The Kemper cabinet portion is not dynamic either. It's also just an IR, and a short one at that (about 256 samples).
I meant basically the whole kemper.
Adding accurate nonlinearities to what IRs do is very close to profiling.
The Kemper cabinet portion is not dynamic either. It's also just an IR, and a short one at that (about 256 samples).
Not really.I meant basically the whole kemper.
Adding accurate nonlinearities to what IRs do is very close to profiling.
Not really.
The Kemper's nonlinearities are far from accurate.
The Kemper uses a generic waveshaper with a compressor on the output and an expander on the input. The expander is simply the inverse of the compressor. The side-chain of the compressor is a bandpass of sorts so it compresses and distorts midrange signals more.
It then finds the output frequency response by driving the DUT at a high level. IOW it's trying to find the post-EQ in a Wiener-Hammerstein model. It then subtracts a "generic" speaker response from this to obtain the "cabinet". It then lowers the drive level until the DUT is in it's linear region. From there the input EQ and gain can be found.
It does attempt to determine the bias point for the waveshaper and the bias excursion but the waveshaper is very basic and it doesn't even appear that it even attempts to change the shape of the waveshaper. Every profile I've ever examined has the "Tube Shape" set to the same value. I believe the waveshaper is just a simple (x-k1)/(x+k2) function.
I don't know much about any of the other profiling products.Wow...that's really interesting.
Okay, I'll rephrase: if they could accurately model nonlinearities from measurements similar to the way you take linear measurements of FR for an IR, they could use the same black box to profile an amp. But, apparently I was significantly wrong about what the Kemper itself is doing.
(...which makes sense, because I've only played one once, didn't like it or the idea of profiling in general, and haven't looked into it because I don't care...)
Do you know if the other profilers work similarly? (Again, I don't care about profiling, just curious)
That’s what I did last year. Speaker modeling is better in Fractal.1. Shoot IRs of your Ox Box.
2. Sell Ox Box.
3. Profit.
They only oversample to 192 and then filter. That’s been their style for years. Unfortunately it brings in aliasingThese things are obviously subjective.
Using objective tests I've found nothing inherently superior. The aliasing performance is quite poor and the frequency response is inaccurate.
I dug through my computer and found this aliasing test:View attachment 127937
The blue is the Axe-Fx III, the green is the Dream. The spikes in the Axe-Fx are power supply ripple (since we model an AC power supply). Note the peaks are at 120, 180, etc. Multiples of 60 Hz.
They only oversample to 192 and then filter. That’s been their style for years. Unfortunately it brings in aliasing
https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-...ct-processing-bandwith-their-uad-plug-ins?ampWait, really? Yeah...that's not enough.
So....to put that in context, the 32x oversampling thing I posted would have been oversampled to 1411.2 kHz (original audio was 44.1kHz).
They're actually talking about more than one thing there. Idk if UA didn't answer the question or if the writer didn't explain it.https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-...ct-processing-bandwith-their-uad-plug-ins?amp
A lot of their algos are the same as their plugs. I think their amps sound good but I never use a lot of overdrive.
Would you be willing to share some clips recorded into your DAW (i.e. not a phone mic recording)? I'd be curious to hear the same dry clip (using the looper) run 1) through the room mics in the UA and 2) using a short room reverb after the UA with the room mics off.Room mikes - primarily one simple mix knob on the UA unit being easy and a powerfully transformative blend control to the post-amp sound.
....if I turn this dial to zero, I'm back to feeling "something is missing - I don't like it"
Did you try messing with the room parameters in the cab block? Also, FullRes IRs?Room mikes - primarily one simple mix knob on the UA unit being easy and a powerfully transformative blend control to the post-amp sound.
....if I turn this dial to zero, I'm back to feeling "something is missing - I don't like it". I've had so much fun this week trying every type of amp in the Axe with suitable cab pairings in the Ox Stomp. Within minimal time, in every case, I had a smile on my face at the new sounds coming out of my Atomic CLRs as I blended in the room mike parameter!
Did you try messing with the room parameters in the cab block? Also, FullRes IRs?
I think, with respect, the point that I was trying to make is being missed. I tried IRs in the cab block, along with different adjustments there. Most likely it was my inabilty to succeed, but I subsequently found a more pleasing and easier result with my real amps - the frustration then becoming that I had lost out in 300 others in the AxeFX!
Now, for me, at least, the Ox stomp has reversed that situation, mainly on account of a single parameter ("room mic") being blendable with one single control (notwithstanding you can obviously also change the mikes and repective EQs themselves etc).
It is definately different sounding to the AxeFX room parameter etc, at least as far as I was able to achieve with that section of the Axe cab block.
There obviously are other features of the UA unit which also give a contribution, but the room mic section was overwhelmingly powerful in influence to the overall sound - all from turning a single knob.
It is on this basis that I say it can appeal, not any basis of a deficiency in the AxeFx. If folks find that they have no issues with getting the sound they like out of the AxeFx on its own - great!
I was just highlighting how I have found the combination of the two products from an average (in more ways than one!) user point of view, rather than an under the hood tech spec analysis.
I understand what you're saying. And I'm glad you found something that works for you. That's the important part. I don't think very many pieces of gear are inherently special: there's technically better and technically worse, and there's more inspiring and less inspiring....and you being happy with it is the most important factor of all.
But...if you want to, search the factory cabs for the word "room". There isn't a room mic capture for everything, but there are for some. It was a big deal for me. It's the closest thing to reverb that I don't hate (not to dismiss Cliff's reverbs...I hate all reverb effects including Fender and aftermarket real springs, legit 4' tall physical plates, Lexicon, Bricasti, FabFilter, Valhalla, etc.), and it is a key to the puzzle as far as I'm concerned.
You hate reverb? I can’t imagine what that is like, I absolutely love it in all forms. I probably love it too much tbh, I over-do it a lot of the time .