Quick help for hardware purchase needed.

U

USLatin

Panamaniac
I had a thread about this but it must have gotten annoyingly long for anyone to be interested in skimming through the whole thing, so I'll re-post and keep it simple and sweet.

I need a sound card with RCA inputs to loop in my walk-in closet with my Ocktava MK-012 through my MixPre, with an XLR to RCA adapter and into my PC. I want a good quality recording though (I know I know... but I am allready stretching myself thing so as to get something as opposed to doing it all with the HVX). I am considering spending up to ~$150 and I have two simple questions:

_ $90 If I get the M-Audio Audiophile Delta 24/96, being it is stereo, will I be able to just switch the play-back device in Windows to playback as i pan in 5.1, and then select the 24/96 when playback is only stereo or for quality control? Sounds like it would work. Any possible problems? Here is the specs page for it.

_ $135 Would I be ok getting something like this CREATIVE on sale at Newegg? It is 24/96. I was looking for a "recording S/N" figure, but I am not sure if that even exists. The playback S/N is rated at 109dB though. Also I was advised to get one with "discrete inputs and outputs" but i am not sure what that is. Here is the specs page for it.


The reason why I ask about the second card is because I would love the convenience of the front inputs, that it is also a 7.1 card for better quality surround playback than my on-board 5.1 sound on the ASUS P5N32-E SLI motherboard. That i wouldn't have to switch back and forth like I explained above.

Lastly, please note that any sound processing done on the card would be a great plus since Vegas doesn't support hyperthreading for previews yet, so every little bit of help counts in a big way for me.

Thank you! And sorry if i said anything that is way off or down-right stoopid... :cheesy: I love coming here and reading/posting in the Audio section but I am always a bit shy about my extremely limited understanding of something as important as audio. I don't want to make a wrong move by getting a "gamer's" card but I really hoe that one gets the ok from you guys.

///Any input no matter how small or short is welcome///
 
Last edited:
I don't know why you need the card to have RCA ins.

This sounds like a situation where you buy one thing, it doesn't end up being the right thing so you just have to buy something else better later.

The Zoom H4 is an interface as well as a recorder for $300. I would look at that and see if it would work for your purpose.

The Tascam FW-1082 is an interface/control surface that got great reviews and is about $500-600.
 
Thank you for your response SaneProd. I agree. I am so very lost and in need of reading-up, guidance and help.

I got some responses on my original thread so not to littler the Audio forum with paralell threads I will move this discussion to the apparently not-dead "Sound Cards".
.
.
.
 
Glad to help a guy in the neck o' the woods.

Sane is right the H4 will work. I've got TONS of gear and can buy whatever I want (to put some perspective on it for you) and I really REALLY wanted to hate the H4, so I could move on to something else (which I planned before I bought it) but it works great and I just can't seem to sell it. The navigation is super squirrelly and the shell is plasticy but other than that it sound really REALLY good - just grab one!!

Oh and if you do - go here http://www.oade.com/ and bug Doug Oade to do a mod to bump the already decent pre-amps , right over the top.
 
I was able to pick up a Tascam US-122 for $75 even shipping and tax included.

When set to Line the Preamps are physically bypassed so it works as an analogue to digital converter at 24-bit 96KHz, and it is USB powered so I'll be able to use if with SoundForge and ACID in my laptop!

I know it isn't a fancy piece of equipment at all but it is what I was hoping for! A cheap converter to do Mic > XLR > MixPre > XLR > COVERTER/SOUND CARD > Computer...

Next step will be a big one (as in $$$)... so it might be while but I will know how to use audio equipment and hope to deserve getting it. The only way to go is up and these are the possibilities in the order I think I should go about expanding my bag:

_ Pro LAVs (x2) (have None)
_ Porta Brace
_ Real Monitors (only have Logitech 5.1 computer speakers and my pro headphones for quality check)
_ Pro shotgun (have a Rode NTG-1)
_ Nicer Hypercardioid (I love my Ocktava "but I am sure you guys will say you can do better")
_ Zepelin or a real dead-cat (use foam and a $40 synthetic cat now)
_ Sound Devices 3ch/4ch (sell MixPre to upgrade)
_ A decent recorder (with higher than 96KHz capabilities?)
_ Power supply with "bricks" (for recorder and Mixer)
_ Something like or the Tascam recommended above.

IF I get any of these I will out of passion, what I have will get me very good sound and it seems most will agree. Of course I am counting on pro operation which I read about more than anything and I value the most.

My reasoning is that if I need better sound, then I must also be able to hire one of you guys with your bag...

I am so exited to squeeze all there is to squeeze out of my current equipment. Great sound is usually what makes a movie great, not the visuals... those are usually taken care of if the sound is taken care of. If only people knew! Then again that is one of the things I am counting on to get me the edge... :thumbup:
 
Last edited:
You should get the book Producing Great Sound for Digital Video by Jay Rose. it will help you prioritize these purchases.

Monitors are going to be the most important and unfortunately you shouldn't just get some $2-300 jobbies, you need to spend about a grand.
 
Ouch... that hurt, cause I suppose the Monitors are high up on the list.

Right now I check for quality on my Senheiser HD 280 pro 64's or my MDR-7506's, then to pan I use the little Logitech's.
:tongue:

I don't really need monitors as long as my headphones aren't too far off. But it would be nice even for when I'm alone... headphones are anoying after a few hours, even the Senheisers which are so much more confortable than the Sonys...
 
There are two speakers that I know of that are used and liked by pros in post editing that aren't supper expensive.
EVENT 20/20's I have seen a few folks use. They seem to put them a little below GENELEC's but then they are a fraction of the cost. I havent seen them used in mix situations but that's probably got to do more with the fact that the folks cutting on them were going to a real mix stage. I always liked them but don't own them. The others are YORKVILLE YSM-1's. THey are not powered (though I think they make a powered version). I do use these and they translate very well to a theatre. I edit on them all the time and do small format mixing and large format premixing on them also. THe problem with some of the bigger pricier speakers is size. An edit room is about the size of a small bedroom (usually) and speakers like MEYERS HD-1's, which are truly great speakers, just don't have enough space to work well. In a bigger room they are fantastic, in a small room they seem harsh and are vert tiring on the ears.
 
Those aren't that bad... $200 to $300... I can deal with that... other things come first though...

I was just advised to get a pair of LAVs first, even if just the $500 Senheisers..

whaddaya'think?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top