M-Audio 2496 vs. Aardvark LX6 -or- the "Ben is blind" thread.
Home > Home Recording Forum > Computers & Software > M-Audio 2496 vs. Aardvark LX6 -or- the "Ben is blind" thread.
Posted on Jan 05, 2004 07:22 am
bensf81
Member Since: Jan 03, 2004
I MUST be blind.
I finally get the last part for my DAW, the 2496. It arrived yesterday but I just now got around to preparing to install it.
Again I say, I must be blind. Am I, or am I correct in seeing that this only has RCAs...no 1/4"?
As further evidence that I'm blind...the store I bought it from has an Aardvark LX6 on sale for $299.00...I got the 2496 for $249.00
I haven't opened it yet. I could return it and get the LX6. Obviously not just for the 1/4"s which aren't a big deal, but the breakout box and the shielding seems a nice touch...and for only 50 more bucks!
Suggestions and advice are welcome. Anyone had experience with the LX6? I'm tempted...
[ Back to Top ]
Jan 05, 2004 07:29 am M Audio 2496 service.bfast.com/bfast/c...mp;bfmtype=gear $149!
Aardvark w/Cakewalk PA9 service.bfast.com/bfast/c...mp;bfmtype=gear $349...yuk...
Yes, the audiophile has RCA's and breakouts cables, which are really of little consequence since most of the patching and such should be done via your mixer, not the sound card cables. Lots of people like the breakout box, if that is your preference, go for it, personally they annoy me...but thats just me, I hook everything up, lay the cable behind the PC nice and neat and never touch it again. RCA or not, the Audiophile has very high quality sound...which I am sure the aardvark does as well.
Jan 05, 2004 07:58 am Mixer? What mixer? lol. All my stuff ws lost a few years ago and I've been catching up ever since.
it's already going to take me until May to save for sonar. Argh. I hate money. >_<
Jan 05, 2004 08:10 am Lol. ok... I will do that. I owe you guys alot, and I already plan to get the Alesis keyboard there as well :)
Argh...I hate money. Lol. Y'know? All you wanna do is make your damn music...and it takes forever to get everything.
Jan 05, 2004 08:18 am Very glad we can help!
Instinct tells me you are gonna be a fun and active new part of the community...always love having new folks in the fold!
Jan 05, 2004 08:40 am Aww...thanks.lol. I hope so. I will try to be. I just get a little intimidated to offer my thoughts at times because I'm still learning. But then I guess we all are lol.
Right now the only thing active though is my need for sleep hehe.
Thanks again. I'm gonna crash. :)
Jan 05, 2004 08:51 am Well, if you don't ask you're never gonna learn...or you'll learn a very hard way :-)
Ya know, to help peeps learn (and learn ourselves in the mean time) is the whole reason this site exists...so bring 'em on!
Rest Well :)
flame...bringing sexy backMember
Since: Jul 01, 2002
Jan 05, 2004 09:13 am sweet dreams!
Jan 05, 2004 02:14 pm yeah, bensf, youre a cool guy. and you use melatonin, which is the cat's a$$!
a few words: do what db says, that's my advice. that link isn't opening right now for me, but i think db is pointing you toward one of those mini behringer euroracks. i use that and the 2496. the RCA in's to the card are just what i wanted--i just didnt realize that i wanted it until i got the thing. i mean, i had never used a mixer before, but EVERYONE on this board had one, and since i like gadgets and the behringer was cheap, i just had to have it. now i just run any 1/4 inch audio stuff into the mixer which sends it down the RCA jacks into the 2496.
just a suggestion, but i'd send that thing back and order it for cheap at musician's friend, and throw in the mixer too.
Jan 05, 2004 02:16 pm Yeah, I was pointing him to one of the new UB Series Behringers that have the newer, better preamps...they rock and they rock on a budget...
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Jan 05, 2004 03:13 pm another satisfied customer, er member, er whatever. Anyways, yeah, when I first joined I just asked questions and watched, cuz I had no knowledge. But eventually you learn, and you start adding to the discussion, and then you learn more, and then you add more, it's pretty cool really. I still don't add as much as I'd like to be able to, but I'm still learning.
Jan 05, 2004 05:40 pm dB, what is your path from the imput if your UB mixer to the imputs of the M Audio 2496? What outs of your mixer are you using to feed the card and how many tracks can you record at once with that setup?
Jan 05, 2004 05:44 pm the sub outs go to the cards inputs, the cards outputs go back into the mixer in a stereo pair of channels and get shipped out the mixers main outs to the amplifier and speakers...
Jan 05, 2004 09:36 pm The one for $119 looks suitably affordable and wihin my needs range. Plus it would kinda match the Alesis QS lol.
Personal question:
do you prefer to route back through the mixer and monitor out from there or do you just plug the monitors into the interface's outs. I've tried both before and there are times when (just for listening, not work neccessarily..though sometimes) the sort of digitized (for lack of a better term) airy sound just from the outs on the interface are a little more pleasing to me.
Granted this was quite a while ago, with a kind of crapy sound card.
Jan 06, 2004 04:46 am I prefer to route back thu for strictly convenience, then I have a volume fader at my immediate disposal, since my amp is at the botom of my rack kinda out of the way...also, i can then run my main outs thru any aux busses for effects and such should the need arise, which doesn't very often...
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 06, 2004 06:51 pm And I will conquer on the RCA thing. With that card it wont make a big deal, you just patch it into the mixer, or go straight to your moniters with a calbe that is RCA on one end and 1/4" on the other. As far as running your moniters direct off the card. You can do this, and still get volume control, just not as handy as having the mixer right there. You simply just open the M-Audio control panel and then leave it up, or on the task bar to adjust your main outputs with your mouse. Like I said, not as handy but it works OK.
Jan 06, 2004 07:00 pm *ben wakes up finally after way too much sleep*
melatonin IS the cat's @$$. Lmao. (I have never heard that term and have now adopted it).
So, just out of curiosity...
I remember years ago using one of the earliest itterations of SoundBlaster and while latency and general quality were a huge problem alot of the time, as far as noise went, it was actually pretty clean.
So, how important is shielding anyway? I mean I'm sure there are systems where it's imperative. But why does everyone push shilding and break out boxes so much if they aren't that crucial?
I'm sticking with the 2496 regardless. But it's just interesting to me that almost noone has lodged a compliant with respect to noise even though most seem to be using unshielded cards (granted the connectorsare extrenal, but still...)
That combined with the clean (if not very good) sound I got long ago using an old SB makes me wonder if shielding is just a marketing ploy alot of times.
What say you oh knowledgeable ones?
Jan 06, 2004 07:02 pm P.S.
I'd actually be more concerned about my monitors being shielded. lol.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 06, 2004 08:58 pm Yep, definately shielded moniters, or you will end up with a messy looking video moniter. And yes, shielding is important, but it really has nothing to do with breakout boxes or not. I prefer an audio interface witha breakout box, only for reasons of convieniance as I patch things in and about without mercy, so for me it is really a necesity.
olddogMember
Since: Jul 02, 2003
Jan 06, 2004 09:14 pm Yep this site has been a huge help to me. I don't ask many questions, simply because someone else has usually already asked whatever my question would have been, but I've sure benefitted from alot of the answers. :)
Shielding becomes much more important the longer the cable and the nearer it must be run to other cables.
Dan
