Soundcard Help

Monkey Allen

Monkey Allen

Fork and spoon operator
I want a simple pro soundcard that has these features:

1. Very quiet, low latency
2. Connectivity for XLR or 1/4"...no preamp required as I have an external preamp
3. Headphone jacks
4. Room enough for 1 input. I don't need multiple inputs.
5. DirectX

I have looked into the M-Audio 2496...but it has no headphone, no XLR and no 1/4'

I have looked into the emu 1820, and 1820m

Can someone in a similar boat, maybe who has been there and done it before, give me some suggestions?

thanks if you can.
 
I was going to say presonus firebox, but that has built in pres. Might be worth looking at though... Very nice little unit :) Highly recommended by me ;)
 
The look about the same size as an XLR but they do not look to me like they have the 3 prongs of an XLR. So, what are they?
 
What's your budget for this?

The MAudio Delta 44 is about the cheapest I can think of with balanced ins/outs on 1/4" jacks. The really cheap cards like the 2496 will usually have unbalanced ins/outs with RCA connectors.

Get a little headphone amp or small mixer and you'll be set.
 
My budget is around 4 or 500 Australian dollars. I guess that is around 200 250 American and maybe 200 Pound. Something like that.

I looked into the 2496...that's not balanced huh?

What about the emu 1280? That looks pretty good to me, but again I dont think it has headphone jacks. I want to avoid having to buy an amp just for headphones. Apparently the emu 1280m has headphones.

I don't know what to go with really. It's a thrill being in the market for a pro soundcard, but it's tough to decide.

Like I said, all I need is one input at a time. I have a condenser mic. I don't need to waste money on multiple inputs.
 
Monkey Allen said:
The look about the same size as an XLR but they do not look to me like they have the 3 prongs of an XLR. So, what are they?
Click to expand...

Theyre a combined input for either XLR or Jack. Thast why the middle has a large area for the jack to be inserted. Its a little over your budget, but like i said, its very nice and great quality.
 
The E-MU 1820 has headphones I have discovered. And it seems to have XLR inputs as well as 6 1/4" balanced inputs.

Unfortunately for me there does not seem to be a card that is just right for me.

The cheaper pro cards do not have headphone outputs (which I find pretty weird) but they do have just the couple of inputs that I need.

The more expensive cards have headphones and xlr, but they also have multiple inputs, which would just be wasted on me.

I want to avoid having to buy external amps and things like that just for headphones. But I also don't want to pay through the nose for inputs that I will never use.

I'm a bit stuck. I guess in a way, I can't go wrong if I go the expensive option. Better to have too much than too little. And all those features are very exciting.

We'll see what happens. I did get a $400 tax return, I could use that to alleviate some of my guilt if I go the expensive option.
 
Regarding the lack of headphone inputs on "pro" cards, that's one of the reasons they're pro (or semi-pro) cards! Good equipment is usually about components doing ONE thing (and that one thing well). So the Delta 44 does one (well two) things really well - Converts LINE level analog inputs to a digital PCM audio stream (and then converts the PCM stream back to an analog output). It has four A/D converters and four D/A converters, that's it! And it does it fairly well for the price (much better then a soundblaster or built-in sound card) Now if you want a card that has everything (Pres, headphone output, etc...) what happens when you want to upgrade the pre? Upgrade the headphone output? You might be stuck with what that box provides. Better to have each component do it's one thing, then you can upgrade as funds allow. Think of a DVD Player/TV/VCR combo... What happens when the DVD player goes Kaput, now you're stuck with the TV and have to get another DVD player. Better to get a seperate TV, DVD Player, and VCR.

I think you should get the Delta 44 (you already have pres right?) and then use a pair of computer speakers for the headphones. I'm looking at the cheap set on my desk, and they are powered so can be plugged into the line out of the Delta (using a Y-adapter) and then I can plug my headphones into the headphone out on the speakers. When you want to upgrade, you can get a cheap mixer (Mackie or Yamaha are good deals), or a dedicated headphone amp.

Also - If you have pres, why are you so hung up on XLR inputs? Those are usually for cards that have built-in pres.
 
gordone said:
Regarding the lack of headphone inputs on "pro" cards, that's one of the reasons they're pro (or semi-pro) cards! Good equipment is usually about components doing ONE thing (and that one thing well). So the Delta 44 does one (well two) things really well - Converts LINE level analog inputs to a digital PCM audio stream (and then converts the PCM stream back to an analog output). It has four A/D converters and four D/A converters, that's it! And it does it fairly well for the price (much better then a soundblaster or built-in sound card) Now if you want a card that has everything (Pres, headphone output, etc...) what happens when you want to upgrade the pre? Upgrade the headphone output? You might be stuck with what that box provides. Better to have each component do it's one thing, then you can upgrade as funds allow. Think of a DVD Player/TV/VCR combo... What happens when the DVD player goes Kaput, now you're stuck with the TV and have to get another DVD player. Better to get a seperate TV, DVD Player, and VCR.

I think you should get the Delta 44 (you already have pres right?) and then use a pair of computer speakers for the headphones. I'm looking at the cheap set on my desk, and they are powered so can be plugged into the line out of the Delta (using a Y-adapter) and then I can plug my headphones into the headphone out on the speakers. When you want to upgrade, you can get a cheap mixer (Mackie or Yamaha are good deals), or a dedicated headphone amp.

Also - If you have pres, why are you so hung up on XLR inputs? Those are usually for cards that have built-in pres.
Click to expand...

Excellent points there Gordone. The delta 44 and something like the Tapco (by mackie) 6306 or soundcraft compact 4 (which has 2 headphone outs) would still only set you back about AUS$500 all together.

