Troubleshooting my electric guitar to my PC...

[BmoFailure]

Hello, I am trying to figure out how to connect my electric guitar to my computer, I currently have what I believe to be a pre-amp (M-TRACK 2X2 C-SERIES) connected to my computer. The only thing I have running through it is my headphones. I have had success hearing my guitar input, but it only goes through the pre-amp and back into my headphones. In terms of connecting to my computer, I have tried connecting my guitar to the front of my preamp, having that signal go through to the back of my preamp, connecting that with another cable to my PC using a 1/4inch jack to 1/8inch jack converter to pink mic in into my motherboard. That resulted in a lot of static when previewing it in Voicemeeter Potato. I wrote this on a tight schedule so if you have any questions I can help answer them to the best of my ability in a few hours. Thank you

 

OS: Windows 10 Pro

Preamp: M-TRACK 2X2 C-SERIES

Other: Voicemeeter Potato

[homeap5]

Without special low latency sound card for recording (like Line6 products) you'll be disappointed by huge delays.

BUT - you already have that device type - your M-Track 2x2 has usb connector and can record track(s) with low latency (as producer described). So all you need is proper software, which should be included.

You doing something wrong - probably because you don't configured input and output proper in your system.

 

Try to use some free DAW like Cakewalk (it's professional software that you can get for free). Then you'll be able to setup every input device connected to your computer and assing that device to any track you want to record. And even more - with some nice VSTs you'll be able to use nice guitar effects in realtime.

 

About static noise - it may be also because of guitar itself. If you'll not be able to eliminate that static sound when you're using overdrive effect, then you can find lot of software noisegates to minimize that effect (also as VST that you can use with Cakewalk). If you're talking about clean guitar without overdrive then problem is bigger, but proper using your M-Track device should solve it.

[BmoFailure]

I was unaware that there was software tied to this! Thank for that suggestion, that solved my problem, I thought I may have thought of all of the obvious. I guess it threw me off since I got this 2nd hand from my brothers friend. Anyways, enough rambling from me. Thank you for your help, everything has also come in pretty clear.

[homeap5]

But seriously - try Cakewalk. Free and powerful.

[The Flying Sloth]

2 hours ago, homeap5 said:

But seriously - try Cakewalk. Free and powerful.

Laughs in Reaper

[homeap5]

5 hours ago, The Flying Sloth said:

Laughs in Reaper

Sure, spending over $200 for someone who may not even need it, is a great idea.

If Cakewalk will not be enough, but still OP will want use some good DAW because he start thinking it's good idea to use that type of software, then sure, why not - everyone can use different software and choose the best.

At the end it's not important what DAW do you want to use. Results are important.

[Ahoy Hoy]

20 hours ago, BmoFailure said:

Hello, I am trying to figure out how to connect my electric guitar to my computer, I currently have what I believe to be a pre-amp (M-TRACK 2X2 C-SERIES) connected to my computer. The only thing I have running through it is my headphones. I have had success hearing my guitar input, but it only goes through the pre-amp and back into my headphones. In terms of connecting to my computer, I have tried connecting my guitar to the front of my preamp, having that signal go through to the back of my preamp, connecting that with another cable to my PC using a 1/4inch jack to 1/8inch jack converter to pink mic in into my motherboard. That resulted in a lot of static when previewing it in Voicemeeter Potato. I wrote this on a tight schedule so if you have any questions I can help answer them to the best of my ability in a few hours. Thank you

 

OS: Windows 10 Pro

Preamp: M-TRACK 2X2 C-SERIES

Other: Voicemeeter Potato

Your doing this the wrong way.

Guitar plugged into your guitar amp. From the amp either vie a output like jack normally on the back of amps or you use a microphone near the speaker of the amp into the interface on the line in on the back. Then your computer receives the audio through the USB cable and you click the record button on your choice or recording software and your headphones go into the interface.

[The Flying Sloth]

5 hours ago, homeap5 said:

Sure, spending over $200 for someone who may not even need it, is a great idea.

If Cakewalk will not be enough, but still OP will want use some good DAW because he start thinking it's good idea to use that type of software, then sure, why not - everyone can use different software and choose the best.

At the end it's not important what DAW do you want to use. Results are important.

It was a joke.... Reaper is also free......

 

2 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

Your doing this the wrong way.

Guitar plugged into your guitar amp. From the amp either vie a output like jack normally on the back of amps or you use a microphone near the speaker of the amp into the interface on the line in on the back. Then your computer receives the audio through the USB cable and you click the record button on your choice or recording software and your headphones go into the interface.

No, you can absolutely record guitar straight into an interface, for sure you don't get cab or amp sound in your recording but that's what Guitar Rig or any of the other (some free) amp/cab sims are for. Also, I'd suggest you don't tell people to plug a 1/4 inch from the back of any amp into an interface as many amps have 1/4 inch as their speaker output which will absolutely fuck up an input section of an interface....

