I’m using a Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen and recording on an iPad Pro with GarageBand. It used to work perfectly, but a few months ago it stopped recording my guitar.
My microphone still works, so the interface itself isn’t completely dead.
It’s definitely not the guitar — the shop checked it when they repaired the fretboard, although I should have brought my Scarlett with me as well.
Here’s the strange part:
If I plug in just the cable, I can see the input meter in GarageBand moving. When I tap the cable, the meter moves too. But as soon as I plug the guitar into the cable, there’s no signal at all.
I’ve tried two different guitar cables, so I’m not sure if the problem is the cable or the Scarlett.
I got the 2i2 also. I was having trouble with delay with the headphones I think (it’s been a while since I had my failure). Re downloading the drivers fixed me up.
Roland @Rolandson
Could be the drivers but working along the signal chain.
Does the halo light up and can you hear anything with headphones plugged into the solo.
Michael
Roland @Rolandson
Ok so we have established it is either guitar, cable or solo assuming drivers are not the issue. If you install up to date drivers and that does not solve the problem.
You need to test the guitar and cable by plugging into somebody else’s interface or amp. You could also get in touch with Focusrite help desk they may be able to offer some suggestions on testing the solo.
Roland @Rolandson
Have you had the guitar tested very recently?
It is a little surprising that both cables have gone unless they are old and had a hard life. If it was me I would plug the guitar in and fiddle around with where the cable goes into the connector and see if it crackles, not very scientific. Somebody with more electrical knowledge may know how to test the cable with test meter.
Michael
Do you have a small practice amp? You can rule out the cables by plugging each cable from instrument right to amp for a test. That will get you one step closer.
If you have access to an ohmmeter, check your XLR cable with the guitar plugged in. If you get close to zero ohms (like 1 ohm or less) from pin 1 to pin 2 or from pin 1 to pin 3 (pin numbers are printed inside the plug), unplug the guitar and repeat. If you no longer get 0 ohms, your guitar jack has an internal short to ground. If you still get zero ohms, your cable has a short to ground.
If neither of those cases is true, you could have an open circuit somewhere. Use the meter to read between Pin 1 on the XLR and the sleeve of the plug (the sleeve is ground, and is the part of the plug closest to the housing). You should get 0 ohms. Then check pin 2 of the XLR to the guitar plug tip. You should get zero ohms. If you don’t have 0 ohm on both of those cases, your cable has a broken wire.
If you do have 0 ohms, either your guitar has a broken jack connection or your Focusrite is hosed. You can remove the guitar jack and inspect the connections.
This could also be a selector switch issue. I’ve experienced tht on my old strat and one the Washburns. I assume you are using an electric but you don’t say. With a strat stule 5 position switch it can be caused by dirty contacts and can be resolved by firmly moving the switch back and forth between position 1 and 5 several times.
Toggling the Washburns 3 way switch in a similar way cured that as well.