Benefits of External Sound Card vs Laptop's Internal

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Benefits of External Sound Card vs Laptop's Internal
Posted on: 11.04.2012 by Blake Ghany
So I'm just getting into DJing and have a Mixtrack, a good pair of headphones, and a cheap $5 sound card for monitoring/cueing. So far as I've just been practicing, I've used my Macbook Pro's headphone jack as the output (connected to speakers) and the cheap $5 USB sound card to monitor w/my headphones.

I'm about to purchase Traktor Pro 2 and noticed that if I buy the Traktor Audio 2 sound card I can get Traktor Pro 2.5 for free. (Traktor is now $89; the Audio 2 is $119, so I could essentially get the Audio 2 for $30 extra!).

My question is: Would my Macbook's internal sound card and 3.5mm headphone jack be enough to power larger speakers for future gigs? Is there a reason (besides headphone cueing since I already have that) that I should invest in the Traktor Audio 2?

Thanks!
Nedra Fresneda
17.04.2012
Originally Posted by ghztomash
How about Audio 2? is it a low latency sound interface, that can be used for, lets say live performance with other software as well?
yuup.
Blake Ghany
12.04.2012
Originally Posted by sss18734
Nice work. The outputs in the Audio 2 are much higher, which lets you run your amps at a lower gain, which in turn results in less static. The Audio 2 was my first sound card and I still use it as a backup.
Good to know - that makes sense. Thanks!
Blake Ghany
11.04.2012		So I'm just getting into DJing and have a Mixtrack, a good pair of headphones, and a cheap $5 sound card for monitoring/cueing. So far as I've just been practicing, I've used my Macbook Pro's headphone jack as the output (connected to speakers) and the cheap $5 USB sound card to monitor w/my headphones.

I'm about to purchase Traktor Pro 2 and noticed that if I buy the Traktor Audio 2 sound card I can get Traktor Pro 2.5 for free. (Traktor is now $89; the Audio 2 is $119, so I could essentially get the Audio 2 for $30 extra!).

My question is: Would my Macbook's internal sound card and 3.5mm headphone jack be enough to power larger speakers for future gigs? Is there a reason (besides headphone cueing since I already have that) that I should invest in the Traktor Audio 2?

Thanks!
Deangelo Boender
20.04.2012		Getting a Traktor Audio 2 was the best investment I've made in my djing, even above my controllers! I used to split my audio output on my laptop headphone jack, stereo right for headphone cueing, stereo left to the master out. It worked for a while, but it just wasn't loud enough. someone mentioned that different sound cards had different gain and volume levels? I got an audio two, and it can drive my pa very well with all but no distortion. It's a wonderful investment, I highly recommend it!
Suzanna Paddock
19.04.2012		Aside from all that was already mentioned, an external sound card is usually much better sounding because the DAC is independent from the computer's CPU. The louder the PA volume, the more you hear it.

I've done tests with mac vs. audio8 and the bass coming out of the audio8 was much more together, the high were less grating. Having said that, the mac pros come with a Burr-Brown DAC, which is no slouch, but it's still much better if the DAC is not a secondary process of your CPU trying to keep everything running smoothly. And what about latency and level out? My gain on my mixer is at 12 o'clock with the Audio8 at 4-5 strait out of the mac.

Go with the Audio2, you know it's good for ya.
Yong Aptekar
19.04.2012		+1 on the audio 2. I have the audio 6, and cannot complain about NIs build quality or sound. RCAs are tight, USB clicks in so it doesn't get knocked out, so I assume the audio 2 holds up to the same standards.
Nedra Fresneda
17.04.2012
Originally Posted by ghztomash
How about Audio 2? is it a low latency sound interface, that can be used for, lets say live performance with other software as well?
yuup.
Brendan Andrascik
17.04.2012		since this post is around I would like to add that my internal sound card had really terrible latency time (on windows), playing something on time was a evening mare. But I managed to squeeze out really low latency (around 10ms) by using ASIO4ALL drivers.
How about Audio 2? is it a low latency sound interface, that can be used for, lets say live performance with other software as well?
Shay Terek
13.04.2012		I've used cheap USB sound cards paired with built in audio and it sounded terrible. Once you upgrade to a proper sound card you'll notice a huge difference .
Blake Ghany
12.04.2012
Originally Posted by sss18734
Nice work. The outputs in the Audio 2 are much higher, which lets you run your amps at a lower gain, which in turn results in less static. The Audio 2 was my first sound card and I still use it as a backup.
Good to know - that makes sense. Thanks!
Ashlea Retzlaff
12.04.2012		audio 2 all the way. especially now that it comes with traktor pro, no brainer
Erica Charvet
11.04.2012		Nice work. The outputs in the Audio 2 are much higher, which lets you run your amps at a lower gain, which in turn results in less static. The Audio 2 was my first sound card and I still use it as a backup.
Nancey Inderlied
11.04.2012		The amp in the MacBook 3.5mm jacks is probably one of the most robustly useless pieces of hardware I can believe of. Unless you enjoy low power-high distortion noise, a quality external card is the way to go.
Blake Ghany
11.04.2012		Awesome, thanks for the quick response! I decided to go with it - found it on Amazon (and later realized it was here too) for $99. An extra $10 for the reliability and simplicity is an absolute no-brainer. It's helpful to get a second opinion and understand a little more about the setup. Thanks!
Julius Schoenhofer
11.04.2012
Originally Posted by mvizzion
My question is: Would my Macbook's internal sound card and 3.5mm headphone jack be enough to power larger speakers for future gigs?
Yes. Your MacBook's soundcard is outputting a line-level audio signal just like an iPod/CDJ/Turntable. You can plug it into a mixer or amp and it will work.

Originally Posted by mvizzion
Is there a reason (besides headphone cueing since I already have that) that I should invest in the Traktor Audio 2?
Using the Traktor Audio 2 would be a more robust solution for playing live. The 3.5mm headphone jack on your MacBook is fragile, if you bump it while using your laptop you could knock it out of the socket (clearing the dancefloor with a huge buzzing sound) or break it. The Audio 2 has bigger 1/4" jacks and lets you put the sound card out of harm's way.

Feature wise, you wouldn't be getting anything more, but when it comes to playing live gigs, reliability and simplicity are key for your setup.

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