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Choosing a sound card
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manifest
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
15
Posted : Sep 15, 2008 07:45:38
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Hi
I’ve been having a lot of trouble deciding what sound card to buy.
I have:
Laptop (Toshiba satellite L300D)
Mixer Behringer Xenyx 1204FX
1x Crown XLS 602 amplifier
2x JBL JRX 125
2x JBL 118SP
I’m looking to get maximum performance from all this equipment, NOTHING ELSE.
I’m not interested in gaming, movies, 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound at this stage I’m not even worried about recording. Just high quality sound.
All this equipment sounds pretty good atm.
I know with a good sound card it will sound even better!
With so many out there I’m becoming confused. I think this card would probably be good:
http://www.pcmarket.com.au/category.php?catID=SNDPCM
(Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCI Express Sound Card for Notebooks)
My laptop has an express card slot. So I was hoping to get a card that fits into the express card slot (less stuff to cart around the better) but I would buy an external USB card if I could get much better quality sound than an express card.
(My computer doesn’t have fire wire)
I mainly use my laptop for playing music, mostly MP3 file through my JBL Sound system.
At the moment I go from the 3.5mm ordinary headphone jack on the laptop to 2 RCA, which I then convert to ¼ inch jacks, then plug into the mixer.
Would this sound card be best for me and what I want to do?
If not could someone please recommend something more suitable?
Thanks for taking the time to read about my problems and sorry about the long winded post. I just don’t want to rush into buying a sound card and find out it’s not best for me.
Thanks, Hayden |
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mk47
Inactive User
Started Topics :
118
Posts :
4444
Posted : Sep 15, 2008 08:38
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yeah , that creative soundblaster thing is just right for you if u want it only for playing mp3s
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timezeroteam
Time Zero
Started Topics :
1
Posts :
22
Posted : Sep 15, 2008 20:38
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Install a firewire controller and buy some good fw card lile a tc or rme. usb solutuions is realy problematic sometime.
 www.myspace.com/timezeromusic |
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Upavas
Upavas
Started Topics :
150
Posts :
3315
Posted : Sep 15, 2008 20:44
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Dharma Lab
Started Topics :
8
Posts :
342
Posted : Sep 15, 2008 21:35
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For an inexpensive USB soundcard, the Alesis i/o 2 has worked well for me, including running low latency for live software synths. It's got a decent feel too, and several controls. More than ample for just playing music.
Keep The Faith,
Christian K. |
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manifest
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
15
Posted : Sep 16, 2008 03:56
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Thanks everyone for the help.
I'm running windows vista.
After posting on various forums...
I think a card with ballanced 1/4 or XLR outputs would be better than this creative thing.
Could someone please recommend somthing more suitable. Like I said before my main concern is sound quality. I don't need heaps of inputs and outputs one stereo input and 2 outs would be fine. |
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Kasmakaja
Bombax
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
150
Posted : Sep 16, 2008 04:48
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echo audiofire 2  |
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manifest
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
15
Posted : Sep 17, 2008 12:51
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I like the look, size and sound of the echo audiofire 2. It looks nice and simple and it's got ballanced 1/4 inch outputs. The only thing I don't like is it's fire wire and because my lap top dosn't have fire wire I'll have to spend an extra $100 just so I can plug it in.
Does ne one know of a similar card to the echo audiofire 2 that plugs into USB? |
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vegetal
Vegetal/Peacespect
Started Topics :
19
Posts :
1055
Posted : Sep 17, 2008 14:27
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Quote:
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On 2008-09-17 12:51, manifest wrote:
I like the look, size and sound of the echo audiofire 2. It looks nice and simple and it's got ballanced 1/4 inch outputs. The only thing I don't like is it's fire wire and because my lap top dosn't have fire wire I'll have to spend an extra $100 just so I can plug it in.
Does ne one know of a similar card to the echo audiofire 2 that plugs into USB?
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Truse me your better off buying a fw card than going for usb trust me. Its worth the x-tra 100$
Demand recognition for the Armenian genocide 1915
http://www.devilsmindrecords.org/
http://www.myspace.com/vegetalmusic
http://www.checkpoint-music.com/ |
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Get-a-fix
Getafix
Started Topics :
147
Posts :
1441
Posted : Sep 17, 2008 14:49
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manifest
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
15
Posted : Sep 18, 2008 06:48
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The research I've done tells me that preamps on the mic inputs are usually the most expensive part of a sound card.
At this stage I've got nothing to plug in to these so it seems a bit pointless buying a sound card with expensive preamps that I will probably never use.
Is there somthing out there that will give me:
pristine sound quality
Balanced 1/4 TRS or XLR outputs
24bit 192kHz sound quality
Without expensive preamps
Like I've said before all I want to do is get the best quality sound possible from my sound system at a reasonable price. Nothing Else. |
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Kasmakaja
Bombax
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
150
Posted : Sep 18, 2008 16:29
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Quote:
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pristine sound quality
Balanced 1/4 TRS or XLR outputs
24bit 192kHz sound quality
Without expensive preamps
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as i said... echo audiofire 2 |
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