Can some ELI5 line out, XLR out, TRS, S/PDIF, balanced/unbalanced, gain staging with an interface, and basically everything about running my signal out from my Kemper?

  • I know this is INCREDIBLY general and vague, but I am getting so confused with all the different options. I keep reading different forums and posts and everyone seems to have a different response based on a million different variables. Personally, I hardly know the difference between most of these things. I run my Kemper XLR out to my focusright. What volume should I have my Kemper at? I feels like it clips my focusright really easily, but if I lower my Kemper, then it seems like some other thing is affected.


    Should I be doing 1/4 inch? What about TRS? I thought TRS was the weird cable used in lieu of a midi cable? What about S/PDIF? What even is that? Then people are saying "do X, unless is unbalanced" or "do Y, unless X is balanced."


    I just want to plug and play, but I also want to make sure I am getting the best tone I possibly can. Im just confused rn.. Can anyone help? Or point me in the direction of a video/blog/forum/whatever that can help?


    Thanks!

  • if you don ´t know what all this means, i recommend to use quarter-inch TS-jacks to your interface, that avoids al lot of possible problems.

    Kemper output is hot, so don´t push the volume. use your interfaces line in and keep the gain low as possible.

  • Some interfaces will automatically assume that a microphone is connected as soon as they "see" an XLR input. From your description it sounds as if this is the case with your interface too. Use two simple TS cables instead and make sure that you do not set the input sensitivity on your interface to instrument but line level and you are good to go.