Im looking to make music

N

{NG}Fidel

Supreme [H]ardness
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Jan 17, 2005
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My Friend and I are looking to make music and use a pc sound card to edit it directly on the pc. We need a sound card that can support a keyboard, Mic, guitar and synth.
I truly dont know too much about sound cards. the only cards Ive bought in the past have been for gaming and for a 2.1 speaker set up so not much information is needed. If anyone here knows what card to use for amateur musicians tell me.
 
Last edited:
{NG}Fidel said:
My Friend and I are looking to make music and use a pc sound card to edit it directly on the pc. We need a sound card that can support a keyboard, Mic, guitar and synth.
I truly dont know too much about sound cards. the only cards Ive boughten in the past have been for gaming and for a 2.1 speaker set up so not much information is needed. If anyone here knows what card to use for amatuer musicans tell me.
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You forgot to mention your budget it seems. There is "good" stuff you can get for 100 bucks, or 1000.

Since you mention guitars, I might recommend a piece of gold I own. Line 6's Toneport UX1.

I have the cheapest version, the UX1, which basically has a Hi-Z input for electric guitar, a mic input (no phantom power so no condenser mics will work on it), headphones output and monitors/speakers output.

Now, the UX2 model has more inputs (for instance 2 guitars IIRC), and phantom power. (I think it might even have surround output but Im not sure).

The UX1 is around $120 US.
It has no MIDI I/O, but anyway I didnt need it since I use an USB keyboard.
Oh and its USB.

Other options in the low range are the infamous M-Audio Audiophile 2496.
Its basically a good card, and has MIDI I/O, but lacks of Hi-Z inputs for a guitar, so you need a mixer, DI-Box or preamp.
Its a PCI card.
Maybe a good low price companion, would be a preamp like the M-Audio Audiobuddy.

"Similar" PCI Card to the AP 2496, but I have not much to say about them (just have heard good things) are the Emu 0404 and the Terratec Phase 22
 
Thank you all.
The budget is high so its good.
lol at boughten yeah.
Summer gets to your brain.
 
Ah well no worries then.
If budget is high you can always take a look at the more expensive stuff, like the M-Audio FireWire 410 ;)
 
Keyboard + Mic + Guitar + Synth = 4 Inputs, minimum (each channel mono). The number of inputs is your primary requirement. None of the cards recommended above are capable of that.

You're probably looking at a minimum basic setup of something like a Maudio Delta 44 to provide a channel to each source. Plan on an extra inexpensive mixer as well to provide gain control and a mic preamp, or otherwise convert non-line level sources like guitars.
 
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