tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140232930378188483.post7005735907410440700..comments2024-03-17T06:33:48.874+08:00Comments on Jawmunji - Fingerstyle Guitar Resources: Recording, plugged inJAWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12568512025089300220noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140232930378188483.post-82689863381126868002010-08-16T00:25:26.000+08:002010-08-16T00:25:26.000+08:00Ha, to be honest, these days I would almost always...Ha, to be honest, these days I would almost always buy a pre-made unit - saves me the time to build it and almost always a machine or someone in a sweat shop is going to do a better job than I am :)<br><br>But, in this case, I didn't find any pre-made cable so I had to build one. Okay, so it cost me about $3 and about 30 minutes to make it (15 of which was finding my soldering iron)...<br><br>Results? Pretty much exactly as expected, a dip in volume when you are plugged into two loads. To my ear there was no change in frequency response, it sounded exactly the same. <br><br>That's the thing, it's pretty much all _real_ impedence. As far as signal transfer goes, the only difference is that there is a bigger resistor on the other end. If the amp/USB cable input had more capacitance and/or more inductance then that would change the frequency response and yes, you might start to hear a difference. However I expect the input stage of any amplifier or A/D converter would have very low capacitance and negligable inductance...otherwise it is messing with the incoming signal!<br><br>Conclusion: Splitting a guitar signal (active pickup in my case, but the results should be the same for passive) across two loads (an amp and an A/D computer cable in this case) drops the signal level a bit on both devices, maybe introduces a bit more noise, but the signal has no apparent change otherwise...so just turn it up a bit more! :)<br><br>Perhaps I might do a loss analysis...pluck a note over and over again, exactly the same every time, and read off the waveform the difference between 1 load and 2 loads. However it's going to be 1/2 - if the two devices impedences are the same.<br><br>JAWjawmunjihttp://jaw.ii.net/stuff/tab.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140232930378188483.post-70371939153451758012010-08-13T13:11:22.000+08:002010-08-13T13:11:22.000+08:00Just an idea... you could use a Y splitter cable f...Just an idea... you could use a Y splitter cable from the instrument... one end goes to the amp, one to the computer.<br>I.e., http://www.bluestarmusic.com/fishman-acc-pbr-20c-20-foot-stereo-y-guitar-cable-splitter.htmlcwoodrowhttp://fsguitar.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140232930378188483.post-75807395161519147782010-08-13T14:44:55.000+08:002010-08-13T14:44:55.000+08:00I'm sure there exists such a thing as a splitt...I'm sure there exists such a thing as a splitter, but unfortunately that link isn't it - that one is taking two mono signals and turning them into a single stereo plug.<br><br>I don't think there is an issue with splitting, because the input impedance of the cable is 1M Ohm (quite high) and amplifiers are about the same. A guitar output impedance is a couple of K Ohms. What this means is there would be insignificant reflections from the guitar to the two devices (not impedance matched like an antenna), the two devices in parallel wouldn't look much different to just having one (eg 1M in parallel with 1M is 0.5M, not a _huge_ difference) so the signal would not be degraded much at all to either - guitar to device is just about transfer of voltage.<br><br>If that didn't make any sense, it's because I'm not totally sure ;) I think I should give it a try and report back!<br><br>JAWjawmunjihttp://jaw.ii.net/stuff/tab.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140232930378188483.post-25043108869368187052010-08-13T16:57:50.000+08:002010-08-13T16:57:50.000+08:00All the impedance stuff is way over my head... but...All the impedance stuff is way over my head... but it may be worth a try to solder a cable up as a test. *You* wouldn't actually *buy* a pre-made cable anyway... would you? :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140232930378188483.post-63825624756857299962010-08-18T18:44:09.000+08:002010-08-18T18:44:09.000+08:00I didn't know that those cables (guitar at one...I didn't know that those cables (guitar at one end, USB at the other end) were not common yet. In a way, hearing you hRoman Agehttp://romanage.over-blog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140232930378188483.post-2410921095883692302010-08-18T19:24:18.000+08:002010-08-18T19:24:18.000+08:00Sorry Jaw, I'm pressed "Send", so le...Sorry Jaw, I'm pressed "Send", so let me continue...<br><br>Hearing you were trying those cables, and knowing that you know about technique (I don't), it made me feel proud about the choice I made around two years ago (when I started my blog), to buy an audio interface device with USB cable. The only reason I did that was that whenever I had tried to record direct to PC with standard port (small one into "line-in"), I had loose connection problems, so I thought USB was a good option (without knowing anything about technique, impedence and so on...). Yes it is a more expensive option, but still reasonnable (the one I have is called Lexicon Lambda, around $120 I believe). What do you think, for others I mean (or even for you)?Roman Agehttp://romanage.over-blog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140232930378188483.post-60693824677595917832010-08-19T00:42:01.000+08:002010-08-19T00:42:01.000+08:00I seem to recall we discussed USB cables a while b...I seem to recall we discussed USB cables a while back, I didn't give them a chance at the time because the $5 direct cable I made was working out fine. When it was no longer working out for me, and I needed the ability to record multiple channels (left/right channel on a direct stereo plug is fine for two channels, I was thinking more than that) I looked harder at USB cables.<br><br>The key for me is that you can get a generic USB guitar cable delivered via slow boat from China to your door for around $20. It has a sound quality better than my computers soundcard and it is a lot less mucking around with gains and ports in the hit and miss world of direct-to-soundcard cable.<br><br>I'm pretty happy to say that for anyone who wants to record plugged and get a really good (not necessarily great) sound, a USB guitar cable is the way to go. I wish I could hand them out to all my favourite guitarists who record onto youtube without a decent audio feed! :)jawmunjihttp://jaw.ii.net/stuff/tab.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140232930378188483.post-31156173258506629842010-08-22T07:23:53.000+08:002010-08-22T07:23:53.000+08:00I've been waiting for this for a while now as ...I've been waiting for this for a while now as you know. It all sounds fairly simple, I can't wait to try it. Thanks for the tips JAW<br><br>Ryan GRyan Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140232930378188483.post-52554314378085658132010-08-24T06:33:00.000+08:002010-08-24T06:33:00.000+08:00I will also update my webpage with the new info on...I will also update my webpage with the new info on USB guitar cables. The webpage has always been too wordy, I need to simplify it down into manageable chunks. The more guitarists that record plugged in audio on their video for the internet the better! :)<br><br>JAWjawmunjihttp://jaw.ii.net/stuff/tab.htmlnoreply@blogger.com