SPEAKERS:
So far, I've used a variety of 1x12 cabs, only one 2x12 cabs, and only 1 4x12 cabs to profile amps with. Here they are:
1. Friedman Dirty Shirley 1x12 Creamback 65
2. Mesa Boogie Lonestar 1/2 open back Weber Silver Bell 75w moderate doping (If you're wondering about "doping," high doping makes a very tight speaker that settles vibration quicker, so the a 15w speaker, for example, would typically have light doping because people like the sound of the speaker breakup in vintage amps. Whereas, higher doping lessens "cone cry" and is better for louder, ganier amps. Therefore, at 75w, moderate doping is the right balance of the sticky stuff around the speaker cone to handle the wattage and gain, but still allow the speaker character to come through very natural). Think of this particular speaker like a Celestion Gold but with more low end, a little warmer, a little woodier, and a less speaker breakup.
3. EVH 1x12 Celestion Gold (Note: my first two profiles {Friedman Pink Taco} with this cab was with a 15"w WGS Blue Alnico)
4. Zinky 2x12 Celestion G12H30 + V30
5. Marshall 4x12 with 2 Eminence Wizards & Private Jack & Governor
6. I used the 15w Greenback from a Fender Blues Junior to profile a Bogner Metropoulos once
As you can see, I've used a pretty good variety of speaker cabs. I no longer have the 2x12 or 4x12 since I'm a home player and find that 1x12 cabs with a single mic records everything just fine for me.
Here are some observations I've noticed about profiling with different speakers:
* Alnico speakers seem to have a little more of an attack that might equate to something like the effect of the "pick" option on the Kemper. Alnico speakers can have a very sweet top end, or they can be too bright.
* When you get breakup from low wattage speakers like the Alnico Blue and Greenback, then when you try to add more gain, use a stop, or an external overdrive, it seems to add something kind of shitty to the tone. As far as I have been able to tell, once you profile an amp with speaker breakup, then it needs to have all the overdrive already dialed in, and the profile is useful pretty much only as-is.
* Eminence speakers make profiles 'feel' a little dryer. I LOVE Eminence speakers with tube amps, but they seem to profile with a bit of a resistant sag to your pick attack or a dryer, less greasy feel. The Wizard profiled with the least affect on feel.
AMP SETTINGS:
* Presence & Volume - This is a tricky setting. I'm not an amp expert by any stretch of the imagination, but from what I know, presence is mostly effective as the amp is louder, affecting the high frequencies passed by the power tubes (forgive me if I'm not describing this in the correct technical way). I haven't been able to get great results profiling a very loud amp, so I fiddle with the presence vs treble settings, then have to profile a couple of times until it sounds right. Moreover, amp EQ's interact differently and sometimes turning up/down other knobs (I think treble usually has the greatest effect on the other frequency controls) has a better effect than adjusting the presence very far before/past 12:00.
As for volume, distortion, etc., I know there are several settings that can be tweaked. I haven't played much with them yet. However, using the default return level (4 or 5 I think), I've discovered a general rule that seems to work for me. At barely above the point so the profiler doesn't complain that the volume/input is too low, raising the amp volume about a loud cellphone ring higher from that point seems to be just right. It's definitely too loud for an apartment or nighttime, but not as loud as I've heard some guys profile their amps. I've tried other profiles where they seem to try and do the opposite and get it just under the point where the little red light comes on from being too loud, but that doesn't seem to have any benefit at all.
* I have not had good success profiling pristine cleans at all. It just sounds a little lifeless and kind of dull. Best results have been dialing my clean channel a bit past that "edge of breakup" point, then later lowering the gain a notch once the profile is finished.
MICING:
I have too many questions in this area, but so far my observations have been:
* Typically off-center, with an SM57 pointed a bit inward and either and up or down angle (above or below center of cap) seems to be the easiest way to get decent profiles. About 1/2 inch away from the grill cloth seems to be easiest. I have not had much success trying to point the mic straight toward the speaker at any point inner or outward. Only at a little left or right + up or down angle have I been able to get it right. Farther than 1/2 to 1" away from the cab grill, well, I don't even know how to describe it but something about the low end doesn't sound as good. I don't know how people get such good sounds 2-3" away from the grill cloth. Right against the grill cloth doesn't sound quite right either. I'm not sure what, but 1/2" seems easiest.
Maybe that's because I'm mostly using 1x12 cabs? I'd also like to know why it seems to be easier to mic with both a horizontal + vertical angle towards the cap. What makes the difference that just pointing it at a horizontal angle?
* I have a Sennheiser E609 which is clearer and I think a little brighter than the SM57, but that one is even harder to figure out. It seems to like being pointed straight at the speaker around the edge of the cap, and about 1" away. For whatever reason, this mic seems to be a little better for clean or metal, whereas the SM57 seems to lends itself better from edge of breakup to old school metal.
This is totally what my ears have been hearing. I'm not making any of these statements except based on what I've noted as I experiment with profiling.
GAIN:
* I think a lot of profiles are too gainy and distorted to the point where they all sound like the same amp with a different EQ. To me, the best profiles respond to your pick attack almost like a high gain amp (but not too sensitive), and have as much gain that stops at the point where it needs more than minimal noise suppression and doesn't have a lot of over-sensitive string noise. I know guys who use rubber bands or hair bands to help with unwanted string noise. I have tried this, but I think it doesn't do anything for me because I don't use over-the-top gain like they do.
Honestly, I like SOME of the very gainy tones, but I never sound good playing like that. However, I think I use more than moderate gain because a Friedman Smallbox full on gain + a tube screamer at least 9:00-11:00 would probably be just about right for me most of the time.
REFINING PROCESS:
* Lastly, I'm not sure about this refining process. I have read conflicting things. On one side, refining isn't necessary past a certain software update, and some say it's an important part of the process. Since the manual describes it, I always do it exactly as the manual says.
* I use a 30-40 second procedure of of strumming chords across all strings, in lower, middle, and upper neck positions; then power chords and 3-finger chords on lower, middle, and upper strings; and in between doing some palm muting, variance of pick angle, and a finish with about 3 seconds of muted alternate picking and legato kind of stuff ascending and descending.
This method I started using after several experiments. I started exactly as the manual said, striking hard chords continuously without any soloing, then did the exact same profile over again only soloing with alternate picking and legato, then hitting the chords a little softer, then again the same profile with lots of bar chords and palm mutes, then a combination of them all. It seems like you have to have mostly chords, some palm mutes peppered here and there, some big chords and little chords, different positions up and down the neck, lower and higher strings, and despite the manual's suggestion not to break into a solo, that little 2 or 3 seconds of shredding and bending at the end seems to add a tiny bit more complexity to the distortion character.