Delta 44 or the 1010

[Altaire]

Im trying to figure out which card to buy and I was hoping you guys could help me.

Which one of these cards sound better, the Delta 1010 or the 44? Is there a difference in sound between them, or just the capabilities? And I dont understand what breakout boxes are for...whats the advantage of a breakout box, more hookups? Im just trying to go from my MPC 2000 into the comp to edit my album, and the card that is in my comp is terrible...whats the best choice for under 300 dollars??

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

They do apparently use different converters but I've used both and can't tell the difference. If there is a difference (after all I don't claim to have the best ears) I would say it's negligible.

The main difference with these cards is the numbers of inputs and outputs. As the name suggests the 44 has 4 in and 4 out and the 1010 has 8 analog in and 8 analog out. The other 2 (making it up to 10) are spdif and Midi.

Breakout boxes just put all of your in and out sockets into a nice neat box on your desktop or in the case of the 1010 in a rack, rather than having a load of cables hanging from the back of your comp.

So it depends on how many ins/outs you need.

 

[Altaire]

how does the audiophile 2496 stack up? is it the same quality?

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

I haven't used one. Again I reckon any differences would be negligible but as I said, in this case I can only speculate.

Of course it only has 2 ins and outs and no breakout box but then that's reflected in the price.

I can tell you it has a decent rep as do most of the M Audio interfaces.

 

[Fishybob]

The 24/96 has the same updated converters that the 1010 uses. You can always stick a couple of those in your system - you can run multiple Delta cards together with no problems (according to maudio). I have a24/96 and it sounds great but I need a couple more ins, so I'm picking up another. Under £60 each... not bad!
The only thing is that you won't get the neat breakout box that way!

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

Why do people insist on using old technology?
If you want any M-Audio product, get the Audiophile 2496, as it uses better converters than the Delta.

However, you should look into an E-Mu 1212M, because it blows any M-Audio product away.

Interesting, what's the source of that information on the difference in converters? I always hit a dead end when I try and find out about that.

I haven't tried any E-mu stuff. What M Audio products have you used? Under what circumstances were you able to compare?

 

[Zed10R]

Interesting, what's the source of that information on the difference in converters? I always hit a dead end when I try and find out about that.

I haven't tried any E-mu stuff. What M Audio products have you used? Under what circumstances were you able to compare?

umm...yeah.....please elaborate...I'd love to hear more....

 

[dachay2tnr]

Breakout boxes just put all of your in and out sockets into a nice neat box on your desktop or in the case of the 1010 in a rack, rather than having a load of cables hanging from the back of your comp.

They also move the A/D converters outside the computer and less susceptible to interference and noise.

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

They also move the A/D converters outside the computer and less susceptible to interference and noise.

Yeah, good point.

Although I use a 1010LT now (no box) and the card doesn't pick up noise from the computer.

Maybe it could be an issue for other setups though?

 

[therage!]

Why do people insist on using old technology?
If you want any M-Audio product, get the Audiophile 2496, as it uses better converters than the Delta.

It does?

 

[Altaire]

thanks alot guys...so i guess the consensus is the ap 2496 would be best? cuz i just need really to record 2 analog ins into the comp, and speaker outs, I can do without midi.

and whats the difference between digital in and analog ins? do the plugs look the same?

 

[therage!]

thanks alot guys...so i guess the consensus is the ap 2496 would be best? cuz i just need really to record 2 analog ins into the comp, and speaker outs, I can do without midi.

and whats the difference between digital in and analog ins? do the plugs look the same?

I'm using a Delta 1010 and the digital in's are S/PDIF. They look like an RCA connector but require a S/PDIF coaxial cable. I use S/PDIF to hook up an amp modeler.

The 2496 looks like it may be a good choice for you. I will add that MAudio typically has real good driver support. You can also run Pro Tools on them cards now.

 

[Altaire]

whats spdif??

what does driver support matter?

and better yet, does anybody know a site or a page where somebody compares the sound of each card? cuz i really dont care about the extra hookups, i just need to record from an analog line level from the MPC, but i want the best sound i can get without payin 1000 bux. Im willing to pay a little more for a cleaner sound. But its like my shit is all sample based so i really cant do another generation down and have it be totally un worthy or being released, and thats what im getting. But I also dont want to buy this 2496 and its some cheap shit. I mean it feels like for 100 dollars thats what im gonna get, lol

 

[Altaire]

damn, now im lookin gfor this hammerfal thing everybodys talkin about, but theres like 5 or 6 different versions of it. the cards arent even that expensive, like 269.

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

whats spdif??

Sony/Philips digital interconnect format. It's a standardised connection protocol for hooking up digital, stereo audio equipment. They use RCA jacks, coaxial connectors or optical connectors (requiring fibre optic cable). If you're just dealing with analog signals then it's not something you need.

what does driver support matter?

You want to be able to update to new driver releases as this makes your card more stable and it's more likely to be compatible with any new software you add to your comp.

I'd try and get the 2496 from a place with a good returns policy. If your not happy send it back and see how much of an upgrade the RME (hammerfall) card is.

What's tricky about this is that there aren't many people around who have tried and tested lots of different cards. It's not as easy as trying out mics, preamps etc.

Good luck with it anyway.

 

[amonte]

So can anyone comment on any difference in the sound quality of the following cards:

1) Delta 44
2) Delta 1010LT
3) AudioPhile 2496

I'm in the same boat - trying to decide between the 44 and the 1010. The 2496 isn't really an option because of the limited # of inputs, but if there is a reasonable improvement in the sound quality over either of the Delta cards, I'd be willing to live with two inputs for now, and then possibly get a second card down the line. I'm also considering that same option with the Delta 44 - starting out with one for four inputs and eventually upgrading to two for a total of eight.

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

They do apparently use different converters but I've used both and can't tell the difference. If there is a difference (after all I don't claim to have the best ears) I would say it's negligible.

The main difference with these cards is the numbers of inputs and outputs. As the name suggests the 44 has 4 in and 4 out and the 1010 has 8 analog in and 8 analog out. The other 2 (making it up to 10) are spdif and Midi.

So it depends on how many ins/outs you need.

Look, now you've got me talking to myself.

In my view your choice between the 44 and the 1010 should come down to how many inputs/outputs you need. The difference in sound quality is somewhere in between negligible and non existent.

I don't have experience with the 24/96.

 

[ds21]

Look, now you've got me talking to myself.

In my view your choice between the 44 and the 1010 should come down to how many inputs/outputs you need. The difference in sound quality is somewhere in between negligible and non existent.

I don't have experience with the 24/96.

I agree I don't know what your using for pres but that will make a much bigger difference than between these cards. I've got the 1010LT and also have an EMU 0404/ProteusX, can't really tell any difference, now as mentioned earlier the 1212M (and it's the M series not the regular series) is supposed to have the same converters as the HD ProTools, but I've never heard it so...

And yes the driver support of M-audio is miles better than EMU, but in there defence some people have no problem at all with EMU