Do I Require A Soundcard?

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Do I Require A Soundcard?
Posted on: 14.11.2011 by Meagan Thron
So i've currently been producing for about 2 years and I've been mixing on a sony stereo system. The speakers are ok and they seem to translate well when i listen to my mixes on other speakers or headphones. Regardless, i soon want to get a pair of studio monitors. However, i hear from many people that i need a soundcard to get the most of my productions, but i hardly use any actual synths or actual hardware, everything i do is pretty much VST and MIDI. So do i need soundcard despite the fact that i dont use hardware? What exactly do I need it for?
Dorie Scelzo
16.11.2011
Originally Posted by Deejay sky
comrade you really need a good sound card to perform that....the one with a midi input.
uhh
Dorie Scelzo
16.11.2011
Originally Posted by Deejay sky
comrade you really need a good sound card to perform that....the one with a midi input.
uhh
Dorie Scelzo
16.11.2011
Originally Posted by Deejay sky
comrade you really need a good sound card to perform that....the one with a midi input.
uhh
Dorie Scelzo
16.11.2011
Originally Posted by Deejay sky
comrade you really need a good sound card to perform that....the one with a midi input.
uhh
Dorie Scelzo
16.11.2011
Originally Posted by Deejay sky
comrade you really need a good sound card to perform that....the one with a midi input.
uhh
Micaela Scherbert
22.11.2011
Originally Posted by EddieVersatile
and you will need one if you decide to get Monitors... otherwise you will have no way to get the sound to them.
Guitar center said the same thing to me when i asked if i need an audio interface for monitors. I responded with "You could use an 1/8th inch stereo to two 1/4inch mono cable. most of the monitors I've looked at have both XLR and 1/4 mono inputs." and was told that would work, but i'd lose sound quality making the monitors not worth it.

they basically talked me out of $300+ sale, which was odd. Although typically I don't listen to their advice and I would just hook it up using the above cabling anyway. :shrug:
Chloe Alzona
22.11.2011
Originally Posted by ChrisV
So do i need soundcard despite the fact that i dont use hardware? What exactly do I need it for?
And to answer your question.. Some software will not work without an Audio Interface... and you will need one if you decide to get Monitors... otherwise you will have no way to get the sound to them.
You will also notice with an Audio Interface (as opposed to the built in PC soundcard) your latency will be greatly decreased (the time it takes to translate a key you press into sound, and send it back out through the speakers)
I'm sure you've probably noticed a bit of lag from time to time...
Dorie Scelzo
16.11.2011
Originally Posted by Deejay sky
comrade you really need a good sound card to perform that....the one with a midi input.
uhh
Teodora Stranberg
15.11.2011
Originally Posted by ChrisV
So i've currently been producing for about 2 years and I've been mixing on a sony stereo system. The speakers are ok and they seem to translate well when i listen to my mixes on other speakers or headphones. Regardless, i soon want to get a pair of studio monitors. However, i hear from many people that i need a soundcard to get the most of my productions, but i hardly use any actual synths or actual hardware, everything i do is pretty much VST and MIDI. So do i need soundcard despite the fact that i dont use hardware? What exactly do I need it for?
comrade you really need a good sound card to perform that....the one with a midi input.
Micaela Scherbert
14.11.2011
Originally Posted by ChrisV
So i've currently been producing for about 2 years and I've been mixing on a sony stereo system. The speakers are ok and they seem to translate well when i listen to my mixes on other speakers or headphones. Regardless, i soon want to get a pair of studio monitors. However, i hear from many people that i need a soundcard to get the most of my productions, but i hardly use any actual synths or actual hardware, everything i do is pretty much VST and MIDI. So do i need soundcard despite the fact that i dont use hardware? What exactly do I need it for?
from what i've been told:

the sound interface to monitors will give you the best sound quality. why spend the extra money on monitors that are supposed to give true sound, if you feed them with a sound that's degraded?

i strongly considered those alesis USB 520's because they have a built in interface. (and are cheap).
Meagan Thron
14.11.2011		So i've currently been producing for about 2 years and I've been mixing on a sony stereo system. The speakers are ok and they seem to translate well when i listen to my mixes on other speakers or headphones. Regardless, i soon want to get a pair of studio monitors. However, i hear from many people that i need a soundcard to get the most of my productions, but i hardly use any actual synths or actual hardware, everything i do is pretty much VST and MIDI. So do i need soundcard despite the fact that i dont use hardware? What exactly do I need it for?
Dorie Scelzo
23.11.2011		i mean...i watch movies with my KRKs, usually with a stereo mini to dual rca cable, a DI box, and a bunch of stuff daisy chained together to run it through my xone so i have to rewire fewer things when i move my laptop from my dj kit to my desk...sounds fine.
Chloe Alzona
22.11.2011		Well, you are Technically right, i guess I should have expanded a little..
What i meant by the word "need" was basically, in order to justify a purchase of monitors (in my opinion) you "need" and interface of some sort.. They have much lower latency (time it takes to process audio and get to the monitors) and usually, in general, better quality circuitry than a dinky sound card that comes built onto a motherboard.. The way I see it, you are choosing between a company that specializes in audio vs one that specializes in efficiency.. I've come to find that there is not a lot of room for Efficiency when it comes to actual good quality audio reproduction..

