cain
Hi
At some later stage i want to get a USB sound card for recording with all the right connectors. What would you guys recommend?!
JohnnyReggae
That depends on what you're wanting to accomplish and how much you are willing to spend. In my case I went for the simplest and cheapest option, the Edirol UA-1EX, and used ASIO4ALL as the driver. Works well for my current requirements.
http://www.roland.com/products/en/UA-1EX/
There are more expensive options that give you a load of additional inputs, plus stuff ....etc...
AlanRatcliffe
Edirol UA-25EX - Perfect little interface if you only need a 2-in 2-out with near pro specs and features. Good quality sound, line, Mic and digital ins, a HiZ switch (comes in handy to plug a guitar in directly for Guitar Rig, etc.), a limiter, balanced/unbalanced main outs, digital out, headphone outs and direct monitoring.
M-Audio have a similar model which is also highly recommended.
cain
Does USB/Firewire make a difference?
AlanRatcliffe
USB is a bit less problematic than firewire and is more common. Neither is really "better" - and when you are talking 2-in 2-out, the speed of the bus is the least of your worries - either will work with scads of bandwidth spare.
cain
Okay cool, and the line in cable goes strait into the mic inputs right? Im a noob at this.
Change of subject, what would good but cheap monitors be?
AlanRatcliffe
Yep - line in into the inputs and set the input trim/gain controls to suit (on the Edirol, you set it so the limiter light does not come on while playing, or just occasionally).
I haven't looked at smaller monitors for a while, but last I looked the KRK RP5 and the RP6 were great little monitors. I don't think they qualify as cheap though. Bear in mind, you pretty much get what you pay for with monitors and in the cheaper price ranges they are all pretty much of a muchness (IMO). Just stay away from the Desktop media speakers (basically upmarket PC speakers) - they tend to be overpriced and not at all good. There are often great deals going on monitors in Gumtree if you're patient.
cain
Cool, ill have a look!
[deleted]
It seems Francis and I are in the same boat. I'll ask around my family if anyone has old speakers lying around, they're always there when you don't need them. I was stoped in my tracks with the whole glorious process of hooking up my sound card, because my silly little PC speakers won't fit into the holes. Just to taunt me there are cables lying around with the right jacks(if that's the word), but no way to connect them to the speakers.
TomCat
Alan Ratcliffe wrote
Yep - line in into the inputs and set the input trim/gain controls to suit (on the Edirol, you set it so the limiter light does not come on while playing, or just occasionally).
I haven't looked at smaller monitors for a while, but last I looked the KRK RP5 and the RP6 were great little monitors. I don't think they qualify as cheap though. Bear in mind, you pretty much get what you pay for with monitors and in the cheaper price ranges they are all pretty much of a muchness (IMO). Just stay away from the Desktop media speakers (basically upmarket PC speakers) - they tend to be overpriced and not at all good. There are often great deals going on monitors in Gumtree if you're patient.
Also have a look at the Fostex 6301B Monitors.
They sound great for small desktop monitoring and are magnetically shielded.
Neps
On the monitor side.. have a look at the Yamaha MSP5's.. I for a long time used my old Hi-Fi, and to this day it has an honorary place in my monitoring enviorment.. Just had to get Jack-Rca cables and make sure I didn't have a groundloop somewhere.. Buzzes makes me quite a grumpy man..
Viccy.. Soundcard? whats the connection on there? A small mini-jack (headphone connection)? The PC speakers.. Type of connection.. Mini-jack or RCA (those little plugs that you find on DVD players)?
I'll just normally cut the connectors off and put on the ones I need, but then again, I also like to open up every piece of electronic equipment to see how it's put together.. Which reminds me of a time when I opened up an Allen&Heath console and had LOADS of fun taking out the fader packs and cleaning them due to it being a live console full of dirt & grime!! Now that was FUN.. Jip, I am a geek!!
CDee
TomCat wrote
Also have a look at the Fostex 6301B Monitors.
They sound great for small desktop monitoring and are magnetically shielded.
Hey Tom, do you have a connection where I might get a price on those Fostex 6301B's? (Sorry for the slight hijack) ?
Neps
CDee wrote
Hey Tom, do you have a connection where I might get a price on those Fostex 6301B's? (Sorry for the slight hijack) ?
Phone ELTRON on 011 787 0355.. They carry that stock.
http://www.eltron.co.za/Pages/Fostex.html
CDee
Thanks Neps!
[deleted]
Hi Neps. I need a Rca connection for my soundcard, and I'm thinking of getting a converter to be able to use my speakers with the computer jack. I'm not quite competent enough to just cut things off, but then again I've never tried.
Neps
ahhh... the RCA to Jack cable.. You can get nice and cheap converters at Hi-Fi Corruption.. Or any competent computer store will have them..
Tauriq
As a high school student with little to no money majority of the time. :'(
Which soundcard on the inexpensive(like really inexpensive) side of things would still give me decent options and sound?
[deleted]
Thanks Neps
Thinking of going there this afternoon
Heath
the behringer soundcard has great reviews and is only 500 odd bucks and has asio drivers aswell , actually gonna buy one next week
Tauriq
Sounds promising. And that price sits very well with me. ?
Which sound card in particular? So I can look up said reviews.
