Soundcard For Musicians

General Discussion
1

I now have a Audigy 2 and is wondering what type of card I should upgrade to.

I’ve had a DMX6 Fire 24/96 in the past and I somehow found the audio quality better on this card. When I was playing games I think Creatives cards worked better with EAX and surround.

So, I would like a “musicians” soundcard but when looking at the specs and bundled software I really don’t need all those Cubase LE’s, harware DSP effects and lots of in/out lines.
Since I use VST/i’s and already have Renoise so buying these cards will make me pay for some stuff I don’t need.

I only want a decent card with a good output (DA converters?) for the monitors I’m about to buy also. I don’t record anything live. Anyone know of a sub 200 euro internal card for my needs?
If they work well with games it’s of course a big plus.
The Emu 1212 seem like a reasonable choice. Anyone have recommendations?

2

These days, I’d skip the soundcard, and get a usb2 or firewire audio interface/mixer. If you’re serious about using midi, multiple ins/outs and want a nice warm, low noise floor sound that is :) … I’m pretty sure models even exist that use tube amps

3

I’m not so much into MIDI and In/Outputs except for my MIDI controller. I have no hardware synths anymore.
Is it a better idea to use external stuff than internal(PCI) devices? I’ve read somthing about interference with other components in the computer resulting in noise.

4

I guess I should have asked what you plan on doing with it before I responded… so that being the case: what do you plan on doing with it? :P

… are you going to be recording external instruments or vocals, or do you just plan on using it for outputting whatever you create in Renoise? Do you plan on using it in a live setting, in a studio, or just at home?

It is very possible that your computer may generate line noise, but that’s something that you might want to test out with a cheap plain old soundcard before you go investing in a board.

… Just noticed you said you’re buying monitors… that being the case, you may actually need an amplified mixing board to plug them into, depending on the monitors.

5

I think I have narrowed it down to 2 contestants: Audiophile 192 or EMU 1212M. They seem to be pretty common when reading recommendations in other threads (and in signatures). I want a card that is common and have good drivers, my Terratec didn’t have…
I shall have a look at the external cards as well.
The monitors are going to be active ones so I just need plain outputs I guess.
No recording of vacals and such is planned. For use in my hobbyist-studio.

Thanks for your input so far!

6

I have the EMU 1616m

Absolutely no complaints here.

I have a mic, a guitar, two sets of headphones, monitors, a and a joe meek compressor running in and out it, and it works fine.

The software is excellent for it too, once you get your head round it (took me a few sessions before i figured it out)

So, I would go for the EMU, if only from personal experience.

7

I think I’ve decided to go for the EMU card, because of the converters used in some of the Pro Tools series and great connectivity(even optical=nice).

Thanks for your replies guys!

8

I can sell you my EWX 24/96 for 20€+postages.

9

Cool. If you need any help with PatchMix, give me a shout.

10

I want the 1212M. It’s real cheap though.

11

I’ve seen the EMU 1616M at work before and it’s fantastic

12

Yeah I love mine.

It rules.

13

Whoa!
I bet it’s good but €450 is a bit much for me. I think I’ll be fine with the 1212m.

14

Have a look at the Line6 Toneport GX, it’s ridiculously cheap and even comes with software that uses the Pod amp modelling algorithms.

http://line6.com/toneportgx/

€64

Bargain.

15

Yeah totally. I only got this one because it was cheap in Japan.

16

I also have the 1212m and I’m pretty happy with this.

Anyway at this price range, for decent cards with the minimal basics for a small home studio (trs I/O, midi I/O, and “decent” converters) it’s either M-Audio, or EMU.

Main problem with those cards is that you’re kinda stuck for evolutions in the future (adding I/O) compared to the motu or RME systems, if you wanna add things, you’ll have to buy a new card. But price ranges aren’t the same.

Also if you buy an external system, be sure it’s either usb2.0 or firewire. Some resellers are still trying to sell those cheesy USB 1 cards.

17

Good info Lunat, appreciated. Those were my conclusions too.
I’m not planning to extend anything, I just want a “decent card with the minimal basics for a small home studio”.

If I want my music up to a level where the more expensive gear matters, I would probably send it to a professional master engineer.
I just want a decent everyday gear to be able to hear whether my mixing/mastering is ok or not.
I would also have to get expensive monitors to get full use of quality found in better soundcards I suppose.

18

Exactly that’s why I took the 1212m with a pair of RP6.

But, even with a small home studio, 1 trs in is really short. Honestly I never thought when I bought my emu that I would buy a synth. So I did and now my only in is taken, so if I want to buy a mic later in the year I’ll have to get a cheapo mixer and all. So in the end the price difference with a motu or a RME may not be that much.

19

No kidding! I’ve set my mind on the RP6’s too!
So your setup is working well I guess?

What is “1 trs”?

20

Bear in mind that if you get a PCI card like the 1212m you won’t get a hardware volume control for your monitors and headphones. I find that having a proper volume control is both extremely convenient an useful in emergencies.