Ultimate USB, Firewire, External Soundcard List - Page 2

jasonsjwou · 10-16-2006, 11:46 AM

I first found KX project in DIYAUDIO, looking for a way make a 3 way Active crossover using a Professional grade external Soundcard ($399 M-Audio 1010 with 8 XLR outputs).. Then I found that people's been doing this for years ahead of me.

There are whole bunch of people who has their SB card configured as a 3 way ActiveXover with EQ's and notch filters and etc. Some added a Room EQ compensation with a measurement mic. I think majority of the people using KX are the speaker crossover designers, because it's so easy to change configuration of the XOver and apply EQ and all the other Jazz.

RedGTiVR6 · 10-16-2006, 04:45 PM

have you looked into the 1010LT at all?

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_u...10LT-main.html

It looks like it would work for our applications.

I was also looking at the 1010 but being that it's rack mount, I don't really have a place for it in this install.

I was also considering this:

http://www.esi-pro.com/viewProduct.php?pid=6&page=3

Thoughts on that one?

durwood · 10-17-2006, 01:02 PM

All this info is great! I want to get the external sound card options updated with more details and then also do a PCI card section. Please be patient. There is sooo much info it takes a while to organize. if anyone sees any other cards not on the list I will add them.

Thanks

xgc · 10-17-2006, 05:47 PM

I would like to add, dont think anyone is using a emu 0404 pci card. I do studio work been playing music all of my life and upgraded my studio computer from the emu to m-audio and put my emu in the truck.. very impressed with the sound in there now.. wasnt that bad before was using 5.1 usb... but now its unbelievable.. everyone that listens to it is blown away.. but as the post earlier in this thread says.. it is cpu hungry needs a least a 1.3 and says it can run on a 1 ghz but I wouldnt recommend it.. hope this helps someone...

jasonsjwou · 10-17-2006, 05:47 PM

RedGTi,

I searched for two days (digging my old computer drives and the CDROM archives) and I just cannot find the website archives where they used the M-Audio 1010 (External version AND LT version) for a software driven Active Xover with EQ and Notch filter and etc.

I'll be keep looking. I know the quality of the M-Audio 1010 series is really good. If I remember correctly, people at M-Audio were more than willing to share their driver library so people can modify it. What I'd really liketo do, is to use the Auzentech X-Meridian PCI 7.1 card with KX project. The X-Meridian has user replacable OpAmps... yeah Audiophile grade Opamps (8 of them) can be just as expensive as the card itself, but it will make good improvement..

Meanwhile, a viable solution today (where there are lots of people actually doing this) is to use a SB Audigy 2 (SB0350) with Audiocontrol LC8 8 channel Line Driver.

SB0350 is a 7.1 channel card, which means we have 8 channels to play with.
Sonic quality is not as good as the best of the best external soundcard (they call these Audiocards).... but I think it is quite usable.

So, configure it as 3 way fronts (tweet, mid, woofer) and a 2 subs in rear so that's 8 channels. That should be good enough.

BTW

Do you know if anyone makes a car amp with balanced input?

scott_fx · 10-17-2006, 05:52 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by jasonsjwou

Do you know if anyone makes a car amp with balanced input?

all zapco's use symblink inputs which is basically a balanced input using a din 6 cable. I have the pin out information if you need to make custom cables. also the phaze audio tube amps are all balanced as well (standard xlr's)

RedGTiVR6 · 10-17-2006, 05:59 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by xgc

I would like to add, dont think anyone is using a emu 0404 pci card. I do studio work been playing music all of my life and upgraded my studio computer from the emu to m-audio and put my emu in the truck.. very impressed with the sound in there now.. wasnt that bad before was using 5.1 usb... but now its unbelievable.. everyone that listens to it is blown away.. but as the post earlier in this thread says.. it is cpu hungry needs a least a 1.3 and says it can run on a 1 ghz but I wouldnt recommend it.. hope this helps someone...

I think there aren't people running it because it just has two sets of RCA outs.

That's essentially just a 4 channel amps worth there.

I know I need at least 6, others need more.

RedGTiVR6 · 10-17-2006, 06:04 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by jasonsjwou

Meanwhile, a viable solution today (where there are lots of people actually doing this) is to use a SB Audigy 2 (SB0350) with Audiocontrol LC8 8 channel Line Driver.

SB0350 is a 7.1 channel card, which means we have 8 channels to play with.
Sonic quality is not as good as the best of the best external soundcard (they call these Audiocards).... but I think it is quite usable.

So, configure it as 3 way fronts (tweet, mid, woofer) and a 2 subs in rear so that's 8 channels. That should be good enough.

http://www.auzentech.com/products_xmeridian.html

Why the Sound Blaster when you could have that?

5v out and can upgrade the opamps on the car (to the burbrown as explained on their page)??????

And even still, a line driver? Not in my car, perhaps for some others though....

Quote:

BTW

Do you know if anyone makes a car amp with balanced input?

The Audison VRx series have the option as well as the ones that Scott listed.

jasonsjwou · 10-17-2006, 06:43 PM

Like I said before, The best scenario is to use something like the Auzentech Xmeridian with a KX driver or something similar to that. No question about it. That'll be a clean cut solution for many problems related to PC Soundcards.

But on the other side, the KX driver for SB0350 is robust and almost bug free. There are tons of knowledge base because people's been using it for many many years. It requires even less computing power than the Soundblaster drivers. Fits in nicely with CarPC motto doesn't it. SQ of SB0350 is not the best, but it's one of the better sounding cards. I bet it sounds better than average HU.

So, With a good installation and nice LineDriver like AudioControl LC8, it might be an alternative solution to our Fully Digital Singal Processed Equalized Crossovered delayed Automobile Audio Nirvana..

scott_fx · 10-18-2006, 12:27 AM

also a Denon DCA 660BL has balanced inputs. i know of someone selling one if you're interested. it's a rare amp. 240 wrmsx2 or 800x1

DaKyy · 10-18-2006, 08:30 AM

Behringer UCA202 acts as a USB audio device. No additional drivers needed for PC/Mac and works fine with hibernation.

Dragonknell911 · 10-18-2006, 01:56 PM

When you say

Quote:

acts as a USB audio device

do you mean it actually uses the USB interface and is external ?
or uses the USB interface, but is a PCI card. Many people don't have space for any more PCI cards, or any to begin with