PCI sound/MIDI card recommendations?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Agent47
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Agent47

Dismember
Ok, I'm thinking of ditching my Yamaha card and getting a new one.

Current PC spec: P4 3.6gHz HTT, Win XP home SP2, 2Gb RAM.

I'd prefer not to get a USB interface as I already have a ton of stuff hanging off my USB ports (Steinberg dongle, modem, printer, minidisc, mother-in-law etc.). Although it is an option.

I do not have a firewire card. I guess I'd need one to get a firewire interface? Or would they come with a firewire card?

I'm interested in 2 in 2 out, maybe 4 in 4 out, with MIDI in/out too, and have a LOW latency with softsynths. (Most of my work is with hard and soft synths, the hard ones being routed through my mixer into the soundcard). I don't record multiple musicians, so loads of ins/outs is not important.

My max budget is around £300 / $600 US.

Can anyone recommend a good PCI soundcard with MIDI capabilities? It needs to have clean ins and outs, as well a low latency for softsynths.

Suggestions and comments welcome!

:)
 
Does you mobo have a gameport? Believe it or not, gameport based midi is actually excellent.
 
Thanks. Someone I know uses M-audio and he recommends them.

altitude909- I don't jhave a gameport on my mobo
I'm afraid. I have an old Win 98 machine that has one though... :)
 
I wouldn't recommend M-Audio if you go pro, but for home stuff or learning, they're great little units.
 
For the same price as the M-Audio, you can get the EMU 0404 PCI. The only real difference is the EMU uses unbalanced 1/4" plugs vs. RCA plugs on M-Audio.

Cheers,
 
TimOBrien said:
Good guide and recommendations:

http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_for_the_home_studio.htm
Click to expand...

Ha ha - I was recommending that site to someone who's just starting out the other day. And here I am visiting it myself!

Cheers, great site.

Chili - I know someone who had major problems with an Emu card. Lots of samplerate discrepancies and mismatches. Sometimes he'd start up his PC and no sound at all. Lots of probs running Nuendo 2 (legit copy). Kind of put me off Emu But that could've just been him, not the card... :)

Anyone else use Emu cards?
 
I haven't had any sample rate problems or anything, but I have had problems getting the SPDIF In to work with my Lavry AD10. Kind of bums me out, because I got the lavry as a christmas present and I haven't been able to use it yet.
 
I'm looking for a sound card that I can use to record guitar , vocals & use recording software with ASIO & midi that the card I have now can't handle . One thats not to hard on my pocket ...
 
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