Connecting External Gear

    Hi


    I have a Kemper stage and currently designing external equipment signal flow, but not sure which loops to use and in which configuration and hoping someone can help me. Put simply I have a pedal board, a tube amp and a some hardware FX in a rack (EVENTIDE H3000, Lexicon MPX 1)


    My thinking is it would be best to take the Kemper send 1 output to the pedal board and then the output of that to my tube amp and then take the tube amp send to return 1 on the kemper in loop mono mode as the first stage. Then for wet FX connecting the Kemper send 2 to the input of the external rack and then taking the balanced output of the FX rack back to the Kemper return 3/4 in stereo loop mode? Not sure if I would need to do some sort of conversion, or amplify the fx output separately or whether the Kemper FX Returns would happily accept the balanced signal etc.


    Thanks in advance anyone who can help shine some light on this


    Steve

    If you are setting up to play live on stage then why go through all the hassle? Dump the tube amp and rack effects. Go Stage out to FOH and use a monitor or in-ears, or get an trouble-free SS amp out to some cabs.


    If you are setting up to record in a studio then dump the tube amp and rack effects, Go out to interface and use the H300 plugin and Kemper verbs.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

    Like 1

    Thanks for the comments. I don’t really play live at the moment and it’s more an experimentation and recording rig. The tube amp is because I want that particular sound for the most part but with the ability to bypass it and use one of several other software and hardware preamp and cab combinations that I have including those in the Kemper.


    I heard back from Kemper who confirmed the returns are balanced to that answers my FX rack question but still not sure whether external amps would be better inserted into the send 1 or send 2 chain from the Kemper and whether to use the distortion or loop mono setting etc

    I totally agree with Wheresthedug. When recording, you are not going to get the sound of the tube amp's cabinet but the sound of the mic's interpretation of that cabinet. Profiling your tube amp will open up more tonal possibilities that you can't get with the tube alone.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

    Like 1

    Yeah that makes a lot of sense once I have got to the point where I have settled on particular tones and want to perform, but in the meantime why would I not use my actual amp if I have it? Particularly if I can switch it in and out easily by using the loop module button on the Kemper.

    I’m not suggesting NOT using your actual amp but rather saying that trying to hook everything up in a single system is more hassle than its worth. When I want to use a real amp I use it. When I want to use a profile I use it. But trying to set everything up as a single permanently wired solution is often more trouble than just unplugging a few cables when require.

    Quote from Wheresthedug

    I’m not suggesting NOT using your actual amp but rather saying that trying to hook everything up in a single system is more hassle than its worth. When I want to use a real amp I use it. When I want to use a profile I use it. But trying to set everything up as a single permanently wired solution is often more trouble than just unplugging a few cables when require.

    this is good advice and probably where I will get to eventually. Doing so earlier would have certainly saved me at least many tens of hours messing around with preserving tone and isolating noise etc over the last few years. However for right now I have everything pretty much installed and just need to connect the amp into signal path so will be simpler to identify where to insert it rather than tearing it all down and starting from scratch. I have a kemper kabinet and signal tapped off to an interface for DI so it’s important I preserve some of the setup. The question also will eventually become how do I integrate my different amps when I want to use them as I will likely at some point want to take a DI and record and even if a temporary setup that question will still come up. This is why I am trying to understand if it’s more appropriate to plumb an amp into send 1 or send 2 and whether to use the distortion or loop option.

    Quote from Wheresthedug

    OK. I don't have a Stage so only have one Loop rather than the two you have. In general terms I don't think it will matter whether use Loop 1 or 2 to connect as you can place either of them anywhere in the signal chain on a rig by rig basis.

    Nice one thank you. Would you use the loop mono or loop distortion option in the loop?

    Quote from urbanvictim

    Nice one thank you. Would you use the loop mono or loop distortion option in the loop?

    I would just try both and see what works for you. A lot will depend on what pedals are being used.

    Quote from Page 271 main manual


    The Loop Distortion is made for connecting distortion pedals to the PROFILER and is only in mono. The feature unique to this loop, is that any volume boost of a preceding effect will be applied to the DIRECT OUTPUT/SEND jack, thus driving the external distortion pedal. This is what you would expect, anyway. The regular Loop Mono and Loop Stereo do this differently: here, the volume boost of a preceding effect will be applied after the return of the loop. The send level will be unaffected, so the connected effect will not be overdriven. The regular Loop Mono and Loop Stereo are suitable for all non-distorting effects.