Problems recording bass

Cheap? How much?

Recording equipment = $$$$$

 

Well, I'm not sure about the cheaper gear. You might get a better answer from someone else here but I'd say start by googling a 1 or 2 channel USB interface.

Another option is the Line 6 Tone Port stuff. They're pretty cheap and great practice tool as well. Probably $200 or so, maybe less. I'm not sure.
http://line6.com/podstudiogx/

 

My amp's DI goes right into my computer's mic input.
(xlr -» mono 1/4 -» 1/8)
Audacity gives me decent recordings, good enough to hear what I need to work on. I just pay attention to the recording volume to avoid clipping and distorsion, but otherwise, its fine and fun.

 

Not really.
On a pjb briefcase, volume knob does not affect the di output , therefore I do not have to bend behind my amp to unplug the speakers for some stealthmode practice late at night or while my wife is studying. Plugging headphone in does not disable the speaker. So I turn the volume to 0 on the amp, and use the comp to mix the bass with the metronome and backing tracks.

 

If your amp has a headphone out, you should be able to run that into the LINE-IN on your computer (NOT Mic in) and capture with audacity.

Or, as someone else suggested, use the DI out on your amp to a High to Low Z converter (to get 1/4") and a 1/4" -> 1/8" adapter. Plug that into your computer (probably via LINE-IN but if it's a low signal you could use mic in).

Or, you could get a cheap Yamaha MG102C mixer (should be able to find one used for under $80. http://cgi.ebay.com/YAMAHA-MG102C-1...718?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a1e92bd6

I recommend that last option as you can add more stuff later with a mixer and it all runs via stereo RCA jacks into the line-in of your PC. If you need effects, get the MG102CX version, for about $20 more.

We use a MG12/4FX (older version of the same mixer) to record our whole band during practice.

 

Yes, you are right about the signal strength from the headphone amp. You shouldn't damage your soundcard, but it will be too strong of a signal. My brain must have farted when I was thinking through that.

Just get a mixer and run direct into the mixing board, or get a cheap microphone and mic your amp.

 

You won't likely find "cheap" and non-USB together in one product. If you're concerned about latency with the USB, I can tell you that something like a Line6 Toneport won't be an issue. The audio is monitored directly so there is no delay. If you monitor through your DAW, then that's another story...

 

http://www.ccisolutions.com/StoreFront/product/presonus-tube-pre-tube-mic-preamp?origin=GoogleBase
Some noise if you turn the drive up but decent DI box.

 

To record into your computer 1st you need a good sound card. Most sound cards are good for output but poor for input. Try a M-audio sound card. Then you need a good mixer. I use a Tascam tape deck as my mixer. It has 3 band eq with sweepable mids.

How I record is First I go into my pedal board, then into a combo amp, then into the tascam mixer then into the m-audio sound card.

This is what it sounds like.

http://www.3dentourage.com/425/eb0-1.mp3

http://www.3dentourage.com/425/Marshall-guv-2.mp3

 

Yea, I'd just get a cheap mixer. The yamaha MG series is pretty good, especially when you can pick a small one up for about $60 on ebay.

You'll find lots of uses for it.

 

Yes, there is no latency with the Toneport.

 

Headphone level is suitably close enough to line level that it should go into most decent line inputs ok. As long as the line input goes 'low enough', (ie has enough headroom on input). If not, a 'pad' in line with the input will sort that out for small money.

A modern USB device should be able to get very low latency, low enough to work with at least, even with a lot of other usb things plugged in. However you need to SET the latency to be low, on the drivers control panel. Sometimes with some soundcards it defaults to quite a high setting, leading new users to think that there interface is 'high latency' when really it is just a settings issue.

regarding lowfreqgeek's post, yeah 'non-usb' is geting into the 'not cheap' realm. You CAN get some cheap PCI interfaces if your computer has a free pci slot but otherwise it will be a firewire interface, thats where money starts to increase a bit. I'm not familier with a toneport but if lowfreqgeek is correct in his statement then it means this -

The toneport features hardware monitoring, ie a way to send the signal IN to the speaker OUTS, WITHIN the interface. Like a hardwired 'thru' that can be turned on (kinda like true bypass on pedals, but with different implications). The alternative is 'software monitoring' where the computer program is in charge of what-signal-goes-where entirely. with a software monitoring solution you are always going to have to deal with the latency of your setup (the computer takes time to process the signal in and signal out info), though this can be gotten VERY low with decent setups.

The big issue with latency is getting monitoring latency low. Ie, what you hear back while in record. This is important to be able to play happily while monitoring off of your setup and even little latencies can be a big put off to the discerning performer.

The other forms of latency are very easily fixable, and normally down to an option in the program somewhere. If you can monitor ok (ie when ou play there is not that bad latency listening back), but the tracks are shifted when you listen back to them then it sounds like you have accidently de-selected 'adjust for record latency' in a preferences menu somewhere or similar. I'm pretty sure all programs have this option these days as its so fundamental, and by default it should be ON.

As for levels/distortion, thats a little trickier. define 'listenable level'. You can record quietly and then turn your speakers up, thats a listenable level! getting the finished track to a simialr-to-CD level is a whole diferent process and not one to worry about when you are recording the raw tracks. If you can get the meters hitting 2 3rds of the way up the scale without distortion then that is fine. If the audio distorts even when the soundcard's input meter is showing a tiny level then that shows mis-match somehwere, quite possibly the bass is overloading the line-amp. In that case a DI with a pad on it (most have one) going into a mic input is the solution, and is the normal 'tried and tested' way to record direct bass anyway!

Its difficult to tell whether your issue is a real fault or just a case of getting used to 'how to record'. remember all the level controlls on the way into the computer are nothing to do (really) with how 'loud' you hear your bass, they are about getting a good healthy signal to the computer. If your bass is too quiet when tracking but the input signal is good, then you simply need to adjust the volume of the stuff that is on OUTPUT, ie turn your speakers amp up!