Sound Card, External Audio Interface, or...?

Posted on Oct 24, 2009 10:19 pm
NBrunk
Member Since: Sep 30, 2008

Hello, and thanks for the help in advance.

I am going to be purchasing a new computer soon and need to decide if a card (such as an Audiophile) or an external audio interface (such as firewire), or something in between is best.

I already own an external audio interface, a Lexicon Alpha, which connects via USB 2, but it doesn't seem to work as well as I'd hoped. I get audio artifacts if I set the buffer settings low enough so that I have little latency with MIDI or bass guitar input. Could this be something other than the Alpha's fault, perhaps a computer hardware issue that could be solved by beefing up the computer it's hooked up to? That would be the best case scenario, seeing as I'm buying a new computer soon.

I'll list here what I hope to do musically and would love to hear everyone's suggestions. First and foremost, a majority of what I do is via a MIDI controller that connects through USB 2 (but can connect via MIDI cables if needed). I would like to be able to record guitars (I play bass). I can plug a guitar into the Alpha unit I have but cannot seem to lower it's latency to the point where it's usable. I don't know if it differs from the technology that records guitars via 1/4 inch cables, but I would also like to record vocals via XLR through a dynamic mic.

Mainly, I'm looking to decrease the latency of both MIDI and guitar, and would like to be able to apply effects to the guitars input and have them played back in real time. (An example of the effects I'd like to apply are Waves' Guitar Amp Simulation VST's through Sony's Acid Pro 7)

Thanks and if anyone has any questions about the equipment I use or anything else, please ask them!

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