Analogue/Digital Conversion

R

RickSantorum666

New member
Hi everyone! I'm trying to design a hypothetical studio in my head. I have access to a ton of very valuable (but somewhat outdated) recording equipment, and would like to avoid buying more.

I would like to figure out if there's a way to plug a 1/4" directly into a computer. Is there a motherboard input you know of that will automatically convert it to digital?


Thanks
RS666
 
More information from you will help get you answers.

But reading between the lines it seems you are asking: Is there a way to get 1/4" TRS into my computer?

We need to know if you are talking a stereo signal or not.

Regardless, you are probably going to want to investigate "audio interfaces" that take what ever you have analog audio wise and convert them to USB and on into the computer where you will need a Digital Audio Workstation" or DAW to manipulate the files.
 
"I would like to figure out if there's a way to plug a 1/4" directly into a computer. Is there a motherboard input you know of that will automatically convert it to digital?"

No, at least in ten years of messin' I have never seen, heard or read of a computer that natively has 1/4" jacks. There are PCI "sound cards" with such jacks. One notable one is the Juli@ but this is an after factory fit.

All computers (afaik) have a One Eighth inch Stereo jack input. This is usually setup for microphone levels tho' it may be software controllable for line input. However, such inputs and outputs are the Work of Bealzebub Hisself and not at all good for any serious music work.

If you want to digitize analogue sound get an Audio Interface. If you want THE cheapest, simplest solution? Behringer UCA 202/222.

Dave.
 
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Most computers have a very basic sound chip on the motherboard these days, pretty well always (as ecc83 says) a 1/8th inch jack. It's entirely possible to convert from quarter inch to eighth inch with the right cable, but:

1. Many/most of the input jacks are set up to receive a microphone input which is far lower level than "outdated recording equipment" which will most likely be at "line level". You risk overloading the input and causing distortion.

2. Even if you can sort out the levels, the built in A to D conversion on a motherboard is extremely low quality--adequate for making Skype phone calls and the like but simply not designed for any vaguely serious recording.

An external USB interface with a quarter inch input isn't all that expensive and is what you need. It will likely also handle a microphone or two and give you an output suitable for monitoring what you're doing.
 
To add to the above, if you get an interface with multi 1/4" inputs, and your analog gear has channel outputs (like a mixing board), you can then incorporate the analog setup into the digital world. Example using an existing analog setup, and just sending your channels to the computer and software (a DAW) to record the channels to tracks for later mixing.

More info really is required.
 
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