Best way to hook up mic/guitar?

ugh the more i read about this the more my head just goes in circles
 
to the degree that even though my axiom 61 is hooked up via USB and seems to work fine i'm wondering if i should more appropriately have it hooked up via the midi connection to my soundcard?
 
 
weird thing is that i read about all of these inputs my soundcard has....but it seems that nobody ever recommeds plugging ANYthing directly into it?  like there is always some type of interface?
 
 
i'm totally lost :(
 
 

For us to answer
with any accuracy we have to look up you sound card and read the manual or the product specs first. 
Have you read the manual for the delta? it explains it all this.
if the explanation is hard for you to understand then you might want to buy a basic audio engineering handbook. without owning your card I cannot say which is the right or wrong way to connect things, your owners manual will explain. 

You have the balanced XLR Connector usually used for low impedence or a microphone. Impedence may not matter much anymore. You have a guitar and either you have a high-impedence input specially for guitar or you do not. They do not look like high impedence inputs on the Delta so what you have is what is left - line level inputs. So on your guitar amp you have pre-amp out or line out which is that input, but first you need connectors that plug into the Delta. Unfortunately they are phono RCA type connections and used more for stereo amp setups or consumer setups. But you can always get an adaptor to use a guitar cord (1/4" ends like a guitar cord) and plug into the phono connector with the adaptor. The three big connector is the XLR type connector and says it is for microphone. Some equipment has XLR connections (my fender new amp does) so I could use that connector because being that type of line level usually low impedence input that is what it is made for on the amp and on your Delta. The line out on your guitar amp (usually 1/4" like a guitar cord) is line level input for the phono plugs but an adaptor is needed to hook it all up together. Usually on the newer guitar amps they even have a headphone output that can be used to hook up the amp and get the simulated guitar amp cabinet sound out of it also which also would be for the phono inputs with an adaptor. (1/4" female to phono RCA type input like a stereo speaker amp receiver or amp - regular ol' consumer stereo amp with passive speakers).
 
Because of all of that, people tend to get an audio/interface that has better connections instead of using adaptors.
I use one on my normal stereo passive speaker stereo amp because I use an adaptor and it works fine. If I had powered monitor speakers that have either the XLR connector or the guitar type cord (but balanced) type connector I would use those inputs. So I have an XLR connector cord on one end and a regular 1/4" jack on the other end (except it is balanced which means it has a tip and a sleeve like a regular guitar cord but also another hot lead part between the tip and the sleeve (which is seen like a 1/4" headphone cord but instead of being L and R channel it is just a one channel balanced cord used usually in professional studio setups).
 
So except for the phono adaptors you would need, then all of that would work, and between the two units you probably have line out on the one and phono adaptor (RCA phono plug) on the Delta. Again adaptors can be used, and will work, but people get tired of using adaptors sometimes so they buy an audio/interface with better connections on it in the first place usually after that.
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/cables/
 
Just one place on the Internet, and or a local electronic store that carries adaptors and cables and whatever is needed to make the connections.
 
Consumer electronics (stereo amp) usually has RCA phono connectors (like the Delta).
Professional electronics usually have XLR connections or line out 1/4" connections (like a guitar cord or balanced type cord).
That is about it.
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MSLCM2/
 
just one cord type and about any type is made. (or an adaptor one can buy).
http://www.sweetwater.com/c812--Adapters
Just have to find one that fits the connections you have. (whether on-line store or at your local electronics store or GC whatever).
 
I would not necessarily get Hosa cables because if you had a Neutrick combination connector in the front for mic, or guitar or synth or whatever in the front of an audio/interface they probably get stuck and end up breaking the connector to get it out or take the unit apart to get it out without destroying the unit.
Audio/interface just to show the combination type connector in the front for input they use nowadays.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DuoCaptureEX/
 
But then I don't think you have such a connector as shown on the front of that unit.
 

thanks so much spacealf....i'm just trying to take your post in and absorb!
 
"You have the balanced XLR Connector usually used for low impedence or a microphone. Impedence may not matter much anymore."  - Would this mean i could plug a mic into this input directly?
 
"So on your guitar amp you have pre-amp out or line out which is that input, but first you need connectors that plug into the Delta."  - Both of these outputs are 1/4".....could i not connect one of these to the 1/4" inputs on my Delta?
 
