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Help improve ghetto setup!

post #1 of 7
3/9/11 at 9:21am
Thread Starter 
Hi All, I've been producing music for about 15 years now, all the while using a very ghetto setup.  It's actually pretty embarrasing, but I'm semi-pleased with the results so I guess that's half the battle.
 
I produce on a really old laptop PC, but I use an iMac for listening to music.  They are both hooked up to a Logitech Z5500 (optical) and I use the Sennheiser HD 280 PRO.
 
Current Issues
- This logitech speakers system is not ideal for producing music (willing to replace, monitors?)
- Headphones are not amped (needs solution)
- Onboard sound on the old laptop is pathetic, inherrant hum & hiss during playback. (needs solution)
 
This is where I need your help, I need to somehow remedy this awful situation in an a relatively inexpensive way.  Also, most terms you know I won't, so please tread lightly smily_headphones1.gif
 
Thanks guys.
 
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post #2 of 7
3/9/11 at 9:39am

For a inexpensive dac , the behringer uca202 , or see what you can get used like the m-audio audiophile usb , or fiio e7/e9 .

For moniters , Edifier Studio R1900 TII .

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post #3 of 7
3/9/11 at 10:30am
Thread Starter 

I feel that this is an ultra stupid question, but what does a DAC do besides provide an amp for headphones?

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post #4 of 7
3/9/11 at 10:39am

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital-to-analog_converter , some of them have built in headphone amps some don't , a usb dac would allow you to bypass your laptops built-in soundcard.

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post #5 of 7
3/9/11 at 11:01am

This maybe?

 

Link:

http://www.focusrite.com/products/audio_interfaces/vrm_box

 

I use the saffire 24 dsp, and it works nice in my setup.

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post #6 of 7
3/9/11 at 11:19am
Thread Starter 

Thanks JRG - Much apprecaited so far.

 

However, I'm not too sure if a DAC is what I need (?).  I won't be recording anything into the mix, just simply making and mastering the sounds on the PC. 

 

The issue being is that the laptop doesn't seem to have enough juice to
a) provide quality sound to my speakers (hiss & humms are present)

b) power my headphones to the quality that they apparently have

 

Would the behringer uca202 solve either of these problems?

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post #7 of 7
3/9/11 at 11:36am

Yes it would , the hiss and humms are likely inference from other things inside the laptop like the fan / harddrive , the behringer is a extenal unit so it's outside the noisey laptop case , the Sennheiser HD 280 PRO  are only 64ohms so the behringer should be fine

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