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 [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] 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.