Opinions on Sound Card and / or Audio Interface

[The Mock Turtle Regulator]

Actually, it was the other way around. The Soundblaster Live! is a crippled EMU card (same chip as the EMU APS card, EMU10K1), there were even hacked EMU drivers that gave you ASIO capabilities and low latency for the SBLive! The Audigy is just a souped-up SBLive with the same flaws (48KHz only for ASIO).

I have a Soundblaster Live, and used it for recording + mixing with ACID, with satisfactory results, to my ears.
I run my bass/ mic through a 4track using the aux send to boost the level to drive the sb line input.

MIDI always ran out of time with audio (without ASIO drivers) so recently I decided to have a go installing the KX project ASIO drivers for the sblive-
they don't work on windows 98 first edition that I have, so I got a friend to burn a copy of 98SE and installed it-
long story involving renaming win.com etc. files to get the full install Cd to work over an existing installation-

98SE seemed to be running okay,
but the KX project drivers were a nightmare-
if I'd seen all the problems mentioned with 98SE on their forum i'd never have bothered-
the PC wouldn't boot up at one point due to a missing .dll file.

I re-installed 98SE (and the SB's original drivers), then had a go at installing modified EMU APS drivers- even worse-
they didn't work- and even after removing them and reinstalling the SBlive drivers, media player, cubase and ACID all wouldn't work- invalid operations and blue screens galore.

yesterday I did a clean reinstall of 98SE and put the SB live creative drivers in.
and I think I'll stick with that on this PC.

I'd like to try the EMU 0404 card, which sells for just £69.99 in the UK, but it needs XP, and I'd be better off buying a new PC with decent specs rather than try install that on my existing machine-
after reading the XP thread I suspect several of the devices don't have XP-compatible drivers..

 

[Zlartibartfast]

(ASIO drivers)
don't work on windows 98 first edition that I have, so I got a friend to burn a copy of 98SE and installed it-

->tch tch tch there be pirates on the horizon - arrrrrghhh

long story involving renaming win.com etc. files to get the full install Cd to work over an existing installation-

98SE seemed to be running okay,
but the KX project drivers were a nightmare-
if I'd seen all the problems mentioned with 98SE on their forum i'd never have bothered-
the PC wouldn't boot up at one point due to a missing .dll file.

-> your problems are most likey due to having a "dirty" install - using the proper SE upgrade CDROM should take care of DLL mismatches. SE came out to "fix" the Windows Driver Model (amongst other things - anyone see the BSOD when Bill plugged in a scanner on live TV?), which got "fixed" again in ME, then again in W2K

I re-installed 98SE (and the SB's original drivers), then had a go at installing modified EMU APS drivers- even worse-
they didn't work- and even after removing them and reinstalling the SBlive drivers, media player, cubase and ACID all wouldn't work- invalid operations and blue screens galore.

yesterday I did a clean reinstall of 98SE and put the SB live creative drivers in.
and I think I'll stick with that on this PC.

-> NOW you're talkin'! Whad I tell ya? don't you love a kibitzer?

I'd like to try the EMU 0404 card, which sells for just £69.99 in the UK, but it needs XP, and I'd be better off buying a new PC with decent specs rather than try install that on my existing machine-
after reading the XP thread I suspect several of the devices don't have XP-compatible drivers..

And that is a true gem of wisdom. Moral - use the Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibilty List and verify your hardware vendor(s) have RELEASED the proper drivers (otherswise you make yourself a beta tester)

when in doubt, FORMAT C: /U <enter> it fixes all your windows worries

 

[rubo]

Bassballs, first you absolutely must choose a software that you're comfortable with and can utilize most of its features to your advantage, only then you need to choose a proper sound card for it. Now everything that mentioned so far is on a semi-pro or more of a home user level, except the E-MU stuff, which I haven't tried, but based on their Samplers the AD/DA should be good, the only problem is how good are trey drivers. Now if you only need up to 8 tracks, then almost any software will do. The easiest one to use is probably Pro Tools, but that's only if you don't intend to use any midi, just audio. Then there is the whole Steinberg line like Nuendo, Cubase .....

