Hi-Z and Line in difference

[ok_computer]

Hi there I was reading up about the inputs on the Presonus FireWire audio interface I was thinking of getting and noticed there are 2 Hi-Z inputs at the front for instruments such as guitar and basses, and 6 line inputs at the back. Am I right in saying that an Electric Guitar with passive pick-ups or an electric bass with passive pick-ups should be plugged into the Instrument/Hi-Z inputs... and equipment such as Keyboards, mixers, synth modules etc. should be plugged into the Line Ins? What about an Electric Acoustic Guitar? I have a LAG Electro Acoustic with it's own built in pre-amp and also an acoustic bass guitar with it's own pre-amp as well. I'd probably mic. the acoustic guitar anyway but would it be wrong to plug that, or the acoustic bass into the Hi-Z instrument inputs? From what I've been reading I'd assume that an eletro acoustic guitar would instead plug into the Line in because the signal will already be amplified by the pre-amp. Correct me if I'm wrong though please. Thanks in advanced.

 

[mjbphotos]

The easy way to tell which instruments should be plugged into the line-in inputs is the type of connectors they have on their output. Most keyboards will use 1/4" jacks (balanced, or unbalanced), too, and these would be line level. If they have RCA jacks, those are definitely line-out. Your guitars all have unbalanced 1/4' jacks, with high impedance (HI Z), so they have a low (voltage = volume) signal and need to be processed through a preamp. If the guitar has a pre-amp, then that would most likely have a line level signal.

 

[bdenton]

Hi there I was reading up about the inputs on the Presonus FireWire audio interface I was thinking of getting and noticed there are 2 Hi-Z inputs at the front for instruments such as guitar and basses, and 6 line inputs at the back. Am I right in saying that an Electric Guitar with passive pick-ups or an electric bass with passive pick-ups should be plugged into the Instrument/Hi-Z inputs... and equipment such as Keyboards, mixers, synth modules etc. should be plugged into the Line Ins? What about an Electric Acoustic Guitar? I have a LAG Electro Acoustic with it's own built in pre-amp and also an acoustic bass guitar with it's own pre-amp as well. I'd probably mic. the acoustic guitar anyway but would it be wrong to plug that, or the acoustic bass into the Hi-Z instrument inputs? From what I've been reading I'd assume that an eletro acoustic guitar would instead plug into the Line in because the signal will already be amplified by the pre-amp. Correct me if I'm wrong though please. Thanks in advanced.

Correct on all counts...