Audio Interface for Guitar

Looking for an audio interface for guitar that you can plug your guitar into with a cable and record to a computer or phone? This page brings together compact audio interfaces with a Hi-Z instrument input designed specifically for electric guitar, bass guitar and electro-acoustic guitar with a pickup. Every interface here has one or two preamps, so you can record your guitar on its own or together with vocals. You can choose from the Focusrite Scarlett, Universal Audio Volt and Apollo, Arturia MiniFuse, Behringer U-Phoria, Audient iD, M-Audio M-Track, Steinberg UR, Solid State Logic and IK Multimedia iRig ranges.

Why does a guitar need a Hi-Z instrument input?

An electric guitar pickup produces a weak, high-impedance signal. A standard line input loads it down, and the guitar then sounds dull, with no top end. A Hi-Z input, often labelled Inst or marked with a guitar icon on the interface, has a high impedance, so it leaves the signal unchanged and you can plug the guitar in directly, without a DI box. Not every audio interface for guitar on this page has this kind of input, so check the description of the specific model before buying.

One preamp or two?

If you record on your own and play guitar, a smaller interface is enough, for example the Scarlett Solo, Volt 1, MiniFuse 1 or M-Track Solo. If you want to record guitar and bass at the same time or two guitars, choose an interface with two Hi-Z inputs, such as the Scarlett 2i2, Volt 2, MiniFuse 2 or Behringer UMC202HD; for the guitar's direct signal plus two microphones, you need three inputs that record simultaneously.

Almost all the interfaces here also have 48 V phantom power, so you can connect a condenser microphone for vocals or acoustic guitar too.

Computer or phone?

Most interfaces connect via USB to a computer running Windows or macOS, where you record your guitar into recording software or play it through an amp simulator. The Universal Audio Apollo Solo and Apollo Twin are also available in a version with a Thunderbolt connection, and you will find more interfaces like these in the Thunderbolt Audio Interfaces category. For playing and recording with an iPhone, iPad or Android phone, there are the IK Multimedia iRig PRO Duo I/O and iRig Stream Pro, with more in the iOS & Android Audio Interfaces category. If you need more inputs, for example to record drums, take a look at the full range of Audio Interfaces.