Electro Acoustic Guitar into Garageband on Macbook

Hi,

I am trying to use garageband learning guitar feature but am having trouble getting my macbook to recognise the guitar. I have a electro acoustic guitar plugged into the usb port on my mac using a usb guitar interface (see attached pics) I have selected the input as usb audio codec in both system preferences and within garageband and monitor is on however nothing comes out of the macs speakers when i play the guitar. Grateful if someone could suggest where i'm going wrong as I am fairly new to all this.

Your interface has a headphone jack. Have you tried that?

When you say headphone Jack do you mean plugging the guitar into the headphone jack? or using the headphone jack for headphones? As i dont have any headphones which will fit to test.. but i have tried plugging the guitar into the headphone jack out of frustration.. which as expected didn't work either.. :-S

Which version of garageband are you using?
I've had a couple of drinks and a long day, so can't help past this post for now, but with the knowledge of which version you are using, will be able to chime in tomorrow

Im using the latest version of garageband 11, just downloaded it recently.

what is your interface called and what model is it? what are you selecting as the input and output in garageband?

Hi,

The interface im using is one i purchased from ebay - details below:-

Guitar to USB Interface Link Cable for PC MAC Recording on eBay (end time 25-Mar-11 11:37:19 GMT)

I have attached a screen grab showing the garageband preference with the audio input/output displayed.

With mine I have to use the headphone jack for earbuds to hear what I'm playing. Are you able to use some iPod earbuds or something? Are you able to select USB Audio CODEC as the output?

I just tried mine (Apogee One) and I can only get sound through headphones and the audio input and output both have to be set to my audio interface.

I also just noticed that your recording level down in the lower right of the screen is all the way down. That will prevent you from hearing anything as well.

I am unable to change the recording level it is greyed out could this have something to do with being unable to hear sound? Also i am currently unable to try headphones as the only headphones i have are 3.5 mm plug and the interface has a 6.35mm socket - have just ordered and adapter from ebay though so will give it a shot when it arrives.. any other suggestions? am i wrong in thinking you should be able to hear what you play real time through the macbooks internal speakers using the monitor?

It can't be adjusted while the Garage Band preferences window is open. If you've closed that and it's still grayed out then I'm not sure what's going on there. If it is all the way down though it will prevent you from hearing anything.

As far as hearing through the internal speakers goes, I am not able to either but I always use headphones. The sound is so much better anyway.

what other options does it give you for audio input?

i find it hard to believe it wouldn't need a driver, it could have a poorly written one, or the interface could be broken. i'm not saying it is, but its among my suspicions.

an alternative way for you to record is by using a 1/4" to 3.5mm jack adapter, plugging that into your electro acoustic, the using a standard 3.5mm to 3.5mm lead and plug one end into the guitar, and the other into your mac's internal input then using that, setting built in input for input in GB.

see if you can hear out of the interface, with the adapter you have just bought.

As advised, I'd start with the 3.5mm adapter and plugging straight in, and also making sure you turn that recording level up, as you should be able to hear it through your Mac's speakers.
Also, make sure you have your Mac's speakers up, and maybe also select one of the effects so the sound is distinctive to that coming straight from your guitar.

apologies for the delay in getting back. Thanks for the advice, i still have been unable to get any sound from the macbook through headphones or the internal speaker.. im fairly certain ive tried every combination of settings now so can only assume its a duff interface.. it was a cheap one from ebay so i suppose you get what you pay for. Think i will try the 1/4" to 3.5mm jack adapter can anyone recommend where to get one from? will this just plug into the line in port on the macbook?

Any electronics store will have one for a couple of dollars.
Yep, just plug your guitar lead into it and plug it straight into the line in port.

Hmm ok so i now have the adapter and have plugged the guitar in and changed the audio options in system settings so that the input is line out. I tried to do the same in Garageband preferences but dont have line out as an option. So ive set it to system setting, which presumably would take the setting from os x preferences anyway? But still no joy. Im assuming im doing this correctly? the electro acoustic guitar (which has a battery) is plugged into the laptop via a guitar cable plugged into an adapter and into the line out port on the side of my macbook? theres nothing missing? only feels like there should be something else to capture the sound? sorry but im new to all this..

have you changed the setting in prefs to make the built in output an input?

erm i cant say i have? how and where do you do that?

hold down option, click the sound button in your menubar, and click "use audio port for: input."