Home Recording

How To Record Guitar Without an Audio Interface

By · 13 min read

How To Record Guitar Without an Audio Interface

Audio interfaces are an indispensable tool in every home studio. They allow you to connect your instrument to your computer easily and then record, mix, and master your riffs in the DAW of your choice. Unfortunately, you may not always have an audio interface close by, so you’ll have to get creative if you want to share your ideas or record a riff and not forget it. 

Here are a few ways to record guitar without an audio interface:

The same apps work for singing; see how to record vocals on BandLab and GarageBand.

Related: how to record acoustic guitar without a microphone and best guitar audio interfaces for home recording.

  1. Connect the amp to the computer.
  2. Plug the guitar into your computer.
  3. Record with your phone.
  4. Record with your laptop.
  5. Use a microphone. 
  6. Record with a cassette recorder.
  7. Opt for virtual instruments.

Let’s go through these tips to see what you can do if you want to record yourself playing without an audio interface. You’ll also have to experiment a little, but you’ll know where to start, and you’ll soon be able to create good recordings without an audio interface.

👇😀👇NOTE👇😀👇

If you want to find out what my recommended guitar gear is, then here is what I recommend on Amazon:

record guitar without an audio interface

1. Connect the Amp to the Computer

Typically, connecting your guitar amp to your computer requires an audio interface. This is not a must, though. An audio interface will make your recordings sound much better, but you can forgo it and connect your amp directly to your computer. 

There are two caveats here: 

  • It won’t sound as good as it does when using an audio interface.
  • Not every amp has this option. 

These two factors are important to remember, but they probably won’t matter much to you, as you’re likely not looking to make professional recordings this way. This trick will do just fine if you’re only looking to track your progress or share your ideas. 

There are two ways in which you can connect your amp to your computer:

  • Via the headphone/line out socket.
  • Via USB.

Let’s examine how you can pull this off, so you can see if this method works for you. 

Headphone/Line-Out Socket

To record guitar this way, you can plug your cable in the headphone or line out socket on your amp and then into the mic input on your computer. You’ll most likely need an adapter that converts the 6.5 mm plug into a 3.5 mm plug. 

Once you’ve connected the guitar to your computer, turn on your DAW, set everything up to your liking, and start recording. You should not expect great results unless you have a high-end sound card. The average sound card is not made for recording, but for simple daily tasks like listening to music or watching films, so don’t expect much from it. 

You should also note that this method bypasses your amp’s speaker, so your guitar will sound much different than it usually does. However, you can offset this by using an amp sim and making your guitar sound like any guitar you wish. Another option is to use a speaker-emulated output, if your guitar has one, or impulse response, if your DAW includes it. 

USB

Many modern guitar amps include USB jacks, which is an awesome way to connect your amp to your computer. Using USB is probably the best way to record your guitar if you don’t have an audio interface because it doesn’t require any additional investments and causes less audio quality loss. If your amp has USB connectivity, don’t look for other options if you want to record your guitar without an interface. 

You only have to plug a USB cable into your amp and computer, open your DAW, and start jamming. You’ll get pretty good sound quality this way, but it is still a good idea to use an amp sim to improve it a little more. 

guitar amps include usb jacks

2. Plug the Guitar Into Your Computer

This is a very budget-friendly recording option. It is super simple, but it usually doesn’t give great results, so you have to be reasonable with your expectations if you’re using this method. Despite this, it is a good way to make a quick and short recording if you’ve just had a great idea and want to let a friend hear it or save it for later. 

You only need an adapter that will let you plug your guitar into your computer (you should have one anyway since they come in handy) and a working mic jack (which goes without saying), and you’ll be ready to record. 

You’ll have to choose an amp sim, which lets you get quite creative, as you can choose the sound of pretty much any amp in the world and possibly get an even better effect than with your real amp. 

On the flip side, this method can cause various problems, mostly because of your sound card. As it’s not equipped to handle a guitar plugged directly into it, you can expect to hear lots of noise, especially with certain guitar sims. This tends to happen, especially when you’re using a heavier guitar sim for down tuned chugging or if the volume on your guitar is turned up a lot. 

It’s advisable to turn the volume knob on the guitar down and to use a guitar sim without too much distortion. If you want to be louder, turn up the volume on your speakers.