I did some experiments with the 4 cable method with my Mesa Triple Crown Amp. I thought I would detail the process since I couldn't find any good instructions on this before I started.
Kemper 4 cm Step by Step with Mesa TC-50
- Guitar into Kemper guitar input
- Kemper Monitor out to Mesa fx return (Master Mono selected)
- Kemper Direct Send to Mesa guitar input (Guitar plus Processing selected)
- Mesa fx loop send to Kemper Return input
Notes:
- Pedals can be added in the Direct send path for added ridiculousness in front of amp but will be post any stomps, stack, or effects pre KPA loop location when Kemper fx loop is active.
- Setting Direct Send to Guitar Analog is like a buffered bypass when loop is off on Kemper.
- KPA Return input is only receiving signal when both loops are on.
- Mesa effects loop return is disabled when Mesa loop is off and, as a result, KPA monitor out signal is killed.
- Both loops on. Guitar signal is digitized, fed through KPA stomps, stack, and effects up to Kemper loop location, D/A conversion, sent through Mesa preamp, A/D conversion, fed through effects to end of KPA chain, D/A conversion, sent via Mon Out to Mesa power Section. Magic.
- Kemper loop off, Mesa loop on. Guitar signal is digitized (unless manually reset Direct Out to Guitar Analog), D/A conversion, sent through Mesa preamp and killed by inactive Kemper return input, original signal continues through Kemper stomps, stack, and effects unhampered to end, D/A conversion, Mesa power section. Magic. I.E. Kemper chain, Mesa Power section. Great for DI profiles but will be recolored and amplified by Mesa power tubes. Great if profiled preamp only.
- Kemper loop on, Mesa loop off. Guitar signal is digitized (unless manually reset Direct Out to Guitar Analog), fed through anything pre loop location on Kemper, D/A conversion, fed through Mesa input to speaker. Magic. No post KPA loop effects in this case.
- Both loops off. Guitar signal is digitized (unless manually reset Direct Out to Guitar Analog), D/A conversion, sent through Mesa input to speaker. Magic. This is where it would be beneficial for the Direct Out to revert to Guitar Analog. Essentially, that would mean the signal would stay pure analog.
- Volume leveling can be tricky. Adjust clean sense for guitar level input, decouple Monitor Out from Master volume knob via outputs page, adjust KPA loop volume for unity (cycle KPA loop on/off for testing) with Mesa loop off, adjust monitor out volume on output page for unity (cycle Mesa loop on/off to check). Recommend storing the entire output section as a preset when finished.
- Front of house. In case of the Mesa TC-50, you can utilize the Cab Clone output Direct to the sound engineer. Alternatively, use the line out into a Two Notes CAB or Wall of Sound iii plugin.
- Next steps...Must learn Kemper midi to Mesa to eliminate the Mesa remote. Must try to profile a pedal by itself. A Klon maybe. I would like to see how it sounds in front of the Kemper loop. I.E. A profiled pedal in front of my real amp.
Limitations and opportunities for possible patch fixes.
- Kemper sets Direct out to (guitar plus processing) once Kemper loop has been activated at least once. If you initially set Analog, you have to manually change it back.
- It would be nice to have a stack off button in the Monitor out path similar to the cab off. This would let people play their amp but send the Profile of that amp thru the mains. Because, nothing sounds more like the amp in the room sound than THE amp in THE room.
