Audio tech geeks what is specific difference in audio quality when recording a guitar direct in to a standard MacBookPro compared to directing into a firewire audio interface?

If you use something cheap, you get less quality, it doesn’t matter what it involves.

@XOIIO Yes I understand that, but I’d love to know the specific tech specs of frequencies being recorded and overall bit rate sample.

If you have an old tape deck record to that first, it gives a really nice warm sound, then from there you can record to your Mac while capturing that lovely warm tapeness

Recording into a standalone interface will be worlds better than running into your headphone jack. You won’t experience nearly as much clipping or distortion in the input. Also, your gain will be a lot higher through an interface, allowing you to record and then mix your tracks without having to up the volume and decrease the quality.

If you want to professionally or even semi-professionally record you pretty much NEED an audio interface.

@DeanV What are your thoughts on the Apogee JAM (just a interface for guitar jack input with a gain on it) vs the Apogee One interface? NOTE. I only need to record electric guitar I have the yeti pro for acoustics/vocals. So the Mic with Apogee One doesn’t concern me at all.

Are you deadset on Apogee? They make awesome products, but you could pick up a presonus firebox or something on the cheap just incase you ever do want to record drums or keyboard or anything in the future.

I like Apogee a lot, their quality is great, but unless you know you’re going to stick with Mac forever (they don’t support Windows) or just record guitar I’d look into other interfaces.