ok I am going to get an electric gitar for myself. I am serios about learning. so I dont care if my first guitar cost me a bit of money. I dont realy know anything about guitars so here is what I want.
to be able to plug it to my computer directly. I have no idea if that exists.
I dont want to get an amp realy. I have a extremly sweet sound system. I rather be able to hook it to my reciever with like fibre optics, coaxial, or at very least stereo (red/white) lol if gitars dont do that then I want to know whatever equipment I need to do that. ESPECIALY THE COMPUTER PART. I dont plan on going anywhere with my guitar for a while, so I dont need an amps portibility.
and aside from that I have no idea what brands even exist. I am an audiophile, so the guitar has to sound nice(and duh ill go check them out before I buy) I just yesterday decided for certain that I am doing this. so I havent even been to a music shop yet. I like to do research on things online before I go look at them in stores.
also I am visualy impared so books are not good for me. any suggestions on computer or dvd lessons?
Big up, fanks
Bu-ya Kasha
Do you want to record acoustic or/and electric? Will you record voice? How much money can you spend? what kind of music you planning to record?--ken
I dont plan on acustic at all. I would probly eventully record voice. but I would only want to record an electric guitar anytime soon. I dont realy know what kind of music exactly. I like a very large range of rock and metal. I dont plan on it but I could spend like 2000, but I'd rather keep it below 1000. But I will spend what I need to get what I realy want.
Bu-ya Kasha
Aww shoot with that kind of a budget.
I'd go for both
Epiphone Custom Les Paul -and-
Some kind of Strat be it MIM, MIA or MIJ
a Good Tube Amp like an Epi V.J.
Then a few pedals... TubeScreamer or Behringers equivalent would be the first choice. Second an EQ Pedal.
Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. - Wernher Von Braun (1912-1977)
Put that $2000 away, get a Squier or something and a decent amp (Epiphone valve junior or something) and start practicing. There is absolutely no way you can tell what you want right now and if you'll spend it now you will quite likely regret that later.
If you want to use the computer instead of an amp, you either need a hardware amp modeler (behringer V-amp, Vox Tonelab, Line6 POD XT) or a software modeler (Guitar Rig). The advantage will be that you can use headphones with it and record easily, but it will be hard to be the quality of a good amp. A consumer Hi-Fi setup is something entirely unlike a guitar amp so you can not just plug it in and expect the 'electric guitar sound'. With a modeler it will sound better. An example of those sounds is here (select virtual gear):
http://www.behringer.com/V-AMP2/index.cfm?lang=ENG
I have a sound blaster X-Fi. so I got all the software I need I might need an expansion bay, but i dont know yet all it has on it now are these plugs, front R-L, Rear R-L, Subwoofer and center, and a digital coax/mic/line in, multi funcion plug
If I got the I/O console add on I would get
Coaxial SPDIF input and output: Two RCA jacks
Shared Auxiliary input / Phono input: RCA stereo jacks
Optical SPDIF input and output: Two optical connectors
MIDI input and output: Two standard MIDI female connectors
Headphone output and volume control: 6.35 mm (1/4-inch) stereo jack
Shared line-level analog Line/Microphone input: 6.35 mm (1/4-inch) stereo jack
Shared line-level analog Line/Hi-Z input: 6.35 mm (1/4-inch) stereo jack
What do guitars usualy use? A 6.35mm jack?
ok yea, the Epiphone Custom Les Paul, might be a bit more than I want to spend. Like 100-300 might be the most I'd spend on a gutar I think, but I dont know yet for sure, looked at some squire's they might be more what I'd get, I just had no Idea yet when I mentioned my 2g budget, that is like ALL I have. I dont want to spend it, ya know?
Bu-ya Kasha
I have a sound blaster X-Fi. so I got all the software I need
With all due respect but from your posts you clearly don't know too much about it, so take it easy your only confusing yourself. It's really way too much to explain here but the bottom-line is that a guitar with just what you've got will sound like crap. You do not have the software to make it work. Not even close. At all. Get an amp or modeler, hardware or software, or just get an accoustic guitar.
lol yea I know next to nothing about guitars, no doubt. But I am asuming you dont know all that much about the X-Fi. It has a modle that is for recording, and the main diff between what I have and that one is the I/O console, and X-ram Maybe I will just get an amp, but no I am defenitly not confusing myself I'm doing research.
