Which soundcard / connection setup for lowest latency between Kemper Powerrack and Win 10 PC?

    Hi,

    I recently thought about getting a new sound interface. Currently, I use an old Tascam US-144 interface. I read about SPDIF and liked the idea about minimizing AD/DA transformation, so I tried to connect my interface with my Kemper via spdif, but it failed. I think it is time to retire my old soundcard and get a new one. My Budget is max 500€, but I think there may be a solution for 150-200€. Used gear maybe, if I can test it before (location: Germany)


    Here is my usecase:

    - Mainly home recording guitar/Bass. Just me alone, no band. 2-4 Channel should be enough

    - optional: XLR jack for recording via mic

    - Kemper & VST plugin use


    Current setup:

    - DAW: Reaper x64

    - PC: WIN 10 x64, Ryzen 3600, B450 Fatality MB, 32GB RAM, AMD 5700XT

    - Speaker: Teufel Concept C 200 USB (I know it is not the best for recording. Maybee I'll upgrade)

    - Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M50 -> often used for monitoring


    Questions:

    - which soundinterface? Cabling? Analog / Digital?

    - Latency: What can be achieved realistically?

    - PCIe vs USB ? Latency, EMC Shielding, ...?


    Thank you in advance for your suggestions

    Latency is only relevant if you are using the DAW for monitoring whilst recording. For example, you record vocals and use compressor and reverb plug VSTs as you sing.


    If you're connected to the Kemper, you can send a full sound and an unprocessed track to the DAW but unless you're using the DAW for effects, latency is irrelevant as you're monitoring the guitar directly from the Kemper, not through the DAW.


    Mine is usually set on maximum latency, unless I'm using a soft synth VSTi or really need a particular plug in whilst recording. I believe that some people overplay the importance of low latency universally.

    Quote from chu

    Latency is only relevant if you are using the DAW for monitoring whilst recording. For example, you record vocals and use compressor and reverb plug VSTs as you sing.


    If you're connected to the Kemper, you can send a full sound and an unprocessed track to the DAW but unless you're using the DAW for effects, latency is irrelevant as you're monitoring the guitar directly from the Kemper, not through the DAW.


    Mine is usually set on maximum latency, unless I'm using a soft synth VSTi or really need a particular plug in whilst recording. I believe that some people overplay the importance of low latency universally.

    Well, if i want to to play with a drumming backing track / metronom in my DAW, I need monitoring in my DAW. So latency between instrument and monitor is important for my usecase

    Nearly every sound card will have direct/hardware monitoring. And a lot of monitor speakers have multiple inputs. It doesn't matter that the drum track from the DAW has as much as 10 seconds of latency (other than it taking ten seconds to start after pressing play!) as you're playing into the ultra low latency Kemper. The output of that is split a) to the DAW and b) to the direct/hardware monitor outputs which has zero lag.


    If you record, the sound card has already measured the latency and knows how much compensation to add to the recorded track.


    The only thing that latency effects in the real world is DAW effects when tracking and soft synths. There's a lot of dick swinging on the subject which if you have a Kemper is irrelevant for guitar. I use a similar approach with synths, I use on board synth sounds and send that and midi to the DAW. I can leave the latency control on maximum and record and monitor with zero latency.


    It can rarely be an issue when micro editing loops but otherwise I'm far more interested in stability.

    I think the smaller version should also do the trick? Or am I missing sth? https://www.thomann.de/de/focusrite_scarlett_8i6_3rd_gen.htm

    Quote from HTStage

    Thank you, but unfortunately it has no SPDIF

    I thought that would matter to me too wanting to use my Kemper that way, (Why go analog to digital back to analog then to digital and back to analog when recording right?) But when I saw MBritt doesn't go S/PDIF I thought, If it's good enough for the King of Kemper, it's good enough for me!

    Quote from BayouTexan

    Check out the MOTU M2 and M4's. The specs show best in class for comparables. But they selling out everywhere.

    I had a M4, loved it especially for the displays but it didn't have the monitor functions I was used to and was a pain to get monitoring/playback levels where I wanted them as well as no DSP to add "comfort reverb" monitor only. I was used to a 1212M that had all kinds of mixing functions and the ability to add fx to the monitors without having to crank the buffer way down with latency from using a vst. so I returned it and Bought a Steinberg UR44C. Not as good of specs but nothing humans could tell the difference in a blind test. Works great and lets me plug the Kemper in stereo and have 2 pres for mics and 2 line ins for my Neve preamps. I usually just use the D-pres in the UR though they sound great.