Kemper + synth guitar integration

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    Just wanted to share the latest rabbit hole the Kemper has led me down the past month. NO AFFILIATION with any company mentioned here — I'm just really excited about the new world of sounds this has unlocked for me and wanted to pass on my experience.


    I discovered an iOS App called MIDI Guitar 2. It converts polyphonic analog audio coming straight off the guitar to MIDI data. It also supports AUv3 inter-app audio, which means I can route that MIDI information to any synth App on my device. The tracking is really, really good, all things considered. I've bought standalone MIDI conversion devices that were straight garbage compared to this. The great thing about this App is it uses standard pickups, so I can run it from all my electrics and acoustics.


    So, for setup, I'm running the Kemper's Monitor Out into channel 1 of my FRFR. Pretty standard. I'm also running a second cable from the Kemper's Direct Out, configured as a dry guitar signal output, into a volume pedal and out to a 1/4" iOS guitar interface (I'm using an old GuitarJack 2) plugged into a 2016 iPhone SE. This I run into channel 2 of of my FRFR. The results are breathtaking. For the band I play in, I'm using an App called AUM to layer multiple synth sounds (mostly IK Multimedia Syntronik) on top of my guitar, which I blend in via the volume pedal. For Sunday mornings, I've been blending sampled strings in with my acoustic guitar from an App called iSymphonic Orchestra. And since it all runs into a single speaker, I control the blend myself with my feet — no soundperson required.


    Now I will say that, for as good as the tracking is, the latency is noticeable. But I feel like that's just a limitation of the hardware I'm using. With a more powerful device, like an iPad Pro or a laptop, I'll bet you could get the latency down to where you wouldn't have to "play around it."


    I'm happy to answer more specific questions or take photos of my setup. If you want synth-type sounds but don't want to go down this path, definitely check out paults incredible pad and synth patches on the Rig Exchange.

  • Thanks for the mention! :)


    Also, thanks for mentioning this app- I think I tried the initial version of it. I may give this a try, too :)

    Of course. Thanks for being so generous with your Rigs. Just a heads-up: the tracking on the free version of the iOS App is crippled. You've got to spend about $40 in in-app purchases to get the improved performance and remove the nag screen.