• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Bass trough PC.

T

thebas

Aug 22, 2008
90
0
#1
Hello,
I'm in a bass buying procedure, but i need some answers.
I have a PC with E-MU 1212m interface I use for music listening because of quality of sound.
I also have integrated sound card on motherboard that i don't use.
So,
I'm going to buy a passive bass guitar. I don't have an amp jet, and at the moment I can't buy it.
So, I would like to play bass trough my PC. Is it possible?
My PC 1212m is connected to vintage Hi-Fi Kenwood 150wpc amplifier and to Infinity Hi-Fi frourstander speakers. Is it possible and doable?
1212m has 2 mono line-ins TRS.
The reasons I want to play trough this system are: to be able to record some sections of my bass playing and, more important because I don't have a bass amplifier.
Please tell if this all is ok.
Thank You.
 
#2
If ya plug it in you will (probably) get signal.

However if you plug in your passive bass it is highly possible that you will have an impedance mismatch. Therefore it would probably be preferable to use a DI, preamp or take a line out of an amp (which you don't have) so you don't get your tone sucked.
 
#3
Yes. I tried with friends bass (passive). I got signal but very low. No good for recording. I must put the amp to insane level so I can hear it ok (not loud).
So, I must put line-out level signal to the 1212m. This can be done with DI, preamps line-out or amps line-out. OK.
If I take some pedal (distorsion or similar) or foot processor for bass, would it have good line-out for 1212m?

And something else, someone tells me to not play bass trough my HiFi system! I still don't understand why? Would it damage amp, or speakers or what, or nothing? I dont plan to play it that loud - just enough so I can hear it good.
Thanks.
 
#4
Some pedals do have DI's, but they're usually pretty expensive. You could also try to use a boost pedal to get a bit more volume.
I'd probably go pick up something like an art tube mp which is basically a super cheap tube preamp (around 40 bucks or so.) It should do the trick.

Of course there are plenty of other options and the market is full of differend kinds of DI boxes, preamps and so on. If you have a bit more dough to spare, a korg pandora might be worth considering, especially on the used market. It would give you plenty of effects and rhythm tracks too making it a very nice practice tool.
 
#8
when i first started playing guitar, i plugged it straight into my dads hifi for an amp. keep in mind i was about 11 years and didnt know better, but still i destroyed my dads speakers. they are just not meant to handle that type of signal. if you keep at low volumes it will probably be fine for practice, but not full volume jams.
 
#10
Can you help me find some cheap bass preamps that does not do any coloration of the sound (cabinet/speaker emulation etc), unlike DIs? I just need it to give me LINE-LEVEL out for my 1212m. I prefer it to be tube.
 
#11
Sorry to put up this old thread ;), but i have one more question: If i have an active bass, would it's output be in LINE level - so I can put it directly into 1212m line-in? Or again it should need some kind of preamp or booster to get the right levels?
 
#12
Some active basses are near line level, but some are not, generally its safe to treat them as instrument level, and use a preamp of some kind.

All preamps will colour your sound, infact, all gear will colour your sound pretty much, don't worry too much about it. The type of colouration you get from recording gear is subtle!

'Cheap' and 'tube' don't play well together, stick to solid-state unless you want to spend the bucks to get a nice tube preamp. Whats your budget? For basic recording any little preamp will do.

And as for playing through a hifi, a speaker is a speaker, and an amp is an amp. There is nothing special about a played bass signal compared to a recorded one and if sensible a hifi can be used to play bass on all day every day.

The trouble comes when you try and turn up loud like you would on a bass amp or similar. Think of how loud you would dare to play a finished cd on your hifi, then think of how loud the bass is in the mix. That should be a good reference point for the top-level of the system. when playing bass on its own you'd have to turn up louder to get it as exciting as the full track sounded, but all that volume around just the low end will cause speaker problems a lot quicker than playing back a full track.

Basically, as long as you are sensible with the volume control, you'll be fine!
 
#14
Do you think this would be OK to go in between a passive bass pickups and EMU 1212M's LINE-IN? For recording and playing?
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
A friend sells it, and I can get it resonably cheap ~20usd.
 
#16
Budget is tight because i want to put most of the budget into a bass guitar, first. And the budget is 250usd. I need something like this so I can play it without an bass amp, on my hifi, through PC, until i make new budget for a good bass amp.

Don't get me wrong, but, why you wouldn't recommend Behringer?
I like this ART preamp.
Thanks for answer.
 
#17
thebas said:
Budget is tight because i want to put most of the budget into a bass guitar, first. And the budget is 250usd. I need something like this so I can play it without an bass amp, on my hifi, through PC, until i make new budget for a good bass amp.

Don't get me wrong, but, why you wouldn't recommend Behringer?
I like this ART preamp.
Thanks for answer.
Click to expand...

Because its a guitar line booster designed to make the preamp of guitar amps work a bit harder in order to get a more overdriven sound, its not a preamp, and won't bring your bass up to line level, and it almost certainly won't be clean-sounding! :) Its designed so guitarists can kick it in on a solo and get there usual sound but with a bit more balls without having to fiddle with the amp.

Also, its a pedal and designed to go into an amp, not a line input, and as such the impedance of the output may well be (it depends how its been engineered) quite high. Put that into a low impedance line input and the sound will be brittle and thin!

Basically, there are a few ways to do what you want to do -

Get an amp, and come out of the line output.

Get an active di/instrument preamp with a line out like some of the sansamp pedals.

Get a cheap all purpose preamp and go into a di>pre>line in. You will probably get away with not using a DI to start with but you'll need a custom cable and the lack of DI will make the sound a little brittle.

The 'Art' Hellbastard mentioned is kinda a mix of options 2 and 3 above, and may be the right thing for you.

Personally, I'd just sell the tascam and get an interface with an 'instrument' input!
 
#20
Well, I like the idea, and its good that it works ok, but, as i see, the input impedance is way too low to connect passive instrument. Therefore, sound can't be that good. Maybe good if working with some pedal or so that changes impedance a little. Thanks for the idea.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back