The mixer would also give you a couple of extra pres (always useful to have), more options for routing monitors etc. and the ability to use the Aux sends to get somer outboard verb on the monitor mix. This can be very handy when tracking vocals.
 
If the sound quality is really good wouldn't you be doing yourself a disservice to listen to it on cheap desktop speakers? I have a really nice set of headphones and I need them in order to record my acoustic guitar, listen in my ears to that track while I overdub.

Can you tell me exactly what you mean by 'pres'?

That card you suggested looks good. It has the PCI and then the box...does the box plug into the PCI, and act as the medium through which you connect mics etc?

I guess I am hung up on XLR because I just figure it is the best type of cabling to send audio.

Does the delta 44 have preamps? I have a mic200 preamp/phantom. It has 1/4" outs that are balanced. Is the delta 44 all balanced?

It seems very economical and affordable.
 
Monkey Allen said:
If the sound quality is really good wouldn't you be doing yourself a disservice to listen to it on cheap desktop speakers? I have a really nice set of headphones and I need them in order to record my acoustic guitar, listen in my ears to that track while I overdub.
Click to expand...
I think what was meant was just a powering option for your headphones. The monitoring setup should be based around a decent set of speakers fit for the purpose of monitoring (flat response). People will also use comp speakers, headphones, normal hi-fi etc. to check that their mixes will transfer well to different playback mediums.

Monkey Allen said:
Can you tell me exactly what you mean by 'pres'?
Click to expand...
Microphone preamps.

Monkey Allen said:
That card you suggested looks good. It has the PCI and then the box...does the box plug into the PCI, and act as the medium through which you connect mics etc?
Click to expand...
Exactly, it's called a breakout box and it's very handy to have the ins/outs sat neatly on your desktop rather than having the wires hanging out of the back of the comp.

Monkey Allen said:
I guess I am hung up on XLR because I just figure it is the best type of cabling to send audio.
Click to expand...
Balanced 1/4" jacks are just as good and they're what you'll need for the delta 44.

Monkey Allen said:
Does the delta 44 have preamps? I have a mic200 preamp/phantom. It has 1/4" outs that are balanced. Is the delta 44 all balanced?
Click to expand...
The delta 44 is all balanced and has no mic preamps.
 
Thanks Kevin, really.

So you guys reckon the delta 44 has superb recording abilities?

Does it have directX? I mean, can I use it to play games too?
 
The only thing I am worried about is the headphone issue. I am all for the breakout box...that is going to be great to have my cables out of the way. It also suits my needs of only a couple of inputs/ outputs. I found out it does have directX...so it should produce good sounds for games I guess. Does it work well as an mp3 player? Will my music sound nice?

Does it have a line out that I could use to connect to a little stereo/ high fi, so that I could listen to the result on a pair of stereo speakers? If so, then I could run my headphones through my little stereo. I have a Kenwood cassette/cd/ radio/ 2way speaker system. The line going into the stereo is 1/8" I believe

Why does it have balanced AND unbalanced 1/4" lines i/o?

It will be compatible with cakewalk Guitar Tracks Pro 2 yeah?

Is the delta 44 going to run things like my windows sounds, windows media player etc?
 
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Go with the 1820m. You will not be disappointed. And it has the headphone amp.

I have other pro gear as well, and in no way is this not a pro card. Nice convertors. You may not think you want toe other inputs now, but you will be glad you have them in the future.
 
The Delta 44 has 4 I/O on 1/4" jacks that are usable as balanced or unbalanced, +4 or -10 selectable via control panel mixer. The Soundcraft Compact 4 mixer will take care of your headphone needs and interfacing with your Kenwood stereo. The Delta 44+Compact 4 setup will have better resale value should you upgrade later.

To run directX stuff, you should use the onboard or PCI soundcard in your computer, it should co-exist with the Delta 44 OK.
 
Ok, thanks, but directX is apparently on the delta 44.

I want to avoid having to buy more hardware...especially just for headphone use.

What sound media (speakers etc) do people output to from the delta 44? I mean, it has to have outputs to something...so what is it recommended you send the sound to? I am guessing it has a line out that can go to a stereo.

Even if I plug my headphones into the line out...what's the problem in that?
 
On the Delta 44, you only have line inputs and outputs, no mic preamps or onboard mixer or headphone amps. You could run your sound from the wav 1/2 output in stereo into your home stereo, but you would still need some kind of mic preamp. You would have trouble adding new parts or overdubbing without some way to handle the latency issue (delay). The Compact 4 mixer would serve the purpose of providing mic preamps, inserts for effects, a way to mix in or record stereo sources (turntables, synths) and provide headphone amps and monitoring and provide low-latency overdubbing for the musician. If you don't want a mixer, you need to pick something with all those features built in, like a Digi M-Box, M-Audio Mobile Pre, Presonus Firebox or equivalent. The Firebox would be the better choice, as the technology is newer & firewire is much better for audio than USB, or the M-Box, which would give you ProTools LE and compatibility worldwide but USB connectivity, which isn't as good. I think all of these products handle DirectX.
 
Thanks people. I think I am just going to bite the bullet and opt for the E-MU 1820. Sure, it has more i/o than I need, but it also has what I do need.

A question on that...if the 1820 has mic preamps on the xlr and 1/4" inputs (and power), it would be useless to use an external preamp 1st, before connecting my mic to the 1820 right? So I suppose my final question before I go and order this is...are the preamps/ phanotm power on these kinds of sound cards (emu 1820) good quality ones? I'm guessing they would be.

I am against the idea of buying a piece of hardware just so i can listen to headphones. So, I think I will just go the 1820...

I just looked up some reviews about the E-MU 1820. It is made by creative (which I knew) and apparently it is just an Audigy with a few extra tweaks. That does not sound very encouraging at all. What do you guys reckon?
 
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