Topic: Sound Card Shopping

[boojum]

I am replacing the sound card in my PC.  I want a PCI card with 24 bit 48/96/192kHz capability and a very good DA convertor.  I xfer files to my PC via Firewire/USB so I need only the outputs for active monitors.  I do not need a multiport monster.  So what is out there in the low hundreds???

[Brian Skalinder]

I took a similar route for my active monitors, but instead of an all-in-one soundcard, I use a fairly inexpensive M-Audio Audiophile 2496 + an outboard DAC.  I'm not up to speed on what good, specific options are in the market right now, but I think it's a path worth considering.  $0.02

[boojum]

I took a similar route for my active monitors, but instead of an all-in-one soundcard, I use a fairly inexpensive M-Audio Audiophile 2496 + an outboard DAC.  I'm not up to speed on what good, specific options are in the market right now, but I think it's a path worth considering.  $0.02

Brian, is the on-board DA converter not up to snuff on this card.  I see on the mfr's website it has the converters.

[Brian Skalinder]

It depends on the soundcard.  It isn't so much whether the DA chip is up to snuff, it's more a matter of noise introduced as a result of the PC's internal electromagnetic environment.  IME, granted using only 2-3 internal cards over the years, the cards were susceptible to EMI during my PC-based recording and playback...and I found it easily audible.  So I switched to an outboard ADC and DAC to solve the problem.  Perhaps newer / more expensive cards don't suffer from EMI, or maybe an external USB-based card is the way to go...but I can't speak to those details, unfortunately, as I'm not up to speed on current product offerings.  Sorry I'm not more helpful on specific products.

[live2496]

Digital audio labs carddeluxe is supposed to be pretty good but they cost $399 new. You might find a good outboard DA for cheap somewhere.

[boojum]

Any experience with the Lynx line and their EMI rejection???

[live2496]

No experience with one... but if the card truly has 117db of dynamic range it must be a really good design. People seem to like the converters from what I am reading. Also, their support is supposed to be really good.

I see they have a forum. https://www.lynxstudio.com/forum/default.asp

[boojum]

^^^^^^^  Oooooh!  Feeds the addiction!   

Thanks for the heads-up.  I think I might just bite the bullet and go for the Lynx.  I will wind up there anyway so why buy one or two intermediate cards.

[BC]

Not PCI but both of these were very favorably reviewed in The Absolute Sound recently.

http://www.highresolutiontechnologies.com/products.html

There was an interview with the designer and they apparently made it a priority to try to keep computer noise out of the signal. I have also had similar problems to Bri when I hooked up my desktop/Audiophile 2496 to my stereo system. This was a few years ago but I think I found a big culprit to be the computer monitor I was using at the time though I'm not positive. Going to try the setup again real soon now that my playback system has changed around a bit.

[boojum]

I want the card only for mastering audio.  I have a couple of good systems to listen to the final product on.  If I have to hear a little hash when I mix, so be it.  I am using Mackie HD824's for mixing monitors.  The effect the card would have on playback as a listening system makes no difference other than in the post mixing.  If I know the hash is only heard and not incorporated into the final product I can live with it.  So, are you saying it is heard only or that it is heard and added to the final mix???

Thanks

[live2496]

You can work totally in software and just use the soundcard for monitoring. You won't get any noise from the card unless you capture the audio from the analog outputs.

[jerazis]

   I've used M-audio delta 1010 LT for a couple years. I searched for days on all the specs. M-audio is good for low hundres. I use lynxx for myself but the M-audio was Great for a long time.


jaz
 

[boojum]

You can work totally in software and just use the soundcard for monitoring. You won't get any noise from the card unless you capture the audio from the analog outputs.

I am not sure I understand you.  What I want you to be saying is that SAM will not care or use any sound card I have other than for playback/monitoring.  I load my files from the recorder via FireWire/USB.  From then on the whole deal is within SAM.  Are you saying I can do the remix, dither, resample all withing the software and not use the hardware at all??? 

[Brian Skalinder]

Apologies for any confusion I've created -- I didn't realize you won't use the analog inputs.  I missed the comment in your original post about transferring via FW/USB.

What I want you to be saying is that SAM will not care or use any sound card I have other than for playback/monitoring.  I load my files from the recorder via FireWire/USB.  From then on the whole deal is within SAM.  Are you saying I can do the remix, dither, resample all withing the software and not use the hardware at all???

Basically, yes.  You'll still use the soundcard's hardware, but only as a means of listening to the edits you're making in SAM.  SAM will not use the soundcard hardware during the editing process - the processing is all internal to SAM, strictly in the digital realm, and independent of any soundcard hardware (or soundcard software, for that matter).  For example, you could remove your soundcard and still use SAM to perform exactly the same editing, resampling, and dithering...you just wouldn't be able to listen to the edits in realtime since you'd have no way of playing back / monitoring without the soundcard.

Sorry once again for muddying the waters.

[boojum]

Muddying the waters?  Fuhgetaboudit.  ;o)  You saved me some real money here.  I can be OK with the Extigy or the Juli@ if I can get it working.  If it is all done inside SAM I am home free!   Wheeee!