Help with M-Audio M-Track+ & Recording w/Guitar

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Steve069

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Hi guys, new to the forum. [GUITAR->PC RELATED QUESTION] I posted over at gear slutz and noone responded. So now i am here

Had a few questions and maybe someone on here can help or at least direct me to another sub-forum/etc. that can.

My home computer took a crap and I had to replace it. The 939 socket is currently not the go to socket for AMD anymore, so I switched to the newer 939+ setup and decided to build a new 939+ machine.

Unfortunately, the new 939+ motherboards no longer take PCI cards and only have PCI-x slots...I did not realize this when I decided to rebuild my system.

How I used to record:
Guitar->Creative Soundlaster Xfi Elite Pro PCI card->Guitar Rig 3/4/5/Amplitube software->5.1 Klipsch computer speakers.
I would use Audacity to record Guitar rig, etc. if I wanted to make a recording. But I could simply put on headphones from my Klipsch controller and play guitar all night into the computer and into my headphones.

I can no longer do this, my new machine only takes PCI-X style cards.
I went to guitar center last Wed. and bought a M-Audio M-Track PLUS USB box to use for my guitar input.

It sucks, the latency is terrible, the drivers constantly make my machine crash, I cannot get AISO to work without using it "as my soundcard" which im not trying to do...then I cannot hear it!

All I want to do is plug my guitar into my computer and run the signal into a program like guitar rig/amplitube what have you.. and have it play out my speakers.

Now I am reading all kinds of stuff like these things wont let you run them in tandem with your computers integrated soundcard, yadaya, you cannot get the latency down since its USB....yadayada.

What am I doing wrong here?
Should I ditch this M-Track and go some other way?

I used a similar setup 10 years ago with an Audigy 2 ZS platinum pro that had a guitar input and it worked great at the time as well! I plugged right into it, loaded up guitar rig 1.0 and I could play my guitar into the soundcard which was modified by the software and out my speakers...With a less than 15 latency. Now its like I am going backwards with this stupid USB M-Track Plus.

This thing just came out but I am thinking its already junk.

Is there no way to simply plug your guitar into the computer via usb or some other way, and have it play out your speakers through software with little latency?
 
M-Audio used to make decent stuff. However, post-sale, the good stuff went to Avid and M-Audio retained its "consumer" line. I've got two M-Audio Fast Track Ultras, an M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R and an M-Audio Fast Track Pro that I gave to my writing partner. They've all been great -- I use them with Sonar and Audition and latency isn't the least issue. I would not, however, consider M-Audio's consumer line for future purchases, and the devices I have all have been either abandoned or moved to Avid.
 
Should I return the M-Audio box to guitar center and exchange for a focusrite scarlett 2i2?

I am not even sure if I am experiencing problems because Im currently stuck with onboard audio as my sound card and I am trying to ASIO on two devices at the same time or what.

Any ideas?

Steve
 
I don't know much about focusrite products, but it seems to be popular here. However, I don't think you can ASIO two different devices at once -- it's either one or the other. I suspect that is the problem you're having with latency. I don't know whether the M-Audio box will support input and output at full sampling rates at the same time -- their lower end products didn't do this (and it's one of the reasons I gave the Fast Track Pro to my writing partner). You might need to move to something a little more upscale.
 
Money isnt an issue, I was looking for the easiest route to simply plugging my guitar into the computer, running it through software and having it come out the speakers. I could then switch to headphones and play at night, or run audacity and record what I was playing.

This box doesnt seem to be able to do what I am trying.

My motherboard only takes PCI-X style cards, so I am open to any suggestions on how to make what I am trying to do possible. If that means getting into a mixer style situation and a high end pci-x card, so beit.

I have been holding off on buying a new soundcard to bypass the onboard audio because I want to make sure everything I get will fit into the available slots together.
My motherboard is an Asus Crosshair V Formula-Z which currently has two PCI-X graphics cards in the slots, the rest are open.

Thanks for your help!
 
Just get an external audio interface. They come in USB and 1394/Firewire flavors, though the latter is going the way of the dinosaur.
 
I don't understand your response, the M-Audio M-Track Plus IS a USB audio interface. Its a device that I plug my guitar into that has a USB output that runs into my computer.

?
 
Yes, I understand, and it's evidently inadequate for your purposes. However, you mentioned PCIx slots -- external interfaces don't need internal slots. They plug into USB or 1394/Firewire jacks that on the back of the computer case.
 
Sorry if I kinda confused you, I was saying that if I needed to switch from a usb audio interface to something along the lines of pci x circuit board style that are internal (if there is such a thing? I know there are PCI versions like the m audio delta and whatnot) that I would look into that as well.

I understand what an external audio interface is, sorry for the wording.

Should I try the focusrite scarlett instead and hope its better? Maybe try a pcix sound card and try it without onboard audio?

The onboard audio on this board SUCKS so bad, I just wanted to make sure i got the right sound card. The hissing and hickuping when listening to music is driving me nuts.
 
Noone knows? Everyone has to be recording with some sort of sound card weather its PCIX or USB....?
 
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