Griffin Technology GarageBand Guitar Cable 3101-GTR

List Price: $24.99 Discount Price: $21.99

Features:

• Plug one end into your Mac's input port and the other end to your guitar
• High quality, magnetically shielded cable eliminates the need for additional adapters
• GarageBand cable makes using a guitar with GarageBand a snap
• Cable uses both connection types and splits the mono guitar signal into the stereo mini-jack
• Works with GarageBand software found in Apple iLife 2004 (sold separately)

Customer Reviews:

WARNING! - Intel Macs - Set input in GarageBand prefs! [Posted on 2006-07-15]
I just got this cable today, and experienced the same problems some of the other reviewers had with getting sound out of the guitar. It's not the cable's fault. If you're using one of the new Intel Macs, you have to go into the preferences for GarageBand (not the general system sound prefs), and make sure that your sound input is set to Line-in, instead of built-in microphone. Without that setting, you're going to get nothing but feedback.

When you're set up properly, however, this cable does exactly what it's meant to do... turn your Mac into a thousand different amps. It's fantastic! Highly recommended!

I'm happy with it [Posted on 2007-06-24]
I mainly got it to be able to plug into my MacBook Pro and noodle around the house, and do a little recording. If i travel, i don't have to bring an amp, i can just bring my laptop--just for playing by myself for fun or in small social settings.

Previously i'd been using a Tascam US 122 interface for recording. I love the US 122 because it's quiet, bus powered, light weight and works well, but as simple as it is, it's more complicated than the GB Griffin cable, and it's another thing to carry around and plug in. For very simple uses, playing through my computer with this cable is fun and convenient.

I also use it with Sound Studio for recording.

I've had problems with the GB sound settings, find it complicated and hard to remember what steps i used between uses, and i often get a very annoying amount of latency (delay or lag of the sound after hitting the string). I tried the corrections in the Help section and didnt' get results. But the effect is intermittent. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes i get it to stop but i am trying hit or miss solutions and don't really know what it is that gets it to go away. This is of course, not the cable's fault.

I also have a Monster iStudioLink adapter cable that i bought at the local Apple store when i got the MBP in May, but i dont' see them on the online Apple store. It's about 6 inches long and one end plugs into the guitar, an amp cable plugs into the other end. It works just like the Griffin cable but with a regular amp cable. About the same price. More portable if there are amp cables where you are going when you travel.
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Works perfectly, no issues at all [Posted on 2007-10-09]
A lot of people seem to have experienced difficulty figuring out how to select the input source, but I'm a Mac noob and found it very straightforward. Just go into system preferences->Sound and select line input. In GarageBand add a "real instrument" track and select the "monitor on" option. You're all set. You can run iTunes or a DVD at the same time and play along simultaneously in GarageBand.

You need a preamp - this isn't clear in the description [Posted on 2008-02-08]
There is nothing wrong with this cable - it is good quality, albeit a tad overpriced.

However, you must be made aware that for you to get any decent sound using the 'min in' and this cable - you have to get a preamp.

With that being said - a 30$ ART Tube MP and this cable is still cheaper than a decent USB/Firewire solution and works just fine.

Great product [Posted on 2008-05-15]
This guitar cable works extremely well with garageband, which is what I use. It works with both acoustical and electric guitar, but works better with an electric. It was definitely worth the money.

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