sabianq
08-30-2007, 10:43 AM
hi,
This is a very frequently asked question here on audioforums, what is the best sound card to get?
well, as i am sure you have all heard, the answer to that question is, a question.
what are you going to be using it for.
i wanted to start a thread that could answer that basic question and give some information to people who are looking for a solution that works best for them.
so lets get going,
by answering the question below, you will be able to narrow your search down to some choices that will serve you well.
I am not affiliated with any manufacture so my opinions are only biased to the point that i know what i like personally.
i will leave this thread open to anyone who would like to add to the knowledge database.
question 1:
what will you be using the audio interface for?
for recording? continue to section one.
for gaming? continue to section 2
for audio and movie play back? continue to section 3
for listing to Youtube and other computer streaming media? goto section 4
Section 1
recording sound cards now come in 4 varieties, well actually there are only two varieties with different options.
lets go over the strengths and weaknesses of each one.
first lets start with the original hardware format. most people think of this when they think of a sound card.
it is usually a PCI based type of hardware that looks like a circuit board that fits into the PCI slot of your computers motherboard.
http://oneapiprod.synnex.com/image_technote/I80133027.jpg
this board had a integrated chip that is called an A/D or analogue to digital converter. it also has a chip that also converts digital information into analogue information so your speaker can turn it into sound for your ear.
in general, on low end cards, the A/D and D/A are integrated into one chip on board. the older sound cards are what is called Half Duplex which means that they can only play or record but cannot actually do both.
as time came, sound cards became more sophisticated and eventually evolved into what is called "full duplex" which means that they could record and play at the same time.
these types of "sound cards are still in use today and the technology is such that they have evolved into some of the most sophisticated pieces of high end equipment one can buy.
however, some of the less expensive ones still use inferior A/D and D/A engines and are not shielded and are susceptible to the noise generated by the electrical parts of the inside of your computer box. while there are great quality cards on the market, it is usually not advised to the serious home recording hobbiest to purchase this type of sound interface.
so what should one look for in a Recording quality interface?
PCI, Firewire or USB?
http://www.sweetwater.com/images/items/750/FA66-large.jpg
this interface is what is called a "break out" box, which means that the A/D and D/A engine is located in the box. all of the math that gos on to change your analogue stream into a digital stream and vice versa is done inside of this box away from the electrical noise of your computer. then the digital signal is sent via cable to an input in your computer. either a USB, Firewire or a dedicated PCI card made to couple this box to your computer.
the old and high end interface boxed used a PCI card in a PCI slot as a way to transfer the digital data.
like this system
http://www.musik-schmidt.de/osc-schmidt/catalog/images/MOTU_2408Mk3_4.jpg
one big dis advantage to running a system like this is that fact that it is hard to fit a PCI card into a laptop computer.
as time went on, manufactures created a way to take advantage of USB and Firewire ports and the firewire connection became very popular, very fast. with its high transfer rates, it was a very convient way to send and receive audio data. most manufactures support interfaces that work with firewire.
and a great advantage of using firewire is that fact that a laptop can utilize the interface making the mobile, multi channel, high quality recording system within reach of the average consumer.
http://www.musicmag.ru/info/proaudio/hard_news_images/audiofire2_both_big.jpg
so you need to ask yourself, what kind of interface do you want, PCI, USB or firewire.
next,
if you are thinking about doing a streaming audio radio show, or if you just want to make a stereo recording of a final mix from an analogue source, then you can get away with using an interface box with only a couple of inputs like this.
how many inputs do you need?
will you be tracking all the instruments of a 20 piece orchestra?
or do you just want to make high quality stereo recordings.
there are a number of options at your disposal.
it basically comes down to how much you want to spend.
the better the interface, the more it will cost.
the more inputs you want on your interface, the more it will cost.
some of the best interfaces for the money are made by a couple of different companies.
MOTU and ECHO comes to mind
http://www.motu.com/
http://www.echoaudio.com/
when it comes down to quality for price.
for 500 bucks you can get yourself a fantastic little 8 channel interface that will meet your needs for some time to come.
if you want to spend more money, then look to Apogee and RME
these companies i listed above use top of the line converters and do not skimp on quality. the interfaces are well built and will last in the field.
im sure others will chime in as for their preferences and check out the reviews for other opinions on interfaces.
