Delay

    Footswitch 4 - Boost,Overdrive,Delay at the same time

    That way, I can turn on just one at a time, or all 3 at once with one stomp if needed.

    Problem is, if you assign an effect block to a remote switch, then assign it to another, it removes the first one.

    Is there any way to have 2 different switches turn an effect on or off?

    Before it gets mentioned, morphing is not what I need either, because morphing cannot turn a block on or off, only change its parameter. So, for example, if I have the overdrive on, but the mix set to 0, then morph, it will do what I want - but then I can't turn that block on or off directly anymore because the mix is set to 0 on load. Same for delay, or chorus, etc.

    Thanks!

    Sorry if this has been asked, I didn't see it in my searching...

    I've got a lot of profiles, some mine, some free, some paid, on my hard drive, and I generally save them by profiler.

    I'd like to be able to just have the RM scan a certain directory of my computer (and all subdirectories) and pickup all of the rigs it finds and put them in the local library. Is this possible? I often forget to put them in when I make them or when I purchase some new ones because I don't use RM all that often.

    Thanks.

    Though I use different setups with various sizes and styles of guitar cabs, and not FRFR speakers, the issues I've faced have been similar. (And, I used to use FRFR and it didn't help or hurt.)

    I don't use commercial profiles, I use my own of my amps (that's why I bought the Kemper.) I have many commercial profiles, and they have similar issues to what I face with my own profiles...

    The listening environment is SO CRUCIAL to your experience, and it almost never the same.

    I would profile an amp, at substantial volume, through a 2x12 cabinet, only to have it sound HORRIBLE through a 4x12 or 1x12 cabinet (similar styles of speakers, in general.)

    But I realized, the amp is the same way. If I dial up my Plexi for a 4x12, then run it through a 2x12, the settings won't even be close to the same.

    My initial approach was to attempt to use the monitor eq to even out tones, but it doesn't work... there's just not enough fine tuning that could be done for me.

    I've resigned myself to creating profiles for each cabinet now. I have a list of the amps/tones I use (there's 10-12) and I start with profiling on the 4x12 because it's the biggest and seems to have the widest response.

    From there, sometimes the profile will work with only moderate adjustments on the 2x12 or the 1x12, but often I just re-tweak and re-profile for the smaller cabs.

    I have performances setup for whatever rig I'm using that night. It's a lot of performances, but it's easy to copy and paste the effects and just change out the amps.

    Bottom line is this, and this is after using a Kemper since version 1.8, your listening situation changes everything, and you have to optimize for each situation or you'll be disappointed. That usually means starting over from scratch for each new listening environment.

    OR, you'll need a more powerful EQ than is built into the KPA for the output. I did have some luck, once upon a time, using spectrum analysis with an RTA mic and a Behringer EQ to even out my speaker cabinets (this was in the FRFR days.) It was quite a process, though, and in the end I prefer hearing a guitar cab.

    Personally, I rarely update, though I'm at 8.5 currently because of an issue I had (turned out it was a hardware failure... different problem.)

    I've yet to have things just break, and I often don't open rig manager for months on end since I rarely use it at all. If you aren't updating rig manager, and you aren't updating the Profiler, I don't see how anything would change.

    I have noticed that plugging straight into my amp (any of the amps I use) is always slightly different in tone than plugging in to the Kemper first for the profiling process.

    I've tried a few different methods to even things out (re-amp devices, buffers, and a couple of other devices I don't entirely understand) and have yet to find something that gets it the same - just a different shade of slightly different.

    Luckily, since I've noticed this, I've started dialing my amp with the Kemper in the loop right from the start. I have yet to not be able to dial in a good sound, albeit with slightly different knob settings than I would have otherwise used.

    I have what I believe to be a problem similar to yours when profiling an amp with either A) a lot of high end (bright switch on) or B) TONS of gain (5150 III Stealth.)

    I have a Matchless Chieftain that has a "Brilliance" control that adds high end that is far higher than most of my other amps (I have a lot of amps :)

    If the amp is totally clean, the Brilliance control won't really be an issue, but if there is any gain at all, and the Brilliance control is one, forget it. The original profile will be 90%... refining immediately goes from bad to worse. So I just EQ and adjust other settings without refining on those, and they aren't quite as good.

    A friend of mine brought over his Honey Bee amp. Again, with the bright switch on, no dice. Turn that bright switch off, no problem at all. That amp is an "SRV" level of gain, so some overdrive, but not a ton... similar to the Chieftain.

    I also had this issue occasionally with my 5150IIIS 6L6 back in the day. I would have to use an EQ pedal to reduce the gain to get it to profile, then add the gain back in later. The EQ pedal worked because it still allowed the gain pot to be in the same place, thus keeping the tone consistent, even though the gain was lower. That actually worked pretty well.

    I've done some searches and haven't found this anywhere, apologies if it's a repeat...

    In doing a lot of "top 40" work, I find that I often have 3 or 4 different patches with the same amp block (amp/cab) but different effects to suit the particular songs. Sometimes I even have an exact copy in a different slot just to keep it close to another sound I need.

    In fact, in general, I only use 4 or 5 different "amps" for dozens of different patches (spread out across several performances.)

    My problem is that, if on one night the crunch tone seems a little bright, I have to adjust it for every single rig in every performance - assuming I can remember where they all are.

    It would be great to "link" performance slots such that, if changes are made to any one of them, I am asked if I want to save those amp changes to just this instance, or all instances? In the event I choose all, they stay linked, and in the event that I choose "just this one," that slot unlinks from the rest since they are now different.

    And I suppose it might be useful to have this in browser mode also, but I only use Performance mode for performing so that's where I'd like it.

    Thanks for listening!

    For those interested, I often have issues with Windows updating itself and breaking things (DAW, Adobe Apps, random off things I use.)

    I installed a small firewall called Tinywall that stops all internet traffic unless I explicitly allow it. Therefore I can allow my Audio programs to call home if they need to, I can use the browser if I need to, but Windows cannot call home and cannot update, period.

    I've tried MANY other ways to get Windows to not update and all have failed eventually. My desktop machines that I use daily for audio and video production have not updated for at least 2 years and still work just like they did when I got them running.

    Windows 10 is fine, I don't notice it any better or worse than previous versions. I dragged my feet updating from 8 because of the auto updates and they screwed me more than once. Now I'm in control of that again and it is working fine.

    I wish I would have had the same experience as you... when my Kemper was stolen 3 or 4 years ago, about 6 months later I got an email telling me that my registration had been transferred to the new owner. I informed them I was the owner and that it had been stolen, sent them the case info - everything. They wouldn't give me any info to give to the police. So someone here still has my stolen Kemper and I'll never know who.

    I don't come here often, so apologies for not seeing this earlier and responding, but this has been my bread and butter for a long time now - I only do direct profiles.

    I run the amp into a Suhr Reactive Load (though I also have a TL and have used it) and defeat it by running another speaker cable to a cab in another room that I cannot hear.

    So it goes guitar -> KPA Input -> KPA Direct Send -> Amp Input -> Suhr Reactive Load -> XLR Return on Kemper.

    Then I attach the monitor output of the KPA to my power amp (matrix, flat) and that to a guitar cabinet in the room with me. That way I know what the end result will actually sound like.

    I had several instances where not using a guitar cab to defeat the reactive load, while inaudible to me as a guitar player, affected the profile greatly (weird high end artifacts.) Mostly on higher gain or super bright amps (EVH 5153S, Matchless Chieftain with the Brilliance Control on.)

    Your results may vary, of course, but it's happened enough in my case that I assume it will always happen now.