What should I buy?

  • Thread starter Thread starter triple cubic
  • Start date Start date
T

triple cubic

New member
Hello, everyone... I am new to this forum. :) Hope you are all doing well.

Anyway, I am looking for a professional soundcard for hip-hop/rap recording. I was told that I need a card with a mic-pre (whatever that is) that enables me to play a track in the background and record my voice over it at the same time (real-time mixing).

I was going to just get another Sound Blaster type card, but I heard those were no good for recording.

Can someone please tell me what to get and where I can get it?

I need something affordable, nothing like $1,000 or something crazy like that. I'd like to keep it cheaper, but quality is also an issue for me.

Thanks in advance to those of you who reply. :)

- Cubic
 
Also...

I also need a card that can handle a set of digital 5.1 surround speakers (Klipsch Promedia 5.1). Please help. :) Thanks.
 
Re: Also...

triple cubic said:
I also need a card that can handle a set of digital 5.1 surround speakers (Klipsch Promedia 5.1). Please help. :) Thanks.
Click to expand...

With that limitation, you're probably stuck with something like an Audigy or a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think any of the prosumer cards (M-Audio, Echo, Aardvark, etc.) can do the 6 channel analog output dolby digital - and if any of them did, it would be those that actually had 6 channels of analog out which would bring you up to $450 or so with the Delta 1010 and similar systems.
 
Okay...

Damn, okay...

Say we take out the need for the 5.1 surround... Then what options are there?
 
On a budget, I'd go for the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. $160 gets you 2-in/2-out of very nice 24-bit 96k analog, SPDIF I/O, and a MIDI interface.
 
I second the Audiophile for recording. Actually you can run both cards in the same machine--as I do (Dman 2044 and SB Live).

Use the Audiophile ($160) for recording your tracks, and the Audigy ($70) for playback and mixing in 5.1

At least I think this will work.
 
Why...

Thanks to everyone, you guys have all been very helpful...

The last question I have is... Why don't the professional recording soundcards support 5.1 surround sound?

And also, do you think the 2 soundcard configuration will really work? How would the Audigy alone work for recording?

Holler back. :)

- Cubic
 
because 5.1 surrond sound is used mostly for movies, and is only supported by the DVD Video standard.. eventually (hopefully) when DVD audio is finally introduced to the mainstream, soundcards will probably follow the trend and start including 5.1 surround sound outputs for mxing to .ac3 (dolby digital 5.1 surround sound) format..

theres no reason 2 soundcards cant coexist in one system, its been done a million times...

also, you will need a mixer with preamps if you want to record vocals.. the m-audio will have balanced inputs, but no preamps..
 
Re: Why...

triple cubic said:
Thanks to everyone, you guys have all been very helpful...

The last question I have is... Why don't the professional recording soundcards support 5.1 surround sound?
Click to expand...

They do, but AFAIK, only through digital outputs to a DD5.1/DTS decoder. Here's a list of audio cards and what types of playback they support with WinDVD.

And also, do you think the 2 soundcard configuration will really work?
Click to expand...

Yes. What sound card are you using now? Chances are it would work with the Audiophile.

How would the Audigy alone work for recording?
Click to expand...

Pretty well. If you record at 48KHz and use a good downsampling program when you go to CD, then it'll work about as well as any consumer-level card. The only thing that might be better would be a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz, which doesn't have Creative's 48KHz limitation, but also doesn't have SoundFont capability, etc. It should do the 6 channel analog out DD5.1.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top