Studio set-up - what is missing?

Hi all.....hope you are safe and well....

So, here's the thing.  I have finally got (or getting) myself a new little home studio setup.  I did own a small studio many years ago, long before DAWs and keyboard controllers that just need a USB connection, although I was using Cubase, so it wasn't that long ago!

The thing is, common sense is telling me that I am still missing some parts. And as I am about to add an electric guitar to the mix, I definitely need something more.

At the moment I have my PC running my  DAW, and a an M-Audio keyboard plugged into my PC via a USB cable.  Now this is where I am sure I need something else.....

I have a (lovely) pair of Pre-Sonus E5 studio monitors with built in amp, and they are connected to my PC using a simple small headphone jack plugged into the output socket (headphone socket I guess) of my PC.    This is where I am sure things need to be improved!  Having it all connected just using a jack to headphone socket just feels....wrong.  I am sure there is some kind of something that connects my monitors to my laptop, that can also take my guitar...?  I really have no idea.

The reason I came to you guys rather than just Googling it all is it would be awesome if I had some recommendations too, or any other helpful titbits.  Or am I totally wrong, and what I have now is a 'standard' set-up?

Many, many thanks in advance.....
From an old bugger getting his head around the new toys we have today!!  I must add, I am so excited at what I can now do with just my laptop.  I had a pretty good studio back when I was a record producer (90s/early 00s), but what I had then is about 0.5% of what I have in front of me now!  So awesome!!

[am popping this post on another forum, just in case you spot it!! ]

Be safe, and stay connected......

Nah, no need - just play the electric guitar into your laptop microphone or record it using your phone. Technology is super good these days and you can always fix the sound in the mix. No need to get an amp or anything.

Now I stop taking the piss: what you need is an audio interface (something like this https://www.thomann.de/intl/motu_m4.htm). There's basically two ways of going about getting electric guitar into your mix:

1. Easy way: just connect the guitar directly into the interface, and record the DI (direct input) signal and go hog wild with VSTs that do pedal/amp/cabinet simulation.
2. Hard way: get an amp, get a cabinet, get a microphone (SM57 is a good start), get a isolation box or an attenuator (to bring down the noise). Also get a lot of effects pedals or use your PC/DAW as an effects unit.

Apogee jam is a great affordable interface for guitars and mono input. It has a built-in analog drive circuit that helps to switch on before running it through an amp sim. 

  On 4/28/2020 at 12:22 PM, chim said:

Apogee jam is a great affordable interface for guitars and mono input. It has a built-in analog drive circuit that helps to switch on before running it through an amp sim. 

I think he needs something to send sound to his speakers too, otherwise it's a waste of good monitors.

  On 4/28/2020 at 11:30 AM, thawkins said:

Nah, no need - just play the electric guitar into your laptop microphone or record it using your phone. Technology is super good these days and you can always fix the sound in the mix. No need to get an amp or anything.

LOL!!!!!!!!!  

And thanks all, that has helped - I knew I was missing something!!  

I will be getting one of these:
https://www.gear4music.com/Soundcards/USB.html

This'll do me, every review I have read has only said great things about it..
https://www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/ESI-U22XT-USB-Audio-Interface/1KCT

After you have an interface, this is one of the cheapest DI options, and actually pretty usable: the line out with amp sim on the Digitech Bad Monkey:

https://reverb.com/p/digitech-bad-monkey-tube-overdrive-2000s-green

Looks like it's not as cheap as it used to be though, a few years agoyou could find these for $20 all over the place, but I guess its reputation as one of the better affordable Tube Screamer clones is catching up.  There'sa lot more competition for budget DI in the $60-$80 range than there was at $20.

I haven't used one (I actually ordered one back in the beginning of March for a live project, on the same day that work announced we were closing, and cancelled the order because suddenly I wasn't going to be playing anyplace I needed a loud amp any time soon), but if you have the budget the Quilter Labs Interblock 45 looks pretty useful.  DI with analog speaker sim, up to 45 watts to a speaker, effects loop, three band tone control with two different voicing modes.  The demos I've heard sound pretty decent.

https://www.quilterlabs.com/index.php/product/interblock-45/

And if money is no object (somewhat an exaggeration, because there are actually way more expensive things out there that do less):

http://warmenfat.com/

Tape op review:

https://tapeop.com/reviews/gear/93/warmenfat-micro-amp/

The Amplitube amp modellers are reeeeeeeeally good.  If you're just playing in the studio, it's all you'll ever need for great guitar tones, and no one will ever know you didn't pay $100,000 on all the gear necessary to make all those sounds otherwise... though they may assume that if you're not filthy rich.