The Steel Guitar Forum

I am considering how to configure a new home recording computer system. I have all kinds of equipment that generate a line out signal. Mixers, amps, what have you. My computer's sound card has a line in input. What advantage is gained by using one of the many USB interface boxes? (or firewire for that matter).

All of the high quality interfaces are external (USB or Firewire) as opposed to inside the computer (PCI or integrated in to the motherboard). I think this is because there just isn't room for all that stuff inside the computer.
If you want lots of inputs and nice mic preamps, then you need an external interface. Even if you have only one input, it is easier to plug into an external box than to bend over and reach behind your computer like I do.
Another advantage of USB or Firwire is that you can easily move it from one computer to another, for example from your home desktop machine to a portable computer.

The USB or Firewire or MIDI external interfaces are usually set up for an instrument level or a mic level input. The PC sound cards are not set up for those low level signals and require a higher (near line level) signal. Thus if you want to connect a guitar/steel or regular mic (e.g. an SM58) to the PC you need some type of interface other than the PC's sound card. The external interfaces usually have 1/4" and XLR inputs where the PC sound cards only have a 1/8" (3.5mm) mini stereo plug interface.

I am just leaning all of this myself. I bought a Line 6 TonePort UX2. It in itself is like a soundcard. You can run BIAB back thru it and then out to speakers. I have not used a mic yet. Some users say it's preamp is noisy when using a mic. The Lexicon Omega reviews said it's preamp was silent but the Lexicon had other issues. So, what the heck, live a learn. For now there is so much for me to lean about all of this I don't even know the difference yet. There are endless controls to dial in to change your sound. The recording picks up every sound from your guitar. If you are playing clean, it hears detil in every note yet does not pick up my finger pick noise which is great for me. Thanks for posting all the information about recording. For a person just getting into it, it's better than the support links the software and hardware builders provide in many cases.

Two points:

1) Most built-in soundcards that come with a computer will only record 16 bits per sample at 44.1k samples per second. Many people are okay with 44.1k samples per second, but the vast majority of people recording prefer to use 24 bits per sample. A better input will get you up to 24 bits per sample.

2) Most high-end soundcards are external because it removes them from the electrically noisy environment of your computer case. There are lots of electromagnetic waves going on in your computer case, which make it hard to cleanly manipulate analog signals. By moving to an external box, the electrical noise is reduced.

The current Sigma Tel integrated audio (on the motherboard) that is used by Dell, Intel (on their motherboards), HP and others is 24 bit.

SoundBlaster sound cards, including all of the Audigy and current XFi cards are all 24 bit.

However, "CD quality" (what you use when you burn a CD) is only 16 bits.

One more hurdle to figure out;

I went and bought cables. A set to go to from the output on the TonePort UX2 to my Bose speakers that are attached to my Sony Tuner combo and a cable to run from my TonePort UX2 headphone jack to the back of the computer into the sound card so I could play thru the computer speakers if I wanted. I tried them out. Something weird is happening. Thru my headphones I have my sound dialed in real well. It sounds very good and records sweet. But when I played it thru the Bose speakers, it sounds awful Just like it's over driven to the max and all distorted? I tried both ways, thru the Bose speakers and also into the computer speakers. Both sound the same, awful. Like something's really wrong.

Why would my headset sound great thru the TonePort jack but the cables into he speakers sound awful, like totally different and unusable? Another hurdle!

Got it all fixed. What a learning curve. I think I am up and running well at this time.

Gary-How did you fix your problem.? I am looking for ways to record with Bamd In a Box and hear my steel and the Biab through my amp while it is all recording. I really don't care to use Earphones....al

It was extra simple. I plugged a guitar cable into the headset port on the TonePort UX2 and the other end plugged into my amp. The amp has to be tuned on.

It is important to know you have to use LINE 6 TonePort as the AUDIO OUTPUT DRIVER on BIAB. That way the TonePort is doing all the work. You can also, if you want to, plug into the headset port and the other end into the sound card, again using the TonePort as the driver and you can hear both BIAB and your guitar out the computer speakers.

You find the option of what driver you want to use by clicking on Audio at the top of BIAB, then RECORD AUDIO, then AUDIO OPTIONS, then AUDIO DRIVERS and you can see your drivers listed. TonePort has to be the OUTPUT DRIVER to hear it thru the amp or the computer speakers routed via the headset port.

It sounds like a lot of work but it's not. My Polytone 15" speaker amp shakes the windows. I am using an inexpensive Audigy SE sound card.

Gary-Thanks a lot for the info. I'll give it a try and see if I can make it work. I dont have a line 6 toneport though. Do I need one.?..thanks...al.:)

I think any interface with guitar and headset ports will work. You just will need to use that product as the OUTPUT DRIVER.