Kemper SPDIF reamp noise

  • Hello,


    If I record a DI signal via SPDIF with my Kemper Stage and then reamp it via SPDIF, I notice a subtle hissing.

    The DI track sounds reamped pretty much the same as playing the same profile with the guitar on the input.

    Except that in extremely quiet passages or pauses in playing, a background noise can be heard, which then, depending on the degree of distortion of the profile, is noticeable.

    The noise also occurs when no cable is connected to the input (i.e. when I create a Kemper DI track with no input signal and then reamp it). So I can rule out guitar and instrument cables (I've tried several anyway).

    I would have expected that if I stay on the digital level, there really is no noise floor.

    My question would now be, is this completely normal and am I just being too meticulous?


    My setup is relatively simple:

    I go from the Kemper to the RME Fireface UCX (and back) via SPDIF, the software of both devices is up to date.

    Nothing else is connected, I even removed the USB cable for the rig manager.

    Instead of my 5m long Cordial S/PDIF cable, I tried the original (slightly shorter) ones that came with my RME.

    No FX are active in TotalMix and Reaper.

    S/PDIF Clock is set to 44.1 kHz Internal in Kemper, Clock Source in the RME is set to SPDIF coax (of course also runs at 44.1 kHz) and Reaper of course also runs at 44.1 kHz.


    I record the guitar signal on one track and the stack on another.

    If I now play the DI track via the Kemper (Input Source: SPDIF Input Reamp), the level is as if I were playing the guitar into the Kemper (nothing clips and the gain sounds almost identical).

    Only that it rushes when I´m not playing (or playing very quiet).

    Below is a link to the DI signal and the reamped signal. When listening to the DI, you have to raise the level very far to perceive noise. It is then clearly audible when the signal is reamped.

    By the way, if I record a DI via the mainout, the noise is slightly louder.

    Normally that wouldn't bother me. In Reaper I simply cut away the silence at the beginning and end of the DI track and then there is no hissing when reamping. But knowing that I couldn't let the guitar ring out at the end of a song for example, is somehow unsatisfactory (you could of course also fade it out in the DAW).


    Is that the case with you too and don't you think it's that bad?


    [URL unfurl="true"]https://dl.dropbox.com/s/lrjwtzeav6j1tab/spdif%20DI.wav?dl=0[/URL]


    [URL unfurl="true"]https://dl.dropbox.com/s/m4k7i…em/spdif%20reamp.wav?dl=0[/URL]

  • Today I recorded a DI signal with my Palmer DI box and then reamped it (input source to SPDIF input reamp and master stereo to SPDIF output) and the noise was gone! Especially the nasty noise at about 3 kHz is completely gone!


    So it doesn't seem to be due to the inputs/outputs of the Kemper or the interface, but only to the DI signal that my Kemper outputs. I'll play around with the noise gate again and try other power sources. Or do a factory reset. If that doesn't help either I might have to send it in.

  • To round things off, I would like to continue my monologue here!🤣

    I've now plucked up all my courage and after making a backup, I've reset the Kemper to factory settings!

    After that, the noise in the DI signal was actually gone! :huh:

    That was reassuring at first, so I was shure there was no hardware defect and I didn't have to send the Kemper away.

    So my guess was that either the software had hung up or I had messed something up in a menu myself 😆

    Then I loaded one of my performances: still no noise.

    Then I took screenshots of all the menus and loaded my backup again: the noise was back!

    So I went through all the menus and in the end it was the Aux Input in the Output menu!

    Once I´ve turned up the aux input to the main outs during a rehearsal to give us all the click that I had played on my smartphone. So I connected my phone to the aux with a jack plug and then raised the volume fully because the output of my phone was so weak. Didn't think that a fully cranked aux, which is routed to the main outs, would still end up on the DI signal, but ok. Sounds weird, but learned something again.


    Error is thus fixed and can be booked under my own stupidity 🤣