• Registered: 2012-03-12
  • Posts: 9

Topic: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

Hello, it has been over 5 years since I have had a computer capable of music production/gaming (gotta take a break from music every now and then, haha).  I am now building a new computer and am trying to put together the audio portion of this computer and want to ensure that I get just enough for my needs, with the ability to expand later if necessary.

From what I have been able to gather so far RME seems to be the best as their drivers are always up to date and the technology just "works".  I currently plan on using the following software/equipment for music production:

Software:
Ableton live
Fruity loops studio

Hardware:
PC
Synthesizer (korg triton le, which I used to connect to computer via 5-pronged midi connections)
Microphone (sure sm58, which also connected via midi, however it was that 3-pronged midi connection)
Possibly a roland mc-303 which I believe connects via midi as well.

As you can see it will be a fairly basic setup, with a pc, equipment connected to the pc via the sound card (perhaps two pieces of equipment connected at one time, so most likely requiring two midi outs), and a DAW.

Like I mentioned my knowledge of audio hardware is limited but I am plan on learning from this pc build so that another 5 years down the line I will be able to build an even better music production pc, with more connections for various equipment as I learn more.

Please offer suggestions as to which RME card will fit my needs while providing high end sound quality.  And by the way, I have budgeted roughly $2000 - 2500 for this pc.

  • Registered: 2007-05-09
  • Posts: 646

Re: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

Sure sm58 with MIDI connection? What's that for?

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,690

Re: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

OP seems to be confusing XLR ("that 3-pronged midi connection") and MIDI...
HeadScratch


RME Babyface sounds like a good solution to me.


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • From: Connecticut, USA
  • Registered: 2011-08-01
  • Posts: 376

Re: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

Hi,
If you want to use the Korg Triton, Roland MC-3-3 and use the Microphone at the same time then you will be best off with one of the Fireface series USB interfaces. The Fireface UC, UCX or UFX.
Any of these will allow for both pieces of gear as well as a Microphone to be used at the same time. You will also have 2 independent MIDI I/O for triggering the Korg and Roland. You will want to use both the MIDI Input and Output of your gear to make full use of them.

Also any of these interfaces will work fine with games. I've been using the Fireface 800 and now the UFX or UCX with games and they work great and make the games sound awesome.

Thanks Chris

Chris Ludwig
North East USA Sales | Synthax/RME
www.facebook.com/RMEAmericas
Twitter @RMEAmericas

ChrisLudwig's Website

  • Registered: 2012-03-12
  • Posts: 9

Re: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

Thanks for the reply, yes it looks like XLR is actually what I was referring to there (looks quite a bit like a midi connector to the untrained eye smile.   

Currently this computer is without a soundcard altogether (I will build it as soon as I have the audio hardware figured out, to ensure that I don't choose hardware that won't play well together) and I assume the babyface would not perform as one, correct?  Is there a PCI-e equivelent sound card that would give me the ability to use the hardware I've listed above (synthesizer, microphone) while also allowing for a surround sound system to be connected to the computer for high quality sound playback (dolby or THX for example) or would I be best off getting a fairly basic soundcard, like the HDSPe AIO as an example, and then using the babyface as a mic pre-amp or for general expansion?   Or would one of these RME soundcards provide a built-in pre-amp, thus eliminating the need for a babyface.


So to summarize:
I want to both use my computer for surround sound music/movie audio playback and also to connect midi, XLR instruments in order to bring into Ableton Live.  If the soundcard cannot do all of this, then I will look into picking up an RME sound card and babyface.  From what I've described, which route do you suggest?

Thanks again for all replies.

  • From: Connecticut, USA
  • Registered: 2011-08-01
  • Posts: 376

Re: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

Hi,
The Fireface UC or UCX would be best to do all you are looking to do.
None of the PCI-e cards will have the combination of connectivity that you want.
For playing back surround you will need to use Power DVD or WinDVD  for playback software.

Thanks Chris

Chris Ludwig
North East USA Sales | Synthax/RME
www.facebook.com/RMEAmericas
Twitter @RMEAmericas

ChrisLudwig's Website

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • From: USA
  • Registered: 2007-05-21
  • Posts: 4,649

Re: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

ChrisLudwig wrote:

For playing back surround you will need to use Power DVD or WinDVD  for playback software.

