SB Audigy 2 Plat. EX-good recording card?

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brad2

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I am looking for a good, cost efffective sound card to use for simple home recording, nothing spectacular, just simple demos of my songs, but i would like to get good sound. Is the SoundBlaster Audigy (1 or 2) Platinum EX
http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2_platinum_ex/
a good card for use ALONE (with no mixer or external preamp)??
SB claims this on thier site. The reason I am looking at this card over dedicated recording sound cards is the extra features (I use my PC for many things) and the external unit. Does it have sufficient "preamp" power to plug a mic directly into it or would i need to buy a mixer also? Can anyone suggest a card or card mixer combo that would be better for my purposes?
Thanks
 
Don't bother with the creative crap, it's just not worth the money. Granted they are getting better, but you do have to consider the company's history in this realm, which isn't pretty. They make great gaming cards.

You should look into the m-Audio Audiophile 2496 and the Echo MIA as entry-level sub $200 two channel cards. If you go up from there you have dozens of choices.

If you had come here saying that you already had the extigy, I probably wouldn't recommend getting rid of it for either of the two cards above unless you were dissatisfied, but since you're starting fresh I seriously have to advise against it.

Slackmaster 2000
 
thanks for your help, but would the Audiophile 2496 also require an external preamp?
Let me clarify---
I am a musician(although i hate that word), and somewhat songwriter who also happens to be a PC enthusiast(games, video, audio, design, web, graphics,etc.) I have decided to drop around $200 on a soundcard so i can use my pc to record some decent demos. I am currently using my mobo's onboard sound so a soundcard was in my future plans anyway. i am married and hence----poor. I want 5.1, firewire, and 24-bit sound, so the SB audigy plat EX sounds like a good fit for me. I am asking if I will buy this card, plug a mic into it, and be able to record some (exceptionally) decent sounding demos using a guitar,bass, drum machine and vocals.
Thanks
 
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Yes, external preamps are going to be required with just about any soundcard, although there are a few that do have built in preamps (and I mean real preamps complete with phantom power, not just the little "mic input" things that soundblasters have to drive electret computer mics).

At the absolute minimum you have the m-Audio Audio Buddy which is two channels of preamp/DI with phantom power for $79. That's the cheapest usable preamp in existance as far as I know.

If you're really only semi-"serious" about the recording end of things, then perhaps the Extigy would work out for you. Other alternatives are to get a cheap OEM audigy for 5.1 sound and a cheap firewire card if you really need firewire. Neither of these options are supported by any entry-level prosumer soundcard that I'm aware of.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Slackmaster2K said:
At the absolute minimum you have the m-Audio Audio Buddy which is two channels of preamp/DI with phantom power for $79. That's the cheapest usable preamp in existance as far as I know.
Click to expand...

Nah, there's cheaper...I plan on getting one of those small Behringer mixers (like 5 or 6 channels) for about $50.
 
They don't have channel inserts or direct outs, so you can only isolate two preamps. Granted that's cheaper than the Audio Buddy, but I'd take the buddy any day unless you need the mixer functions for something else.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Thanks for your help, greatly appreciated.
True, i am only semi-serious about recording, i am more serious about writing good songs, and plan to use this mostly as a tool for doing that.
I guess even if i decided to buy a more serious recording set-up, the audigy EX will still be very usable, I just can't see dropping that cash on a card made mostly for recording when i play to use it for much more.
 
I run a Soundblaster Live 5.1 next to my M-Audio card. The Live is my regular card and is also great for MIDI and Soundfonts (which you may be very interested in if you are a soungwriter). M-
Audio is MUCH better for recording. Then Get yourself a little mixer to start. You'll be a lot happier.

Soundblaster Live 5.1 = $30
M-Audio Audiophile = $150
Behringer mixer = $80


http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=8174&Category=Mixers
 
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