Whole direct recording setup

[DJBuck]

Hi there
I want to record directly to my computer to avoid the acoustic sound of my bass, but I'm not sure how I would do this well. I've tried connecting my amp straight to my laptop with a normal jack lead, using Audacity, but there is hideous amounts of fuzz and a bit of delay on the playback.

Could someone suggest a complete direct recording setup please, bearing in mind that I'm a student, so money isn't too plentiful.

I have an Acer V3 731 laptop, if that's of any use.
Thanks

[DirkP]

Hello,
you need an usb-audiointerface. The cheapest ones start around 40$ like the Behringer UCA-202. The more expensive ones have microphone-inputs often with phantom power.
There are mixing desks under 100$ that have integrated usb audio-interfaces from different companies. With a small mixer you have much more flexibility.
If your notebook has digital inputs koaxial or optical (sometimes it's the same input as the analog audio input but you need a different cable) and you have an old dat-recorder or minidisk-recorder, you could use those as analog/digital converters.
But even the cheaper usb-interfaces are of decent quality.

Dirk

[Kingbreaker]

I have a Focusrite Scarlett interface box. The best thing about it - there is a dedicated monitor function in the box itself, so the sound you hear is real time - no sound card delay or latency whatsoever.

[IPYF]

Line 6 UX 1 is popular and comes with some guitarsim trials build in. I use MAudio gear which has sketchy reliability but is very cost effective.

Get REAPER as your DAW and you're off and running.

[powerdimer]

Yes, you need appropriate tools. Buy an interface sound card for your computer. You absolutely have to do this, even if you buy a cheap one.

Then you need a DAW. Don't use Audacity, that's not meant for recording. Reaper is great, and propbably the cheapest you can get, - at ca. $ 37 I think. Free trial.

[My name is Mudd]

An individual/non-commercial use Reaper license is currently $60 US.

And my interface of choice is an Akai EIE.

[Edward G.]

I bought a Presonus Audiobox USB interface for $145 at GC last year. It came with Studio One Artist software. All of it has been extremely useful and totally worth the money.