Kemper Profiling Amplifier The Basics & Profiling Guide
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Table Of Contents 8 Okay, so what did I just buy? 9 What is profiling? 10 Getting started More on connecting your gear Choose your rig Stomps Stack Effects 14 Front Panel controls Rig navigation section (1) Type knob (2) Browse knob (3) Page navigation (4) Exit button (5) On/Off button (6) Lock button (7) Copy and paste buttons (8) Store button (9) Gain knob(10) Input button (11) Input LED (12) Noise gate knob (13) 3
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Master button (14) Master volume knob (15) Volume knob (16) 21 Back panel overview Master out section (1) Monitor Out section (2) Direct Output/Send (3) Return and Alternative Input (4) Power connector (5) USB (6) Pedals and switches (7) MIDI (8) S/PDIF digital I/O(9) 25 Using the tuner Stack section Amplifier module EQ button Cabinet button Effects section Tap tempo 33 Configure your system preferences System button Module button behavior Using a MIDI pedal to switch ri
36 Updates, backup and sharing sounds Updating the operating system Creating and restoring backups Importing rigs, performances and local presets 38 KPA and MIDI Profiling Guide 40 Profiling an amp General considerations 44 Making connections Connections for profiling a hardware guitar amp Connections for profiling a combination of amp and stomp box Connections for profiling a computer-based guitar amp simulation 48 Taking a profile Refining the profile The resulting profile Under the hood 5
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER
The Basics 7
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Okay, so what did I just buy? First of all, thank you for choosing the Kemper Profiling Amplifier — KPA for short. We’ve no doubt that once you realize everything it can do, you’ll be as thrilled with it as we are. We designed the Kemper Profiling Amplifier to be a complete solution for all your guitar playing needs. You can use it just like you would a regular amplifier, or you could use it as a multi-effects unit or even as the front end for your guitar-based studio.
WHAT IS PROFILING? What is profiling? Do you have a favorite setting on a favorite amp that produces your favorite sound? Would you like to be able to get that identical sound from the KPA, and not have to bring your amp to the rehearsal, gig or studio? The method by which you can get that favorite sound into the KPA is what we call “profiling”. If you want a more technical description: the KPA analyzes the sonic characteristics of a reference amplifier.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Getting started Okay, enough talk — let’s plug in and get playing! 1. Connect your guitar to the INPUT on the right side of the front panel. 2. Connect the MAIN OUTS on the rear side to the inputs of your mixer. 3. Power the unit on by bringing the chicken head switch to the BROWSE position. Immediately after the startup screen you will be prompted to set the time and date and enter your name. That’s it! It’s time to start browsing presets and playing some guitar.
GETTING STARTED You can connect two pedals to control parameters such as volume or individual stomp parameters. Finally, the KPA comes with USB connectors so you can connect it to your computer to transfer data and update the firmware. Choose your rig A complete signal chain is called a “rig”. Rigs consist of three sections located in the upper half of the panel.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Stomps The first section, labeled “STOMPS”, is for your stomp box effects. This section offers four stomp box slots which are represented by the four buttons labeled A, B, C, and D. Here you can place the built-in stomp effects in any order and configuration you’d like. These effects are applied before the signal reaches the STACK section. ♦♦ Stomp LED color coding You’ll notice that the stomp LEDs aren’t simply lit green or not, but have many different colors.
GETTING STARTED Finally, you can select more stomps and effects in the EFFECTS section, and change the settings of the delay and reverb using their dedicated knobs. Stack In the middle of this signal flow, you’ll find the “stack” section with the buttons for AMPLIFIER, EQ (equalizer) and CABINET. The stack section represents the raw virtual guitar amplifier as defined by the profile.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Front Panel controls We already mentioned some of the buttons and knobs in the previous section, when we showed you how to adjust the various effects and settings within the upper half of the front panel. Below is a short explanation of what all of the front panel controls do.
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS Type knob (2) When an effect or stomp is in the focus, the TYPE knob will select between different types of effect algorithms. For example, in stomp edit this knob will select distortions, compressor and modulations among others. ✔✔When you switch between similar effects types, you will notice that parameters common to these effects will retain their values; this is to make the choice of algorithm easier.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER On/Off button (6) This button switches the currently selected module or section on and off. The light of the module or section button shows you if a module is active or bypassed. You can also switch a module on and off by pressing the module button itself. Lock button (7) The LOCK button will keep a section or a module from being changed when you make rig changes. In other words, if you want to preserve all the settings for a section, press the Lock button.
