Re: Recording interfaces, don't forget...

Tim Armstrong · July 23rd, 2007, 06:03 PM

...the lowly soundcard!

In these days of USB and Firewire recording interfaces, it's easy to forget that a good soundcard is still a high-fidelity, trouble-free way to get audio turned into digital zeros and ones on your computer. Often for considerably less money than buying an interface (particularly if your computer already HAS a good soundcard!).

For example, I use an M-Audio Delta 1010lt soundcard (available from most online music stores for just under $200), that gives me 8 in, 8 out. I like it so much I'm about to buy another one, so I can record 16 tracks at a time!

Cheers, Tim

AlFo · July 25th, 2007, 09:48 PM

If you record 8 tracks at once, can you get them to record onto 8 seperate tracks in a sequencer such as sonar or cubase?

Cheers

Tim Armstrong · July 25th, 2007, 10:53 PM

Yep!

Cheers, Tim

abraxas · July 26th, 2007, 06:45 AM

Tim, you are right, I had the 1010LT for more than 2 years and it was a nice piece of equipment, very dependable and stable.

I now have a RME Fireface 400 which costs (in Europe) about 4 times what the 1010LT costs.

Of course, it is not 4 times better, you enter the land of diminishing effect here; it is better but only by a small margin.

And I bet I'd have to spend another 4 times the cost of the RME to earn another small step of performance.

So yes, I believe that you can do a lot of things with a soundcard like that, complimented with some outboard gear (mainly a preamp or complete channel strip).

jussishow · July 26th, 2007, 08:12 AM

How do You cable it up ? I assume You use an external mixer ?

IMO the breakout cable looks like a "cable mess behind the PC disaster waiting to happen!" :-) (I'd prefer a breakout box connected to the PC using ONE cable)

But, as You said, the "price is right". Half the price of a Presonus Firebox (which I use), and more inputs & outputs !

/J

Tedecaster · July 26th, 2007, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jussishow

IMO the breakout cable looks like a "cable mess behind the PC disaster waiting to happen!" :-) (I'd prefer a breakout box connected to the PC using ONE cable)/J

I had the same feeling. I checked out the Delta 10/10 on Tim's suggestion but ended up buying a Delta 44. Less inputs, for sure, but a neater package & all the inputs are balanced. It uses just one cable from the PCI card to the breakout box (fairly heavy duty)

I'll admit it would be nice to have an extra channel or two but 4-in does the trick most of the time. I'd buy another if my computer had more than 1 PCI slot, but it doesn't (SSF Shuttle).

So far, so good. I set it up & haven't fooled with it since

Skully · July 26th, 2007, 11:04 AM

Another good thing about buying a breakout box with a firewire or usb interface is that it can be easily transfered to virtually any other computer, desktop or laptop.

abraxas · July 26th, 2007, 12:21 PM

With the 1010LT or any other similar soundcard (a lot of I/O) an option is to construct a patchbay box, with exactly the options you like.

For example, IIRC, the 1010 has 3 pairs of RCA inputs and a pair of XLR inputs, which house the preamps and which are balanced.

You can buy XLR to RCA or 1/4" to RCA converters, or whatever you need, and have them fixed on a full or half rack box. The same can be done for outputs of course. You only need to drill the holes correctly, I imagine a shop can do this for you, for a modest price.

Let me remind you, you get to keep this as a tool even if you change your soundcard. A 10 by 10 customizable patchbay always comes handy.

I am sorry if I wasn't able to describe this in better English.

teledude66 · July 26th, 2007, 12:24 PM

Do any of you have experience with "ASIO for all" it's supposed to let you use 2 different interfaces at once? I have an M-audio 2 channel box as well as a Lexi Omega, if this works I could get 6 tracks at once, yeah I know just 6, really though for me thats 2 more chances to screw up...lol. I'll take what I can get though.

abraxas · July 26th, 2007, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teledude66

Do any of you have experience with "ASIO for all" it's supposed to let you use 2 different interfaces at once? I have an M-audio 2 channel box as well as a Lexi Omega, if this works I could get 6 tracks at once, yeah I know just 6, really though for me thats 2 more chances to screw up...lol. I'll take what I can get though.

If I'm not mistaken, ASIO4all is just a universal driver for soundcards that do not have native ASIO drivers.

