audio interface / external sound card

[quicksmack]

what is the best "audio interface" / "external soundcard" to get that will have the most bang for the buck?

i'm currently looking at the m-audio product line but something tells me m-audio is all hype; just like the Macbook and the i-Pod..
the "fast track USB" seems good.. but its too pricey..

does Creative produce external soundcards as well?
any other good brands?

my budget is around 1,000-5,000...

i don't need any MIDI inputs, i just need one with acoustic (microphone / line-in) inputs in it..
the reason why i need an interface is also to reduce static.. as of the moment, im a currently recording through the mic-in of my cheap computer sound card.

[LouieAzcona]

does Creative produce external soundcards as well?
any other good brands?

my budget is around 1,000-5,000...

yep merong external ang creative. tingin ko pasok na budget mo doon. yun nga lang, depende sa needs mo kung masasatisfy ka ba. specifically sa number ng inputs, kung kelangan mo ng madaming inputs. ipon ipon pa.

[xjepoyx]

try to check out Lexicon Alpha on classified section. it has 2 ins and 2 outs being sold for 5K only

[KitC]

i'm currently looking at the m-audio product line but something tells me m-audio is all hype;

Not really. I'm not a spokesman for M-Audio or anything, but if you read through the Sonar, Cubase and other forums, you will find that M-Audio interfaces are highly recommended. M-audio has had problems with creating vista (and maybe Leopard) drivers for their products, though, so that may be factor, but for XP and OSX, M-audio usually works.

External soundcards are usually more expensive than pci soundcards; adding XLR mic inputs usually drives the price higher. If you already have a mixer, all you might need is something similar to the M-audio Transit, which only has line level I/O. Most inexpensive pci-based soundcards usually only have line level I/O which can also be paired with a separate mixer.

[quicksmack]

ok.. ok... well i guess i'll just save up for an M-Audio interface... 

[joachim]

i've heard that soundcards, even those expensive ones, produce hum.  some say it is really better to go through an interface or a usb 2.0 or firewire mixer.  i think you'd be right to save up for that. 

just a note, i am no expert and base things on what i've heard and read.  i am really new at this music tech & pro audio thing

[KitC]

i've heard that soundcards, even those expensive ones, produce hum.

Hum can be produced by a lot of things, usually ground loops and EMI. Soundcards, even cheap ones, are not specifically designed to produce hum.

One thing you have to understand is that the inside of a computer's case is one of the noisiest environments in terms of electrical noise. A good soundcard is designed to counter EMI and RFI within the case; some even go as far as to encase the card in a Faraday shield. If you encounter a soundcard whose output is noisy, the first thing you should suspect is your computer's power supply - generic supplies are notorious for using cheap parts and improper shielding, as well as poor design (how many cheap PSUs have you known to blow up?).

Ground loops are another source of hum, and these can be traced by isolating the offending piece of gear from your signal path, one by one. Bad cables are also a source of noise and hum, especially those cables with poor shielding. Proximity to noise inducing sources like transformers, CRTs and fluorescent ballasts (anything with a substantial coil) also produce hum.

[visualjava1216]

You have lots od choices if you visit any computer store,,,, marami sila soundcards don that you can choose with very nice quality,,, P300-P600,,

[xjepoyx]

You have lots od choices if you visit any computer store,,,, marami sila soundcards don that you can choose with very nice quality,,, P300-P600,,

ano yun? REALTEK? hahaha

those cheap soundcards are not for recording!

[joachim]

@KitC

thanks, very well explained and i got a lot of information from your post.  this must be the reason for having line cables isolated from power cables and high end turntables having separate power supplies.

so does this mean that external soundcards are a good alternative to expensive interfaces?  how do they match up with an audio interface with regards to sound quality?

[KitC]

so does this mean that external soundcards are a good alternative to expensive interfaces?

Again, a yes and no answer to that question. Like internal soundcards, the quality of an external audio interface is usually dependent on it's converters and the drivers that go along with it. And then there's the protocol (USB 1.1, USB 2, Firewire 400...) that determine how much audio bandwidth you can get from an external interface. Usually, the more expensive external interfaces like RME, Apogee, TC Electronic and Focusrite give worry-free performance (though there can be a few problems when paired with the wrong pc hardware), and the price of these brands often rival or exceed equivalent pci hardware.

how do they match up with an audio interface with regards to sound quality?

They match up very well, but always research on a particular gear's AD/DA converters and clocking circuitry. Sometimes, using an external very low jitter clock with mid level gear improves their sound immensely, assuming these gear have some form of external sync capability.

[joachim]

this certainly clears the cloud on audio interface & sound cards.  thanks again KitC!

[digitalcyco]

slightly OT I hope its still in line.

how does the Boston Engineering USB interface hold up to professional recording?
its the cheapest interface so far I can dig up from the internet.

http://www.jbmusic.com.ph/product.php?sessid=&sid=search&pid=925

[KitC]

slightly OT I hope its still in line.

how does the Boston Engineering USB interface hold up to professional recording?
its the cheapest interface so far I can dig up from the internet.

Boston Eng'g. is untested as far as interfaces go. It's best to go with tried and true hardware since these most likely have mature drivers, hence are less likely to cause problems.