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS Copy and paste buttons (8) Use the COPY and PASTE buttons to grab a module and copy its data to another similar location. For example, you can copy and paste the settings of one stomp to another, either within the same rig, or another rig entirely. To do this, select a module and press COPY. Next, select a destination module and press PASTE. Voilà! In general, you can use common sense to determine if the KPA will let you copy settings from one module to another.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Gain knob(10) The GAIN knob controls the amount of distortion and covers an extremely wide range from ultra-clean to totally distorted. The GAIN control allows for the same large range on all profiles, even if the original amp has a more limited gain range. The gain parameter compensates for the loss in level with any amount of gain reduction.
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS ♦♦ Clean Sens and Distorted Sens Different types of guitars produce different output levels depending on their pickups and string gauge: for example, humbucker pickups generate higher voltages compared to single coils, and active guitars generate even hotter signal levels. As we already mentioned, you can adjust the volume compensation of the instrument INPUT by setting “Clean Sens” to a level where clean sounds have the same perceived loudness as distorted sounds.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Master button (14) This button brings the master settings, such as “Master volume” and “Output Routing”, into focus. The settings are global and are therefore not saved with the rig. Instead, use local settings to store specific adjustments for different clubs, studios or rehearsal rooms. ✔✔A dedicated soft button allows you to disable the speaker emulation for the MONITOR out, should you wish to connect the KPA directly to a power amp driving a guitar cabinet.
BACK PANEL OVERVIEW Back panel overview Now that we’ve gone over the front panel, let’s give you a basic overview of what you’ll find on the back panel. 4 9 2 8 1 3 7 6 5 Master out section (1) This is your MAIN STEREO out. Use these outputs to connect to a mixing desk in a recording studio, or to the front of house mixer in a live situation. These outputs deliver the entire rig: amp, cabinet and all effects. The outputs are symmetrical and you have a choice of XLR or quarter-inch jack.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Monitor Out section (2) Use this mono output to connect the KPA to a stage monitor with its own level controls. This output also has its own GROUND LIFT. You can also connect this output to a power amp and a regular guitar cabinet. In this case, you need to switch the cabinet simulation off, using the soft button “Monitor Cab Off” in the master page, to prevent unwanted coloration created by running a speaker-emulated signal through a guitar cabinet.
BACK PANEL OVERVIEW In this case, the RETURN works in combination with the ALTERNATIVE INPUT to achieve a stereo loop return. Power connector (5) Connect this to your wall outlet using the supplied power cable. The internal, universal power supply accepts 100 - 240V AC via the usual IEC inlet. USB (6) Use the USB host port to connect USB sticks for backups and OS updates. See “Updates, backup and sharing sounds” for details.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER S/PDIF digital I/O(9) This is a digital input and output that can be used to connect the KPA to other S/PDIF compatible devices such as certain computers and audio interfaces.
USING THE TUNER Using the tuner The tuner LEDs above the chicken head knob are always active so you can monitor your tuning while you play. Even when you’re not in tuning mode, the LEDs give you general information whether your guitar is in tune or not. If a guitar string is far out of tune, only the outer LEDs will be on. If your string is closer to proper tuning, the middle LED gets brighter. If your string is in tune, only the middle LED will be lit.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Building a rig If you have ever used a digital guitar processor before, you will know that building your own rigs is part of the fun! In the KPA you will find it surprisingly easy, as well. Simply bring any module or section into focus, activate it, and select from a range of presets using the BROWSE knob. Tweak to your liking, add spices if necessary. To help get you started, here is a brief overview of the available modules: Stomp section This is a mono section.
USING THE TUNER Stack section This is your “amplifier stack” consisting of your amplifier profile, speaker cabinet profile, and EQ. Pressing the STACK button and holding it for a short moment will enter the stack edit mode. You can rename the stack using soft button “Rename” or browse through the available stacks using the BROWSE knob. Amplifier module Hold the AMPLIFIER button to display the amplifier settings. ♦♦ Definition This parameter determines the way the preamp distorts when overdriven.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER ♦♦ Power Sagging Power sagging models the interaction between the guitar signal and the distortion stage. Often, you hear guitarists talk about how the tubes “breathe” — that’s power sagging. Increase the amount of “Power Sagging” to emphasize the velocity and energy of crunch sounds. The guitar sound gains additional energy and presence, without raising the perceived volume of the distorted signal.
