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Subject:Sound Card: Delta or Echo??? Any more suggestions?
Posted by: FuTz
Date:9/19/2002 5:42:17 AM

I got this on the net:

"The Delta cards are all *very good*, initially I had some trouble with my delta66, but it goes away after a little tweaking with the settings in windoze.
And if you are going to use W2K, remember: DISABLE ACPI. This is a major f-ck up source. Also avoid VIA chipsets if you're building a AMD based puter.
Otherwise, I'd say this is a very very good sounding, low noise card, which is more than qualified for use in studios. "

Then: "Maudio cards suck! Ive been using one for a year and have yet to record a track without some kind of digital artifact. The new multiclient drivers are no good either. Ive been waiting a long time for a good multiclient driver. But I guess it doesnt matter anymore. Im selling my Delta and buying a Echo card. The converters in the Delta Series just arent any good so getting a good driver wouold still be redundant. Ive recorded with a Soundblaster and yeilded more error free audio files. I can't wait till my Echo card gets here. :)

ref": http://www.sonicstate.com/digital/comments.cfm?modelid=146&catid=5

Is it a real problem? Cause I run Win2K, service pack 2, with ABIT KT7Raid board which boasts a VIA chipset I flashed 1 month after I got it to reinstall new drivers.
Since I'm looking for a card, I'd like to get a feedback from you guys out there...
Thanks!


Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: Polaris20
Date:9/19/2002 7:05:45 AM

The only reason I would never run a Delta card on a Via chipset is that I've e-mailed them twice about chipsets, each time giving them the precise Via chipset I have. Each time I got a different answer.

When 4.0 came out, more people had problems with Delta cards than any other card.

Echo gives exact guidelines for which AMD and Via chipsets work, and what don't. If it's not on there, e-mail them and they will respond with confidence, not "I think so" or "most likely" or "it should".

I don't know about converter quality differences, but I am very happy with my Mia, and will likely get a Mona eventually.

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: MyST
Date:9/19/2002 7:13:26 AM

I second that.

Before I bought the Mia, I sent Echo an e-mail giving all my PC specs.
They quickly replied telling me that my system should work very well with the Mia.
It has.

M

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: jsv
Date:9/19/2002 7:23:13 AM

Very good performances and never a problem with the Mia on that side too.

cheers

js

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: drbam
Date:9/19/2002 8:54:40 AM

I've not used Maudio products, only Echo. But from what I've read on several forums, Echo's support alone would tip the scales in favor of their cards. I couldn't wish for better service than they've provided. And of course their cards are really great.

drbam

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: TeeCee
Date:9/19/2002 9:20:48 AM

I have an M-Audio Delta 66 in a motherboard with a VIA KT-266A chip set and an M-Audio Audiophile in a motherboard with an AMD north bridge and VIA south bridge. No problems with either. I didn't jump on Acid 4 Pro immediately. I worked with it for about 4 hours straight Tuesday night using a DR-008 VSTi and about 20 audio clips. I had to revert to the MME drivers after I started loading the project up with edits, the projet basically locked up, but I managed to stop the project without losing the file. I wasn't doing any live controlling or monitoring so I didn't need to be using low latency drivers. I am using the beta driver that M-Audiothrew out in reponse to the Acid 4.0 issue.

I love both of my M-Audio cards.

TeeCee

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???Any more suggestions?
Reply by: FuTz
Date:9/19/2002 3:14:08 PM

Thanks for all the comments/opinions.
And how about MOTU cards? I know lots of MacPeople use 'em but is there a few Windowz people who've been using those successfully?
Any more suggestions for a card?
I mainly want to put a few guitar tracks, vocals and eventually, maybe, MIDI stuff (And I'm gonna have a few more questions here...).
I'd also like to mix in surround some day (5.1 that is) so I guess I'm gonna need at least 6 outputs? (my speakers system isn't SPDIF, just 1/8" stereo jacks -Logitech z-560-)
I'm trying to get a maximum of info, you probably already figured it out...
And THANKS again!

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: stusy
Date:9/19/2002 6:03:27 PM

There support is a plus; I've barraged them with many a question about setup issues, etc., and they are johnny-on-the-spot with their responses...and I haven't even bought a card from them yet..!

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: spesimen
Date:9/19/2002 6:17:02 PM

another .02 ... i've been using a gina24 (also an echo card) on a abit kt-7 raid board for like a year or so and it works quite well - actually, acid4 is the only app that has trouble with the ASIO drivers on it but it works fine with MME. the asio stuff works great in reason and cubase.

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: jcarney42
Date:9/19/2002 7:11:39 PM

TeeCee, I just got an Audiophile 24/96, but haven't installed it yet. I too have an ABIT mobo with AMD north/Via south running Win2K. I heard you can download the latest 4in1 drivers and apply only the southbridge install to fix the PCI bus problem. I'll try that first before installing the Audiophile. A friend of mine did that, and his soundcard troubles went away.
Still, it looks like I should have gone with the Echo. Darn.

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: FuTz
Date:9/19/2002 8:39:46 PM

stusy :
you mean Echo card? or Motu?...

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: stusy
Date:9/19/2002 10:06:32 PM

The M-Audio folks...I think if I were to jump from my AW2 card it would be the 66 or 1010, cuz I have a nice little Mackie 1202 mixer...Ted Perlman, in the Cakewalk/Sonar newsgroup, likes M-Audio, and he's a pretty tough customer...and to paraphrase the hell out of him: ..."The Delta series cards from M-Audio have the best sound I have ever heard from a computer..." I've heard alot of good things about MIA as well...go to Mars or Guitar Center or talk w/Sweetwater, etc...get a 6th opinion; it's your money...

