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buying a soundcard for recording.

L

ludwig109

Oct 24, 2005
353
0
38
ireland, waterford
#1
hey im looking to get a simple home studio set up mainly for my own amusement. at the moment im using reaper and have a good pc to use minus a soundcard. ive been using the onboard sound but im getting latency issues so thought that this might help with that and sound better.

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am i wrong in thinking this will help? also is it missing anything vital, i see midi i/o in the description id like o connect an e drum kit to it to lay down drum tracks how exactly do you connect these two. i see something (firewire/hdmi looking connection) but i have the basic 5 pin midi out/in on the kit. do i need an adapter or is there another piece of interface i need to add to use it.

bit of a ramble.
im pretty new to recording so any help is much appreciated. if that one is bad id like to not spend too much maybe 200~euro max. if it is crap what exactly is wrong with it?
 
#3
Your sound card doesn't need to be a "card". It doesn't need to be something that installs inside of your computer. It can be, but doesn't need to be. There are many external devices. Many of them connect to your computer by USB. Very easy setup. Frankly, the device that the OP gave a link to is, ah... not very convenient to use. Very few audio ins and outs. As noted, the midi connection is not "normal". Will need adapters for that. There are a lot of other devices that would be easier to use.
 
#4
thanks for the info, any suggestions for something better in a similar price range?

i wouldnt mind an external interface like the maudio kinda ones(a little separate tabletop box) but it doesnt bother me installing cards etc,the pc has space for a pci and 2 different pcies.
id like to get a mixer of some sort to go infront of it which might simplify recording bigger things live but mostly ill be laying down one track at a time.

im not gonna be recording anyone else but myself and a few friends most likely but id like to buy something that i wont end up replacing next year.
low latency is my biggest aim but maybe thats more to do with the software/settings. i think the soundcard i have at the moment isnt great so it seemed like the thing to replace/upgrade first. im making a big order from that site so ive only really looked through their lower end cards.

checking out that maudio card now.
 
#5
m-audio and focusrite seem to offer some of the more popular musical interfaces. as for a pc card m-audio has a couple with a break out box that let you move the connectors to the front of your pc. several of the cards on the site you are using are quite dated so make sure driver development is still active and current.
it looks to me that most resources are being spent on usb and firewire products. if i were in your shoes i would probably check out a pci-e firewire card and then a firewire audio interface. this would give you a clean firewire channel, not reliant on motherboard drivers, and a single cable to run to the interface which you can put someplace easy to reach. no need for adapter cables or short pigtails for easy connections. plus some of the interfaces come with free software that you may find useful. i will try to find a few UK examples and post them.
 
#6
thanks for the effort
i can order from other sites just thats the handiest delivery around here and im picking up alot of bits and pieces from them thought id throw in a soundcard.
that plan sounds good, i have an old creative audigy2zs that i got from a friend for free as he had no use for it. stopped using it as i rebuilt the pc and had a better soundcard to use, had had some trouble getting drivers going etc and just didnt want the hassle again. thought id upgrade instead. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/dts-7,691-3.html

a better version of that kinda setup would be great. i could spend a bit more for something worth keeping for a few years anyway up to 400 euro max probably?
free software would be cool but not a deciding factor for me anyway, happy to buy something to add later
checking out some firewire stuff now anyway.
 
#7
I've got a great all-in-one solution in the classifieds, an emu 1616 interface. Has analog i/o, digital i/o, a pair of nice preamps, and midi. It's a good solution for a home studio hub.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f139/fs-emu-1616-pcmcia-computer-interface-complete-1019144/

The one I've got uses a pcmcia slot (usually in older laptops, some desktops) but there are versions out there with cards for the internal slots on desktops as well. It's a good interface and you should research it even if you don't buy mine. :)
 
#8
bkbirge said:
I've got a great all-in-one solution in the classifieds, an emu 1616 interface. Has analog i/o, digital i/o, a pair of nice preamps, and midi. It's a good solution for a home studio hub.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f139/fs-emu-1616-pcmcia-computer-interface-complete-1019144/

The one I've got uses a pcmcia slot (usually in older laptops, some desktops) but there are versions out there with cards for the internal slots on desktops as well. It's a good interface and you should research it even if you don't buy mine. :)
Click to expand...

hey i was just looking at one of those myself, the one i saw though had a pcie fitting, i dont have the pcmcia slot and id say the shipping would be alot to me otherwise id snap yours up, thanks for the info anyway. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
i was contemplating splashing out on that.
i might do.. stuff here costs alot more generally but would that be the best choice in that kinda price range?
are there any drawbacks to that ethernet style cable? im guessing its on par or better than firewire?
to google i go!
 
#9
the audigy2zs was my all time favorite sound card until.......i had to start fighting with drivers. unfortunately for creative they had a couple of whole families of sound cards that suffered these same driver issues. their new stuff doesn't have this issue but the internet is still full of creative haters because of it. i keep hoping that they design an affordable modern replacement for the 2zs and it's front panel controls but so far, nothing.
the most up to date set-up i can see today is the firewire/usb card and audio interface i suggested earlier. the cost is about the same too when you add in the costs of extra cables or adapters needed to hook an instrument or mic to you pc mounted sound card.
 

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