How To Connect A Guitar To A Computer

Author Brad Finley has contributed this interesting article on using computers to record guitar music:

So many players want to record guitar playing on their computer. Digital recording is more popular than ever for pros and amateurs alike. But there are some things to be considered when you connect a guitar to a computer; mostly how you want to connect the instrument, and the quality of the recording you hope to capture. The type of guitar computer interface you choose will greatly affect the sound of the electric guitar through the computer and the overall recording you can expect.

It is possible to play guitar through a PC just by plugging it in - this basic approach is likely to be fine for most, though many players dont like sacrificing a good sound for the ease of quick setup. Electric players need a high impedance input to get their electric guitar to connect to a computer, and though most computer soundcards come with high impedance inputs, these inputs are usually not strong enough to get a good guitar signal in the long run, for recording guitar effects for PC. This lower impedance can cause noise problems too. A player can avoid all this of course by plugging the guitar into a line-in jack, instead of the mic-in, but then the all-important preamp is needed.

Almost anyone attempting to connect a guitar through their computer, or familiar with recording a guitar into a mixing console. should be familiar with a preamp. The preamp does exactly what its name implies, it "amps" the signal before it goes into the plug-in. Therefore your guitar's signal will get that extra boost it needs when you record guitar on a pc...or into any other device that is not an amp. There are plenty of external interfaces that combine computer soundcards with a preamp. Or if you like more components to your set-up you can always buy a preamp separate from your sound card. There are a lot of stand-alone vintage preamps out there that will not only boost your signal, but warm your sound before it goes into the cooler digital domain of your pc.

It's not only the pristine quality of digital that makes recording guitar on a PC so much fun, it is also portability. With very little equipment you can put down a riff (or an entire song actually) into a laptop! And added to all this wonderful technology is the fact that there are so many recording guitar effects for pc now on the market, a player can access different amp sounds and settings and effects. Well, after you have wrestled with how to connect a guitar to your pc and have recorded a strong signal, you can create guitar effects with your PC during recording or in post-production.

Of course, there is information about how to connect your guitar to a pc, and the wonderful wide world of effects available through on-line pc guitar tutors and websites devoted to digital recording. You can even purchase a computer guitar tuner (some programs include a free computer guitar tuner) so everything you will ever need is self-contained in your PC! Some players are even recording parts, then downloading and sending these pieces of tunes to musicians half-way across the world.

The possibilities really are unlimited for the guitar player who connects his guitar to a PC; he or she will be amazed at the varied and easy results they can achieve when they simply start recording guitar on a PC.

Brad Finley is senior editor of MyGuitarWorkshop - Free Guitar Lessons . Website provides guitar lessons and instructions for all level guitar players. Also click for Free Music Theory Lessons

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