Up until now I've used a line 6 UX 2 as computer interface for guitar & external sound card for my PC then for my Mac.
Sadly there's no spdif into the Line 6 so I can't use as sound card without losing quality.
Can anyone recommend an external sound car that will work well with Mac for me to plug the spdif output of the kemper into ?
Recommendations for a sound car that will work well with Mac
- Pobinr
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Up until now I've used a line 6 UX 2 as computer interface for guitar & external sound card for my PC then for my Mac.
Sadly there's no spdif into the Line 6 so I can't use as sound card without losing quality.
Can anyone recommend an external sound car that will work well with Mac for me to plug the spdif output of the kemper into ?I made the same transition from Line 6 gear to a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 for my MacBook Pro.
Totally recommended! -
Thank you. I will get one of those then.
Incidentally do you use the Line 6 in series just so you can use any old favourite sounds from it ?
Or do you find the Kemper to be so superior as it is that no need for the Line 6 ? -
Believe me you will not need Line 6 Gearbox anymore with your KPA!
However the KPA can't be used as a plug in but you can use the KPA for reamping.
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+1.
Enter Kemperworld and don't look back.
I don't miss ANY of my previous Line 6 tones. -
I just bought a Focusrite 8i6 for the same reasons as you, to give me an optical input to my mac for use with the Kemper (and also to output the sounds to my studio monitors.
Only set it up last night. Took 5 minutes and everything appears to be working from the Mac side of things. Tonight I'll connect the Kemper up and try recording something.
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The focusrite has more inputs & outputs than I need by the looks of it. I don't have a studio. But I do want very good quality. There's this for Mac but looks expensive http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/duet.php
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No SPDIF with the Duet.
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I just bought a Focusrite 8i6 for the same reasons as you, to give me an optical input to my mac for use with the Kemper (and also to output the sounds to my studio monitors.
Only set it up last night. Took 5 minutes and everything appears to be working from the Mac side of things. Tonight I'll connect the Kemper up and try recording something.
How did the set up go ?
When you say optical in. Do Macs have optical in ? -
How did the set up go ?
When you say optical in. Do Macs have optical in ?No, they don't, but there are adapters optical-SPDIF
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I would have thought as USB has Mhz of bandwidth that 98khz audio would be fine. Does the Focusrite have USB out ?
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How did the set up go ?
When you say optical in. Do Macs have optical in ?No, the new iMac's do not have an optical /SPDIF input, so getting the USB focusrite gives my a direct input to my Mac from the Kemper.
Tried a bit of recording last night and it all worked well (just had to reduce the SPDIF output level in the Kemper to -2dB to avoid clipping in the DAW). -
I would have thought as USB has Mhz of bandwidth that 98khz audio would be fine. Does the Focusrite have USB out ?
Yeah, the focusrite has a USB out to connect it to your MAc/PC.
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I have been using an Audiofire4, from Echo. Once you figure out which driver version to use (I had a little trouble with this), it's rock stable, absolutely quiet and sounds very good. It has the spdif i/o, works great with my MBP and the KPA.
It's FW though... If this isn't a show stopper for you, it's a great bang for the buck!
Hope this helps
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Can strongly recommend the compact Motu UltraLite Hybrid MK3. http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/ultralite-mk3
Small sized, field-ready, firewire & usb, spdif, enough in/outs and last not least very good sound quality.
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I didn't see you mention a budget, but RME stuff is top-notch. I have an RME FireFace 800 that is rock solid with my Mac and KPA.
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Thanks for those recommendations. However I don't need a mixer or reverb or software or anything like that the Motu Ultralite MKIII hybrid has which costs over £400 or any of the others with 20 inputs & outputs. They are not what I need. Though I'm sure they are brilliant if you have a recording studio.
I don't quite understand why the Kemper doesn't include sound out in USB form so then there'd be no need to shell out for a sound card!
Computers don't have spdif in. They have USB in. Every other Kemper owner is using their Kemper into a computer so why no USB out from the Kemper?
Why no computer interface also as it's such a faff to rename profiles etc.
Anyway I need a simple sound card to take the spdif out of the Kemper & convert to USB for my Mac so I can then record my guitar playing using Audacity. Don't need dozens of inputs & outputs, but I do want top notch sound quality. I'm guessing the FOCUSRITE SCARLETT 8I6 as recommended best fits bill ? -
The Focusrite Scarlett is fine.
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Just bought a Roland Quad capture, there are some mac drivers, with a SPDIF input.
Take a listen to my 5 latest recording , but it sound very transparent & rich to me: https://soundcloud.com/waraba/red-dog-sick-home
Much better buffers than on my previous Line6 ux1 and it come very cheap 250€. I had mine 2nd hand with a shure sm57 for 200€.
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Someone mentioned optical input to Mac. In addition to four USB3 inputs, My new 27" Mac has thunderbolt inputs. Are they optical ?
If so do the sound cards mentioned here have that output to go into my Mac ?
Though USB must have enough band width for audio surely. Maybe thunderbolts is just needed for video or very fast data transfer ?