Sound card for recording?

[Inearthed]

I need a soundcard of some sort for recording as the one that is on my computer's motherboard is a POS. Using a POD XT Bean with 1/4" outs. What should I pick up? Don't need a breakout box or mic inputs.

And keeping it under $200 would be nice. Under $150 would be perfect.

[Newc]

Soundblaster Audigy from WalMart. I use a SB Live 5.1, and it's perfect.

Stop by the i-pod accessories and grab one of those dual 1/8" connection cables, stick a 1/8-1/4" headphone adapter on one end into the POD and the other end into the Line In of the sound card.

[Inearthed]

k, I'll check out the Audigy..

And this cable would work well too, right? http://www.samash.com/catalog/showit...ffiliateID=615

[mpigott]

check out the m-audio cards as well.

[Newc]

http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp?itemid=21479&sourcetype=singleitemsearch

[Child Of Norther]

Soundblaster Audigy from WalMart. I use a SB Live 5.1, and it's perfect.

NO!!!! PLEASE DON'T BUY A SOUNDBLASTER!

Worst POS EVER for recording.


Edirol UA-25! (usb breakout but 2 decent preamps and hi-Z inputs)
EMU - 1212m - PCI, amazing converters and comes with some good software for about 129eur
M-Audio fast track - again USB...Also decent.. No phantom power though.


PLEASE DO NOT BUY THAT POS CREATIVE Soundblaster...

[Shawn Lutz]

m-audio 2496 card

[Inearthed]

m-audio 2496 card

Heard very good things about this card (reliability, good drivers, etc), but are the unbalanced ins going to be a problem? And it appears that I'd have to run 1/4" to RCA cables too, which is no big deal, but just wondering if that would kinda crap up the sound.

Sorry to pelt with questions and all...

EMU - 1212m looks good too.

[Newc]

NO!!!! PLEASE DON'T BUY A SOUNDBLASTER!

Worst POS EVER for recording.


Edirol UA-25! (usb breakout but 2 decent preamps and hi-Z inputs)
EMU - 1212m - PCI, amazing converters and comes with some good software for about 129eur
M-Audio fast track - again USB...Also decent.. No phantom power though.


PLEASE DO NOT BUY THAT POS CREATIVE Soundblaster...

Well, I guess you're miking a cabinet? Dude said he was using a POD, so there's not much for the SB to screw up is there?

[Child Of Norther]

Well, I guess you're miking a cabinet? Dude said he was using a POD, so there's not much for the SB to screw up is there?

In my line of work, Yes, i do mic cabinets but also i work a LOT with the pod XT. Everything i post here is recorded with a pod XT, aye.



I run my pod via the stereo outs into my stereo inputs on the Edirol UA-25.

Benifits to this:


Good control of volume and GOOD (for the price) ad/da convertors and good preamps. Also have phantom power (for condensor mics) if you decide to record vocals and also has Spdif input if i n eed to whore some audio off a DVD.


Second, and most important to me.


DIRECT MONITORING


So i'm recording analogue and not via USB for the sole purpose that
A) it sounds better
B) i can listen to my playing with zero latency (a copy of the input signal is sent to the speakers before it even hits the computer) so you can record to your tracks and hear what you're playing as you play it.


See, it takes computers time to process input signal, convert it to computer format then your DAW applicaton to send it back to the speakers..

This can vary from the 2miliseconds i have on my studio comp to the 42ms of my internet laptop.

With zero latency monitoring on the edirol ua-25 and many other "designed for audio recording" cards, they make a copy and send it to the speakers so you can hear exactly what you play without having an annoying bastard latency and it doesn't matter how fast your comp is!



A soundblaster is a gamers card. Nothing more.

[Child Of Norther]

Heard very good things about this card (reliability, good drivers, etc), but are the unbalanced ins going to be a problem? And it appears that I'd have to run 1/4" to RCA cables too, which is no big deal, but just wondering if that would kinda crap up the sound.

Sorry to pelt with questions and all...

EMU - 1212m looks good too.

The m-audio 24-96 is meant for "computer musicians" or like electronic musiciians who mostly use the phono ins for turntables and use it mostly for it'äs midi connectivity!

one of the best cards if you wanna make music in the computer, not so great if you wanna record instruments.

[Newc]

And you did notice the part where he wants it under $200?

[Bert]

I also use the edirol-ua25 and it is a great little unit. They are more than $200, but not much more.

[Child Of Norther]

And you did notice the part where he wants it under $200?

I got mine for £99 which is around $175

[Newc]

Neat. I was under the impression those were like $500 and up?

Anyhoo, a SoundBlaster will still work fine for doing scratch demos and mp3s. He didn't say he was building a PC studio, so as long as that's the case I'd go with the SB.