Which soundcard to get ?

[squonqdm]

Unfortuntaely on pc you cant get anything near the Duet in terms of sound quality and useable pre's for the same price.....

in league of sound i would say from my exp and listening from ok > better..

OK >
m-audio/presonus/emu
Motu/Echo
RME
Lynx
Anything with a decent Dac on the end...
benchmark/ssl/apogee etc..
Better >

i would suggest maybe checkout the RME HDSPe AIO gives u a variety of I/O including analog for about what you're wanting to pay..

RME are reasonable top end pro-sumer they're pretty accurate if a little cold and brittle.. normally excellent and solid drivers..

also i would agree in avoiding firewire if poss as it adds an inhernent extra latency..

also a 2nd hand lynx L22 or Lynx Two as a step UP from the RME in terms of openess and clarity.. IME .

get pci-express if u can then you have a degree of future proofing built in to your card

i'm still using a pci multiface on my mac i bought about 10 years ago !

Solid !

2nd hand Lynx one on pc rig..

Best!

[Phase Ghost]

I have 2 questions regarding the audio interfaces, maybe some one can help me.

1. I always been told that audio interfaces dont play a big role in the production process since everything is been done "in the box" if u stay in the digital domain (that was my case). Is that true? Or do they color/affect the sound in the same fashion a monitor do?

2. Now I own a hardware synth that I have recorded lately and i've been thinking if the audio interface can affect the sound it's processing. So maybe i need to upgrade it to get a better/cleaner recording sound.

My setup is a dsi mono evolver pluged to the audio interface and that goes to the laptop via usb.

Can someone share some knowledge with me? Im a bit confused.

If you're 100% in the box, the soundcard won't color (colour ) the sounds you create in the box at all. Anything you record through your audio interface is subject to being altered by that interface though.

[tone-def]

I have 2 questions regarding the audio interfaces, maybe some one can help me.

1. I always been told that audio interfaces dont play a big role in the production process since everything is been done "in the box" if u stay in the digital domain (that was my case). Is that true? Or do they color/affect the sound in the same fashion a monitor do?

2. Now I own a hardware synth that I have recorded lately and i've been thinking if the audio interface can affect the sound it's processing. So maybe i need to upgrade it to get a better/cleaner recording sound.

My setup is a dsi mono evolver pluged to the audio interface and that goes to the laptop via usb.

Can someone share some knowledge with me? Im a bit confused.

If you're 100% in the box, the soundcard won't color (colour ) the sounds you create in the box at all. Anything you record through your audio interface is subject to being altered by that interface though.

even if you are ITB you still want a decent DA converter. it's part of the monitoring chain, do you want to mix on a system that doesn't tell the truth?

[blizt]

I have 2 questions regarding the audio interfaces, maybe some one can help me.

1. I always been told that audio interfaces dont play a big role in the production process since everything is been done "in the box" if u stay in the digital domain (that was my case). Is that true? Or do they color/affect the sound in the same fashion a monitor do?

2. Now I own a hardware synth that I have recorded lately and i've been thinking if the audio interface can affect the sound it's processing. So maybe i need to upgrade it to get a better/cleaner recording sound.

My setup is a dsi mono evolver pluged to the audio interface and that goes to the laptop via usb.

Can someone share some knowledge with me? Im a bit confused.

If you're 100% in the box, the soundcard won't color (colour ) the sounds you create in the box at all. Anything you record through your audio interface is subject to being altered by that interface though.

even if you are ITB you still want a decent DA converter. it's part of the monitoring chain, do you want to mix on a system that doesn't tell the truth?

So this means I need a digital to analog converter that is between my audio interface and my monitors? But all audio interface have their own DA, so does that means that the quality of the monitoring will be as good as the quality of the audio interface?

[patrick bateman]

I have 2 questions regarding the audio interfaces, maybe some one can help me.

1. I always been told that audio interfaces dont play a big role in the production process since everything is been done "in the box" if u stay in the digital domain (that was my case). Is that true? Or do they color/affect the sound in the same fashion a monitor do?

2. Now I own a hardware synth that I have recorded lately and i've been thinking if the audio interface can affect the sound it's processing. So maybe i need to upgrade it to get a better/cleaner recording sound.

My setup is a dsi mono evolver pluged to the audio interface and that goes to the laptop via usb.

Can someone share some knowledge with me? Im a bit confused.

If you're 100% in the box, the soundcard won't color (colour ) the sounds you create in the box at all. Anything you record through your audio interface is subject to being altered by that interface though.

even if you are ITB you still want a decent DA converter. it's part of the monitoring chain, do you want to mix on a system that doesn't tell the truth?

So this means I need a digital to analog converter that is between my computer and my monitors? But all audio interface have their own DA, so does that means that the quality of the monitoring will be as good as the quality of the audio interface?

[tone-def]

I have 2 questions regarding the audio interfaces, maybe some one can help me.

1. I always been told that audio interfaces dont play a big role in the production process since everything is been done "in the box" if u stay in the digital domain (that was my case). Is that true? Or do they color/affect the sound in the same fashion a monitor do?

2. Now I own a hardware synth that I have recorded lately and i've been thinking if the audio interface can affect the sound it's processing. So maybe i need to upgrade it to get a better/cleaner recording sound.

My setup is a dsi mono evolver pluged to the audio interface and that goes to the laptop via usb.

Can someone share some knowledge with me? Im a bit confused.

If you're 100% in the box, the soundcard won't color (colour ) the sounds you create in the box at all. Anything you record through your audio interface is subject to being altered by that interface though.

even if you are ITB you still want a decent DA converter. it's part of the monitoring chain, do you want to mix on a system that doesn't tell the truth?

So this means I need a digital to analog converter that is between my audio interface and my monitors? But all audio interface have their own DA, so does that means that the quality of the monitoring will be as good as the quality of the audio interface?

the DA is in the interface. that's basically all an interface is, converters and preamps.

[blizt]

Ok i understand that the DA is in the interface. But there are also standlone DA converters no? So to get the best sound possible i need a good soundcard + a quality DA converter. Is that right?

And I said the converter needs to be between the soundcard and the speakers because the sound travels let's say: laptop > soundcard > DA converter > monitors > air > my ears

Feel free to correct me because this subject is confusing me and i want to learn and do things right to get the best sound i can.

P.S: I found this very intersting article about converters: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan09/a ... erters.htm

[jobbanaught]

Get a quality firwire or usb audio interface, it has all you need. If you dont have top quality listening environment (monitors and room treatment), you dont need a top quality interface (> 600 Eur for 8 Stereo I/O).