Sound card...

Okay... It's not, like, neccessary, but that's why I'm here:

I'm rooting around online, and recently came upon a 'Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum'. I asked two of my friends who happened to be online - one was utterly useless, just babbled inanely about... Something (Pigs hitting windows? o_O ), and the other one was of the opinion that this particular card would probably be a decent buy; the highest card that would be practical getting.

I do need the MIDI ports. I've found this card for ~$160 (US $), so it could be a decent buy... Besides, I've heard that getting a good card can actually speed up your computer in all spades, from the memory saving.

I have the money to spare, so I'm wondering... You guys think it's worth it?

[Please don't shoot me All this is probably pretty stupid, but I'd rather be mocked than shell out 160$ and then find out it was wasted.]

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• Tue Jun 14, 2005 12:04 am

I used an Audigy 1 to do music for years. good card, but the drivers are a bit tempermental sometimes, but still worth it

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• Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:01 am

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• Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:17 am

I could, yes, but I did just get a new video card (And it rocks ^^ ), and I don't really need RAM. Besides, my uncle tends to have surplus RAM quite often and will occasionally present us with some... >_>

I /am/ going to do music-making stuff on this. Quite a bit, hopefully. I have manymanymany song-type-things I've written, but as of now, they're all in my head - not written down. I want to get them composed and set up and stuff.

I'm looking for music-making abilities, game performance (Or performance in general, really), sound quality (though not so much).

Oh, and... Ugh, I really hate saying this... But money isn't a huge issue. I have the cash to spare, so although I'll look around for lowest prices possible, I won't be giving up if I can't, for example, find it for cheaper than 80$.

(Oh, and as a side note, this particular card apparently comes with a remote control, so you can use it's audio program and use the remote ^^;; )

Again, I don't want to sound like a total n00b, but I can't help it I am one, mostly.

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• Tue Jun 14, 2005 9:18 pm

I got a remote control with too, I never used it, since the soundcard goes direct to an amplifier with a built in remote anyway

How are you planning on recording the music Microphones or Midi?

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• Tue Jun 14, 2005 9:47 pm

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• Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:19 pm

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• Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:47 pm

Perhaps so, but ASIO support on the Live! cards is a bit dodgy to say the least. If you are planning on making music using General Midi, then a Blaster is fine for the job, but if you want to use Virtual Synths then you need ASIO supprt, which the Audigy has

Also, the Audigy 2 records at 48,000 Hz, 24 Bit resolution for normal audio, whereas the Live is 44,100 Hz, 16 Bit, so you get a higher quality of recording, which allows for more filtering/adjustment etc without signal loss.

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• Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:28 am

ASIO = Australian Security Intelligence Organization.

I don't know much about sound cards sorry. I'm usually happy with the onboard surround that is standard these days.

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• Wed Jun 15, 2005 5:40 am

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• Wed Jun 15, 2005 8:59 am

Firstly, yes, I'll start logging in to actually post after this

Anyway, you guys probably don't really care much, but methinks I am indeed going to get this card. A friend of mine requested to use my computer to load stuff to his iPod he just got, and this card has a FireWire port, which I guess is what you use for iPods...

Anyway, this thread was actually some use, and I just felt like letting you guys know I've pretty much decided, after doing some looking into this, on that card.

Danke ^_^

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• Sat Jun 18, 2005 12:58 am

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• Sat Jun 18, 2005 3:53 am

:yes: Grimloq

Why MP, going deaf?

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• Sat Jun 18, 2005 12:47 pm