Sound Card Best Picks -ACID Product Family - MAGIX Community Forums Archive

Subject:Sound Card Best Picks Posted by: MrClickBoy Date:1/6/2003 8:07:37 AM Ok, I'm finally ready to puchase a Computer (probably a Loaded Dell) probably by Friday Jan 10th. Can people tell me what sound cards are best to purchase, or what sound cards to avoid. I'm assuming that I'll be running Windows XP. *P.S. If anyone has insight into special features I should add to my P.C. let me know. As far as cards go, I'm not even sure all that I should be looking for... so if there are questions that should be asked please let me know. Thanks--- M.T.
Subject:RE: Sound Card Best Picks Reply by: MyST Date:1/6/2003 8:29:49 AM Never ASSume anything! Make sure you have WinXP. Sound card? Depends what you'll be doing. Do you want to work with surround? Do you want to play games on your PC also? How many INS/OUTS do you need? Basics...I'd suggest the Audiophile 2496, it's got a built in midi interface. Other things I'd suggest. Video card: Get a dual-display capable card, along with 2 displays if you have the $$. Hard-drives: 2. 1 for Windows and apps, another for your media and project storage. Ideally a 40 Gig and 120 Gig. Firewire port, if you plan on editing video. Actually, a loaded Dell probably isn't the best way to go. There are lots of places that specialize in PCs used for audio/video editing, try to find one of those first in your area. If not, there are alot of places that sell via the net. M
Subject:RE: Sound Card Best Picks Reply by: dkistner Date:1/6/2003 8:47:43 AM I'm very happy with my Gateway...we have four of them now, and they behave themselves very well. If something stops working, and it's still under warranty, they replace it quickly without grief. I'm also very happy with my Echo Mia/Soundblaster Live combo. The Mia doesn't have midi outs, though, so if you intend to hook up external midi gear, you'd have to be creative. Fortunately, I don't have to do this, working as I do entirely in the box.
Subject:RE: Sound Card Best Picks Reply by: antonio Date:1/6/2003 10:27:55 AM I have the M-Audio Omni Studio bundled with the Delta 66 card and I love it!! I also agree with "MySt" on getting a Dell PC! Although, I'm sure Dell makes great products and pc's, I personally think you should go with someone who specializes in building pc's strictly for audio or video purposes!! My pc was built by Justin at DAWBOX Inc. You can check out their website at www.dawbox.com. Or if you just do a search on custom built computers or something to that effect, you'll get several listings of companies who build computers specifically for audio purposes! Antonio
Subject:RE: Sound Card Best Picks Reply by: Laurence Date:1/6/2003 11:20:30 AM I use an Edirol UA-700 USB audio/midi interface with built in guitar modeling and vocal preamp. It works great on any fast PC. The latest generation of PCs is so darn fast that pretty much any of them will work well. It's not like it was last year when the CPUs where barely cutting it and you needed to have a highly optimized system to get adequate performance. The Dell would be fine. As long as people are recommending PCs though, I wouldn't change my extremely small and quiet Shuttle P4 system for anything out there. It is tiny, handsome, as quiet as they come, and it screems! Laurence Kingston

Subject:Sound Card Best Picks

Posted by: MrClickBoy

Date:1/6/2003 8:07:37 AM

Ok, I'm finally ready to puchase a Computer (probably a Loaded Dell) probably by Friday Jan 10th.

Can people tell me what sound cards are best to purchase, or what
sound cards to avoid. I'm assuming that I'll be running Windows XP.

*P.S. If anyone has insight into special features I should add to my P.C. let me know. As far as cards go, I'm not even sure all that I should be looking for... so if there are questions that should be asked please let me know.

Thanks--- M.T.

Subject:RE: Sound Card Best Picks

Reply by: MyST

Date:1/6/2003 8:29:49 AM

Never ASSume anything! Make sure you have WinXP.
Sound card? Depends what you'll be doing. Do you want to work with surround? Do you want to play games on your PC also? How many INS/OUTS do you need?
Basics...I'd suggest the Audiophile 2496, it's got a built in midi interface.
Other things I'd suggest.
Video card: Get a dual-display capable card, along with 2 displays if you have the $$.
Hard-drives: 2. 1 for Windows and apps, another for your media and project storage. Ideally a 40 Gig and 120 Gig.
Firewire port, if you plan on editing video.

Actually, a loaded Dell probably isn't the best way to go. There are lots of places that specialize in PCs used for audio/video editing, try to find one of those first in your area. If not, there are alot of places that sell via the net.

M

Subject:RE: Sound Card Best Picks

Reply by: dkistner

Date:1/6/2003 8:47:43 AM

I'm very happy with my Gateway...we have four of them now, and they behave themselves very well. If something stops working, and it's still under warranty, they replace it quickly without grief. I'm also very happy with my Echo Mia/Soundblaster Live combo. The Mia doesn't have midi outs, though, so if you intend to hook up external midi gear, you'd have to be creative. Fortunately, I don't have to do this, working as I do entirely in the box.

Subject:RE: Sound Card Best Picks

Reply by: antonio

Date:1/6/2003 10:27:55 AM

I have the M-Audio Omni Studio bundled with the Delta 66 card and I love it!! I also agree with "MySt" on getting a Dell PC! Although, I'm sure Dell makes great products and pc's, I personally think you should go with someone who specializes in building pc's strictly for audio or video purposes!! My pc was built by Justin at DAWBOX Inc. You can check out their website at www.dawbox.com. Or if you just do a search on custom built computers or something to that effect, you'll get several listings of companies who build computers specifically for audio purposes!

Antonio

Subject:RE: Sound Card Best Picks

Reply by: Laurence

Date:1/6/2003 11:20:30 AM

I use an Edirol UA-700 USB audio/midi interface with built in guitar modeling and vocal preamp. It works great on any fast PC.

The latest generation of PCs is so darn fast that pretty much any of them will work well. It's not like it was last year when the CPUs where barely cutting it and you needed to have a highly optimized system to get adequate performance. The Dell would be fine.

As long as people are recommending PCs though, I wouldn't change my extremely small and quiet Shuttle P4 system for anything out there. It is tiny, handsome, as quiet as they come, and it screems!

Laurence Kingston