# guitar/amp/computer record



## asmDash (Apr 19, 2011)

hi im not sure if this is a good section for this or not but seemed best. i got a 1/4 " stereo to 1/8" stereo adapter to record my guitar on my computer. it goes through an amp first, then follows out the amp and into the line-in port on the back of my computer. i do this and i get no sound through just windows and i cant find options in sony acid pro 7 or audacity to be able to record from that line. can i get some help so i can start recording?


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## asmDash (Apr 19, 2011)

oh i just found how to turn on the line-in port. it sounds very fuzzy though and the higher pitched strings are hard to hear


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## Fred Garvin (Sep 4, 2010)

You're risking frying your sound card. You need a DI box to bring the signal down to line level that can plug into your computer. You can find them at any music/audio store.


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## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

What's your amp? Does it have a preamp out? Does that out have a button labeled +4/-10? Switch it to -10 for soundcard love.

What's your setup? Are you using the amp so you can hear, or for effects, or what? If you can just go from axe to soundcard, do that -- instrument output is, generally, between -20 and -30.

DI box is overkill -- output level is -40.

Units are dBu or dBV, check a wikipedia or something if you want a good explanation. Basically:

Pro Audio Line Level -- +4 dBu
Consumer Audio Line Level -- -10dBV (yes it's a direct correlation, NO I don't remember why dBu for the one and dBV for the other, but I really should)
Instrument level -- somewhere anywhere in between
Microphone Level -- -40dBm (again, I don't remember why it's an m, and again, it correlates).

Your soundcard MOST LIKELY has a consumer level -10dBV input, and a little checkbox somewhere in its control panel for 'Mic Gain'. You can run a +4 into there if you crank down the volume and make sure 'Mic Gain' is not checked. But you're sacrificing signal/noise ratio. If you've got the +4/-10 switch you're golden. Maybe. As long as 'Mic Gain' is not checked.

You may be able to run straight from the instrument into the consumer line input WITH 'Mic Gain', maybe without.

Your best bet is to get any sort of cheap audio interface -- or more expensive  -- or buy a small mixing board that has RCA/-10 outputs.

PM me if you want some actual resources for learning this stuff. Once upon a time... ...


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## asmDash (Apr 19, 2011)

im using the amp for effects. its a Vox Valvetronix 30w (45 with effects power). it does not have any output options on it, its just the line out from the amp and i sent it to the adapter to computer line-in. ive gotten it to where ive reduce like nearly all the fuzz by messing with the effects settings on the amp, and as for the higher notes i use a combination of audacity and my amp settings to pick those back up.


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## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

what is your soundcard? Have you checked the input levels in your soundcard's control panel?

That definitely is a +4dBu output, so you only need to stay more than 14dB below the full output of the preamp (that is, the headphone/line out, which is before the poweramp stage) to avoid any 'input buzz' or any other attenuation on your sound card.

That shouldn't be difficult to do. Keep the 'gain' and 'volume' knobs low -- about 9 or 10 o'clock (unless you're using the Gain knob to induce distortion, in which case, keep the volume knob lowlow). Also the 'Master' knob.

The thing about this amp tho' (I've been reading -- it looks very cool) is that it's hybrid transistor/tube -- the preamp is transistor and the power is tube -- BUT there's a feedback circuit to make it all sound tube. You're totally losing the tube sound by taking the preamp out; you want the recording to sound like the amp, you need to get a flat response mic and mic the amp  And get a better I/O setup while you're at it.....

I highly recommend a Zoom or a similar handheld solid-state media recorder for any musician. Most of them can function as an audio interface for your computer, the built-in mics they ship with sound pretty nice, and while it may seem like a big investment for someone who'd rather just use what they've got, it always works, it's always there, and you'll always find a use for it.

jw


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## Fred Garvin (Sep 4, 2010)

asmDash said:


> its just the line out from the amp and i sent it to the adapter to computer line-in.


Your sound card is not designed to accept that signal and that's evidenced by the distortion you're hearing. Either get a DI box, which is the industry standard for studio or stage, or get a pro series sound card with a patch bay.


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## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

Fred Garvin said:


> Your sound card is not designed to accept that signal and that's evidenced by the distortion you're hearing. Either get a DI box, which is the industry standard for studio or stage, or get a pro series sound card with a patch bay.


Hey Fred, I'm sorry but you're mistaken.

If his sound card has a line-in, the level it's anticipating is -10dBV reference. The preamp's reference output is +4dBu. The input impedance for the soundcard's line-in is in the kOhm range, probably 10kOhm.

A DI box is meant to take a line level (Pro +4 or Consumer -10), or an instrument level (generally -20 to -30 dBm), and attenuate it all the way to Mic level (-40 dBm). Furthermore, it's intended to be plugged into a low impedance (under 1kOhm) XLR input, which his soundcard undoubtedly does not have.

TL;DR: a DI Box is NOT the industry standard for this situation. He needs simple line level attenuation of 14 dB, or to simply ride the levels 14dB low.

This, of course, is assuming various things about the line-in on the sound card, which could be verified with some information on what it is...

jw


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## asmDash (Apr 19, 2011)

When I get back to my computer I will reply with the details of my soundcard


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## asmDash (Apr 19, 2011)

when i run Everest to figure out my hardware all it tells me is i have 2 of this:
High Definition Audio Controller [NoDB] PCI


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## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

Hokeydokey. NoDB means it's not in the database and you're probably using generic drivers, I would guess.

PCI implies to me that it's a sound card, not something built in to the mobo. Can you verify that? I don't suppose there's anything written on/around the sound card itself?

Do you have/use any sort of control panel for your audio? For raising and lowering volume, especially volume of different types of things or different programs. Do you use windows mixer, a RealTek control panel, something else?

I'm gonna assume windows mixer, and I'm going to get back to you in the morning when I'm in front of a windows machine to give you step-by-step for managing your audio in levels.

g'night!

jw


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## asmDash (Apr 19, 2011)

it looks actually as though its on the mobo. alot of hardware drivers from my computer are missing due to the fact i had to get a new HDD put in cuz the old one broke. But i have RealTek control panel as well as the basic windows controls for the audio.


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## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

Okeydokey; here's where to find your input levels:

On your start menu (or whatever they want to call it now), click on Control Panel.
Click on Hardware and Sound
Under Sound, click on Manage Audio Devices
In the box, click the 'recording' tab.
Your input(s) will be listed. If there's only one, select it; if more than one, figure out which is your line input. I can't really guess what it'll be called, but I don't really think it'll be tough to figure.

Once it's selected, the 'Properties' button at the bottom will be activated. Click it.

There may be one further tab to click, "levels". Or you'll automatically be at the levels tab/screen/options. At any rate,

You should now have a level slider, and, if it's a dual-intent input (they think you might plug in line OR a computer mic) a 'microphone boost' slider. Make sure the microphone boost is ALL the way DOWN/left. Then, use the level slider, in conjunction with your Gain, Volume, and Master volume on the amphead to achieve a good sounding level that isn't so hot it overloads your inputs, but isn't so low that you lose much to the noise floor.

Good luck!


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