Bu-ya Kasha
Look, I'm perfectly aware of what software comes with the X-Fi. And it's not enough. And no ammount of digital I/Os will help in any way at all.
really? cuz as far as I can tell the v-amp 2 is just more guitar specifec I have been browsing its manual and it seems like X-Fi's audio creation mode/software, has the same stuff except for imitating specific amps. so I'm still not sold that the x-fi cant do it, although I would need the add on bay(asuming the x-fi actully can do it) because I need a 1/4 inch(6.35mm) plug. also ever since I got my x-fi I of course would get used to it but 90bB I am adicted to my 116dB, although I wont want to hear my playing loud for a while lol. do you have one? have you tried it? has anyone? I love my X-Fi :) lol thanks for all the help so far,
maybe I should get an amp first off and then see for myself if the x-Fi works? If I do that what else would I need to get with the amp? and any opinions on the strat S 2? on sale at bust buy :)
Bu-ya Kasha
has the same stuff except for imitating specific amps
That's the whole point, I don't think you really get it. In short, you need two things:
1) A device that creates the sound. If you go straight into the pc you'll need a DSP that 'imitates' a real guitar amp and it's cabinet. A real guitar amplifier has a pre-amp where all of this happens without digital processors. It's this part that decides how the guitar sounds, from jazzy clean, bluesy warm to agressive metal. Without the tone-shaping part your electric guitar will sound like an accoustic, but shriller, thinner and more sterile. Totally useless. Real amplifiers tend to sound better but offer less tonal variety. This is why spending a lot of money would be unwise because you might find that the sounds it produces are not what you want.
2) A device that amplifies the sound. In other words, makes the cones produce an actual sound. Without it there won't be sound at all.
A modeler only does the first thing, your stuff only the second. A guitar amp does both. If you get an amp there's no point in using your setup, so either get an amp or get a modeler to go with what you've got. If you don't believe me go to the music store and ask them to put a guitar into a PA through a DI box, that's how it will sound without an amp or modeler.
By the way: no, I do not own a X-Fi. I use an E-mu Creative Professional 0404 which comes with more or less the same Audio Creation Console ( http://www.emu.com/callouts/E-MU-DAS_Patchmix.html ). Very handy but not what wer'e talking about.
ok I get it now(or at least better than before!) So if I use my x-fi I would be like recording "plan" sound, and that would sound like shit.
so like guitar>vamp>x-fi? I dont think I would want V-amp 2 then exactly I dont wants its other features that I can do with my stuff, like reverb distortion auto web etc.
oh about your stuff then what do you use exactly? I assume you do record to your computer somtimes right?
Bu-ya Kasha
Yes, you would be recording a 'dry'/'plain' signal, and thats not a sound anyone likes. If you use your soundcard/speakers then yes, just drop a modeler in between. There are not mot many modelers without effects, adding a simple effect DSP to a unit is so cheap every company does it.
As for me, yeah, I do record myself. My setup depends a lot on what I'm doing, but essentially it is:
Guitar->booster->overdrive->compressor->EQ->5watt tube amp->dummy load->volume pedal->multi-effect->120W solidstate poweramp->cabinet, 2x12"speakers->microphones->mixerboard->compressor->soundcard. If I don't need something I'll remove it to keep the chain as clean as possible.
Three recent guitar recordings:
Rock:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=361288&songID=4601226
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=361288&songID=4633402
Blues:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=361288&songID=4679017
sweet! ok then I assume you have all the mixers and compressers etc because you dont just use your computer, not because creative's compresser and so on suck?
Bu-ya Kasha
No, I do use my computer and a truckload of plug-ins. A computer can add a lot but not replace everything. For example, Creative's compressor is nice but you cannot place it before the gain-stage of the amplifier which is where you'd normally place one. Which is why I have three compressors: before the amp, between mixer and soundcard and post-soundcard. Same effect, different positions, different results. And on my pc I use other multi-band compressors as well, besides the creative one. You could ofcourse chain a bunch of computers together but that might get expensive.
When I started I tried the cheap way too. Don't bother, it isn't worth it.
