Ian
Registered User
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
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 Posted: Thu Apr 19 2007 21:07
Newbie looking for advice on soundcards, 24bit mastering |
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Hi. I'm a newbie. I'm using Windows XP Media Centre edition and very new to
digital music composition. I am simply using a pci slot with Realtek AC97 Audio. Can anyone recommend a really good sound card. Also wondering if it's possible to use 24bit CD mastering on the PC. I seem to be lacking an Audio codec for this. Can anyone help? [/b] |
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Prometheus-3
Regular
Joined: 25 Nov 2006
Location: My house, Australia
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Posted: Sat Apr 21 2007 07:02
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Anything that isn't smothered in stickers promising "world-class quality" or "CD-quality". If you got $400, get a Tascam US-122. http://www.tascam.com/Products/US-122l.html It offers 24 Bit I/O, MIDI, 2 Mic inputs (with phantom power), 2 line in ports (quarter-inch) and 2 quarter-inch ins. It has a headphone out too. Best recommended with a USB 2 port. And it comes with GigaStudio 3 and Cubase LE3. Why did I suggest it? I have one. And I've had it since 2003. |
http://daprometheus3.googlepages.com/
New line of synthesizers announced! I'll keep you informed! |
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Psalm 97
Registered User
Joined: 24 Dec 2006
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Posted: Sat Apr 21 2007 10:37
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This is all you need to know
http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm
If you're comfortable with installing a PCI card, or if you have a tech-head friend who can do it for you, go with an audio interface (next-level soundcard). Here's a good basic 8in/8out, 24-bit, comes with Ableton Deta Live 2. http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOD1010E |
Only what is done for Christ will last. |
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Elijah
Registered User
Joined: 20 Jan 2004
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Eh?
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Posted: Sat Apr 21 2007 18:47
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you know, it really concerns me when people talk about 24bit 96000 khz etc. because... in the end. what are people going to listen to it as generally...
128kbps/16bit MP3
thats really the bottom line. dont get caught up in the newest gadget race. but that tascam is a wicked card. my buddy has one.
i have an alesis multimix 16 usb. but thats because i do live shows and record jams and such. |
- Elijah |
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oldbrian
Registered User
Joined: 18 Aug 2004
Location: hungary
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Posted: Sat Apr 21 2007 19:29
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| Elijah wrote: | you know, it really concerns me when people talk about 24bit 96000 khz etc. because... in the end. what are people going to listen to it as generally...
128kbps/16bit MP3
thats really the bottom line. dont get caught up in the newest gadget race. but that tascam is a wicked card. my buddy has one.
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yes, you may end up usually in that resolution while listening but audio processing - and a great subset of DSP filters - needs more data than that to produce this result - simply because they are loosing some data in order to enhance other features of the signal, or in this case, the sound. so that 96000khz IS neccessary - sometimes 
anyways, if you are in no need of loads of ins and don't have a big budget then i'd go for an emu 1212m2 v2 or something in that caliber - it works like charm for me. |
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Psalm 97
Registered User
Joined: 24 Dec 2006
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Posted: Sat Apr 21 2007 23:09
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| Elijah wrote: | you know, it really concerns me when people talk about 24bit 96000 khz etc. because... in the end. what are people going to listen to it as generally...
128kbps/16bit MP3
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Oh gag! I have to have at least 192kbps wma, and that's just the copies I load on my digital player. My permanent music files are stored in FLAC.
But yeah, most people are satisfied with 128kbps and they say they can't even hear the difference.
Ugh! >.<
And yes, the emu doth rock mightily. It only has two mic ports, but they have preamps on them, pretty good ones too. The audio interface I recommended, you need a hardware mixer or at least a mic preamp to go with it. |
Only what is done for Christ will last. |
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Walter Vos
Registered User
Joined: 04 May 2003
Location: Groningen, The Netherlands
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Posted: Sun Apr 22 2007 08:40
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| Elijah wrote: | you know, it really concerns me when people talk about 24bit 96000 khz etc. because... in the end. what are people going to listen to it as generally...
128kbps/16bit MP3
thats really the bottom line. dont get caught up in the newest gadget race. but that tascam is a wicked card. my buddy has one. |
I think you need to assume that people will listen to your songs in wave quality on cd. Sure, most of them may not, but this way you're safe.
Ofcourse, those cd's won't be 16 bit and 96000 Hz either. The reason audio professionals use 24/96000 though is that they get more accuracy when editing. And this accuracy may even show through in 128 kbps/16 bit mp3's. |
what is hip?
www.waltervos.nl |
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bigandymac
Registered User
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
Location: Leeds UK
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Posted: Sun Apr 22 2007 11:11
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i always encode my mp3s at 320kbps. it doesnt take up that much space and at least youre assured of having the highest (compressed) quality possible.
for soundcards, i have an m-audio audiophile usb. after some initial teething problems it works like a charm. m-audio kit get decent reviews and their tech support was good so theyre worth checking out. |
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Walter Vos
Registered User
Joined: 04 May 2003
Location: Groningen, The Netherlands
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Posted: Sun Apr 22 2007 20:27
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| bigandymac wrote: | i always encode my mp3s at 320kbps. it doesnt take up that much space and at least youre assured of having the highest (compressed) quality possible.
for soundcards, i have an m-audio audiophile usb. after some initial teething problems it works like a charm. m-audio kit get decent reviews and their tech support was good so theyre worth checking out. |
I have an M-Audio Audiophile as well. It's a good card, but there are no Vista drivers for it yet. This means that right now I'm using my fricking onboard soundcard  |
what is hip?
www.waltervos.nl |
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Elijah
Registered User
Joined: 20 Jan 2004
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Eh?
