Hi!
Perhaps this may look like an odd beginners-question, but I thought this was the right forum because I actually just need support, and I know people around here have great knowledge.
All this began when I tried to set up audio configs in Sonar (I combine Renoise with other programs). In this case I want the audio from 16-bit to 24 bit, and 44.100 Hz to 48.000 Hz. But it won’t let me, there’s a little window which says: “The default audio format is not compatible with one or more sound cards. It has been reset to 44100 Hz (16-bit), as suggested by the driver.”
Then I had to think a bit. So I checked the audio configs in Renoise and actually it was 44.100 and 16-bit there as well. All these years, with this computer, I’ve made music with Renoise and rendering in all kinds of different audio quality: Mostly 24-bit - 48.000 Hz! So I tried to set some other values in the configs and it worked.
So I’m confused right now, what’s the problem? At another forum most of them seemed convinced that the soundcard was the problem, iether lack of drivers or the soundcard itself. It’s SoundMAX and it followed with the computer when I bought it like 2,5 years ago. No matter if it’s the worst or the best card, shouldn’t it be standard to deliver 24b/48khz?
Anyway… As I’m writing this I’m doing backups and I’m gonna reformat the HD and install drivers for another soundcard; Realtek, which also followed with the computer. Yes, two soundcards - Strange. But they said it was a “motherboard crap soundcard as well”. (EDIT: I think Realtek is the LAN-card here.)
So if the questions I want to ask didn’t come clear already;
1) What is the true quality of my soundcard? I tried to look for it in preferences, manuals, receips, google, and not a single word about bit rate or kilohertz… How to find out?
2) The audio configs in Renoise isn’t the same as rendering? I mean, I can still render at higher quality while there are lower values in the configs?
3) If the problem is Sonar, how to solve it? If it isn’t, how can I have higher values (both configs in Renoise and rendering from Renoise) than what the card genuinely is? I mean, play around with 24-bit and 48.000 Hz with a 16-bit 44.100 Hz soundcard ?
EDIT: I think Realtek is the LAN-card btw.