The Kemper profiling amplifier is William Wittman’s Hardware Product Of 2020, he explains why.
While it’s not brand new to me this year, this is the year that my Kemper Profiling Amplifier won its place at the top of my guitar and bass recording heap. For those of you unfamiliar with the KPA, what sets it apart from more typical “modeling” guitar amps and software is its ability to make a ‘profile’ from your own unique guitar amp, set, adjusted, and mic’ed the way you like it, and then have that profile instantly recalled any time you want it.
I was already using it live to be able to bring the sounds of my Ampeg, Hiwatt and Vox bass amps on the road in one small 3u rack and to recall any one of them on a song by song basis at the touch of a footswitch. But, in this crazy year, working largely from home and jumping between multiple projects at once, the Kemper has been a lifesaver, whether for recording guitars and bass or for reamping on projects sent to me from others. Its ability to store and recall sounds, plus its inboard effects (from distortion and delay and chorus and flange to pitch shift transpose, delay, and reverb) makes it an incredible all-in-one tool for all things guitar and bass guitar. And it should be said that the sound quality is superlative; better by miles, to my ears, than any other software guitar amp product.
It made making records in 2020 almost bearable.
There has never been a better time to record electric guitars. If you’re new to recording guitars, or even if you’re not Julian explains, ably assisted by some tasty playing from Mark M Thompson.
Recording guitars can be analogue, with amps and mics, it can be digital with plugins or hardware. Any of these can give excellent results and there has never been more choice. In this article Robbie Dwyer considers some of the options.
In this week's Free Plug-in, we are featuring Bring Your Own Distortion (BYOD) from ChowDSP. A flexible, freely patchable plugin with 43 different modules and a focus on guitar tones.
When asked for his choice of product of 2021, William Wittman responded with a choice which was identical to his choice of 2020. It is still his product of the year - it’s that important to him.
The Kemper profiling amplifier is William Wittman’s Hardware Product Of 2020, he explains why.
Brian’s signature sound is very distinctive, but did you know that it’s made up of a small number of components which together produce his majestic sound known all over the world. IK Multimedia have gone through each section of Brian’s rig from the unique pickup arrangement in his homemade Red Special guitar, through to his treble booster and of course three Vox AC30 setup he uses on stage. All you need is a sixpence.
Some equipment you buy because you like how it sounds. Some equipment you buy because you like how it works and some equipment you buy because it allows you to work faster. And then there is the gear you buy because it does all three. I’m quite new to the Amp/Speaker switcher party, but I’m in now and I’m staying. In this article I’ll tell you how the Amp/Speaker switcher works, show you how they can speed up your recording workflow and tell you about two units I have had the opportunity to try in my studio.
In this free video tutorial, we are back at Woodworm Studios in Oxfordshire England, with Engineer, Producer and guitar sound expert Mike Exeter to learn about another really useful technique for recording electric guitars.
We recently ran a poll asking you, The Production Expert Community, to take part in a unique Vox AC30 blind listening test. We provided seven audio examples with one of the clips being a real Vox AC30 recording, the other six where produced using a number of popular guitar amp plug-in emulations. The results are in!
Guitars form a key part of a wide range of musical styles, offering a huge pallet of sounds. A lot of people ask us to comment or compare the sound and features of various guitar related software and hardware. With our reviews, we give you the chance to see and hear what they can do before you consider buying them. If you are considering a new guitar emulation software package or any guitar related hardware for your studio then check out these reviews...
William Wittman is a Grammy Award-winning independent Producer/Engineer/Musician/Songwriter based in New York whose credits include the multi-platinum debuts from Cyndi Lauper, Joan Osborne, the Hooters, and The Outfield.