Very Simple Recording Problem That You Can Solve

[Ganky]

Hey, I'm an absolute new to recording my guitar shindigs but this is what i've got so far and am just wondering why it isn't working : )

Have my bass, plugged in with a small cable, with a converter from a headphone jack to a normal cable jack on my input, leading to a normal headphone jack on my output in the microphone socket at the back of my computer.

Apparently its meant to work like that, I've tried it on Windows Sound Recorder and Audacity and Reaper... but no sound is coming though.

Oh and my computer has vista and high definition audio.

Any help!

Do I need a normal guitar cable changing to a headphone jack rather than the other way round like it is at the moment or does this not matter?

Just any information on what I need to get this working well will be much appreciated, thanks

[JustOpenYourMind]

What you are doing won't work.

First you don't get a signal because you are using a stereo adapter with a mono instrument plug. If you look closely, you'll see that in your instrument cable the pin is separated in two by a plastic ring, the two parts are called tip and sleeve. To vlugarize, one part is emitting the signal and the other part is the ground.

On a stereo jack, like on headphones or your adapter, the pin is separated in 3 with two plastic sleeves, bassicly what is happening is that your mono cable tip and sleeve doesn't correspond to the 3 parts of your adapter therefore at your soundcard the signal is not received.

BUT!!!

Don't think that if you get a mono adapter it'll work, normal computer soundcards are not meant to receive the signal of an instrument, and it'll distort like crazy, you might even damage your sound card.

If you want to do it on the cheap and record yourself, just use a cheap microphone and record your amp. otherwise you'll have to buy some equippement.

[backline112]

Originally Posted by JustOpenYourMind

What you are doing won't work.

First you don't get a signal because you are using a stereo adapter with a mono instrument plug. If you look closely, you'll see that in your instrument cable the pin is separated in two by a plastic ring, the two parts are called tip and sleeve. To vlugarize, one part is emitting the signal and the other part is the ground.

On a stereo jack, like on headphones or your adapter, the pin is separated in 3 with two plastic sleeves, bassicly what is happening is that your mono cable tip and sleeve doesn't correspond to the 3 parts of your adapter therefore at your soundcard the signal is not received.

BUT!!!

Don't think that if you get a mono adapter it'll work, normal computer soundcards are not meant to receive the signal of an instrument, and it'll distort like crazy, you might even damage your sound card.

If you want to do it on the cheap and record yourself, just use a cheap microphone and record your amp. otherwise you'll have to buy some equippement.

Ok:

I do this to record my bass, and I use a cable with both ends Stereo. One end connected to the PC's mic Input and the other end goes with a Stereo Adapter to the Line-Out of my GK Backline112. I use Audacity to record, and sounds great. Best thing is, I only had to buy the Line-Out adapter.

NOTE: One time tried putting a Mono adapter to the Line-Out but all I got recorded was a constant buzz. I don't know why, but I guess it's because the signal was incomplete.

It also depends on your gear.

[aperfectbass]

Just my two cents. You can also get a small mixer, like a behringer euro rack. I saw the really small model on craigslist the other day for $40. I have a small mackie and I record a little on my computer and also use it instead of a practice amp in my apartment, too.

[sonic assassin]

instrument level signal in a mic level input? bad news bears. either get a cheap mic and record a cab through that mic input or get a proper preamp.

[MakiSupaStar]

Buy an interface.

[Ben Clarke]

Yes. Get a simple USB interface. I use the ART USBDualPre that we sell, but there are simpler, cheaper units that would do the trick.

[hbarcat]

+1 on the advice to buy an interface. They start at about $70.

Using the computer sound card that's designed for games is just a bad way to record your bass, even assuming you can get it to work at all with clever use of adapters.

[Dertygen]

Little pricey: M-Audio MobilePre USB Portable Audio Interface.

I swear by that pre-amp.

PS (Works great with Audacity)