Recording Question

[IBLIZZ]

Im trying to record some guitar. I plug my guitar into a pedal through a standard mono guitar cord. Then from the pedal to my computers "line in." Now when I run a mono cord from the pedal to the computer it works, but whenever I try to run a stereo cord from the pedal to the computer it doesn't work. Is this because coming from the guitar it is mono and would I have to run a stereo cord. Or is it something else... if you could help me out that would be great.... thanks

[Sir_Robert]

i have no idea. i didnt even know you could record like that. i thought you either had to mic or go from your recording out on your amp.

sorry

[jurialmunkey]

i have no idea. i didnt even know you could record like that. i thought you either had to mic or go from your recording out on your amp.

Its basically the same as DI recording. You just dont have a DI splitting the signal so you can go to the AMP as well.

Im trying to record some guitar. I plug my guitar into a pedal through a standard mono guitar cord. Then from the pedal to my computers "line in." Now when I run a mono cord from the pedal to the computer it works, but whenever I try to run a stereo cord from the pedal to the computer it doesn't work. Is this because coming from the guitar it is mono and would I have to run a stereo cord. Or is it something else... if you could help me out that would be great.... thanks

1. Why do you want to use a stereo lead? Are you only getting sound from one side on the mono lead? If so, just record to a mono track and just select either the LEFT or RIGHT channel to record from (depending on which side it is coming in... you will have to try both and see which works.)

2. One reason why you don't get any sound could be due to the fact that most Guitar Pedals actually use stereo jacks to act as a power switch. The negative (-) of the power suppply to the pedal is connected to the unused channel of the stereo jack (The positive tip goes to the other)... Therefore when you plug a mono jack in, it completes the circuit and turns the pedal power on. When you put in a stereo jack, the power circuit CANT be completed as the negative and positive can't connect because one is on the LEFT channel and one is on the RIGHT. So you dont have any sound because the pedal wont turn on. Easy way to check this is to plug your guitar into the pedal and put the stereo lead into the output then see if you can stomp on the pedal and turn the light on... if it doesn't turn on, then this is the case, so you have to use a mono lead output.

3. Another reason may be that the stereo lead is getting the signal equally distributed over both sides (L&R) as it is from a mono output from the pedal. But the phasing might be inverted on one side, thus the Left channel cancels the sound from the Right when they are combined because they phase each other out.

Hope this makes sense and helps a bit??! Technobabble... Rabble rabble. Basically, just stick to using a mono lead and recording mono tracks from guitar.

Personally, I don't see why you would wont to record this way without micing the amp because the sound will be very brittle and undefined and clinical sounding. Each to his own though... and if this is working with enough quality for what you want to do, then its fine I guess.

[ELB]

If only I knew the science behind Reasons why it wouldn't work. Nicely put jurialmunkey. Next year, next year I'll Have alot more of this technical combobulator info down.

I was going to say The signal isn't getting connected, sometimes with stereo cables you need to plug it in just right. But b/c of that, you shouldn't use a stereo if its not needed.
-ELB