SB Audigy or Digi 001

N

neno

New member
Does anyone here owns SB Audigy Platinum ex.
I read some very positive reviews and the price is really low but some of my friends advice me to buy Digi 001 instead. I have to mention that they have no experience with Audigy. So far I worked with SB Platinum 5.1 and have no major complaints but would like to buy a card with better Asio support and 24bit/96khz sampling. Standard in my country is not too high therefore I am willing to buy Digi 001 only if there is a really significant difference in sound quality between these two.
I work mostly with sampler/electric guitar based music for local market.
 
i am a big cheapskate...i always consider cost/performance ratios.....

the Digi001 is 4 times more $$$ than the SB Audigy Platinum.....it is AT LEAST 4 times better than that SB as fars as features/sound/everything......

however since you are working mostly with samplers/electric guitars, it may have more than what you need...there may be something in the middle that fits your needs easily with as good of quality as the Digi001......
 
Check out the Delta cards. They have some cards that are just a little more than the Audigy and will give you better quality and compatability.
 
I read about Midiman Delta 1010. The price is reasonable and I think it would be a good deal.
 
How many simultaneous inputs do you need??? Are you using condenser mics and therefore do you need a preamp? These are part of what you need to evaluate.

Also, do you already have multitracking software that you're happy with? If not, factor cost in for that. It can be cheap like N-Tracks, or expensive like the high-end Cubase or Logic packages.

FWIW, in July Digidesign is SUPPOSED to come out with MBox support for PCs. This will only give you 2 inputs at a time (it's USB), but you can record 24 tracks, it has preamps that are pretty good, it comes with software ...

If you have software you already like, evaluate how many simultaneous inputs you need. The Delta 1010 has, as you may imagine, 10 inputs. Do you NEED that many? If not, consider the Delta 44 or, if you need SPDIF, Delta 66. Maybe even the Delta Audiophile 24/96, although people have mixed opinions about the performance of sound cards with converters on the cards and not the breakout box (if there is one). I think all the Deltas but the 1010 has them on the card, but they're still supposed to sound pretty good.

You can also look into the Echo Gina: converters in the breakout box, 2 analog inputs + 2 digital (SPDIF) and you can use 'em all simultaneously. I had a 20-bit card which wasn't bad, and I just sold it to a guy who is working with his friend who has an Echo Layla-based 24-bit studio. The Layla owner apparently raves about the new 24-bit Gina card as well, and that guy makes $$ selling rights to his music, so I'm thinking it can't be all that bad (could it? I haven't heard it, so ...).

So, lots of choices -- more than I've listed here, and maybe some are more accessible in Europe than here (like RME). It seems there's a fairly big gap in quality (Audigy = lesser, 1010 = better) and features (Audigy = lesser, Digi 001 = more) in what you're looking at. You may want to narrow it down, then check manufacturer's websites for tech specs, especially dynamic range and S/N ratio. You can also look at THD (harmonic distortion), but some people believe with all digital gear the results are so good that that's an irrelevant spec.

I hope this helps.
 
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