Guitar thru PC

[Guyute]

Hi all,

I was wondering- If I buy an electric guitar, can I plug it right into my PC or do I need some sort of Pre-amp?

[madmat]

Look around for a Rockman. It's a stereo headphone amp for guitar and you can take the headphone output from the Rockman and run it into your PC's aux input.

The Rockman has some effects built into it (it was designed by one of the guys from Boston and was actually insturmental in their second album) such as distortion, chorus and compression. It'd be much better at matching the output of your axe to the input level needed by your soundcard.

[MountainDew]

I believe you need some sort of pre-amp, I used to Guitar -> effects petal -> PC

[Guyute]

Thanks. I'm starting to save ASAP... Just wondered what I would have to buy first...

[madmat]

Try eBay. The Rockman has been around for 20 years easily, you should be able to find a used one with no problems.

[lightnin]

either iGuitar

http://www.iguitar.com

or one of a few dozen preamp interfaces:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/home/navigation?q=usb

or behringer
http://www.behringer.com/IAXE393/index.cfm?lang=ENG

or usbband
http://www.usbband.com/

and this one is cheap-ish
http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/mp3/7d86/

[Guyute]

Right on- never knew this stuff existed! Thanks all.

[Gargoyle]

Guyute, if you get one, that'd be an awesome opportunity to write a review for Short-Media! I've been wondering how well these worked for awhile.

and this one is cheap-ish
http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/mp3/7d86/

I've been thinking about getting that one for awhile. I could rock out at work, or make my laptop my amp :D

[Buddy J]

http://www.line6.com/products/computerbased/

Check out the Line6 products too. I haven't used them but I'm told they're good. The software they come with looks like it's pretty awesome.

[Guyute]

Hey Gargoyle,

Great idea- I will as soon as I get the gear. The plan is to save some from each pay for the next few months, then snap up a used guitar that someone is dumping (did it once several years ago and got a steal on a brand-spanking-new Yamaha, but sold it when I moved- DOH!). Then the effects/output then an amp.

Nice link, Buddy- I have already used a ZOOM but these Line 6 look great, too...I will check them out.

[Guyute]

Update: Called the local music store (Musicstop)- Dude was very helpful, and had used a Line 6 Guitarshop before. He is actually a tech, and only needed to know how this machine ran through his PC and he was smashed by it- He said you can save all of your presets ON YOUR PC, so instead of monkeying with your dials, knobs, sliders and jacks you plug your axe into the PC and mouse-click to get the sound you want! He did say that ZOOM still make a respectable product, but he had no experience with them, and the guitar salesmen were too busy to chat...and all of this cost the last guy who bought one only $159 CDN- that is less than the cost of 2 pedals!

[airbornflght]

I've thought about getting a guitar, they look like a lot of fun, but I would probably be better off with a bass, less strings to worry aboot:D

[Guyute]

They sell gizmos to run basses thru your PC, too...

[evilkillermouse]

I use something called Jamlab, which hooks my guitar up to my compy and lets me screw around with fx. It works pretty well, and comes with some drum tracks to play along with.