I'm at 0db with the - 12db active. Sound guy is happy.
I seem to recall that the TS outputs are hotter than a normal LINE LEVEL device. Which is what most devices want to see at their input. The Line Level standard.
In fact, it is 12 dB louder than a normal LINE LEVEL device. That is why there is a -12 dB option. To take it down to a normal level. I am not smart enough to know why it outputs such a high value. May have something to do with the balanced outputs?
So you have options:
- Run the -12 dB Pad ON and set your output to 0dB. ( So you get -12 out).
- Don't run the -12 dB Pad and turn your output to -12 dB. ( So you get -12 out).
Some pros may have experience with which way is better. Personally I leave the pad off and run -12dB on the volume. Anytime you amplify something you add noise. So why amplify the signal up to 0 dB then knock it down. But they may just be doing the math for you and subtracting the 12 dB from the user setting. Meaning both ways will sound the same because they are the same.
So your settings of -20 and the -12 pad means you are outputting -32 dB. A very low signal which may pickup noise etc on long runs.
So you have options:
- Run the -12 dB Pad ON and set your output to 0dB. ( So you get -12 out).
- Don't run the -12 dB Pad and turn your output to -12 dB. ( So you get -12 out).
Some pros may have experience with which way is better. Personally I leave the pad off and run -12dB on the volume. Anytime you amplify something you add noise. So why amplify the signal up to 0 dB then knock it down.
Kemper’s recommend process is to leave output at 0db and tick the -12db pad switch. The pad is after the output converters whereas the volume knob ois before the converters.
Kemper’s recommend process is to leave output at 0db and tick the -12db pad switch. The pad is after the output converters whereas the volume knob ois before the converters.
This makes perfect sense. I will switch mine 
Anytime you amplify something you add noise.
Not in the digital world. The signal to noise ratio stays as it is. You can easily check this inside any DAW with a null test. 
As long as you don't overshoot the converters but than you got clipping.
Kemper’s recommend process is to leave output at 0db and tick the -12db pad switch. The pad is after the output converters whereas the volume knob ois before the converters.
This is the way I set mine always.
If you set it that way and the person at the desk is having issues just say "I should be giving you around line level" and they should be right (or not at the desk if they don't know what you mean).
Not in the digital world. The signal to noise ratio stays as it is.
Correct. This is a good point to make!
I was thinking if the DSP chip put out a lower output (line level) you would have to amplify it up with an Op Amp etc. But the DSP seems to be putting out a higher voltage, so adding a pad to reduce its output is the correct thing to do.
I have some thoughts on this.
A lot of stageboxes/wall boxes feeding FOH mixers are primarily XLR, and most of what comes from stage via XLR is mic level, with most XLR inputs on most consoles being mic level and not switchable (often a separate TRS input). Even at minimum gain values, mic inputs could be adding +8 dBu or as much as +28 dBu, with the only option to Pad down the input, or if no Pad, run it through a DI and take it down to mic level first at source. This is a good reason for the output Pad.
Line level out of the Kemper into a mic pre at minimum gain, even with the -12dB output pad, could still be hot for a lot of preamps, but this is the same as signal from other line sources.
TS outputs are commonly -6dB compared to balanced outputs, whereas specs say they are the same, so I can see that catching people out. In fairness, plenty of engineers would guess that a TS output from your *pedalboard* would be Instrument level without looking further into it, but wouldn’t choose to run that to FOH anyway.
Lastly, given the noise floor of the Kemper D/A converters is going to be way below anything generated by a distortion effect, I wouldn’t have any worries about optimal levels when working below the 0 dBFS point in the output trim personally, with or without -12 dB engaged. (I also still have a sneaking suspicion that half of this pad function is in the digital domain -totally accept I could be wrong here.
