PC Interface...PCI card or Hardware?
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Posted on Mar 11, 2006 07:46 pm
Goldenmean87
Conjurer of Emotion
Member Since: Jan 14, 2006
I am looking to get a pc interface/pre-amp to replace my M-audio mobile pre. Is it better to go with PCI cards from EMU or something external like the M-box?
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Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Mar 11, 2006 08:11 pm Right now to be honest the PCI card seems to be the most stable as far as drivers and usability. I know some people are having good luck with Firewire, but so far I think more are having issues of some sort. USB seems to be a bit more friendly for audio interface's though. I have added a Line 6 UX-2 right now aside from my regular interface and it seems to be very stable, low latency and working very steady. But that said, the PCI cards are tried and true. Yes, some have and still have issues so definately shop around for something stable. ESI, M-Audio and the higher end cards are your best bet. EMU and Creative have tried to enter that realm and are still having some major issues. So I dont recomend that for a starting point or you may be disappointed.
Mar 12, 2006 02:05 am If you were to use a "Firewire" card as a PCI add-on, you should know that the PCI bus itself will limit the transfer speed. You won't get the advertised data rate. If you have an OEM 1394 port that maybe is wired to the MBrd directly it may be different, but it doesn't sound like that's the case. Firewire is cool for transfering files that are already rendered or recorded, but like Noize said, driver problems are more likely, and that is a headache at best.
USB 2.0 is pretty fast. When I switched from USB 2 to a PCI 1394 card for an external hard drive I have to say I honestly couldn't tell much of a difference in the time it took to copy files and such. Plus, most USB controllers' driver are native to Windows and are more stable more often.
So, in short, firewire and USB 2 are both fine choices if you want versatility, but if you're setting up a stationary rig, you can get a great PCI card that will be as fast as anything, have more legacy support, and be cheaper.