"Unfortunately they are phono RCA type connections and used more for stereo amp setups or consumer setups." - Wouldn't this behringer item fix that?  I could plug a 1/4" into it and output via the RCA cables (into the RCA of the Delta)?
 
 
I'm a little confused when you are mentioning phono/headphone inputs/outputs.
I'm pretty sure my guitar amp has a 1/4" headphone output as well as the line out and preamp out as mentioned earlier
 
 
"Because of all of that, people tend to get an audio/interface that has better connections instead of using adaptors." - Would this Behringer serve that purpose?  What is different between this and what you are recommending?
 
 
 
 
THANKS SO MUCH
I'm not sure i could do this without the confidence and guidance yall offer here
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

thanks everyone
i'm still kind of confused but i guess i need to just start plugging and playing and see what happens
 
obvs the only thing i have to lose is frying my card.....but i'm thinking that as long as i'm using this behringer that it won't be possible? 
 
i guess first i'll try plugging a mic directly to the card and then from there try to plug a mic or guitar into the behringer and then use the RCA out of the behringer to the RCA in of the soundcard
i have that phantom power switch on the behringer i can play with
 
if all that doesn't work i can try outputting the behringer to the soundcard via USB?
 
if i need "more juice" for my guitar then i will try doing a line or preamp out into the mixer....then into the card.
 
 
 
if anything sounds off here please let me know
and addtional comments/links are surely helpful
 
cheers! :)

Just a polite warning, there is some misinformation in some of the above answers, I will not go into detail, instead I will try and give you a few facts that will get you going. 
 
First , the 2 interfaces: 
The Delta even though old, is 90% better for the simple fact it actually comes with real ASIO drivers. Behringer does not supply proper drivers and it is well documented the issues people will have trying to use that type of device with Sonar. Also PCI cards have real good latency and timing. Your recordings will thank for using it. 
You have 2 Mike pre amp inputs on the Delta, so you could use 2 mikes to record 2 tracks. Always record your guitar amp with a mike if you have that option. That is the most popular method for good tone. 
You could use the Behringer as a 3rd mike Pre amp as well as an instrument input by patching it's RCA outputs into your Deltas RCA inputs. 
 
DO not use the Behringers USB, ASIO only allows one device at a time, stick with the Delta and download the latest ASIO drivers that match your OS 32 or 64 versions. 

Here is how I would wire it. Ch 1&2 out of the Delta into the 2-Track in on the Behringer, with the 2-Track to Phones button selected. The main out of the Behringer into Ch 3&4 on the Delta. Phones out of the Behringer to Monitors/Headphones.
 
This allows you to use the controls on the mixer for input volume into the Delta as well as Output Volume to monitors without any crosstalking. 
 
As for getting your guitar signal into the Delta, you have three options. The first option is to plug the guitar straight into the Behringer. This allows you to re-amp later, either by using something like Guitar Rig or firing back out into a physical amp. You will have to drive up the gain on the Behringer to achieve a useable signal without a preamp, it's not ideal but it will work and be completely useable. I really recommend picking up a preamp, even if it's a cheap one. The ART TubeMP can usually be found for about $50. Straight in with a preamp is the best way to record. Depending on how your amp is laid out you may be able to use the preamp on it, just make you keep it clean and re-amp later or apply your effects in post.
The next option is to throw a mic in front of the amp. Not much to say about this one. There are many articles and YouTube videos on how to throw a mic in front of an amp. I don't like this because it locks in your sound.
The last, and certainly least, option is to go into the Behringer from the amp's line out. If your amp doesn't have a master volume that's not tied to the line out, or if it doesn't have an attenuator, line out may not be an option for you due to the volume required to drive it. Again, this locks in the sound and leaves very little room for experimenting or altering. 

great stuff guys thanks for expanding
 
i tried a mic over the weekend in the same way i did guitar - just simply plug into the behringer and use the RCA outs to the Delta RCA ins.  i did this with and without the "phantom power" provided by the behringer.
my result felt the same as guitar - i'm just not sure the signal is "hot" enough
like i know i don't want to be clipping and well into the red....but i'm also not coming very close to it very often
 
with the guitar as said i have both a preamp out and a line out....but it felt like BOTH were controlled by how much volume i was pumping through the amp?  either way this just can't be an option as my house is too small to allow regular shredding :)
 
i'll have to experiment more but perhaps my best bet is a DI box/preamp into the behringer as suggested.
PS - are these two essentially the same thing?  a "DI box" is just a stripped down preamp mostly made for the purpose of connecting to PC?
 

ok i gotcha -
i know red is bad but figured i would want to see it come close enough so that i can adjust a level here or there to tweak it where i want it.  i see what you are saying though with that phrase!
 
no doubt there is a degree of not being sure what to expect.  as you say the signal may seem quiet but actually be just fine and i'll just need to work on how i'm monitoring what i'm doing
 
you lost me a bit on the DI box/preamp part.  in what instance would you want to use a DI box?
i only have laymen's terms to use but i got the sense that both DI and preamp would essentially make my guitar signal "hot" enough for recording?

