Karaoke Forums

Ok I have a brand new puter (picked it up thursday) its nice and grunty, back to AMD chip after a year of celeron rubbish (take my advice and never EVER purchase a celeron). Well the thing is the tech thought the onboard sound specs were good enuff to suit my requirements for music...errrrrr how wrong he is. Tonite is the first chance I have had to sit down and listen and I feel like projectile vomiting. The sound is tinny in the extreme.
So before I blow even more money on a soundcard could I ask for recommendations from the Tech gods please.

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

If you are interfacing the PC with a pro level mixer, then you must use pro level card. I suggest as a minimum the M-Audio Delta 44 PCI interface. It uses 1/4" jacks just like your mixer and is balanced...It comes with all required software and is no more expensive than typical gammers soundcard.

When I say pro level, I don't mean expensive, I mean electronically...Pro mixers require pro level inputs.....Standard PC soundcards output comsumer level electronically. They don't interface well with mixers, even tho you can purchase cable adapters that allow you to connect them.

Your computer is capable of producing very high quality playback into a full stage type PA if only you interface it properly.

Make sure you discover how to disable onboard sound before you install drivers for whatever sound card you select or you might have conflicts...Sometimes it is in BIOS, sometimes you must reconfigure jumper on motherboard, or sometimes it will happen automatically when you actually install card....Motherboard manual may not say, but an email to motherboard maker tech guys will usually get you that info.

I use the Delta 44 and I am very happy with it. It will allow me to both playback and record in very high quality. M-Audio makes more expensive cards, but you are not buying higher quality sound, just more features you may not need, so be realistic when comparing.

The Delta 44 can be had from many etailers for about 149 bucks....There are other options out there, but I know of none as reliable or as easy to configure, and offer just what you need and not a bunch of stuff you will pay for but never use.

Nice concise answer Keith thank you, I shall do a google search now and see if it is readily obtainable in NZ. For now I have plugged in my soundblaster live external and at least playback is passable.

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Congrats on the new computer...and for living in a place like NZ where guys like me dream of visiting...Are the gals cute there?

Keep in mind that you can retain the Soundblaster in the computer providing you have spare slot available for it. The Soundblaster will support any PC based gamming and consumer level audio if you decide to interface it to your TV or home theater system....all you need to do to keep both installed without conflicts is go into control panel-system-hardware and disable whichever you are not using at the moment.

NZ is a place like any other where there is a mixture of cute and uncute. Great place to ride horses tho.
The SB I have is external. Playback is fine but I have always found my recordings with it to be a bit muddy. The old SB live I had installed on the celeron still sounded great BUT every so often I would have a prob whereby it would play something fine but recording at the same time would be nothing but a static noise. When this happened I had to check the mic button then uncheck it. It seemed to me that there was a fault somewhere and although I was using the line in on the card it would appear to cross wires with the mic in and all hell would let loose. I know that doesnt exactly make technical sense but I hope you can follow it.
Also the old SB internal card had a faulty line out socket. Sometimes you would have to plug and unplug a couple of times to get volume. But hey I had my moneys worth out of it. It was installed in 2 prev machines. As to the M-Audio Delta 44 I cant find that particular card so far in NZ but plenty of other M-Audio cards. Typical of here they wont offer you the moderate price before they try and screw you for the higher spec

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Sorry.

Unless you plan a full DAW studio, anything more than a M-Audio Delta 66 is a waste of money.....Can't you do etail from the states there?...Or is customs laws and shipping too much trouble?

Keith apologies I have spent the last 15 mins trying to respond and my internet connection is soooooooo slow that its taken this time for the page to load. I will look into that but I am a redhead, when I want something I want it NOW!!!!!

anyway its nearly 3am here sunday morning. Time I attempted to sleep
Thank you for your good advice will look forward to logging on again when I awake

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Too bad I've been 86'd from this forum  

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I just got the m-audio usb for my laptop and love it solved all my problems like white noise problem and loose 1/8 trs jack problem m-audio uses good ole rca connections ! Found mine on e-bay for around $100.00 new

er what does 86'ed mean? Dont forget I am not of your culture. I come from a place where spunky is a compliment

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Great definition of 86'ed:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=86

your opinions on this card please  Creative SB Audigy2 ZS Platinum

I have read threads in here that slam SB cards but I kind of like the way it has front and rear plugs etc so less messing round at the back of the puter.

I look forward to comments

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Oh noooooooo why is kappy 86'ed? this is my topic he is not banned from contributing to anything I start. If he is banned in the tech forum I shall simply take this to the general discussion forum and not bother coming here

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

besides the only number I understand the meaning of is ummmmm yeah well best left to the imagination

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Kappy was banned from tech forum cause he attemped to troubleshoot tech problems like you would a mental problem...Kappy is a much better shrink than a geek.

Asking your sound system "How do you feel about me buying you a new sound card?" is never very productive.

The Delta series have connection boxes connected by cable to sound card....You can place the connection box about anywhere you please.

The audigy 2 ZS is a notebook pcmcia card for laptops...I assumed you were seeking a card for a full size desktop.

then it differed from the pic I was viewing on the site I was on. The pic showed an onboard card with an additional front thingamy as well

Apologies if I sound confused but was only going by what I was seeing

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Actually that is quite amusing, but I quite enjoy his analysis'
But then I am one who is seduced by the mind (I am talking figuratively here)
I am continually looking for someone who can tell me to go to hell in such a way that I will enjoy the journey

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

I just use the USB Soundblaster mp3+ device

http://www.soundblaster.com/products/MP3%2B/

Works so well with pcs. USB out to the device, and it has RCA connections out and in, as well as the 1/8th connection for headset type of connections.

you must mean the SB X-Fi platinum or one very much like it.

If that is the case, then my first question, do you plan to connect the computer to a mixer, and if so which mixer?