Computer based music

JimmNeutron

Sorry if this seems a stupid question but what is the best way of plugging a guitar direct to a computer to use software like amplitube or guitar-rig?
I have heard of running it through a mixer, would this work or can anyone suggest better?

-=al=-

the computers line in!

yo'll need a 1/4" > 1/8" jack but thats the simplist easy way

other than that u can get audio interfaces, im sure someone here can recomend one

JimmNeutron

i have tried it before, but not with programs like these mind you, and it never worked for me tho?

feylya

Guitar straight into a computer won't work. Get something like a Toneport. About €130 from Thomann.

Voodu Child

Straight into a computer WILL work, but youre better off with a toneport or similar

feylya

Well, it'll work if you want it sounding ****e. Guitar has neither the right impedence nor enough signal to work.

Kingsize

through a mixer works fine but you'll at least need a half decent soundcard.
Guitar rig works as a stand alone so you wont need host software.

Voodu Child

feylya wrote:

Well, it'll work if you want it sounding ****e. Guitar has neither the right impedence nor enough signal to work.

Plenty of soundcards have instrument level inputs.

But, yeah, it will sound sh*te regardless

feylya

Never in my travels have I come across a "normal" sound card that has instrument level inputs. Line input and microphone inputs only.

-=al=-

i do plug it into my podxt mind you.. probably shoulda mentioned that lol oops

Voodu Child

feylya wrote:

Never in my travels have I come across a "normal" sound card that has instrument level inputs. Line input and microphone inputs only.

Its a few years since ive done any recording, but im pretty sure any external sound card i ever used to use had instrument level inputs.

In any case, usb interfaces seem to be the way to go these days.

Beecher

JimmNeutron wrote:

Sorry if this seems a stupid question but what is the best way of plugging a guitar direct to a computer to use software like amplitube or guitar-rig?

Regardless of how you plug it in without a decent soundcard with Asio drivers you will not be able to use these programs in real time as the latency will be too high.

jimi_t

Cheapest way of doing it would be to borrow a cheap Zoom multifx off someone, and then get a 1/4" to minijack (headphone) adapter and plug it directly into your mic-in. Alternatively, if your amp has recording out then you can use that. Basically you need a pre-amp in the signal path to get the right output. Be forewarned that latency issues will be very annoying if you're planning to monitor from your computer speakers - i.e. you'll either have to record 'deaf' or use the secondary output for monitoring as everything you play will come out about half a second later through the computer speakers.
Best application for multitrack recording (and its free) is Audacity.

feylya

Don't plug preamps or multifx into the mic input. They produce line levels and should be plugged into the line in

novarock

You couls use an M -Audio fast track. they're abour €100 from thomann. small external soundcard with one instrument input.

jimi_t

feylya wrote:

Don't plug preamps or multifx into the mic input. They produce line levels and should be plugged into the line in

I dunno, I'm sure from a technical point of view that you're right, but from a practical point of view I've been recording using the AUX out of my Cube into the mic Input with no difficulty at all. The levels are fine with no distortion or signal noise (barring the general crappiness of built-in soundcard). With a smidgen of compression and one of those de-hiss plug-ins it sounds great. In either case, laptops generally don't have a line-in so, wrong or not, I'm stuck with it :cool:

Alternative to either idea is to record it using one of those mini-recording yokes that use SD or MMC cards. Then you just pop these into your computer and have the .WAV file already there with no fussing

feylya

jimi_t wrote:

In either case, laptops don't have a line-in

Mine has and there's nothing special about it. Of course, I can't use my laptop for recording as it is

Den_M

Toneport ftw!