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I'm trying to record the sound of my electric guitar on Ubuntu 20.04.2 but I can't do it since my laptop (Toshiba Satellite Radius 14 L40W-C-102) has only one audio input socket and it works as headphone jack. Though the specification page of my laptop says it is an "external Headphone (stereo) / Microphone combo socket". So, I'm trying to use it as microphone (line in socket in my case) to record sound. When I plug in my guitar to this socket via a regular guitar cable and a 3.5mm adapter, the sound volume icon turns to headphone. How can I use this socket for recording?

Andrew Harlan
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2 Answers2

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The combo jack uses a 4 contact connector (three little rings on the 3.5 mm end) to handle the singals - you can by an adaptor to separate the signals and access just the microphone part.

An alternative would be to get a USB conversion device to connect your guitar in that manner.

Both of these solutions may be less than optimal, but could be worth a shot if your not looking for professional results.

Charles Green
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  • I'm using this kind of adapter: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32820642960.html and I was able to record sound with it on Windows though I was using a different pc at that time. – Andrew Harlan May 17 '21 at 17:18
  • @AndrewHarlan I think that will depend on the jack in your computer that you are using - if it's a standard mike jack, that would work great. The combo jack that phones use are a little trouble for me sometimes. – Charles Green May 17 '21 at 19:59
  • Many laptops today use headphone/microphone combo. I think I can't be alone and there should be a solution to this. – Andrew Harlan May 17 '21 at 20:20
  • @AndrewHarlan Time marches on, and equipment changes pretty often. I've found that with younger people, like my son, those jacks last about 3 months before he's broken it... My solution is a bit more expensive, as I run an 18 channel mixer into my computer, but I get near studio quality sound as a result. – Charles Green May 18 '21 at 01:40
  • I looked up on the internet about my problem without mentioning Ubuntu or Linux and people suggesting a splitter or usb interface as you did. There seems to be only two options I can choose from. Thanks a lot. – Andrew Harlan May 18 '21 at 08:59
  • @AndrewHarlan It's a sorry state of affairs to be sure, but it should work for some time to come. Are you using this for fun, or looking to do some music production? – Charles Green May 18 '21 at 16:55
  • Just fun. I'm considering to buy a USB interface. Chasing for a bargain offer. – Andrew Harlan May 19 '21 at 18:51
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If you are new to audio stuff and guitar playing and recording via computer/Linux I would advise the following:

  1. Buy yourself a Behringer U-Control UCA222 interface. It is a cheap and small interface which works on Linux. Dont forget about a splitter cable from 3,5mm jack to cinch to connect your guitar with the Behringer. (You could also try the Behringer UCG102 Audio Interface. But I have no experience if it works with Linux – but it is very likely)
  2. Install Ardour
  3. Install the Tonelib GFX (Tonelib GFX)

Start Ardour with Jack (not Alsa) and then the Tonelib GFX. The Tonelib GFX has native Linux support and it is a professional Ampsimulation (means that you can simulate an Amp (i.e. Marshall JCM800) and the speaker (4x12 cabs i.e.) The tonelib GFX also ships with many effects for guitar and bass! It is more than worth a try!!! Have fun. Besides: Within Ardour and Tonelib GFX you need to connect the inputs and outputs from the two programs to get it working. Connect the Behringer capture with the Tonelib GFX and then to an Ardour track. From there to the system output. To get the setup working might take a while. But in the end it is really worth trying! Btw: Set the buffer size to a low value (i.e 256 samples) when you record stuff in Ardour. That will give a low latency. Btww: Try to use Ubuntustudio it is amazing for Audio stuff! Have fun!

user634093
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