mikolune
117 posts
Apr 15, 2012
12:21 PM
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Hi all,
so, I am now having a lot of fun with my Honeytone mini amp now that I solved the power problem.
I wonder now, what is the best way to connect it to my computer for recording ? Get a USB converter ? Plug it directly ointo the pink mic-headset input ? The computer doesn't have a line-in input.
thanks for advice and have a good day !
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Aussiesucker
1078 posts
Apr 15, 2012
5:48 PM
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I have recently been down the path you are going but with different equipment. I could not get any response by taking a line out from headphone jack on my amps to the mic input jacks on my computer. I actually wanted to record direct to Audacity where I already had backing tracks on tracks 1 & 2 & I wanted to record harmonica on tracks 3 & 4. I wanted to maximise use of current mics ( a Shure PG58 & Audix Fireball) but attempts to configure ie using an ART Tube MP Pre amp didn't give good results. Plus other equipment eg sound card interfaces were not cheap and may not have worked with Audacity.
I was getting the result I wanted using a cheap Logitech USB mic but the quality was a bit thin. I purchased a Blue Yeti and it works really well but it is a huge difference in price to the Logitech and whilst much better in quality the Logitech is not bad. The Yeti benefit is that it is very sensitive and I can comfortably record from a metre away.
Depending on what you want to achieve & the size of your budget ....well anything becomes possible. But it can be expensive trial and error.
The best piece of equipment I have & which I rate as being invaluable is my H2Zoom recorder. Its been a great investment. I now see that Amazon have them for ca $100. If you like the sound you are getting from your amp then simply place the Zoom about a foot or so in front and record. The tracks from the Zoom readily download and can be opened in Audacity.
If you just want to record to gauge your progress then a cheap Logitech USB mic is very good.
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HARPOLDIE’S YOUTUBE
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mikolune
118 posts
Apr 16, 2012
10:18 AM
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Thanks mate!
What I really want to do is to get the amp hooked up directly to the computer, it's gotta be possible. The main reason for this is that I don't have enough mics to both mic the amp and play with it.
But yeah, micing it and recording on the computer from the mic is a good possibility. I guess that what people do in recording studios - or do they ?
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mikolune
119 posts
Apr 16, 2012
1:03 PM
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@easyreeder: I use Linux, but it should be basically the same as Windows.
Normally, I would just plug in the Amp to the Line-In jack, but there is no Line-In input on my current desktop. I understand that the Mic input is not good because it is usually hardware amplified. Or ave I go things wrong here ?
Anyway, after some research, I found there are external USB sound cards that may do the job. Now searching for the cheapest option.
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Aussiesucker
1080 posts
Apr 16, 2012
4:29 PM
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mikolune lots of these things are good but it is very dependent on what software you are using. I note from one of the reviews that eg Audacity doesn't recognise it! I have also found that a lot of what is good & recommended for guitar is lacking when it comes to recording harp.
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HARPOLDIE’S YOUTUBE
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easyreeder
304 posts
Apr 17, 2012
7:58 PM
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@mikolune
Most mic inputs will be overdriven by a line-level input, and the result usually isn't sweet. The Zoom H2 that Aussiesucker mentions would be a really handy tool. It's a very versatile recorder and it doubles as a usb interface. Our local open mic is recorded each week by running a line output from the PA to the line input on the H2, and into the PC via usb, recording to Audacity.
So you could run the headphone output from the Honeytone to the line input of the H2. The catch is that both the line input and mic input on the H2 are stereo, so you'll only get input on the left channel unless you use an adapter.
With the H2 you get an ultra-handy portable recorder in the bargain, if you can find it. It's been replaced by the H2n (bhphoto still shows the H2 for $115, they claim it's in stock; if it is, buy now). I have read elsewhere that the H2 is compatible with Linux, though the manual doesn't mention it as I recall.
Here's another option that I haven't tried but might work for you (consider this experimental; it should work but I can't vouch for it personally): The Blue Icicle is a USB mic interface for about $60 (bhphoto has it for $54). It has a balanced XLR input (and phantom power). Add a good quality line matching transformer for about $30-40 bucks (I like the Shure A95U, it has screw-on female and male 1/4" connectors, very flexible) and you've got an flexible interface that's very portable, with very robust connectors. You'll also be able to use balanced low-impedance mics (like the Audix fireball & others) and more typical harp unbalanced harp mics direct to the computer, and also the output of the Honeytone. And into the bargain, the transformer will let you plug your unbalanced mic directly into a balanced mic input on a PA.
http://www.bluemic.com/icicle/#/specs/
Last Edited by on Apr 17, 2012 8:00 PM
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mikolune
121 posts
Apr 18, 2012
11:46 AM
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Hi Guys,
thanks for the input ! Yeah - the H2 sounds like a great device. I will consider these tricks.
I was thinking also of using an external sound card with a line in (such as this) to plug in the amp directly into.
I wonder: when you plug a PA into the computer, how do you hook it up ? It's gotta be the same for the amp, no ?
Last Edited by on Apr 18, 2012 11:48 AM
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nacoran
5562 posts
Apr 18, 2012
8:40 PM
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I finally got my Yeti working again. It's seems my front USB ports won't recognize it, but my rear ones will.
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mikolune
122 posts
Apr 19, 2012
8:15 AM
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@Beard. Ok that looks pretty close toz what I am looking for, thx!
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