Good sound card for Sonar

[chappy]

Hey,
I'm using an sblaster live for my input now. I take acoustic guitar using Dean Markley pickup through a guitar preamp/effects box and into the sound card. I can get my levels pretty decent and the recordings are decent also. My issue is having to switch cables to do vocals or anything else. Nothing too difficult, but I am wondering if others are using multiple soundcards or soundcard with multiple inputs?

Also I would like to hook a keyboard into the midi port of soundblaster. Would that be on a different track than the audio? I mean could I record multiple tracks at once?

I am new to all of this, but is there recomended software so that I don't have to add external keyboard or drums? Not being very proficient on these. I have used the drum loops that come with Sonar, but are there others perhaps free?

Thanks for any help and ideas this thread generates.

 

[nemal]

I use a Motu 2408mkII. It cost around $900. But I love it.
I gives 8 analog in/outs and 16 ADAT or TDIF digital io/outs.

There are plenty on the market: Echo, Delta, Motu just to
name a few. An Echo product might be good for you. I bought
a Layla originally but swithed to Motu because it is 24 bit. Echo
have some cheaper ones with less IO.

If you hook up the keyboard through midi you will need to record it onto a midi track. Then during play back the computer will send the midi events back to your keyboard. The keyboard will play the notes. Otherwise you may want to just record the audio straight out of the keyboard. But I would suggest messing with midi. It's powerful stuff.

You should have a simple General Midi Synth module with your SoundBlaster. You should be able to write some notes in the piano view and then choose the internal synth by going to Options > Midi devices and selecting the proper output device.

There is way too much software out there. I wouldn't know where to begin.

Good luck!

Nemal