If you go with Pro Tools Le & Digi 001 or 002R the converters aren't that greater in these tow units, but you can expand it later on thru Adat with something high end like Maytek, Larvy, Lucid....

This set ups gives you very good stability since both the software and sound card is the same company.

You also get the software free when you buy the hardware,so you save a lot of money.

Digi 001 on Ebay is about $300 - $400 US

Digi 002R is about $700 - $900 US

Then you can go with RME cards, which have drivers fro just about anything in the PC world, very stable and very good quality.

Now you can get their RME Digi 9636 card which has no AD/DA, then buy external Converters or buy RME AEB cards.


Digi 9636 is about $300 on Ebay

AEB In and AEB Out is about $100 each.

So you have $500 invested in a card, then you'll pay at least $300 for a copy of Nuendo. But Nuendo + RME will give you much better sound quality then Digi 002 by itself.

Of course you can buy Cubase or other software for cheaper price.

Next is the other RME cards like RME 96/8 PST, Pro or PST, these have one analog In and one Analog Out, plus Adat, so you can later add high end converter. These also support AEB cards, so you can add these too for more IN/Out.


96/8 on Ebay are about $250 US, so this might be your best option for now.

Now for the sleeper option.

LynxStudio LynxOne card, this will smoke all the cards mentioned in my reply in the sound quality department for sure. I used to own one, it smokes my RME ADI-8 converters.

It also has god drivers for Steinberg software.

Used one is about $300 on Ebay. The you can download Pro Tools free (only for Win 98) and record and mix up to eight tracks.

There is another sleeper on the market, which is called Paris Pro system. It was discontinued few ears back, so no additional support fro newer drivers for now. Btu I know a user group which is very alive and has lots of very smart guys who constantly write plug-ins for that system.

Now this one can only be found used, a full blown system will be about $700 -$800 US. which will include a 16 fader controller as well.

This one was designed to push digital signal to its max, so you can ride the signal into red with no problems. It was designed to sound closer to analog tape then to more crystal digital sound. Hell the whole album form Alicia Keys was recorded on Paris Pro, of course with tons of outboard as well.

I'm still waiting for any development of OSX drivers fro that system, if it happens I'll probably dump Pro Tools and get me Paris Pro.

I see you're in Ontario, I'm in Toronto - you're more then welcome to come by my home studio to check out Pro Tools.

The main issue here is your budget and how much you want to expand later on.

Cheers.

P.S. Links to check out:

http://www.digidesign.com/products/digi001/

http://www.digidesign.com/products/digi002/


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http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM01/Content/EMU_ENSONIQ/PR/PARIS-Pro.html

 

[The Mock Turtle Regulator]

Im considering installing an M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 card- Turnkey are doing this for £68.

 

[DirtDog]

I just obtained and started using the M-Audio MobilePre - and then I just learned about the Tascam U-122.

Aside from internal sonic stuff (which, to me, is a bunch of gobble-de-gook - it either "sounds good" or "doesn't sound good") and the difference between the 1/8" headphone jack on the M-Audio and the 1/4" headphone jack on the Tascam - they look like they have virtually the same functionality.

Has anyone done a cross-comparison between these two units? What were your observations and conclusions?

BTW - I'm "moving up" from the old preamp into the Soundblaster card type of computer-based recording and the MobilePre is a BIG step up from where I was at.

Even in my 80-year old house with some questionable electrical circuits, the floor noise thru the instrument line in (guitar>preamp>MobilePre>Toshiba Tecra laptop) was OK (a bit of hum there in the background) but the mic line in using a brand new Shure SM58 was really freakin' silent - like absolutely ZERO unwanted noise (to my ears). I am impressed.

I think it was a very good buy. I got it for $179.00 Canadian plus tax.

DD

 

[Eldermike]

I have been using Cubase sx with a Motu 896 for about a year. This combination is well suited to what you want to do today and what you might want to do tomorrow. Today you might need a single analog input, but before you know it you will need more. On the other hand most entry level stuff never gets much use before it's set aside by an upgrade. My suggestion is buy the entry level stuff used, and the high end stuff new.