FlatEric Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Help from some techies needed! [u]Learning covers.[/u] Back in the old days. . . . . you got your vinyl album on the turntable and pushed it back and forth to learn that "tricky bit"! Then came cassette tapes, then came the Tascam. Now, to make things a bit easier for us to all be doing the same version, we send a youtube link to each other and learn from that - works a treat! To do this, I take the "headphone out", from the laptop - run it to the "Line in" on my old Tascam, plug the bass into the Tascam and take the headphone feed, also from the Tascam. A lot of mucking around! So, is there a way of plugging the bass into the mic socket and playing along to youtube, listening on the laptop headphone socket - in other words, not using the Tascam?? I haven't tried it, as I wasn't too sure if something would go BANG! Techies, away you go! Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 [quote name='FlatEric' timestamp='1335786630' post='1635916'] So, is there a way of plugging the[b] bass into the mic socket and playing along to youtube, listening on the laptop headphone socket[/b] - in other words, not using the Tascam?? [/quote] Do that! You need a lead that's got a mono 1/4 jack on one end (for plugging into bass or end of fx chain) & a stereo 3.5 jack on the other end with just tip & shield connected (don't connect anything to the ring) & that's it. It's what I do to record on my mac. Better results than going through the Alesis usb mixer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Not a problem in theory but onboard sound on laptops can sometimes incur latency which means there may be some lag between what you play and what you hear - very annoying. Maybe they've got better since I last tried it, but ever since then I have always used an external USB sound interface for getting bass into computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatEric Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1335786966' post='1635927'] Do that! You need a lead that's got a mono 1/4 jack on one end (for plugging into bass or end of fx chain) & a stereo 3.5 jack on the other end with just tip & shield connected (don't connect anything to the ring) & that's it. It's what I do to record on my mac. Better results than going through the Alesis usb mixer! [/quote] Hi. Whilst running youtube, will the soundcard allow the bass to just run alongside it, no other software? Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatEric Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1335787078' post='1635931'] Not a problem in theory but onboard sound on laptops can sometimes incur latency which means there may be some lag between what you play and what you hear - very annoying. Maybe they've got better since I last tried it, but ever since then I have always used an external USB sound interface for getting bass into computer. [/quote] This is all good stuff! Hi Neep! What USB thing do you use? Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 [quote name='FlatEric' timestamp='1335787130' post='1635933'] Hi. Whilst running youtube, will the soundcard allow the bass to just run alongside it, no other software? Cheers. [/quote] (Presuming talking about Windows here) In the mixer (playback), the Microphone channel is usually muted. Unmute it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 [quote name='FlatEric' timestamp='1335787208' post='1635934'] This is all good stuff! Hi Neep! What USB thing do you use? Cheers. [/quote] I use an E-MU 0202 - [url="http://www.creative.com/emu/products/product.aspx?category=610&pid=15186"]http://www.creative.com/emu/products/product.aspx?category=610&pid=15186[/url] I think it's discontinued now, replaced with the 0204. It only has a single mic preamp, but it's good enough for what I want it to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 I'd try it without the interface first & if the latency is bad, then go for one. The latency on my Alesis is the same as going direct into the back of the mac, though the interface can have other advantages (such as recording your band). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 I used to use a Line6 Toneport UX2. Inexpensive and full of great stuff. I ran a 3.5mm wire with a quarter-inch adapter on one end from the PC to the Toneport so I got sound from the computer and the bass. This was a while back, though, so I am unsure I am being fully accurate. But it worked a treat. I have since expanded the system and still use the Toneport. It's a step above simply hooking up a bass to a laptop, but the benefits outweigh the hassle of an extra box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 FWIW, I use an old, dusty Line 6 bass pod. The included drivers have no noticable latency. On my Mac I use a little programme called "line in" which plays the bass through the computer speakers (some Tannoys) along with the output from the inevitable slowing-down software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 I just use a little adaptor lead I made - 3.5mm stereo plug, ring and tip wired together (so bass comes out of both earpieces on the headphones) to a 1/4" inline jack socket. I can use it to play along with youtube or media player with no latency issues on my desktop PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2wheeler Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I tried to do exactly this and found that the latency was terrible. So I did it the opposite way round. I got a cheap mixer (Behringer 502) and I take the headphone/speaker output from the computer to the mixer, where I blend it with the signal from the bass and send it to headphones. You need a short 3.5mm lead and and 3.5mm to 2x1/4" adapter to plug the stereo lead from the computer into the mixer. This works perfectly for me. (And you will find the mixer comes in handy.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I thought that you shouldn't really get latency unless you're doing something to the audio input - adding an effect or amp sim or something? I never used to get latency when simply monitoring my line-in. I did get latency when I started using VSTs (without my nice interface) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 [quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1335865735' post='1637036'] I thought that you shouldn't really get latency unless you're doing something to the audio input - adding an effect or amp sim or something? I never used to get latency when simply monitoring my line-in. I did get latency when I started using VSTs (without my nice interface) [/quote] Some onboard sound is simply awful for recording latency and treats monitoring/recording as one and the same process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 [quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1335865735' post='1637036'] I thought that you shouldn't really get latency unless you're doing something to the audio input - adding an effect or amp sim or something? I never used to get latency when simply monitoring my line-in. I did get latency when I started using VSTs (without my nice interface) [/quote] Something (bit of software) needs to read the microphone (or usb or whatever) input from the A/D in your computer and then re-play it through the speaker D/A circuit. Although it doesn't sound much, to do that with no latency is actually not a trivial matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 ok, well the on-board sound cards on my computers around 10 years ago were great, and I used them to monitor the line and mic inputs with no latency. If I then started to record, I would of course find latency, likewise adding effects in real time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamPodmore Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 My Lexicon Alpha has an input and output latency of 18ms each, and that's without any VST's. I tried going direct into my soundcard once and there was no way that i could get the gain down low enough to not clip my PC's line in, so i bought the Alpha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I use line6ux1 . Got a pair of studio monitors plugged in. Sometimes I have to open the programme twice (bug?) but it is excellent With my mac mini. Hopefully there will be the equivalent on iPad soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1335867782' post='1637092'] Some onboard sound is simply awful for recording latency and treats monitoring/recording as one and the same process. [/quote] Yep. It's hardware dependant. If I try to do it on my laptop then it's a total disaster, ont he bigger desktop machine with faster processor and more memory then it's just fine. The problem is that a single PCI BUS can't process an input and and output simultaneously, only quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatEric Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 Thanks for all your input. Not had chance to try the "Plug it direct into the laptop" method yet - will do tonight. To be honest, it seems that all the other solutions would leave me with the situation I have now - I have to use something else, The Tascam, to get it all to work smoothly. Suggested methods are a mixer, a USB interface etc which is not really trimming down the set up. Again, thanks for all your thoughts - I will try the direct way and let you know how I get on. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 one of these USB jack leads might do the trick. As I understand it they're a cheap-o audio interface built into a jack lead so it would feel just as direct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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