Installing a Delta 66, what do I do with my Soundblaster P.O.S.?

[senorjax]

Hello all,

I'm brand new to digital recording which means I'm sure to ask an awful lot of silly questions. But I have been lurking awhile and finding some great hints. This site is awesome, thanks a lot.

Here's what I'd like to do: Record an acoustic duo, guitars and mandolin being the primary instruments, with occasional fiddle and dobro, as well as two vox. Not looking for anything resembling commercial quality results initially, short term use is for practice only. My girlfriend works days, I work nights (yeah, it sucks) so I'd like to be able to record her parts and play along with them and vice versa. Also want to slowly get my feet wet in the recording side of things.

Here's what I've got so far to do it with:

P4/Intel, 2.8 GHz, 512 Mb ram, only one hard drive, 7200 rmp, Windows XP

Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro mixer and live gear I think is compatable for now, mics, power amp pushing passive monitors, a pair of reference monitors, enough gear bag accessories, etc.

So my first real purchase was a soundcard and I decided on a Delta 66. I'm getting ready to install it, I even read the manual and searched some old posts and I think I'm ready but one thing I'm not sure about is what to do with the Soundblaster Live that's on my computer now. Any help is appreciated. Can I use the 66 for all my computers audio? Would I want to? If so, do I just disable the Soundblaster's audio and default the audio to the 66, then leave it in it's slot or uninstall it? Do I leave it active and split the audio duties between the two? Is that even possible? I know very little about audio cards, they usually just sit back there and you never have to mess with them. A/D interfaces are a new ballgame. What is the preferred approach here?

If it matters, I don't see a use for MIDI in the near future, at least until I get comfortable with the basics.

Also, I'm sure there are a lot of installation troubles I'm going to run into that I haven't even thought of yet, any help keeping me out of the deepest pits would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a whole lot.

 

[bigwillz24]

Can I use the 66 for all my computers audio? Would I want to?

Yes you can & I can't see why you wouldn't.....

If so, do I just disable the Soundblaster's audio and default the audio to the 66, then leave it in it's slot or uninstall it? Do I leave it active and split the audio duties between the two? Is that even possible? I know very little about audio cards, they usually just sit back there and you never have to mess with them. A/D interfaces are a new ballgame. What is the preferred approach here?

IMO I'd take the Soundblaster card completly out and uninstall the drivers for that card because they will lead to nothing but trouble if you leave them in.


Good Luck

 

[Flipmedia]

I'd leave it in

Why not install the card and see if it causes you problems, more than likely it won't. I have three sound cards in my system. The dreaded Presonus firestation which works perfectly in my setup after a year and half of madness(mLAN) , a layla 24, and my on board sound card. I've never had problems running multiple soundcards, I'm not saying everyone won't but for example if you want to listen to mp3's, play games, or talk over the net you should leave it in and have it selected for playback and record in your control panel audio menu, run a stereo mini jack to RCA's out of your line out and connect it to the tape in of your mixer. You can assign your delta 66 as sound card within your audio programs. The best use I had for my on board sound card was when I was working out wordclock problems between my firestation and my digital mixer. I was hearing tiny clicks on my tracks during playback. I selected the on board sound card within my audio program and found they didn't exist on the recorded tracks but were caused from a bad optical cable going back to the mixer. Anyway I know everyone is supposed to have a dedicated system free of extraneous programs, internet and such but for most of us it's not realistic.

 

[Disposable]

I have a Soundblaster, in conjuntion with my Delta 44.
Have never had a single problem...
I use the SB for all sound, except for recording/mixing.