What is a good sounds card?

[tealk]

What are some of the best sound cards out there? I need it for a new PC that I am building for a musician. He will be feeding a mixer in the PC while recording.
Give me some ideas....I have heard Turtle Beach is a good card.
Send me links.

Thanks!

 

[Scouzer]

The Santa Cruz is like 5 years old now...

Is there a new version...otherwise its on par with about a SB Live! Value...

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Check out M-Audio.

 

[galois427]

M-Audio

Heres a list of sound cards from m-audio. They make really nice sound cards (i use an m-audio revo 7.1 myself).

 

[CSMR]

Originally posted by: tealk
What are some of the best sound cards out there? I need it for a new PC that I am building for a musician. He will be feeding a mixer in the PC while recording.
Give me some ideas....I have heard Turtle Beach is a good card.
Send me links.

Thanks!

You have to see what he needs. How many inputs, how many outputs, what sort, does he need microphone preamps, etc. etc..
M-Audio has some good stuff. So does E-MU, perhaps even better stuff.

 

[SPQQKY]

I would stay away from M-Audio if he wan't good sound from using it as an input device for a mixer. The best card out there right now is the Bluegears Mystique. They will come out with a new card soon (though now they are sold to Auzentech, which will continue their excellent product line).

 

[NucEm]

Creative X-Fi series is quite good but pricey. The Platinum(~$200), Fatal1ty(~$280), and Elite Pro(~$400) have additional inputs and outputs. The Elite Pro has a better chipset.

Pricewatch

 

[konakona]

I would look at some offerings from EMU, audiotrak and RME. creative is focused on gaming with CMSS/EAX stuff so I would stay away from them with no need for gaming support. Honestly, I dont know much about the recording side of the soundcard scene, but when it comes to quality music playback, a creative card (still) isnt something you want in your system.

 

[javiervi]

Originally posted by: SPQQKY
I would stay away from M-Audio if he wan't good sound from using it as an input device for a mixer. The best card out there right now is the Bluegears Mystique. They will come out with a new card soon (though now they are sold to Auzentech, which will continue their excellent product line).

Originally posted by: NucEm
Creative X-Fi series is quite good but pricey. The Platinum(~$200), Fatal1ty(~$280), and Elite Pro(~$400) have additional inputs and outputs. The Elite Pro has a better chipset.

Pricewatch

pleeeeaaase....

He said a computer for a musician!!!.... Please inform yourselves before making any recommendations. Have you even listened to those soundcards you are recommending? Do you even know other brands? Do you have enough experience, judgment and equipment to give that kind of advice?

To the original poster, please ignore this guy?s advice. If your friend is a musician he needs a sound card for musicians and not for unknowledgeable consumers. Unless your friend has a $5,000 mixer and $2,000 monitors (which I highly doubt), he would do just fine with an m-audio soundcard. So I would recommend you ask him how many input and outputs does he need and what kind and then make a decision based on any of the m-audio products from the Delta or Audiophile series.

 

[NEVERwinter]

Actually, I would recommend M-Audio's Firewire solution such as FW Audiophile, or FW 410 (it stands for 4 inputs/10 outputs).
I use the FW410 for recording and live performance, it's really great.

 

[bdww00]

chaintech av710

 

[tealk]

"So I would recommend you ask him how many input and outputs does he need and what kind and then make a decision based on any of the m-audio" javiervi - What do u mean by what kind? I think he's just gonna use a mic, keyboard, and guitar....

 

[javiervi]

Originally posted by: tealk
"So I would recommend you ask him how many input and outputs does he need and what kind and then make a decision based on any of the m-audio" javiervi - What do u mean by what kind? I think he's just gonna use a mic, keyboard, and guitar....

yeah, what kind of I/O.... like Plug 1/4, balanced plug 1/4,digital or line.

My guess is he will need a balanced Plug 1/4.


buy the M-audio Delta 44. musiciansfriend has it in stock. It's a very reliable store. Great service and very fast shipping. In newegg its out of stock and it has the same price.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Recording/Computer/Hardware?sku=701346

 

[tealk]

WOW that card looks awsome......So the guy I;m building this for if just taking all his instraments into his mixer and then from there into the sound card. Does that sound right? Or in other words if I bought the card listed above it would go into the I/O switch? Is the balanced plug 1/4 the most common?

Also the card says "Minimum System Requirements for PC:Windows 95, 98 or NT"
Why doesn't it say XP? Since that's what I will be using.

 

[Zap Brannigan]

E-MU 0404 is amazing to my ears for music.

 

[javiervi]

Originally posted by: tealk
WOW that card looks awsome......So the guy I;m building this for if just taking all his instraments into his mixer and then from there into the sound card. Does that sound right? Or in other words if I bought the card listed above it would go into the I/O switch? Is the balanced plug 1/4 the most common?

Also the card says "Minimum System Requirements for PC:Windows 95, 98 or NT"
Why doesn't it say XP? Since that's what I will be using.

yeah. He hooks all instruments to mixer then from mixer to sound card.

Balanced is common for mixer inputs and outputs, not for instruments. BUT any un-balanced can be hooked to a balanced. That sound card accepts balanced or unbalanced cables.

It does work with XP. Its the same driver for all of the delta and audiophile series.

 

[tealk]

Sweet going to order it this weekend. The cable from the mixer to the card...just RCA cables?