Diezel's new VHX head knows when it's been profiled

Diezel VHX and Kemper Profiler guitar amps
(Image credit: Diezel/Future)

When Diezel announced the VHX, a 100W all-tube head with screen-enabled digital control and onboard impulse responses, we knew the iconic German guitar amp company had something special on its hands. But among the head’s many USPs, it has one feature we weren’t expecting: a profiling log.

After a raft of speculation at prominent guitar forum The Gear Page, Diezel’s Leonardo Polito (username politoleo) confirmed the VHX has the ability to detect when it has undergone a profiling process, for example, the ‘test tones’ employed by Kemper. This information is then logged in the amp.

(Image credit: Diezel Amplification)

Diezel has made it clear that the feature is not intended as any kind of opposition to Kemper’s groundbreaking technology - it does not affect the profiling process, nor does it stop the user from profiling in the first place.

The high-gain amp specialist has yet to confirm exactly what the data will be used for, but one possible implementation is to prevent users from buying an amp, profiling it, then immediately returning it.

Whatever the technology ends up being used for, it could prove to be an important development in modeling amps.

While one potential application is all-out profiler blocking, it could also be employed as a means to log which settings and channels have been profiled, making it easier for users to capture a full spectrum of tones.

Guitar World has contacted Diezel for further information.

The VHX combines tones from some of Diezel’s best-known amps - the VH4, Herbert, Hagen, Paul and Einstein - and adds recallable presets, digital effects, MIDI Bluetooth, three effects loops and a high-res display.

It will be available later this year for $4,899/£3,050. Sweetwater has more info.

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Michael Astley-Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.