Recording My Yamaha DGX-305

[thefuzzbucket]

I have been recording myself on the keyboard using Audacity on my laptop and recently purchased an external sound card. The card is more for playback and not recording so can anyone suggest an inexpensive external sound card our audio interface?

Thanks.

[ssscientist]

Originally Posted by thefuzzbucket

The card is more for playback and not recording

I'm not sure what you mean by this.

Please provide more detail, like the model of your current soundcard and your budget for a new one.

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[thefuzzbucket]

I bought a Philips Aurilium external sound card and the more I use it it seems to be for 5.1 sound and listening to MP3's. When I connect my keyboard to it there is high latency when recording. I downloaded ASIO to help with the latency but it didn't.

So now I am torn between a sound card or an audio interface. My budget is $ 100. This is just a small hobby so I don't want to spend too much. With the house and kids, it's hard to find the time.

Thanks for the help.

[ssscientist]

Originally Posted by thefuzzbucket

So now I am torn between a sound card or an audio interface.

Not quite sure what you mean by that either, but if you can stretch another $50 I can recommend this. When I was using my laptop as my only recording computer I used the older model for half a year of hard, daily use and was completly happy. I has midi ports too, and that would be the best way to record your keyboard if that's all you're planning to do.

You COULD get by with one of these if you were willing to go all midi. You'd need software in that case, and this is the current darling of everyone here at HR.com who doesn't mind using $40 shareware as their main recording software --- like me.

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[thefuzzbucket]

Thank you so much for the info. What is the drawback of the M-Audio Uno? Also, I have Reaper but I really need the the user manual and the site has the link but when you download it it's unavailable.

What we normally do is I record some piano or bass through my keyboard and send it to a few friends. One works on the drums and the other works on guitar and we'll get together to jam. So we exhange originals through e-mail and get together every so often.

The Tascam looks awesome but I'm worried it's more than I'll ever need.

[ssscientist]

Originally Posted by thefuzzbucket

What is the drawback of the M-Audio Uno?

The only drawback I can think of is that it's a midi interface only and will not allow any audio recording.

The upside is this - if you were to find a use for the Tascam linked above or any other audio interface you could continue to use the MAudio Uno as an additional midi in for any software you have. In other words, if you bought something else you wouldn't necessarily need to discard the Uno.

It gets some raves in the Musicians Friend 'user ratings' from experienced customers and some 'one-star' ratings mostly from people who don't want to take the time to learn to use midi.

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[thefuzzbucket]

I have the chance purchase a slightly used M-Audio Fast Track for $ 75 Canadian.

Can you let me know what you think of this?

[blazingstrings]

I would atleast save up for the M-Audio Mobile Pre USB if you were looking at the "fast Crack" er uh track........

The Mobile pre has a few more features that are well worth the $150 the thing costs. Plus the fast track will be something you out grow fast(Track).

-Blaze