Soundcard/guitar question.... -ACID Product Family

Subject:Soundcard/guitar question.... Posted by: chiachuck Date:11/24/2002 11:20:10 AM I have a simple question, (I think, hehe) I want to add custom guitar loops into my Acid project, but I have no clue where I'm supposed to plug my guitar into my soundcard. I have a Soundblaster Audigy MP3 card, and there is a line in jack, but it's currently filled with one of three speaker plugs. Only the Microphone, and digital out plugs are open for use at the moment.....any ideas?
Subject:RE: Soundcard/guitar question.... Reply by: Chienworks Date:11/24/2002 2:13:03 PM Well, i'm not familiar with the Audigy, but i do wonder why you have a speaker connected to the line in jack. I would suggest you unplug that one and connect the guitar there. You could try using the microphone input, but the guitar will overdrive it unless you set the gain on the guitar and the Audigy very low. Probably a better solution is to use a guitar amp that has a line output on it, then connect the amp to the line in on the Audigy card.
Subject:RE: Soundcard/guitar question.... Reply by: Iacobus Date:11/25/2002 10:32:19 AM I use a guitar effects processor, which has a S/PDIF out that goes into my soundcard's S/PDIF in (an M-Audio Audiophile 2496) and record that way. I'm assuming you have a similar setup, where you have something like an effects unit like a distortion pedal to run through? Because the Sound Blaster cards have 1/8" (3.5 mm) stereo minjacks, you'll have to find an adapter to convert the 1/4" mono plugs from your setup to 1/8" stereo. You could pick up an adapter like this one. HTH, Iacobus
Subject:RE: Soundcard/guitar question.... Reply by: SonicJG Date:11/25/2002 6:10:59 PM Another important thing to consider is levels and impedance. I guess I've always taken it for granted that I'm going to be doing one of two things: 1) sending the guitar to my mixer, and adding gain there, and sending to the soundcard 2) sending the guitar to my amp, and using the direct out to the soundcard. another thing you could do would be to use a D.I. box, which might be a little bit cheaper, but I don't know if they're going to be able to send a proper signal either. Best bet would be to spring for a relatively inexpensive mixer or amp with a direct out, or to get one of those new guitarports that line6 just came out with. unless you like a very noisy signal, you DON'T want to try plugging from your guitar straight into your soundcard. The reason for this is that the guitar's signal strength is very low, and the soundcard is expecting a lot louder signal. In order to amplify the signal, it will also amplify all of the noise, which will be very substantial because there's a lot of RF noise all over the place in and around a computer. best of luck, joel
Subject:RE: Soundcard/guitar question.... Reply by: DistortedRocker Date:12/4/2002 10:51:29 PM I use a Digitech RP-300 and have a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card. (yes dude, I got a dell...) I just run the stereo headphone out to the mic in rather than using a true amplifier...and if it sounds a bit off in the end we always have sound forge to play with.

Subject:Soundcard/guitar question....

Posted by: chiachuck

Date:11/24/2002 11:20:10 AM

I have a simple question, (I think, hehe) I want to add custom guitar loops into my Acid project, but I have no clue where I'm supposed to plug my guitar into my soundcard. I have a Soundblaster Audigy MP3 card, and there is a line in jack, but it's currently filled with one of three speaker plugs. Only the Microphone, and digital out plugs are open for use at the moment.....any ideas?

Subject:RE: Soundcard/guitar question....

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:11/24/2002 2:13:03 PM

Well, i'm not familiar with the Audigy, but i do wonder why you have a speaker connected to the line in jack. I would suggest you unplug that one and connect the guitar there. You could try using the microphone input, but the guitar will overdrive it unless you set the gain on the guitar and the Audigy very low.

Probably a better solution is to use a guitar amp that has a line output on it, then connect the amp to the line in on the Audigy card.

Subject:RE: Soundcard/guitar question....

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:11/25/2002 10:32:19 AM

I use a guitar effects processor, which has a S/PDIF out that goes into my soundcard's S/PDIF in (an M-Audio Audiophile 2496) and record that way. I'm assuming you have a similar setup, where you have something like an effects unit like a distortion pedal to run through?

Because the Sound Blaster cards have 1/8" (3.5 mm) stereo minjacks, you'll have to find an adapter to convert the 1/4" mono plugs from your setup to 1/8" stereo. You could pick up an adapter like this one.

HTH,
Iacobus

Subject:RE: Soundcard/guitar question....

Reply by: SonicJG

Date:11/25/2002 6:10:59 PM

Another important thing to consider is levels and impedance.

I guess I've always taken it for granted that I'm going to be doing one of two things:
1) sending the guitar to my mixer, and adding gain there, and sending to the soundcard
2) sending the guitar to my amp, and using the direct out to the soundcard.

another thing you could do would be to use a D.I. box, which might be a little bit cheaper, but I don't know if they're going to be able to send a proper signal either. Best bet would be to spring for a relatively inexpensive mixer or amp with a direct out, or to get one of those new guitarports that line6 just came out with.

unless you like a very noisy signal, you DON'T want to try plugging from your guitar straight into your soundcard. The reason for this is that the guitar's signal strength is very low, and the soundcard is expecting a lot louder signal. In order to amplify the signal, it will also amplify all of the noise, which will be very substantial because there's a lot of RF noise all over the place in and around a computer.

best of luck,
joel

Subject:RE: Soundcard/guitar question....

Reply by: DistortedRocker

Date:12/4/2002 10:51:29 PM

I use a Digitech RP-300 and have a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card. (yes dude, I got a dell...) I just run the stereo headphone out to the mic in rather than using a true amplifier...and if it sounds a bit off in the end we always have sound forge to play with.