Kemper connected to mixer - should mic pre-amp be used?

    Hi Guys!


    I have read a little bit about this. It seems like most people say that you should not connect the Kemper to a mic pre-amp on the mixer but
    rather select a channel that does not have a mic pre-amp. This means I need one (or two for stereo) XLR-to-TRS cable.


    What is the correct way? Does Kemper GmBH have an official recommendation?


    Regards
    Georg


    Since the profiler is able to deliver a pretty hot line level signal (if need be) there's indeed no need to use a mic preamp.
    Nonetheless it's totally fine to use an XLR-XLR connection which is the most common one in professional environments.
    The mixer channel input should be brought down to line level using the trim pot or pad switch on the mixer itself.
    The output level of the profiler should then be set -15 dB to -10 dB. These settings work very well.

    Great!


    Thanks! XLR-to-XLR does for some reason feel more proffesional.
    One guy wrote in his post that he set the output level on the Kemper
    to -20 dB which I got the feeling was the minimum. I'll try different levels
    to see where I end up.


    So there is no "double mic'ing" being done with colouring to the sound if using the mic pre-amp in the mixer?
    Ergo, I'm wondering if whatever a mic pre-amp brings to the sound is already part of a rig in the Kemper.

    So there is no "double mic'ing" being done with colouring to the sound if using the mic pre-amp in the mixer?.[/quote] No.


    Quote from george_007


    Ergo, I'm wondering if whatever a mic pre-amp brings to the sound is already part of a rig in the Kemper.


    A ’colouring' channel strip is often used in the studio.


    Also some professional profilers bring more expensive mic preamps into the signal chain.
    In the end the rule is: if it sounds good it's good.;)

    Actually you must not use the mic pre in the mixing desk. What ingolf wrote means to deactivate it! It's not a matter of coloration only, but of sensitivity, impedance, signal acceptance. IOW, a mic pre is much more prone to clip with a strong input signal, and is much more noisy because it introduces a further amplification stage.
    Basically, treat the KPA's signal as it came from a synth. I'm pretty sure every mixer has got a line-level input (or one that can be set as such).


    :)

    Thanks!


    Tested this today. I set the Gain for the mic pre-amp on the mixer to it's minimum
    and still the mixer was into "the red" on signal strenght for many of the distortion sounds.
    Lower the Master Volume solved that problem.


    Igolf suggested to use XLR-XLR cables and that was all I had in the rehersal studio
    so I used those. This means I used the mic pre-amp on the mixer.


    But, thinking about it I later realized that you can set the Main Volume in the Output Section
    as low as you want (seems like 95,8 dB is minimum). I checked mine when I got home and
    it was currently set to -27.4 dB and the Master Volume was at 1.0. (I lowered it to 0,5)


    Should not that be ok to lower the Main Volume so that the mixer gets a good signal
    or should I for some reason not use a mic pre-amp on the mixer at all? Viabcroce, you said
    I should not use it at all and then I need to get some TRS-TRS cables since the line input on
    the mixer (and I think most mixers) are actually using TRS-TRS for line.


    if that is so it can be a problem since many venues have an installed PA with XLR cables already
    available on stage and they are also probably plugged into the mic pre-amp on the mixer. So it does
    not help if i bring my own cables since the venues permanent installation many times means the
    cables are already there and well hidden going halfway across the room over to the mixer desk.


    Regards
    Georg

    TSR and XLR are both balanced lines, their efficiency in terms of sound quality is the same (provided that the mixer accepts balanced signals from the jack inputs). You can take two sets of cables with you, or even simple adapters for the XLR-TSR conversion.


    Generally speaking, if you skip the mic pre the sound will be better... Unless you are connecting a mic,
    What does your keyboar player use to connect their instrument(s) to the mixer? Do the same!


    :)