Audiophile vs. Delta (or how many inputs do I need?)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Billabong
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Billabong

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Hello,

I'm thinking of upgrading my sound card. Based on some other posts here, I'm going to go with either the Audiophile 2496 or a Delta 44.

My setup: Computer (with SB Live w/ S/PDIF), MIDI keyboard, sound module, SP-303 sampler, microphone. No mixer (yet).

What I do: Use SONAR and FruityLoops to make mostly dance/techno music. Use MIDI only to trigger my outboard gear, which is then looped back to my SB Live for audio recording. Don't really use my current SB Live (soundfonts) for sound. May get into 'soft synths'. MIDI in and out is a must. Will also eventually record my friends on guitar and vocals.

Ass-uming I get a mixer (to handle various types of input like mics & guitars), will the two analog inputs on the Audiophile be enough? What good would 4, 8 or 10 inputs be, if I only record one 'instrument' at a time?

Now, I know if that I was ever to record an acoustic drum kit (very, very slim chance of doing that), I would need to mic it several ways. But, couldn't that all just go into a mixer then go down to two channels anyway?

And what good is the S/PDIF on the Audiophile? Are there any inexpensive mixers that have S/PDIF out that would connect to it? My only hesitation on the Audiophile is that it is 'inside' the computer. Does this generate alot of noise?

Whew, sorry for the long post, but I'm trying to get everything answered in one shot. Plus, as I sit here looking at stuff, other questions surfaced.

Thanks,
Bill
 
The Delta 44 has no midi, so if your doing midi you'll need to get the Audiophile 24/96
 
If you really want to mic a drum kit, do yourself a favor and get as many channels on input as you can. Mixing a drum kit down to stereo is certainly possible but believe me, if you can get the parts of the kit divided up to at least four separate tracks, you will have so much more control in mixing.
 
The MORE inputs, the BETTER. ;)

Many inputs......SPDIF and MIDI
DELTA 1010 or DELTA 1010LT

Fewer inputs.....SPDIF, no MIDI
DELTA 66

Same fewer inputs......... no SPDIF or MIDI
DELTA 44

For MIDI, you could pick up a Midisport 2X2 (USB)

They are all at.......

http://www.midiman.net

;)
 
You can always get a Delta 44 keep the SB-live for MIDI and S/PDIF. Many people go that way.
Sounds like a perfect solution to me...

Oren
 
How hard is it to get the computer to use both the S/B live and the Audiophile?
 
Depends on a lot of things--what other hardware you have (which affects how many unassigned IRQs you might have left), how your particular hardware goes about assigning particular PCI slots to particular interrupts, etc.

You might be lucky and the first time in they'll coexist just fine. Swapping the cards into other slots and letting Windows reallocate IRQ assignments is the first thing to try if they don't work right off the bat. Usually some combination will work. All you can do is give it a shot.

One thing that seemed clear to me from my experience with this is that it seems like they do not like to share the same IRQ, and the conventional wisdom is that they should each be alone on whatever IRQs they are assigned to. But on my system the Delta 66 (same drivers as the Audiophile so it's basically the same hardware as far as the PC is concerned) shares IRQ 5 with the onboard USB controller, which is where I have my MIDI interface (a Midiman MIDISport 2x2), and everything works beautifully. (The SB Live, by the way, is alone on IRQ 3.)

One other thing -- I do have the occasional problem recording audio if I have my network card enabled. So I created a separate hardware profile that has that card disabled, and that cures thatproblem. It means I have to reboot between sessions where I want to check/send email or browse the net, and sessions where I want to record my latest opus, but that's not a huge deal.

Most folks recommend that you strip down your machine and use it strictly as an audio recording device, with no unnecessary hardware and minimal software beyond the OS and the audio applications. For me that's impractical, so the hardware profile capability comes in handy.
 
Thanks

Thanks for all the replies. Unfortuneatly SPIN, I've got Fat Boy Slim dreams and Radio Shack pockets... :)

One more quickie: Is the Audiophile more susceptible to noise than the 44 or 66 since the connections are 'inside' the computer?

Thanks,
Bill
 
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