good card for sound recording

newguy5 · 07-25-2008, 07:17 AM

i write a lot of my own music and i have a really good mic and have done a few songs that sound great but they are all on an old sound blaster 32 card. i am just wondering if getting a better card would really improve the quality of my music?

can anyone recommend a good card to get. i don't want to spend too much but am definitely a guy that will spend more money to get a better value, since a sound card can last a very long time without the necessity for upgrading like a video card or something...

thanks for the help.

kjseager · 07-28-2008, 12:55 AM

Hey there...

I don't have any big revelations, but I have a fairly good system for recording, from the company Digidesign. Although it's likely out of your price range, here's a story that's relative: My friend bought a good mic preamp, a good mic, and began recording, one track at a time, through his computer's basic sound card. Interestingly, when he asked me to mix it for him, the sounds he produced were as good, if not better, than my higher end Protools system! The point? A good mic preamp, and a good mic might be as good a focus as what sound card you use. Of course, your basic computer sound card can only input one or two channels at a time, but if you're not going to record any live bands, with many mics, you might be able to get by with a basic sound card, as he did.

Of course, someone much more knowledgeable about analog to digital converters would probably say my story is full of holes, who knows!

Some other thoughts...

For somewhere around $300.00 Digidesign has a breakout box called MBox, which is ok. It mainly works with their Protools software, which is pretty sophisticated. This is the software that almost all major studios have used for the past 15 years, or so, and that most of the songs you hear on the radio have been recorded with. It is certainly a complicated piece of software, but very intuitive, and also a breeze to use, once you get used to it.

I think Roland also has a simple audio interface (another name for sound card/mic input box).

A company called MOTU has some basic recording systems. I think Digidesign just bought them up.

Musiciansfriend.com would be a good resource to find recording interfaces.

Anyway, good luck. I'll watch to see if you update your choices

All the best in your search.

Jerrick · 07-28-2008, 01:27 AM

Right now I have nice condenser mic, preamp, and a basic soundblaster Live! Value card. I get very good audio recording from either the mic, or when i use the preamp as a direct box.

Your quality and latency will probably not change all that much, so what you should look at is a good preamp, if you dont have one, or a audio interface.

Ill be buying an audio interface soon, cause ill be recording more than one track at a time. Micing the drums, the bass, and guitar. So that demands more than one input and output. Also, a good choice in audio interfaces are to go with a firewire or usb connection. A cheaper option I was looking at comes in the form of a PCI card.

If you are just recording yourself though, one track at a time, you can get by very well with a single or dual-channel preamp.

newguy5 · 07-28-2008, 04:36 PM

thanks for the responses. yeah it would just be one track at a time, and i definitely need to get a good pre-amp because right now i don't have one at all. i found what seems to be a good cheap one and bought it online this morning.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...c=date&so=desc

69mako · 07-29-2008, 10:18 AM

If it was me, i'd invest in a quality digital recorder. From there, transfer the wave files to a computer and edit there. Personally, I have a Edirol R-4 recorder and love it. I can transfer my recording to the computer via the USB cable and do my editing in soundforge. I also have a M-audio Audiophile soundcard in the computer for recording too.

Thanks,
Mako

Synesthesia · 07-30-2008, 06:40 AM

I've used a couple of EMU sound cards/input devices before. All of them worked very well and were worth the cost. The only reason i am not using one is because they cannot be used with games

newguy5 · 07-30-2008, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Synesthesia

I've used a couple of EMU sound cards/input devices before. All of them worked very well and were worth the cost. The only reason i am not using one is because they cannot be used with games

yeah i mean i'm not doing high end recording here, just looking to lay some tracks down and get a good enough sound to where i feel good about it. i don't really want to have to buy a sound card that doesn't work with games and then have to get one that does work with games...just too much trouble.

i'm getting my preamp in today and am going to test it out later. hopefully it will give me a much better sound.

