OT- audio cards..

[BigRedCat]

I am researching audio cards and was wondering what you guys are using. I have two needs as far as audio cards go. My main need is production, I will be building a new home studio around a dual g5 running Logic Pro 7. I record guitar,bass,vocals and e-drums but since I do it all myself I dont see a need for many inputs at once.

Secondly I will be performing live with the same dual G5 running Live with a Faderfox controller. I would rather lug my G5 around than get a G4 laptop. I woud still consider a cheap yet powerful winblows laptop if need be but for now I have no problem transporting a G5, they aren't THAT big and until I start having to fly to gigs it will work just fine.

I see that many of you are using the excellent Echo Indigo card which seems to work well for Djing but have any of you used it for recording purposes?

Anything I get for live application would have to be able to run through the main house mix etc as a Dj rig would. I would like to not have to get two seperate sound card solutions but I will do whatever works. Have any of you checked out the M-Audio Ozonic?

Any tips or advice on this would be great....this forum rocks!

[drush]

they are that big when you consider having to lug a monitor and all that other crap. but hey, more power to ya. a G5 and a faderfox... david and goliath!

heh. anyway. why are you asking about a pcmcia-based card if you only intend on having a g5 desktop? you don't have a pc card slot in that machine.

if you'll consider a wintel laptop why not just get an ibook? or you can buy a 12" g4 powerbook 1.33ghz for $1000 now. either of those machines are going to be plenty for live performance. unless you are getting really exotic, your live performance will be all playback, not realtime synthesis.

as for your real question, if you're recording instruments and you want an excellent multi I/O soundcard get an RME-Audio multiface + PCI card. pricey but you can do no wrong there. other than that, the Motu 828 is good, as is some of the M-Audio stuff. M-Audio can just be a little bitchy sometimes, and their driver updating is often less than ideal in terms of timing.

[BigRedCat]

I have a flat screen monitor, it weighs less than my cat! ha. As for lugging stuff around, I am a vocalist/guitarist in a hard rock band, you electronic guys complaining about carrying a record case and a mixer makes us rock guys laugh. I have a 100 pound guitar head, a 80 pound 412 cab, guitar, rack, vocal rack etc to carry so carrying a G5, mixer,thin monitor etc is NOTHING.

Anyway, good point about the G5, it does have a sound card built in but I assume I will need more to Dj with it just to get a headphone mix going.

I dont really want an ibook because they only have G4's so it would only be for live performance and I would rather not spend a grand on a laptop JUST for live performance when I can use the G5 for recording and performance. All this stuff isn't cheap! ha.

Yeah I was leaning towards the MOTU, would I be able to use that as I would the Echo Indigo as far as live performance? How would I hook up a G5 at a traditional club Dj booth? Just run into the mixer then the house mix?

[drush]

you're not understanding my comment about pcmcia/the echo indigo. you can't use that card with your G5. you don't have that type of interface on that computer.

and FWIW it is FAR from true that a G4 processor is only good for performance. a lot of us use them with great success for realtime composition. i might argue that you have less of need for that G5 b/c you are using primarily midi with external sources. not that everyone shouldn't have a G5 just on general principle.

yeh, from whatever soundcard you get you can just come out of that into the house mixer at whatever venue. pretty straightforward.

[BigRedCat]

No I understand what your saying about the card. My reason for the dual G5 is Logic, I have an older single G4 now and it doesnt cut it running Logic(or Protools for that matter). I do both house music as well as hard rock so my needs are across the board as far as computing power.

Good to know I dont have to get a laptop, that saves me a good bit on money.