What do you reccommend for electric guitar and bass?

[Anorton]

After reading the input thread, I'm more confused than when I started. What is the simplest, least expensive way to record electric guitar and bass tracks without a mic? Are there decent quarter inch adapters with headphones?

[jorgren]

I think your simplest options are:

(1) Use the iRig adapter. This should be out in the next couple of weeks. Note: depending on which iPxxx device you have, the bass performance may be limited (no fault of the adapter). Also note that there are no apps (yet) that will add effects and can record at the same time. The mic input has a small amount of white noise.

(2) Use a guitar to USB cable and the Apple Camera Connection Kit. This has the same no-effects limitation as option 1. I don't have experience with these and can't comment on the audio quality of the various brands.

(3) Connect the line-level ouputs from a pedal, through the docking port. I use a Belkin TuneTalk mic to provide a line-level stereo input jack. This will provide audio every bit as clean as your source. Note that only some pedals (such as multi-FX pedals) have line-level outputs. This option lets you use MultiTrack DAW and record, including your favorite pedal effects. It is of course a bit less portable.

[Anorton]

I'll look for the iRig adapter. I would also benefit from a trip to the local music store; I didn't know they made USB guitar cables. Thank you jorgren, so very much, for your knowledge and time.

[jorgren]

Happy to help. I forgot to mention one thing. If you have an iPad, it is audio-challenged. In other words, it has no audio inputs at all, so your only option is USB.

[shannong]

Happy to help. I forgot to mention one thing. If you have an iPad, it is audio-challenged. In other words, it has no audio inputs at all, so your only option is USB.

Not entirely true. iPad takes audio input from an iPod earbuds + mic just fine. So you can record vocals that way if you like (obviously not high-quality). The iPad also has a built-in mic right near the headphone jack that can get the job done for certain lo-fi recording tasks.

[jorgren]

Thanks for the correction. Also, per pwnified: The iPad and iPhone 4 DO have the same earbud/mic input as the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2G/3G. So the iRig should be fine with them, or my homebrew equivalent should work.

[Mr.Tea]

Hi Jorgren,

I'm a bit confused about what you say about the belkin input device - this doesn't appear to have a jack input?

Also what would be the best way to record guitar from a pod2 effects unit?

Thanks in advance!

[jorgren]

The Belkin TuneTalk has a jack which can be set with a switch for Line-In or Mic-in functionality. It's stereo, and the switch changes the gain. I have used it (at Line level) with a Korg Kaossilator and a Digitech RPM80 guitar pedal (both devices have stereo line out). The TuneTalk should work fine with the Pod 2.0, which has +4dBu balanced or -10dBV unbalanced 1/4" connectors, and the Pod 2.0 also has a headphone output, which would work too. You will need to use some type of adapters to convert a pair of 1/4" jacks to a single stereo 1/8". Or, use a 1/8" to 1/8" cable on the headphone output.

One caution: the TuneTalk supplies 2.8V DC to the input jack, assuming you would connect a small condenser mic (similar to the iPhone's own earbud mic). Active electronic devices like the Pod 2.0 and the RPM80 normally have a cpacitor which will block the DC and prevent any trouble. However, I don't have a schematic of the Pod and I can't 100% guarantee this is the case. If you get excessive pops and distortion, and adjusting your levels doesn't help, it could be an issue with DC voltage. However, I have only seen or heard of such problems when connecting directly to a device like a guitar or dynamic mic, which are not compatible with any DC voltage.

[Mr.Tea]

Many thanks for such a comprehensive reply - answers all my questions and then some!

Will download the app now

Cheers.