Hoontech

On the front panel, this soundcard has two XLR and two 1/4" inputs for channels 1 and 2, plus six 1/4" (mono) jack line inputs. One mini-jack stereo headphone output. On the rear it features eight 1/4" jack outputs + S/PDIF input/output and MIDI input/output. The XLR inputs have switchable phantom power. One for both of them. However, the preamp is not the best. I have to crank it all the way up and can hear some noise. OVERALL OPINION I've been using it for two years. The multiple inputs on the front are very practical. I have an expander, a synth a POD for guitar, and a mic connected permanently so I don't need to fiddle with anything. I don't use the audio outputs, they are not necessary within my home studio context. But they could be interesting if I ever decide to use it live. I don't use the PCI card's inputs either. What I like least about it is how hard it is to get it running under windows, even with the latest drivers, it's awful. I once had a setup that worked fine, with less than 10ms of latency, but after my HDD crashed, I had to reinstall everything and there's no way I can get it to run correctly. As soon as you load it a bit, you're f***ed. Besides, it can't be used without a sequencer, under windows, it always crashes. I think it's a good value for money, but you need a big, powerful PC, which is somewhat contradictory, given the moderate price of the soundcard. I plan to change my setup to really profit from this card an have a PC dedicated exclusively to audio. I currently have a 1.7 Ghz P4 with 768 Mb ram + a 60 Gb HDD exclusively for audio. It was a decent system back then, but now it's somewhat limited. I don't regret having bought it, but I think that you need to test it thoroughly (with multiple tracks and effect plug-ins) before you buy it, to see if it's compatible with your PC. The problem is knowing which PC to buy?!

Originally written by cardiomax2000 on Audiofanzine FR. I bought this sound card to record my guitar, bass and vocals. I chose it for its low price and the high number of inputs (allowing you to use it as a mixer). I'm using this sound card with a mid-range computer (256 MB Ram, Intel pentium VI 1,2 Mhz). I also use an amp simulation (Jonson J-station) as a preamp between the guitar and the sound card... UTILIZATION Although the manufacturer has no website anymore, you'll easily find the drivers on the web. Easy installation, no sweat. With the last driver version, the PCI card outputs are deactivated so don't try to connect your speakers to the line out... GETTING STARTED I haven't experience any problems with the drivers, so I haven't updated them (don't update a good working system... unless you want to add bugs :)). I use it with Cubase 4. I don't remember the exact latency time but it's imperceptible... I never tried to record several channels simultaneously... OVERALL OPINION I've been using it for one year. I don't regret having bought it and I would buy it again without any hesitation. Summary: Pros: * Easy installation (/! with Windows. It seems there are problems with Linux and Mac....) * Perfect sound * Many inputs/outputs so that you can use it as a mixer (but don't expect to connect an acoustic drum kit...) * Driver interface is very easy to understand and to use... Cons: * User's manual, but considering the ease of use, it's a minor problem... * Mac and Linux support