What audio interface should i get??

  • Thread starter Thread starter mojew
  • Start date Start date
The Edirol range is beginning to make some waves (no pun intended;) ) in HoRec circles, some very nice reviews.
 
I got rid of the 2408 mk 3 and got into an RME Multiface and it's been great! Audio, spdif, midi, adat. 24/96, great driver support, and works with laptops and pc.
Jason
 
I've been using an SBLive and have been itching to get something half decent. I definately consider myself a newbie, and used to think that the difference between an SBLive and something more expensive was like splitting hairs. But is it just me or does everyone's ears get subconciously trained over time without thinking about it?? I can't even bear to hear what my guitar sounds like after it runs through the SBLive. I used to monitor on the 'out' side of the soundcard through my stereo, and I thought my Korg Pandora sounded lifeless (its noisy, and not really useable for direct recording, but it's definately not lifeless). Then I got a mixer and started monitoring from the board the the little thing just jumped to life, but when I played back my .wav of cruddy guitar riffing, it sounded kinda like I'd recorded through a telephone. The low end disappears and the highs are cut off. I mentioned it on this board some time ago and someone mentioned that I was hearing my A/D convertors. I plugged my headphones into the end of the cable that was running from my tape-out on the mixer to the soundcard just to be sure it wasn't the mixer or the cable that was screwing with the signal and it sounded fine. Then I plugged the headphones directly into the line out on the soundcard to check and see exactly what the .wav sounded like after running through the soundcard but before getting back to the mixer. It sounded like absolute crap. So the weak point in my link is definately the sound blaster and not the Pandora or the mixer (I like the Behringer UB1204-Pro quite a bit actually).

Time and time again people here had suggested that the SBLive wasn't sufficient for decent recording, but until I finally heard it for myself (and it took a year or so for me to finally hear it), I didn't believe it. The real test will be when I purchase a new card (maybe a Delta 44) to see if I hear a huge difference. My worry right now is that I shell out the $350 or $400 Canadian to pick one of these puppies up and I only get half way to the kind of sound quality I want. To me, using 24/96 audio quality you should be able to capture and re-create exactly the tone and subtleties you hear straight out of the Pandora. (Which, after the sound card, I will likely find doesn't do the trick anymore and will get a POD XT or similar)

Anyways, to all those sticking with their SBLive's for now... from my experience, with alot of listening and a little bit of time, you too will discover how unbelievably crappy these things capture audio. Its not splitting hairs at all. There's less difference between a 128k MP3 and a CD than there is between what goes in and what comes out of a SoundBlaster.
 
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Time and time again people here had suggested that the SBLive wasn't sufficient for decent recording, but until I finally heard it for myself (and it took a year or so for me to finally hear it), I didn't believe it
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Yeah, Canada-paul, its true. You just can't believe the difference between an S/B Live! and a pro-am soundcard. Its like night and day.
 
canada-paul said:
There's more difference between a 128k MP3 and a CD than there is between what goes in and what comes out of a SoundBlaster.
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Don't you mean:
"There is less difference between 128...." :D
 
Yes Moskus you're right. Hadn't had my coffee yet.

(off to edit original post and grab some java)
 
Coffee! Life is nothing without it... ;)

Give me Sonar, coffee and a cigarette, and I'm happy! :D
 
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