Laptop Soundcard and preamp

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proxymoron

New member
Hello,
I just logged into here after looking forever for a new laptop soundcard. Anyways, I have been to local guitar/pro audio places to get help, but it can be overwhelming since they work on commission. Anyways I have read all the posts I could find (so as to not be completely ignorant.
I have a Toshiba laptop
Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz
40GB hard drive and
512 MB SDRAM

I am looking to just record guitars and vocals. Sometimes I will do this simultaneously (i.e. I will need at least a couple inputs).

I have been looking at the Echo Layla 24 (as per a few people's recommendations on this site), but having just gotten out of college, it's a bit pricey as I try and get started actually "living".

Are there any other cheaper laptop solutions? I am looking for under 350 but preferably close to the 200 mark. From what I can tell I think I want to go with a laptop PCI slot card, but they seem to be a bit more expensive than the USB cards. But I am willing to entertain either (or any other) option for right now.

Thanks for your help in advance.
-Mike
 
sound card

I'm a newbie as well, and have been trying to read up on on similar issues. I've been told the M-Audio Audiophile 2490(?) is a really good card, however, I believe it only has one input. Another option, though not a soundcard, is the M-Audio MobilePre. It not only has a good card, but also the preamps you'll need, if you don't already have one. (It's an external box) Do a search on these two products -- quite a lot of people recommend them. Good luck!
 
Echo Indigo I/O cardbus 24/96 $180
M Audio Audio Buddy $70

equals better than any USB option out there in that price range.
 
Thanks for your help. I have another question. My computer doesnt have a firewire input, but would it be an option to get a cardbus adapter and then buy some sort of firewire hardware? Supposedly that is better than USB, and it might allow me to buy a soundcard with more inputs.

For instance I could get the M-Audio Firewire 410 if I did this. And I have found that online for 350, plus the firewire cardbus adapter which would only be 30 or so from the little I have looked so far.

Would something like that work? Or be a better alternative?
Thanks again
-Mike
 
proxymoron said:
Thanks for your help. I have another question. My computer doesnt have a firewire input, but would it be an option to get a cardbus adapter and then buy some sort of firewire hardware? Supposedly that is better than USB, and it might allow me to buy a soundcard with more inputs.

For instance I could get the M-Audio Firewire 410 if I did this. And I have found that online for 350, plus the firewire cardbus adapter which would only be 30 or so from the little I have looked so far.

Would something like that work? Or be a better alternative?
Thanks again
-Mike
Click to expand...

That would be a good alternative, though more expensive.
 
I use a laptop and I have a Maudio Duo with the equivelant to the audio buddy already included. It usb connected. And have a really low latency:)

I chose it also to move around better. For live performances. And it records very nice:) Gives you 2 ins as well. Balance and unbalanced with phantom power.

$259.00 at musiciansfriend:) $239 at 8thstreet.com on special:)

Go with ebay and you will get it for under 200 more then likely:)
 
Ella,

How, for the love of God, did you get the Duo to work???
I mean, I tried pretty much everything. I'm using one for two years almost, and it gave me nothing but pain and sorrow.
I'm using its' S/PDIF out into a S/BLive digital in. Not the most stable setup, and its only 16/48....
Drivers? Operating System? Software? Anything?

Oren
 
!!! laptops and FireWireI/Fs

DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!!

Prox, read this first before shelling!

http://emusician.com/ar/emusic_fired/index.htm

See the section "Best-Laid Plans" at the end before ANYthing!

Note: I bought the award-winning Event EZbus thinking that it would work with my brand-spanking P4 2.2 XPHome/USB1.1/FireWire/512RAM fire-breather last summer. I've NEVER gotten good audio into or out of the computer through it, even after following all the tips Event's tech sent. Turned out the OS couldn't even see the EZ through the onboard USB.

I bought a USB2 PCcard, and got the OS to see the EZ. MIDI worked fine, transport worked after I figured out key-mappings, and the mixer works. But NEVER getting good audio into or from the L/T through the USB.

Although I was recording audio to the L/T's HD, it was only one track, hardly enough, I'd think, to outrun the HD. It drifted slow, was weak and distorted, though everything metered fine.

I mentioned this to the fellow who wrote the review cited above, because he'd reviewed the EZbus in EM, and he said that he'd never gotten it to work with his notebook.

Honestly, I don't know what people are using to record audio into a laptop, or how the OS/user is configured. Help ANYbody?

Best to you!

http://edx.iuma.com
 
ed323,

I don't use it with a laptop, but I have used an EZBus for 1.5 years now, and really don't have any complaints with it. I use input monitoring, as the USB connection does some real funky stuff when it comes to real-time monitoring out of the CPU. I use it with my stock USB card (not USB 2.0), and have pretty good luck. The mic pre's are a little noisy, but beyond that, I really have no complaints.

Just wanted to point out that there's at least one person having luck with the EZBus out there!

-mg
 
I run XP on a 2.1 ghz athlon and seem to have no trouble?

You have to be careful and read the installation notes and follow the procedure.

I grabbed it opened it and tried to load it and it didnt work. I just got rid of my last booting of it and followed the step by step as they say in the direction for XP installation.

Because there is an extra .exe to load in the final boot. And it worked np and I did that again for a second computer and worked again. But if I put a seemingly benign step ahead of what it says to do (like turning on the duo before setup is complete) then its is all a wash.

Also get the new drivers on Maudio they have a fix for some peoples problems in the newer version of the driver:)

I know the preamp isnt the greatest but I seem to be getting really good results even though its USB not firewire based. I am not sure why you need more expensive cards for a/d and d/a conversions?

How is the resolution improved? I get 24/96 and some of those cards are way more and are the same resolution? Is it just better preamps and more ins and outs?
 
EZbus

mgraf, Thanks for the word!

What changes did you have to make to the XP to get the audio recording to work? Are you using the MIDI I/F? What recording program are you running?

Thanks again! Ed

http://edx.iuma.com
 
I really like my Tascam US122. I use it all the time for recording on my laptop and it seems to work great. This model only has 2 inputs (line and XLR) with preamps but i believe there is a model up that has more.

Uses USB not firewire.

Danny
 
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