# Q about sound cards **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-about-sound-cards/152766 "2003-02-04T20:00:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-about-sound-cards/152766/1 "2003-02-04T20:00:01Z")
I am looking at getting a sound card that can take a regular instrument (guitar/amp) jack into it for recording purposes. (I have an eight/sixteen track program to record into.) However, I am not really sure what can accomplish this. I would actually prefer to have something that can opperate out of a usb port to save some of my serial pubs on the inside of my pc, in addition to the problems of accessing said jacks where my pc is located. Does anyone know what I should look for in order to accomplish this? ---
**Author:** ![danvanf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@danvanf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danvanf)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-about-sound-cards/152766/2 "2003-02-04T21:00:29Z")
I suspect you are looking for a 1/4" phone plug, rather than the sound card standard of 1/8". I don’t think anyone makes one, at least in a sub $200 price. You can easily convert 1/4" mono jacks to 1/8" sterio though. Radio Shack amoung many others have such adapters. Sound Cards typically don’t use any serial or other ports. (They do use a PCI or ISA slot on the motherboard, if that’s what you mean. I believe Creative Labs makes a USB sound card. You may have to run your instrument through a preamp so you don’t under or over drive the sound card. Dan ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-about-sound-cards/152766/3 "2003-02-04T21:13:23Z")
I must look into the Creative labs port. I would rather attach the instrument via some type of usb hookup. What I am looking for may require one of those over $200 prices you mention. If that is the case I guess I will keep practicing away on my 4 track before going back to the studio. The only bad thing is that I don’t get the sound quality off the 4 track that I believe I would off of the computer. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-about-sound-cards/152766/4 "2003-02-04T23:47:13Z")
You’re a lucky boy. They just came out with exactly what you want. [Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum EX](http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2_platinum_ex/specs.asp) > [@](#): > > [sub]SPECIFICATIONS > Audio Performance > > Signal-to-Noise Ratio with AES17 filter (A-Weighted) > 2V Rated Output 1V Rated Output > Stereo Output 106dB 102dB > Front and Rear Channels 106dB 102dB > Center, Subwoofer and Rear Center ~90dB ~86dB > > Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise at 1kHz (A-Weighted) = 0.004% (1V, 2V Rated Output) > Frequency Response (+/-3dB, 24-bit/96kHz input ) = \<10Hz to 46kHz (1V, 2V Rated Output) > High Definition Audio Quality for Playback and Recording > 24-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion during playback with sampling rates of 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 and 96kHz in 6.1 mode and up to 192kHz in stereo mode > 24-bit Analog to Digital conversion during recording in 8, 16 or 24-bit at sampling rates of 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 and 96kHz > SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) input at up to 24-bit/ 96kHz quality > SPDIF output up to 24-bit at 48 or 96kHz > ASIO 2.0 drivers for low latency (as low as 2ms) multi-track playback and recording at 16-bit/48kHz or 24-bit/96kHz > Wave-Table Synthesis and Midi Features > Creative Hardware synthesizer (2x16 Channels) with 64-voice polyphony featuring E-MU®’s patented 8-point interpolation technology for accurate sample reproduction > Creative Software synthesizer - multi timbral wave-table (16 Channels) > SB1394™/ FireWire® Connectivity > IEEE® 1394 / FireWire® / i-Link® compatible interface with up to 400Mbps transfer rate > Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX On-Board Connectors > Line level out (Front / Rear / Center / Subwoofer /Rear Center) > AD\_LINK 1 and AD\_LINK 2 Connectors > Power Connector > 15-pin MIDI/ Joystick port extension header > Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX External I/O Module Front/Rear Panel Connectors > Headphone Out (1/4" Stereo Jack) > Line In 1 (1/4" Stereo Jack , shared with Microphone In with Gain Control) > Line In 2 (1/4" Stereo Jack) > Line In 3 (2x RCA Jack) > Optical SPDIF In/Out > Coaxial SPDIF In/Out > Digital Out for 5.1 support (6-channel SPDIF Output to Creative digital speakers) > 2x SB1394 / FireWire ports > MIDI In / Out > Infra-red Receiver [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-about-sound-cards/152766/5 "2003-02-05T00:37:38Z")
- - - Warning: opinions ahead: - Okay, One Fact: the Creative Audigy line _plays_ 24-bit sound, but can only _record_ in 16-bits. Yea, I know, they say it does, but that’s marketing techno-doublespeak. All the audio files recorded with it only have 16-bit depth, and there are many very-not-happy owners because if it. - The difference in recording quality between a $30 OEM Soundblaster Live 5.1 card and the newest $120+ Audigy line has been found by more than a couple independent testers to be fairly small. If you’re not going to be real picky about recording quality, save your money and just get yourself an OEM SBLive 5.1 soundcard for $30, it can do all the basic things you need, and recordings done on it still sound way better than a cassette tape (-if you choose to do this, be **certain** that you get the model with hardware Dolby 5.1 decoding, it’s the only version that has all the features). - To hook up guitars and stage mics, you need a convertor. The MAudio AudioBuddy is one of the least expensive ones, for around $80 US. You plug your mics or guitar into this, and then this plugs into the soundcard’s line-in. You cannot connect stage mics or guitars directly to a regular soundcard’s line-in or mic. - I’m a great proponent of the SBLive, because for a $30 soundcard you can do some pretty nice recording with it. If you find that you don’t like the way it sounds, then the next card up in quality is the AudioPhile 2496, for about $150. It does record in 24-bits/96 Khz, and has a lower noise level than the SBL or the Audigy cards do. It’s commonly considered to be the cheapest “good” recording soundcard available. Skip the Audigy cards entirely, they are a waste of money. ~ ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-about-sound-cards/152766/6 "2003-02-05T01:34:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DougC \* > \*\*- - - Warning: opinions ahead: > > - Okay, One Fact: the Creative Audigy line _plays_ 24-bit sound, but can only _record_ in 16-bits. Yea, I know, they say it does, but that’s marketing techno-doublespeak. All the audio files recorded with it only have 16-bit depth, and there are many very-not-happy owners because if it. > - The difference in recording quality ~ \*\* I think you are talking about the original Audigy. I think the Audigy **2** I referenced will record in true 24 bit format. [Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Launch](http://alive.singnet.com.sg/audigy/launch-audigy2/2.htm) > [@](#): > > Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX > With the Audigy 2, we finally have the capability to record in 24-bit 96 kHz, after being misled by the marketing of the Audigy as a “24-bit, 96 kHz” sound card. (Many musicians and enthusiasts who bought the Audigy were nothing less than outraged when they found out that they could only record at 16-bit 48 kHz.) ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-about-sound-cards/152766/7 "2003-02-05T02:18:07Z")
> [@](#): > > …I think you are talking about the original Audigy. I think the Audigy2 I referenced will record in true 24 bit format… - - - Yea, well, you and- . . -eh, -you and everybody just better get one of them Audigy-Two’s, and not the original Audigies! [counting pocket change] -Yessir! ~