The soundcard is arguably the most important component in the chain. It deals with all things audio going to and from your PC and every audio process that occurs inside your PC.

A good soundcard will:

Support 24bit / 32bit bit depths and high sample rates (96kHz)
Overcome the Windows latency problem by supporting ASIO (a proprietary audio driver architecture developed by Steinberg that reduces latency in Windows applications by bypassing the WDM model altogether and speaking directly with the soundcard maker's hardware).
Have a low noise level and a good Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), low Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) and a good frequency response and dynamic range.
Not be locked to a fixed bit-rate. Some soundcards, especially on-board ones (i.e. integrated within the motherboard) are bit-rate locked (generally to 48kHz) thus everything is re-sampled to that rate.

We recommend M-Audio's Audiophile 2496.

THE M-AUDIO AUDIOPHILE 2496 SOUNDCARD

The M-Audio Audiophile 2496 is a professional quality inexpensive audio solution. Despite the word "audiophile" in its name, the card will, first of all, be of interest to a computer musician, and only after that a lover of high-quality music playback.

The 2496 has:

excellent sound (high-quality converters located in the professional I2S codec AK4528);
wide capabilities (multifunctional Envy24 processor which provides a great number of settings)
excellent VxD and WDM drivers (support of all operating systems including WinXP)
superb quality of the digital-out (due to the separate transceiver chip CS8427);
MIDI input and output with standard DIN-5 connectors
support of professional interfaces (GSIF, ASIO, EASI) and low latency (in the WDM drivers as well)

M-Audio Audiophile 2496 features:

2 x 2 analog I/O
24-bit/96kHz fidelity
S/PDIF digital I/O with 2-channel PCM
SCMS copy protection control
digital I/O supports surround-encoded AC-3 and DTS pass-through
1 x 1 MIDI I/O
zero-latency monitoring
software controlled 36-bit internal DSP digital mixing/routing
gold-plated RCA jacks
frequency response: 22Hz-22kHz, -0.4, +/-0.4dB
dynamic range: 104dB (A-weighted) (D/A)

Compatibility:

ASIO 2 (important!)
MME
Sound Manager
OMS
DirectX
GSIF 2
Mac OS X Core Audio / Core MIDI

Conclusion

"This is a good sounding card that will work well for the home/enthusiast studio. It is ideal for making high-quality demo recordings, and when combined with other high-quality gear will provide professional results on more ambitious projects. At its price point, the card is rather remarkable in what it provides to the user and what it is capable of." (pcrecording.com)

Once all the analog equipment is in place (mics, mixer etc.), the routing is clearly understood, the soundcard installed and you've read all the manuals (yes, they are worth reading!), you are ready to record ... well, almost. The final question that needs to be answered is: What software to use?



			> home > record > soundcard
	Recording ROUTING AUDIO CAPTURE MIXER SOUNDCARD RECORD - MASTER EFFECTS MODERN MASTERING Related Information PLAY PAUSE (analysis) GiantPygmy.net BLOG (HOME)		SOUNDCARD The soundcard is arguably the most important component in the chain. It deals with all things audio going to and from your PC and every audio process that occurs inside your PC. A good soundcard will: Support 24bit / 32bit bit depths and high sample rates (96kHz) Overcome the Windows latency problem by supporting ASIO (a proprietary audio driver architecture developed by Steinberg that reduces latency in Windows applications by bypassing the WDM model altogether and speaking directly with the soundcard maker's hardware). Have a low noise level and a good Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), low Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) and a good frequency response and dynamic range. Not be locked to a fixed bit-rate. Some soundcards, especially on-board ones (i.e. integrated within the motherboard) are bit-rate locked (generally to 48kHz) thus everything is re-sampled to that rate. We recommend M-Audio's Audiophile 2496. THE M-AUDIO AUDIOPHILE 2496 SOUNDCARD The M-Audio Audiophile 2496 is a professional quality inexpensive audio solution. Despite the word "audiophile" in its name, the card will, first of all, be of interest to a computer musician, and only after that a lover of high-quality music playback. The 2496 has: excellent sound (high-quality converters located in the professional I2S codec AK4528); wide capabilities (multifunctional Envy24 processor which provides a great number of settings) excellent VxD and WDM drivers (support of all operating systems including WinXP) superb quality of the digital-out (due to the separate transceiver chip CS8427); MIDI input and output with standard DIN-5 connectors support of professional interfaces (GSIF, ASIO, EASI) and low latency (in the WDM drivers as well) M-Audio Audiophile 2496 features: 2 x 2 analog I/O 24-bit/96kHz fidelity S/PDIF digital I/O with 2-channel PCM SCMS copy protection control digital I/O supports surround-encoded AC-3 and DTS pass-through 1 x 1 MIDI I/O zero-latency monitoring software controlled 36-bit internal DSP digital mixing/routing gold-plated RCA jacks frequency response: 22Hz-22kHz, -0.4, +/-0.4dB dynamic range: 104dB (A-weighted) (D/A) Compatibility: ASIO 2 (important!) MME Sound Manager OMS DirectX GSIF 2 Mac OS X Core Audio / Core MIDI Conclusion "This is a good sounding card that will work well for the home/enthusiast studio. It is ideal for making high-quality demo recordings, and when combined with other high-quality gear will provide professional results on more ambitious projects. At its price point, the card is rather remarkable in what it provides to the user and what it is capable of." (pcrecording.com) Once all the analog equipment is in place (mics, mixer etc.), the routing is clearly understood, the soundcard installed and you've read all the manuals (yes, they are worth reading!), you are ready to record ... well, almost. The final question that needs to be answered is: What software to use?
			© Giant Pygmy 2009