We are chasing the impossible.....

[chunktone]

I guess it's easier to chase gear than technique.

 

[maddnotez]

This topic intrigues me. I made a thread on the Kemper forum to see what Kemper users have to say in case anyone wants to follow.

https://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index ... ded-tones/

 

[ChurchHill]

For what it’s worth, I’ve never tried to totally nail anyone else’s recorded tone, but rather hone in on a few key qualities I really love about their sound and try to just nail that, which IMO is a very possible thing to achieve. I actually would never want to completely capture anyone else’s sound because as great as they may be, I can always find little things that I think could be better or would prefer differently for my taste, so instead I’ll aim to just capture the aspects of their tone that I think is really special without the stuff I don’t like...

I absolutely agree with this... While I greatly appreciate some of the great tones recorded over the years, I never wanted to sound like them. Sure, there are things that I've taken from them (Ratt and Metallica are some great examples for me, too), but only to incorporate into what I hope is my own sound. Not that "my" sound is better, or even as good, as most, but I know that, even with a roomful of amps, regardless of what I'm playing on and through, I still pretty much sound the same. I remember a thread where someone postulated that, regardless of the gear, we try to tweak it to sound as close to our familiar sounds because that's what we're comfortable with even though that sound is different for everyone. I think that's true, to a greater or lesser degree.

Mostly, I know I'm not ever going to sound like EVH, or Hetfield, or anyone else, but I also know that I'm going to sound like me even though whether or not that's a good thing is entirely debatable. So, why try to fight it? Why not just try to make my gear work as well as it can for me? That's how I felt when I didn't have any other choice than an Aria Pro II and a Crate, so why have I complicated things so much since then? Oh, wait... chasing tone is fun, too...

I guess it's easier to chase gear than technique.

It's easier to hypothesize about all this on forums, too, as I've tried to prove by example here... But that is a very valid point and neither gear acquisition nor psychoanalytical theorizing is going to make me a better musician. OTOH, technical research could help me learn how to better use what gear I do have (or is that a rationalization, too?).

 

[maddnotez]

For what it’s worth, I’ve never tried to totally nail anyone else’s recorded tone, but rather hone in on a few key qualities I really love about their sound and try to just nail that, which IMO is a very possible thing to achieve. I actually would never want to completely capture anyone else’s sound because as great as they may be, I can always find little things that I think could be better or would prefer differently for my taste, so instead I’ll aim to just capture the aspects of their tone that I think is really special without the stuff I don’t like...

I absolutely agree with this... While I greatly appreciate some of the great tones recorded over the years, I never wanted to sound like them. Sure, there are things that I've taken from them (Ratt and Metallica are some great examples for me, too), but only to incorporate into what I hope is my own sound. Not that "my" sound is better, or even as good, as most, but I know that, even with a roomful of amps, regardless of what I'm playing on and through, I still pretty much sound the same. I remember a thread where someone postulated that, regardless of the gear, we try to tweak it to sound as close to our familiar sounds because that's what we're comfortable with even though that sound is different for everyone. I think that's true, to a greater or lesser degree.

Mostly, I know I'm not ever going to sound like EVH, or Hetfield, or anyone else, but I also know that I'm going to sound like me even though whether or not that's a good thing is entirely debatable. So, why try to fight it? Why not just try to make my gear work as well as it can for me? That's how I felt when I didn't have any other choice than an Aria Pro II and a Crate, so why have I complicated things so much since then? Oh, wait... chasing tone is fun, too...

I guess it's easier to chase gear than technique.

It's easier to hypothesize about all this on forums, too, as I've tried to prove by example here... But that is a very valid point and neither gear acquisition nor psychoanalytical theorizing is going to make me a better musician. OTOH, technical research could help me learn how to better use what gear I do have (or is that a rationalization, too?).

Let's be honest. 90% of this entire forum and dozens of amps that have been made are specifically trying to cop Van Halen's tone. I think it would be pretty awesome to hear a record, say I want THAT tone and be able to get it.