USING THE TUNER EQ button Holding the EQ button will bring it into focus. The soft knobs underneath the display control the following parameters for the EQ: Soft Knob #1 Low frequency range. Soft Knob #2 Mid frequency range. Soft Knob #3 Treble frequency range. Soft Knob #4 Presence. Cabinet button The CABINET button brings the cabinet section into focus.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER wards the left most position, the sound will resemble that of analog cabinet simulations (which often have a very limited frequency response and little character). Effects section The Effects section is where you can add stereo effects after (post-) the mono stomps section and the amp stack.
USING THE TUNER The Profiling Amplifier provides three types of delays in the DELAY module on the right. Tap Delay The delay time is linked to the tempo as selected in RIG settings, or by the TAP tempo button. Free Delay Delay time is freely adjustable in milliseconds, and independent from the TAP tempo. The delay time can be changed transparently, with no audible artifacts, which is also true for the tap delay. Analog Delay Delay time is adjustable in milliseconds, like in the free delay.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER modulation effects. All factory rigs have the tempo disabled by default, as we cannot know in advance what tempo you are going to need. When no tempo has been set, these parameters will show you the absolute time values in Hertz or seconds. There are three ways to activate the tempo: •• Tap the desired tempo on the TAP button. •• Select the specific beats per minute (BPM) using the “Tempo” parameter within the rig menu. •• Send MIDI Clock from another device.
CONFIGURE YOUR SYSTEM PREFERENCES Configure your system preferences System button Press SYSTEM to access the “global settings” pages. Global settings remain unaffected when you change to another rig. Parameters in the system menu include “Pedal Settings”, “LED Intensities”, “Display Contrast”, “Time And Date”, among others. Module button behavior You have learned that the module buttons have two purposes: •• Switch a module on or off (press button briefly).
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Using a MIDI pedal to switch rigs You can assign a unique MIDI program change number to each rig (up to a maximum 128 rigs). To do so, select a rig in Browse mode and press the SYSTEM button. Navigate to the “MIDI Settings” page and locate the “PrgChg Settings” soft button. Press this to see a list of all available assignments. Rig button This button is used to access rig-related parameters that are not covered elsewhere on the front panel, for example “Tempo”.
USING PERFORMANCE MODE Using performance mode Editing performances This mode is for live playing. It allows you to organize rigs in what we call “performances”. Each performance is a collection of five rigs together in one place. This allows you to switch between them quickly and easily, for instance from the verse to the chorus sounds of a song, by using a foot switch or MIDI program change. You can navigate through the chain of rigs using the rig LEFT and RIGHT buttons.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Updates, backup and sharing sounds The Kemper Profiling Amplifier’s operating system can be updated to receive refinements and new features. All you need is an internet connection, a PC or Mac and a USB stick. Updating the operating system Please perform the following simple steps to update your KPA to a newer operating system: You will need to use an empty USB stick in order to transfer the files from your Mac or PC to the KPA for the first time.
UPDATES, BACKUP AND SHARING SOUNDS ♦♦ Backup Use this option to backup your KPA. The backup will contain all user rigs, performances and local presets. If an older backup is already present, it will not be deleted but renamed automatically. To backup, select the soft button “Backup” and wait until you’re notified that the backup has been completed. This procedure can take several minutes. Never remove the USB stick until you’re prompted to do so.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER KPA and MIDI You can use MIDI to send program changes to switch between rigs. You can send MIDI messages to the KPA either using your computer and a MIDI interface, or by using a dedicated MIDI control pedal. For more detailed information please consult the Reference Manual.
Profiling Guide 39
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Profiling an amp Now we’re getting to the fun stuff! Profiling your own amp, custom digital simulation, or favorite stomp box is what sets the KPA apart from every other digital amplifier out there. We’ve spent years getting our profiling system to deliver the goods in terms of sound quality, playability, and ease of use — all wrapped in a user-friendly interface.
