Hey Kelso,

Adding my 2 cents,

This all depends on the computer. In laptops, the audio chipset is normally right on the motherboard thus the audio signal can thus suffer from interference from other things on the board (like hard drive activity). This interference is easiest for me to hear in my experience in a low noise environment if I turn up my amp a bit. Some computers have better built-in audio SNR (signal to noise ratio) than others, so some will be fine for a gig and some won't - you will have to do a bit of testing to be sure. Most of the time even if the noise is audible it'll be masked by ambient noise anyway so it's usually not a big deal, but it depends on the gig and system.

The only work-around is an audio interface. The SNR is much better on these devices as it's something that's prioritized when they're designed.

Others are spot on in recommending the highest level possible from the computer - think of it this way, your noise level is always going to be the same, and if your audio signal is quieter, it means the noise level is closer in level relative to your audio signal, so when you amplify your noise will be even more noticeable.

HTH,
Will

PG Music Inc.
Sales: 1-800-268-6272
Technical Support: 1-866-983-2474
Full contact information is available here.