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: FuTz
Date:9/20/2002 7:28:17 AM

Thanks Stusy... the more I look at it, the more it'll be the MIA card. I'll just write to them about my computer specs then go buy it as soon as I can.
If I ever get more serious, I'd go too with a Mackie; hell of good boards for what you pay.
If I ever get into MIDI,then I'll improvise something...

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: MyST
Date:9/20/2002 7:38:16 AM

Just a quick note about the Mia; if you plan on doing any midi, you'll need a midi interface. That's about the only "drawback".
But again, when you talk/write to Echo, mention what you plan on doing with it, and they'll set you up with the proper card.

M

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: TeeCee
Date:9/20/2002 7:40:47 AM

jcarney:
These cards are great in my experience. I recommend them to everyone. My Audiophile is in a FIC (it was given to me as payment) with the chipset you have, with an Athlon XP 1600+ with about 384MB RAM. I put Reason on there to check it out. I have my latency set at about 1 or 2 ms. I had one synth arpegiating a Subtractor, another synth arpegiating another subtractor and I was triggering ReDrum from my DrumKAT, PoleKATS, and KicKAT, and it felt like I was playing live drums. No delay, no crackle. Nothing but low latency goodness.

TeeCee

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: FuTz
Date:9/20/2002 8:59:14 AM

The MIA card includes 8 ""software"" outputs. I guess I can use'em to mix in surround mode (5.1)? At least, I will be able to save my six different tracks, ain't it?
And as to actually HEAR the mix, am I right to say I'll need another soundcard with the proper number of outputs to feed my speaker system (logitech Z-560)? ('cause actually, my SoundCrapper live value won't let me do that because of lack of channel outs )

Subject:Another....: Anyone using Hoontech/STAudio DSP24v soundcard?
Reply by: jtuffen
Date:9/20/2002 10:41:35 AM

Hi,
I bought Acid4.0 a few weeks ago, and now realise how slow my PC is (I never had a piece of software capable of running VSTi before!), So I'm going to upgrade it...

Part of the upgrade will probably be to move to Windows XP pro - and since my current soundcard doesn't have drivers for XP, I'm going to have to get another.

I'm thinking of getting the ST-Audio DSP24 Value with the digi I/O bracket, and wondered if anyone here has any comments on this card (I'm also going to get a new mobo, processor, and case, so any comments about mobo incompatibilities would be great!)

Or should I just shell out for an echo or delta card?


cheers,

john..

Subject:RE: Another....: Anyone using Hoontech/STAudio DSP24v soundcard?
Reply by: TeeCee
Date:9/20/2002 12:36:02 PM

The Audiophile is only about $150 at the right store. This is cheap to me coming from the days of spending more than twice that for a stereo card with no S/PDIF.

TeeCee

Subject:RE: Sound Card: Delta or Echo???
Reply by: forlornsoul
Date:8/1/2003 10:34:06 AM

What card would be best for using Acid, Sound Forge, Cool Edit, Korg Karma synth for MIDI and/or Audio input? I am running an XP2700+ CPU w/512Mb PC2700 DDR configured as Dual Channel with NForce 2 Chipset on MSI Motherboard (and TI4800se 128Mb MSI Video ;-) ). I was looking at the SB Audigy 2 but am debating on whether to go with M-Audio or Echo or ESI (Tech at computer store has had good luck with this brand but I know nothing of them).

I am doing Dark Ambient music using loops, live MIDI/Audio mixed in together for my Darkened Soul project.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

Subject:RE: Another....: Anyone using Hoontech/STAudio DSP24v soundcard?
Reply by: coolout
Date:8/3/2003 3:57:47 PM

terratec...terratec...terratec...terratec...terratec...

best bang for the buck

if money's not an issue go with the MOTU.

i wouldn't worry about surround guys.

if you can afford a proper surround monitoring environment you probably already sunk a couple grand in your audio card.

Subject:RE: Another....: Anyone using Hoontech/STAudio DSP24v soundcard?
Reply by: farss
Date:8/4/2003 6:06:37 AM

coolout,
it wasn't my question originaly but I'd been pondering whether to buy CT Audigy 2 Ex or Terratec 6Fire GL and for the extra few dollars the Terratec seems the way to go.

I doubt I'll ever afford the gear to hear the difference but the Terratec stuff seems to get votes as being rock solid.

Subject:RE: Another....: Anyone using Hoontech/STAudio DSP24v soundcard?
Reply by: drbam
Date:8/4/2003 9:14:55 AM

The difference between Terratec and Audigy is simply "pro" vs "consumer." If you are serious about producing music, then there's not much else to consider here. My $.02 ;-)

drbam

Subject:RE: Another....: Anyone using Hoontech/STAudio DSP24v soundcard?
Reply by: Spirit
Date:8/4/2003 9:18:12 AM

I'd also consider a Creamware Luna or Pulsar-II. Reasonably expensive, but the synths, effects, very low latency, routing options and superb audio quality are all big pluses.

I would stay away from M-audio. Scout around the forums and it always seems to be people with M-audio cards having problems with drivers and crashes with various vsti etc

Subject:RE: Another....: Anyone using Hoontech/STAudio DSP24v soundcard?
Reply by: ty8813
Date:8/4/2003 11:46:29 AM

Yes use Creamware Luna or Pulsar-II, they are awesome.

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