Looking for a low-latency sound card for audio editing... and some questions :)

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slugg

slugg

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2002
4,723
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Pretty much all of the information out there is about sound cards for gaming. I could really care less about gaming cards.

What I need is a very low-latency sound card for audio editing. I'd also like for it to have a MIDI port if possible. Any recommendations?

Also, is there such thing as a sound card that can load and process VST plugins directly on the hardware? If you'd like to know specifics, I'm using Kontakt 2 (sampler) which can be used as a VST plugin or a stand alone application. Obviously, the stand alone method increases overall latency.

Alternatively, is there such thing as a sound card with a sampler on board? That would DEFINITELY kick ass. I'm sure if one exists, its not cheap... lol

thanks in advance! :)
 
B

Beatnik

Member
Feb 12, 2000
114
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The EMU product does everything you describe. I personally hate their Mixer interface panel (Patchmix DSP), but otherwise they are making an impressive product. People are getting excellent I/O from those cards. I would get the PCI card and the breakout box, as using an external breakout box just makes your life better.

But really, my better advice, go with RME. The Hamerfall HDSP 9652 or similar is a stellar digital interface platform. You connect the "Multiface" to that as the breakout box. They do some combos that are PCMCIA and/or PCI, so you can move the Multiface between desktop and laptop. It's now "Multiface2", but I'll let you dig into those kinds of details. Best drivers in the world. The point here... all the extra stuff you want to do, you should just burn CPU to do that.

Another option that is hot right now for mixer/studio is the PCIe UAD cards. Those are DSP and mixer cards, but really the emphasis is on mixing plugins.

I actually run Creamware Scope, but that's another story. I'm an old-school synth guy, and that is really where the Scope DSP's excell. At this point though, you can do most of the Scope stuff in ASB or Klangbox external boxes, which is what I prefer. So RME + external Scope boxes would be my current recommendation if you want to take advantage of the Scope history.

Beyond that, there is a lot going on in USB and Firewire land. Lots of flexibility when you get a Firewire interface or USB. The hot players right now in that area are: #1) TC Electronics, and #2) EMU. The EMU 0404 looks like a nice USB2 interface. It's getting good reviews. Not the same as the previous EMU stuff though. The TC Electronics interface is odd, but looks quite nice. The extra bonus there is the channel-strip + reverb that are built into the box. Kind of a bonus tossed on top of the interface.

Other popular externals are the Presonus Firebox, and the MOTU product line. But I'll just leave it there.

[ Edit: thought I would add, directly to your question about VST hosting, and about sampler software... just some tidbits.

There is this thing: http://www.museresearch.com/receptor.php
But really, I don't see why you wouldn't just run a beefy computer and host your VST's locally. It's an odd concept,
but there it is.

As for the sampler thing, you may have heard that Gigasampler has morphed into being a VST instrument. Used to be
the case that it was one of the leading software samplers. So that is good news, on a product that I hadn't heard much about
again until recently. Needless to say, there are other good software samplers, the NI stuff as you mention, and some of the
Steinberg stuff as well. Lots of good choices these days. All depends on your work flow. ]
 
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