-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Hi. Thanks very much for your reply! On Fri, 6 Jan 2012 11:42:11 -0500 Joe Hartley <jh@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > On Fri, 6 Jan 2012 10:50:12 -0500 > Chris Metzler <cmetzler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: >> >> 4. I'm so confused about what I can plug into an interface's 1/4" >> jack at this point that I'm having trouble even articulating >> questions. Here's my best shot: >> >> a) Guitar cables typically use a TS connector while line-level >> devices (analog outs on drum machines, keyboards, etc.) typically >> use TRS, right? I'm presuming there's a difference in voltage >> range as well (hence why guitars aren't referred to as line-level)? > > Guitar signals are actually pretty weak, and need some sort of preamp > before they're really usable. That's the difference between an active and a passive DI, right? A passive DI just converts to a balanced signal, while an active DI also boosts the level. Right? > This can often be done in software, > though; packages like Guitarix (http://guitarix.sourceforge.net/) > will help create good sounds, but I always prefer micing an amp or at > the very least adding a pre-amp before taking the signal in. Right. My problem is my home -- both the space I have to use to record, and the circumstances (s.o., neighbor, etc.). I can't turn up a guitar amp and record its output right now. An electric has to go direct, with me listening by headphones -- there's just no avoiding it right now. My acoustic/electrics I can probably mic. But how can *preamplification* be handled in software like this? In order to apply amplification on the digital signal, you have to have already sampled the analog signal. Do you send the guitar signal into a line-level input even though it's much weaker than line level? I wasn't familiar with Guitarix; how does it compare to Rakarrack? > Balanced vs. unbalanced (or TRS vs. TS) has nothing to do with line > level, though. That has to do with the signal strength. Professional > audio gear considers line level to be +4 dBu (~1.228V RMS) while > consumer audio uses -10dBu (~0.316V RMS). Guitar pickups and mics > are typically much lower than that - anywhere from 1 - 300 mV if I > remember correctly. The amplifier for my electrics has a preamp out and power in, intended for effects. Can I use that preamp? Or should the guitar preamp I use for recording be *after* changing to a balanced signal? I presume that guitar and mic levels are sufficiently different that they don't use the same type of preamp either, right? > Hope this helps! It all did, very much. Thanks! - -c - -- Chris Metzler cmetzler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (remove "snip-me." to email) "As a child I understood how to give; I have forgotten this grace since I have become civilized." - Chief Luther Standing Bear -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.10 (GNU/Linux) iEYEARECAAYFAk8I6W0ACgkQEqzZtgaaqqGX3ACgp1epuVNZumxa4aB6OVDlW3Hw 5u0An0nxrBhAwDlPghTZUo85r3tA5QpR =Oon6 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- _______________________________________________ Linux-audio-user mailing list Linux-audio-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://lists.linuxaudio.org/listinfo/linux-audio-user
