How-to
How to Record Guitar Into a Computer: Interfaces, DI and Amp Sims
Updated 6 min read
To record guitar into a computer, plug the guitar into the instrument (Hi-Z) input of an audio interface, connect the interface to the computer by USB or Thunderbolt, and record the clean signal onto a mono track in your DAW. Put an amp sim plugin on that track and you hear a full amp tone while you play. If you have a real amp, you can mic it instead or as well.
What you need to record guitar into a computer
Audio interface with an instrument input
- Why you need it
- Converts the guitar signal to digital at the right impedance
- Notes
- Look for a jack marked Inst, Hi-Z or with a guitar icon
Instrument cable
- Why you need it
- Connects the guitar to the interface
- Notes
- A standard 1/4-inch (6.35 mm) TS guitar cable
DAW
- Why you need it
- Records and plays back the guitar
- Notes
- Ableton Live, Pro Tools, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Reaper and others
Amp sim plugin
- Why you need it
- Turns the clean DI into an amp tone
- Notes
- Your DAW may include one; see our guitar plugins guide
Headphones or studio monitors
- Why you need it
- Lets you hear what you play
- Notes
- Closed-back headphones if you're also miking an amp
Microphone (optional)
- Why you need it
- Records a real amp
- Notes
- A dynamic mic is the usual choice for guitar cabinets
How to plug a guitar into an amp
- Turn the amp's volume all the way down, and on a tube amp leave it on standby.
- Plug one end of a guitar cable into the guitar's output jack and the other into the amp's input. If the amp has two inputs, use the high-sensitivity one (often labeled High or 1) for most guitars.
- Using pedals? Run guitar to the first pedal's input, pedal output to the next pedal, and the last pedal's output to the amp.
- Switch the amp on, take it off standby, turn up the guitar's volume, then bring up the amp's volume slowly.
To get that amp into the computer, either put a microphone in front of the speaker (see below) or use the amp's line out or DI out, if it has one, into a line input on your interface. Never run a tube amp without a speaker or a load box connected; it can damage the amp's output stage.
Hi-Z, instrument inputs and DI boxes
Passive guitar pickups have a high output impedance. Plug them into a low-impedance mic or line input and the input loads them down: you lose level and, especially, top end, so the guitar sounds dull and weak. An instrument or Hi-Z input has a much higher input impedance, often around 1 megohm, which lets the pickups behave the way they do into an amp.
On many interfaces the instrument input is a combo jack on the front, sometimes with an Inst or Hi-Z switch. Make sure it's switched on; with the switch off, the jack works as a line input and the guitar will sound thin.
A DI box does the same job outside the interface. It converts the guitar's high-impedance signal to a low-impedance, balanced, mic-level signal you can plug into any mic preamp, which is useful when you've run out of instrument inputs or need a long cable run. Many DI boxes have a thru jack, so you can feed an amp and record a clean DI of the same take. Active DI boxes generally suit passive pickups best.
How to record guitar into a computer, step by step
- Connect the interface and select it as the audio device in your DAW's audio settings. On Windows, use the interface's ASIO driver.
- Plug the guitar into the instrument input and switch it to Inst or Hi-Z if there's a switch.
- Create a mono audio track and set its input to the interface channel the guitar is on.
- Set the input gain. Play the loudest part you'll play and turn the interface's gain knob until the peaks reach about -12 to -6 dBFS on the track meter. Leave headroom; you can always turn it up later.
- Insert an amp sim on the track so you can hear the tone you're playing into.
- Turn on input monitoring in the DAW and turn off direct monitoring on the interface, so you hear only the amp, not the dry guitar underneath.
- Record-arm and record. The DAW records the clean DI, and the amp sim stays live on the insert.
Recording the clean DI is the big advantage of this method. You can try a different amp, cab or preset after the performance is done, or re-amp an old take with a new tone. Play the demo below and switch presets to hear one DI go from clean to crunch.
