sound card & interface questions

[mbouteneff]

I'm a newbie looking at sound card and interface options...

After reading a lot of posts on this board, I've been considering purchasing an M-Audio DMP3 preamp and an M-Audio Studiophile 2496 sound card.

However, I'm still unsure of what some of the specs mean:

S/PDIF
digital i/o
"balanced in/outs"

Can anyone tell me what these terms mean, and why they're important? I currently have an SM57 mic, a Pentium 4 PC, and Acid 4 if that makes a difference.

Thanks!

 

[CanopuS]

Balanced in/outs is quite complicated to explain in words, but easy to draw Basically, the wave going in is duplicated, but flipped upside down. However, whenever there is a pop or scratch in the sound, the spike it creates in the wave is the same way up on both waves, so when the wave is turned back like the original, the two spikes cross each other out and the recording is clean and the original sound, no interference.

 

[mbouteneff]

Thanks

Thanks, Canopus, much appreciated!

 

[Stealthtech]

To finish up the question...and Im assuming you mean the Audiophile 2496,
S/PDIF ( Sony Phillips Digital Interface)
These ARE the digital ins & outs on this card. In for outboard gear with digital outs and....digital out used primarily for digital transfers.