[originalsnuffy]

Currently I have a PCI sound card (creative audigy) with the front panel input bay. So among other things I have a coax spdif input.

I am looking at going to a PCI-E based system. I will most likley need to get a PCI-E soundcard. I'd like to have coax spdif input capabilities, so that I can capture some old DATs that I have (the deck does not have toslink optical, just coax spdif).

Any recommendations? Or suggestions for a cheap coax usb add on could also be helpful.

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

I will most likley need to get a PCI-E soundcard.

Why?

Just because you buy a new rig doesn't mean you need to upgrade your soundcard, PCI carries enough bandwidth. Changing to PCI-E won't gain you anything. Unless new motherboards lack any PCI slots for your existing card.

 

[originalsnuffy]

A lot of the machines I am looking at have no legacy slots. Plus not all have a bay in the front for the coax connectors.

I have two legacy cards that might need updating. A HD tuner and the sound card. And it looks like both might need to be replaced.

 

[obobskivich]

well what are you looking at? a bunch of baby small Dells with no upgradability?

I would suggest the X-Fi Forte, X-Fi Titanium, Xonar D2X, or a similar card if you need PCIe, but there really is no reason to "need" it (why not, uh, find a computer that suits your needs)

 

[rds]

If you're gonna buy a new card you should get pci-e if possible. No point in buying a card that fits a slot which is nearly obsolete.
My advice is pick the card in the Asus Xonar line that fits your budget. They are all excellent. For pure gaming there are better options, but for all other types of sound reproduction they have no competition (among sound cards).

 

[feckn_eejit]

See sig.....pretty sure it's the only even remotely sane PCIe option.
.....and it's the cat's ass.

 

[feckn_eejit]

Two insomniac Vancouverites in a row! Nice!

 

[obobskivich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rds /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you're gonna buy a new card you should get pci-e if possible. No point in buying a card that fits a slot which is nearly obsolete. My advice is pick the card in the Asus Xonar line that fits your budget. They are all excellent. For pure gaming there are better options, but for all other types of sound reproduction they have no competition (among sound cards).

no competion? yeah, they do, and there is plenty "better" out there (really looking forward to the flames

)

and whats wrong with PCI? "PCIe cards" are simply PCI chipsets with bridging logic, either built into the single ASIC with some islanding (i.e: Creative) or a discrete bridge from Intel or TI (i.e: Asus), there is no bandwidth or performance gain (and don't give me the "but PCIe could theoretically do like 90000 channels of audio", who cares, the chipset hardware can't, and the bridge kicks you back to PCI), its simply early adoption (and PCI is not "nearly dead"

)

::edit
at the guy who double posted above me (is edit so hard to click for a cannuck? eh?), you're gonna tell me RME is the only option, regardless of usage scenario?

"Two absolutist Vancouverites in a row! gag me!"

kthx

 

[feckn_eejit]

Here's hoping you put me on ignore.....
oh and for the record Mac Pros are PCIe only

and the RME is the only high-end PCIe card I know of at this point...and I didn't tell you it's the "only option regardless of usage scenario".
Fair enough on the double posting comment.

 

[obobskivich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by feckn_eejit /img/forum/go_quote.gif [I HAZ] Mac Pro

well why didn't ya say so? obviously that changes your situation (it limits you to PCIe, or external solutions), although it doesn't signal "PCI is dead" (apple is just very "trendy" with their hardware choices *sigh*)

honestly with those impositions, RME is one of the very few choices available (OS X compatable + PCIe or external, that leaves you with RME, Avid/Digidesign/M-Audio, MOTU, SSL, Apogee, etc in terms of suitable interfaces (theres plenty of other streaming solutions as well)) however that imposition is not one the OP has, based on his posting, in other words, I would've qualified your post a bit a more, before outright declaring RME to be the "only option"

 

[feckn_eejit]

perhaps i wasn't being entirely serious when i called a US$700 card the only "remotely sane" option

you continue to put words in my mouth when you say I said it's the "only option", nor did I declare PCI dead.

and i dont haz mac pro - worse, homebrew hackintosh but am limited by drivers to what real macs will support.

speaking of "trendy" choices, apple has seriously pissed me off with this whole "displayport" thing...

 

[obobskivich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by feckn_eejit /img/forum/go_quote.gif homebrew hackintosh but am limited by drivers to what real macs will support.

very nice

Quote:

speaking of "trendy" choices, apple has seriously pissed me off with this whole "displayport" thing...

very not nice

 

[originalsnuffy]

I will check out Asus and RME.

Any thoughts on the X-Fi with the add-on module for digital i/o?

With regard to the attempt at a flame war of PCI vs. PCI-E; I am quite aware that it is easier to re-use existing cards. But some machines don't have enough legacy slots. Geez.

 

[obobskivich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by originalsnuffy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will check out Asus and RME. Any thoughts on the X-Fi with the add-on module for digital i/o? With regard to the attempt at a flame war of PCI vs. PCI-E; I am quite aware that it is easier to re-use existing cards. But some machines don't have enough legacy slots. Geez.

why not just "DIY" an I/O module? (its just a stereo TRS -> RCA stereo plug, one of them will be "in" and one of them will be "out") saves about $12

and my point on the "re-use" thing, you haven't bought the new system yet, so why not take the PCI requirement into consideration? even my bleeding edge gaming system/workstation/money blackhole has two PCI slots

 

[ROBSCIX]

@Obob, I tried a similar connection, awhile back. You can use a 3.5mm to dual RCA cables...this will give you the digital out. When you try the other RCA for digital in, it will not work.

I think CL, does weird wiring with the jack so you can't just use a normal cable and will have to buy a Creative I/O module.

IIRC, it never worked for input, but I haven't tested out anything like that in quite a long time. You could do a DIY type cable about you would have to figure out the siganls.