How to Connect an Electric Guitar to Garage Band

Garage Band is a convenient, easy-to-use home recording studio create by apple for the mac. The software is also available for a PC. For use on a mac, the built-in microphone is the most convenient input, however, there are many advantages to being able to connect an electric guitar or bass guitar directly to the program rather than using a conventional amplifier and recording the sound with the built-in microphone.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A USB Guitar Cable
• An Electric Guitar or Bass Guitar

1. Purchase a guitar cable that will plug into a USB port. This type of cable is available through many different retailers and should not be difficult to find.

2. 
    

   Using your new guitar USB cable, plug your electric guitar or bass guitar into an available USB port on your computer. You computer should recognize the new input and a window should pop up asking if you wish to use the input. Select "Yes."

3. 
    

   Open Garage Band and click on "preferences" under the Garage Band drop-down menu. Select the Audio/MIDI sub-menu. From the "Audio Output" drop-down menu, select "Built-in Output." From the the "Audio Input" drop-down menu, select "Unknown USB Device."

4. 
    

   Create a new "real instrument" track. In the "track info" window, find the drop down menus (about half way down) for "input source" and "monitor." Select "Mono 1" for the input source, and turn the monitor "on." With the monitor "on" you will be able to hear your instrument in real-time - your computer acting as an amplifier. You can now select any instrument or effect for your electric guitar from the menu in the track in for window and you will be able to play your instrument in real time with the selected effect, and you will be able to record the instrument into the track you have just created.