These apps will decode to discrete channels, then you will need powered monitors attached to the unit.

Or if you have an A/V receiver, you can send the encoded bitstream out via optical SPDIF.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • Registered: 2012-03-12
  • Posts: 9

Re: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

Thanks again for all of the responses.  So it looks like I will be going with a Fireface UC to go along with this PC.  However, I don't quite understand how it's possible to have a PC with no soundcard that relies on an external interface.  It is strange to me, as I had always thought that every pc NEEDS an internal soundcard communicating with the motherboard in order to play sound, and if someone wanted an external interface (like the Fireface), then that external interface would need to connect TO the soundcard.

After reading these responses it sounds like I don't need a sound card at all and can rely 100% on the Fireface UC as my "sound card" in a way, while also using it as a connection for all of my instruments. 

So I suppose one last question is needed:  Both Chris and Jeff mentioned that I will need software in order to get the UC to function as a sound card.  So how exactly would that work?  Let's say I'm listening to itunes, or checking out youtube, does the pc know to send the sound through the Fireface to the speakers?  Or if I'm gaming on the pc, same thing? 

It seems a bit strange to have an external "sound device", even though it has all of the connectivity I need.  Forgive me, but as I mentioned it's been over 5 years since my last real computer and at that time it was unheard of to NOT have an internal sound card (what's next, external video cards, CPUs?  haha).

Thanks again for all the help guys.

  • From: Connecticut, USA
  • Registered: 2011-08-01
  • Posts: 376

Re: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

Hi,
As far as your computer/OS cares any external sound card is no different than the one built into a motherboard board.
The external device will typically have more I/O and much higher quality sound such as the Fireface UC.

Itunes, You Tube or other stereo playback media software will use the Fireface UC juts like they would the on board sound.
If you want to playback DVDs or Blurays in surround then you need to use a DVD/Bluray playback software like Power DVD.
You can also hook up Fireface UC to a home theater system via the Digital I/O to playback surround.

Thanks Chris

Chris Ludwig
North East USA Sales | Synthax/RME
www.facebook.com/RMEAmericas
Twitter @RMEAmericas

ChrisLudwig's Website

  • Registered: 2012-03-12
  • Posts: 9

Re: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

Thanks Chris, you've answered all the questions I have and I can now move onto actually building and setting up this computer.  It is a huge weight off of my shoulders.  Thanks a lot!

  • Registered: 2011-11-27
  • Posts: 9

Re: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

LiveOnTime, for my system I disabled the onboard sound in BIOS. Win7 now routes all sounds through my RME HDSPe AIO with the exception of a standalone Onkyo CD player I have on my desk, for that I have to select CD on my amp, otherwise the amp is set to LINE IN which gets its input from the RME. I could play CDs through the DVD player in my PC if I so choose, in which case I wouldn't need to switch the amp from LINE IN.

  • Registered: 2012-03-12
  • Posts: 9

Re: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

Good call, FrankenStrat, on disabling onboard sound in BIOS.  Does the pc automatically "know" to run all sound through the HDSPe AIO or did you have to specify that somewhere?

Mods/Support:  Can I get confirmation that I can have my pc route all sounds through a Babyface, just like I planned to do with the Fireface as mentioned above, and if so will I have to disable onbound sound in BIOS?

After further examination, it's clear that the PCIe cards won't do what I need, as they lack the mic preamps, and since I don't need to run my synth, microphones, and mc-303 at the same time, it looks like the Fireface would be overkill at the moment, so the Babyface will be ideal for my needs, as long as it can handle all of my pc's sounds and be connected to a home theatre receiver.


Thanks again.

  • From: Connecticut, USA
  • Registered: 2011-08-01
  • Posts: 376

Re: Need advice on good music production/gaming sound card

Hi,
Yes windows will see the analog 1/2 of your Babyface as the default sound device instead of the on board sound if it is disabled in the BIOS. If you leave it enabled you can still set the Babyface as the default sound device and windows will always use it as long as the Babyface is plugged in. When the Babyface is unplugged it will default back to the on board then switch back when you plug the Babyface back in.
All of your windows programs that use sound will use the Babyface just fine.

Thanks Chris

Chris Ludwig
North East USA Sales | Synthax/RME
www.facebook.com/RMEAmericas
Twitter @RMEAmericas

ChrisLudwig's Website