Guitar Tracks II ---

[6footbong]

I just recently purchased the inexpensive guitar tracks 2 to use as a scratchpad.My amp is a Johnson Millenium 250 watt head that has midi capapbilities running through a Marshall 4x12 cab with celestions. Currently I am just mic'ing to record. Is there any possible way to record directly from my head into the pc? Or do I have to use midi for this? Midi is not supported with this software, so I am just wandering if it is possbible to plug my guitar into the amp then the amp to the pc.

[garrigus]

Hi 6FB,

Actually, you can't record audio data via MIDI, and GS2 does have MIDI capabilities. But what you need to do is take the audio output from your guitar amp and plug it into the line input of your sound card. Then record that data as an audio track in GS2. That should do the trick.

Best,
Scott

--
Scott R. Garrigus - Author of Cakewalk Power!, the first book to deal exclusively with the Cakewalk Pro Audio, Guitar Studio, and Home Studio software products. For more information, a free newsletter, and the chance to win free products, go to: http://www.garrigus.com/

[GordWait]

You definitely Don't want to plug your amp's speaker output into your sound card! You
very likely will cook the sound card.
There are boxes that you can get to reduce the level of your amp (250 watts in 8 ohms
is 44 volts, your soundcard likes 0.2 volts).
Perhaps someone here can recommend a good
one, with reasonable speaker emulation. The old box of resistors "power soak" devices usually sound pretty bad when used for direct line in of a guitar amp - your speaker cabinet is a big part of your amp's sound.
The other option is to use a decent effects pedal like a Line 6 POD or something. I use a Line6 flextone direct out for recording - it turns off the speaker, and turns on speaker emulation for recording. No hum, no noise (except for my pickups which I prefer in single coil mode).
"effects pedal

[John Sayers]

I don't think tha's what garrigus meant - i think he assumed there was a line out on the amp!

[AlChuck]

6footbong,

A quick glance at the Millenium User Guide (isn't the web great?) shows that it indeed has a very nice line out -- two XLR jacks, one for the left and one for the right. You will probably need some sort of adapter at the very least to plug this into a sound card input, depending on what kind of jack you have on your sound card.

-AlChuck