[stanley]

They match up very well, but always research on a particular gear's AD/DA converters and clocking circuitry.

sir kit , ano po ang use ng "clock" 

[KitC]

sir kit , ano po ang use ng "clock" 

Ahhh... this is where we go into geek territory. Most computer interfaces that have timing dependent functions (like soundcards and video cards) contain clocks in the form of quartz timers. For soundcards, these clocks help maintain the sample rate; really expensive soundcards maintain this sample rate with an absolutely minimum amount of drift, which is usually known as jitter. This is important as timing shifts have been known to collapse the stereo field as well as other sync problems between cards. You can easily hear this when you go from a cheap card to a more expensive one... high frequencies sound much clearer, bass is tighter and the stereo field sounds more expansive.

[digitalcyco]

Boston Eng'g. is untested as far as interfaces go. It's best to go with tried and true hardware since these most likely have mature drivers, hence are less likely to cause problems.

thanks for replying sir! I got hold of a Beringher USB interface from a friend and will be trying it out this afternoon.

[kurtcobainer]

yep merong external ang creative. tingin ko pasok na budget mo doon. yun nga lang, depende sa needs mo kung masasatisfy ka ba. specifically sa number ng inputs, kung kelangan mo ng madaming inputs. ipon ipon pa.

San nakakabili nung USB interface ng Creative?

thanks for replying sir! I got hold of a Beringher USB interface from a friend and will be trying it out this afternoon.

Yes. Please post a review.

[KitC]

Yes. Please post a review.

I think it's the UCA2000 in his other thread. It's a combination control surface and audio interface. One thing I like about it is that it's USB 2.0.

EDIT: Damn... I was thinking about the BCA2000, which is a combination audio interface and control surface and is USB 2.0; the UCA200/UCA202 is a USB 1.1 audio interface only. Oh well.... people make mistakes. 

[kurtcobainer]

I think it's the UCA2000 in his other thread. It's a combination control surface and audio interface. One thing I like about it is that it's USB 2.0.

Ok Sir KitC, thanks!

BTW, I have some inquiries about Guitar Rig. Would you please enlighten me more on this?

Here's the link:
http://talk.philmusic.com/board/index.php/topic,79869.45.html

[stanley]

Ahhh... this is where we go into geek territory. Most computer interfaces that have timing dependent functions (like soundcards and video cards) contain clocks in the form of quartz timers. For soundcards, these clocks help maintain the sample rate; really expensive soundcards maintain this sample rate with an absolutely minimum amount of drift, which is usually known as jitter. This is important as timing shifts have been known to collapse the stereo field as well as other sync problems between cards. You can easily hear this when you go from a cheap card to a more expensive one... high frequencies sound much clearer, bass is tighter and the stereo field sounds more expansive.

thanks sir sa reply 

[joachim]

...If you already have a mixer, all you might need is something similar to the M-audio Transit...

i just peeked into the M-audio Transit.  couldn't find any review on this product within philmusic.  i was wondering how it works with a basic analog mixer and under windows xp with sp2 or better yet any chance of compatibility with linux systems?  how is the sound quality?  the ease of use &/or setup, latency issues, etc.?  i also noticed it had a bundled protools demo software, anyone have an idea on the limitations of the demo?  is it time or feature restricted?  KitC thanks for this M-audio Transit idea, this got my lights flashing =)  btw, happy birthday...

[markmaya]

Hello everybody, this is Mark Escueta from rivermaya. My bandmate Mike Elgar is currently endorsing M-Audio and I have to say na wala kaming naging problema sa M-Audio. I have been using the M-Audio Project Mix I/O for a few years now at wala akong masabi sa performance, sound quality and ease of use. Before that I was using the Delta 1010 and I was also very happy with that, kaya lang ngayon hindi ko na kailangan kaya binebenta ko na (interested parties please email me). For those who want a simple way to record guitars direct into your computer, try niyo yung M-Audio Jamlab. Halos kasing laki lang ng mouse tapos may USB cable. Mura lang and the best part about it is that it works with Protools M-powered. Nasubukan ko narin yung Ozone, Fastrack USB at Firewire Solo, lahat madaling iset-up at madaling gamitin. Kung may additional questions kayo about M-Audio, post niyo lang dito or email me personally. I'l try to answer or maybe I can ask Mike. Salamat

[kaloyster]

I'm using M-Audio Fast Track Pro and i'm satisfied with the results.

[pings15]

Hello everybody, this is Mark Escueta from rivermaya. My bandmate Mike Elgar is currently endorsing M-Audio and I have to say na wala kaming naging problema sa M-Audio. I have been using the M-Audio Project Mix I/O for a few years now at wala akong masabi sa performance, sound quality and ease of use. Before that I was using the Delta 1010 and I was also very happy with that, kaya lang ngayon hindi ko na kailangan kaya binebenta ko na (interested parties please email me). For those who want a simple way to record guitars direct into your computer, try niyo yung M-Audio Jamlab. Halos kasing laki lang ng mouse tapos may USB cable. Mura lang and the best part about it is that it works with Protools M-powered. Nasubukan ko narin yung Ozone, Fastrack USB at Firewire Solo, lahat madaling iset-up at madaling gamitin. Kung may additional questions kayo about M-Audio, post niyo lang dito or email me personally. I'l try to answer or maybe I can ask Mike. Salamat

i use M Audio JamLab and it does its job naman..
however i cant get it to work sa adobe audition....

what software(s) did you use dito sa Jamlab?... i only use kasi audacity eh..