Way to directly record ukulele?

asluk1011

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Has anyone heard of a way to directly record a ukulele? I just use a regular microphone right now

 
If your uke has a pickup fitted, just plug it into the input of your computer. Use a app like Audacity to record the audio. If you don't have a pickup, just use a mic.
 
The sound on your video is loud, sharp and clear. (Nice playing, too.) What kind of a mic are you using?
 
If your uke has a pickup fitted, just plug it into the input of your computer. Use a app like Audacity to record the audio. If you don't have a pickup, just use a mic.

I tried to do this, and couldn't actually get it to pick up any sound, there's every chance I'm doing it wrong, but I used my Eleuke, the "headphone cord" and Audacity while plugged into the microphone jack on my PC. Any pointers/places I can go that have instructions?

Edit: Just googled and found out where I'm going wrong. Thanks!
 
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I tried to do this, and couldn't actually get it to pick up any sound, there's every chance I'm doing it wrong, but I used my Eleuke, the "headphone cord" and Audacity while plugged into the microphone jack on my PC. Any pointers/places I can go that have instructions?

That should work.

Try obvious things like is the volume on on the uke, twiddle the lead to make sure it is making a good contact, have you plugged it into the headphone socket by mistake.

However, it is more likely to be the setting inside Audacity. There are 2 thin boxes right at the top of the screen. This is the Device Toolbar. If it isn't there, go to VIEW - TOOLBARS and click on it. The box on the right needs to be set for the right input signal. Try them all. It depends on your computer setup. Once the signal is recorded, the box on the left also needs to be on the correct setting.

Let me know how you get on.
 
While it certainly is an option to plug an instrument straight into the computer's mic jack to record, I always use a mic.
Sounds much better and natural.. In the video above, I really don't see why you would want to record by plugging in. Your recording quality is very good through the mic :)


With the Eleuke, I would recommend plugging in the bigger instrument jack into the computer using an adaptor plug, rather than using the headphone jack.
The headphone jack signal is not as clean and pleasant-sounding.
 
I don't generally like to plug acoustic instruments in directly, I feel the sound is inferior to mic'd instruments. I've treated my recording area so the room sounds pretty good. . . all I have to do is plug in a mic, fire up the DAW, set up a project, set a level and go.
 
I tried to do this, and couldn't actually get it to pick up any sound, there's every chance I'm doing it wrong, but I used my Eleuke, the "headphone cord" and Audacity while plugged into the microphone jack on my PC. Any pointers/places I can go that have instructions?

Edit: Just googled and found out where I'm going wrong. Thanks![/QUoOTE]

Where were you going wrong please share x
 
I tried to do this, and couldn't actually get it to pick up any sound, there's every chance I'm doing it wrong, but I used my Eleuke, the "headphone cord" and Audacity while plugged into the microphone jack on my PC. Any pointers/places I can go that have instructions?

Edit: Just googled and found out where I'm going wrong. Thanks!

Where were you going wrong please share x

I didn't fiddle with the settings in Audacity right, haven't had a go yet, but will follow Ken's advice and see if that works
 
I would have thought you'd need a pre-amp or DI box. The actual level from most pickups is really low until it gets amplified. In an amplifier, you don't see where this happens (the pre-amp), and you usually don't in a mixer (which likely has built-in mic pre-amps).

A little DI should cost you about as much as a Makala Dolphin.

Of course, I might be TOTALLY wrong, so check in the software first, as you'll have saved yourself some money. And time. And possibly decided to buy a Dolphin. ;)
 
^ Nah, you don't need anything like that. If anything you can use software amp emulators. Which is also not really needed.

Recording directly is horrible unless you want to sound more like a clean guitar. So you'd be better of mic'ing properly into an interface.
 
Not sure if it was here or at one of the guitar forums I frequent, but someone recently posted about a clip-on piezo mic that works like a clip-on tuner instead of adhering to the instrument by sticky goop.

That idea intrigues me, because with my luck, I could sit down and do the perfect take only to have noise from one of the gazillion ice cream trucks that curse our neighborhood intrude at the end of my recording. :p

Actually, if I want a really "good" recording, I'd probably hit up my friend who's a sound engineer. His living room is practically wall-to-wall professional recording/mixing equipment.
 
that couldve been my topic about the clip on pickups. Excellent stuff, though it wouldnt be my first choice for recording. The signal itself is clean, but it is also quite sensitive to percussive noises of you tapping the uke
 
Zoom H1.

Great sensibility for ukes.
Cheap, easy to use.
Push the red botton and record.
 
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