[Crooks141]

I recently got the pro 750 and i really like it. Im using it out of onboard audio right now and want to get better results. I was looking at some options such as the EMU 0404 USB, and iBasso P4, or a soundcard. I will be using this to listen to electronic dance music (trance, house) as well as produce music. I want something that will also provide better results inside Ableton. I read that a better soundcard will lower the latency and this is somewhat of an issue for me now. My computer is fast enough, but the onboard audio is lacking. I also would rather have an external soundcard because i have both a laptop and desktop for seperate things. Opinions would be helpful. Thnx

 

[Crooks141]

Also, if i do get the EMU 0404 does this mean i will also need an amp?

 

[audiofil]

If you need a soundcard with good performance and lots of inputs and choices EMU0404USB is a solid choice.

If you just need a better source for playing music there are better choices than this - Audinst HUD-MX1 is one of them.

 

[Crooks141]

So will the Audinst help with Ableton or just the outgoing sound?

 

[Aeneas]

Firstly, my apologies for not being able to help very much - I don't have much experience with DACs and external sound cards.
However, purely for listerning to music, the difference a sound card can make is immense.
I have a low-end X-Fi ExtremeAudio and it sounds amazing comared to onboard audio ('Realtek HD') - I actually moved it from my old computer to the newer one a few years ago, and only noticed when I compared recently (I had not installed drivers and had only a few minutes, so I used onboard audio - it was awful).

Moral: onboard audio is almost invariably poor.

 

[Crooks141]

Ok thanks. I want something that will help take the load from Ableton, but also provide a good sound improvement. Will the EMU 0404 do this? Or does it also need an amp? I would rather go with an external setup as i have both a laptop and desktop i want to use it with. What are the choices? I want to spend less than $200 maybe stretched if i need to.

 

[Crooks141]

bump

 

[chinesekiwi]

well, what's your budget really? Can't recommend anything without a set budget tbh.

 

[moee79]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crooks141 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok thanks. I want something that will help take the load from Ableton, but also provide a good sound improvement. Will the EMU 0404 do this? Or does it also need an amp? I would rather go with an external setup as i have both a laptop and desktop i want to use it with. What are the choices? I want to spend less than $200 maybe stretched if i need to.

he mentioned less than $200
maybe stretched if needed

 

[RonaldDumsfeld]

Quote:

I want something that will also provide better results inside Ableton.

Depends a lot on how serious you are about working with the likes of Ableton vs Audiophile Hi-Fi listening.

You are going to need at least 4 analogue outs so you can cue. 8x8+ is normal. This has meant Firewire for sound quality and throughput reasons although in the last year or so USB 2.0 has begun to catch up. People use this gear professionally so it has to be robust and reliable. MIDI is handy for keys and control surfaces. All this costs money that in a dedicated hi-fi product could be concentrated on 2 channel stereo.

So with your budget I'm afraid your choices are limited. Double it and you will get the facilities you want and sound quality your stereo only audiophile friends will envy. At ~$200 you have some hard choices to make.

E-MU 040 fits the bill as it is an excellent compromise between facilities and quality from a respected company with good support. This is important because you need drivers. ESI, Alesis, M-Audio & Behringer are among the other companies with offerings in your price range. I'd get the E-MU though.

 

[Crooks141]

Alright thanks for all the useful info. I think im going to get an EMU, if i get this will i also need an amp? Or will it do the job of an amp? Should i even use an amp for production? Im a little confused with all this any guidance would be helpful.