The other rendition is all the different versions of her vocal (around 4 years ago) at the bottom of that page that other people provided the music for her vocals, and I think people can still download and put music to her vocals which is listed in my signature. I did it just for the heck of it.
https://soundcloud.com/imogen-heap
That's all the same song done different ways if you ever get to the bottom of that page and is all the people who provided music to her vocals still listed at the bottom which I think can still be downloaded. I think she does not do anything with it anymore, and some was trying to be sold perhaps for a charity.
 
Some other people on this forum and in the Song forum here did it a long time ago, me not so long ago, and it still is all up there at that link (except for mine which I guess 4 years later was just too late).
 
This link is there to send it to her in *.mp3 format:
http://soundcloud.com/imogen-heap/dropbox/profile
which is also listed there on the Soundcloud page of hers.
 
In my case I was just messing around, did not use an amp to record the guitar, I used a digitech modeling electronic box for the some-what guitar part in my version of the song, like an Boss ME-25 unit or one of those type of electronic modeling guitar effects units.
http://www.sweetwater.com/c633--Guitar_Pedals_Multi_effects
 
There is all that stuff for guitar you can buy anywhere, the link is just an example of all that stuff, or other pedals, or whatever can be used plugging a guitar in.
(I may have added too much to the song perhaps).
Guitarhacker's version of that song is on that first link, also is Frank Tanton's version plus all the other versions of putting music to her vocals.
 
On the DI box, other people have used them, I have not, so I am not quite sure what it does in the end, but I think it just changes the impedence or makes it so the input volume for the guitar is better (but then it does not have a volume control and a pre-amp probably has a volume control but usually a pre-amp is used more for a microphone, but many can be used for any type of input - from a synthesizer, to a guitar to a microphone and the volume adjusted to provide a better input signal). A DI box is not adjusted that way as far as I know.
 
 
 

Probably you can try those, but without using the effect then the volume just goes straight through, or at least mine does, it does not add volume until the effect is being used. So I doubt it would do much if anything at all.
 
After 4 years I never heard back from her to know what to do with it anyway, so a person can listen to it, that is about it (the version I did). (other versions from different people were put together as shown on her page and then could be bought at the time, being at least 4-5 years earlier.)
 
My volumes (on about anything except bass) is not all that loud either, but loud enough in the end. There's threads around here on that also - -6dB peaks maybe all the way down to -18dB to -15db for the actual RMS volume. Way less noise in digital than tape.
And again better equipment does a better job, and that is also why it costs more - maybe way more.
 
There is also these:
http://www.sweetwater.com/c665--Channel_Strips
which I have a couple of cheap Presonus ones to use for both a pre-amp, compression, and EQ, but all that can be done in a DAW also if needed at the end instead of at the beginning of the signal chain or with the mix in a DAW.
 
 
 

A DI box is used on stage to convert your direct bass, keyboard, acoustic guitar hi impedance output into low impedance so it can be sent to the FOH and monitor system of a PA. There is also a pass though for the signal to carry on to your stage amp.
For electric guitar this sound would be very boring, so most always you would mike an amp. Radial makes a cool DI that goes on an amps speaker output that is great for eliminating the mike on stage. 
Other than wanting to record your dry ( boring) sound at the same time as an amp, there is not much use for a DI in a home studio. 
 
A pre Amp is what takes a signal and kicks it up to the next level. It is where the "tone and colour " come from in your system. Your guitar amp has a pre amp. If the line out is AFTER the pre amp then you'll get the colour. 

the one thing i don't get here is what the "amp sim" really is
 
i know it's not the ideal etc. but isn't it a good enough goal to want a clean and strong signal going into my PC at which point the amp sim will color it as best as possible?
 
stuff like guitar rig and amplitube and all that....don't you just want a clean line in type signal because they are the virtual amp??