SoundBlaster Platinum Audigy S/Card Question.

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NLAlston

NLAlston

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I am looking into another soundcard, and have my eye on the SoundBlaster "Audigy". My system is a P2 - 400MHz - 384 Megs of Ram unit, and the card that it presently used is the one that came integrated on the mother-board. I hear that this card (Audigy) is supposed to be a super card - but this has almost always come from the respective store's salesperson, and those folk don't always have the true story on their wares. One of the things that I like about this particular card is the fact that it has the up front 'Live-Drive', where everything can be attached to the card at the 'front' of the computer. To presently get my music, from the sequencer, into the computer, I have to use a "Y" cable to turn two quarter inch 'outs' into one stereo mini plug, for use in my soundcard connection port. Would the 'Audigy' card really be the way for me to go? $200 is the absolute max that I can spend on a card, and that is exactly what the Audigy sells for. Would there be a better alternative, to the Audigy, that is comparably priced? Also, I need to be able to get my vocals into my computer (onto Cakewalk PA9) without having to utilize a mixer. Which card would be the best for my needs? All suggestions would be appreciated.

Nate
 
Oh my, do not spend $200 on an audigy. Man, that's about $60 worth of quality, and you end up paying through the ass for the little breakout box (I think you can get an OEM audigy without the breakout for about that price).

Look into the m-Audio Delta44....it's a real 24bit card that sounds good, has 4 1/4" balanced analog inputs & outputs, and the breakout box you're after. You can find them used on ebay for < $200. New they go at about $230.

You could also look into the m-Audio audiophile which has RCA connectors, but you could easily extend them to your desktop without much trouble. The Echo Mia is another good choice with 1/4" balanced connectors on the card, which again you could use extention cables on (e.g. a short cable that goes from 1/4" male to 1/4" female, and you just leave the female connectors on your desk....which is what you're already doing and isn't a big deal).

If you're going to get a soundblaster, spend $50-60, because that's really what they're worth. They're not bad, but they're worse than every card I mentioned above.

We see people spending close to $200 on audigy's around here every now and then, and it's just a shame. When you get into that price range, you should start thinking about investing in something better.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Thanks a lot, Slackmaster.

I will definitely look into one of the other cards that you mentioned. I had often heard mention of two of the cards that you spoke on, but didn't realise that they were in such close price proximity to the Audigy. I just hope that one of these will afford me the opportunity of getting my vocals through without need of an external mixer.

Nate

(And, thanks again).
 
a Delta Audiophile and a Midiman Audio Buddy preamp will eliminate the need for a mixer and will come in between $200 to $250 for both.......
 
Echo Mia trouble free great sound, around $200. Anything but the Audigy
 
I second everything Slackmaster said 100%. And I have both an Audigy and an Audiophile. The Audigy is a good game card, good for MIDI (sound fonts), and at $60 was a good deal. But it's not 24 bit, and for pure audio recording and playback there are better choices.
 
Audigy soundcards

I use a Audigy 2 ZS platinum with the "Platinum Drive" as they call it on my XP machine. It is a 24 bit card and I think it performs quite well with Cakewalk Guitar Tracks Pro, versions 2 and 3, and Cubase LE that came bundled with the card. One of the big reasons I bought the card was for the front drive. It also allows me to hook up my Fostex VF160 thru the ADAT light pipes on the front. Very cool. I can also hook up a cassette deck and my turntable for music transfer. Also very cool. I get quite good recordings from it
and the average person would never know what the music was done on anyhow.
And besides, most of what you hear depends on how well you master it.
I also have a Win 98 machine that I have A SoundBlaster Live Platinum card in, with the front drive also, and get pretty good recordings form it with the original Cakewalk Guitar Tracks, 8 tracks, and Cakewalk Home Studio 8, also 8 tracks.
I guess its like anything else, it depends on how you work with it. I also use Magix Music Studio Generation 5 with the Live Platinum and get quality recordings with this budget software. Actually it was a great studio in a box for 15 bucks on close out. 32 tracks, tons of free plug ins. works great.
But I like my SoundBlasters for the most part. Hey there has got to be a reason that they are no. 1 in the business besides the price.
 
I'm not sure why you re-opened a 5 year old thread. But suffice to say, Creative Labs products are excellent for games, business applications, and general pupose use. I have myself transfer many old cassette tapes to CDR using creative cards. They are OK for this because the source material (cassette) wasn't very good anyway.

However the people on this BBS are interested in semi-pro music recording, where the idea is to get the best audio quality you can on a reasonable (not cheap) budget. Creative cards are not designed for this, they are of a lower quality in order to sell for a low price. All the same info quoted above in this 5 year old thread still true today.
 
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