 

[FourT6and2]

Meh, I don't personally try to copy anybody else's recorded (or live) tones. I love Tool. But I don't want Adam Jones' sound for my own. Although I really do love when he was just using the Marshall by itself for live shows back in the Undertow days. But I agree... the whole tone chase is never-ending because it can't be obtained.

 

[ChurchHill]

Let's be honest. 90% of this entire forum and dozens of amps that have been made are specifically trying to cop Van Halen's tone. I think it would be pretty awesome to hear a record, say I want THAT tone and be able to get it.

Oh, yeah, that would be completely cool... VH1, VH2, FW... Out of the Cellar... Master of Puppets... That definitely would be awesome! It's just that chasing specific albums' tones hasn't historically been something I've personally spent a lot of time on. Chasing generallized tones, well, that's a different matter...

 

[maddnotez]

Let's be honest. 90% of this entire forum and dozens of amps that have been made are specifically trying to cop Van Halen's tone. I think it would be pretty awesome to hear a record, say I want THAT tone and be able to get it.

Oh, yeah, that would be completely cool... VH1, VH2, FW... Out of the Cellar... Master of Puppets... That definitely would be awesome! It's just that chasing specific albums' tones hasn't historically been something I've personally spent a lot of time on. Chasing generallized tones, well, that's a different matter...

It wouldn't be for everyone but not everything has to me. I like to tweak but I don't really tone chase I don't think. I would much rather have a tone I want out of the box then spending years testing pedals, speakers, cables and guitars to get something I like.

 

[ChurchHill]

I would much rather have a tone I want out of the box then spending years testing pedals, speakers, cables and guitars to get something I like.

I know exactly what you mean. I think, the longer we've been playing, the more stuff we've tried if for no other reason than we get exposed to more gear over time. New things come out, some work out, some not so much, but sooner or later, everybody tries something new, even if it's just in a store somewhere.

 

[Steinmetzify]

This topic intrigues me. I made a thread on the Kemper forum to see what Kemper users have to say in case anyone wants to follow.

https://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index ... ded-tones/

Yer gonna get raped on that forum lol

I don’t chase tones, I don’t care who did what.

Not a VH tone fan except to listen to it, not a Tool fan except to listen to it etc...just because it’s a cool tone doesn’t mean it’s gonna work for me.

All that being said, without those tones we wouldn’t chase shit and the gear manufacturers would be out of business without us.

Fuck it, I’m satisfied with my tones and don’t care about more.

Wait I lied.

 

[maddnotez]

I would much rather have a tone I want out of the box then spending years testing pedals, speakers, cables and guitars to get something I like.

I know exactly what you mean. I think, the longer we've been playing, the more stuff we've tried if for no other reason than we get exposed to more gear over time. New things come out, some work out, some not so much, but sooner or later, everybody tries something new, even if it's just in a store somewhere.

Yeah but to me there's no magic tone. There's absolutely a few albums ive heard that made me say wow I want that tone but im perfectly happy with what have. Id like a Kemper just to change flavors at will but its about chasing some magic tone, just to try something different.

I still buy and test gear, probably always will. Hell I bought two pedals today while trying to tell myself I have too much gear as it is.

This topic intrigues me. I made a thread on the Kemper forum to see what Kemper users have to say in case anyone wants to follow.

https://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index ... ded-tones/

Yer gonna get raped on that forum lol

I don’t chase tones, I don’t care who did what.

Not a VH tone fan except to listen to it, not a Tool fan except to listen to it etc...just because it’s a cool tone doesn’t mean it’s gonna work for me.

All that being said, without those tones we wouldn’t chase shit and the gear manufacturers would be out of business without us.

Fuck it, I’m satisfied with my tones and don’t care about more.

Wait I lied.

I went on there to check earlier and there was like 3 replies two out of the 3 posts came across like the posters had no idea what I was saying even though it was pretty clear.

Either way dont care. I think this would be an awesome feature for the Kemper or for a new "studio" Kemper. Pretty sure the one reply where the guy said the Kemper already does this is wrong but i don't have one so idk.