Soundcards.
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 9:49 am
So, you get to the point that you like your beats so much you want to (1) record mixes (2) start producing your own music (3) playing live. Unfortunately, you've upgraded everything in your computer BUT your soundcard ... so you're stuck with an old piece-of-crap Soundblaster Vibra 128 (ouch =/)
Anyway, that's the stage I'm at at the moment ... and I'm looking at investing in a decent soundcard for the above reasons. But here's where everyone has something different to say ...
Of course, the old saying goes ... you get what you pay for. This is usually true in just about every facet of audio and computer equipment - but the whole $1000 sound card thing scares me off a bit. I'm looking for something that won't succum to internal noise and static ... and it's a little hard when it's stuck inside your case - even the shielding in it cant block out 100% of the electrical interferance (unless you really spend $).
So what to look for? What brands? Myself, I think I'm over Creative ... but they seem to have a decent stock (and price) for external soundcards (very usual for eliminating noise/static/interferance, and portability with laptops). Other brands (M-Audio, Turtle Beach etc.) start getting a bit pricey when you hit the external market.
At the end of the day, what I really want is something that has more than 2 channels, has a decent line-in for recording and comes with midi capabilities.
Anyone really happy with their soundcard and want to share their happiness and wisdom? Or anyone have tips for what to look for in a soundcard when used primarily from a production standpoint?
Anyway, that's the stage I'm at at the moment ... and I'm looking at investing in a decent soundcard for the above reasons. But here's where everyone has something different to say ...
Of course, the old saying goes ... you get what you pay for. This is usually true in just about every facet of audio and computer equipment - but the whole $1000 sound card thing scares me off a bit. I'm looking for something that won't succum to internal noise and static ... and it's a little hard when it's stuck inside your case - even the shielding in it cant block out 100% of the electrical interferance (unless you really spend $).
So what to look for? What brands? Myself, I think I'm over Creative ... but they seem to have a decent stock (and price) for external soundcards (very usual for eliminating noise/static/interferance, and portability with laptops). Other brands (M-Audio, Turtle Beach etc.) start getting a bit pricey when you hit the external market.
At the end of the day, what I really want is something that has more than 2 channels, has a decent line-in for recording and comes with midi capabilities.
Anyone really happy with their soundcard and want to share their happiness and wisdom? Or anyone have tips for what to look for in a soundcard when used primarily from a production standpoint?
