Universal Audio Arrow + Kemper = Very thin?

    Newbie, here!

    So I'm trying to record the Kemper using the Universal Audio arrow, which has XLR, 1/4' inch, and "Hi-Z" inputs. Initially the signal chain was Guitar -> Kemper -> XLR Main out -> XLR Main In on UA Arrow -> Logic X. I noticed that the sound was very thin and it clipped pretty much always. I watched a video on using UA's "Console" app. I started monitoring via UA Console instead of Logic X but the sound was still pretty poor, I utilized one of UA's Plugins for compression and it was incredibly distorted and very poor sounding, nothing like what you'd imagine from a Kemper and a VST of the caliber from UA.


    For whatever reason, I had never plugged directly into headphone out on the Kemper. This morning I loaded my favorite profile and plugged directly in and it sounds amazing. What I can't seem to do is capture the audio quality of the Kemper I hear Headphone out on my DAW. I read a lot about S/PDIF but my interface doesn't have that as an in; is it possible that the UA Arrow with XLR/1/4' really can't capture the true quality of the Kemper?

    KPA XLR-out is line-level. If your audio-interface expect a mic-level signal you will have clipping. Solutions are:

    • Set KPA main out to -25dB or so. Works for XLR to mic inputs on just about any mixing console or recording interface
    • Use XLR2TRS cables from the KPA main outputs to TRS (balanced) inputs on an audio-interface
    • Use unbalanced TS from the KPA to the audio-interface.