Deciding on a Sound Card

Hi All,

This is a continuation if my previous post about recording with a good sound card. Since I mainly record multitrack audio, do the Creative Sound Cards match up to professional quality Audio recordings. I had an option of the M-Audio Audiophile card but it isnt available anymore and since I have to buy the soundcard today and start recording I will have to decide fast. The creative Cards are available easily but I havent used any before and so need some advice. Should I buy a Creative Card or stick to my onboard Intel Hi-Definition audio chip. I will use Cakewalk Sonar 4.0, Sound Forge 7.0 and Fruity Loops. Also, how is the latency on the Creative sound cards.

Thanks a lot,
SUNNY

I'm using a Creative Audigy Platinum Version 1, which was the first of the line. Noise wise it's pretty good but the V1 chipset forced sample rate compromises which made the card of limited use to serious users; the drivers are also total garbage for XP and I'm using a set of 3rd party drivers instead.

But this is a four year old piece of kit.

As far as I know the new stuff does not restrict sample rate in the same way (but I'd still check the small print) and the drivers are much better. I would expect any of the new high-end Creative soundcards to be significantly better quality than your on-board chipset (even if high-definition it says nothing about the noise; there's little point in 24 bits worth of A-D if the lower 8 bits worth of resolution finds itself recording white noise due to electrical interference or lower quality preceding audio processing).

If you are really serious then try to get the A/D and D/A converters out of the PC and into an external converter box; do the current higher-end Creative sound cards still come with an external interface unit?

sunny _

as i told you last time, i still believe m-audio is one of the best choices in this half-professional area of 100-500 USD.
i used to have a audigy sound card, very good for listening, gaming, etc, but not for recording serious audio material.

depending on your needs (more ins/outs, pci card) from my experience, if audiophile no longer available, this would be a great card to buy: http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOD1010LT

good luck!

Hi,

Thanks so much for your Advice. I have asked for an M-Audio Audiophile specially from Singapore. It will be here tonight. Luckily , someone was coming down and said he would try to manage to bring it.

Cheers
SUNNY

you're welcome!
i hope it will be right for you, i know it is for me, and i do about the same things as you do.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOAP2496