Hi guys,
I had a question about the main volume out on my Kemper.
I was wondering what exactly does the volume mean, like how does it impact my profiles if I change that setting.
The other guy in my band uses a Helix (which apparently doesn't show the output volume at all) and said that he didn't understand the meaning of it on my Kemper.
Which made me question the accuracy as well:
Example:
At the moment, my Kemper is set to -17db main output volume.
- What impact does rig volume have on this setting?
- If I increase that setting would that impact the main out?
- How does the volume of the effects effect the main output volume.
So in short, how certain am I that my main output volume is exactly -17db?
This might be a stupid question, but I guess if you want to normalize your profiles this is something to account for.
Either way, I'm glad that Kemper shows the level unlike Line 6...
Main out volume meaning
- BrentKer
- Thread is marked as Resolved.
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I was wondering what exactly does the volume mean
The main volume is last in the signal chain, so for instance in the case you mentioned, whatever level reaches it will be attenuated by 17dB.
... how does it impact my profiles if I change that setting.
It doesn't Brent; it's completely-transparent.
- What impact does rig volume have on this setting?
- If I increase that setting would that impact the main out?
- How does the volume of the effects effect the main output volume.As I said, the main-volume setting will attenuate whatever levels the above send to it by the amount you choose, which in this case is 17dB, so if you increase the level being sent via either of those mechanisms, the output level will increase by that amount.
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I would try to think of it just like an analog chain;
-guitar pickups/pots > effects can all change the volume of your signal
-when that signal hits the amp it can be compressed which means that there is a ceiling to the volume; If you make the effects or the guitar louder, the amp will just distort more but it will not get louder. This depends on the type of amp and how much headroom it has.
-after that stage the amp has a master volume that can make everything louder. (Long-press AMPLIFIER button)
-in the Kemper you get more fx after that (X, mod, REV, DLY) where you can also change the volume (inside the FX or by using a boost or EQ in 1 of the slots)
-After all that you finally have the Rig volume in the Kemper. Which is the normal 'volume' knop on Toaster/Rack and you can also get to it by long-pressing 'RIG' button (On the Stage this is the only option).
All these setting give you a huge amount of freedom to have all the parts of the chain interact in unique ways by adjusting their respective volumes. In the end you can set your Rig volume to balance this rig to your other rigs.
Most people unlink the 'Main out' volume and set it fixed to -18db because that is the digital equivalent of 0db on an analog soundboard. That way you will not clip the FOH and as long as your rigs volumes are balanced to the songs you will have a very happy sound engineer.
If you want to hear yourself on stage or in a rehearsal room, you normally use the 'monitor out' outputs. If 'main output' is unlinked (OUTPUT menu > page 2 > 'Main Out link'), you can turn the 'Master volume' knob to get the volume you want while the volume to the FOH soundboard stays the same
So in short, how certain am I that my main output volume is exactly -17db?
I'm not an expert on this subject and perhaps someone can explain it better than me but I can say that this is not the way to look at it.
The only thing you need to do is keep all your rigs at about the same level with Rig volume. When the Main output is fixed at -18db that is the ceiling. It is not what you will output. You probably will never touch it unless you have some Rigs that are (nearly) clipping. The actual decibels are up to the volume of the mixing desk and power amp behind that. The sound tech will make sure that the guitar sits well in the mix and you can adjust your master volume to monitor your own guitar and balance it to the rest of the band.
In a rehearsal space you can also use the main out instead of monitor but I wouldn't do that except if you specifically need the XLR out on the Kemper to connect is.
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The main volume is last in the signal chain, so for instance in the case you mentioned, whatever level reaches it will be attenuated by 17dB.
It doesn't Brent; it's completely-transparent.
As I said, the main-volume setting will attenuate whatever levels the above send to it by the amount you choose, which in this case is 17dB, so if you increase the level being sent via either of those mechanisms, the output level will increase by that amount.
Monkey_Man you were faster
I replied without seeing your answer. -
Nicky you are probably right as usual but it shows how confusing these thing can be. I always assumed that the way the Kemper controls level matching within the algorithms that the Main Output a 0db was 0dB FS ie running flat out before the digital signal clipped. Therefore, the reduction was relative to full scale n the same way as a metering on a DAW.
