preamps and soundcards... what's needed and what's overkill?

  • Thread starter Thread starter minofifa
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minofifa

minofifa

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Hey everybody
I'm building my new computer right now and i was wondering if anybody could recomend a good sounding pci card. There are so many models out there but i don't know a good one from a bad one.
Also what is the purpose of a preamp exactly and if it is needced, what is a good model? Right now i'm using a tascaom ujs122 and i dont think it has a preamp so i wouldn't know what to expect.
Thanks a lot for the help
 
A preamp is a MUST! It raises your mic level to line level so your recrding sw has a strong enough signal to put to disc.

As far as soundcards.............. budget? How many tracks do you need to be able to record and playback simultaneously? Those should be the two largest deciding factors.
 
Yo Mino....:

C7 is certainly right without being an augmented 7th.

A good mic pre is a good investment.

A good mic for vocals is another.

As for your computer, no comment since I use a SIAB, which, BTW is nothing but a miniature computer with no mouse.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Green Hornet:p :p :D :cool: :rolleyes: :p
 
thanksgiving?? that was a month ago!! just kidding, i'm canadian eh...

anyways. I will probably only be wanting to record like 2 or 3 things at once but i would like to be able to play back numerous tracks (at least 16). As far as a budget.... hmmm we'll say like 500 US.

I have windows xp and a condensor mic already.

Thanks for the help
 
Playing back 16 tracks shouldn't be a problem so long as you are mixing in the computer.
 
Here's my standard response:

Soundcard: M-Audio Audiophile ($150). High quality, low price.

Preamp: M-Audio DMP3 dual preamp ($150-$200). Great clean-sounding.

Software: Cakewalk Home Studio ($90). Will do audio and MIDI.
 
Yes, a preamp is a must. Please note, that many types of equipment has built in preamps, so a standalone preamp is NOT a must.

Check out the preamp challenge thread somewhere here. There you fiond a comparison between a cheap built in Roland preamp, and a top of the line expensive preamp.

The difference aint THAT big....
 
No such things as overkill (when it comes to buying equipment for music). :D
 
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