S/PDIF question

[HannesITS]

Hi there,
first of all - if this question has been asked already I´m quite sorry for opening a new thread but I just didn´t find anything

Anyhow:
I want to record a dry and wet guitar track (with my kemper) and figured I´d do that via S/PDIF since I´ve heard that would deliver the best quality.
However I also heard that when I record both the wet and dry track simultaniously via S/PDIF the wet track will lose quality compared to recording it analog with a 1/4" ("main out" of the kemper).

Is that just a bullshit myth or is it actually true?

Hope someone can help me out!

 

[B36arin]

Bullshit. You can't get stereo out and DI at the same time since SPDIF is only two channels, but who records high gain guitars in stereo anyway?

 

[egan.]

Hi there,

However I also heard that when I record both the wet and dry track simultaniously via S/PDIF the wet track will lose quality compared to recording it analog with a 1/4" ("main out" of the kemper).

Bullshit.

 

[Line666]

Nah if anything the analogue out option would lose quality as its having to pass through an additional level of a/d conversion.

 

[HannesITS]

Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate it! So the best option really is to record both the wet and dry track simultaniously via S/PDIF?

 

[Jormyn]

Absolutely.

 

[Deadstar]

or u can get the di first (using the other output for monitoring) and reamp later into a stereo track if u really want it to be stereo.

 

[Heabow]

I did not record using the SPDIF yet on my Kemper. I actually still use my J48 to record DIs and so use the thru output to monitor and record the Kemper signal. Don't know really if it's slightly better or not than recording the two signals through the Kemper.

 

[TRUIE]

Don't know if the Kemper is good as a DI box,
But using the analog outputs will of course degrade the signal, as it involve a totally useless double conversion (D/A then A/D).

It's pretty easy to understand,
The Kemper is a digital piece of gear.
When you plug your guitar on it, it does a 1st A/D conversion, then process the signal.
And that's the ONLY conversion you need.
The best thing to do then is to send the audio to your DAW using the S/PDIF output, so that the signal stay in the digital realm.

If you go for the analog output :
- the Kemper does a D/A conversion then send it to the analog output
- then your soundcard will do another A/D conversion to record it to your DAW

It can be even worse if you're reamping using the analog I/Os, as you will do something like :
DAW/soundcard Out (D/A) > Kemper In (A/D) > Kemper Out (D/A) > DAW/Soundcard In (A/D)

That's 4 TOTALLY useless stages of conversion that will degrade your audio, when it's not needed to convert anything if you stay in the digital realm from the beginning.

So, S/PDIF all the way, as it's the only way to NOT degrade anything.

 

[HannesITS]

thanks a lot for all the answeres. That was some extremely helpful advice there!

 

[Heabow]

Don't know if the Kemper is good as a DI box,
But using the analog outputs will of course degrade the signal, as it involve a totally useless double conversion (D/A then A/D).

It's pretty easy to understand,
The Kemper is a digital piece of gear.
When you plug your guitar on it, it does a 1st A/D conversion, then process the signal.
And that's the ONLY conversion you need.
The best thing to do then is to send the audio to your DAW using the S/PDIF output, so that the signal stay in the digital realm.

If you go for the analog output :
- the Kemper does a D/A conversion then send it to the analog output
- then your soundcard will do another A/D conversion to record it to your DAW

It can be even worse if you're reamping using the analog I/Os, as you will do something like :
DAW/soundcard Out (D/A) > Kemper In (A/D) > Kemper Out (D/A) > DAW/Soundcard In (A/D)

That's 4 TOTALLY useless stages of conversion that will degrade your audio, when it's not needed to convert anything if you stay in the digital realm from the beginning.

So, S/PDIF all the way, as it's the only way to NOT degrade anything.

Yes, using the analog output is of course not the best option! My question was about the DI signal coz in my case the KPA is connected via SPDIF. I think using one more cable is a bit worse even if I use Somer cables which are great. Gotta try to record the DI with the KPA and compare.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

The spidf out of the Kemper is not a true DI.

If you record a DI via the spidf on the Kemper and then reamp via spidf into the Kemper, you are fine, it will work great. However...
If you record a DI via the spidf on the Kemper and then reamp out of your DAW into a pedal and then into your Kemper input, the signal will be fucked. Try it if you don't believe me.

 

[Arsonstudios]

The spidf out of the Kemper is not a true DI.

If you record a DI via the spidf on the Kemper and then reamp via spidf into the Kemper, you are fine, it will work great. However...
If you record a DI via the spidf on the Kemper and then reamp out of your DAW into a pedal and then into your Kemper input, the signal will be fucked. Try it if you don't believe me.

i used it that way before. just using the kemper for monitoring and reamping the di via radial xamp later on. worked fine.

how does the signal differ from a normal di signal? it pretty sure sounds like one to me

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

Well if it works for you great...

 

[Deathprayer82]

The DI quality of the Kemper is so far the best i ever had. Reamping guitars thru the Kemper recorded with instrument inputs on audiointerfaces or DI boxes work too, but to me there is a quality loss. I often feel/hear it in a bit "less good" or "gainy" gainstructure when reamping.
I recorded a whole record with the focusrite saffire instrument input...later i realized that and compared with same used guitar. Kemper DIs are cleaner too me

 

[HannesITS]

The spidf out of the Kemper is not a true DI.

If you record a DI via the spidf on the Kemper and then reamp via spidf into the Kemper, you are fine, it will work great. However...
If you record a DI via the spidf on the Kemper and then reamp out of your DAW into a pedal and then into your Kemper input, the signal will be fucked. Try it if you don't believe me.

Thats actually fantastic to know, thank you! But those DI´s are basically just my "backup" so If I had to reamp I would re-amp with my kemper anyway but it´s great to know nonetheless!