Newbie: Which soundcard?

B

bluesmouse

New member
Hi there, I thought perhaps you people here could help me so that I don't keep having to bug my main man, guitarsofa.

I am setting up my study to be a modest home studio so that I can make demos of my music and I would like some advice about which soundcard is best for me please. I will be recording mostly rock and blues, recording various guitar and vocal overdubs (into mics and then through my mixer) and playing the bass straight into my Behringer mixer and using drums on Cubase. I don't think I will be recording more than two things at once. I can't decide between the Delta 44, the Audiophile 2496, and the Echo Mia. What is the difference between 1/4" and RCA and do I only need midi if i'm going to plug a keyboard into the computer? I've read here about people keeping their old soundcards in for midi use- can you plug in 2 soundcards at once?
Also, I'd like to use an extension in my soundcard so that I don't have to keep reaching around the back of the computer for the input (just in case this info is relevant).
Please could you advise me on which one would be best and why?
Thanks,
Bluesmouse
 
Welcome to the board, bluesmouse! AFAIK, there is really no difference in sound quality between RCA jacks, and 1/4" plugs. I'm running a very similar setup to what you describe and I use a Delta 44. I have been nothing short of happy with it.

As far as midi goes, you will need midi capabilities if you wish to input data via midi (ex. input your drums by tapping in rhythms on a keyboard), or if you want Cubase to basically "play" an external midi instrument.

If you want your drum sounds (or whatever other sounds that midi data essentially "plays") or anything else that is created internally (ie. within the computer), you will need at least one of two things - either a soundcard with a built-in wave table, or a Virtual Instrument.

I have two soundcards in my computer. The other one is a D-Man PCI (also from M-Audio/Midiman), which has midi and two audio ins and two audio outs on RCA. I almost never use it, except for the odd bit of midi stuff, or when I want to play VSTi's live, but can't because my computer already has a whole whack of other tracks, and can't cope with the extra pressure at a low latency. I then just use the sounds that are built in to the soundcard. For playback, I engage the VSTi, and then use the Delta from there.

Chris
 
Thanks Chris, I appreciate that this is a subject everyone is bored of answering!

I'm a little confused about the drums though- I haven't started using Cubase fully yet and I don't understand how the concept works. There will be drum sounds included in the latest version of Cubase and I just click and drag with the mouse whatever beats I want , is that right? Or I can tap in the beats as you say- can I do this on a normal keyboard or do I need a special one?

Also, will I need a special keyboard to sample instruments or can I just play a melody on my guitar into the computer and then get Cubase to turn it into the sound of something else? (e.g. string section).

I guess really I want to know if it's necessary for me to buy a special midi keyboard or whether I can get by without.
Thanks,
Bluesmouse.
 
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