KPA main out to studio monitors way louder than through 2i2 interface

    Hello, I'm pretty new to this ,so please forgive any ignorance I may have.. I find the main out directly to studio monitors (and headphones) sounds way better than to my focusrite 2i2.. So my goal is to be able to hear the kemper straight through the monitors while playing along to backing tracks etc..(xlr main out to monitors, master volume is at like -60)... but for recording purposes ( instrument cable main out to 2i2, input gain at around 7.5) I can barely hear it, and the recording is weak. If I just go XLR main out master volume around - 29 to interface (input gain around 3) then all levels seem good, but the kemper doesn't sound as good. Any thoughts?

    I presume the 2i2 has Mix Control software like my Saffire 14. Have you checked the input settings on the 2i2 set up - ie is it expecting to see mic or line level input.


    Also, are you running standard instrument cables with TS connectors? The XLR outputs a balanced which wil be around 10db stronger than an unbalanced TS cable.


    If you can’t get the interface and connections to work there is a way to achieve what you described. Connect the interface outs with the tracks you want to play along with to the inouts on the back of the Kemper. Then go into the Output menu set it to Aux stereo and turn up the Aux to Main volume. The inout tracks will be blended with your Kemper. It is the same setup as you would use for IEM band monitoring on stage. There is a tuition video on the Kemper website and Youtube that covers it in detail.

    I also have am older Focusrite (2i4). Does yours have the little 'mic / line' switches? I think the new ones may not have those and they auto-detect it based on the connector used. If you use XLR, it will default to mic level and use its preamps. If using 1/4", it is line.


    I think you could get both speakers + 2i2 running simultaneously, main out to speakers and monitor out to the 2i2.


    I have it basically backwards - I have the main out going to a mixer at constant -18 db volume and the monitor going to powered monitor speakers (just in case I don't feel like powering everything on). I have the output volume knob unlinked from the main outs - I bet you could do it backwards and unlink it from the monitor. That way your monitors would always get -18db on that guitar cable and you would only have to set up the gain on the Focusrite once. The volume knob would still control your speaker volume though.


    Edit: just checked, page 2 of the output config, you can unlink the monitor level and set it to whatever constant you'd like.