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Re: [ARSCLIST] USB music card vs. onboard digitization
Alyssa,
It's always good to hear your perspective. I've been rather pleased
with my middle-of-the-road (i.e. not Weiss) RME Multifaces which keep
the conversion outside the computer, but you're in the
just-under-a-grand range for 8-channels when you buy the Multiface
and its dedicated PCI card. The link between the two is on a 1394
cable, but not 1394 protocol.
I also recently purchased a MOTU 828 MK II which is a 1394-connected
device to go with my laptop. It offers eight line inputs and two mic
inputs, simultaneously.
Arny Krueger has done a great job (although not always including the
latest) of comparing in-PC sound cards.
http://www.pcavtech.com/soundcards/compare/index.htm
The DAL card offers good value for money for stereo interfacing. I
think Tom Fine can attest to that.
If you're going to spend the time to digitze 1000 records, I think
spending a little time up front selecting an outstanding card (for
the budget) makes sense. Of course, one also needs to pay attention
to the analog chain as well. But time ends up being the most valuable
commodity and doing something that has a mediocre result is, in the
end, a waste of time.
Cheers,
Richard
Cheers,
Richard
At 12:59 AM 1/27/2006, Alyssa Ryvers wrote:
Does resolving interrupts make the sound more satisfactory?
Enquiring minds want to know, because last time I resolved an
interrupt, it didn't. Doesn't mean it doesn't now, and I'm open to
hearing about that, because I'm always interested in keeping up, and
it's been years since I fuddled with interrupts on a sound card. I'm
sorry for the weird mood, but I do think from the tone of Mr.
Bresler's post, you might overwhelm him by suggesting he inspect
waveforms visually, etc. You start talking "Spectrum Analysis", and
you're making me nervous too
I think exploring sound cards is a responsible way to go before you
take on a task of 1000 xfers. My 2c, but wouldn't know which is the
best of the low-end stuff. ProTools ain't worth writing home about,
and that's Medium end. Perhaps someone here has listened to the
lower end lately; certainly used to be better to keep the conversion
outside the computer. I wouldn't trust it inside. If these are
copies for yourself (you're transferring your personal collection
because you want to retire your turntable, etc.), not for
preservation purposes (the one pressed copy of your Grandmother
telling stories), then the decision isn't as critical. I still would
go for outside the box (computer), and wait to see if someone else
trolling on here has taken a listen to the converters under $X? Then
go take a listen for yourself, if you can, at a store using
headphones in a quiet(!) environment. Listen for noise, of course,
but also listen for warmth, brittleness - all these things
(converters) colour the sound, and in the end, you're going to have
to live with the best choice given the choices you present yourself
with. Take a listen to an Apogee converter, in order to compare with
something that is Professional quality (a number of music stores
have the Apogee MiniMe [$1000ish] kicking around). Be sure to listen
to the same sample and bit rate (ex: 44.1K, 16bit) on both the
Apogee and the lower end ones, otherwise you're comparing apples
with...even ProTools starts sounding like it maybe - might be -
reasonable - at 96K, 24bit [faster rates].
And then you can compare all that to what you've already got, and voila!
Best,
Alyssa.
:)
"If someone, holding fast to the name of Bodhisattva Perceiver of
the World's Sounds should enter a great fire, the fire could not
burn him...If one were washed away by a great flood and call upon
his name, one would immediately find himself in a shallow place."
(The Lotus Sutra)