You can use SPDIF as a guitar input

  • Hi there,


    this isn't a question, more of a public service bit of information.


    I am using the SPDIF of the kemper to play my guitar through it with no problems.


    Here's why I am doing it.


    I have my kemper set up on my desk next to my computer with an RME fireface UCXII as an audio interface.


    I also use a Boss wireless transmitter to connect my guitar to the front input of the fireface as I sometimes use plugins on the computer.


    Anyway, I was thinking of ways of reducing the number of cables in my setup and realised that I could just send the analog input of the fireface out through the spdif and into the kemper.


    This means that my wireless cable can be permanently attached whether I'm using plugins or the kemper and I have also got rid of the audio cables from the back of the kemper to the audio interface - everything goes through spdif.


    I don't notice any latency and the audio is totally normal.


    As a side effect I found it really easy to set up my kemper kabinet into a w/d/w rig using my desktop monitors for the wet. Beautiful tones!


    I hope that helps someone.

  • I just cleaned up my setup and I think this would work well for me. Do you have to route the guitar channel to spdif in the daw? What do you have the spdif settings on the kemper? Thanks.

  • I'm usually pretty good at figuring these things out , but I'm stumped. I have a Stage. I can get Spdif to work when I plug the guitar into the Kemper, so I know the cables work. When I plug the guitar into a channel on the daw, I get a DI signal on channel one of daw. I set input to reamp. I set Spdif output to master stereo. No signal to spdif channels. Definitely confused at this point.

  • I'm usually pretty good at figuring these things out , but I'm stumped. I have a Stage. I can get Spdif to work when I plug the guitar into the Kemper, so I know the cables work. When I plug the guitar into a channel on the daw, I get a DI signal on channel one of daw. I set input to reamp. I set Spdif output to master stereo. No signal to spdif channels. Definitely confused at this point.

    check to see that your signal is getting from your interface to your kemper (put some headphones on the kemper), then plug a guitar into the kemper and check for signal from your Kemper into the interace - this should highlight where the issue is.

  • Also, maybe take the DAW out of the test.


    Just take the signal from the analog input of your mixer into the spdif and see how you go from there. I find every time I use a DAW it takes me 5 minutes of knob twiddling to hear anything because of some setting or other (!)