This is a very frequently asked question here on audioforums, what is the best sound card to get?
well, as i am sure you have all heard, the answer to that question is, a question.
what are you going to be using it for.
i wanted to start a thread that could answer that basic question and give some information to people who are looking for a solution that works best for them.
so lets get going,
by answering the question below, you will be able to narrow your search down to some choices that will serve you well.
I am not affiliated with any manufacture so my opinions are only biased to the point that i know what i like personally.
i will leave this thread open to anyone who would like to add to the knowledge database.
question 1:
what will you be using the audio interface for?
for recording? continue to section one.
for gaming? continue to section 2
for audio and movie play back? continue to section 3
for listing to Youtube and other computer streaming media? goto section 4
Section 1
recording sound cards now come in 4 varieties, well actually there are only two varieties with different options.
lets go over the strengths and weaknesses of each one.
first lets start with the original hardware format. most people think of this when they think of a sound card.
it is usually a PCI based type of hardware that looks like a circuit board that fits into the PCI slot of your computers motherboard.
http://oneapiprod.synnex.com/image_technote/I80133027.jpg
this board had a integrated chip that is called an A/D or analogue to digital converter. it also has a chip that also converts digital information into analogue information so your speaker can turn it into sound for your ear.
in general, on low end cards, the A/D and D/A are integrated into one chip on board. the older sound cards are what is called Half Duplex which means that they can only play or record but cannot actually do both.
as time came, sound cards became more sophisticated and eventually evolved into what is called "full duplex" which means that they could record and play at the same time.
these types of "sound cards are still in use today and the technology is such that they have evolved into some of the most sophisticated pieces of high end equipment one can buy.
however, some of the less expensive ones still use inferior A/D and D/A engines and are not shielded and are susceptible to the noise generated by the electrical parts of the inside of your computer box. while there are great quality cards on the market, it is usually not advised to the serious home recording hobbiest to purchase this type of sound interface.
so what should one look for in a Recording quality interface?
PCI, Firewire or USB?
http://www.sweetwater.com/images/items/750/FA66-large.jpg
this interface is what is called a "break out" box, which means that the A/D and D/A engine is located in the box. all of the math that gos on to change your analogue stream into a digital stream and vice versa is done inside of this box away from the electrical noise of your computer. then the digital signal is sent via cable to an input in your computer. either a USB, Firewire or a dedicated PCI card made to couple this box to your computer.
the old and high end interface boxed used a PCI card in a PCI slot as a way to transfer the digital data.
like this system
http://www.musik-schmidt.de/osc-schmidt/catalog/images/MOTU_2408Mk3_4.jpg
one big dis advantage to running a system like this is that fact that it is hard to fit a PCI card into a laptop computer.
as time went on, manufactures created a way to take advantage of USB and Firewire ports and the firewire connection became very popular, very fast. with its high transfer rates, it was a very convient way to send and receive audio data. most manufactures support interfaces that work with firewire.
and a great advantage of using firewire is that fact that a laptop can utilize the interface making the mobile, multi channel, high quality recording system within reach of the average consumer.
http://www.musicmag.ru/info/proaudio/hard_news_images/audiofire2_both_big.jpg
so you need to ask yourself, what kind of interface do you want, PCI, USB or firewire.
next,
if you are thinking about doing a streaming audio radio show, or if you just want to make a stereo recording of a final mix from an analogue source, then you can get away with using an interface box with only a couple of inputs like this.
how many inputs do you need?
will you be tracking all the instruments of a 20 piece orchestra?
or do you just want to make high quality stereo recordings.
there are a number of options at your disposal.
it basically comes down to how much you want to spend.
the better the interface, the more it will cost.
the more inputs you want on your interface, the more it will cost.
some of the best interfaces for the money are made by a couple of different companies.
MOTU and ECHO comes to mind
http://www.motu.com/
http://www.echoaudio.com/
when it comes down to quality for price.
for 500 bucks you can get yourself a fantastic little 8 channel interface that will meet your needs for some time to come.
if you want to spend more money, then look to Apogee and RME
these companies i listed above use top of the line converters and do not skimp on quality. the interfaces are well built and will last in the field.
im sure others will chime in as for their preferences and check out the reviews for other opinions on interfaces.