sound card for monitors and a 5.1 system

[LITHE]

hey everyone,

soon I'll be getting a new set of monitors (m-audio Studiophile BX8a Deluxe) along with a sub (m-audio BX10s), and along with that I think I should get a new soundcard. right now I have a "creative sound-blaster xfi elite pro" (what a big name for such a lame product) which was a big waste of money!

anyways I need my sound card to be able to hook up a midi keyboard, two monitors and a sub, 1/4" jack headphones, my guitar, and an s/pdif out (or optical out) to hook up to a 5.1 reciever (I also want my pc to be my media center).

right now Im looking at this sound card

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Audiophile192.html

does this have everything I need?

[SnappleMan]

You can't mix your multimedia machine and your DAW and expect everything to run smoothly. The Audiophile 192 is a good card, but it wont give you 5.1, only stereo. The sub and monitors will most likely hook up to eachother, a monitor sub is NOT like a multimedia system sub, same with the speakers, they wont act as a surround unit, but as stereo speakers (the speakers start at a frequency range where the sub leaves off). As for plugging in a guitar right into your soundcard, BAD IDEA. It's not made to take unbalanced high impedance signals, you can blow it out, and even if you keep it careful you'll still get bad input quality with noise and unfiltered tone. You need a mixer or DI box for all your instruments and mics, and then that goes into the soundcard.

Professional and "prosumer" soundcards are not made to be used as multimedia cards. They do have superior sound quality and drivers, but they're made to be used in a completely "sterile" environment in terms of software. As far as I know only M-Audio cards have somewhat of a multimedia support because the drivers allow more than one process to use the soundcard at a time. So as far as that goes, you can play MP3s and use your DAW at the same time. As for the 5.1, getting a professional 5.1 card and system is pretty expensive. If you are dead set on having 5.1, keep your creative card around. You can always use the Audiophile strictly within your DAW and the creative card as your windows default device.

[LITHE]

You can't mix your multimedia machine and your DAW and expect everything to run smoothly. The Audiophile 192 is a good card, but it wont give you 5.1, only stereo. The sub and monitors will most likely hook up to eachother, a monitor sub is NOT like a multimedia system sub, same with the speakers, they wont act as a surround unit, but as stereo speakers (the speakers start at a frequency range where the sub leaves off). As for plugging in a guitar right into your soundcard, BAD IDEA. It's not made to take unbalanced high impedance signals, you can blow it out, and even if you keep it careful you'll still get bad input quality with noise and unfiltered tone. You need a mixer or DI box for all your instruments and mics, and then that goes into the soundcard.

Professional and "prosumer" soundcards are not made to be used as multimedia cards. They do have superior sound quality and drivers, but they're made to be used in a completely "sterile" environment in terms of software. As far as I know only M-Audio cards have somewhat of a multimedia support because the drivers allow more than one process to use the soundcard at a time. So as far as that goes, you can play MP3s and use your DAW at the same time. As for the 5.1, getting a professional 5.1 card and system is pretty expensive. If you are dead set on having 5.1, keep your creative card around. You can always use the Audiophile strictly within your DAW and the creative card as your windows default device.

so how much does a mixer cost? one with not many inputs that gets the job done...

well as for the 5.1 I dont plan on using my monitors and the surround system at the same time. I realize that monitors eather use a mic jack or a 1/4" jack.

so I can actually use both cards? how would I switch between using one or the other? and whats the point of the audiophile 192 having an s/pdif out, if it doesnt output 5.1?

[SnappleMan]

so how much does a mixer cost? one with not many inputs that gets the job done...

well as for the 5.1 I dont plan on using my monitors and the surround system at the same time. I realize that monitors eather use a mic jack or a 1/4" jack.

so I can actually use both cards? how would I switch between using one or the other? and whats the point of the audiophile 192 having an s/pdif out, if it doesnt output 5.1?

Consumer s/pdif is different from the professional version. It's there to sync up multiple cards, send audio, timing, word clocks etc. As far as a mixer goes, any inexpensive mixer will do if you need it as a patchbay and to control your monitors. Behringer makes some decent stuff that's under $100. As for multiple cards at once, you don't have to switch, your 5.1 card can be set to your windows default device, your DAW will be set to use the audiophile drivers. Just be sure you set your DAW to use WDM or ASIO, and not ASIO Multimedia or Duplex modes. It should work fine unless you're doing something strange with your system configuration.

[Yoozer]

and whats the point of the audiophile 192 having an s/pdif out, if it doesnt output 5.1?

Because it's a very common connection on effects gear and available on some synthesizers and samplers, just to carry a regular stereo signal.

The professional version of SPDIF is AES/EBU - but this again doesn't say much about what's being carried over that line.

[LITHE]

Consumer s/pdif is different from the professional version. It's there to sync up multiple cards, send audio, timing, word clocks etc. As far as a mixer goes, any inexpensive mixer will do if you need it as a patchbay and to control your monitors. Behringer makes some decent stuff that's under $100. As for multiple cards at once, you don't have to switch, your 5.1 card can be set to your windows default device, your DAW will be set to use the audiophile drivers. Just be sure you set your DAW to use WDM or ASIO, and not ASIO Multimedia or Duplex modes. It should work fine unless you're doing something strange with your system configuration.

oh I get it. sounds good to me.

that card is actually giving me issues in many different ways. I think Im just going to get a good motherboard with a 5.1 soundcard built in it along with optical or s/pdif, and sell the other peice on ebay...

thanks!