Easy/Cheap PreAmp?

[Ito]

Is there an easy/cheap way to hook up my electric bass to the computer

for playing/recording?


thanks a lot

[kozikowski]

Not on a Windows Laptop, no. If you have a larger Windows Deskside machine or a Mac, then chances are you have a Line-In and you can plug the Bass or any guitar pickup straight in. Some Windows laptops have the ability to convert their Microphone Input to a stereo Line-In. Most don't.

So you may be a candidate for one of the external sound cards we reviewed...

http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=9477

Koz

[Ito]

So how can I tell if my windows laptop can convert mic line in to stereo line in?

I just looked at the control panel, but I dont think that was it.

[kozikowski]

<<<So how can I tell if my windows laptop can convert mic line in to stereo line in?>>>

There is no "Mic Line In." There is mono, low level, Mic-In and Stereo, high level, Line-In. Each laptop does it differently. Some give you a level control or switch, some actually have a blue Stereo Line-In connection on the side of the cabinet. I think Lenovo's do that. Highly recommended.

If you don't, then you have a normal PC laptop which is a business machine with a microphone input so you can Skype call the corporate offices on GrosseStrasse in Geneva. As I said, the big deskside PCs have everything and Macs have a killer production stereo line-in, and no microphone connection at all.

If you jam everything together anyway, you will join the pages of people who come back and post about distorted or pumping audio. Guitar audio levels are just slightly shy of high level line specifications. I measured one of the editor's guitar once and it produced a very respectable signal -- but way too loud for the Mic-In on a laptop.

See: USB Sound Cards, from above.

Koz

[Ito]

im not sure if i understand all that, but ok...



hey, would a cheap casio keyboard work by just plugging it in?

[steve]

Most laptop PCs have only microphone inputs and not line level inputs.
I use a Behringer UCA202 USB sound card with my laptop. With the appropriate leads most electric/electronic instrument can be connected to the Behringer, though the recording levels may be very wrong unless you are using a mixing desk. The best solution for you is probably a USB sound card that has inputs designed for electric/electronic instruments.

[Ito]

thanks guys

for your replies

[Ito]

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... D=41699112

this may be what we need here...