Topic: Indigo I/O 24/96 PCMCIA card ???

[Nick's Picks]

Hey now ...
i'm sure folks have seen this.  Its a PCMCIA soundcard with analog only I/O.  24/96 A/D/A converters...and retails for about $185.
Hmm......
I wonder if you had yourself a nice analog front end and then used one of these cards on a laptop if it would yeild decent results.  I"m always looking for a rock solid i/o solution for the ol' lappy, and this might be my last ditch effort.

I'm thinking c414 > line transformers > indigo I/O card could make some nice sounding 24bit recordings w/o breaking the bank.  the clean gain of line transformers coupled with nice mics can make for some fatty recording.  Just ask any m148 user!  I think that is just some Jenson line transformers and deadicated 48v phantom (achived by a bunch of small SLA's in series to make 48v).  Those Jenson transformers are almost $200 per.  The Hosa transformers are about $50 for a pair.
I wonder if I could build me a cheap mans 148......
I smell a project.

[BC]

Hey now ...
i'm sure folks have seen this.  Its a PCMCIA soundcard with analog only I/O.  24/96 A/D/A converters...and retails for about $185.
Hmm......
I wonder if you had yourself a nice analog front end and then used one of these cards on a laptop if it would yeild decent results.  I"m always looking for a rock solid i/o solution for the ol' lappy, and this might be my last ditch effort.

I'm thinking c414 > line transformers > indigo I/O card could make some nice sounding 24bit recordings w/o breaking the bank.  the clean gain of line transformers coupled with nice mics can make for some fatty recording.  Just ask any m148 user!  I think that is just some Jenson line transformers and deadicated 48v phantom (achived by a bunch of small SLA's in series to make 48v).  Those Jenson transformers are almost $200 per.  The Hosa transformers are about $50 for a pair.
I wonder if I could build me a cheap mans 148......
I smell a project.

I personally would not be too keen on my AD conversion going on inside an electrically noisy computer via a card that is also being powered off the computer. Well, here are the specs I pulled off the website. Dynamic range looks surprisingly good at >109dB a-weighted but that 10Hz-20KHz response blows, what is the point of running at 96KHz if there is no info >20KHz anyway? Better be careful with that max input level of just +7.2 dBu also, it looks like it could be very easy to clip this thing analog in. For a solid laptop solution why not the UA5 (other than the fact that everyone and their brother has one) or the USBPre? My USBPre is a tank and very flexible as far as different types of inputs.

Just thinking out loud,
Ben



Analog Input

1 stereo 1/8" connector
Frequency Response: 10Hz-20kHz, ±0.5dB
Dynamic Range: >109dB A-weighted
THD+n at -3dbfs, 1kHz sine wave: <0.0014% A-weighted
Crosstalk at -3dbfs, 1kHz sine wave:  <0.0005% A-weighted
Nominal Input Level: -10dBV
Maximum Input level:  +7.2 dBu
Input Impedance: 10KOhm

[Nick's Picks]

I personally would not be too keen on my AD conversion going on inside an electrically noisy computer via a card that is also being powered off the computer.

while that is a good point, I doubt it would generate noise that I could actualy hear in most of my recording situations. 
lets face it, the background ambience of your average jam-band concert is far from "blackness".

Well, here are the specs I pulled off the website. Dynamic range looks surprisingly good at >109dB a-weighted but that 10Hz-20KHz response blows, what is the point of running at 96KHz if there is no info >20KHz anyway?

I thought that 10Hz was lower freq. responce ?
and that it ranges from 10Hz to 20kHz, which is rather extended in the bottom.  ?  did I read this wrong?

Better be careful with that max input level of just +7.2 dBu also, it looks like it could be very easy to clip this thing analog in.

thats a good point as well.
still, I wonder if it could take it.

For a solid laptop solution why not the UA5 (other than the fact that everyone and their brother has one) or the USBPre? My USBPre is a tank and very flexible as far as different types of inputs.

Been the Edirol route all too much.  Not reliable for USB input in my experience.  With some systems, but certainly not w/all and I dont want to do the laptop shuffle any more.
Thanks for the input still.  You brought up some valid concerns w/this.

[BC]

Just FYI;
There is a review of this card in this month's Recording magazine. The reviewer seemed to like it, he seemed to mainly use it for recording nature sounds and stuff around the house, although the review was not very detailed as far as how the card actually sounded. Overall a positive review though.
Take care,
Ben