OK guys, here we go (drumroll):
I´m finally going to use the Axe and the Kemper together, using the Kemper in the FXLOOP of the Axe with the 4 cable method (thu I´m not sure if I need the 4th cable, I´ll let you know why some lines below and ask your oppinion).
Why have I taken this decission???
1 - I´ve tested that the Kemper sounds EXACTLY the same when run directly (Guitar--->Kemper----> DAW/Poweramp+cabinet) than when I use the Kemper in the Axe Fx II FXLOOP (Guitar----> Axe--->Kemper in the Axe FX II FXLOOP-----DAW/Poweramp+Cabinet).
Why am I saying something that should be obvious????. Well, when I tested the Axe and the Kemper 2 years ago, I noticed that the Kemper sounded different (better) when runned directly than when runned inside the Axe FX FXLOOP.Did a lot of tests, and no matter what I touched, adjusted or tried, the Kemper lost some of his "mojo" when run inside the Axe FX II FXLOOP.Believe me, I A/B´d a lot of times.I don´t know if the Axe has improved the connections of the FXLOOP block or whatever...is maybe is because in the test I made 2 years ago I was running the Axe by USB to my DAW and now I´m doing it thru the OUTPUT 1 to a M- AUDIO FAST TRACK PRO...is the only difference, I don´t know, maybe the USB interface "sucked" some of the Kemper tone....don´t really know, havent tried to do it thru USB again and test, maybe is just that I made a mistake two years ago when testing..... I will test that in the next days.
My test was, one track recording from the SPDIF OUT of the Kemper, another track recording the same signal BUT from the Axe OUTPUT 1 putting the Kemper in the Axe Fx II FXLOOP, blank preset with just one FXLOOP block, so, when I played the guitar connected to the Axe, the guitar was also going to the Kemper and, out from the Kemper SPDIF OUT directly to the DAW and another signal that was procesed by the Kemper and sent to the Axe FX II RETURN, so I could record both tracks at the same time, one recorded directly from the Kemper and another one recorded from the Axe FX II OUTPUT, being the Axe Fx II preset just a FXLOOP, so it was just the Kemper sounding thru the Axe FX Loop.
Both signals were IDENTICALLY, so, the AXE FX II FXLOOP doesn´t color the Kemper signal.
That was very very important for me, that was the main reason because I sold the Axe II 2 years ago, as far as it coloured my Kemepr siganl and couldn´t use both units together, I decided to stick with the Kemper and sell the Axe II.
2 - Now that I can have my beautiful / unaltered Kemper tones inside a FXLOOP block of the Axe FX II, I can use all the flexibility of the Axe FX in editing, also use all the wonderful Axe FX II presets / tones without giving up the Kemper tones.And also I´m able to add the wonderful Axe FX II efects to my favourite Kemper raw amp tones.Resuming, I can have the best of both worlds.I can get and MFC for the Axe and also control the Kemper MIDI THRU.I can make as many presets in the Axe FX as I want using this or that profile, all I have to do is put the FXLOOP block in the Axe (wich is really the Kemper) and assign the MIDI number of that preset to the desired Kemper Profile. EASY!!!!!.And what about "Mixing" and Amp+Cab Blocks of the Axe in paralel with a FXLOOP wich contains a killer Kemper Profile???? Two differents amp in STEREO, Kemper+Axe FX power!!!! Amazing possibilities here, I think I´m getting dizzy .......
3 - I can use that Axe FX II + Kemper "ULTIMATE TONE RIG", also known as the "RODNEY KING RIG" (Can't we all just get along?) directly to my DAW or even to a poweramp+Cabinet, disabling all Axe and Kemper Cabinet and poweramp sims off (yes, I know that the Kemper poweramp sims can´t be turned off, but they sound GREAT in my Mesa 20:20 anyway....)
Here is a pic of my connection in the back of both units using the 4 cable method:
This is how I use the 4 Cable Method....thu I think I can get ride of the RED cable, please guys, read what I do and help me with that question!
1- Guitar into the Axe FX II front INSTRUMENT INPUT
2- Axe FX II Output 1 (L unbalanced) into the Kemper Return input (RED cable)---> I think I can get rid of this cable, because I guess this one just takes the processed signal of the Axe (lets say a Axe FX II Presets with amp and cab) into the Kemper FX LOOP Return, so you could use the Axe FX II inside the Kemper FX LOOP and add effects or EQ or whatever with the Kemper....I don´t want to do that, I just wanna use the kemper inside the Axe FX II FXLOOP, so I can get rid of that cable, right???
3- Axe FX II Output 2 (L unbalanced) into the the Kemper Alternative Input ---> (Makes sense, that takes the MONO signal of the guitar to the Kemper for processing)
4- Kemper Main Outputs (L and R unbalanced) into the Axe2 FX Return (Input 2) (2 BLACK Cables)----> Kemper signal procesed back to the Axe FX II in STEREO, so yopu can use some of the Stereo posibilities of the Kemper.
5- Axe FX II Output 1 (L and R Balanced or TRS Unbalanced, your choice) into the M-Audio Card or the Poweramp Stereo Inputs.
I/O Settings Axe FX II in the Audio Menu:
Main Input Source- Analog (In 1)
Input 1 Left Select- FRONT
Input 1 Mode- LEFT
Input 2 Mode- STEREO
Output 1 Mode- STEREO
Output 2 Mode- L+R SUM
So....I guess this is it!.
I´m exhausted, whole day testing / trying, but I think I finally got it!!!!!
Share your thoughts / oppinions (and let me know if I´m right with my supposition about getting rid of the RED Cable!)
Peace!
P.S. Yes, I´m gonna get a 6U rack for putting this shit together.....
