How bad will my guitar sound if I just use http://www.valleyseek.com/product.action?itemID=19616
one of these cables and not use an Mbox of sorts. I have Protools and other amp sound tools?

[please, no plain email address in the forum, see rules. There's a safe email link thru the menu on each member's username on the left of posts LPM]

This post has been edited by lepetitmartien: Tue 13 Jan 2009, 06:47

not great. but still fun. definitely not pro. my students do this with garage band. though you don't need to spring 16 bucks for a snazzy white cable. my students use a guitar cable jacked into a 1/4 inch to 1/8th inch adapter (3 bucks at radio shack, designed for headphone mini jacks) and just take the left channel. (mono guitar cable bridges the stereo ring contact).

Thanks for the reply. Don't understand "and just take the left channel. (mono guitar cable bridges the stereo ring contact)."
[idem LPM]

This post has been edited by lepetitmartien: Tue 13 Jan 2009, 06:49

okay,
the native input of your mac is a stereo mini plug jack. the guitar cable is mono. depending on what adapter you use (like my student's headphone adapter plug, or that cable you linked to) you'll either get signal in one or both sides of that stereo input. for the headphone type adapter it happens to be the left channel. that's because of the way a typical guitar 1/4 male plug bridges the ring on the interior of the female portion of the adapter. not a crucial piece of the puzzle. if the left side doesn't have signal, try the right.

Is this much better than just going straight into my Mac with a mini jack?
http://www.fullcompass.com/product/334033.html
[and the third… LPM ]

This post has been edited by lepetitmartien: Tue 13 Jan 2009, 06:49

Much much better. i use, among other things, the gearbox gold bundle. (look for it, about the same price if it's still available)
great emulations, and a DI box. now you're talkin.

Is this much better than just going straight into my Mac with a mini jack?
http://www.fullcompass.com/product/334033.html
[what did I write? LPM]


Thank You very much for all your help.

Thanks for the info. This is what I just ordered from "SweetWater.com"
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PodStuUX2/
The gearbox's are discontinued.