Apartment Options...Preamp?

[pbatt]

I'm starting to play again after taking a decade or so off. I live in a small apartment in Taiwan, and while I'd love to have a stack of speakers and rock out, it's not in the cards right now.

I would like to mess around with Garage Band on my Mac and start playing bass through the computer.

The thing is, I haven't done anything with gear since Clinton was president and have no idea where to begin hooking a bass up to a computer. Someone told me I could do this with a preamp? I'm not looking for a top of the line professional rig, but I don't want crap either.

Any advice?

[Jeff Scott]

You can get all kinds of interfaces/preamps but all you really need is a stereo 1/4" female to stereo 1/8" plug adapter to run your instrument cable right into the line in on the Mac. Works like a charm for me.

[jefkritz]

what kind of mac is it?

some macs (powerbook etc) you can plug straight in with the 1/4" to 1/8" converter. for other macs (ibook etc) you'll need to get an iMic or other interface. i'm not sure about the newer models, but i bet it's similar.

[longjourneyhome]

Check out the Sansamp Bass Driver DI. You will find many threads about it here on talkbass

[Atnum]

Cool another bass player in Taiwan. Where in Taiwan do you live, I'm In tainan.

Anyway, the pc speakers are not going to give you nice sound, just get a combo, your neighbors won't complain since Taiwan is so noisy to begin with.

Get something with an output and headphone.

[WingKL]

May I suggest a cheap mixer of some sort and the aforementioned headphones. You can hook up the mixer to your PC's line out and send the result back in through the line in too.