PLEASE HELP - Problem hooking my Kemper to computer for recording - What is wrong?

    Hello everyone,

    I am hoping someone can help me here. I just received my new Kemper about 2 days ago and I am having a great time with it! It sounds absolutely fantastic! So far I just plug my guitar direct into the Kemper and use headphones to monitor. The sound is HUGE! Powerful and full!

    Okay now I want to hook my Kemper up to my computer to start recording. Unfortunately I am running into a problem and I hope someone here can help me sort it out.

    Here is my setup

    Computer - Apple Imac
    Audio Interface - Presonus 1818Vsl
    DAW software - Presonus Studio 1 version 2
    Monitors - Mackie M8's

    Here is how I have everything hooked up......

    - Digital Spidf cable going from the OUT on the kemper to the IN on the audio interface
    - Monitors are connected into the Main outputs on the audio interface
    - Guitar hooked into the Kemper
    - Headphones into the heaphone jack on interface

    - I load my Presonus monitoring software, then I load my Daw. Now I can hear my Kemper through my monitors but it sounds so weak and terrible. I look in my monitor software and the levels are about in the middle. I have to turn my volume knob full blast on my Kemper to raise the volume. Direct my Kemper is plenty loud about halfway but not the way I have it now. The sound is no where near the full bodied huge sound I get when I hook my headphones directly into the Kemper to play. Am I doing something wrong? I want to have that full Kemper tone in my Daw so I can make great recordings. Also should my headphones be hooked into the Kemper or the interface?

    I also still have my Axe FXII. Say I wanted to hook that up side by side my Kemper. Anyone know how I should connect it to my interface the same time I have my Kemper hooked up? I thought simply hooking into the Line inputs might work but so far I've been unsuccessful on that front as well but I didnt try to hard.

    But my main priority is getting my Kemper hooked up for awesome recording. I appreciate any help!

    John

    Edited once, last by guitarmanjac (July 19, 2012 at 4:28 AM).

    Hey John,

    before all I'd try connecting the KPA's S/PDIF OUT to the Presonus' S/PDIF IN.
    I don't know that interface in detail, but unless you've made some typos there's something strange in your setup. Weird that any sound is audible at all tho... :|

    Quote from viabcroce

    Hey John,

    before all I'd try connecting the KPA's S/PDIF OUT to the Presonus' S/PDIF IN.
    I don't know that interface in detail, but unless you've made some typos there's something strange in your setup. Weird that any sound is audible at all tho... :|

    Oops. :) Yes that was a typo. Sorry about that. I have the S/PDIF OUT from the Kemper going to the IN on the Presonus.

    LOL OK then! Sorry, but I had to be sure :D

    Some questions to restrict the area:

    Are meters in the DAW measuring the same as the monitor meters in your Presonus? IOW, is the recorded/played back signal from the DAW as low?

    How's listening level through HPs?

    What does happen level-wise when connecting your guitar straight into the presonus?


    Some interfaces have the possibility to set the input sensitivity to +4 dB and +10 dB. Be sure to learn how your presonus works if you've been owning it since a short time.

    Also, check these gain stages:

    KPA out -> presonus' input level -> presonus' monitors out

    and

    KPA out -> presonus' input level -> presonus' line out -> DAW input -> track level

    Each of them is a different amp, chances are one of them is too low.

    Last thing: if your presonus has got a control like "direct monitoring", check whether it's switched on or off.

    We can do it! :thumbup:

    Make sure you've update to the latest firmware. I just got mine a few days ago. Initially s/pdif did not even work for me. I upgraded, and now everything works fine. See if that helps.

    I was having a problem where, using the headphone output from the KPA sounded great, but going into my cpu running Logic, the meters were barely showing signal as the KPA's volume was maxed-out. I bought some XLR to 1/4" cables (xlr out of the KPA;1/4" going into my RME interface) and the issue was solved. I haven't used S/PIDF yet, as I work at 48k. Worth a try...