Sound Cards? -ACID Product Family - MAGIX Community Forums Archive

Subject:Sound Cards? Posted by: spinweb Date:5/4/2004 9:32:23 AM Hi, I've been using the internal sound card that came with my IBMT30 laptop.... The quality is.... not too great, especially for vocals. What's the easiest, cheapest way to get better sound quality? I especially like outboard solutions that I won't need to fiddle with my laptop to use. I found this on the web: http://www.digitraxx.com/hwscsonica.html Thanks!
Subject:RE: Sound Cards? Reply by: DKeenum Date:5/4/2004 10:40:43 AM I know you said external, but why not at least look at this: http://www.echoaudio.com/ I have a usb1 interface and I've not been all that happy with it.
Subject:RE: Sound Cards? Reply by: spinweb Date:5/4/2004 11:59:10 AM So how does one use this with ACID? Now I plug my microphone or guitar into the mini stereo jack on the side of my laptop and record away in ACID. Doesn't sound great, especially the vocals. I have a wireless PCI card I plug into the side of my laptop, will I just plug this in one of those two ports and then run my mic or instruments into the ECHO Indigo? How does the sound quality compare with what comes with the laptop? Finally, whew, why weren't you happy with a USB card? Cheers, Eric
Subject:RE: Sound Cards? Reply by: spinweb Date:5/4/2004 2:06:48 PM This is no good? http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Transit/ Sure is affordable. But I do want quality sound.... and no lagging.
Subject:RE: Sound Cards? Reply by: planders Date:5/5/2004 12:30:02 PM Can't speak for the products you're asking about, except the Indigo. I have an Indigo IO and am very happy with it. The input and output signals are audibly cleaner (and just generally better) than any built-in laptop audio solution. It's actually better than most desktop sound cards, for that matter. If you read the specs on Echo's site, you'll see that the Indigo essentially matches the specs of their pro equipment, apart from the lack of balanced input/output and of course the reduced number of in/out lines. Bottom line: you'd use the Indigo the same way you use your current sound system, it'll just sound much better. If you want to go all out, they've got a laptop card for the Layla24, too...
Subject:RE: Sound Cards? Reply by: spinweb Date:5/6/2004 8:18:01 AM What about MIDI? If I want to use MIDI in a project in ACID, can this do it? I think my laptop has a MIDI input somewhere else...
Subject:RE: Sound Cards? Reply by: planders Date:5/6/2004 9:15:49 AM The Indigo doesn't have MIDI capabilities, other than playback via the Windows wavetable synth. If your laptop has a built-in MIDI interface you can certainly use that--sound quality issues shouldn't apply. You can also add a USB MIDI interface. The Layla24 has a MIDI interface built in. But of course that's a much more expensive unit.

Subject:Sound Cards?

Posted by: spinweb

Date:5/4/2004 9:32:23 AM

Hi,

I've been using the internal sound card that came with my IBMT30 laptop....
The quality is.... not too great, especially for vocals. What's the easiest,
cheapest way to get better sound quality? I especially like outboard solutions
that I won't need to fiddle with my laptop to use.

I found this on the web:
http://www.digitraxx.com/hwscsonica.html

Thanks!

Subject:RE: Sound Cards?

Reply by: DKeenum

Date:5/4/2004 10:40:43 AM

I know you said external, but why not at least look at this:

http://www.echoaudio.com/

I have a usb1 interface and I've not been all that happy with it.

Subject:RE: Sound Cards?

Reply by: spinweb

Date:5/4/2004 11:59:10 AM

So how does one use this with ACID? Now I plug my microphone or guitar
into the mini stereo jack on the side of my laptop and record away in ACID.
Doesn't sound great, especially the vocals. I have a wireless PCI card I
plug into the side of my laptop, will I just plug this in one of those two ports
and then run my mic or instruments into the ECHO Indigo?

How does the sound quality compare with what comes with the laptop?

Finally, whew, why weren't you happy with a USB card?

Cheers,
Eric

Subject:RE: Sound Cards?

Reply by: spinweb

Date:5/4/2004 2:06:48 PM

This is no good?

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Transit/

Sure is affordable. But I do want quality sound....
and no lagging.

Subject:RE: Sound Cards?

Reply by: planders

Date:5/5/2004 12:30:02 PM

Can't speak for the products you're asking about, except the Indigo.

I have an Indigo IO and am very happy with it. The input and output signals are audibly cleaner (and just generally better) than any built-in laptop audio solution. It's actually better than most desktop sound cards, for that matter.

If you read the specs on Echo's site, you'll see that the Indigo essentially matches the specs of their pro equipment, apart from the lack of balanced input/output and of course the reduced number of in/out lines.

Bottom line: you'd use the Indigo the same way you use your current sound system, it'll just sound much better.

If you want to go all out, they've got a laptop card for the Layla24, too...

Subject:RE: Sound Cards?

Reply by: spinweb

Date:5/6/2004 8:18:01 AM

What about MIDI? If I want to use MIDI in a project in ACID, can this do it? I think my laptop has a MIDI input somewhere else...

Subject:RE: Sound Cards?

Reply by: planders

Date:5/6/2004 9:15:49 AM

The Indigo doesn't have MIDI capabilities, other than playback via the Windows wavetable synth. If your laptop has a built-in MIDI interface you can certainly use that--sound quality issues shouldn't apply.

You can also add a USB MIDI interface.

The Layla24 has a MIDI interface built in. But of course that's a much more expensive unit.