Taking up guitar after a few years and need some help on buying a PC Interface

kPATm

Hello. Just joined as I have decided to give the guitar ago after many years away. I was never really a good guitarist. I played in my bedroom and basically taught myself the very little I did know. Any way I have started again with my guitar connected to my PC and using iRig or Amplitube and although its not too bad I was thinking of getting an interface.

Im sure you are all aware there is an abundance of interfaces available. Now I wont be recording my guitar I just need something that would give me a decent sound while using Guitar Rig/Amplitube. I have been looking at the Focusrite Solo? Does anyone have any opinions on this model or can you recommend another?
 
I have heard reports on the Solo clipping the electric guitar sound but Im not sure if thats only while recording or just playing. I know less than bugger all about this so be gentle?

Thanks

rlw

Interested to know more as well.

olafgarten

Recording and Playing through are practically the same thing, when playing through Amplitube, you are just playing it back as soon as it is recorded.

If you are just playing for fun and not doing any recording, then any decent interface will do the job.

In fact, this one at Andertons is the same quality as the focusrite, but only has a single input.

http://www.andertons.co.uk/usb-interfaces/pid32615/cid712/alesis-core-1-usb-audio-interface.asp

kPATm

Thanks for that

markv

I bought a Focusrite Scarlett Solo earlier this year as my first toe-dipping into digital waters.

So I don't have experience of other interfaces but I think it's pretty good - simple, but does the job. It came with bundled software (well, a voucher to download the software) and that was useful for someone starting from scratch. I'm happy with it.

I mainly use it with the amp sim output of my Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister, and that does quite easily overload the XLR input (the one on the left). I don't use it much with the direct guitar input but when I have I haven't noticed any clipping.

I suppose the benefit of this over something like the Alesis mentioned above is that it gives you a little expansion possibility if you find yourself getting into it, but not so much that it's complicated or you feel you're spending a lot of money for features you may never use. That said there are loads of other options at this entry level.

I have done a little recording with it (mainly for the Solo of the month challenge on here!) and it does well .Latency is pretty good.

kPATm

Cheers Mark. Does anyone else have other alternatives to the Focusrite?

TTony

Hmmmm.

It really depends on what you're trying to achieve.

I think I bought my first PC c1988.  Bought my first guitar about 10 years before that.  For the 30-odd years since then, I've often thought that I should be putting those two interests together.  I've had various interfaces through the years, but never really used them.

It's always seemed too regimented.  The PC is a work tool.  The guitar is a relaxing hobby.  I never found that the two really mixed that well (unless you're wanting to play/record seriously).

However ...

In the couple of years that I've been playing through an iPad, I've played way way more than in all the years of trying to play through a PC.  It's a more relaxed feel.  It's easier to switch on, plug in and play.  The apps are pennies.  And good.  Playing along with mp3s is easier than easy.  Stick the headphones in, and I can play reasonably quietly too.

Or why not just get one of the many many decent small amps?  THR10 is generally recommended.

And if you're looking to learn stuff quickly, I found the Lick Library DVDs really useful - much quicker/easier than trying to pick stuff up by ear, or using tab, or any of the hundreds of online resources.

Welcome to theFretBoard.  Where you'll always get an answer to a question completely different to the one you asked.

grungebob

I have the focusrite solo for Mac( it's called and istudio) and it doesn't clip at all and plays and records very well. I use it with guitar rig 5 and bias desktop and it works equally well with both but the bias software is the best.

thomasross20

I buy the Line 6 Toneport as it also comes with software.

kPATm

@ TTony I dont mind connecting to the PC as I dont have an iPad. But thanks for the advice. I have been thinking on an iPad.

I have seen a Line 6 Toneport GX on the bay for cheap. Are these any good for simply plugging into the PC and running Guitar Rig/Amplitube with low latency?

DaevidJ

I have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which is also good for recording vox as well as in stereo...  That said any interface would do as others have said

thomasross20

If you want to run separate software I don't know if Toneport allows that. It uses its own software (cheaper overall) - cleans are GREAT but I found it tricky to get a great-sounding distorted tone. Can be done but takes time.

digitalscream

@kPATm: I've got a Behringer UMC404HD for sale, which is excellent - 4 inputs, 4 outputs, with really good preamps - and I'd let it go for £65 posted if you want. It's a good beginner interface, because there's no complex routing or DSP etc.

I'm just getting rid because I need (a lot) more inputs...

kPATm

Thanks for the offer Mr Scream but the Behringer looks like overkill for my needs. @thomas Iv looked about and I "think" the Toneport GX can be used with other software? Can anyone else confirm this 0please?

kPATm

Ok so I bought a pair of Wilkinson Humbuckers but Im not sure I wired them correctly?

The original humbuckers had 2 wires. 1 to the center tab on the pot and the other to ground.

The Wilkinsons have 4 but 2 are twisted together (red+white)as I understand these are only needed if you want to use a coil tap?.

The other wires left are Black/Yellow.

I have soldered the yellow wire to the center tab on the pot and the black to ground? Is this correct?

The pic shows the way I have connected the neck pickup to the volume pot

markv

I suggest you start a new thread with this question over in the "Making & Modding" section - will probably get seen by more people.

kPATm

OK mate. Cheers

PolarityMan

digitalscream said:

@kPATm: I've got a Behringer UMC404HD for sale, which is excellent - 4 inputs, 4 outputs, with really good preamps - and I'd let it go for £65 posted if you want. It's a good beginner interface, because there's no complex routing or DSP etc.

I'm just getting rid because I need (a lot) more inputs...

Is this still around? maybe i should just flog a couple of pedals and take it off your hands

PolarityMan

To the original poster, my main interface is a focusrite saffire pro40 which along with my behringer adat gives me 16 channels. Now this is obviosuly much more than you require..but I will say that the focusrite drivers have been rock solid for me and perhaps more importantly I was really impressed with their product support.

While recording our album I blew up the focusrite by plugging in the firewire cable the wrong way round (quite the ports let you do this is beyond me but there you go). Anyway the problem was completely my fault and the interface was a year out of warranty but they took it in and only charged 30 quid for the repair including the cost of postage. turn around was about a week or so.

So basically although I have tried focusrites smaller interfaces I would completely recommend them as a company based on my experiences.

The mic preamps seem pretty decent too, as I said recorded all our album on mine.