Workaround for Electric Guitar Recording

J

josh6190

New member
Hey guys, this is my first post here.

So I'm getting into home studio recording and I've seen a lot of tutorials on how to record your electric bass or electric guitar by using mics to record your amp. I know that seems like it's the norm, but I'd much rather do it another way. Is it possible for me to use my audio interface, take a 1/4" to XLR cable, put one end in the guitar and the other end into the interface?

Could that work? Please let me know, thanks.

-Josh

EDIT: Thanks guys for responding and answering my questions
 
Last edited:
It'll work, but it's not ideal. You be mismatching signals and levels.

Interfaces generally accept a combination of 3 types of analog input.

Microphone level
Line level
Instrument level.

Microphone level is almost always exclusively over XLR connector
Line level and instrument level almost always come in via TS or TRS jack.
Often it's the same port, but with a switch to go between one or the other.

If your interface doesn't have an instrument/DI input, then a Di box would be ideal for you.
Think of it as a converter.
 
and really you need some sort of amp modeler .... even with a DI electric gits don't sound all that good straight into a board or recorder.
 
josh6190 said:
Hey guys, this is my first post here.

So I'm getting into home studio recording and I've seen a lot of tutorials on how to record your electric bass or electric guitar by using mics to record your amp. I know that seems like it's the norm, but I'd much rather do it another way. Is it possible for me to use my audio interface, take a 1/4" to XLR cable, put one end in the guitar and the other end into the interface?

Could that work? Please let me know, thanks.

-Josh
Click to expand...

I do it all the time using Logic. You could do it with any DAW and just use the plugins to tweak the sound to your liking. It's like playing with MIDI, but you're using your guitar as a controller.
 
Steenamaroo said:
It'll work, but it's not ideal. You be mismatching signals and levels.

Interfaces generally accept a combination of 3 types of analog input.

Microphone level
Line level
Instrument level.

Microphone level is almost always exclusively over XLR connector
Line level and instrument level almost always come in via TS or TRS jack.
Often it's the same port, but with a switch to go between one or the other.

If your interface doesn't have an instrument/DI input, then a Di box would be ideal for you.
Think of it as a converter.
Click to expand...


Could you tell me more about DI boxes? I'm new to this.
 
Great! Would you mind explaining the setup in which you record the guitar we were speaking of in a little more detail please? I'm new to home recording and don't want to miss any important details
 
Michael Mason said:
I do it all the time using Logic. You could do it with any DAW and just use the plugins to tweak the sound to your liking. It's like playing with MIDI, but you're using your guitar as a controller.
Click to expand...

Great! Would you mind explaining the setup in which you record the guitar we were speaking of in a little more detail please? I'm new to home recording and don't want to miss any important details
 
josh6190 said:
Great! Would you mind explaining the setup in which you record the guitar we were speaking of in a little more detail please? I'm new to home recording and don't want to miss any important details
Click to expand...

Guitar -> Line Level in on Interface (Pre Amps help) -> Computer

Load up DAW

Record yourself playing

Tweak sound using whatever plugins you have. Logic and Garageband have Amp simulators and Effect Pedal simulators. Pro Tools and just about every other DAW have Effects Processors. Slap on a Compressor (because a Compressor is basically an Amp) and tweak your sound through the Processors.

It's just like playing with MIDI. No real Amp required, no mic'ing involved. Logic and Garage Band are the easy way, Pro Tools is a bit more time consuming.
 
josh6190 said:
Amp Simulation in GarageBand or Logic Pro, is that what you mean?
Click to expand...
or a hardware modeler.
I don't use ANY plug ins of any type myself so I have no suggestions as far as which ones are good and which ones suck.
So for me I always use hardware but there's a zillion plug ins that'll do it and a lot of them sound quite good.
 
Michael Mason said:
Guitar -> Line Level in on Interface (Pre Amps help) -> Computer

.
Click to expand...
that's the exact thing I was trying to help him avoid. A guitar doesn't sound that good into a line input. The loading's not right for electric for one thing. It affects the freq response of the git.
 
Lt. Bob said:
that's the exact thing I was trying to help him avoid. A guitar doesn't sound that good into a line input. The loading's not right for electric for one thing. It affects the freq response of the git.
Click to expand...

Probably should have said instrument level... My I/O doubles line and instrument... Most I/Os do now.

But, if the I/O has preamps, you can plug into line level. It's just like going from amp head to interface.

And I haven't noticed sound quality issues at all. You're just trying to get the sound into the computer, then design whatever sound you want.
 
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