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MisterCanette « A good soundcard »
Published on 11/07/13 at 14:24
Best value:
Excellent
I wanted a not-too-expensive soundcard to be able to compose without the master set to the minimum (I'm on a 1.8Ghz desktop PC, so it was a bit hardcore...). All the soundcards I saw were the same to me.
What caught my eye was the looks of the UA-55. The connections are somewhat ordinary: Two xlr/jack combo inputs, midi in/out, RCA output (which I have used as SPDIF with a Presonus Firebox, two jack outputs, a HiZ switch, phantom power. Something to meet my needs for some time.
I use (now) a Dell 17R, intel core i7, 8Gb RAM, 1Tb, an M-Audio Oxygen 49, MDP 26, and Mackie MR8.
UTILIZATION
Unless you really put some strain on it (I abused Reaktor with the "replayer"...), the drivers won't give you any trouble. Further, like on any other soundcard I guess, you can adjust a fader according to ten levels, going from "stability" to "real time," which is really useful depending on the situation.
With my i7 and with maximum stability (I don't like to keep it low-key when adjusting the parameters...) I run 96 tracks, most of which have at least 2 inserts, and some of them have even 8 inserts, and I can hear no crackles, the master is set halfway
I have 10ms when recording, and if I really push it, the latency goes to 30ms, but you have to try really hard. In other words, if you optimize, you have no latency.
You can control it via the potentiometers (with LED level indicators, which are really nice and useful). The auto-sens function adjusts the sensitivity automatically, which can be very useful when you use the built-in preamp, which is very useful.
It's made of solid metal to withstand transport. It is very sturdy, mine has no scratches yet.
GETTING STARTED
I use it with Cubase 5.1 and have no issues. The driver is very useful and well thought-out.
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using it for almost a year. I just tried the firewire Presonus Firebox. I don't know what to say regarding its value for money, but I love to think I made the right choice. It is very cool, nice-looking and sounds good. To wrap it up, if you are starting out with your home studio, it's a good choice and a very good value for money, given all its features (level LEDs and pots, drivers, etc.).
I think I would buy it again.
What caught my eye was the looks of the UA-55. The connections are somewhat ordinary: Two xlr/jack combo inputs, midi in/out, RCA output (which I have used as SPDIF with a Presonus Firebox, two jack outputs, a HiZ switch, phantom power. Something to meet my needs for some time.
I use (now) a Dell 17R, intel core i7, 8Gb RAM, 1Tb, an M-Audio Oxygen 49, MDP 26, and Mackie MR8.
UTILIZATION
Unless you really put some strain on it (I abused Reaktor with the "replayer"...), the drivers won't give you any trouble. Further, like on any other soundcard I guess, you can adjust a fader according to ten levels, going from "stability" to "real time," which is really useful depending on the situation.
With my i7 and with maximum stability (I don't like to keep it low-key when adjusting the parameters...) I run 96 tracks, most of which have at least 2 inserts, and some of them have even 8 inserts, and I can hear no crackles, the master is set halfway
I have 10ms when recording, and if I really push it, the latency goes to 30ms, but you have to try really hard. In other words, if you optimize, you have no latency.
You can control it via the potentiometers (with LED level indicators, which are really nice and useful). The auto-sens function adjusts the sensitivity automatically, which can be very useful when you use the built-in preamp, which is very useful.
It's made of solid metal to withstand transport. It is very sturdy, mine has no scratches yet.
GETTING STARTED
I use it with Cubase 5.1 and have no issues. The driver is very useful and well thought-out.
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using it for almost a year. I just tried the firewire Presonus Firebox. I don't know what to say regarding its value for money, but I love to think I made the right choice. It is very cool, nice-looking and sounds good. To wrap it up, if you are starting out with your home studio, it's a good choice and a very good value for money, given all its features (level LEDs and pots, drivers, etc.).
I think I would buy it again.