Win XP Dual soundcards?

C

cubby201

New member
I would like to use 2 Echo Mia soundcards simultaneously in my XP machine - one for recording only, the other for playback only of tracks already recorded in Reaper.
The idea is to play the existing files while recording vocals. In this way I can avoid direct monitoring....
Is this possible?
 
Dunno ? Other ECHO models say you can do that. It's supported in the driver interface. I have two 3g models that seem to be fine. The 3g and the older 20-bit might be a little glitchy. Would have to go through all the driver versions
 
cubby201 said:
I would like to use 2 Echo Mia soundcards simultaneously in my XP machine - one for recording only, the other for playback only of tracks already recorded in Reaper.
The idea is to play the existing files while recording vocals. In this way I can avoid direct monitoring....
Is this possible?
Click to expand...

How are you avoiding direct monitors by using one card for recording the other for playback...?

I run 4 Layla boxes...and I can record or play on them simultaneously...no issues.
You'll have sync the two cards together...and I don't think you gain anything by using one for recording and the other for playback.
 
I would worry about losing track alignment due to not using the same device. Does the Mia card have ASIO drivers?

Another thing, most recording programs allow you to use only one device at a time.
 
The Mia has ASIO just like my Layla boxes...and I am able to use all 4 simultaneously...recording and playing back.
As long as the HD keeps up. :)
You have to properly check/assign all your I/O...and initially it's a pile of I/O choices...even the digital ones are listed...but once you go through them, find out which is which, and then rename them to something that makes sense...it's not a problem to run more than one card/box.

With XP and Win 7...you can also use the WDM drivers, but they won't work with VSTi's and some plugs...etc....but they will record and playback...multiple cards/boxes.
 
Your normal ISA & PCI card has nothing to do but follow instructions. but ya, there could be clocks that would be out enough. I don't recall anything sounding funny with soundblaster and aureal PCI cards before of the ASIO world.
 
I don't use Echo cards or Reaper, but in my Win XP DAW PC's, I can use up to 3 Aardvark Q10's in the same box, using a single Aardvark Q10 driver. Actually if my mobo had 4 PCI slots, I could have 4 Q10's.

I tend agree with the other poster, in that I'm not sure you're going to gain anything ... at least in the way you intend to anyway. You will however gain more I/O's of whatever the cards have (?)...analong audio, midi, digital etc. That is, if the cards have drivers that allow you to use multiples of them... multi-client drivers I think they're called? If this is so, if they're anything like my Aardvark Q10's, with using multiples of them, you have to set one card to master, and all others to slave ... that is for example set the master to 44.1 Khz INT, and slaves to 44.1 Khz and whatever type of connections you're using( WC, s/pdif etc)... connection with either via word clock or via digital audio cable/connections (whatever the cards recommend to do). This way they'll be locked together and you shouldn't have any sample misalignment.
 
Don't know about the Echo cards but when they were current many folks used multiples of the M-Audio 2496 cards (and the 1010lt 16 tracks!).

Yes, the cards are synced by looping the S/PDIF connections (so you loose one digital I/O) but I am pretty sure the M-A control software 'fools' ASIO into seeing just one soundcard and therefore you can still use the ASIO driver.

But I am also with the others. No need AFAIK for a separate rec/play soundcard. Every DAW I have ever used gives the option of 'play tracks while recording' ?

Dave.
 
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