Apple Logic Pro X - Manual (Page 117)

Chapter 5 Connect external devices 117
Connect an electric instrument
You can connect an electric instrument, such as an electric guitar or bass, to your computer to
play and record in an audio track. You can record the sound from your guitar to an audio track,
and use the amps and pedalboard effects to shape your guitar sound. There are several ways to
connect an electric instrument to your computer.
Connect an electric instrument to your computer
Do one of the following:
m Connect an audio interface to your computer’s USB or FireWire port, then connect an electric
instrument to the audio interface.
USB (Universal Serial Bus)
FireWire 400 (6-pin)
(Sometimes labeled iLINK)
FireWire 400 (4-pin)
FireWire 800 (9-pin)
m Connect the electric instrument to a channel on the audio interface or the adapter cable, using a
standard 1/4-inch tip-sleeve instrument cable.
1/4-inch Tip-Ring Sleeve (TRS) connector
1/4-inch Tip-Sleeve (TS) connector
m If your computer has an audio input port, connect an electric instrument to the audio input port
using an adapter cable. Choose Built-in Input as the track’s input source.
Stereo miniplug connector (unbalanced)
After you connect an electric instrument, you choose the input source for the track you want to
record to; you can also turn on monitoring to hear your instrument as you play. You can choose
the input source in the New Tracks dialog when you create a new track, or choose it from the
Input slot on the track’s channel strip in the Mixer or the inspector.
If you connect your electric instrument to an audio interface, check the manufacturer’s
specifications to make sure the interface is compatible with Mac OS X and Core Audio. Also make
sure the audio interface uses a format supported by your computer. Follow the manufacturer’s
instructions, which might include installing the correct driver on your computer.
Connecting some electric instruments, such as electric guitars, to your computer’s audio input
port may result in a low-level input signal. To increase the input signal, you can connect the
guitar to a preamplifier, and connect the preamplifier to your computer.