Connecting a guitar amp to a recording interface

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Widows Son

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Hello all,

I have ordered a recording interface but have a question about getting the signal from a guitar amplifier into it.

Do I use the "line out" or "speaker out" jack on the amp? I think the "line out" is the one to use but I could be wrong. Also....

Can I use a guitar lead to connect it with, or do I need a speaker lead (6.5mm / 1/4" jack).

I'm completely new to all this, so pardon my ignorance.

Many thanks and the best of the Holidays and New Year to everyone.
 
If you want to go DI to the interface...you would use the Line Out on your amp.
It would be some form of 1/4" TRS type cable...NOT a speaker cable.

Of course...you could also stick a microphone in front of the amp...and then run a mic cable to the interface. That way you capture the sound of the amp and speaker/cabinet. :)
 
It would be the "line out" -- and you can use a guitar cable.
 
Mmm...you could, but Line I/O is usually balanced...where a guitar cable is not, so you might end up with noise.
 
A guitar cable will work from an amp to an interface so long as the interface has a LINE level input. Hope you checked that spec.

As [MENTION=94267]miroslav[/MENTION] says, line level in recording usually means “balanced” so that’s typically a 3-conductor cable (vs 2–conductor like a guitar cable). So, that’s definitely what you’d want to use from the interface to a set of studio monitors in almost all cases. But guitar amp line outs are often unbalanced so check the manual. (Unbalanced cables, like guitar cables, will work even if both ends are balanced but they are not the best choice.)
 
It is the iConnectAUDIO4+

I needed 4 inputs, 2 x mic and 2 x guitar amp so I can do simultaneous multi-track recording. My mate and I are a duo and want to do some recording.

Thank you all very much for your help and advice. It is nice to be able to ask a newby question and not get blasted for being a newby!
 
Widows Son said:
It is the iConnectAUDIO4+

I needed 4 inputs, 2 x mic and 2 x guitar amp so I can do simultaneous multi-track recording. My mate and I are a duo and want to do some recording.

Thank you all very much for your help and advice. It is nice to be able to ask a newby question and not get blasted for being a newby!
Click to expand...

You are very welcome! Now. TWO guitar amps? If so model #s please but, if you connect two line out jack to a common interface* and said interface connects to an earthed (aka 'grounded') computer you run a real risk of an earth/hum/ground loop. Ways to defeat such a nasty are various but the very first step is to ensure everything, amps, AI, computer all share the same power strip.

*Looks quite a bit of kit that! Seems to come with its own, in house recording software (know as a Digital Audio Workstation, 'DAW') but I dare say it will run with any of the common ones, give Reaper a do. The AI has what I think is a unique feature in that it can run and exchange data between two computers (PC-MAC-iOS it seems ?) Not sure that is all THAT useful but obviously somebody thought so!

I am going to look for a review from somebody who knows his decibels from his derrier!

Keep us posted, you have set yourselves quite a task!

Dave.
 
You might want to look at the new Torpedo Captor units, which run between your amp's speaker out and the line-in of your interface. It doubles as a load-box, so you don't need to have your cab plugged in. Also it has very good adjustable cab emulation going on.
 
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