sound card help

[pgross]

im planing to change my creative audigy 1 to something better..im using it more to music production ,fruity loops & sonar ..i came across 3 sound card
>esi maya44
>esi juli@
>m audio audiophile 192k

what i also need is a headphone output as i usually use it for monitoring.i wont me recording much external because will use mostly vst`s sound instruments..
my budget is >$250
so which sound card can recomend me?

 

[Cheez]

Echo Miamidi.

 

[pgross]

does it have asio in it?
heard that katong have this..

 

[blueprintstudios]

echo miamidi (Don't get the non-midi version! i accidentally wasted a softie's time once meet up then realised it's non midi) is good.

yes katong shopping centre, take a lift up. Kevin of Swizer Tech. but you gotta call first. get number from echoaudio.com

 

[Cheez]

Yes, it has ASIO drivers. The one without midi is called Echo Mia - and that has been discontinued. Miamidi has midi in and out (hence called Miamidi). Swizer is at Katong Shopping Center, but Kevin is very nice and can deliver it to a convenient place for you to pick up.

 

[OhamtaroO]

How about Auzentech's x-plosion, it even has a digital-out, lol. really sweet sound card, great for music.

 

[pgross]

then how about esi maya 44
seems interesting

 

[blueprintstudios]

my stand is with mia midi. I know 2 people using this. and at least 4 people using echo brand (including myself last time). you can choose to play guinea pig or go with the tried and tested heheh.

 

[Cheez]

M-audio is also pretty decent. Yes, ESI is also OK.

I've used Echo over the past 6 years. No problems, low latency, good price, great support both from Kevin and from Echo directly (can't remember the guy's name, but he's extremely helpful and very fast in responding - the need for support is nothing to do with defective product, more of my blurness). In fact, I'm going to get another Echo - Gina 3G (my 3rd Echo purchase). I would get RME if they are not so expensive... So I'm with blueprintstudio and endorse Echo.

 

[pgross]

M-audio is also pretty decent. Yes, ESI is also OK.

I've used Echo over the past 6 years. No problems, low latency, good price, great support both from Kevin and from Echo directly (can't remember the guy's name, but he's extremely helpful and very fast in responding - the need for support is nothing to do with defective product, more of my blurness). In fact, I'm going to get another Echo - Gina 3G (my 3rd Echo purchase). I would get RME if they are not so expensive... So I'm with blueprintstudio and endorse Echo.

since everyone here recomends the echo i think i should get it..btw any headphone out because im using that to monitor..
and whats the price range

at the same time mwts my audigy 1 with in/out box..can pm me ur price
thx

 

[Cheez]

Before getting rid of your audigy, you need to know that pro audio cards DO NOT generate sounds in itself. That means you won't get any of those PC beeps and bleeps, no midi sounds if you are playing games or any other software that requires midi sounds.

Best way is to keep both cards in your PC. For audio applications, it's always better to have a dedicated PC to run it (that means no internet, no office, no games, no other software). But because few people will get 2 PCs (one for work and one for music), best way is to dual boot your system. Discussed hundreds of times in this forum (do a quick search on "dual boot" in SOFT). Then in the boot partition for your work, disable your pro audio card and use your audigy. In your audio apps boot partition, disable your audigy and use your pro audio card. Make sure there are no IRQ conflicts between the 2 soundcards by checking your device manager. Then you're set.

If your PC is already dedicated to music (running nothing else), then don't need 2 soundcards.

 

[gutturalpiss]

Focusrite Saffire!

Presonus Firepod!

 

[guppy]

=Cheez

Noob question... What do you mean by pro audio cards? Sorry, I'm researching for sound card for creating midi. So your comment triggered my concern Thanks.

 

[Cheez]

What I meant is audio cards meant specifically for audio recording and production, not for games. If you want to do midi sounds, you have a few options:

1. Get a soundcard like audigy, which is not the choice for people who are serious into recording and music production
2. Get an external sound module that's GM compatible
3. Get softsynths that has a GM template

Cheapest option is 1. All depends on your needs.

 

[guppy]

Oic... Thanks. My friend suggested me to get E-MU 1212, but it looked alien to me. So is E-MU 1212 one that doesn't playback midi? I was considering between that or getting Auzen Prelude and then its extension when I need analogue or midi recording...

Sorry for hijacking thread.

 

[gutturalpiss]

I surmise there is confusion here. By creating MIDI, you do mean making sounds via a MIDI interface and controller right? If so, cards that have MIDI ports will suffice - and that includes most of the ones discussed here.

I just noticed headphones being mentioned. Just as an FYI in case someone else wants one too: http://www.headphone.com/technical/product-measurements/build-a-graph

You don't want to use headphones.

 

[guppy]

Noob at entry level... I'm only doing notation at the moment, cos my keyboard doesn't have midi I/O. If I use a music production software that has it's own soundfont pack, would I still need a sound card that plays midi?

 

[Cheez]

No. If your software has it's own sound, you don't want a soundcard that has sounds. Most of the time, software has better sounds than the cheesy sounding soundcards.

 

[ac]

Deh, midi doesn't generate or make sounds. It's just the notes, timings, etc. Most people won't even use soundfonts to make music.

The audigy 1 can forget about it already. I won't even recommend anyone buying it at all. But! try out the kx project driver replacement for the audigy. If you've already installed the creative drivers, your mileage may vary, but if it works, your audigy is transformed into a *jeng jeng jeng* moderately pro soundcard.

Then you'll start forming a lot more opinions on what to get.

 

[Cheez]

Yes, strictly speaking, midi is just the language of communication between electronic instruments and devices. But people tend to refer General Midi (GM) sounds as "midi". Those people who started the naming are the ones causing the confusion today. ac is right - it's time to re-educate...