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Old 05-21-2008, 04:46 AM   #1 (permalink)
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How Do I Record Guitar to PC

What would be the cheapest way to record my guitar riffs to my PC without breaking my wallet? Im looking for something better than just putting my amp next to a microphone, you know.

what software and equipment should i expect to have to pick up/download?

so far i was thinking maybe i could find something to connect my AUX from my amp right to my pc, but i dont know how well that would work, if at all.

some help would be greatly appreciated.
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Old 05-21-2008, 09:06 AM   #2 (permalink)
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There are those who would say that putting your amp next to your microphone is the BEST way to do it (depending on the mic and the amp). Just because it "seems" amateur doesn't mean it is--most guitars are recorded this way--and sometimes with cheap(ish) microphones (http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SM57/).

If you absolutely MUST go direct you'll want to get some kind of pre-amp ... and the AUX from your amp would probably work fine going into the LINE-IN of a cheap soundcard as long as the AUX on your amp has a pre-amp or can send post-gain. If you connect it to the LINE-IN on your soundcard and you get no signal then try connecting to the MICROPHONE IN. Consult your owner's manual on the amp for whether your AUX is pre or post gain. Always keep the volume LOW when you are experimenting.

But what quality are you looking for? If you don't care about quality you can use your current sound card (if it has a line-in) OR a cheap mic pointed at your amp and get Audacity (free sound editor).

For better quality get a firewire (or USB) sound card:

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_u...Solo-main.html
http://www.presonus.com/products/Det...px?ProductId=4
http://www.rolandus.com/products/pro...x?ParentId=114

Most of the soundcards listed above have decent pre-amps so you can bypass your amp altogether.

If you are looking to do multi-track recording you'll need to do a search. There are some free ones out there ... and everyone has their own opinion on what's the "best" editor. Personally, I use Sonar PE (http://cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/English/default.asp). But ultimately it is what YOU feel you can afford and what you are comfortable with. THEY ALL DO THE SAME THING and generally sound the same (the sound quality is mostly dependent on your signal chain NOT the software).

Last edited by vanblah; 05-21-2008 at 09:10 AM..
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Old 05-21-2008, 10:53 AM   #3 (permalink)
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awesome stuff. thanks for the great advice, van. ill have to think about your advice when i havnt been up for more than 24 hours

my amp has a "Recording out/phones" jack. i dont know if that would make a difference though.

i think i just might opt for the mic against the amp if its free. but how would that handle my settings? my gain is always cranked all the way up when playing distorted or in overdrive
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First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the communists and I did not speak out because I was not a communist.
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Old 05-21-2008, 11:03 AM   #4 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SSJTWIZTA
awesome stuff. thanks for the great advice, van. ill have to think about your advice when i havnt been up for more than 24 hours

my amp has a "Recording out/phones" jack. i dont know if that would make a difference though.

i think i just might opt for the mic against the amp if its free. but how would that handle my settings? my gain is always cranked all the way up when playing distorted or in overdrive
Get a decent dynamic mic like the one I listed above (Shure SM57). You'll need to convert from XLR to whatever the input on your soundcard is (probably 1/8").

http://www.sweetwater.com/c873--Bala...es__1_8_to_XLR

Crank it all the way up -- you'll have a hard time getting your amp loud enough to damage an SM57.
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Old 05-21-2008, 03:23 PM   #5 (permalink)
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The mic will handle it, but the soundcard might struggle if there is no preamp.

You could buy a USB microphone, these are available as dynamic or condenser mics and give you a simple way to record with high quality.

Another alternative is to buy an inexpensive guitar-to-USB cable and use software amp simulators (there are a few free ones out there I believe).

I'd say it's worth trying the AUX output as a cable won't cost you more than a couple bucks. What amp do you have?
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Old 05-21-2008, 08:35 PM   #6 (permalink)
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a cheap assed Roland. my Crate got fried.

Edit: is there any way i cant find any of this stuff at a Radio Shack? im just wondering because the sooner i get it, the better.
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Then they came for the communists and I did not speak out because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for me And there was no one left to speak out for me.
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Old 05-21-2008, 10:28 PM   #7 (permalink)
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What model Roland? I'm asking so I can look up the features for you.
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Old 05-21-2008, 11:51 PM   #8 (permalink)
Junkie
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by SSJTWIZTA
a cheap assed Roland. my Crate got fried.

Edit: is there any way i cant find any of this stuff at a Radio Shack? im just wondering because the sooner i get it, the better.
Some stuff. Not an SM57 though. Any local music shop should have one (or equivilent).

You could probably find the XLR to 1/8th" adapter at Radio Shack though.
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Old 05-22-2008, 03:45 AM   #9 (permalink)
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vanblah has it dialed in............IMHO........m-audio is the shit.it's what i run.

and as for mics.........hell man,nothin' wrong with the SM57's......

keep us up to date bro.
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Old 05-22-2008, 05:11 AM   #10 (permalink)
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This is interesting. I've been thinking about this a bit now that I've gotten back into playing, and computers have changed so much.

Is this a bad idea?

http://www.griffintechnology.com/pro...strumentcables

I wouldn't mind starting with a cheap solution.
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Old 05-22-2008, 08:07 AM   #11 (permalink)
Junkie
 
It's all a good idea.

If they work ... and I don't see why they wouldn't. However, it does look like you would be paying a premium for the "cool factor." A 5 foot long (Hosa brand) XLR to 1/8th" cable is $10 from Sweetwater. Griffin Tech doesn't say how long the cable is ... but the do list a price range of $20-$30 ... and the picture they show is at least a 10' cable so I'd bet their cables are twice the price of a similar Hosa.

The other thing they talk about is adapters adding noise ... this is sort of true; but nothing to worry about in the world of XLR (since they are balanced)--it's the stepping down to a 1/8th inch plug that is the worst culprit for noise and nothing you do can really prevent that (whether in a single cable or with adapters). You can daisy chain XLR cables for something like 200meters before there is any noticeable attenuation and noise (as long as the cables are good).
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Old 05-22-2008, 04:20 PM   #12 (permalink)
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total recorder is a really simple program that records any audio going thru your sound card. you can record and save anything, as pretty much any kind of a file you like.

http://www.highcriteria.com/

I like to use cool edit for multitrack recordings.

http://www.oldapps.com/CoolEdit.php

I have a stereo 1/4"-to-rca, and an rca-to-1/8" stereo, that I have going from my guitar amp to my computer's sound card. it makes perfectly suitable demo recordings.
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Old 05-23-2008, 08:24 AM   #13 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by allaboutmusic
What model Roland? I'm asking so I can look up the features for you.
its a cube 15x.

ive been plagued with a horrible case of insomnia for the last 4 or 5 days. its taking longer than usual for me to get my shit together. i would already be on this if my mind was clear enough to make some decisions. as soon as i get some sleep, decide upon what i can afford/will work, and get it set up ill let you guys know whats up.

thanks everyone.
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First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the communists and I did not speak out because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for me And there was no one left to speak out for me.
-Pastor Martin Niemoller

Last edited by SSJTWIZTA; 05-23-2008 at 08:33 AM..
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Old 05-23-2008, 04:38 PM   #14 (permalink)
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The Cube 15x looks very similar to my Roland Micro Cube, and I record directly from the headphone output of that all the time. Just use a cable to connect directly from the headphone out to the mic/line input on your soundcard and you have instant recording for like $2.
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