Hi guys


I am "building" a new a comp (not sure if we say "build" )
and i was wondering what audiocard to choose knowing that I don't need a lot of in/out

the pc i am getting :
- Intel Core i5-4590
- 12Gb ram
- Motherboard : MSI H97M-G43

No need to mention the graphic cards and other components.

I was thinking of getting an old M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 but it's out of stock and expensive used ones coz old best seller I guess
I guess it's better to choose an internal card than external one ( PCI Express faster than USB 2.0 or 3.0 right ? )
I don't need to add anything as input ( no instrument, no mic, no device but maybe a midi keyboard)
The speakers, i don't have monitoring speakers yet

So i was wondering if the audio chipset can do the job?
If no, do I need a great soundcard??

My questions are maybe silly but I hae always composed with a laptop without specific usb audio card ( i tried but it was messy)

the budget would be 100 euros ( like 120 dollars)

 

Nice board, the on board-audio should be sufficient (ASIO-driver). With that CPU you`d get the latency pretty low. I mean ... what do you want with a fancy sound-card and no monitors? Maybe some headphones instead?
My 2 cents: Skip the AI as long as you`re on a budget, nothing to save money on.

 

Where are you toshfox? I've got a few months old M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 in my cupboard, in original boxing if you want it. Just 60 euro + shipping.

It is 4 years old, but I only used it for like 3 months since a friend came by and offered me RME HDSP 9652 for 300 euro and I couldn't say "no". so since then Audiophile 24/96 is in the cupboard waiting to be used, but I never needed it. So... why not sell it to someone who needs it?

I always recommend PCi or PCIe cards rather than USB, but Firewire cards also work well. If you wanted to invest a bit more, I'd suggest you to take a look at Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP. Great card. One of my clients has it and I worked with it, it's a real bargain for like 300 euro, I think. Very good preamps, not bad FX, nice mixer app. Focusrite VRM is not bad either. http://us.focusrite.com/firewire-audio-interfaces/saffire-pro-24-dsp

You can also probably find RME HDSP 9632 for 300 euro. Magnificent card. I like 9652 better because it's all digital and I use external AD and DA converters with it, but that's quite a bit more expensive setup. [around 2300 euro]

Cheers!

 

Thank u for your help,
I have some basic homestudio headphones ( sony mdr something)
I should buy monitoring someday really coz composing with headphones only is not good
but i spent too much , and basic monitoring speakers cost like 500
So yes i wanted to improve the audio (not about listenning quality but as u said about latency and calculation)

thanks for your msg,
I live in France lol
i guess u live in USA ? if yes, i would get taxes at the deliery lol

the cards u advice me are above my budget right now.
firewire is for MAC, i have a pc :p
I was thinking about usb 3.0 but they say that is useless coz usb 2.0 has a good speed, enough for the audio data
I had bad experience with usb external card coz usb buses in a motherboard share ressources so it's not stable ( something like that)

Now the question is : does this Audiophile 24/96 bring me more advantages than the audio chipset seen my conditions

thanks guys for your help

 

For cheap cards, you really can't go wrong with these..

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun13/articles/steinberg-ur22.htm

Or

http://www.musicradar.com/reviews/tech/focusrite-scarlett-2i2-530852

They will more than do the job..

Try an auction site for second hand cards to save even more money.. Don't worry about them being USB or external they will work just fine!

BTW FireWire is also for PC if you wish to choose cards for that (I use a saffire 14) they work just as good.

 

I've owned several audio interfaces these years, and I'm my experience, an audio interface will yield clearer audio than stock audio chipsets in your motherboard. However, without monitoring you are in the dark about this. Home-grade speakers won't do the job.

Future-wise thinking, you might want to consider a USB audio Interface that is iPad-compatible (There's nothing wrong with USB, and Firewire is backwards thinking, as it is likely to be phased out by Thunderbolt -at least, that's what where top manufacturers are looking).

For your hundred euros, I'd consider a one or two preamp interface in the likes of Focusrire or Presonus. They make sturdy, no-compromise audio interfaces. Even though not needed, I'd still buy one with one or two mic inputs. You might need it/them along the way.

If your budget were higher, I'd say get a RME Babyface or an Apogee Duet, but they go far north 500 bucks (worth every penny in sound quality).

As for midi connectivity, if the interface didn't bring a midi port, I wouldn't worry, as midi-to-USB interfaces are really cheap.

Once you get the audio interface sorted out (or maybe before it), get a decent pair of mixing-grade headphones. Solid candidates would be offerings from AudioTechnica, KRK, Sennheiser, or AKG. Be ready to spend between 100 and 150 bucks for headphones that can do the job. Inexpensive monitors that people praise these days if you want speakers are Presonus Eris E5 for around 250 bucks a pair.

Good luck.

 

The duet is iPad and mac only.

 

I suggest you Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 + M-Audio BX5 D2

 

Geeez! I forgot. Sorry dude. You're spot on about it.

 

Great picks though lol.. I fancy 1 myself but then again I would probably spend the little extra and go for the Apollo twin duo

 

with that MSI H97M-G43 mobo you whouldnt be able to use a M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 as the audiophile is pci and your motherboard only has pci-e slots.

if your not recording and only monitor out/ headphones usb has ample bandwidth to cope with your needs.

you just want to make sure you get a audio interface with decent drivers.

the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 that has been recomended to you is a good card to look at as it will give you options later when you add monitor speacers.

you can pick up a b-stock one for €122 http://www.thomann.de/gb/focusrite_scarlett_2i2_b_stock_2.htm

just shop around and you may find it closer to you budget.

also if your not gaming on that computer you can scrap the graphics card and happily run 2 screens with little effort and save your self some money.

 

oh thank u @ firewire info
Will check your choices

thank u for sharing your experience,
U right about speakers, that's why i always composed with the studio headphones, which is still a mistake coz it doesn't give same experience about space as with monitoring speakers
( headphones should be used to hear mistakes or specific tasks)

my headphones are sony mdr 7506

the Presonus Eris E5 seem a good choice for a low budget ! One of the reasons why i wouldn't pay a lot for speakers is coz i don't have a good room ( lot of furniture, bla bla) and i compose music only when i have the mood ( sometimes i don't do it for 6 months, 1 year) it's just a hobby.

thank u,
170 euros for the pair of speakers is interesting !

 

lol yes indeed. Actually this choice of mobo was made at the last moment before buying

thank u for your advice !

 

Among other headphones I also own those Sony. I can tell you that they are actually pretty good. My favs are Shure SRH840. They get mixed reviews, especially about comfort, but I love them. As for monitors, if you get a pair with 4-5 inch drivers and use them at moderate volume, with little effort you can make do in limited space. Check monitor placement guides at places like Sound On Sound or the Auralex website and you'll find lots of insight. Here at the forums the topic has been discussed extensively too.
Whichever way you go, you'll be alright as you are already ponding great options here.

 

Thanks again guys

I think when i get more money, seen your advice, I would get for 300 dollars:

M-Audio BX5-D2
and a "simple" Presonus AudioBox which does the job ( 24bits-48Khz)

 

RTL on 2 new interfaces from tascam is lower than most higher end interfaces costing 4 times what they cost. the 4x4 and 2x2 are under 5ms in RTL at a 64 sample buffer and the unit set to record at 96khz. The RME babyface is almost as good in terms of RTL and will cost you $750 those are the only choices for a USB interface IMHO. Firewire mackie onyx blackbird is the best deal at $500 and then if you can use PCI the best bargain is from ESI you can read testing reports on dozens of interfaces at dawbench.com then you will understand more on this issue.