Recording with Kemper, Steinberg UR22 and Garageband on a MAC - Sound quality is bad

    Hello,

    I was wondering that the sound quality is totally different when I connect my headphones directly to the Kemper headphones output VS when I connect the Kemper on the UR22 MKII interface with garageband on my MAC and connect the headphones on the UR22 or on the MAC.
    -Heaphones connected to Kemper --> awesome quality :thumbup:
    -Headphones connected to UR22 --> bad quality, sounds flat like a low quality MP3 :thumbdown:
    -Headphones connected to MAC --> bad quality also (connection to the MAC via UR22 as input, output is MAC headphones port) :thumbdown:
    Sound quality is already bad when I'm playing without recording (makes zero fun to play with backing track on youtube with that bad sound :thumbdown: )

    The UR22 MKII has a recording quality of 192khz/24bit. I'm not a specialist but when I compare with higher price products its mostly the same.
    So do I make a wrong setting or is the Interface bad quality? ?(?(?(


    Thanks for your help.

    Mat

    Those numbers only indicate the maximum sampling rate which is pretty much the standard for any interface that you can buy these days. Still there are interfaces that sell for around 100€ like the one that you are using while others cost a couple of thousand euros. A big part of the price difference is in the quality of the components that are used in these interfaces.
    Chances are that the converters and the headphone amp on your interface are of a lower quality compared to the components that are used in the PROFILER.
    There is also the possibility that you made some mistakes in the setup. Which inputs are you using on the interface?
    Please try to use 2 standard TS cables to connect the main outputs of the PROFILER to the inputs on your interface and make sure that you do not activate the Hi-Z option in the software that comes with the interface as this is only suitable if you connect your guitar directly to the interface. The PROFILER delivers a line level signal. Makes sure your interface is configured to deal with that.

    Also, make sure you have Space turned off or on for both the main outs and headphones on your Kemper. If it's only on for, say, the headphones, you're not comparing apples with apples.

    If this is new to you, here's something from the manual:

    By using the Space effect, you can add virtual reflections, to create a sense of room and natural space. A mono signal will be converted to a subtle stereo image, which should be far more pleasing to your ears. Even though this effect is designed for headphones, you may also find it appropriate for listening through regular speakers, or for recording. By selecting the option “Space>HeadphOnly”, you can select whether it is applied to the HEADPHONE OUTPUT only, or to the MAIN OUTPUTS as well.

    Quote from hjscheffler

    Chances are that the converters and the headphone amp on your interface are of a lower quality compared to the components that are used in the PROFILER.

    Ya think, Hans? :D

    He's being a modest Kemper employee, Mat. The Kemper's convertors and headphone amp should be way better than the Steinberg's, IMHO.

    To be fair, Mat, even if the convertors on your interfaces aren't brilliant, recording the Kemper though them should still sound good.

    The headphone amp is likely giving you a "false" / exaggerated impression of the difference in quality of the convertors simply because the Kemper's headphone amp really is brilliant and those on most cheap interfaces are not. We've seen this many times in the forum, where folks think there's something wrong with their leads or signal chain because of this difference.

    If you play back a recorded track and compare that with the Kemper playing live, both through your monitors, they should sound very-similar, yes? If so, it's obviously just the headphone amp, mate.

    Hook your monitors directly to the kpa....same output as u use for recording.
    If its good...ur22 is the cause..else...leaves monitors and kpa as suspects ;)

    Of u use the monitor output..did you check of the cabsims are on int the output section?

    The issue revolves around your headphones and the headphone output of the UR22. Which headphones are you using?