Dash Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Hi folks, I'm not the most technically minded person around so I need some advice. I want to play my bass along with backing tracks I have created on my Mac but I need to use headphones as I live in a flat with other people. What is the best way to hook up my bass to my computer? Is it by using some kind of audio interface device or does it need to run through my amp? And... if it is by using an audio interface thingy, what is a good basic brand to look at? I have a Mac, a Fender Jazz and an Eden Nemesis amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mornats Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 If your bass amp has a headphone out and a line in you can plug your PC soundcard into your amp and play along. Or you could try one of those little headphone amp things (Vox amplug I think one of them's called). If it has a line in then you're sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 Cool. Thanks Mornats. I appreciate your help. I'll look into all of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 I'm selling something that might be right up your street - line in and out and plugs directly in your bass... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/157535-headphone-amp . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Plug your bass lead into this 1/4" jack to mini jack adapter and plug the adapter into your PC's mic socket. Headphones into the headphone socket. Away you go. About a quid from Maplin's. Not as good as a bit of dedicated outboard but perfectly serviceable for rough demos. Need an amped-up sound? Lots of good freebie sims in the free VST list on this forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanark Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 [quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1320024569' post='1421453'] Plug your bass lead into this 1/4" jack to mini jack adapter and plug the adapter into your PC's mic socket. Headphones into the headphone socket. Away you go. About a quid from Maplin's. Not as good as a bit of dedicated outboard but perfectly serviceable for rough demos. Need an amped-up sound? Lots of good freebie sims in the free VST list on this forum. [/quote] Does that work? I wouldn't have thought a passive guitar would put out enough power. Interesting though - I'll have to try it, I've got a few of those adaptors sitting about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duarte Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 (edited) That will work, but you will only hear it from one headphone and there will be terrible latency and distortion/volume issues. Not really an option if you ask me Edited October 31, 2011 by Duarte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 (edited) [quote name='Duarte' timestamp='1320060369' post='1421629'] That will work, but you will only hear it from one headphone and there will be terrible latency and distortion/volume issues. Not really an option if you ask me [/quote] Not at all. Run it through Garageband, the bass will be pannable and latency is a non issue as long as you're not running hundreds of effects on it. EDIT: After all recording real instruments is what GB was made for. You can import the backing tracks into GB too. Edited October 31, 2011 by bartelby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 [quote name='lanark' timestamp='1320058193' post='1421587'] Does that work? [/quote] [quote name='Duarte' timestamp='1320060369' post='1421629'] That will work, but you will only hear it from one headphone and there will be terrible latency and distortion/volume issues. [/quote] Worked fine running it into Cakewalk guitar studio, audacity or reaper. Kept the latency down by recording dry and sticking the plug-ins in afterwards. Set the input volume on the windows recording mixer thingy before shunting it into the DAW. I freely take the point about hard panning, but for some reason it came out in centred mono on the cans, dunno why. Obviously a proper input device would be better, which is why I eventually bought an emu 0404. But for bashing around, it was OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I used to use the line-input for years until I bought a proper interface. It was a little noisey, but not too bad. I'd always use a pedal as a pre-amp but it will work without - just use a VST amp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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