About SPDIF Level Settings

  • Hi all,


    Hope to get some input on this. I have recently started recording again (I mainly play through my Kemper Cab) and have been playing around with the SPDIF level settings on my toaster. My Kemper goes into my Presonus Studio 1824c via SPDIF. Before getting the Kemper Cab, I always found that this setup sounded good but lacked headroom and punch for lack of a better term. The Presonus mixer allows me to boost the the SPDIF signal which I didn't do previously (I always kept it at 0dB and the Kemper SPDIF output at 0dB). I recently started boosting the mixer SPDIF signal anywhere from 1.00dB to 3.00dB and that brought out the punch and headroom I have been missing but then I get clipping on my interface. I remedied this by lowering the SPDIF signal from the Kemper to -2.0dB, set the mixer signal to 1.25dB, and also turned up my ADAM monitors quite a bit and the clipping has been tamed but still feel like I am doing something wrong. The clipping would happen with my Les Paul w/ PAF's and my PRS Custom that has Fishman Fluence Moderns even with taking the clean sense down quite a bit, mainly while palm muting. Again I am happy with the sound I'm getting with the above mentioned setup but just wondering how others are setting up their levels. Thanks

  • Once you're in the digital realm with SPDIF, changing the volume shouldn't affect the tone at all, as long as you're not clipping.

    BTW, what do you mean by punch and headroom? People use those terms to mean different things sometimes.

  • Once you're in the digital realm with SPDIF, changing the volume shouldn't affect the tone at all, as long as you're not clipping.

    BTW, what do you mean by punch and headroom? People use those terms to mean different things sometimes.

    Well when I turn up the SPDIF signal on the mixer it just sounds fuller as opposed to thin which it was before. At first I thought it was just a volume thing but turning up the monitor level only on my interface still sounds thin and less full if that makes any sense. Turning up the SPDIF level on the mixer, decreasing the SPDIF signal on the Kemper to-2.0, and turning up the individual monitors a tad remedied this.

  • I am not an expert on this stuff so hopefully someone more experienced like lightbox or Monkey_Man will chime in with a better answer. In the meantime, here is my best effort.


    If you have SPDIF above 0 you are going to get clipping. In the digital world 0db is measured on the dbFS scale which means decibel Full Scale. This is the highest point possible before clipping. If you lower the signal level you create more headroom not less.


    I’m not sure what you are hearing as headroom and punch but it is probably some form of distortion although digital clipping from exceeding 0dbFS is not usually considered a pleasant experience in the same way as driving analog gear into distortion is.

  • Correct weight, Alan. :thumbup:


    Gonzalez, are you sure you're not getting clipping at the Kemper's guitar input when palm muting?


    By raising the monitoring level as you have, you make it likely that you won't dig in as-hard whilst playing, so I think this could be why you feel you've tamed it but still hear clipping whilst palm muting.

  • Correct weight, Alan. :thumbup:


    Gonzalez, are you sure you're not getting clipping at the Kemper's guitar input when palm muting?


    By raising the monitoring level as you have, you make it likely that you won't dig in as-hard whilst playing, so I think this could be why you feel you've tamed it but still hear clipping whilst palm muting.

    No I am not getting clipping on the Kemper input only on my interface. I actually re-did everything last night. I set the SPDIF signal from the Kemper back to 0 dB, lowered the interface mixer SPDIF level to -1.00db, and raised the monitor levels up some more and no more clipping on the interface and sounds good. I usually keep my monitors at the 0dB center mark but the Kemper sounds much fuller with the levels set above 0dB. Thank you all for help.

  • hello, I need to help to setup about interface 1824 presonus with spdif. signal input its not arrive on the interface. I need to reamp one DI track to another track processed. does anynoe here to help me? thanks

  • hello, I need to help to setup about interface 1824 presonus with spdif. signal input its not arrive on the interface. I need to reamp one DI track to another track processed. does anynoe here to help me? thanks

    Did you set the input to SPDIF REAMP?


    Did you set the output of the DI track to SPDIF on the interface?

  • hello, I need to help to setup about interface 1824 presonus with spdif. signal input its not arrive on the interface. I need to reamp one DI track to another track processed. does anynoe here to help me? thanks

    Set the Direct Out on output menu of Kemper to Git Analog and send Direct Out to a TS input on the interface. That TS input goes to a separate track in DAW (call it DI Signal). After you record the DI then you send it back thru the SPDIF input to DAW and it comes out from the SPDIF output to a new track that is reamped. Something like that. I only have a non-SPDIF interface.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • You have to set the Input Source (Page 1 of Input) to either Return Input Reamp (for using TS) or SPDIF Input Reamp for using SPDIF. You do that after you have recorded the DI signal, not before.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • hey! I found out my trouble...It was just to turn off Universal control software that command interface. its was making looping about signals. to put it on bypass its solved it. thanks for everyone that help me here!