Mesa Boogie Quad Preamp Direct Output Profiles
Please note - all of these profiles were created with the Direct Out jacks from the Mesa Quad Preamp. No Microphones were used. Why? Because this is a piece of rack gear, and was meant to be used with a poweramp and guitar cab. By using the Direct Out jacks for profiling, you get the entire uncolored sound of the Mesa Quad Preamp. The Kemper does do a great job in it's software separating the Cabs from the Amps, but it isn't going to be as accurate or true as just using the direct output. If you want THE sound of a Mesa Quad, this profile set is for you.
Can these Direct Profiles be used for anything else?
The Rhythm 1 (cleanest) profiles are great for a DI guitar sound - it's just like you're plugging into a tube preamp and then direct to your mixer. It also works great for Acoustic instruments or guitars with Piezo pickups - think of it as a tube powered direct box. You can also use these for bass. The Lead 1 and Lead 2, and some of the Rhythm 2 profiles have too much overdrive and sound fuzzy without a cab when going direct. A little fuzz on a bass tone sometimes sounds great and fits better than you think it might - experiment!
I don't use a guitar cab and poweramp - I go direct to my studio monitors, I use a FRFR monitor, or I just record. can I still use these profiles?
Yes! All you have to do is change the cabinet setting - pick a Mesa Quad profile, hold down the cabinet button until the screen changes to cabinets, then use the browse knob to the upper right of the display screen to choose between cabs already loaded on your Kemper. Find one you like, and it can be saved with the Mesa Quad Profile. If you do not add a different cab and use these without a guitar cab, they will sound ok on the cleans to pretty bad when you start adding gain.
Please note, you can also 'lock' a cabinet to the kemper, so as you change profiles, it uses the same cab. This is a great way to audition several different profiles at once without having to 'add' the cabinet each time. Find a combination you like? Store it and move on. When done, remember to Unlock the cab, or it will stay locked with all your other amps. This is also a great way to check out different profiles with combinations of effects that you want to stay the same too.
Please note, you can also 'lock' a cabinet to the kemper, so as you change profiles, it uses the same cab. This is a great way to audition several different profiles at once without having to 'add' the cabinet each time. Find a combination you like? Store it and move on. When done, remember to Unlock the cab, or it will stay locked with all your other amps. This is also a great way to check out different profiles with combinations of effects that you want to stay the same too.
Mesa Boogie Factory Settings
The Quad was captured with 5 different settings that Mesa Boogie supplies in the Quad documentation. Each of the 5 settings span all four of it's all tube channels, so that gives us 20 profiles.
However, I extended this by using the graphic EQs. I don't know many users who do not use the 5 band graphic EQ - almost always it's used to scoop the mids. So I took a profile without EQ, one with EQ scooped in the mids severely, and one with the mids flat but the highs and lows boosted a bit. I did this for each of the Mesa supplied settings, giving us 60 total profiles.
However, I extended this by using the graphic EQs. I don't know many users who do not use the 5 band graphic EQ - almost always it's used to scoop the mids. So I took a profile without EQ, one with EQ scooped in the mids severely, and one with the mids flat but the highs and lows boosted a bit. I did this for each of the Mesa supplied settings, giving us 60 total profiles.
What Documentation Do I Get With These Profiles?
A Mesa Boogie 'Quad Notes' doc taken from their documentation describing each channel
A 'Quad Profile' notes doc listing details on setttings for each profile
Pictures of each setting of the amp
A document from Mesa detailing each setting I used to pull profiles
A 'Quad Profile' notes doc listing details on setttings for each profile
Pictures of each setting of the amp
A document from Mesa detailing each setting I used to pull profiles