Can I connect KPA directly to both two monitors (stereo) and an audio interface?

  • I’m asking cause my audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett 2i2) doesn’t seem to support panning, so if I go from KPA to 2i2 with 2 TRS cables I get mono audio from monitors connected to the 2i2.

    I’d really love to hear the stereo effects directly from the Kemper into the monitors and still be able to send the signal to the audio interface for recording without having to plug and unplug cables.

    Thanks

    Pippo

  • Yes you can.

    Thank you for confirming.

    Sorry but I'm a newbie, would this sound sensible to you or is there a better way?


    - Kemper Master Out to Monitors (2 XLR/XLR cables)

    - Kemper Master Out to 2i2 (2 TRS/TRS cables)... bypasses the preamp on the 2i2 would otherwise make the KPA clip

    - 2i2 outputs to KPA return and alternate input (2 TRS/TRS cables) so I can hear the backing tracks on the monitors too


    Thank you

  • Yeah this should work. ;)

  • I’m asking cause my audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett 2i2) doesn’t seem to support panning, so if I go from KPA to 2i2 with 2 TRS cables I get mono audio from monitors connected to the 2i2.

    I’d really love to hear the stereo effects directly from the Kemper into the monitors and still be able to send the signal to the audio interface for recording without having to plug and unplug cables.

    Thanks

    Pippo

    If you have a 2i2 3rd gen, it should support panning in the mixer control software, otherwise you can play through your DAW and get stereo panning from there. Just create 2 mono channels in your DAW and set their inputs respectively on 1 and 2, then you can pan channel 1 on the left and channel 2 on the right. It should work!


    About the sound quality, make sure to not hit your converters too hard and stay on green.

  • Unfortunately I have a gen 1 or 2... not sure how I can tell but definitely not a generation 3.

    My version doesn’t have any software.

    I would like stereo sound without having to go through my DAW.

    What’s the benefit of monitors through the audio interface anyway?

  • Unfortunately I have a gen 1 or 2... not sure how I can tell but definitely not a generation 3.

    My version doesn’t have any software.

    I would like stereo sound without having to go through my DAW.

    What’s the benefit of monitors through the audio interface anyway?

    It's just easier to connect and record: 4 cables instead of 6, free 2 Kemper outputs, free return and alternate input. If you record your guitar, you'd still have to open 2 channels and pan them in your DAW, and monitor from there (unless you want to record with your DAW channels muted). Also you may have some problems with latency and sound if you send your Scarlett out to your kemper in and back to your speakers, but if all that works there's no problem as long as you like the results.

  • hate to burst the bubble.

    But you know the 2i2 isn't stereo don't you ?

    I had the same setup and it did my head in not pinging ping pong delays etc.

    The 2i2 is 2 mono inputs.

    I just sold the 2i2 & put the money to a 2i4

    Problem solved.

    I'm going kemper into 2i4 using 2 x trs into pc with usb and into jbls with xlr connectors.

    Works great. Stereo effects, no noticable latency.

    Records well. Jams well. I just sleep my pc and hit a key and the kemper on.

    Or I just use headphones straight out of the kemper.

    Probably crude compared to some setups, but you've got audio out from your pc to your monitors aswell.

    Works great for the homie player

  • So.... epic failure so far.

    cheekyboy999 yes I know the 2i2 isn't stereo as I mentioned above so my bubble was burst otherwise.


    It sounds good, records well.... only problem is if I play a backing track and record whilst playing along the recording track is going back to the audio interface again.


    Can this be setup in the KPA? e.g. only have the input from jack routed to the master out jacks?

    If this can't be done, given I do want stereo playing, I see no other option but upgrading to another interface. Probably 6i6, SPDIF in and XLR/XLR to the monitors.

  • Not only that, you also get the guitar sound going to the speakers and the delayed sound going into your DAW on top of that, creating phase issues... that is why I gave you the simplest solution above: connect everything as usual (kemper to scarlett, scarlett to speakers) and open 2 channels in your DAW, panned left and right. You can save a project like that so it's quick to recall.


    I don't think you can set the kemper main outputs like that. If you get a new interface, yes go for spdif.

  • I'm a Bit lost

    What do u mean it's going back to the interface ??

    The Kemper is playing the computer audio to the main out as well as the monitors. So if I record, main out will be (guitar -> KPA) + computer sound.

    I obv want to hear the computer through the monitors but record only the guitar.

  • In the end I got to what I wanted.

    It was as easy as starting to use the monitor out.


    So:

    - TRS to TRS monitor output and direct output (with stereo option on to re assign direct as a second monitor); this goes into the audio interface. Aux -> monitor 0.0

    - XLR to XLR master output to the monitor speakers. Aux -> master 7.0 or as loud as you want

    - TRS to TRS from the audio interface output into the KPA return and alternate input


    It’s totally fine now. Can record only guitar while playing the backing track on the same speakers.


    You might ask why I use master for the speakers and monitor out for recording.... that’s cause currently I don’t have a TRS to XLR balanced cable. I will rectify that and flip the outputs.