Recording - October 2021 - 52

KEMPER: PROFILER Head
With everything patched and the amp
dialed in, KEMPER PROFILER will begin
analyzing with a series of tones and noises
from the amp. After a short sequence,
you can A/B test the profile against the
real deal. In some cases, if the profile
doesn't match the amp right away, you
may need to 'refine' it. This will prompt
you to play guitar for a bit while KEMPER
listens and makes adjustments to the profile.
I seemed to get better results by playing
thick chords higher up on the neck
for this process. Once you're happy with
the A/B comparison, you can save the
profile and cue up the next amp!
In session
The first amp I profiled was a handwired
VOX AC15. I recorded it with an
SM57 and a Royer R-122 through Chandler
LTD-1 preamps. It took a bit of refining
before it felt like the KEMPER truly
locked in the sound, but I was genuinely
impressed once it did. Let me preface
by saying I'm a first-time KEMPER user,
but I have tested a fair number of guitar
processors over my career-everything
from load boxes with built-in cabinet
modeling to digital modelers and plugins.
I came into this process skeptical that
it would actually end up being as close
to the actual amp as the marketing suggests.
That said, after profiling the VOX,
my brain had a hard time reconciling
the fact that I was comparing a mikedup
amp in a professional studio versus
an entirely digital signal recorded directly
into the DAW. Zero part of that
tone tipped me off that it was digital.
It was one of those moments that had
me running out to the hallway to pull
my colleagues into the control room
to make sure I heard it correctly-
and I was met with similar reactions.
While the two signals didn't sound identical
to each other, the difference in tone
is incredibly slight-I can't point at one
over the other as being 'better'. With the
VOX and mics still rigged up, I recorded
everything I could with varying dynamics,
switching pickups, and playing in different
styles. Listening under a microscope, I'd
describe the KEMPER PROFILER as having
a touch more bloom, and at times presenting
slightly warmer than the actual amp.
Something about it feels focused and
52 RECORDING October 2021
immediate, which is a massive benefit in
the studio. It cleaned up remarkably well
with the volume rolled back on the guitar
as well, maintaining the amp's character
range to a high degree.
KEMPER PROFILER also takes pedals
well, including both actual pedals and
the plethora of onboard effects available
on tap. Driving the front end of the
profiled amp acts as you would expect,
pushing into higher gain levels when
stacking gain stages. The time-based
effects sound great too, and the dedicated
tap tempo button on the front panel
allows for precise delays. It's easy to create
wide tones when recording in stereo
with its extensive list of available reverbs
and modulation effects.
Outside of profiling my own amps, I
found some of the stock amp profiles impressive
as well. There's a broad enough
range of amps to cover most genres if
you buy without the intention of modeling
your own. The type of amp, cabinet,
speaker, microphone, and other important
data can be referenced for the various
presets-handy when you'd like to
know exactly what you're hearing.
Conclusion
Countless studio pieces have stood
the test of time, from proven workhorse
microphones to studio compressors. But
how many time-tested studio pieces rely
on digital technology? I can think of a
few (Eventide Harmonizer, Lexicon 224,
etc.), and I would put KEMPER in that
rare category. The profiles I created left
very little room for improvement from an
authenticity standpoint. My only critique
is that I didn't hop on the train sooner.
I'm usually the first one to stand up and
defend my tube amps. If I'm recording at
home and everything is already miked
up, I would choose my real amps over
the KEMPER most of the time, perhaps
based on little more than principle. However,
moving forward, when I need to
record elsewhere, I would not hesitate
to bring the KEMPER PROFILER in lieu of
lugging around a vintage Marshall and
4x12 cabinet. It is truly that convincing
in the mix.
Price: $1799
More from: kemper-amps.com
http://www.kemper-amps.com

Recording - October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - October 2021

