Clueless on soundcards

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sicily
  • Start date Start date
S

Sicily

New member
Just wondering if someone here can help point me in the right direction regarding a soundcard choice. I've read a few of the threads, but I'm not seeing anything that really applies to my situation and setup. Anyway, right now I'm just using a PC, Celleron processor, 128 RAM, SoundBlaster Live Platinum, and Sawpro. I'm looking to replace the SoundBlaster with something else to use in conjunction with my Mackie 1202...

I would like to spend less than $ 200 if possible and the soundcard must be able to handle at least four 1/4" ins and two 1/4" outs...I don't really care about midi or soundfonts either.

I know there are soundcards out there that meet these requirements, but they all seem to work independently of an outboard mixer and I don't want that. I want to use the Mackie...

Any ideas? Thanks,

Sicily
 
Thanks for the response

I have looked at the Delta stuff before, but that package just looks so complicated for what I need...

Basically I want to use the Mackie as much as possible and it seems that If I were to go with something like a Delta 44 that it would negate the use of an outboard mixer all together.

Maybe if I tell you how I'm operating now, my question will be more clear. Right now I'm using a SoundBlaster Live Platinum with the Live Drive and to tell you the truth I would stick with it except for the fact that I can only record one track into Sawpro, the multitrack software that I'm using, at a time. I want to be able to send more than one track to Sawpro, using the Mackie for it's preamps, and then return the signal Sawpro produces back into the Mackie for monitoring purposes...

Is this a very unorthodox way of doing things? How do some of the others here have their computer/recording/monitoring setup? Does anyone else use a Mackie mixer in conjunction with a Delta soundcard or something similar?

Hope that made some kind of sense...

Thanks again,

Sicily
 
i was also using the SBLive platinum w/live drive. im am running windows XP on my computer. i needed to record more than 1 track at a time also and finally upgraded to the delta 66/omnistudio. the omnistudio acts as a mixer, but it doesnt have to be one. you could just plug a mic, guitar or anything directly into the omni box. it has 2 channels with pre amp and phantom power. you could just use it to record what you have to record and then playback.
did you want to use an external mixer?

http://artists2.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/spacedye/
 
Re: Thanks for the response

Sicily said:
I have looked at the Delta stuff before, but that package just looks so complicated for what I need...

Basically I want to use the Mackie as much as possible and it seems that If I were to go with something like a Delta 44 that it would negate the use of an outboard mixer all together.
Click to expand...

Not true. You still need pre amps which your mackie mixer would provide. Also, you can use the board for live monitoring by using 2 channels on it to the outs on the Delta.

How do some of the others here have their computer/recording/monitoring setup? Does anyone else use a Mackie mixer in conjunction with a Delta soundcard or something similar?
Click to expand...

I started out with running a Mackie 1604VLZ through a Delta44, using the 4 busses for the input channels. I reserved channels 15 and 16 for the output of the Delta to use for monitoring. I added a 1010 to the setup, so that I can run 8 direct out from the first 8 channels, have 4 sends using busses from the remaining 6 channels, and still use the last 2 for monitoring.

H2H
 
Go for the delta 44. Its a great little card. 4 in 4 out. Works great :)

What I would do is get four insert cables and have the delta 44 inserted into the board. So that the output from the preamps goes directly into the delta 44. And the output from the delta 44 goes right into the board for montioring.

Too bad there is only one montior mixer on the delta 44 because with only one you have to switch from montioring your preamps to montioring playback on channels 3 and 4 on the software patch panel.

What I'm doing something like this right now with my Behringer 2004a mixer(yuck). Just that I have lots of channels so I use normal 1/4 to 1/4 patch cables and I plug them in just short of all the way in to the inserts so the signel goes to the delta 44 and on into the mixer channel. And then I plug the outputs into the extra channels.
 
my vote goes to the Delta 44...the Omni Studio is one bad motor scooter, but if you already have the mixer, it would be overkill.....shop around for the cheapest price...you may be able to score it for around $250.......
 
Thanks for the advice everyone

Ok...

After doing a bit more research last night and reading all of your posts, I think that I understand the whole soundcard thing now and I agree that the Delta 44 is a great choice for my needs and my price range...

Thanks for the responses...they certainly helped me out a lot.

Peace,

Sicily
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top