Audio Card Advice

All equipment advice really depends on a lot of things.  I'll start out with sound card equipment, since it is the basic necessity for your recordings.  Here are some of the most important things you need to consider when dealing with what to buy:

• Budget
  • Most "prosumer sound cards" start at $100US
  • More expensive is not necessarily always better (caveat emptor!)
• I/O
  • How many inputs do you plan to record simultaneously
    • Will that number change in your future?
    • What type of inputs do you need?
      • Do you need analog only?
      • Do you need line input?
      • Do you need Mic inputs?
        • Do you need phantom power?
      • Digital (i.e. SPDIF)?
      • MIDI?
• Interface
  • PCI, Cardbus (PCMCIA), Firewire, USB?
    • Which one is best?
    • Are there some that I cannot use?
    • Are there some that I shouldn't use?
  • Internal or External?

Whew!  That's a lot to figure out!  Well, if you've read this far, then you're better than the average teenager who wants it NOW!  So, at this point, I'll simply throw out a starter card so that the impatient ones can get what they want and the rest can learn and make an informed desicion.

For a starter card, my first recommendation is the M-Audio Audiophile 2496 - complete with a link to an online music store that carries them.  They cost about $100, they have 2 analog inputs, 2 analog outputs and MIDI I/O as well as SPDIF I/O.  These are PCI cards and they must be installed in an empty slot inside a desktop computer.  Very solid drivers, very good A/D converters, excellent for the price.

Now - for those of you who need to do your research and figure out what you really need before spending your hard earned cash....read on!

Budget - only you know what you can afford.  Most cards start at $100 and go up from there, but the majority of them are in the $100 to $250 range for the popular cards.  For external all-in-ones, they get more expensive, but we'll get there.  I'll not say more about budget here, I'll simply list the approximate price of each item as I come to them.

I/O - This is important!  How many and what type of I/O you choose is like marriage.  Once you choose a card for your inputs and outputs, you are married to it.  Well, unless you get divorced and choose another card, but that costs you more money!  (disclaimer:  I do NOT endorse divorce.  God is clear in His word about divorce.  If you want to know more, just ask me!).

If you plan to record just yourself playing a guitar or keyboard and singing (or not!), then something like the Delta 1010 is way overkill for you!  It has 10 inputs (8 analog) and 10 outputs!  If you're going to record your band at a live session, then you might want the 1010, and you might even want 4 of them!

What type of sound card do you need? - As mentioned above there are several type to consider. 

PCI is by far the best interface you can use.  It connects directly to the PCI bus internally in your computer and has the fastest and best quality response out of the bunch. 

Cardbus (PCMCIA) will be the 2nd best, but there are a lot of limitations for it.  Firstly, the Cardbus is only available on laptops, and from what I've been hearing, some manufacturers are no longer offering Cardbus slots.  Secondly, the choices are very limited.  EMU is the leader of this pack, but selection even with them is limited.  Echo makes a couple of cards and RME (expensive) makes an adapter for their breakout box.

Controversy surrounds the next two available interfaces!  The topic of USB vs. Firewire is a hot one!  I will give my advice, but notice that it is not necessarily the same as advice that others would give!

I have never used Firewire, but I believe it to be the better of the two interfaces because of its technology.  I could get very technical here and go into a lot of detail about why I believe that FW is better, but it would probably just bore you to death and there's no need for that. 

I will agree that USB 2.0 is very similar to Firewire and for most applications will probably work just fine.  I will not tell anyone that you shouldn't buy USB devices because manufacturers do have some excellent products available for that market.

But there is a very big difference between USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 and there are not that many devices available for USB 2.0 at this time.  I'm not saying that USB 1.1 will not work for you, either.  There are a lot of folks out there making beautiful music using USB 1.1 devices.  And I even have a USB 1.1 device connected to my laptop!  But it's not my primary DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) - it's my secondary and used only during business trips when I can't lug my desktop around with me!

Internal or external?  Only you can decide what you need.  If you can't open your computer and install a PCI soundcard, then you'll have to get an external.  If you plan to record your band on the road, then you'll probably want the portability of an external.  If you have a laptop and you don't want a Cardbus card, then you have to use an external.

Ok, on to the good stuff!  Here's a table for you to use as a guide for buying a sound card!

Link to the full spreadsheet:  Spreadsheet of Soundcards
Short List:

Disclaimer:

I do not work for any of these companies.  I do not guarentee any of the these cards to work with your computer or your software or both.  These are only suggestions.