Just getting started on PC recording

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ajbm325ic

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New to all this so take it easy on me.
OK i've now aquired a pentium 3 pc and Cubase SX and as i am only just getting into PC home recording can anybody advise me on a decent budget soundcard and external interface.
I have been looking at a Creative sound blaster 5.1 card and interface.
This will be used more as a quality notepad for a few musicians wishing to record,remember and develop original material as opposed to a growing home studio. I wonder how many of you guys started off saying the same!
Advice please folks,
thanks,
Andy.
 
search under my name. hundreds of tips posted in past year.
then if you got q's ...ask.
my advise...stay way from sb sound cards unless you really dont care about quality. check out tracertek.com for some inexpensive stereo sound cards.
peace.
 
The SB Live is perfectly fine for your needs as described. Come on, guys, it's not the finest piece of gear in the world, but "only get it if you don't care about quality at all?" What a gross overstatement.
 
Given your extreme budget constraints, a SoundBlaster LIVE! for $30 should work just fine. If you find yourself with a $100, look into the M-Audio 2496.

Luck.
 
manning1 said:
search under my name. hundreds of tips posted in past year.
then if you got q's ...ask.
Click to expand...

Obviously, if people have a question and don't have time to read thru "hundreds of posts" they will post it. That's what this forum is for right? Maybe you should stop saying that because noone ever seems to listen to what you say.
 
ab. i dont know what your beef is. lots of people thank me for helping.
i ask people to use search because some people on the bbs asked me to do so. damned if i do - damned if i dont.
 
Thanks for the advice folks, the tight budget is due to spending over £1000 UK on a new Musicman Stingray SR5 (Yes sold the Warwick and opted for a Stingray again!), plus going to use it more as a quality notepad so can't as yet see the need for expensive kit until i get used to the whole studio recording process.
Looks like i'll be getting an SB live off Ebay to get started.
Thanks all,
Andy.
 
Soundblaster Live for 30 clams

wheelema said:
Given your extreme budget constraints, a SoundBlaster LIVE! for $30 should work just fine. If you find yourself with a $100, look into the M-Audio 2496.

Luck.
Click to expand...

I guess.....Why not cough up another 70 and buy an audiophile 2496 though?
 
Dude!

ACIDBANDIT said:
Obviously, if people have a question and don't have time to read thru "hundreds of posts" they will post it. That's what this forum is for right? Maybe you should stop saying that because noone ever seems to listen to what you say.
Click to expand...

What's with the attitude? manning has a lot of good things to say.
 
billy3000 said:
I guess.....Why not cough up another 70 and buy an audiophile 2496 though?
Click to expand...
There has been many a day where $20 had to last my family for a week or more. Being poor is a bitch.
 
ajbm325ic said:
OK i've now aquired a pentium 3 pc and Cubase SX and as i am only just getting into PC home recording
Click to expand...
I hope you have Windows 2000 or XP because Cubase SX only runs on those OS platforms.
can anybody advise me on a decent budget soundcard and external interface. I have been looking at a Creative sound blaster 5.1 card and interface.
Click to expand...
Like Manning1 said stay clear of the SB card, you will get noise and the drivers will probably make it even less stable to use. Its good for listening to MP3's and playing games, but it is not a card suited for any kind of audio work.

Good Luck!
 
The cheapest soundcard that actually is much better than soundblaster is
the CHAINTECH AV710. I do not believe it has ASIO compatibility,though. It costs around $25. Do some searches and I'm sure you can more info.
 
Vectron said:
The cheapest soundcard that actually is much better than soundblaster is the CHAINTECH AV710. I do not believe it has ASIO compatibility,though. It costs around $25. Do some searches and I'm sure you can more info.
Click to expand...

He is using Cubase so he would be better off with a card that supports ASIO drivers. I would just save up and buy a card made for audio work.
 
Santa Cruz?

Mr Nice said:
He is using Cubase so he would be better off with a card that supports ASIO drivers. I would just save up and buy a card made for audio work.
Click to expand...

does a santa cruz support asio drivers? I actually don't know. I heard they were less gimcrack than SB.
 
I dont know if a santa cruz supports ASIO drivers. I never heard of that, what is it?
 
Mr Nice said:
He is using Cubase so he would be better off with a card that supports ASIO drivers. I would just save up and buy a card made for audio work.
Click to expand...

True, but he just wants notepad type recording capability.
I have run Cubase SX on a POS factory soundcard with no ASIO driver, and it works(forget about using plugins,though). The only "decent quality soundcards" I know of that support ASIO, are the Maudio Audiophile 2496, Emu 0404, and Terratec Phase 22. All three are $99.99
So, I would suggest you keep your existing factory card, and save
at least $100, for one of the budget cards. IF your factory card really
stinks, I would consider the $25 CHAINTECH AV-710 over a soundblaster.
 
Slightly misread or misquoted here, when i said budget i meant that i didn't want to spend too much until i really got into the recording process. However i have always been a believer of buying 'right' first time to save spending again and again to get quality. On this note the advice to spend up to $99 will be taken on board. Initially when first browsing, the search engines returned the SB platinum packs which contained all software and access port units (plug holes for the mic jacks etc. see told you i was a newbie!). These seemed good for the money. Do these other sound card come with all the bits to make them ready to play or will i need any other kit.
I really am still monitoring the other cards advised and not committed in any way to the SB.
Thanks for all the advice here,
Andy.
So what would be the best 'bundle' that can be, for example, picked up on Ebay for $99.
BTW - yes running Windows XP.
 
OK now 99% seriously considering an Audiophile 2496, but how do i connect the mics and instruments. Take it easy Newbie!
Andy
 
aj. mic>>>mic input of mixer (eg yamaha mg)>>>>2496 line input.
peace.
 
Bundle?

ajbm325ic said:
Slightly misread or misquoted here, when i said budget i meant that i didn't want to spend too much until i really got into the recording process. However i have always been a believer of buying 'right' first time to save spending again and again to get quality. On this note the advice to spend up to $99 will be taken on board. Initially when first browsing, the search engines returned the SB platinum packs which contained all software and access port units (plug holes for the mic jacks etc. see told you i was a newbie!). These seemed good for the money. Do these other sound card come with all the bits to make them ready to play or will i need any other kit.
I really am still monitoring the other cards advised and not committed in any way to the SB.
Thanks for all the advice here,
Andy.
So what would be the best 'bundle' that can be, for example, picked up on Ebay for $99.
BTW - yes running Windows XP.
Click to expand...


don't know about bundles, but while this discussion was going on I found about 10 2496 soundcards on ebay. the highest price was 35 bucks.
 
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