Profile sounds different when tracking on DAW

  • Setup:

    Guitar -> Kemper -> main output (xlr stereo) -> Presonus audiobox -> Ableton Live


    When I monitor the profile directly from the audiobox the profiles sounds much better but if I use the DAW( arm the track and monitor) it looses certain quality about it. Doesn't have the same feel to it.


    Is it some issue with my interface? or does a DAW color the audio?

  • Audio interfaces converters do affect the sound, no doubt.

    Some more than others.

    You will find many posts covering that subject on this forum.

    It's probably not the interface because the direct monitor from interface sounds similar to the headphone out from the Kemper.(I'm using the main xlr outs to connect to the interface)


    It's only when I arm the track and monitor through the daw instead of directly monitoring the sound.

  • your DAw shouldn’t colour the sound unless you accidentally have some plugin engaged (such as compression on the master buss).


    check that you aren’t hearing the sound direct from the interface PLUS the sound routed through the DAW as you be getting phase cancellations when this happens.

    There are no plugins engaged in master bus.


    check that you aren’t hearing the sound direct from the interface PLUS the sound routed through the DAW as you be getting phase cancellations when this happens.

    Can you please elaborate on this? I didn't quite get it.


    Thanks

  • I'm not sure exactly what the options are on your interface but it might have direct monitoring (Zero Latency monitoring) features. This would be the equivalent of my old school approach.


    I send my KPA through a mixer before going to my Audio interface. When I record I can monitor the audio directly from the mixer or the the output from the DAW or both simultaneously (by accident because I forgot to mute one of them). There is a slight time delay between the two. This creates phase cancellation issues that can screw up the sound.

  • I'm not sure exactly what the options are on your interface but it might have direct monitoring (Zero Latency monitoring) features. This would be the equivalent of my old school approach.


    I send my KPA through a mixer before going to my Audio interface. When I record I can monitor the audio directly from the mixer or the the output from the DAW or both simultaneously (by accident because I forgot to mute one of them). There is a slight time delay between the two. This creates phase cancellation issues that can screw up the sound.

    You are right. My interface supports the option to monitor directly. Which is working fine.


    I make sure to mute the direct monitoring before arming the track to monitor from the DAW.

    This is the audio that doesn't have the punch or the fullness compared to direct monitoring.


    Maybe it's just a volume thing. But I'm sure there is a major difference.