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Posted: Mon Apr 23 2007 13:52
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wow. i really thought i was going to get flamed for that one. haha.
but seriously. 95% of people cant hear the difference. i learned this while doing shows with my cover band. a lot of people dont really care when they listen to music. they just hear it how it is, and accept it like it is. its pretty wierd actually, i wish i could flip a switch in my brain to do that sometimes, for listening purposes. |
- Elijah |
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Psalm 97
Registered User
Joined: 24 Dec 2006
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Posted: Tue Apr 24 2007 03:08
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| Elijah wrote: | wow. i really thought i was going to get flamed for that one. haha.
but seriously. 95% of people cant hear the difference. i learned this while doing shows with my cover band. a lot of people dont really care when they listen to music. they just hear it how it is, and accept it like it is. its pretty wierd actually, i wish i could flip a switch in my brain to do that sometimes, for listening purposes. |
No flame bro, just a music nut's outrage. 
About the quality difference, they could hear it if they listened. They just aren't listening to the same thing I listen to. They hear the song. I hear the song and the quality.
And to wish you could flip a switch and not hear the quality difference is basically saying you wish you could flip a switch and forget the difference in sound between 24-bit lossless and 16-bit mp3 128kbps. Personally, I'd get the creeps if I could choose not to hear the difference. |
Only what is done for Christ will last. |
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Elijah
Registered User
Joined: 20 Jan 2004
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Eh?
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Posted: Tue Apr 24 2007 14:11
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you dont understand. when we are so engrossed in artistic elitism, meanwhile the rest of the world that will never choose to listen to your song with any depth, we are spending countless hours (and dollars - for HIIIGH end equipment) on things that, in the end, nobody will even pay attention to.
people COULD listen, but the thing is, everybody but producers and such have 'better' things to think about like money, girls, beer, bla bla bla.
sad but true, i can be entertained by a song and not think of anything else, and i simply would like to be able to TEMPORARILY turn my producer brain off and just listen... |
- Elijah |
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Walter Vos
Registered User
Joined: 04 May 2003
Location: Groningen, The Netherlands
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Posted: Tue Apr 24 2007 17:13
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Trust me Elijah, that great kickdrum or awesome bass sound people talk love a song for could probably not have been produced without 24/96k quality. It's about precision in the editing process, not about the systems people listen to.
Any audio engineer wil check his master or mixdown on a car radio, a mono system, an mp3 player, etc. They know people won't always listen in CD quality or expensive speakers
Edit: I do understand what you mean by musical elitarism, and I think the same way. Don't always be the guy saying things like 'well the song is ok, but transposing in the bridge is such an easy trick' or always wondering what quality an mp3 is. |
what is hip?
www.waltervos.nl |
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QBical
Registered User
Joined: 04 May 2003
Location: Utrecht , The Netherlands
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Posted: Tue Apr 24 2007 20:05
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Greater precision in editing? wtf!?
96Khz just means that the computer checks where waveform is 96.000 times per second. and the higher the bit depth the higher the signal to noise ratio...
Precision in editing happens on a per sample base and some programs even offer you sub-sample accuracy maybe a higher sample rate offers more precision in editing sample per sample but who'd want to do that!?
That awesome bass sound or kick drum was probably recorded in an analog way, it has nothing to do with editing.
Keep in mind, the higher the quality the more cpu and disk space is required. Also when going back to 16bit/44.1 all kinds of nasty digital anomaly's may occur, so good dithering is a must have. And then I'm not even talking about going from digital back to analog...
I alsways work at 24bit/48khz and find that that works best for the stuff I do.
I read some of you liked the EMU cards, there DA converters really suck big time, lots of jitter all over the place, I've just tested some of them for a school assignment so that's why I always like the M-audio stuff, so check that out, or some stuff from Motu is, or RMA stuff. |
PC: P4 HT 3ghz, 1gb ram, 500GB+ Storage, plextor DVD-rw, M-audo Audiophile 2496
Laptop: Apple Powerbook G4 15inch
Other Stuff: Phonic MU802 mixer, Alesis M1 Active Mk2 Monitors, Ipod 2nd gen. 20GB, maxtor firewire HD 80GB |
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oldbrian
Registered User
Joined: 18 Aug 2004
Location: hungary
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Posted: Wed Apr 25 2007 09:02
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| QBical wrote: |
I read some of you liked the EMU cards, there DA converters really suck big time, lots of jitter all over the place, I've just tested some of them for a school assignment so that's why I always like the M-audio stuff, so check that out, or some stuff from Motu is, or RMA stuff. |
that's strange, because over 1212 their DA converters are the same ones as the ones with which standard Pro Tools HD systems are shipped. which models did you try? |
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