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The Mother of all SOUNDCARDS thread
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Tweek
Started Topics :
0
Posts :
3
Posted : Aug 17, 2006 09:37
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First off, hi everyone! Been lurking around here reading for a while, but just now decided I needed to join this amazing community!
So, I actually had a question too...
My setup ATM is:
PC AMD Athlon XP 2600+
512 memory (yes I know, I'm upgrading my setup as soon as I have the money)
Alesis IO2 Audio interface
M-Audio Midisport 2 x 2 MIDI interface
CME UF 5 keyboard
Novation Nova
I know there's a lot irrelevant stuff in the list above, but. My setup ATM concists of only one HW synth and a load of VST:s, but I'm going to buy one or two more of HW synths in very nearby future.
I am also looking for a new soundcard.
The question is as follows.
People here seem to talk about audio interfaces as soundcards. Is it so? Because ATM when I'm making a track, it sound fabulous when monitored through the Alesis (it REALLY sounds great) but when I render the track the quality is significantly lower. I figured it is because the "soundcard" of my PC is the basic AC97. I never needed a quality soundcard before since I've been just messing around for a couple of years, but now I'm getting more seriously into producing.
Wow I'm getting off the question.... So. Basically. Does the interface act as a soundcard or would it be good to buy a PCI card. Cause the way I understand it is, the soundcard processes the sound thus affecting the quality.
Please enlighten me on this one!
Thanks!
-Tweek |
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acidkills
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
431
Posted : Aug 17, 2006 11:23
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Quote:
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On 2006-08-16 22:01, S-Cube wrote:
^
Do you work for m-audio dude?!
I've had bad experiences with m-audio (Audiohphile) so i would go for something more stable..My firewire choices according to different budgets:
Cheapest: Presonus firebox,
Medium budget: Motu Ultralite
Happy for life: RME Fireface 400
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Can u specify ecsactly what bad experiances did u have? I planing to buy
Audiophile 192 although its expensive than
Audiophile 2496.. Fireface is hot but it costs a fortune.. I have money for 192 max.. so.. Some people recommended me audiophile so I want your opinion also..
 http://www.myspace.com/djacidkills
http://soundcloud.com/acidkills/dropbox |
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Get-a-fix
Getafix
Started Topics :
147
Posts :
1441
Posted : Aug 18, 2006 23:45
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^^^
I had the firewire audiophile & i had problems like glitches in the sound, bad latency etc..On top of that you can't hotwire it so you have to shut your laptop down, plug it in & restart it again..Maybe it was my setup but i've heard tons of other people having the same problems..
I guess you're buying a pci card though? Maybe that's more stable..
Still i would look into the Emu 1212m
that fits your budget:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--EMU1212M
http://www.soundcloud.com/getafixmusic |
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acidkills
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
431
Posted : Aug 20, 2006 23:09
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texmex
Started Topics :
5
Posts :
189
Posted : Aug 21, 2006 14:44
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Quote:
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On 2006-08-17 09:37, Tweek wrote:
Alesis IO2 Audio interface
M-Audio Midisport 2 x 2 MIDI interface
CME UF 5 keyboard
Novation Nova
I know there's a lot irrelevant stuff in the list above, but. My setup ATM concists of only one HW synth and a load of VST:s, but I'm going to buy one or two more of HW synths in very nearby future.
Wow I'm getting off the question.... So. Basically. Does the interface act as a soundcard or would it be good to buy a PCI card. Cause the way I understand it is, the soundcard processes the sound thus affecting the quality.
Please enlighten me on this one!
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Welcome to the forum!
I was wondering that if you already have Alesis IO2, why do you use the integrated AC97 for anything? I hope have connected the synth to the IO2 not AC97. Soundcard and audio interface are pretty much the same thing. Soundcard is deprecated, as many interfaces are external boxes with usb/firewire connection (there is no "card" in them).
And the quality of the interface affects only your sound quality when recording external synths. If you go 100% software, the interface has no role in the final rendering as everything happens inside your computer using CPU. Only the monitoring is affected. In theory you could make a mixdown without an audio interface, but I guess no sequencer can run without one.
Anyway, if you have already one synth and opt to go for more, I suggest that you just get an interface with more inputs. I'd go for one with Firewire port (firewire is full duplex where as usb isn't). PCI card can be nice too, but if you ever want to change your pc to a laptop, you have to buy a new interface. With firewire device would still have some resell value 
The problem with your rig (and mine as well) is that you use both hardware and software synths. This way you get latency problems, because there is certain undefined latency in using Midi while in software there is only one - the audio output latency. It will take some amount of tinkering to get everything in sync. It greatly depends on your sequencer, too.