[Ahoy Hoy]

40 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

It was a joke.... Reaper is also free......

 

No, you can absolutely record guitar straight into an interface, for sure you don't get cab or amp sound in your recording but that's what Guitar Rig or any of the other (some free) amp/cab sims are for. Also, I'd suggest you don't tell people to plug a 1/4 inch from the back of any amp into an interface as many amps have 1/4 inch as their speaker output which will absolutely fuck up an input section of an interface....

Yeah I totaly miss read his first post and got confused by him referring to the interface as a amp. As i read it sounded like he was going guitar  into interface then out of interface to computer, guitar amp and headphones.

[homeap5]

1 hour ago, The Flying Sloth said:

It was a joke.... Reaper is also free......

Not what I saw on their website.

[The Flying Sloth]

2 hours ago, homeap5 said:

Not what I saw on their website.

The full license for Cockos Reaper is 60 Dollars for individuals but there is an infinite free trial (makes you wait 5 seconds before opening if you go past the 60 day evaluation period, that's it) that has all the same functions as the paid version...

 

I genuinely have no clue how you got your information, all this info is available on their website pretty easily......

[homeap5]

2 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

The full license for Cockos Reaper is 60 Dollars for individuals but there is an infinite free trial (makes you wait 5 seconds before opening if you go past the 60 day evaluation period, that's it) that has all the same functions as the paid version...

 

I genuinely have no clue how you got your information, all this info is available on their website pretty easily......

https://www.reaper.fm/purchase.php

There is no information that Reaper is free. I even looked at their website for all "free" words, but I found only that "license includes unlimited free updates" or similar stuff.

And I can read this: "You can evaluate REAPER in full for 60 days. A REAPER license is affordably priced and DRM-free".

 

So it's paid program that you can apparently use over 60 days if what you said is true. But if you think that makes Reaper free, then you probably believe that cracks are legal way to made all programs and games free (if it works, it works, isn't?).

 

[The Flying Sloth]

1 minute ago, homeap5 said:

https://www.reaper.fm/purchase.php

There is no information that Reaper is free. I even looked at their website for all "free" words, but I found only that "license includes unlimited free updates" or similar stuff.

And I can read this: "You can evaluate REAPER in full for 60 days. A REAPER license is affordably priced and DRM-free".

 

So it's paid program that you can apparently use over 60 days if what you said is true. But if you think that makes Reaper free, then you probably believe that cracks are legal way to made all programs and games free (if it works, it works, isn't?).

 

A 60 day free trial that still works after the 60 days BY DESIGN and allows you access to the full program is free in my books, donationware really. 

 

OP, I apologise we've got off track here, I was just trying to make banter about choice of free DAW .....

[homeap5]

59 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

I genuinely have no clue how you got your information, all this info is available on their website pretty easily......

You asked, I answered. Show me that easy to find info about free Reaper.

[kasugatei]

On 10/23/2020 at 4:08 AM, The Flying Sloth said:

No, you can absolutely record guitar straight into an interface, for sure you don't get cab or amp sound in your recording but that's what Guitar Rig or any of the other (some free) amp/cab sims are for. Also, I'd suggest you don't tell people to plug a 1/4 inch from the back of any amp into an interface as many amps have 1/4 inch as their speaker output which will absolutely fuck up an input section of an interface....

Some amplifiers have rec output which is line level and perfectly safe to connect directly to the sound card. Although, I would rather use guitar VST plugins for this because usually sound from that output sucks. Unless we are speaking about some modern gear with IR responses on that line out and in that case it should be ok when paired with some decent IR
 

 

On the topic of Reaper being free, it is “Winrar free”. Officially Winrar is paid software with evaluation period, but it will never stop working. It will just bother users at startup. Same is with Reaper. 
So technically it is free and it doesn’t matter if that information is written on their website or not. Unless you are using the software for commercial purposes I don’t see any issues. It would be fair to pay developers at least 60$ if you get any money from using Reaper unless you really want to be cheap ass***e. 

[The Flying Sloth]

36 minutes ago, Niksa said:

On the topic of Reaper being free, it is “Winrar free”. Officially Winrar is paid software with evaluation period, but it will never stop working. It will just bother users at startup. Same is with Reaper. 
So technically it is free and it doesn’t matter if that information is written on their website or not. Unless you are using the software for commercial purposes I don’t see any issues. It would be fair to pay developers at least 60$ if you get any money from using Reaper unless you really want to be cheap ass***e. 

I completely agree, that's the reason I paid for it, it's a damn good DAW.
Honestly, as far as I'm concerned Reaper is ProTools with better compatibility, better UI, less crashes and better resource management, and that's coming from someone who has spent a silly amount of money on ProTools among other paid DAWs and plugins.