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Forums - Computer music & technology
Subject: WHICH SOUND CARD
Viewing all 9 messages - View by pages of 10: 1
Original Message 1/9 16-Jul-98 @ 01:45 PM - WHICH SOUND CARD
For around $200, which card can someone recommend? The AWE 64 Gold seems to have impressive specs and DSP capabilities. I do not need all their MIDI GM/GS shit. (sounds terrible, besides I already have a Roland Canvas card) I need a card which is full duplex, quiet, with DSP like reverb & chorus to be able to record my own music at home- for fun really, or maybe a demo or two. The Midi man 4 in 4 out is very impressive, but It is twice as expensive as the AWE 64 Gold. Has anyone seen any specs on the Soundblaster Live? Is it better than the AWE 64 Gold?
Brad
Brad
Message 2/9 16-Jul-98 @ 10:23 PM - RE: WHICH SOUND CARD
Well, for starters, the AWE 64 Gold isn't true full duplex. And from what I've heard, it's not quiet either. Many people say that the Ensoniq Audio PCI has got incredibly good S/N ratio for the price (I'm not sure about the price, but it's at least below $100. For the DSP I recommend you to get a software package like Cool Edit. The -96 version is also priced below $100. Cool Edit Pro is more expensive but better in terms of flexibility, plus you got yourself a multitrack recorder/mixer. You can download demo versions of these sw:s at www.syntrillium.com
If you want an even better sound card, check out the Event Gina! Of course, quality costs.
If you want an even better sound card, check out the Event Gina! Of course, quality costs.
Message 3/9 16-Jul-98 @ 11:15 PM - RE: WHICH SOUND CARD
-Really, if you want to get incredible midi sound easily, better than an AWE 64, I suggest you to think about the possibility of gettin' an AWE 32. The real difference between AWE32 and 64 for users and home musicians is the 32 voices added by software to the AWE 64. In the other way, if you want to storage big samples or big SBK's in the card memory, the AWE64 RAM costs too much in comparision to the 30 pin memory (you can get 8MB for about ONLY 45$). Has somebody noticed about the "SPDif out" pin in the AWE 32 card?. Think twice about buying an AWE64.
-For the DSP maybe the best at price-quality is the MAxi Sound Home Studio 2. It has 8 channel DSP with Rev, Echo, Chorus and Semi-parametric 4 band ecualizer in the master output. Maybe the effects are not proffesional, but I don't know anybody who brings you more for about 230$. The memory is 4MB in the card and easily upgradeable with 72 pin memory of 4, 8 or 16MB. This card is 64 TRUE voices by hardware. The bad is that you've got to use the software "quartz audio master" supplied with the card to get all the posibilities of 8 channel DSP (upgradeable to 16), because this software is not very intuitive (I dream every night with a Maxi Sound Plug-In Direct-x for Cubase, SF, Samplitude...). The best software for multy track recording is Samplitude. If you have a powerful PC, look at the new PCI cards..
NOTE: AWE 32 and MS64 HS2 together with 8MB them both are a true studio recordind.
sorry for the too long explanation
-For the DSP maybe the best at price-quality is the MAxi Sound Home Studio 2. It has 8 channel DSP with Rev, Echo, Chorus and Semi-parametric 4 band ecualizer in the master output. Maybe the effects are not proffesional, but I don't know anybody who brings you more for about 230$. The memory is 4MB in the card and easily upgradeable with 72 pin memory of 4, 8 or 16MB. This card is 64 TRUE voices by hardware. The bad is that you've got to use the software "quartz audio master" supplied with the card to get all the posibilities of 8 channel DSP (upgradeable to 16), because this software is not very intuitive (I dream every night with a Maxi Sound Plug-In Direct-x for Cubase, SF, Samplitude...). The best software for multy track recording is Samplitude. If you have a powerful PC, look at the new PCI cards..
NOTE: AWE 32 and MS64 HS2 together with 8MB them both are a true studio recordind.
sorry for the too long explanation
Message 4/9 17-Jul-98 @ 02:31 PM - RE: WHICH SOUND CARD
Have a look at the new Terratec EWS64S. It's a cut down version of the XL and features a 64 note polyphonic sampler/wavetable synth, DSP (reverb,chorus,4 band EQ etc.)that can be used on external sources, upgradeable to 64mb with std simms and supports soundfonts.
It's cheaper than the maxisound, uses the same DREAM chip and is much better than the noisy AWE cards.