07-25-2008, 07:17 AM	#1 (permalink)
newguy5 Diamond Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dallas, Tx Age: 25 Posts: 1,544	good card for sound recording i write a lot of my own music and i have a really good mic and have done a few songs that sound great but they are all on an old sound blaster 32 card. i am just wondering if getting a better card would really improve the quality of my music? can anyone recommend a good card to get. i don't want to spend too much but am definitely a guy that will spend more money to get a better value, since a sound card can last a very long time without the necessity for upgrading like a video card or something... thanks for the help. __________________ C2D E6750 Arctic Freezer 7 Pro 2GB G.Skill RAM PC2-6400 Gigabyte P35-DS3L Sapphire Radeon 3850 250GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 Thermaltake TR2 500W 22" Westinghouse (widescreen) Pics

07-28-2008, 12:55 AM	#2 (permalink)
kjseager New Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 6	sound card Hey there... I don't have any big revelations, but I have a fairly good system for recording, from the company Digidesign. Although it's likely out of your price range, here's a story that's relative: My friend bought a good mic preamp, a good mic, and began recording, one track at a time, through his computer's basic sound card. Interestingly, when he asked me to mix it for him, the sounds he produced were as good, if not better, than my higher end Protools system! The point? A good mic preamp, and a good mic might be as good a focus as what sound card you use. Of course, your basic computer sound card can only input one or two channels at a time, but if you're not going to record any live bands, with many mics, you might be able to get by with a basic sound card, as he did. Of course, someone much more knowledgeable about analog to digital converters would probably say my story is full of holes, who knows! Some other thoughts... For somewhere around $300.00 Digidesign has a breakout box called MBox, which is ok. It mainly works with their Protools software, which is pretty sophisticated. This is the software that almost all major studios have used for the past 15 years, or so, and that most of the songs you hear on the radio have been recorded with. It is certainly a complicated piece of software, but very intuitive, and also a breeze to use, once you get used to it. I think Roland also has a simple audio interface (another name for sound card/mic input box). A company called MOTU has some basic recording systems. I think Digidesign just bought them up. Musiciansfriend.com would be a good resource to find recording interfaces. Anyway, good luck. I'll watch to see if you update your choices All the best in your search.

07-28-2008, 04:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
newguy5 Diamond Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dallas, Tx Age: 25 Posts: 1,544	thanks for the responses. yeah it would just be one track at a time, and i definitely need to get a good pre-amp because right now i don't have one at all. i found what seems to be a good cheap one and bought it online this morning. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...c=date&so=desc __________________ C2D E6750 Arctic Freezer 7 Pro 2GB G.Skill RAM PC2-6400 Gigabyte P35-DS3L Sapphire Radeon 3850 250GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 Thermaltake TR2 500W 22" Westinghouse (widescreen) Pics Last edited by newguy5; 07-28-2008 at 05:07 PM.

07-30-2008, 06:40 AM	#6 (permalink)
Synesthesia Silver Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 115	I've used a couple of EMU sound cards/input devices before. All of them worked very well and were worth the cost. The only reason i am not using one is because they cannot be used with games __________________ 3.6 Ghz Oc of E6750 at 1.45v, P5N-D motherboard (Arctic Silver NB and SB modified), 4gigs 1000 Mhz (800 originally) OCZ Reaper Ram @ 2.1v, Zero Therm Nirvana Cpu HS, Thermaltake Tsunami, MSI NX8800Gt OC'd to 720X2020, HT Omega Sound Card, Antec 850 PSU, 1TB (250+750) Samsung HD, Samsung Dual Layer DVD/CD Burner, Silenx 120mm thermal sensing fans. 14,400 3D Mark 06 Score Boycott StarForce for the betterment of the gaming community!!!!!! http://www.glop.org/starforce/

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07-28-2008, 01:27 AM	#3 (permalink)
Jerrick Silver Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 219	Right now I have nice condenser mic, preamp, and a basic soundblaster Live! Value card. I get very good audio recording from either the mic, or when i use the preamp as a direct box. Your quality and latency will probably not change all that much, so what you should look at is a good preamp, if you dont have one, or a audio interface. Ill be buying an audio interface soon, cause ill be recording more than one track at a time. Micing the drums, the bass, and guitar. So that demands more than one input and output. Also, a good choice in audio interfaces are to go with a firewire or usb connection. A cheaper option I was looking at comes in the form of a PCI card. If you are just recording yourself though, one track at a time, you can get by very well with a single or dual-channel preamp.

07-29-2008, 10:18 AM	#5 (permalink)
69mako Silver Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 149	If it was me, i'd invest in a quality digital recorder. From there, transfer the wave files to a computer and edit there. Personally, I have a Edirol R-4 recorder and love it. I can transfer my recording to the computer via the USB cable and do my editing in soundforge. I also have a M-audio Audiophile soundcard in the computer for recording too. Thanks, Mako

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