technical question re: sblive

[Guest]

I've found that if i turn the microphone input levels all the way up, i can get distortion out of my electric guitar. i know the signal from the guitar has no distortion; plug it into an amp, and it's just a loud but clear aignal. so i assume it's either from software-based clipping from a digital multiplier with a cap or something, or else it's from diode protection on the input.

if it's the latter, is there any harm is doing this? as the only way to get distorion in real-time, it's rather convenient and saves the expense of a distortion pedal.

 

[Grizely1]

It's not really real distortion. The REAL distortion (built into the AMP or a distortion pedal) sounds much better.....

 

[Guest]

well, of course, but until i get my hands on a couple of germanium diodes so i can make my own circuit it has to do.
speaking of which, i go to radio shack to get some diodes and I find that radio shack no longer carries electronic components. I know radio shack sucks as a store and all, but I don't need 500 diodes, just 5 or so, so i figured i'd save the hassle of mail order and just go to radio shack. but no... a year ago when i needed a y-splitter for my power supply they told me they don't carry computer parts anymore, and now they don't sell electronic components either. man.

but anyway. i'm assuming that even if the clipping is hardware-based it would be hard for me to produce any current capable of damaging the card. they probably think of these things when designing inputs on a sound card.

 

[Grizely1]

And it could be just the bass input. If you click on advanced there is base a treble and i find if i turn both up all the way it goes wacko