How important is a sound card?

doubtful · Post by **doubtful** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 3:55 pm

Hi everyone. I started producing on a shitty pc last year and things got out of hand, so I've just bought a new pc to feed my habit. This has taken a sizeable chunk out of my budget, so I'm just wondering what I should get next? I have some ok computer speakers, but they're not monitors so I don't trust them in the least. They do have more bass than my Seinheiser phones though, but these were also fairly cheap.

I guess most of you have soundcards, but I was just wondering how essential they are, as I can already hear what I'm doing with the internal chip that came with my pc.

So, should I get a soundcard or decent headphones next (can't afford good monitors and noise is a problem) ?

FSTZ1 · Post by **FSTZ1** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 3:58 pm

MUY IMPORTANTE!

you will want to get something that will render a decent mixdown

there are plenty of soundcards that are about $100 that will do the trick

get something that will support ASIO drivers

macc · Post by **macc** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 4:22 pm

FSTZ wrote: you will want to get something that will render a decent mixdown

I'm not sure if I am reading you right, but the card doesn't affect the internal calculations (summing/mixdown), only the I/O.

rdubz · Post by **rdubz** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 4:29 pm

maudio audiophile 2496, well worth the money

step correct · Post by **step correct** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 4:30 pm

Macc wrote:
FSTZ wrote: you will want to get something that will render a decent mixdown
I'm not sure if I am reading you right, but the card doesn't affect the internal calculations (summing/mixdown), only the I/O.

I was thinking the same thing.

On that thought will recording on the out into another PC do any good?

step correct · Post by **step correct** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 4:33 pm

rdubz wrote:maudio audiophile 2496, well worth the money

would you suggest this over a USB style interface? Is there any difference?

I just came up on a really nice custom desktop made for studio/producing, loaded with everything BUT a soundcard.. Is why I ask..

FSTZ1 · Post by **FSTZ1** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:07 pm

Step Correct wrote:
Macc wrote:
FSTZ wrote: you will want to get something that will render a decent mixdown
I'm not sure if I am reading you right, but the card doesn't affect the internal calculations (summing/mixdown), only the I/O.

I was thinking the same thing.

On that thought will recording on the out into another PC do any good?

haha yeah sorry for the confusion...

I was referring to the ability to use more plugins / monitor properly etc...

abZ · Post by **abZ** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:35 pm

I produced on a 16 bit sound blaster card for yeeeaaars. I have a nicer thing now and I am glad I have it but if you are going to prioritize your future purchases I might suggest you upgrade to monitors or headphones which ever you prefer.

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:46 pm

important for latency and using asio mainly

rdubz · Post by **rdubz** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:47 pm

Step Correct wrote:
rdubz wrote:maudio audiophile 2496, well worth the money
would you suggest this over a USB style interface? Is there any difference?

I just came up on a really nice custom desktop made for studio/producing, loaded with everything BUT a soundcard.. Is why I ask..

well if I was to buy usb or internal id go for internal, but ive never used any usb audio gear, I cant imagine that usb stuff would be worse than internal cards, personally i prefer to have my hardware in the pc as opposed to having dongles and all kinds of shit hanging out of it

caeraphym · Post by **caeraphym** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:51 pm

Surely an external soundcard is easier to plug stuff in to without having to go crawling round the back of your PC with a lighter, trying to hit the right connections?

MOTU anyone?

abZ · Post by **abZ** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:54 pm

rdubz wrote:
Step Correct wrote:
rdubz wrote:maudio audiophile 2496, well worth the money
would you suggest this over a USB style interface? Is there any difference?

I just came up on a really nice custom desktop made for studio/producing, loaded with everything BUT a soundcard.. Is why I ask..
well if I was to buy usb or internal id go for internal, but ive never used any usb audio gear, I cant imagine that usb stuff would be worse than internal cards, personally i prefer to have my hardware in the pc as opposed to having dongles and all kinds of shit hanging out of it

Well even if you use an "internal" card. You either have a break out box or you have a bundle of cables coming out the back of the computer. Personally I think the bundle of cables is a bad idea. I had one like that for a while. It can be a bit of a strain on the card and it get messy behind the computer. With the USB stuff it's the same as having a breakout box without the card plus I like mine cuz it has a monitor and headphone level on it right where I need it and it is convenient for changing your ins and outs. Just don't get a USB 1.1 unit. The firewire stuff is good but it's going Betamax. It is going to be difficult down the road to keep using that stuff imo.

step correct · Post by **step correct** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:56 pm

Caeraphym wrote:Surely an external soundcard is easier to plug stuff in to without having to go crawling round the back of your PC with a lighter, trying to hit the right connections?

MOTU anyone?

True, this was a real pain for me on my old Dell for years.

macc · Post by **macc** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:19 pm

Step Correct wrote:
On that thought will recording on the out into another PC do any good?

If you're not going through some external gear there's no (zero) point, and if you are going through external gear then you'd want infinitely better DA/AD conversion.

In my setup I go external > analogue > back in to the same PC, but some people use either 2 PCs or two different soundcards to playback and capture at different sample rates. So, ITB stuff at high SR > analogue > capture at 44.1kHz.

rdubz · Post by **rdubz** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:20 pm

Caeraphym wrote:Surely an external soundcard is easier to plug stuff in to without having to go crawling round the back of your PC with a lighter, trying to hit the right connections?

MOTU anyone?

yeah true, although I got one of these lil badboys tho that just sits behind my synth/next to my monitor that i whack everything in

hackman · Post by **hackman** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:30 pm

would the soundcard that came with my macbook pro be good enough?

step correct · Post by **step correct** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:31 pm

Macc wrote:
Step Correct wrote:
On that thought will recording on the out into another PC do any good?
If you're not going through some external gear there's no (zero) point, and if you are going through external gear then you'd want infinitely better DA/AD conversion.

In my setup I go external > analogue > back in to the same PC, but some people use either 2 PCs or two different soundcards to playback and capture at different sample rates. So, ITB stuff at high SR > analogue > capture at 44.1kHz.

I see

I think I'll try thr two souncard method. I've been wondering about this for a while.

macc · Post by **macc** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:08 pm

Why though? Are you going out of the box, or just looking to export an otherwise entirely in-the-box mix?

Sharmaji · Post by **Sharmaji** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:41 pm

yeah exactly. if you're not taking anything in via mic's, di's whatever-- it's not the hugest, most important thing. I'm all for good DA conversion but if all you need to do is monitor writing beats-- keep it simple.

if you're taking things in and out, though, that's a whole different can of worms.

How important is a sound card?

How important is a sound card?

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