Sound cards

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Matt Grunau said:
I wouldn't go that route. The Audigy's external interface in a word, sucks. Save your 180 dollars and put it towards something more like this:

http://line6.com/toneport/

or this

http://www.presonus.com/firebox.html
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The presonus has those weird inputs, I thought I should stick with RCA unless there was XLR inputs.

Now the Tone-port has XLR inputs! Two of them!!! $200!
Does it connect with that USB port?
Now I am a bit confused since it seems that is actually a mixer... one with a USB connection... wouldn't that be overlapping my MixPre... and will it add color to the sound since there ate potentiometers (gain) in it? Sorry if I messed that up at the end of my question.
 
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USLatinContent said:
The presonus has those weird inputs, I thought I should stick with RCA unless there was XLR inputs.

Now the Tone-port has XLR inputs! Two of them!!! $200!
Does it connect with that USB port?
Now I am a bit confused since it seems that is actually a mixer... one with a USB connection... wouldn't that be overlapping my MixPre... and will it add color to the sound since there ate potentiometers (gain) in it? Sorry if I messed that up at the end of my question.
Click to expand...


Those "wierd" inputs are combination XLR / 1/4" inputs.
 
USLatinContent said:
The presonus has those weird inputs, I thought I should stick with RCA unless there was XLR inputs.

Now the Tone-port has XLR inputs! Two of them!!! $200!
Does it connect with that USB port?
Now I am a bit confused since it seems that is actually a mixer... one with a USB connection... wouldn't that be overlapping my MixPre... and will it add color to the sound since there ate potentiometers (gain) in it? Sorry if I messed that up at the end of my question.
Click to expand...


It's an interface basically. You plug a gutar, mic, things of the like into it, it goes USB 1 into your computer, and you record with your computer, with something like Cubase LE, which I believe comes with it. There are a couple of variants, and it has some nice features like mic simulation (you can have your mic sound like an sm57 etc). You have some controls on it, gain and whanot, but as to whether that will color it? I dunno, but his mixes come out very well. I imagine you have the options or running clean or using some of its onboard treats to color your audio

My friend who does music has one and uses it extensively and has an Audigy 2 card, that works well enough for him. It can handle up to 24 bit 96k, basically, think of it as a way to plug your mics and whatnot into the computer with a latency of 1 milisecond, and with no interference as it is considered ASIO and digital once it goes into the USB.
 
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These two quotes are from a parallel thread I am merging into this one:

USLatinContent said:
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///
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saneproductions said:
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.
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I agree so very much, I am completely lost and in great need of reading-up, guidance and help. If someone doesn't belive this just look two posts above this one (don't blame you if you don't read the whole thing :) ) I didn't even knew what the XLR/ 1/4" imputs were and had to call them "weird inputs". :D
OL, I am such an audio-noob! That is great! XLR and 1/4"! cool! I've seen those all over and I thought I had to stay away from those products!


Matt Grunau said:
...It's an interface basically. You plug a gutar, mic, things of the like into it, it goes USB 1 into your computer, and you record with your computer, with something like Cubase LE, which I believe comes with it. There are a couple of variants, and it has some nice features like mic simulation (you can have your mic sound like an sm57 etc). You have some controls on it, gain and whanot, but as to whether that will color it? I dunno, but his mixes come out very well. I imagine you have the options or running clean or using some of its onboard treats to color your audio...
Click to expand...

I spent some money on getting my MixPre since I was told the color they ad is nice and they are very high for the price. If you can infact "run clean" then this is basically what I need. I say sorta cause $200 is making me feel like I should perhaps look for something better if I am already spending so much.



GOOD NEWS FIRST

I just found out that I could have a friend ship over a US-122 he is not using now that he got Pro-Tools. .

AND THE BAD NEWS
It seems this one has pre-amps in it too. So unless there is a way to by-pass them completely I would be coloring my sound differently from my on-location MixPre > HVX setup?
I looked without avail for any documentation that would tell me whether bypassing the pre-amps would be possible. I will call them tomorrow and hope to find someone with such information.


Does anyone know of a good external "interface" similar to these products that would for sure have the ability to digitize the analogue signal without coloration? I could always go with the internal M-Audio 24/96 which all along through these recent posts remained in the back of my mind. But I sure would love to leave the PCI slot open for something unforeseeable by my overwhelmed state. Also I would appreciate being able to take it over to my friend's where there might not be an audio way into their rigs.
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If you are using your mixpre, it is already boosted to line level (from mic level), so in my understanding, if you select "line" level in on the interface, you will not color the sound more (since it is already "pre-amplified" to line level). [Someone please correct me if I am wrong]. Bad A/D converters would however.
 
saneproductions said:
If you are using your mixpre, it is already boosted to line level (from mic level), so in my understanding, if you select "line" level in on the interface, you will not color the sound more (since it is already "pre-amplified" to line level). [Someone please correct me if I am wrong]. Bad A/D converters would however.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's what I am worried about... Bad A/D converters... not that I know what the hell an A/D converter is, but I am worried about anything that would lower the quality or even change the audio in any way. ON THIS PICTURE I can see the Mic or Line/Guitar switch but nothing saying it won't color at all where the M-Audio sound card should be able to do just that.

When looking into my options for my first investments I posted and read extensively hoping to figure out if the HVX's pre-amps (or anything else that applies) would be modifying the signal and how to avoid that. It seems the channel's switch when set to Line, doesn't by-pass the pre-amps in the HVX but instead it sets the gain to the range in which to pick up an pre-amplified signal. Setting the levels with the gray wheels in the back of the camera to the middle (or slightly lower if that's your liking) would be the only thing you can do to minimize the negative effects audio circuitry which is great but inferior to that of the MixPre's.

I hope one day soon to be able to purchase a decent recorder and upgrade my MixPre to a 442 or at least a 302. But till then I need to figure out a way to stay on the cheap, cause if I don't that day will be even further away.

My audio equipment consists of an incredible hypercardioid $195 Ocktava, $220 Rode shotgun, 9'2" aluminun K-Tek boom, $35 Rode shock mount, 2-ch MixPre, Sony and Senheiser $100 head phones, a 50ft home made snake with a horrible monitor cable, 15ft 30ft 1.5ft XLRs and the recorder in my HVX. I do have Vegas wich has strong audio, ACID and SoundForge too.

By looking at that list you'll see that I had to spread my money thin, but if you are in a similar position or where not too long ago you might also notice that I found many over-performers and spend my money wisely in the search for highest possible quality. (AT LEAST I HOPE SO :undecided ) So I need something that will get the most out of my equipment while keeping money in my pocket so one day soon I can go all out and get a real audio cart. Unless the right thing to do is to jump my budget up a few Benjamins and get the best I can afford.
 
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This is starting to get funny!

I spoke with Tascam today who claimed exactly what I wanted to hear: "yes, if you set it to line you physically bypass the pre-amps and it becomes nothing but an analog to digital converter" :D

However, my f-head friend now is acting as if he holds the cure for aids in his possession. Granted, I don't have aids, but I do want him to give me this thinf for cheaper than the E-Bay "but it now" prices wich also seem as if the sellers didn't really want to get rid of these... the average buy-it now is at about $120, and for $150 I can get a brand new UL-122L which besides looking more like a tool and less like a toy (no plastic blue line) it has a USB 2.0 as opposed to the 1.0 in the UL-122. I don't really know if the speed is necessary but I do like the idea of stomping my friend by going this route (and I hate that blue plastic line, seriously, can you come up with a better way to make people think you ate using bad equipment?)

I just realized something that might have been a bit more evident to you guys: I will be able to bring it with me to record with my laptop!
 
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