The truth about soundcards

[Robert D]

For any of you out there wondering who to believe, the print on the box and ads for soundcards like the SB Audigy, which tell you they are studio quality, or the folks in here who tell you get a real soundcard, though you wonder if we're just stuck up gear snobs............. here's the freq response of the Audigy, and the card I use, Lynx II, both measured with the Right Mark Audio Analyzer, both cards at 24/96.

Lynx II
Frequency range Response
From 20 Hz to 20 kHz, dB -0.02, +0.00
From 40 Hz to 15 kHz, dB -0.01, +0.00

Audigy
Frequency range Response
From 20 Hz to 20 kHz, dB -9.41, +0.00
From 40 Hz to 15 kHz, dB -4.99, +0.00

Just so you know.

 

[mshilarious]

Can you post the graphs, just for entertainment value

 

[LemonTree]

For any of you out there wondering who to believe, the print on the box and ads for soundcards like the SB Audigy, which tell you they are studio quality, or the folks in here who tell you get a real soundcard, though you wonder if we're just stuck up gear snobs............. here's the freq response of the Audigy, and the card I use, Lynx II, both measured with the Right Mark Audio Analyzer, both cards at 24/96.

Lynx II
Frequency range Response
From 20 Hz to 20 kHz, dB -0.02, +0.00
From 40 Hz to 15 kHz, dB -0.01, +0.00

Audigy
Frequency range Response
From 20 Hz to 20 kHz, dB -9.41, +0.00
From 40 Hz to 15 kHz, dB -4.99, +0.00

Just so you know.

Do you think those numbers mean anything to a kid that wants to get into recording on a tight budget?

 

[billy3000]

sound cards

For any of you out there wondering who to believe, the print on the box and ads for soundcards like the SB Audigy, which tell you they are studio quality, or the folks in here who tell you get a real soundcard, though you wonder if we're just stuck up gear snobs............. here's the freq response of the Audigy, and the card I use, Lynx II, both measured with the Right Mark Audio Analyzer, both cards at 24/96.

I agree that creative labs stuff has been gimcrack since day 1. personally, i don't see the hoo ha about even emu for the price.

emu is now creative labs, in case you didn't know !!

 

[altiris]

I agree that creative labs stuff has been gimcrack since day 1. personally, i don't see the hoo ha about even emu for the price.

emu is now creative labs, in case you didn't know !!

whats wrong with EMU? Mine has worked great from day 1

 

[Minion]

You can get a Quality Recording Sound Card for about the Same Price as those New High End "Audigy 2 ZS" Card that are out now or even Cheaper....

The Audigy 2 XS Costs about $250+ US and I got my Delta 44 for $200 Canadian and you can get an E-MU 0404 for under $100....

So even someone on a Bit of a Budget can get a Fairly Good Quality Recording Card for less than the Price of a High End Audigy 2 card.....

Cheers

 

[Ethan Winer]

Robert,

> Audigy
> Frequency range Response
> From 20 Hz to 20 kHz, dB -9.41, +0.00
> From 40 Hz to 15 kHz, dB -4.99, +0.00

Um, you need to disable WhatUHear and all effects returns before trying to measure the frequency response of any Creative Labs brand sound card.

Once you do that you'll find the Audigy is more than flat enough to be audibly transparent. Of course, there's much more to audio fidelity than just frequency response. Most important are background noise and distortion.

--Ethan

 

[Robert D]

Do you think those numbers mean anything to a kid that wants to get into recording on a tight budget?

Um......yes, I hope so. As Minion pointed out, it's not like the Audigy is any cheaper than a good basic semi-pro card like the Delta 44. The 44 isn't quite as ruler flat as the Lynx, but it doesn't have a waterfall for a response curve like the Audigy. I would like to think anyone getting into recording can understand that a freaking 9.41 db variation in a frequency response curve is utterly gross. I WOULD think that would mean something.

 

[LemonTree]

Um......yes, I hope so. As Minion pointed out, it's not like the Audigy is any cheaper than a good basic semi-pro card like the Delta 44. The 44 isn't quite as ruler flat as the Lynx, but it doesn't have a waterfall for a response curve like the Audigy. I would like to think anyone getting into recording can understand that a freaking 9.41 db variation in a frequency response curve is utterly gross. I WOULD think that would mean something.

Yeah but you're comparing it to the linx card.... everyone knows how crap Creative are. The noise floor alone should be enough to put anyone off.

I just think your comparison had such a huge price difference that any newbie reading it would think you were a bit of a gear snob. Maybe if you had offered up something like the M-Audio 24/96 which has way better spec than the Audigy and is a fraction of the cost. THAT would be a good suggestion.

But hey, don't listen to me...I started off with a soundblaster 64 AWE and got good enough results as someone starting out before I saved up and bought the M-Audio Delta 1010 with breakout box 6 years ago. Do I wish I had better convertors? YES but I'd have to pay 4 times the original price of the Delta to make the upgrade justifyable to my ears. So telling people "don't buy the Audigy, get a Lynx" seems a bit silly in my book

 

[Robert D]

Yeah but you're comparing it to the linx card.... everyone knows how crap Creative are. The noise floor alone should be enough to put anyone off.

I just think your comparison had such a huge price difference that any newbie reading it would think you were a bit of a gear snob. Maybe if you had offered up something like the M-Audio 24/96 which has way better spec than the Audigy and is a fraction of the cost. THAT would be a good suggestion.

