USB Audio Interface with 3.5mm line in?

[atr3yu]

Hello everyone! Sorry to make my first post a question, but I need some help. I am looking for a USB interface that I can connect an MP3 player to or my computer so I can hear a song through my headphones connect to the interface. This would be purely for learning songs and having fun. Clearly I would use the interface for recording as well down the road. I have looked and looked and have found nothing. Any help would be apprecaited or any ideas at all on the matter would be great! Thanks!

 

[BrentDomann]

I've had pretty good success with one of these (I have one with a phono input, but I gather it's just the preamp that's different and I can switch it to "line," too):

Behringer U-Control UCA202 | Sweetwater.com

It doesn't have the 3.5mm jack, but you can get the cables that go from 3.5mm - RCA everywhere (likely even at the grocery store).

The best part about these is they just run off the bus. No drivers, just plug and play.

 

[TimOBrien]

Radio Shack has plenty of converter cables.

As long as it goes from 3.5mm to whatever you have on your interface you're good.
Putting a Y-splitter for the stereo channels in there is a good idea.

 

[mjbphotos]

Don't buy an interface just to listen to MP3s - pick an interface based on your recording needs. You can plug the MP3 player ouput into the stereo line-in that most computers have, then your headphones into the computer.

 

[Armistice]

If your first post isn't a question, you're just wasting time...

What the others said. Adapter, or die... (bad joke, sorry...)

 

[atr3yu]

lol.... thanks guys. If I were to purchase a 2 line interface could I plug my guitar into one, then get a 3.5mm to 1/4" adapter and plug my mp3 player into the other channel? I could then just tell my effects software to only process the guitar channel thus having effects on my guitar, but still have MP3 playback??? Also this way I could purchase an interface base on quality and recording needs and just forget about MP3 playback. Thanks again!

 

[mjbphotos]

Transfer your stereo MP3 tracks into your computer, then load them into the DAW. Why try to do it 'live'?

 

[Bobbsy]

lol.... thanks guys. If I were to purchase a 2 line interface could I plug my guitar into one, then get a 3.5mm to 1/4" adapter and plug my mp3 player into the other channel? I could then just tell my effects software to only process the guitar channel thus having effects on my guitar, but still have MP3 playback??? Also this way I could purchase an interface base on quality and recording needs and just forget about MP3 playback. Thanks again!

If it's literally only a two line interface then you need both of those to do your MP3 player in stereo. However, there are lots of interfaces that would give you an instrument input on an XLR/TS combined jack in the front and leave the two line inputs on the back for other uses.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

lol.... thanks guys. If I were to purchase a 2 line interface could I plug my guitar into one, then get a 3.5mm to 1/4" adapter and plug my mp3 player into the other channel?

One guitar plus a stereo line input is three channels. Two-channel interfaces won't work.

I could then just tell my effects software to only process the guitar channel thus having effects on my guitar, but still have MP3 playback???

Adding reverb to your guitar would probably be fine. Using the computer to run an amp sim live might add too much latency. I personally prefer to get the guitar sound the way I want it before going into the computer, either by micing an amp or using a good sim pedal.

Also this way I could purchase an interface base on quality and recording needs and just forget about MP3 playback. Thanks again!

Yes, forget about using an external player. The recording software can play your audio files. The a 2-channel interface will work.