Sound cards for home recording.. HELP!

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kylla

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Hi all,

I'm ready to record and mix down my demo CD and am looking to buy a new soundcard before I do.

I have a Korg Triton and Roland MC-505 fed into a Soundblaster Live. The recording sounds OK, just a little flat.

My question is basically this: how much better than a SB Live will a dedicated audio card be? One that costs around US$300/AUD$600.

And what is better about such a card? Is it the fequency response, dynamic range, clarity, low noise etc..? I just want to be fully clear on what my upgrade will bring me.

I'm also having a little trouble decided which one to buy -- I'm weighing up between a Delta 44, an Audiophile 2496 and a Tarratec EWX2496. This last one doesn't have MIDI but I can use the MIDI on my SBLive to control my keys.

Any thoughts/help appreciated. I'm fully aware upgrading from an SBLive will bring me more quality, but as I said before I just want to be a bit clearer on what the upgrade will bring.

Cheers!
 
Forgot to mention one thing (which is probably fairly obvious).. the cards I'm trying to choose between are all 24-bit/96khz capable.

Although I probably wont be recording at this depth (my Korg and Roland don't output at that depth).

So when comparing them to my current card, I'll be comparing in the 16-bit/44.1khz realm. :(
 
First of all, the line-outs on your equipment put out an analog signal, which is continuous... it's essentially at an infinate bit-depth and sample rate. So you most certainly can use the 24/96 capabilities of any card you buy, if you choose to do so.

Even at 16/44.1, there will definitely be a difference in the sound you get out of a "prosumer" card vs. the SB Live. The main difference is in the A/D and D/A converters, which are going to be much better quality on a better card. To me, there's less "fuzziness" or "grainyness" or some other equally abstract thing with a better card. I find it's subtle, but definitely noticeable and I noticed it more over time. Especially when I went back and compared to older recordings. I wouldn't expect it to work miracles, but it's a solid step up.

The biggest question is how many inputs and outputs you'll need on the card. If you can really, truely get by with just 2 ins and 2 outs, then you can definitely get a good card within your budget.
 
Excellent feedback thanks pglewis.

You actually answered another question I had about the output capabilities of my boards. I somehow assumed that the output depth on my boards wouldn't be that high, but now that you explain it that way it makes sense.

I was looking at the Delta 44 because it has 4 ins and outs, perfect to plug both boards in at the same time. I could live with the 2/2 on the Audiophile but I should 'buy ahead' so I don't have to upgrade later.

You're right about the 'fuzziness'/'grainyness'... there's just something flat and dull about the gamer-centric SBLive whereas I'm sure a pro board would be nice and clear and dynamic!

One more thing if I may -- do you have any preference/recommendation between the cards I listed? Or is there another you know of in that price range that would suit home recording of my two boards (and vocals) better?

Thanks again for your feedback. Much appreciated!!
 
... I could live with the 2/2 on the Audiophile but I should 'buy ahead' so I don't have to upgrade later.
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Good decision. Getting one really good 2/2 card and adding a second one later might also be an option depending on your needs. Of course, you'll want to make absolutely sure that the card manufacturer supports multiple cards if you go this route.

... do you have any preference/recommendation between the cards I listed?
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The only prosumer card I've used at any length is my (now discontinued) Gadget Labs Wave 8/24, so that's really the only one I can speak for. On a general level you can probably assume some corrolation between price per converter and quality, but that's just a rough guage.
 
i have ALOT of experience with the Audiophile 2496 and some experience with the Delta 44/66.....they are great cards....compared to your SB, youll get way better converters and dynamic range and noise floor and lower latency drivers....well worth the $$$....

the Delta 44 goes for $215 and the Delta 66 goes for $269....if you think youll ever need S/PDIF go with the 66 because that opens you up to 6 inputs.....

also if you dont mind unbalanced inputs (like the Audiophile) delta makes the 1010lt and ive seen it as low as $329....it has 8 analog ins and outs, S/PDIF in/out, and midi in/out and even has 2 mic preamps......
 
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