But hey, don't listen to me...I started off with a soundblaster 64 AWE and got good enough results as someone starting out before I saved up and bought the M-Audio Delta 1010 with breakout box 6 years ago. Do I wish I had better convertors? YES but I'd have to pay 4 times the original price of the Delta to make the upgrade justifyable to my ears. So telling people "don't buy the Audigy, get a Lynx" seems a bit silly in my book

If I had the curve for a 2496 I'd have used it. Also, You'll have to point out to me where I said "don't buy the Audigy, get a Lynx". Please stick to putting words in your own mouth, not mine.
While you're at it, you could look up my previous posts about the Lynx, where I took a bashing for daring to say that the difference between it and the Delta 66 wasn't huge, a testiment to the quality of the Delta cards. I ruffled the feathers of a couple of Lynx owners who responded that "the Delta 66 couldn't lick the sweat off the balls of a Lynx". Anyone who's read my posts here should know I tend to champion the idea that you can make good recordings with modest gear. But I also have said that no matter how uberfast your computer DAW is, it's sound is entirely up to the soundcard, and to save some money to put into that instead of putting it all into speed.

 

[LemonTree]

If I had the curve for a 2496 I'd have used it. Also, You'll have to point out to me where I said "don't buy the Audigy, get a Lynx". Please stick to putting words in your own mouth, not mine.
While you're at it, you could look up my previous posts about the Lynx, where I took a bashing for daring to say that the difference between it and the Delta 66 wasn't huge, a testiment to the quality of the Delta cards. I ruffled the feathers of a couple of Lynx owners who responded that "the Delta 66 couldn't lick the sweat off the balls of a Lynx". Anyone who's read my posts here should know I tend to champion the idea that you can make good recordings with modest gear. But I also have said that no matter how uberfast your computer DAW is, it's sound is entirely up to the soundcard, and to save some money to put into that instead of putting it all into speed.

Ok then, thanks for the useless information.

 

[Robert D]

Ok then, thanks for the useless information.

Sorry, I didn't realize that information had to be useful to YOU before it could be posted. Some people might find it usefull to see what's achievabe in a soundcard with converters in the box, as a reference point.
Jeez, go suck on a lemon or something. And why don't you give me some neg rep points while your breaking my balls?

 

[LemonTree]

And why don't you give me some neg rep points while your breaking my balls?

Now why would I want to do that? Try posting up some usefull information and earn your own rep points. Just look at the price difference in the two cards you listed...ofcourse there's gonna be a massive difference in quality.

 

[Robert D]

Lemontree - Does the concept of a reference point totaly escape you? And who died and made you the king of what posts are useful? I must have missed the change in ownership notice. It's now LemonTree's Home Recording Forums?

 

[Robert D]

Moderator - Please delete this thread. King LemonTree has deemed it useless information.

 

[LemonTree]

LemonTree has deemed it useless information.

I think you managed that all on your own the second you posted it

Let me think...Lynx or Creative..... no brainer

 

[Robert D]

Again, are you totally incapable of grasping the concept of a reference point?

Again, where is the part where I wrote, as you quoted me saying, "don't buy an Audigy, buy a Lynx"?

And what exactly did I do to piss you off? This is the second time you have gone out of your way to be a jerk to me. Oh, wait a minute......I think I offered a countering opinion to something you wrote the other day. How petty, you do hold a grudge don't you? Now I understand this irrational behavior.

Have a nice weekend.

 

[LemonTree]

ok, let me climb off my high horse.... I had the worst band in the world in today who couldn't play in time. The bass player suggested playing tamborine over the whole of the three tracks might hid the timing issues. All 5 menebrs had a go of covering the tracks before asking me if I coulg get it on time for them. If I didn't do this as a hobby I'd probably have charged them more that an audigy but I didn't and to their untrained ears they went away with a high quality, badly played mediocre production.

Sorry for sounding off, I'm sure you mean well and take back everyhting I said.

Scotland is a strange place to record, not a big country so maybe 10 years ago you had 4 big studios, CaVa, Park Lane, Counting House & The Brill Building churning out acts like Texas, Wet Wet Wet, Simple Minds, Teenage Fanclub, Big Country, Travis, ...big list. Then you have the small studios, mostly working to 8 track ADAT and bouncing or two ADATS if they were very lucky. Now everyone has a studio and I often see places around here offering 128 track digital recording..... with something like an emu card or a 1010lt and a behringer mixer as the front end. It's a bit of a shame.

The truth about soundcards is.....anyone can aford a cheap one and probably get decent results with it. It's a lesser few who have worked with said soundcards, had their ears grow on them and paid more to better that sound...less said paying a bloody fortune for a lynx for just 2 channels of conversion. How many channels of Delta 1010 balanced inputs can you get for the price of a 2 channel lynx card? And how much will your customers be able to tell the difference?

I ramble a lot so I'll wrap it up and say good luck with your lynx card but don't think for a minute you're sharing anything new by telling us how bad the creative cards are. IF you posted this in the newbie column I'd see your somewhat skewed point, but up here where we all think we know it all it really is out of place.

Don't buy a Mini ecause it's not as good as a Ferarri? hiw fast do you wanna drive = how clear do you wanna record

 

[studiomaster]

Never buy Audigys for recording. Its just horrible. i think the most affordable card in that price range would be the audiophile 2496. now, i run a 2496 and audigy LS in my system. no problems at all. i use my 2496 for audio softwares and audigy LS for system sounds,winamp etc...so its great i guess. having two soundcards for two different purposes serve u well. and it's good to dedicate one purpose for one card.

 

[Robert D]

Lemontree - I do recall that I was less than diplomatic in indirectly disagreeing with you the other day, though it wasn't personal. Anyway, sorry your session sucked. I've been there, Lord knows.

BTW - Someone's watching your back.....I got my negative rep point. The note was "because Lemontree's too nice a guy to give you one". So smile, have a cool one, and know you have friends.