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TL;DR in the end of the post.

Hello RECORDING.org member!

So, I recently started playing guitar (about a year ago), and I always played/studied with my Guitar and Amplifier.

In the past month I have moved to an apartment and here lives lot's of old people, so in order to respect them, I decided to sell my Amplifier and get a pair of Headphones and an Audio Interface (I kept only my Guitar). So I'll plugin my guitar directly to the Audio Interface, which goes as USB to my Mac Mini and then in Logic Pro I listen "Live" to what I play on my headphones.

Now, I have some pretty basic questions to ask you guys...

I am thinking about getting either a Line 6 POD UX2 or a M-Audio Fast Track Pro. Which is the best to both record and study the guitar (on Logic Pro) not using an Amplifier/Microphones, just directly plugging in the guitar into the Audio Interface and then the USB to the computer so I can record/hear what I play.

I am thinking about getting some pedals (BOSS DS-1; BOSS DD-7; Cry Baby Wah-Wah, Ibanez Tube Screamer; BOSS BD-2). I really don't feel like using VST's such as Guitar Rig 3 or Amplitube. Can I use all of those effects in my Audio Interface ? How do I plug them ? (Do I plug my guitar in 1 pedal, then get those small cables, and in the last pedal the OUT Cable goes to the Guitar Input in the Audio Interface...how do I do this ?)

Thanks a lot!

TL;DR:
I can't play my guitar with amplifiers because I live in an apartment with old people, and so I will buy and Audio Interface, a pair of Headphones and some effects pedals.

Which is the best USB audio interface ($190~) to record an direct input guitar to the computer ? (No amps, no mics, just the guitar cable directly into the Audio Interface) ? (I am thinking about either Line 6 POD UX2 or M-Audio Fast Track Pro, which one would be the best?)

Can I use effects pedals such as BOSS's pedals and others (like the BOSS-DS1, or CryBaby Wah-Wah) and plug them directly to my Audio Interface ? (Again, no amps or mics, just a guitar and an USB audio interface). How do I connect them ? (Like where do I plug the effects pedals, how do I plug them, etc...)

Thanks, again.


Comments

BobRogers Sun, 11/06/2011 - 18:22

I think what you are doing makes perfect sense given your situation. But I think you should focus on the interface/software combination that makes the best guitar teaching tool and provides the most enjoyable way to practice. The recording quality is almost irrelevant.

You can use pedals before the amp models in any of the DSP devices. And if you find some pedals that you like you will keep them around long after you have moved on from the interface to something else.