How to Record Guitars on Mixcraft

Apply VST guitar effects to recorded guitars in Mixcraft.

Acoustica's Mixcraft digital audio workstation allows you to record the sound of a guitar, then apply effects and edit the recording. Use a microphone to record an acoustic guitar; if you have an electric guitar, you can either record its amp's output with a microphone or plug it straight into the sound card. Mixcraft's multi-track recording environment allows you to record several different guitar parts, and then overlay them to simulate a duet or ensemble recording.

Things You'll Need

• Microphone or 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch miniplug adapter

Instructions

1. Connect the microphone to your computer's "Mic" port if you're recording an acoustic or amplified electric guitar. If you want to record an electric guitar directly into Mixcraft, connect the 1/4-inch plug on the adapter to the guitar, then plug the 1/8-inch plug into the sound card's "Line In" port.

2. Launch Acoustica Mixcraft. Click "Record Yourself or Your Band" to start a project containing only audio tracks.

3. Click the "Arm" button on the top audio track to prepare the track for recording. Click the arrow next to "Arm," hover the mouse over the recording source -- either "Microphone" or "Line In," depending on which port you're using -- and click "Stereo."

4. Click the "Record" button at the bottom of the mixer window to begin recording the guitar. Play the guitar. Use the volume control at the bottom of the mixer window to adjust the recording volume as you play.

5. Click the "Stop" button when you've finished recording the guitar. Click the "Arm" button again to disable it and prevent accidental overdubbing. Repeat the steps for any other guitar tracks you want to record.

6. Click "File," then "Save." Type a name for the project into the "File Name" field and click "Save."

Tips & Warnings

• A dedicated audio interface will provide higher-quality audio when recording an electric guitar directly into the computer.

• Turn down the volume on your computer speakers while recording with a microphone to prevent feedback.

References

• Acoustica: How to Record Audio

Resources

• AudioTuts+: How to Record Guitar