audiophile 2496 ??

[aslo]

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I have a half assed setup, im recording with a usb midi interface, sonar, using a sb live computer card, decent boston acoustic speakers.
For the most part, im satisfied with what i am doing, it sounds pretty good believe it or not. But, i cant really record with a mic or a mic'd instrument with that soundcard.
I know the way to go is fast track pro, etc, but i want to keep it as simple as possible for the time being. I want to continue to use the computers speakers etc. so i am wondering if anyone uses the audiophile 2496 sound card to record, and whether that will improve the mic input situation. I dont know if there is any pre-amp to the soundcard.
Anyone using this to record, and what about mic input??

thanks

 

[danny.guitar]

I use the 24/96 and computer speakers, as opposed to studio monitors.

You will need a preamp for the microphones so the signal can be amplified enough to be recorded. I use the M-Audio DMP3 which is a great preamp and only about $160.

You might want to get a headphone amp, like the Presonus HP4. This will allow you to hook up 4-5 pairs of speakers/headphones at the same time.

My signal path looks like this:

Recording:
Microphone -> Preamp (DMP3) -> Audiophile 24/96

Monitoring/playback:
Audiophile 24/96 outputs -> Presonus HP4 headphone amp -> Speakers and headphones

Hope that helps...

 

[RWhite]

Ditto - I have several 2496s, and they don't include pre amps.

If all you are looking to do is hobbiest level stuff, I would suggest buying a small mixer. You can get a small mixer for about $80 that will have several pre-amps and give you a lot more flexability than a single pre-amp. And it should still sound decent enough.