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Using a PC as an Amp

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  • 01-12-2003 1:37pm
    #1
    aodh_rua
    Registered Users Posts: 1,242 ✭✭✭


    Hi guys

    I want to get an electric guitar, but I don't have an amp. I think I can remember seeing a widget for connecting a guitar to a pc, and I was wondering if anyone had experience using one or better still if you could recommend one?

    Cheers!


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    #2
    Doctor J
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Bad idea.

    PC sound cards (unless you've bought good one specifically) are crap. Ditto for speakers.

    You'd pick up a cheap practice amp in Buy and Sell for far less that €50 if you look.


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    #3
    ferdi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,598 ✭✭✭ferdi


    i remember we used to put out guitars, vocals and bass thru a pa into a pc, the sound came out and could be recorded. it was very basic stuff of course, and the sound was shytish]

    i'dsay get an amp, pc speakers are generally shyte ans if you have the money to buy a good pet, better spend your money on a nice wee amp


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    #4
    musician.ie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 230 ✭✭musician.ie


    You'd need a fairly good soundcard with low latency ASIO or WDM drivers ( if you don't want to have a delay between playing and producing sound ) as well as a fast PC. If you want to experiment do a search for free VST hosts like synthedit ( http://www.synthedit.com ) which can host VST effects. Many VST effects are freeware, and there are some good guitar amp ones like green-machine. Have a look at http://www.kvr-vst.com which is one of the net's best kept secrets. Or ( shameless plug ) checkout http://www.musician.ie for the more general tutorial artciles which discuss the ins and outs of this technology....


    Ivan
    http://www.musician.ie


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    #5
    aodh_rua
    Registered Users Posts: 1,242 ✭✭✭aodh_rua


    Thanks for the input guys. My PC is pretty good - nForce sound and an AMD XP2500+ processor, but the speakers are just 2.1 Altec Lansing ones. Think I'll pick up a second hand amp instead.


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    #6
    M@lice
    Closed Accounts Posts: 296 ✭✭M@lice


    Could this b wat u were thinkin of?

    line6 guitarport

    A practice amp would b much cheaper then this gadget, but this thing sounds like alot of fun. Loadsa amp modles and effects and downloadable lessons etc. I don't won 1 myself but u shud talk 2 some1 who does 2 see if its wat u want. :)


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    #7
    mirv
    Registered Users Posts: 848 ✭✭✭mirv


    There's also a problem with the signal current, if I run my guitar straight to the pc, it tends to be treble-less and awful sounding, so there's almost no tone. But when I run it through any pedal, as long as its not true bypass, it'll give the guitar signal a bit of extra current, and the PC picks it up perfectly, so unless you've an active signal its gonna be bogey sounding.


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