I´m finally going to use the Axe and the Kemper together, using the Kemper in the FXLOOP of the Axe with the 4 cable method (thu I´m not sure if I need the 4th cable, I´ll let you know why some lines below and ask your oppinion).
Why have I taken this decission???
1 - I´ve tested that the Kemper sounds EXACTLY the same when run directly (Guitar--->Kemper----> DAW/Poweramp+cabinet) than when I use the Kemper in the Axe Fx II FXLOOP (Guitar----> Axe--->Kemper in the Axe FX II FXLOOP-----DAW/Poweramp+Cabinet).
Why am I saying something that should be obvious????. Well, when I tested the Axe and the Kemper 2 years ago, I noticed that the Kemper sounded different (better) when runned directly than when runned inside the Axe FX FXLOOP.Did a lot of tests, and no matter what I touched, adjusted or tried, the Kemper lost some of his "mojo" when run inside the Axe FX II FXLOOP.Believe me, I A/B´d a lot of times.I don´t know if the Axe has improved the connections of the FXLOOP block or whatever...is maybe is because in the test I made 2 years ago I was running the Axe by USB to my DAW and now I´m doing it thru the OUTPUT 1 to a M- AUDIO FAST TRACK PRO...is the only difference, I don´t know, maybe the USB interface "sucked" some of the Kemper tone....don´t really know, havent tried to do it thru USB again and test, maybe is just that I made a mistake two years ago when testing..... I will test that in the next days.
My test was, one track recording from the SPDIF OUT of the Kemper, another track recording the same signal BUT from the Axe OUTPUT 1 putting the Kemper in the Axe Fx II FXLOOP, blank preset with just one FXLOOP block, so, when I played the guitar connected to the Axe, the guitar was also going to the Kemper and, out from the Kemper SPDIF OUT directly to the DAW and another signal that was procesed by the Kemper and sent to the Axe FX II RETURN, so I could record both tracks at the same time, one recorded directly from the Kemper and another one recorded from the Axe FX II OUTPUT, being the Axe Fx II preset just a FXLOOP, so it was just the Kemper sounding thru the Axe FX Loop.
Both signals were IDENTICALLY, so, the AXE FX II FXLOOP doesn´t color the Kemper signal.
That was very very important for me, that was the main reason because I sold the Axe II 2 years ago, as far as it coloured my Kemepr siganl and couldn´t use both units together, I decided to stick with the Kemper and sell the Axe II.
2 - Now that I can have my beautiful / unaltered Kemper tones inside a FXLOOP block of the Axe FX II, I can use all the flexibility of the Axe FX in editing, also use all the wonderful Axe FX II presets / tones without giving up the Kemper tones.And also I´m able to add the wonderful Axe FX II efects to my favourite Kemper raw amp tones.Resuming, I can have the best of both worlds.I can get and MFC for the Axe and also control the Kemper MIDI THRU.I can make as many presets in the Axe FX as I want using this or that profile, all I have to do is put the FXLOOP block in the Axe (wich is really the Kemper) and assign the MIDI number of that preset to the desired Kemper Profile. EASY!!!!!.And what about "Mixing" and Amp+Cab Blocks of the Axe in paralel with a FXLOOP wich contains a killer Kemper Profile???? Two differents amp in STEREO, Kemper+Axe FX power!!!! Amazing possibilities here, I think I´m getting dizzy .......
3 - I can use that Axe FX II + Kemper "ULTIMATE TONE RIG", also known as the "RODNEY KING RIG" (Can't we all just get along?) directly to my DAW or even to a poweramp+Cabinet, disabling all Axe and Kemper Cabinet and poweramp sims off (yes, I know that the Kemper poweramp sims can´t be turned off, but they sound GREAT in my Mesa 20:20 anyway....)
Here is a pic of my connection in the back of both units using the 4 cable method:
This is how I use the 4 Cable Method....thu I think I can get ride of the RED cable, please guys, read what I do and help me with that question!
1- Guitar into the Axe FX II front INSTRUMENT INPUT
2- Axe FX II Output 1 (L unbalanced) into the Kemper Return input (RED cable)---> I think I can get rid of this cable, because I guess this one just takes the processed signal of the Axe (lets say a Axe FX II Presets with amp and cab) into the Kemper FX LOOP Return, so you could use the Axe FX II inside the Kemper FX LOOP and add effects or EQ or whatever with the Kemper....I don´t want to do that, I just wanna use the kemper inside the Axe FX II FXLOOP, so I can get rid of that cable, right???
3- Axe FX II Output 2 (L unbalanced) into the the Kemper Alternative Input ---> (Makes sense, that takes the MONO signal of the guitar to the Kemper for processing)
4- Kemper Main Outputs (L and R unbalanced) into the Axe2 FX Return (Input 2) (2 BLACK Cables)----> Kemper signal procesed back to the Axe FX II in STEREO, so yopu can use some of the Stereo posibilities of the Kemper.
5- Axe FX II Output 1 (L and R Balanced or TRS Unbalanced, your choice) into the M-Audio Card or the Poweramp Stereo Inputs.
I/O Settings Axe FX II in the Audio Menu:
Main Input Source- Analog (In 1)
Input 1 Left Select- FRONT
Input 1 Mode- LEFT
Input 2 Mode- STEREO
Output 1 Mode- STEREO
Output 2 Mode- L+R SUM
So....I guess this is it!.
I´m exhausted, whole day testing / trying, but I think I finally got it!!!!!
Share your thoughts / oppinions (and let me know if I´m right with my supposition about getting rid of the RED Cable!)
Peace!
P.S. Yes, I´m gonna get a 6U rack for putting this shit together.....
Last edited:
