USB DAC vs Soundcard?

Quote:

Originally Posted by real2104 

Hello

Lately I've connected my midi keyboard into my computer, downloaded some software/sound libraries and now I'm producing some really stunning tunes that sound like their being played from a grand piano rather than an electric keyboard.

However, I think I'm limited by the fact I'm using a Xonar DG.

Should I get a good soundcard or go for a USB DAC (which supposedly produce higher quality audio).

Any help is much appreciated =)

Midi quality wont be changed.  Are you recording external sounds?  Where in your chain do you want a DAC or Soundcard to improve your sound?

So what you want is better output quality, rather than more input options that an audio interface (as they're often billed) will allow?

I also take it that no gaming is involved whatsoever, which effectively negates the strong points of internal sound cards.

Make sure you have the latest drivers installed for your Xonar DG, which should include ASIO.  Depending on the software you are using, it would be preferrable to use ASIO if available, as the latency is dramatically reduced without the need to push your computer's cpu too hard.  If the latency is too high, it can create issues with the playback sound and make it difficult to play in real time as the delay between your finger actions and what you hear are too far out of sync.  If the cpu is overloaded, you will generally hear clipping and pops/squeals. 

Also, the software you are using is going to determine the output quality of the sounds that you are playing with your new Casio keyboard.  Choose a higher quality that your current sound card is capable of supporting.  The biggest issue I have when playing back created music is with clipping, so be careful to make sure the volume level is not too high where clipping  might occur.  Again, the software you are using generally has some method to be able to control and monitor the output volume level to eliminate the chance of clipping from occuring.

You might not really need or benefit much from an upgraded sound card or USB DAC. 

It really depends on the quality of the units being tested.  Both internal and external have high end and low end products.