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how to record direct to pc
- Thread starter ludwig109
- Start date
Alvaro Martín Gómez A.
TalkBass' resident Bongo + cowbell player
The line out should work for this, but you don't need an amp for direct recording to PC IMO. I think that the point of an amp in a recording situation is miking it to capture the "live" tone resulting from the blend of your bass, amp and cab(s). For direct recording, just plug your bass into your soundcard (or bass > effects > sound card if you use real time effects) and you're ready.
Again, just my $0.02.
Again, just my $0.02.
Alvaro Martín Gómez A.
TalkBass' resident Bongo + cowbell player
BTW, I clicked the "Submit Reply" button exacly when the server collapsed. Sorry for the delay but "There seems to have been a slight problem with the database."
just hook up a DI box and go direct. mix in a mic'd cab if you want to play around, but usually direct in gives you the best sound IME.
I sometimes record stuff if I find something nice and i plug the bass directly to the MIC. input of the sound card.I use a creative soundcard and the basic software that comes with it.A guitarist friend of mine does it too.He even uses the onboard sound card.
yeah, not to hijack the thread, but I bought a 1/4th inch to 1/8th converter, and I plugged it into to the mic input of my souncard, but to get any volume I have to turn the volume knob on my active bass all the way up, so it becomes extremely distorted, cuts out sometimes, and is obscenely quiet. any suggestions? if it matters, im just using the windows recorder.
You need to get a 1/4" to 1/8" converter.ludwig109 said:
That's why many of the guys he said to go DI. It's mainly to get a more line level signal so you dont have to crank your bass. An effect pedal would work fine too. That's what i do anyways.
KSDbass said:
Since the volume coming off the pickups is low (even lower on a passive bass), you'll want to use some sort of pre-amp to bring your level up. You could try a SansAmp, the output from a Zoom pedal (or other FX pedal). I use a really simple preamp from midiman (now called M-Audio) called the "Audio Buddy":
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This is nice, too, because you can run a regular (XLR) mic into it if you'd prefer to mic your cab (which is what I like to do). The output on the back is 1/4". So I use a 1/4" to 1/8" converter and a bit of 1/8" cable to run it into my (stock, crappy, laptop) sound card. Works very well
Wheat
KSDbass said:
Most fx pedals will work fine (I've used a Zoom 506), especially ones that have some sort of output level controll. Some of these are great because they also have speaker simulation. You could also use a patch with a touch of compression and/or reverb to minimize the chance of clipping and warm up the tone just a bit.
A DI box won't help you here, as the point of a DI box is to turn a 1/4" signal into an XLR signal so you can run it into a mixing console.
Seriously, though I've heard all my life to "just go direct," I have never liked the sound of my bass recorded DI. Maybe it's because I've spent my life playing live, but what I want--and what gives me the best sound when I record--is the sound off a speaker. Even the sound off my practice amp (Peavey MicroBass) is preferable, IMHO, to the sound of my bass via DI. So the M-Audio preamp + a mic has been the best solution for me, YMMV.
Wheat
