Changes

The profiling process defaults all of these to 0.0, with the exception of Definition which varies depending on the profiled amp and Tube Shape which defaults to 3.3. If something seems "''off" '' about a profile, you may want to see if any of these parameters are radically changed. For some profiles, extreme values here can make an "organic" profile start to seem processed and fake. Try resetting them to default values and see if the tone improves.

'''Definition ''' gets quite tricky. It's set by the profiling process but can be altered after the fact. Many times a tightening boost in front of a modern high-gain amp will cause this to be set to max (10). It's very similar to a pre-distortion EQ, darkening or brightening the signal to adjust the relative balance of how the fundamentals vs. the overtones are distorted. While it works well for a quick tweak, I find it's no replacement for some finely-tuned parametric EQ in front the amp. If the tone sounds a bit too harsh or thin, try turning this ''down'', then using a Screamer or pre-EQ to add back any needed tightness or high-end saturation.

'''Power Sagging ''' affects the dynamics and feel of the amp, and can help get mutes to sound right. If the amp feels a bit too stiff and fast, try turning this up. A small tweak can make a big difference here. I commonly use values of 0.4 - 0.9. You'll know you've gone too far when the your notes start to sound smaller, less powerful, and more nasal.

The '''Pick ''' setting I find I usually like to leave alone; however, every now and then I'll bump it up or down a bit. The same goes for '''Clarity'''. While many love this setting, I find it takes away from the real tone of the amp and makes everything sound like a similar crunchy tone. Where I like to use a touch of Clarity is with a highly distorted tone. Sometimes to get that super-saturated chunk with the crisp high end shining through, you need to use a lot of gain, and things can get mushy. Clarity at ~1.0 can still sound quite natural but keep more definition to the tone without giving up saturation.

Turning up '''Tube Shape ''' can add a bit more bite or edge to the distortion, like you are pushing the power amp harder. I often like to add a bit here, but it's important not to overdo it. '''Tube Bias ''' is similar, although I find this one a bit trickier - it seems to add volume as you turn it up, which can lead to an instant impression that higher settings are better. However, too high can make dynamics become artificial-sounding and the tone a bit harsh.

The '''Compressor ''' in the amp is great, mostly affecting crunch tones. It is neither pre or post distortion, but part of the profiling process itself, making it very transparent yet powerful.

I like to use the '''High and Low Shift ''' settings for mild adjustments if the cab sounds too boomy or fizzy. A little goes a long way, and I'm rarely tweaking past +/- 0.4 - ; beyond that and , things can start to sound a bit weird or artificial. High shift can also help to try to match another cab profile's tone, almost like you are moving the mic or changing its angle.

'''Character ''' I generally leave alone. A little boost can help accentuate the cab, but too much can make it sound fake. Going negative often sounds quite stiff or flat, and I avoid tweaking in this direction.

The simplest and quickest way to do this is to use the '''Green Scream ''' effect, which is a model of a Maxon ''OD808'' pedal, which mirrors the circuit of the original Ibanez ''Tube Screamer''. The typical settings when using such as an overdrive is to set Drive down to 0% and Tone between 60 and 100%. '''The Green Scream effect's Tone parameter at the <0.0> (noon/center) setting matches 100% on a real Screamer.''' Turning up higher than <0.0> has no impact on the tone. I find I am almost always between -1.3 and <0.0>. Volume doesn't matter - I like to leave it at <0.0>. Some like to turn Volume up heavily, but this is only necessary on older real amps that couldn't be pushed into distortion without the input volume boost. It doesn't matter on a high-gain amp - you can use the Gain knob to get the right amount of distortion. The only time it may be worthwhile using a non-0.0 value is when you want to be able to toggle the Green Scream on/off to switch from a cleaner tone to a more distorted tone.

A more powerful approach is to use the '''Studio EQ ''' effect. It gets you both a more transparent sound (the Screamer tends to add a little compression/color) as well as greater control over exactly how frequencies are manipulated. This features 2 fully parametric bands, plus low and high shelves. Sometimes it's as easy as boosting a parametric band by about + 4-6db, lowering the Q down to like -2 or -3, and then sweeping the frequency to find the sweet spot. Usually it's between 800 and 3,000 Hz. You can use the low shelf to trim some woofy low end - I find a -3db cut around 150 Hz to do the trick. If this isn't refined enough I like to use the other parametric band for this purpose. I'll set the frequency to about 40 Hz, gain to about -4 db, and then lower Q until I can hear the lows start tightening up. Another thing I like to do is cut some of the warm midrange - this can make the amp get more aggressive sounding. Then you can start trying different settings to refine. Sometimes, you may need to also trim some extreme high end with the high shelf if you get a harsh, crackly distortion in the high frequencies.

The '''Treble Booster ''' effect also works well as a boost, but I find it doesn't offer enough control - it's basically a high shelf. It can be a bit more transparent than the Screamer and doesn't cut any high end, so the tone can get quite harsh if used excessively. The Lead Booster is more tame in that it is more of a hump than a shelf, taming both highs and lows; however, I find again that it is a bit too limited for my purposes. The '''Pure Booster ''' only boosts the signal level, similar to adjusting the Gain knob. It is only really useful to toggle on/off to switch between cleaner and dirtier levels of distortion.

While the KPA can be tweaked heavily while still sounding organic like a real amp/cab, this may involve a fair amount of time and effort. Since there are literally thousands of free and commercial profiles available, it becomes a question of ''efficiency '' as far as trying to tweak profiles vs. auditioning other profiles. '''My advice is to audition first and tweak later. ''' The Rig Manager software allows auditioning the free rigs on the Rig Exchange to be quick and simple. For any given amp or tone, find the best 2-5 profiles available and save them onto your KPA or a Local Library folder in Rig Manager. When auditioning, it is perfectly acceptable to make quick tweaks, such as adjusting Gain, enabling/disabling effects (or loading your favored effect presets), adjusting the ToneStack EQ, or adding a simple boost. If you have to start digging into the Amp/Cab parameters, add a post-stack EQ effect, switch the Cab profile, or dial in some intense pre-Stack EQ, the profile may simply be a dud that is not worth your time. Continue to search for better profiles. Only when you've exhausted your audition choices should you revisit the so-so to good profiles and start doing advanced tweaking.

The KPA is smart - '''it is impossible to clip its digital signal path'''. You can chain together numerous EQ's or other effects that boost volume without having to worry about getting unwanted clipping as you would with real world devices or most modelers/multi-FX units.

The ''only '' thing that can be clipped is the Output block (D>A converter or SPDIF), which happens when the digital signal is too hot. This is easily remedied by turning the Volume knob down. You could also edit each effect to be more volume-neutral, but often you want to toggle those on/off ''for'' the volume change such as for a solo boost.