Should I change my sound card?
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Posted on Jan 01, 2013 06:08 am
skeg0
www.dorian-music.co.uk
Member Since: Apr 04, 2008
I've been recording for years now on my home studio and just today I thought, one bit of gear I haven't touched/upgraded, has been my computers sound card.
I'm always trying to upgrade as and when I can and I always notice a good sound from my hs80 speakers when plugged straight in (8 track analogue mixer into the line in on a standard issue dell sound card maybe 5-7 years old) but when I play back the recorded audio through the same speakers it sounds completely different. Mainly lacking bass and clarity. I've always put up with it and figured that sound cards should be pretty similar unless going for ultra high 96k recordings which I don't really see the need for but the change always seems so drastic and I don't think it's just me picking up the frequencies from the guitar itself as there wouldn't be much bass response coming from it
So, is this normal? Should I upgrade my sound card? If so can good results be achieved cheaply?
I should also mention my signal chain is usually my boss gt10 or sm57 direct into an old tascam 8 track mixer, 4 track cassette tape recorder but with the line out to my dell sound card (built in) via its line in. I do have a more modern 8 track behringer mixer that I use live that had 96khz output via USB but always assumed that 96k going in would be pointless when in mastering at 48 or 44.1 anyway?
Many thank Yous! Oh and happy new year to all. May your recordings shine with clarity and have peaks in all the right places in 2013!
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Jan 01, 2013 06:25 am Happy new year to you as well, hope it's a good one.
I find your conundrum interesting, insofar as you say you upgrade when and where you can, yet the one thing you haven't upgraded is the single most important part of the chain, the audio interface...that is the part that converts analog to digital, a critical step in the chain.
Yes, you can get decent results without breaking the bank, I have heard some dudes get great results with Sound Blaster sound card, but it all requires time and effort.
Stock card, such as your Dell, are perfectly fine for playing CD's and DVD's on your PC, even for gaming in full deplux (meaning audio going in and out at the same time (such as a headset with a mic), Skype, Facetime and such use, but for audio recording they are not that great...many say 16 bit, 44.1 sample rate, full duplex, etc...but are barely able to claim such things...you are best off putting forward a small investment ($100, sometimes less) to get a card MADE for recording...
Personally, I have used M-Audio audiophile, ESI Juli@ and Line 6 KB37, none are high dollar solutions, but FAR outperformed the stock sound chip in my computer.
With that, how do you record? One instrument at a time? Live drums or sampled/programmed? Do you mix on the PC or the mixer? Micing or running direct for guitar, bass, horns and whatever?
skeg0www.dorian-music.co.ukMember
Since: Apr 04, 2008
Jan 01, 2013 09:31 am Hi db,
Many thanks for the card suggestions - ill look into them!
I record rock music with a bit of synth here and there so it's mainly electric guitars, bass guitar and vox that go direct into my 4 track mixer (no amp) with a bit of eq so it sounds good initially going out the speakers, then I do all the main mixing and effects in nuendo.
I especially notice it with electric guitars, I record it and it sounds fantastic, wide stereo image etc then play it back without effects or eq and its a bit dull and lifeless. I normally end up putting already compressed guitar (on the pedal) through another compressor to give it some life.
I record one instrument at a time with drums being supplied by addictive drums and an electric kit.
Surely though it should the same when played back as it does going in!? That's what I don't get!
Thanks!
