bassplaying.com where bass guitar takes center stage

Since we have a number of new members and our new recording project is fast approaching I thought it might be nice to post some simple instructions for recording to a PC. Then if there are specific questions we could discuss it here.

There are a number of members beside myself who regularly record to PC. So your questions are likely to get prompt and accurate responses.

So here goes.

1: Establish an Input

Your first step to recording with your PC is to establish an input. Your sound card most likely already has one. Check your sound card, most will have jacks labeled mic, line in, line out, spk out or some combination like this. Line in is the best choice but mic may also be used.

You may plug your bass directly into the line in or mic jacks using a 1/4 inch mono phone jack to 1/8 inch stereo phone jack adapter. This will work but isn't ideal.

You will get slightly better results if you plug your bass into a DI box (like the SansAmp or BassTec) and plug the DI into the PC line in. Still this is far from ideal.

If you have a mutli channel mixer you can plug the mixers main out (or line out) to your PC line in. You then plug your bass into one of the mixer channels. This is the setup I use. Using this setup provides more flexibility than the previous setups. For example, you can easily add other instruments or mics through the mixer. You may also use a DI between your bass and the mixer if desired.

Finally, you could purchase a firewire or USB input box of some type. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. First there are extra costs. Then, you require more computing power. You may also find latency issues. I don't use this setup so I won't comment further.

2: Testing the Input

It is best to test your input first before trying to record anything. Even if you are going to use a DI or mixer I suggest you make a direct cable connection from your bass to sound card first as this will reduce the complexity.

Make sure your bass is turned down before plugging into the sound card. This will protect your speakers. When you have established a connection pluck your bass and gradually turn up the volume. If you hear the bass through your speakers you have a successful connection.

If, on the other hand, you reach maximum volume on your bass without any output you will need to set up your PC input (recording) mixer. First, turn your bass all the way down again. Next you need to activate the Windows input mixer. There are many ways to do this but usually there will be a speaker icon on the status bar tray at the bottom right corner of your screen. Double click the speaker. Under Options|Properties you will find a radio button that will bring up the input (recording) mixer.

Make sure the 'line in' or 'mic' select box is checked and try plucking your bass and turning up the volume. If you start to hear your bass you have a successful connection.

If not, turn your bass down again. Try increasing the gain on the line in slider and try again. If you still don't have any success check that you are plugged into line in and not mic. If you are plugged into line in and still have no luck try plugging into mic and repeat the procedure.

If none of this works you will need to contact your PC or sound card vendor or microsoft (good luck) or perhaps purchase a dedicated input box.

3: Completing the setup

If you are only planning a direct connection there is nothing more to do. If you are using a DI or mixer now is the time to finish the setup. Connect the DI or mixer to the same PC input you just tested. Then connect your instrument to the DI or desired mixer channel.

Turn on the DI or mixer. Set the master output volume to the mid point (usually marked as 0dB boost). Set your bass to your normal playing volume and tone. Gradually increase the gain on the DI or mixer until you hear your bass.

At this point you will want to experiment with the various settings until you reach the ideal settings for your system.

4: Recording Software

To record you will need recording software. Windows ships with a functional but limited recording program. It is in the C:\WINDOWS\SNDREC32.EXE folder. You can use this to make simple recordings without effects etc. The output is in wav format though so it can be imported into sound editing software.

Your sound card may have shipped with recording software. For example Creative Labs sound blaster cards may include Wave Studio. You may choose to download Audacity or some other recording and editing software.

In any case you will have to follow the instructions for your chosen software.

5: Mixing with mp3

Audacity and many other recording programs will import an mp3 as a track. Once the file is imported you can play it back and record your bass line at the same time. Set your program to record and play the song. After you are done you can add effects to your bass line, adjust it's volume relative to the mp3 etc. When you are satisfied you can output the mp3 plus bass line as a new mp3.

I hope you find this info useful. Please feel free to ask questions. If I can't help you someone else can.