Your Sound Card Will Only Take You So Far.

"Can't I just use the sound card that came with my computer for getting audio in and out?"

This is a perfectly valid question that you probably hear all the time. The initial answer is, sure, probably, um maybe. Of course the card will have to have analog or digital outputs AND inputs, and your software of choice will have to be able to recognize your sound card. Assuming these points are true, then sure, go on and use it. For many of us "weekend warriors" the real fun is the journey more than the final project. However, there are some issues with this scenario that you might consider.

You Get What You Pay For

Your computer's sound card may handle digital data just fine - but does it do as well with analog audio? The inside of your PC is like an RFI battlefield. The inadequately shielded A/D and D/A converter chips on your PCI audio card are subject to constant bombardment by Radio Frequency Interference (high frequency noise) generated by high-speed signal lines. This induces jitter into the A/D conversion process that gets recorded on to your hard drive. Of course, once recorded, "jittery" audio can't be fixed (sorry, no fixing it in the mix). But it doesn't stop there: PCI audio cards draw their power from the computer's main power supply. Computer manufacturers generally use switching-type power supplies that also generate substantial noise (guess where it ends up?). Loss of detail, clarity, width and definition in your soundstage can all be attributed to poorly designed converter and power supply circuitry. All of this adds up to (potentially) pretty nasty sounding tracks. Finally, as a savvy consumer, you have to wonder (not necessarily negatively, just in the name of curiosity) about the quality of the components found in a sound card that only cost maybe $100 versus a "professional" audio interface that might cost $500 and up. There are real-world differences when it comes to the converters (to and from digital and analog), the microphone preamps (if you're recording microphones) and the rest of the components including wires and power supply. The old adage of, you get what you pay for still applies with getting audio into and out of your computer.

In The End, The Choice Is Yours

So, in the end, going with a professional audio interface that was designed for quality results is going to yield better sounding recordings than your sound card. Only you can decide whether that quality is worth your investment. In the end, only you can be the judge.

TERMS USED:

A/D Converter (ADC) - An A/D (Analog to Digital) converter is an electronic device whose function is to convert analog voltages into a digital representation of electrical ones and zeros that can be stored, manipulated, and later retrieved or converted back to analog. In the domain of audio recording these converters are found built in to virtually every digital audio products such as DAT machines and digital signal processors. There are also a variety of high quality stand -alone converter boxes that will accept line or mic level analog signals and output digital equivalents that can then be input directly into a digital device.

D/A Converter (DAC) - Short for Digital to Analog Converter. Also often abbreviated DAC, which is often pronounced "dack." A DAC is the opposite of an A/D converter. It basically reassembles the digital one's and zero's back into an analog waveform. One of the key ingredients in this process is filtering, which is what makes the final analog result a smooth (as opposed to digitally stair stepped) waveform. DAC's come in a variety of configurations and price ranges.

RFI - Abbreviation for Radio Frequency Interference. RFI is a specific type of EMI relating only to signals produced by radio and television systems. These hi frequency RF signals can find their way into our audio equipment where they can produce hums, buzzes, and occasionally even reproduce the actual audio of the radio station through the equipment. Most audio circuits are not designed to deal with RF frequencies, that is what turns them into problems, so the normal course of action is usually to prevent them from entering in the first place. This is typically accomplished by shielding, filtering, and proper grounding among other things.

Jitter - In a digital recorder or sampler, errors in the timing of sample acquisition due to rapid amplitude changes is called jitter (also known as Sample Offset Uncertainty). Jitter introduces some distortion and phase discrepancy into an audio signal. Higher frequencies are more susceptible to jitter than lower. In most modern gear, use of clocked buffers for digital data streams has minimized the effects of jitter.