macbook audio line-in quality - bass guitar?

We have a Digital Audio sub-forum, which has some sticky posts at the top which cover most of the basics on recording.

Part of the problem is that the bass wants to be plugged into a high impedance instrument input, not a line in. The easiest way to control this is to add an effect pedal, preamp, compressor or amp modeller box between the bass and the input. This also gives you the opportunity to modify the bass sound (compression, eq, amp and cabinet emulation, depending on the capabilities of the pedal/modeller.)

The next step would be moving to a firewire or USB audio interface rather than the line-in jack, most interfaces will have a preamp and an instrument input, and will deliver better sound quality than the line in.

Are you using an active or passive pickup?

I am using a Line6 Toneport UX1 to rehearse at home and play along with iTunes music on my late 2007 MacBook. Works very nice!
It connects via USB and I dont experience a delay although I did not record with it yet. It can simulate all kind of amps or give a pure sound back to its line out.

funkypepper said:

thanks for all the replies, they helped me a lot.
and sorry for the thread, I forgot to search the forum
I am using a passive pickup.

actually I do not use a pedal and stuff like that, but I will consider my options from now on. I got the advices, thanks a lot.

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I know that I use active- EMG-HZ to be specific - and it works fine. Since you're working with passive you'll need a powered source for the computer.