Re: OT: external soundcard for laptops

Darryl Johnson <Darryl.Johnson@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Some of you have experience in this, I'm sure. I've been bouncing from
one store to another looking at an external soundcard for my son for
Christmas. (He says he's getting pops and crackles from his speakers
or headphones when he listens to music on his computer.)

One store claims Firewire is better because it is faster in "real
life" than USB 2.0, *and* can handle more individual channels at once
(for recording multiple microphones as separate tracks). Another store
says that's complete nonsense: they showed me a TASCAM US-1641 (I
think that was the model) that can send 8 tracks at once over USB.

So far, starting at about a $100 price point (as that it roughly what
it may cost to have the headphone jack on the computer replaced), I've
looked at Yamaha Audiogram6 and Audiogram6, TAPCO Link.USB and
Link.Firewire, various M-Audio devices and TASCAM US-122 Mk II and the
larger US-1641.

At its most basic, I just want to replicate the functionality of a
headphone jack. Better sound is a nice bonus.

But, as a jazz musician, I know he'll want to do some recording, so
the added features of the various units come into play: multiple
inputs, phantom power, separate tracks out, etc.

Staying within, let's say, $350, does anyone have any advice or
recommendations?

Thanks in advance,

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productlist.php?ParentId=114

slightly over your three-fifty, for comparison

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=702&Parent
Id=114

under two-fifty for more basic unit

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=731&Parent
Id=114



A couple of years ago I helped a local music teacher move from an old
Marantz CD recorder to a laptop w/interface, and she wound up with a
small Edirol box that was very solidly built and worked well out of the
box. They had good drivers for it. Hers was a USB box, and while there
are good reasons for Firewire to be preferred for work requiring more
tracks, at this level both protocols are more than adequate for the
task.

Most kit at this level pretty much all sounds the same, too, so besides
build quality you might see what's bundled by whom. For instance, this
M-Audio Solo comes with Ableton Live Lite:

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FireWireSolo.html

And so forth.

--
ha
shut up and play your guitar
http://www.armadillomusicproductions.com/CarryMeHome.htm
http://hankalrich.com/
.

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