SB Live!

[Fleghand]

Just bought one from a buddy who lives on a Native reserve, so it's tax and manual free. I heard this is actually full of nifty features for recording (if you're creative and simple), but can't seem to find them. If anyone out there has any experience with this sound card, please let me know, cheers.

[GZsound]

I think you will find that very few folks use a Sound Blaster card for serious music.

While buying another drive yesterday, I noticed that Sound Blaster has a couple of cards with S/Pdif optical I/O.

You can probably get more information from the Sound Blaster site than from any pro audio forum like this one.

[Fleghand]

Oh, I know it, but it was 50$ Canadian, which is entirely within my budget, and I'm upgrading from a used (came with the computer) GameMuse Surround XL, which actually had the recording capabilities TAKEN OUT of it by the manufacturers to "optimize it for maximum game play potential".

So maybe someone here knows how to be fancy on a shoe-string budget?

[Michael Quayle]

Look. Forgive me for being difficult here. But I just want to understand the situation. Fleghand you are puzzling me. In this thread you are talking about $50CAN soundcard budgets, whilst simultaneously asking people whether you should go out and buy a TiPowerbook in another thread over on the Mac forums. It's this type of contradiction I can't seem to understand, and reminds me of a similar one of late :-) Anyway, to answer your question, there are many areas where an SBlive is lacking for recording - the most serious of which is proper driver support to allow the card to operate properly in cubase/sonar/logic/vegas/whatever. If you can live without real time monitoring of an input signal, can put up with outrageous latency and don't plan on playing any softsynths via the card you'll probably be OK. If not, then look at something cheap and effective like an Audiophile 2496.

[Fleghand]

Just to confuse yer nogin, Quayle.

[Sonic Valley]

You paid fifty dollars for a soundcard?
I hope you sponsor Rwandan refugees, or something. http://www.audioforums.com/forums/wink.gif


[This message has been edited by Sonic Valley (edited 11-17-2002).]

[Michael Quayle]

I also have a first name, which you're welcome to use. I am no longer at school, and I'm not in the army.

[ALBERTPIKE]

You can probably record one track at a time, possible two (?) since it can record stereo. In order to record, you will need software. I recommend Cakewalk Express for about $30 U.S. -- anything else is a waste of money with your soundcard. Best place to get that is download from the Cakewalk website. You can also download trial versions of software, and I would also recommend this in your situation.
You will have to get a stereo miniplug with a y-adapter from radioshack to access the recording channels. Plug it into line in. You can also use the microphone input for a high impedence microphone, but will have much better results if you have a mixer or preamp that you can run into line-in. Truth is, depending on what you already have in the way of mics and stuff, you should be able to have some fun and make some recordings that will impress your friends and family. By the way, who said this forum is for pros only?

[This message has been edited by ALBERTPIKE (edited 11-21-2002).]

[This message has been edited by ALBERTPIKE (edited 11-21-2002).]

[brzilian]

Originally posted by ALBERTPIKE:
You can probably record one track at a time, possible two (?) since it can record stereo. In order to record, you will need software. I recommend Cakewalk Express for about $30 U.S. -- anything else is a waste of money with your soundcard. Best place to get that is download from the Cakewalk website. You can also download trial versions of software, and I would also recommend this in your situation.
You will have to get a stereo miniplug with a y-adapter from radioshack to access the recording channels. Plug it into line in. You can also use the microphone input for a high impedence microphone, but will have much better results if you have a mixer or preamp that you can run into line-in. Truth is, depending on what you already have in the way of mics and stuff, you should be able to have some fun and make some recordings that will impress your friends and family. By the way, who said this forum is for pros only?

[This message has been edited by ALBERTPIKE (edited 11-21-2002).]

[This message has been edited by ALBERTPIKE (edited 11-21-2002).]


Get with the times man! Home Studio 2002 can be bought for $59. Express has been discontinued for quite some time...

[ALBERTPIKE]

Cakewalk Express 8.0 can still be purchased on the website for $29.95. However, I see that Express will only record 2 channels of audio total. Guitar Tracks 2 will support 8 tracks of audio, $49.95. Home Studio 2002, unlimited tracks, $129 (retail prices).
You can download a trial version of Guitar Tracks 2 for free. Go to Radio Shack and buy the model number 33-3021 microphone, on sale for half price at $9.99. You,ll need a miniplug adaptor for a few bucks. Plug it into the mic input of your SB and load up your free software. How's that for a shoestring budget?

[This message has been edited by ALBERTPIKE (edited 11-21-2002).]

[This message has been edited by ALBERTPIKE (edited 11-21-2002).]

[Michael Quayle]

<<By the way, who said this forum is for pros only?>>


No one at all http://www.audioforums.com/forums/smile.gif

[ALBERTPIKE]

"You can probably get more information from the Sound Blaster site than from any pro audio forum like this one." -GZsound

Fleg asked for advice and got scolded.

[This message has been edited by ALBERTPIKE (edited 11-21-2002).]

[ALBERTPIKE]

P.S.-- Michael and GZsound know what they talking about. They just didn't answer your question. I wouldn't spend any more than $20, as above, until you know that your computer and card can actually produce usable multitrack recordings. Then, when your ready to upgrade, come back to this forum and those guys will help you out for real.

[This message has been edited by ALBERTPIKE (edited 11-22-2002).]

[Michael Quayle]

You got me Albert http://www.audioforums.com/forums/smile.gif Didn't notice that the first time round.