Cabinet
1x12 OpenMic position
Drag the micRoom & output
Pedalboard
The real plugin engine, running in your browser: same DSP code and presets as the VST3/AU/AAX.
How to use your computer as a guitar amp
Using your computer as a guitar amp is the same setup without pressing record. Plug into the interface, arm a track with input monitoring on, load an amp sim such as Stack, and play through headphones or monitors. It's a practice rig that's silent to the neighbors.
The one thing that makes or breaks it is latency, the delay between hitting a string and hearing it. Set the audio buffer to 64 or 128 samples. Smaller buffers mean less delay but more load on the computer; if you hear clicks, raise it one step. Close other heavy apps, and freeze or disable CPU-hungry plugins on other tracks while you play.
Recording a guitar amp with a microphone
A dynamic mic close to the speaker grille is the classic approach; the Shure SM57 is the mic most engineers start with. Where you point it changes the tone: aimed at the center of the speaker cone it's bright and forward, moved toward the edge it gets darker and rounder. Move it an inch at a time and record short tests to compare.
Many engineers record a DI at the same time, using a DI box with a thru jack between guitar and amp. You get the miked amp and a clean backup you can re-amp later. Amp sims copy this approach too: Stack's Mic Position control moves its virtual mic from cone center to edge in the same way.
Fixing latency, noise and clipping
- Latency: lower the buffer size, use the interface's own driver, and turn off plugins on other tracks while tracking.
- Doubled, phasey sound: you're hearing both direct monitoring and the DAW. Turn one off.
- Hum and buzz: single-coil pickups pick up hum from screens, power supplies and lights. Turn or move away from the source. On laptops, test with the charger unplugged, since some setups pick up ground noise from it. A noise gate before the amp sim helps on high-gain parts.
- Clipping: turn down the gain on the interface, not the plugin. A clipped input can't be fixed later.
- Weak signal: check the Hi-Z switch first, then the guitar's volume knob, then the cable.
For more attack on a strummed acoustic or a funk part after recording, a transient shaper such as Snap can bring the pick forward; see what a transient shaper is.
Setup notes for Ableton, Pro Tools and FL Studio
Ableton Live: choose the interface and buffer size in the Audio tab of Settings (Preferences in older versions). On the track, set Audio From to Ext. In and the guitar's input, set Monitor to In or Auto, and arm the track. See plugins for Ableton.
Pro Tools: set the buffer under Setup > Playback Engine. Create a mono audio track, set its input to the interface's instrument channel, record-enable it, and insert your amp sim. Plugins must be AAX. See plugins for Pro Tools.
FL Studio: select the interface's ASIO driver in Options > Audio Settings. Pick a Mixer insert, set its input to the guitar channel, load the amp sim in a slot and arm the insert for recording. See plugins for FL Studio.
FAQ
Can I plug my guitar directly into my computer?
Not into a standard mic or headphone jack: it's the wrong impedance and level, and you'll get a thin, noisy signal. Use an audio interface with an instrument input. Guitar-to-USB cables also work, because they contain a basic interface, but a proper interface usually gives you better sound and lower latency.
Do I need a DI box to record guitar?
Not if your audio interface has an instrument or Hi-Z input; that input does the DI box's job. You need a DI box when you only have mic inputs, when the cable run is long, or when you want to split the guitar to an amp and a clean recording at the same time.
What buffer size should I use to record guitar?
Start at 64 or 128 samples while you're recording through an amp plugin. That keeps the delay between playing and hearing short enough to feel natural on most systems. If you hear clicks or dropouts, raise it one step. Raise it further when you're mixing and no longer playing live.
Why does my DI guitar sound thin and dry?
Because that's what a guitar sounds like before an amp. A clean DI recording has no amp, speaker or mic coloring, so it sounds thin and plucky on its own. Put an amp sim on the track to hear the real tone. Recording the clean DI is deliberate: it lets you change the amp later.