Guitar to sound card/mic to sound card

[nucmed]

So I've been reading around trying to figure this out, please tell me if I'm right.

I am buying the audiophile 24/96 sound card.
When it arrives in the mail, and i am ready to go, to I plug my electric Fender guitar directly into the sound card to record, or do I have to plug it into my Crate GX-15 amp, then to the sound card. I would hate to screw that up and screw up the sound card. And the mic goes to a pre amp then to the sound card? could it go through the crate as well? or does it have to be a preamp/mixer? thanks!

 

[AlChuck]

The Audiophile has line-level inputs only, I believe.

Guitar signals are not line level. That's what the preamp stage is for in the guitar amp. You can use the Line Out of your Crate if it has one (it might be called Direct Out or Recording Out or something like that too), but not the speaker out. If you have no line out off the amp you will need to stick a mic in front of the amp.

Mics are also not line level. In addition, condenser mics require a source of power, called "phantom power." Mic preamps typically provide this, as do mixers.

A few more notes -- even if the Crate does have a line out, it will likely not sound very good. Almost everyone prefers the sound of a miked guitar amp over the output from a guitar amp's preamp. But of course then you have to play with the amp loud enough to get a good tone, and there's a lot of art involved in positioning the mic properly to get a sound you are happy with.

The other reasonable alternative is to use one of the new class of "modeling" devices that are designed to electronically approximate the sound of a bunch of great amps as recorded through a mic. Such devices include the Tech21 SansAmp, Line6 POD and POD XT, the Johnson J-Station, the Yamaha DG-Stomp... there are others made by Digitech, Rocktron, Zoom... The nice thing about these devices is the variety of amps they can emulate, usually anything from an old 50's Fender tweed to a mid-sixties Vox to a modern hi-gain Soldano... and they typically have some standard effects (reverb, delay, chorus, flange) that are fairly useable.

 

[Rockr56]

I wouldn't use the preamp on the Crate. I would plug guitar into the amp- mic the amp- run the mic to a preamp or mixer - then to preamp/mixer to soundcard. Guitar signals are weak so if you go direct to soundcard you'll need some kind if signal booster ie:- preamp, Direct box etc.

 

[Dani Pace]

if you use a direct box remember that the effects can create a lot of unwanted noise so it's best to keep them on stand-by till you're ready to kick in those killer leads.

 

[Dan DA]

I use a Digitech RP50 amp modeler. It's cheap, about $69, and sounds pretty good with my Les Paul. It will get the signal level high enough through the line input on the card.