If your soundcards have SP/DIF ports, you could "slave" one to the other, using the best card's converters and clock.

teledude66 · July 26th, 2007, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abraxas

If I'm not mistaken, ASIO4all is just a universal driver for soundcards that do not have native ASIO drivers.

If your soundcards have SP/DIF ports, you could "slave" one to the other, using the best card's converters and clock.

Thanks, I'll look into that...

July 23rd, 2007, 06:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
Tim Armstrong Moderator Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Berlin, Maryland, USA Age: 49 Posts: 9,654	Re: Recording interfaces, don't forget... ...the lowly soundcard! In these days of USB and Firewire recording interfaces, it's easy to forget that a good soundcard is still a high-fidelity, trouble-free way to get audio turned into digital zeros and ones on your computer. Often for considerably less money than buying an interface (particularly if your computer already HAS a good soundcard!). For example, I use an M-Audio Delta 1010lt soundcard (available from most online music stores for just under $200), that gives me 8 in, 8 out. I like it so much I'm about to buy another one, so I can record 16 tracks at a time! Cheers, Tim __________________ http://www.moodswingers.org

July 25th, 2007, 10:53 PM	#3 (permalink)
Tim Armstrong Moderator Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Berlin, Maryland, USA Age: 49 Posts: 9,654	Yep! Cheers, Tim __________________ http://www.moodswingers.org

July 26th, 2007, 06:45 AM	#4 (permalink)
abraxas Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Greece Posts: 330 4 Photos	Tim, you are right, I had the 1010LT for more than 2 years and it was a nice piece of equipment, very dependable and stable. I now have a RME Fireface 400 which costs (in Europe) about 4 times what the 1010LT costs. Of course, it is not 4 times better, you enter the land of diminishing effect here; it is better but only by a small margin. And I bet I'd have to spend another 4 times the cost of the RME to earn another small step of performance. So yes, I believe that you can do a lot of things with a soundcard like that, complimented with some outboard gear (mainly a preamp or complete channel strip). __________________ I am a little world made cunningly myspace page: The Genius Loci

July 26th, 2007, 08:12 AM	#5 (permalink)
jussishow Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2006 Location: Norway. Age: 37 Posts: 530 16 Photos	How do You cable it up ? I assume You use an external mixer ? IMO the breakout cable looks like a "cable mess behind the PC disaster waiting to happen!" :-) (I'd prefer a breakout box connected to the PC using ONE cable) But, as You said, the "price is right". Half the price of a Presonus Firebox (which I use), and more inputs & outputs ! /J __________________ B-bender, HW1 Texas & CS Thinline relic ... :-) + a bunch of other stringed instruments ... Pictures (family album...) in gallery

July 26th, 2007, 11:04 AM	#7 (permalink)
Skully Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Glamorous NoHo Posts: 3,987	Another good thing about buying a breakout box with a firewire or usb interface is that it can be easily transfered to virtually any other computer, desktop or laptop. __________________ Myspace.com/skullysounds

July 25th, 2007, 09:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
AlFo Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Wolverhampton, UK Age: 28 Posts: 111 10 Photos	If you record 8 tracks at once, can you get them to record onto 8 seperate tracks in a sequencer such as sonar or cubase? Cheers

July 26th, 2007, 12:21 PM	#8 (permalink)
abraxas Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Greece Posts: 330 4 Photos	With the 1010LT or any other similar soundcard (a lot of I/O) an option is to construct a patchbay box, with exactly the options you like. For example, IIRC, the 1010 has 3 pairs of RCA inputs and a pair of XLR inputs, which house the preamps and which are balanced. You can buy XLR to RCA or 1/4" to RCA converters, or whatever you need, and have them fixed on a full or half rack box. The same can be done for outputs of course. You only need to drill the holes correctly, I imagine a shop can do this for you, for a modest price. Let me remind you, you get to keep this as a tool even if you change your soundcard. A 10 by 10 customizable patchbay always comes handy. I am sorry if I wasn't able to describe this in better English. __________________ I am a little world made cunningly myspace page: The Genius Loci

July 26th, 2007, 12:24 PM	#9 (permalink)
teledude66 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Lawndale,N.C. Age: 42 Posts: 2,751 20 Photos	Do any of you have experience with "ASIO for all" it's supposed to let you use 2 different interfaces at once? I have an M-audio 2 channel box as well as a Lexi Omega, if this works I could get 6 tracks at once, yeah I know just 6, really though for me thats 2 more chances to screw up...lol. I'll take what I can get though. __________________ The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.