connect guitar amp through jack 3.5 - SOLVED

Hi guys,
My problem here is that I want to connect my amp (which has a jack 3.5 output) to my laptop (running windows 10) but the OS won’t detect it, and even if i read a bunch of forums and documentation, i still don’t know how to do it.
I tried to make it work with the realtek manager too, but i haven’t found anything.
I also watched a bunch of videos where the guys are like “plug it, and here you go !” which is clearly not my case
I have a bunch of 3.5 male-male jack cable and they all work so i guess that’s not the problen.
I also checked my audio drivers and it looks like it’s up to date.
I also tried on linux mint (on the same laptop) and it doesn’t seem to work.

FYI here’s my cheap-ass configuration
Amp : Blackstar fly 3
audio card : Intel Corporation 8 Series HD Audio Controller
laptop : Asus S551LN
stereo male jack cable (3.5)

Thanks in advance to anyone who will take time to answer this topic and help me

Your computer needs a “line-in” socket to accept the signal from the amp.
(the signal from the amp, or direct from electric-guitar, is too “hot” for a microphone socket).
If your computer does not have a “line-in” socket there are gadgets which convert a USB socket into one.

You can even dispense with the amp …

EDIT - Trebor beat me to it, so some of this is duplicated…

Two problems -

1. Your computer has a combo mic/headphone jack, and it needs a [u]TRRS plug/adapter[/u] for the microphone connection. (A regular 3-conductor TRS plug will work with headphones.)

2. The output from your amp is line/headphone level. That’s about 100 times stronger than a microphone signal and you’re likely to get poor quality from the laptop’s mic input.

A direct guitar-connection should also “work”, (with a TRRS plug) but the impedance is wrong (too low) for a guitar and the tone may be affected, and again I wouldn’t expect great quality. (The lower impedance also will knock-down the guitar signal which is normally higher than a mic signal.)

You can use an interface with line-inputs (such as the inexpensive Behringer UCA 202) or a guitar interface (such as the Behringer UCG 102). But, with a direct guitar interface you’re going to loose the amp “emulation” from your current amp.

Get an “audio interface”. Do NOT get a “USB Soundcard”. They are like laptops with only line-in and headphone-out.

Or, if you have access to a desktop/tower computer with a regular soundcard the line-input will work.

Thanks a lot guys, i finally get it !
One last question, to be sure I understand it. If I get a Behringer UCA202, I’ll just need a jack to RCA cable to connect my amp to the device, right ?
Thanks again :wink: :smiley:

Yes. Something like [u]this[/u].

Then, I assume the speaker in your amp cuts-off when you plug something into the headphone jack so you’ll need to plug headphones or “powered” computer speakers into the Behringer to hear yourself play, or use a Y-splitter to plug headphones and the Behringer into the amp at the same time.

There is a “monitor” switch on the Behringer so you can directly monitor the input. That’s better than monitoring through the computer because you’ll get latency (delay) through the computer.

alright i guess you gave me everything i needed. thanks a lot <3
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