Internal sound card with external A/D-converter?

[Joppihanna]

Hi!

I work with digitalization of audio material for archival purposes and we're investing in a new system, which hopefully will include a Prism AD-2 and a MacPro. I've already given a couple of suggestions to our computer dealer on which internal soundcards we're considering. Would be interesting to know a bit about which internal sound card You use with your external A/D-converter, and why?
AES, SPDIF, Firewire?

Just curious...

[TimOBrien]

If you're bringing in data from an external A/D, it's just a data transfer at that point. A soundcard is irrelevant except to listen to the result and any high-end music soundcard and good monitors will do.

You should be more concerned about proper monitors and the room you're going to listen in not clouding your judgements.

[Joppihanna]

If you're bringing in data from an external A/D, it's just a data transfer at that point. A soundcard is irrelevant except to listen to the result and any high-end music soundcard and good monitors will do.

You should be more concerned about proper monitors and the room you're going to listen in not clouding your judgements.

How right you are, Tim. I realize that my question may seem irrelevant for the reason you mentioned. However, the guidelines I'm working from specify the amount of jitter, and noise allowed for the soundcards digital input. I haven't read any spec so far that gives any info concerning anything other than supported sample rates for the digital inputs of a sound card.
But you're right of course... there are more important parts of the chain, like monitoring and proper calibration of the analog equipment.

[Audiodude]

...the guidelines I'm working from specify the amount of jitter, and noise allowed for the soundcards digital input. I haven't read any spec so far that gives any info concerning anything other than supported sample rates for the digital inputs of a sound card.
Nor will you. This is a spec a lot of sound card manufacturers don't even measure, much less publish. It's too "tweaky" for most people to care.

If you really want to ensure minimal jitter, get a sound card with a word clock input, and clock both the card and your A/D converter off of a low-jitter clock like an Apogee Big Ben or Antelope OCX.

(Uh oh, I just recommended expensive gear that most people don't use. The next post will be from Gilligan8 telling me that jitter doesn't really exist.)

[Joppihanna]

Thanx for the feedback, Jeff. I think I'll just ignore the jitter-part for now...

[Joppihanna]

What about using the internal soundcard of a Mac G5 (MacPro)? Does anyone have any experience in using this card as a digital input source?

/Johanna

[Matthew Skinner]

Since this is for archival purposes how important is prestine audiophile quality ? Isn't file size more of a concern ? If you gave a more detailed decription of the job its going to do and what the criteria are then we could be of more help.

Also since it sounds like your starting out, I would recommend the KISS approach and keep it simple. Less gear and the right gear for the job will make your life easier. Go for a soundcard which has the right quality and type of IO from the start, I dont recommend you go for an external set of convertors and connect to the basic build in soundcard. Better that you just buy the right thing for the job with the least amount of digital links which will mean less chance jitter will be an issue.

If someone your working with on this has made the recommendation you need to go low jitter then just make sure you get a wordclock on everything you purchase which would mean not using a basic built in soundcard. Its not normal to specify this so when someone does it probably means they have a reason for doing so.

[Joppihanna]

I can understand how the subject may sound a bit strange to this forum...
For archival purposes sound quality is very important! The guidelines I mentioned come from the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives. Very serious business...

I've established some contact with other organizations working with digitalization and migration of archive material. Think that's a better way for me to go right now.

Thanx anyway