awesome thanks again for your help!

awesome thanks, that really clears it up , thanks a lot for the help! one last question is there going to be any big advantage between then one you suggested :  ...

and this will give a better sound when connected for live play? (via usb dac). cause i dont really have much use for headphones. am more worried about the audio out for when I play live.

so let me make sure i have this right... it goes laptop ---> USB--->USB DAC ----> MIXER ----> SPEAKERS ? so  I will no longer be using the same audio-out as the headphones for playback? Ill be using USB? and this is better?

what about this one? http://www.ebay.com/itm/MUSE-HiFi-PCM2704-USB-to-S-PDIF-Converter-DAC-Sound-Card-Black-Silver-/261184542392?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item3ccfcfd6b8

thanks for the replies. is there one that is better then the other? I ask cause price starts so cheap...to so high. any other thing u can suggest to get a better sound for live play?

oh i dont care about headphones, i connect my lap to a mixer and well from there speakers. am trying to push a better sound out of my lap for live shows. my balance? for a DAC? maybe 50$ ish sound-cards I have not even looked in to

I have a very short amount of time to decide on rather to buy a DAC or a sound card for my laptop. am trying to imporve the quality of the playback track that my band plays to (I do voice/keys friend plays guitar/keys) and the back track is drums/effects. bass....more of a EBM industrial sound...

hey buddy you still around ? If you had to pick between a sound card or DAC which do you find more important??

anyone?

sorry for the bumps but i need help with this!

anyone> ? am also thinking about getting a little USB mixer that i can connect the clubs/bars mixer? or should I just stick with a DAC? or would a sound card serve me better?

well I have a headphone out, where i connect it to speakers/mixer . or headphones of course, as far as the type of computer? Its a Acer, Aspire V3-551G-x419   if that helps? so you think Am already getting the best sound I can push out?

thanks for the reply, but am just using my laptop/ connecting it to a mixer (depending on that place I play) . but am really using just the laptop/speakers sometimes mixer. so anything would be an upgrade haha

bump..anyone?

so am at the point i need to push a better sound, i would say i want the basses and drums to really boom. from what I understand The next step is to get a DAC, however as its just something am going to try and not really something I can invest 200+ in. I want to buy the best one for around 50$...

thanks!  you happen to have any experience with effect processors such as the Boss se-50 se-70? also trying to find a decent processor of the style of music we play for voice.

awesome! thank you for all your help, one last question is there any other little piece of gear you can suggest?

whats the cheapest one you would suggest on amazon ? am thinking 30-40$ range/ i see a lot but i have no idea what to look for, or how to know if its worth it.

kind of pricy for something i want to try :/ but am i just looking for a "digital to analog" adapter?

thanks for the reply! but its a "Headphone Amplifier" just plugging it into the line out -->mixer. will to the trick? also will any usb DAC work or am i looking for something specific ?

Am pretty new to using a laptop on stage, the style we have been writing is like Harsh ebm, industrial ect ect. it sounded okay in a recent event...but I know it could of sounded better.... what are some tools that I can use to improve the sound quality? an external sound card? an audio...