Help- newbie selection

  • Thread starter Thread starter vindago
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vindago

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Hi guys, im really getting lost here, i want to get a basic recording setup for my computer and have been reading these forums and others for the past few days, and have a few questions.

the type of stuff i will be recording is guitar/s and vocals to start with, then eventually get a mixer and include bass drums etc.

first my current situation - i have a sound blaster live 5.1 card at the moment with logitech z-560 speakers (4.1- 50watts each satellite, 180watt sub) now my first question is this, i really dont want to have to buy new speakers as i am very happy with the sound of my current ones but at the same time i really dont want to run dual soundcards in my machine, i would really prefer something that can use my speakers and do good quality recording rather than have to use the sb live with the recording card, at first i was very keen on the Audigy 2 Platinum eX but many people here seem to be very against it. my budget is about $500 for the sound card, i would like something that could record maybe 2 channels to start with before i get the mixer.

could anyone reccomend a card that would run my 4.1 speakers as well as do 24/96 recording.

Thanks, Jonathan
 
Jonathan, Your $500 budget seems to get so many options, but you are asking for both 5.1 surround sound and good recording. Well, there are very good recording sound cards such as the delta series, but they don't support your surround sound needs. You can compare the soundcards in this chart (a bit old but nice)
http://www.pcrecording.com/soundtable.htm
If your speakers have digital input, you can actually use one of the delta cards with digital outs, so you can have both recording and surround sound using the same card. If not I would say audigy 2 is not bad, I've recorded with it and they are really nice, I also had an delta card with it and they worked fine, why are you afraid to use dual sound cards? Lets see what the others say about this.
 
thanks for your replies, the 6fire LT looks very very nice and seems to be what im wanting but its only $350? this seems suspiciously cheap for something with an internal card and external box, maybe its just because my only reference is the $500 Audigy 2 eX.

Jeyan im hesitant to use dual soundcards because ive heard many people talk about compatability/stability problems and would much prefer have one soundcard running nicely.

Alfalfa, i thank you, first you recommend me to look here from OCAU and now you direct me to what i think will be my future sound card! cheers

whats the difference between the 6fire and the 6fireLT?

thanks again
 
The 6fire LT does not have the breakout box. It uses a simpler module instead that doesnt have midi i/o, coaxial spdif i/o (only optical), no phono preamp and no separate headphone output. Thats why its quite a bit cheaper but the internal electronics are the same as its big brother. It looks like really good value if you dont need those features. Check the terratec website for full specifications of what each card has.

The 6Fire and 6Fire LT is multipurpose as well since it has full gaming support for those times when you need a break from recording :).

Glad to help. Let us know how you go.
 
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As with all pro sound cards, there are issues of compatibility. You should contact terratec and make sure your motherboard is compatible with the 6Fire. It is not an inherent flaw in the soundcard. Do a search on this forum about via chipsets and you will see the issues people have had in the past getting all different types of soundcards to work.
 
ok ,well i have a via chipset allright :) haha oh well, i'll find out about it. do you know where i can purchase the 6fire from, not the LT i would really like the breakout box as well,
 
Just send an email to either of those two websites i mentioned previously. They should also sell the 6fire.

I know turramurra music sell the Terratec EWX 24/96 so they should be able to get the 6fire in as well.
www.turramusic.com.au

These guys also sell it (the price is rrp).
http://www.network-ed.com.au/music/music_soundcards.htm

Shop around and see what kind of discounts are available. I usually aim for 20% below rrp as a rough guide for a good price (rrp is $599 for a 6fire), though it varies.
 
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