Can you use a M-AUDIO FAST TRACK to record keyboard, through a guitar jack?
Patience Lair Asked: Can you use a M-AUDIO FAST TRACK to record keyboard, through a guitar jack?
I just bought the Avid M-Audio Fast Track USB interface to do home recording, and I'm trying to decide if it's worth keeping or trading it in for one that suits my needs better. I plan on only recording vocals, acoustic guitar and keyboard. Now, the only interface in stock only had 3 slots – one for a microphone, one for a guitar, and one for headphones. Since my keyboard has a 1/4 inch output jack the exact same as my guitar, can I use this device and jack to record with my keyboard, or do I need a completely different device?
Answers:
That jack isn't just for guitar. It's for any unbalanced instrument level signal (which a keyboard does output).
The output of the keyboard will be significantly louder than that of a guitar, so you will need to turn the input level down a bit to avoid clipping, but it will work just fine.
I'm impressed that you actually took the time to ask this question. A lot of people assume that just because two things have the same type of plug, or if you can rig up an adapter, it's meant to be plugged in somewhere. Which isn't the case. However, in this case, the signal from a guitar and your keyboard are not significantly different, so it's just fine.