[Madison]

Hi all,

What do you use to connect your guitar to your computer? Anyone have any luck either good/bad with any adapter in particular?

Thanks,
Tom

[Andhee]

Hey, use an ordinary guitar lead with a 1/4" jack to 1/8" jack on the end, plug the adaptor into the line in. Everything will work then, its proper quality, I do it all the time!

This is what you need: Maplin > 3.5mm Stereo Plug to 3.5mm Mono Socket Adaptor

[turtle777]

Uhm, ok, what KIND of guitar ?
Electric, acoustic with built-in pickup, acoustics w/o pickup ?

In general, you'd need at least a pre-amp or a DI box to get your guitar signal to line level.
To get better results, you'd probably want some speaker simulation go in between, or use a line out from a guitar amp.

-t

[Madison]

Oops, sorry. Electric guitar, and I have an amp already. I was just wondering what the rest of you use. I saw an adapter for $15 that plugs into your amp and has a USB port on it, you just plug it in and go. I just didn't know if anyone else had something better/different they recommended.

Thanks,
Tom

[James L]

Originally Posted by Andhee 

Hey, use an ordinary guitar lead with a 1/4" jack to 1/8" jack on the end, plug the adaptor into the line in. Everything will work then, its proper quality, I do it all the time!

This is what you need: Maplin > 3.5mm Stereo Plug to 3.5mm Mono Socket Adaptor

That will get you a weak signal into GB, but you really want to boost it to a line level signal for the best results.

If your amp has a line out you can take your input from there:

guitar --> amp --> amp line out --> Mac.

If your amp has a speaker out DON'T connect that to your computer!

Otherwise a DI box that will boost the signal to line level works:

guitar --> box --> mac

There are a lot of these kind of things out there. Here's one:

M-AUDIO - Fast Track USB - Record Guitar and Vocals on Your Computer—Complete with Effects

[iMOTOR]

This is what I use:
M-AUDIO - Fast Track Pro - 4 x 4 Mobile USB Audio/MIDI Interface with Preamps

Highly recommend.

[Andhee]

For non pro use, you don't actually need a pre-amp as the mac acts like one. The signal can be changed to mono in garageband settings, and it is perfectly fine, sounds amazing. The signal isn't weak either. You'd be sorted if you bought one of those adaptors I showed you before.

You don't want to plug your guitar into an amp and then into your mac, as it'll blow your mac up (not like explode, it'll just mash it in).

I've had first hand experience of plugging my guitar in to my mac, I do it every week, so you can believe me 100% as I am not wrong.

[Laminar]

I use an iMic, and I've found the sound quality is MUCH better when compared to going straight into the audio in port on the computer.

[Andhee]

The quality through my audio input is pretty decent, especially when theres the garageband effects put on etc.

[James L]

Originally Posted by Andhee 

You don't want to plug your guitar into an amp and then into your mac, as it'll blow your mac up (not like explode, it'll just mash it in).

Wrong.

Mac audio input is line level (at least on my machine). You can search the Apple support knowledge base to confirm this. If you take a line out from an amplifier and send it to your audio input (which is line level) on your Mac you will not have problems.

From Apples website:

GarageBand: Real Instruments sometimes can't be heard while recording

Most computers have line level inputs. Such inputs are designed to accept signals that have been pre-amplified. Run the instrument or mic through a pre-amp, and connect the line-level output of the pre-amp to the computer audio input. Alternatively, there are many FireWire or USB audio interfaces that offer built-in pre-amps.

If you take a line from the speaker output you can most certainly do some damage though, which is why I cautioned against it above.

[James L]

The above is not to say that you can't plug your guitar straight into the Mac, but it will be instrument level and not a pre-amped line level. The audio quality is much better when you send a line level output into a line level input.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by James L 

The above is not to say that you can't plug your guitar straight into the Mac, but it will be instrument level and not a pre-amped line level. The audio quality is much better when you send a line level output into a line level input.

You are right.

I have the feeling though that the OP is at a level where this doesn't matter.

-t

[Andhee]

Do it my way, cheap and effective.

Oh and btw, I knew there was one thing which would mash the computer in if you did the line out or whatever, I just assumed it was the amp into the mac, but apparently its the speaker thing, nevermind.

[Bigwelshman]

I am not getting the quality I think I should be getting - is there an obvious reason. I use a Takamine elecro into a Marshall Acoutic amp from which I want to get a warmer sound. From the Line Out on the amp (There are two, Line Out and Line Out DI). From here I send it through a Fast Track box into GarageBand - Result not very good strength, better to go direct through Fast Track. But I would like to use amp for sound and for other live instruments.
Any ideas?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Bigwelshman 

I am not getting the quality I think I should be getting - is there an obvious reason. I use a Takamine elecro into a Marshall Acoutic amp from which I want to get a warmer sound. From the Line Out on the amp (There are two, Line Out and Line Out DI). From here I send it through a Fast Track box into GarageBand - Result not very good strength, better to go direct through Fast Track. But I would like to use amp for sound and for other live instruments.
Any ideas?

I'm guessing from this that the Marshall line out is a -10 and the box input is a +4.

If the Marshall is an AS50/100, use the three-pin "line out DI" with an XLR cable instead of the "line out" jack.

[Bigwelshman]

Thanks Doofy, but I have tried this - should I be looking at volume levels somewhere? Have done some trial and errors with the various controls, but still no good. The amp is a AS50D. I have to be doing something basically wrong somewhere.

[Peter]

Usb..

[RAILhead]

Guitar > Amp > SM57 Mic > Tascam US-122 (or similar, connecting via USB 2 or FW) > GarageBand.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Bigwelshman 

Thanks Doofy, but I have tried this - should I be looking at volume levels somewhere? Have done some trial and errors with the various controls, but still no good. The amp is a AS50D. I have to be doing something basically wrong somewhere.

OK, I gotta say that I'm not familiar with the input box you're using so I just went and skimmed the manuals for all three versions. I'll assume you have the Fast Track USB.

If you have got the Pro version, then set the switch to "line", make sure the "pad" is off and use a mono jack cable from the back of the Marshall to the input box.

Gotta say mate, as far as I can tell I reckon that you're mostly stuffed if you haven't got the "pro" or the button combination I said doesn't work - the box seems too simple for what you want to do. Recommend a nice MOTU Traveller.

(Disclaimer: I've never used M-Audio stuff. This post is just an educated guess from a quick skim of the manuals)

[analogika]

For home use, this thing is supposedly adequate:



Monster iStudioLink.

[Bigwelshman]

Got a result. I connected from the Line Out on the marshall to the XLR Mic into Fast Track. Clicked the option to Guitar and presto. However, can't get the recording to kick out through main monitors, play back only through cans on Fast Track!

[analogika]

There's a monitoring setting ("play input through speakers") in either the Channel Strip (Info button bottom left, then details) or the GarageBand preferences, or both.

[Bigwelshman]

It plays back through the moniors if I pull the Fast Track USB out of the Mac - a bit of a pain but works - seems I am there on this one - thanks everyone for input.