I've also used the Ensoniq audio PCI and it's a good card to buy if cheap no frills HD recording is what you're after.
It's cheaper than the maxisound, uses the same DREAM chip and is much better than the noisy AWE cards.
I've also used the Ensoniq audio PCI and it's a good card to buy if cheap no frills HD recording is what you're after.
Message 5/9 17-Jul-98 @ 04:41 PM - RE: WHICH SOUND CARD
look at the Guillemot card maxisound studio 64... it's got a dsp section that works with vst ... dunno if there is any ohter s/w that can address it... clemens is the expert on that card... put a shout out to him on the main tech area....
Message 6/9 17-Jul-98 @ 05:46 PM - RE: WHICH SOUND CARD
Another idea.... get a TB Montego and stick a Yamaha db50xg daughterboard on it. Those two together will set you back about $180. The Montege has a >92db signal to noise ratio, is full duplex, has 18 bit DACs, and goes up to 48khz. It also has a digital out option. Plus it runs on the PCI bus and has a wavetable header. Then the db50xg... well this is just an awesome midi daughtercard.... with like 500 voices and 3 effects processors... sounds unreal... and can be had for less than $80 these days.
The check out the db50xg at www.yamaha.co.uk (under the xg section) and the TB card at www.tbeach.com.
The check out the db50xg at www.yamaha.co.uk (under the xg section) and the TB card at www.tbeach.com.
Message 7/9 21-Jul-98 @ 04:39 PM - WHICH SOUND CARD
I'm doing some midi stuff with my DB50XG (which is
excellent) and i often use some audio tracks for samples. I mostly do this to create some realistic or typical drum sounds using 606, 808 and 909 drumsamples. So what I want is a soundcard that can load waves and apply (multiple) effects on them. Either in onboard RAM or loading in real-time over the PCI bus. The Terratec EWS64 XL looked great to me, but I've heard some bad comments on that one. The coming Yamaha SW1000XG looks EXCELLENT, but it only has onboard ROM...... No RAM. Can I somehow use my own samples with that board and apply effects on them? Any advice is appreciated.
Greetz, Boris Cobelens
excellent) and i often use some audio tracks for samples. I mostly do this to create some realistic or typical drum sounds using 606, 808 and 909 drumsamples. So what I want is a soundcard that can load waves and apply (multiple) effects on them. Either in onboard RAM or loading in real-time over the PCI bus. The Terratec EWS64 XL looked great to me, but I've heard some bad comments on that one. The coming Yamaha SW1000XG looks EXCELLENT, but it only has onboard ROM...... No RAM. Can I somehow use my own samples with that board and apply effects on them? Any advice is appreciated.
Greetz, Boris Cobelens
Message 8/9 21-Jul-98 @ 07:14 PM - RE: WHICH SOUND CARD
Well the SW1000XG is still like 2 months from being released.... and its gonna cost somewhere around $800.... but at any rate.... seeing as that its a PCI card its conceivable that it can use system RAM for the storage of editable samples. However.... I have no idea if this card is going to be capable of doing that.... the specs on the Yamaha home page are sketchy at best. The page seems to imply that since it has 20 megs of onboard ROM that there is no need to be able to make your own samples (which is a load of crap in my opinion). One alternative is to try and find a Turtle Beach Maui. I bought mine for $40 new. This thing can hold up to 8 megs of samples in RAM... but you need to buy the ram... and it only takes 30 pin simms. I dont use mine much to be honest... too much of a pain to use. Or you may try picking up one of the many inexpensive PCI cards out there that support DLS (downloadable samples). Eventually there will be editors made available to make your own samples. The TB Montego supports DLS I think.... and it a great all around card. Hope this helped.
Message 9/9 22-Jul-98 @ 08:07 PM - RE: WHICH SOUND CARD
I've been subscribing to both the terratec and maxisound groups for a while now and from the looks of things all is not going well in the kitchen. The people that use these cards might as well start one one newgroup called Dream. The complaints for both cards are basically the same (unfinished editor software, ASIO drivers, sound bank problems, etc.) There is no way I'd buy ($200 or 400!!!) either one of these cards after reading all the problems people that own the cards are having getting a finished product. Now they want to come out with an $800 card!!! When will it end!!! If they actually worked as advertised then perhaps it would be worth it. Till then, I think I'll get a $50 Ensoniq and be happy that it actually works.
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