[Just!cE]

Hi,

I've always wanted to record my music and have been doing so with a crappy headset mic. I'm wanting to get a higher quality sound and need some help.

First off, I've browsed the forum and found out about Kristal and Audacity. So basically I have the software, electric guitar, amp and soundcard that supports ASIO.

What I need to know is how to physically connect my pc to my guitar/amp. Do I connect my guitar to my amp and then my amp to my soundcard? This seems like a logical step, but what kind of cable do I need? At first look and trying to remember from memory, it looks like the line out on my amp requires a larger connecter pin than the one on my soundcard.

After all is connected, do I need any other downloads for Kristal/Audacity (I'm going to try both). I've read about plug-ins and it seems most of them are just for effects. I'm curious as to whether or not some of these plug-ins are essential or not. For now I am going to create effects with my amp and pedals and prehaps later on I will add effects post recording.

Any help would be appreciated.

[fly135]

First of all what amp do you have and if you have a manual does it say what signals go where on the insert jack?

Next, you say that you were able to get audio on the mic input. Did you just plug your guitar cable into the TRS adapter and then into the mic? Or did you plug the insert cable into the adapter and then to the mic input? If you plugged the insert into the mic and got audio you should be able to do the same with the line-in. The only difference is that you will only get one channel to record.

Make sure you select the line-in in the record volume control panel. Also check if you can unmute the line-in on the playback panel and hear it in your speakers. ASIO4ALL should not be required to simply get a recording.

[Just!cE]

I went straight from guitar to mono cable to 1/4" - 1/8" adapter to my soundcard.

Yes I was able to get audio through the Mic In. The strange thing was that I had the volume up on the Line In, it was not muted and I got no sound out of it. Tonight I will try with my amp. Insert>mono cable>adapter>sound card. Sounds like it should work, but we'll see.

As for the amp question, I am using a Crate amp. I can't recall the model number and I'd have to get back to you on what the manual says.

[Tekker]

Originally Posted by Just!cE

Yes I was able to get audio through the Mic In. The strange thing was that I had the volume up on the Line In, it was not muted and I got no sound out of it. Tonight I will try with my amp. Insert>mono cable>adapter>sound card. Sounds like it should work, but we'll see.

If you are getting sound on the mic input and not the line in, then you need to select the line input in your recording options.

Here is an explanation on how to change it (with pictures).
Soundcard Mixer

-tkr

[Just!cE]

I thought I did that. I will try again tonight.

Out of curiosity, would the same be true the other way around? If I select the line in would I hear anything from the mic input?

Thanks!

[Tekker]

Originally Posted by Just!cE

Out of curiosity, would the same be true the other way around? If I select the line in would I hear anything from the mic input?

Yep, the same is true the other way around. Only one of them will work at a time.

-tkr

[Just!cE]

Then I definetely do not have it setup correctly because all I did was switch back and forth between the ports on my soundcard.

[fly135]

You have two volume adjust controls on the PC (Win XP). One is for simply playing what's coming in from the port, and the other is for controlling what input is being recorded (and the volume). In the playback control panel you mute/unmute any input you don't want to come out the speakers. So you can hear multiple inputs at the same time. On the record panel you select what input you want recorded. So you can only have one active.

Even before you start recording you can unmute the line-in and adjust the volume to hear the guitar through your computer speakers. But you must use the record control panel to setup your recording.

[Just!cE]

I was able to get everything working through the Line In last night. Thanks for all your efforts.

Now I am just questioning the sound coming out of my speakers. The distortion doesn't sound like the kind my amp puts out directly. Would this be because of the quality of sound card or is that just the way it is?

[fly135]

If you record with Audacity, look at the waveform and make sure that the loudest passages don't exceed 80-90% of the window size in amplitude. If it does then you will get clipping distortion that sounds pretty bad. I don't think your sound card has anyting to do with it.

[Just!cE]

I will take a look.

Actually, I know it's not clipping. It's just a different sound and I'm not liking it.

[Tekker]

A couple things:

You can clip the input of your soundcard without clipping in your recording program. So try turning your amp down and turn the volume level up in your soundcard's mixer.

The other thing is your amp will sound a lot different through the amp's speaker than it does through the direct output. The speaker will sound much better (smoother) and the direct output will likely sound grainy and harsh.

On a recording I did for a friend's band, their guitarist had a Crate tube amp and I used a few mics on the amp's speakers and I also recorded the direct output from the amp so I'd have a lot of options during mixing. The differnece between the miked speakers and the direct output was huge and I often didn't even put the direct sound in because it sounded so bad. lol The direct output sounded pretty good on clean sounds, but on distortion sounds it was terrirble!

-tkr

[Just!cE]

That's what I have, a crate amp. The distortion sounds horrible through the direct output even though clean sounds were good.

I opted for not even going through my amp. Last night I used my pedals for distortion instead of my amp and it sounded so much better!

Thank you guys for all your help.