Anyway, I don't have any specific recommendations about the interface. It's up to your budget. I have Terratec Phase88 and I'm pretty happy with it.
BTW, there's nothing irrelevant in your rig - take one piece away and there's no way to make music
Hope this helps... |
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Tweek
Started Topics :
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Posts :
3
Posted : Aug 21, 2006 21:04
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 Yes, the synth (and mic, I forgot to mention) are connected to the Alesis..
But.. The whole point of the thing was exactly that how can I affect the quality of the rendering, shouldn't I buy a card, to handle the rendering?
Since I figure the AC97 chip ain't gonna bag it any further, with serious production.
Latencies are not really an issue. I use Live 5 for my main seq, and even if the MIDI timing is slightly off, I can render the relevant tracks to audio and correct them with Lives powerful warping. Besides there is no significant latencies anyway in my setup.
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texmex
Started Topics :
5
Posts :
189
Posted : Aug 25, 2006 13:34
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If you're not happy with the quality of the rendering, it could be because of the vst's or skill (sorry!) not your soundcard unless is total crap thus making monitoring impossible. It's a bit same as with image manipulation. A shiny new 3D card is not going to make your photoshop run any better, the images however might look a bit better.
Then there are dsp cards (maybe you meant this?) which are used to boost the audio processing itself (and thus the rendering). Think them as a extra CPU's. The plugins that run on them are usually more high quality because the dsp processors are dedicated to audio processing and there is a lot more cpu power to use.
But as I said, when rendering completely on CPU the soundcard does not have anything to do with the output. It all happens inside your computer Only after you playback the result in winamp it goes through your soundcard. And if you're using the Alesis only, AC97 has no role in your setup. Hope this makes a bit more sense... |
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((( MOKKSHH )))
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
37
Posts :
770
Posted : Aug 25, 2006 18:53
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acidkills
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
431
Posted : Aug 30, 2006 11:50
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Tweek
Started Topics :
0
Posts :
3
Posted : Aug 31, 2006 09:28
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Quote:
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On 2006-08-25 13:34, texmex wrote:
If you're not happy with the quality of the rendering, it could be because of the vst's or skill (sorry!) not your soundcard unless is total crap thus making monitoring impossible. It's a bit same as with image manipulation. A shiny new 3D card is not going to make your photoshop run any better, the images however might look a bit better.
Then there are dsp cards (maybe you meant this?) which are used to boost the audio processing itself (and thus the rendering). Think them as a extra CPU's. The plugins that run on them are usually more high quality because the dsp processors are dedicated to audio processing and there is a lot more cpu power to use.
But as I said, when rendering completely on CPU the soundcard does not have anything to do with the output. It all happens inside your computer Only after you playback the result in winamp it goes through your soundcard. And if you're using the Alesis only, AC97 has no role in your setup. Hope this makes a bit more sense...
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Yeah, I actually understood what you wrote about the CPU right after I posted the post before this one.. I think I should never post anything on the forums when baked..
And thank you btw, you actually did clear thingfs up for me quite a bit.
I realized it wasn't about the card so I went digging into my seq's rendering options and voila, there it was. The settings were set to completely inferior quality, and I actually never thought of them before now.
I've studied some digital audio at, what you call it in english... The Polytechnic of Tampere, so I know stuff about mixing and sound itself, but the fact that the CPU handles all the rendering wass completely new to me! I think I should bombard my teacher with E-mails concerning this subject.
But anyway, thanks a lot, you certainly cleared things up for me! |
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kajola
Kajola
Started Topics :
74
Posts :
498
Posted : Sep 4, 2006 18:04
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Get-a-fix
Getafix
Started Topics :
147
Posts :
1441
Posted : Sep 4, 2006 23:33
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bandarlog
Bandarlog
Started Topics :
44
Posts :
809
Posted : Sep 8, 2006 01:32
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gill
Melorix
Started Topics :
18
Posts :
628
Posted : Sep 8, 2006 02:53
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Airi
Airi
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
76
Posted : Sep 9, 2006 20:04
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hello
I am thinking about buying. "m-audio firewire audiophile".
does anybody have experiences?
thank you |
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