getting audio in & out of a soundcard

[alex matson]

Previously with my Mac, I used a Tascam US224 that enabled audio and MIDI in and out via USB. Now I've got to interface with a firewire/1/8" in & out Soundblaster Audigy 2 card. I'll begin by using my little Behringer mixer and the 1/8" ins and outs I suppose....but would something like the AudioFire2 from Echo Digital Audio be sonically better? It's $199, with 4 ins, 6 outs and MIDI. here's a link to it.

[dsw]

Consumer soundcards that go inside the computer almost never sound as good as the firewire type sold by Presonus, Echo and other companies.
Check out the Inspire by Presonus. $199, it will stack with other Inspire units so you can add more inputs later.

[alex matson]

I checked it out; thanks, looks good, and it's always nice to know it's been reviewed by a Tapeopper.
I was under the impression that a dedicated soundcard that's installed in the computer is better and faster than going through USB or Firewire, though. The $200 Audigy 2 card is a couple of years old, and the seller told me that his Hammerfall card was closer to $1000.00. So, without wanting to spend that kind of $ on a soundcard at this time...should I be thinking use or don't use the internal card?

[dsw]

Getting the A/D out of the the tower results in less noise, and the In/Out boxes you can buy form Presonus, M Audio, Digidesign, Focusrite, and a host of other Pro Audio brands out there will give you much better sound than the computer industry kind which are designed for games and home use. Hammerfall is on the high end of the scale and generally very well respected. You can get great recordings though with less expensive gear if you pay attention to mic placement, mic choice, and level setting.
5 years ago, USB devices didn't work very well, but that was then. These days with the way faster computers available, USB devices work great. Don't worry about USB. Anyway, most of them these days (like the Presonus Inspire) are Firewire which is a big wide highway compared to USB.

[Jeremy Garber]

I went from the Audigy to the Presonus Firebox a while back. There is definately a noticable difference. I love Presonus stuff.

[alex matson]

Okay....been going round and round trying to get my head around this stuff...the latest replies here really helped! If I can get one more free dumb question outta this thread....Say I have a Firebox. It's got 2 preamps. If I want to use a different preamp...can I? How?

[Kilroy]

yea u can. THe frie box has got 2 line ins on the back. you can take the quarter inch cable from your rpeamp into either input 3 or 4 in the abck