Replacing Old Sound Card w/ Audio Interface advice needed

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pworam

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I'm looking to dump my old sound card (Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, no laughs please) for an audio interface. The sound card has built in MIDI, which has enabled me to create some pretty decent drum tracks mouse clicking through the piano roll view in the DAW I've been using. Do audio interfaces have built in MIDI, allowing me to do the same thing as my current card?
 
Yes, many interfaces have midi capabilities.
Your best bet is just to google any interfaces you're interested in to make sure.

Ordinarily we push the idea of buying a decent interface, but if you're working solely with midi, the chances are you won't see any improvement in sound quality by upgrading.

If you need to expand for other reasons, or think you'd see benefits from balanced outputs, fair enough.
If not, an upgrade probably won't really do anything.
 
Are you planning on recording with microphones or DI instruments? If so, what is the maximum number you want to be able to record separately at the same time, and what is your budget?
 
Thanks for the advice. I'm tracking guitar and bass parts using a Line 6 Vetta myself. I really only need two inputs. I've been running the direct outs of the Vetta to the line in of the Audigy. I'd like to be able to use the Vetta's XLR's and/or s/pdif I/O, which I can't do with the Audigy. I'm also not opposed to using amp plug-ins, but can't at the moment due to ridiculous latency issues. For a new song, I'll normally create the MIDI drums first, and then track any guitar and bass over it. I've added MIDI piano in the past too; I'm not terribly versatile with it just yet, since MIDI is very complicated all by itself, forgetting how time consuming writing in a piano roll view can be. I'm looking for a new AI primarily for better recording quality (24b/96k) and a more stable recording environment. The Audigy 2 can be a tremendous headache in this regard.
 
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Chili said:
Here's a list to browse through. I'd say start around the $200 range. The Tascam and Focusrite get good reviews from people here.

USB Audio Interfaces | Sweetwater.com

And for what it's worth, you can't go wrong buying from Sweetwater. You might find a slightly cheaper price, but the service is the best.
Click to expand...

+1 for Sweetwater. If you have to order it, this is the best place.
 
I'm I looking for something with MIDI I/O, or a MIDI clock? I don't plan on plugging in any keyboards or anything, just writing in piano roll view.
 
pworam said:
I'm I looking for something with MIDI I/O, or a MIDI clock? I don't plan on plugging in any keyboards or anything, just writing in piano roll view.
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Then you don't need MIDI I/O, that is just to connect keyboards and sound modules, most likely all of the work will be done inside the DAW that supports MIDI.
 
Yeah..ok. Here it is. :)

If you're recording analog audio - direct guitar, direct bass, line level from keyboards/synths, input from microphones,
you'll need an audio interface with microphone, instrument and/or line level inputs.

If you're recording midi data from hardware like a midi capable keyboard or synth, you'll need an interface with a midi input.
If you're sending midi data from the computer to a keyboard or synth, you'll need an interface with a midi output
If you're writing midi with your mouse, you don't need a midi input or output.

You won't be able to use spdif at all unless you have other devices with spdif I/O.
Often you'll find SPDIF on digital effects units and that kind of thing.

From your posts, it sounds like you just need an audio interface with a couple of mic+line/DI inputs.

Hope that's useful.
 
That's what I don't understand. Before I switched back to the Audigy, I tried using the on-board audio with my DAW (Sonar X2), but it wasn't able to play any of my MIDI tracks back. I had assumed it was because the on board audio didn't have a built in MIDI synth, while the Audigy does. Is Cakewalk capable of playing back MIDI tracks without a synth?
 
Thanks for that - I think we're almost there... The Vetta has an spdif I/O, which I would run to the spdif of the AI; that way no need for D/A conversion in the Vetta and further A/D conversion going into the DAW. If I'm writing/recording MIDI with my mouse, does the AI need a built in MIDI synth like my sound card has, or is everything (i.e. sound generation/playback) done with software? I just want to make sure I'm clear on that point.
 
Ah, the vetta has SPDIF. Fair enough. :)
It's not all that common, so I thought I'd check.

Any Daw should be capable of playing back midi data and using built in softsynths, regardless of hardware.
I don't use sonar so I can't guide you, but I know in Protools you create an instrument track and select a software instrument as a channel insert.

Have you been using the Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth, perhaps? It's built into the OS.

Any Sonar users jump in here?
 
To be honest with you, I don't know. Like I had said earlier, when Sonar wasn't playing back my existing MIDI tracks through the on board audio, I thought it was due to lack of on board MIDI synth capabilities. It might have had something to do with the way I was setting things up. Part of the problem may have been me setting an incorrect input track or something, may be had the input track left on whatever it was for the Audigy.
 
It's possible.
Is there an instrument in sonar that you manipulate to get the sounds you want? Something that lets you pick piano, strings, etc.

If so, this is almost certainly just a routing issue, like you say.
 
pworam said:
To be honest with you, I don't know. Like I had said earlier, when Sonar wasn't playing back my existing MIDI tracks through the on board audio, I thought it was due to lack of on board MIDI synth capabilities. It might have had something to do with the way I was setting things up. Part of the problem may have been me setting an incorrect input track or something, may be had the input track left on whatever it was for the Audigy.
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MS/Apple/Linux all play MIDI from a the GS standard from Roland dating back to late 80's and early 90's. So they use a common way to interpret MIDI and the sounds.

Your Sonar will have a MIDI notes pad and you enter int he notes. But, it doesn't play as you have to select a VSTi so it can run the sound through it. I think the last part is what is causing you problems. Once you have the sound it is to play, it will be treated just like an Audio file with VST, effects, etc. going on the out of the audio (the DAW treats it like any audio file post MIDI processing).

Hope that helps.
 
I believe I just added a MIDI track into which I have inserted a soft-synth/VST. I don't recall if that was the procedure though. I think if you just insert the soft-synth/VST, it automatically puts it in a new MIDI track.
 
DM60 - you're probably correct. The MIDI drum part that didn't play back was created in ezDrummer. When I switched to the new PC, I don't think I had reinstalled ezDrummer yet. I don't recall if I tried playing back the MIDI part using the piano soft-synth, but that would have confirmed if that was the issue. I'll screw around with the on board audio tonight to see what happens. Thanks a million for your help and advice everyone!
 
pworam said:
I believe I just added a MIDI track into which I have inserted a soft-synth/VST. I don't recall if that was the procedure though. I think if you just insert the soft-synth/VST, it automatically puts it in a new MIDI track.
Click to expand...

That could be, but I assume you can bring them in and out to see what sound you want to use for a track. If you just drag a soft synth in, it will create a track. The software knows it is MIDI, but there should be a way to replace it. Normally you can only have one VSTi per track, multi MIDI effects and audio effects. If you want more than one instrument, then you can route the notes (I am not sure in Sonar, but it is a mature DAW so I am pretty sure it can) to other MIDI tracks so you can have multiple instruments. In the MIDI world you do this with channels. In the DAW world there should be away using outs or create inputs from. You will have to look at the documentation or wait for a Sonar expert to come along and answer. But most of them do this as MIDI had the first DAWs called sequencers.
 
pworam said:
The MIDI drum part that didn't play back was created in ezDrummer.
Click to expand...

That's your instrument. It's gona come down to routing then for sure.

If you have a hoke through the settings you should find a page that lets you pick your hardware, and usually there's a tab that lets you configure IO as well.

It could just need configured/reset when you change hardware.
 
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