again, Just my opinion

But hey, no harm in doing whatever is cheaper to begin with.. Like i said before, i started almost exactly the way you did, Sony Stereo system, etc... I actually started with a Sound Blaster Extigy external sound card, it had 24bit audio and an optical out. (the best i could afford at the time) but it did the trick..
I actually still own it and am trying to sell it cheap lol..
Dorie Scelzo
22.11.2011		yeah, they're kinda wrong, dependin on the interface your computer has. idk what kinds of sound cards modern PCs come with, but the output on MBPs sounds damn good for being free. the input even sounds pretty damn good for what it is.

again, if you're just looking for sound quality, tuning your room with diffusers, bass traps, an the like makes a much bigger difference than the audio interface. and even the difference between a $200 sound card and a $5000 sound card isn't that huge unless you're recording real instruments or hhve already done everything else right.
Micaela Scherbert
22.11.2011
Originally Posted by EddieVersatile
and you will need one if you decide to get Monitors... otherwise you will have no way to get the sound to them.
Guitar center said the same thing to me when i asked if i need an audio interface for monitors. I responded with "You could use an 1/8th inch stereo to two 1/4inch mono cable. most of the monitors I've looked at have both XLR and 1/4 mono inputs." and was told that would work, but i'd lose sound quality making the monitors not worth it.

they basically talked me out of $300+ sale, which was odd. Although typically I don't listen to their advice and I would just hook it up using the above cabling anyway. :shrug:
Chloe Alzona
22.11.2011
Originally Posted by ChrisV
So do i need soundcard despite the fact that i dont use hardware? What exactly do I need it for?
And to answer your question.. Some software will not work without an Audio Interface... and you will need one if you decide to get Monitors... otherwise you will have no way to get the sound to them.
You will also notice with an Audio Interface (as opposed to the built in PC soundcard) your latency will be greatly decreased (the time it takes to translate a key you press into sound, and send it back out through the speakers)
I'm sure you've probably noticed a bit of lag from time to time...
Chloe Alzona
22.11.2011		Here is what I started with.. USB Midi Keyboard and Audio Interface built in AND XLR Mic input with Phantom Power
http://www.ebay.com/itm/M-Audio-Ozon...item19caf65d6e
It will give you GREAT sound quality, if you buy yourself some Monitors... Stereo Systems just do not work for producing/mixing.. I started out the same way.. and once I upgraded, my whole world changed...
The only downfall with the Ozone is it doesnt have an Output volume control knob, so you will need to change volume manually.. but for getting started, it's great.. plus, once you decide to upgrade, you can still use it as a keyboard.
Dorie Scelzo
16.11.2011
Originally Posted by Deejay sky
comrade you really need a good sound card to perform that....the one with a midi input.
uhh
Teodora Stranberg
15.11.2011
Originally Posted by ChrisV
So i've currently been producing for about 2 years and I've been mixing on a sony stereo system. The speakers are ok and they seem to translate well when i listen to my mixes on other speakers or headphones. Regardless, i soon want to get a pair of studio monitors. However, i hear from many people that i need a soundcard to get the most of my productions, but i hardly use any actual synths or actual hardware, everything i do is pretty much VST and MIDI. So do i need soundcard despite the fact that i dont use hardware? What exactly do I need it for?
comrade you really need a good sound card to perform that....the one with a midi input.
Micaela Scherbert
14.11.2011
Originally Posted by ChrisV
So i've currently been producing for about 2 years and I've been mixing on a sony stereo system. The speakers are ok and they seem to translate well when i listen to my mixes on other speakers or headphones. Regardless, i soon want to get a pair of studio monitors. However, i hear from many people that i need a soundcard to get the most of my productions, but i hardly use any actual synths or actual hardware, everything i do is pretty much VST and MIDI. So do i need soundcard despite the fact that i dont use hardware? What exactly do I need it for?
from what i've been told:

the sound interface to monitors will give you the best sound quality. why spend the extra money on monitors that are supposed to give true sound, if you feed them with a sound that's degraded?

i strongly considered those alesis USB 520's because they have a built in interface. (and are cheap).

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