Fade In
Tech 21: Bass Fly Rig v2
A Family of Microphones Compared: The Shure Unidyne... or, The SM57 & Friends
Soundware Showcase: Spitfire Audio Originals Jangle Box Piano
Closer to GWAR: Recording and remixing the masters of the Slave Pit, with Ronan Chris Murphy, Pustulus Maximus and the Berserker Blöthar
Zeppelin Design Labs: Cortado MkIII Contact Microphone
Session Log: The AngelHeaded Hipster, Part 10: Bass and Percussion
Plugin Outlet: Slate Digital FG-2A and Custom Opto
Morton Microphones: KickTone Microphone
Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: Nothing but the Mic
L-Acoustics: L-ISA Studio
KEMPER: PROFILER Head
Inside the Box with Joe Albano: Compression in the Box
Teegarden Audio: PPC-125 MD Condenser Microphone
Hit’n’Mix: RipX DeepAudio
Thirty-Five Years of RECORDING
Fade Out: The Right Mic for You!
Recording - October 2021 - Intro
Recording - October 2021 - Cover1
Recording - October 2021 - Cover2
Recording - October 2021 - 1
Recording - October 2021 - 2
Recording - October 2021 - 3
Recording - October 2021 - 4
Recording - October 2021 - 5
Recording - October 2021 - Fade In
Recording - October 2021 - 7
Recording - October 2021 - 8
Recording - October 2021 - 9
Recording - October 2021 - Tech 21: Bass Fly Rig v2
Recording - October 2021 - 11
Recording - October 2021 - A Family of Microphones Compared: The Shure Unidyne... or, The SM57 & Friends
Recording - October 2021 - 13
Recording - October 2021 - 14
Recording - October 2021 - 15
Recording - October 2021 - 16
Recording - October 2021 - 17
Recording - October 2021 - 18
Recording - October 2021 - 19
Recording - October 2021 - 20
Recording - October 2021 - 21
Recording - October 2021 - Soundware Showcase: Spitfire Audio Originals Jangle Box Piano
Recording - October 2021 - 23
Recording - October 2021 - Closer to GWAR: Recording and remixing the masters of the Slave Pit, with Ronan Chris Murphy, Pustulus Maximus and the Berserker Blöthar
Recording - October 2021 - 25
Recording - October 2021 - 26
Recording - October 2021 - 27
Recording - October 2021 - 28
Recording - October 2021 - 29
Recording - October 2021 - 30
Recording - October 2021 - 31
Recording - October 2021 - 32
Recording - October 2021 - 33
Recording - October 2021 - Zeppelin Design Labs: Cortado MkIII Contact Microphone
Recording - October 2021 - 35
Recording - October 2021 - Session Log: The AngelHeaded Hipster, Part 10: Bass and Percussion
Recording - October 2021 - 37
Recording - October 2021 - 38
Recording - October 2021 - 39
Recording - October 2021 - Plugin Outlet: Slate Digital FG-2A and Custom Opto
Recording - October 2021 - 41
Recording - October 2021 - Morton Microphones: KickTone Microphone
Recording - October 2021 - 43
Recording - October 2021 - Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: Nothing but the Mic
Recording - October 2021 - 45
Recording - October 2021 - 46
Recording - October 2021 - 47
Recording - October 2021 - L-Acoustics: L-ISA Studio
Recording - October 2021 - 49
Recording - October 2021 - KEMPER: PROFILER Head
Recording - October 2021 - 51
Recording - October 2021 - 52
Recording - October 2021 - 53
Recording - October 2021 - Inside the Box with Joe Albano: Compression in the Box
Recording - October 2021 - 55
Recording - October 2021 - 56
Recording - October 2021 - 57
Recording - October 2021 - Teegarden Audio: PPC-125 MD Condenser Microphone
Recording - October 2021 - 59
Recording - October 2021 - Hit’n’Mix: RipX DeepAudio
Recording - October 2021 - 61
Recording - October 2021 - Thirty-Five Years of RECORDING
Recording - October 2021 - 63
Recording - October 2021 - 64
Recording - October 2021 - 65
Recording - October 2021 - 66
Recording - October 2021 - 67
Recording - October 2021 - 68
Recording - October 2021 - 69
Recording - October 2021 - 70
Recording - October 2021 - 71
Recording - October 2021 - Fade Out: The Right Mic for You!
Recording - October 2021 - Cover3
Recording - October 2021 - Cover4
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