PROFILING AN AMP ♦♦ Profiling with effects in the recording chain Many guitarists get their signature sound by combining distortion pedals, booster pedals and equalizers/ filters with a tube amp. If you want to do this, you can keep these in the signal chain during the profiling process — they will all be accurately profiled as a part of the reference amp sound. However, there is one exception: some distortion pedals use a special design that cannot be profiled accurately, for instance the Tube Screamer.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER ensure that you are only hearing your reference amplifier through the KPA, it’s a good idea to place the speaker cabinet of the reference amp in a different room (in other words, somewhere you won’t hear it) and away from the monitor system you are using for the KPA. Keep in mind that this will not change the result of the profiling process in any way, but will make A/B comparisons between the reference amp and the KPA much easier.
PROFILING AN AMP best results it is crucial to do the profiling session in a typical studio setting using linear studio monitors or a PA. ✔✔If your amp provides a spring reverb, remember to turn it off for the profiling process.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Making connections Connections for profiling a hardware guitar amp Here are a few typical scenarios for the most common profiling setups: •• Connect your guitar to the INPUT jack of the KPA. •• Connect the DIRECT OUTPUT/SEND of the KPA to the guitar input of your hardware amplifier. •• Connect your microphone or microphone preamp to the RETURN INPUT jack of the KPA (use either the XLR or quarter-inch input depending on your microphone or microphone preamp).
MAKING CONNECTIONS The above assumes that you are miking the speaker cabinet connected to your reference amp. If you are taking a direct, cabinet-simulated output either from the amp itself, or from a speaker load box such as the Hughes & Kettner Redbox or Palmer boxes, you can connect the line-out from a load box directly to the RETURN INPUT of your KPA. The reference amp that you want to profile has to be connected to the KPA in such a way that only the KPA will send and receive the signals.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER It’s a good idea to make the KPA the central hub for all your guitar recordings and use it as your main switching device. That way you can use all of your favorite amps alongside the internal effects of the KPA. Once you’ve finished recording, it will only take a few button pushes to preserve the exact sound for future use.
MAKING CONNECTIONS ✔✔The KPA can only accurately profile preamp stomp boxes such as overdrive and distortion pedals, Eqs and filters, tube preamp pedals, and so on. Attempting to profile a delay, reverb or modulation pedal is unlikely to work as expected. In other words: your mileage might vary. Connections for profiling a computer-based guitar amp simulation •• Connect your guitar to the INPUT of the KPA.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER Taking a profile Once the reference amp is setup just the way you like it, it’s time to start profiling Don’t worry, once you read through this guide and tried it for yourself, we are sure you’ll agree that profiling is a very simple and straightforward process. Start by choosing a rig in Browse mode. It’s a good idea to choose a profile that is somewhat related in character to the reference amp.
TAKING A PROFILE Please remember to leave a few decibels of headroom in your microphone preamps and the rest of the signal chain. The test signals can get a bit louder than a regular guitar signal, and might cause clipping in your signal chain if you don’t leave enough headroom. Be sure to watch your level meters while the profiling is in progress, just to be sure there are no overloads. Press the soft button labeled “Next”.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER With completely clean sounds you don’t need to worry about refining the distortion characteristics, so “Refine profile” isn’t available. If you find that the profile offers a wider dynamic range, and a higher volume in the transients compared to the original, the reason is probably that the original sound was, in fact, slightly distorted. This would have caused a small amount of compression, thereby affecting the result of the profiling process.
TAKING A PROFILE to distort this sound if you want to! Inside the KPA, the “Preamp Definition” parameter has been set to the center position, and can be modified at any time. When it comes to crunch or high-gain sounds, the “Preamp Definition” value is automatically set to a position that matches the reference amp. You can thus identify the virtual age of the reference amp and even modify it on-the-fly. When you create a new profile, “Power sagging” is set to zero by default.
KEMPER PROFILING AMPLIFIER probably sound weird and uninspiring on its own, but when you engage the “Rotary speaker” stomp in the MOD module, you’ll hear the rich and animated sound of your original rotary cabinet. ✔✔Tip: Although the profile is captured in mono, you can use the “Rotary speaker” stomp in the MOD or X slot to recreate the typical stereo movement of the signal. The Rotary speaker effect will automatically separate the bass rotor from the tweeter horn.
