beginner: what difference does a sound card make?

[alexanderrness]

i was wondering if investing in a sound card would be a good idea if i'm producing beats, instrumentals. would it improve the quality of my music if i had one? what is the exact functionality of a sound card as well. i'm not sure if the internal sound card of my macbook is holding my audio quality back or if it's just because of my inability to master correctly. please, any help would be appreciated.

[antarktika]

I'll present this first the simple way:

your use of an internal soundcard is holding your audio quality back

now for the long version:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/indepth/aud ... interfaces

"A good audio interface not only enables you to connect an assortment of different analog and digital signals, it also provides a more accurate digital clock and superior analog circuitry that improves the overall sound quality. You can achieve an entirely different level of audio than you would by just using the stock sound card that comes with a computer."

[alexanderrness]

thank you for the link, will definitely read through it. also, does anyone have any recommendations for a quality sound card around the 130$ range?

[kanuck]

can't say this is the best but I like focusrite's stuff and it's getting a lot of good feedback over at gearslutz

http://www.focusrite.com/products/audio ... rlett_2i2/

[hacktheplanet]

You say you are a beginner, so I will impart upon you wisdom I wish I had when I was first beginning:
NEVER EVER BUY M-AUDIO INTERFACES

[abl385]

You say you are a beginner, so I will impart upon you wisdom I wish I had when I was first beginning:
NEVER EVER BUY M-AUDIO INTERFACES

why not?

[gjm]

I'll present this first the simple way:

your use of an internal soundcard is holding your audio quality back

This is not good advice for someone who is a "beginner." There is more to your signal chain than your sound card. There is also the level of competency you have currently attained regarding your projects.

now for the long version:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/indepth/aud ... interfaces

Although this is a good article, your choice of sound card based on a budget of $130 is the wrong approach.

You need to be a little more specific with your current set up and your goals.

[alexanderrness]

i'm using the soundcard mainly to produce beats from ableton. i won't be using actual instruments. would the scarlett 2i2 suit my needs?

[gjm]

i'm using the soundcard mainly to produce beats from ableton. i won't be using actual instruments. would the scarlett 2i2 suit my needs?

So you have no mics, guitars or monitors?

[nuxnamon]

+1 for avoiding M-audio also, from my experience also.. I don't know about their higher end cards but for their lower end budget ones, i had terrible experience with their drivers.. yeah, give more details about how many inputs and outputs you need, if you need built in preamps, etc.. but you can find good deals on craigslist..

[alexanderrness]

i have two monitors, left and right. i'm pretty much just using ableton for my sounds.

[gjm]

Lol.

[pepezabala]

if you don't record anything and you don't play live, then the soundcard will only improve your monitoring sound. Which obviously can have an influence on the quality of your work.

I honestly do not hear so much difference when using my motu ultralite versus using the built in soundcard of my macbook. My monitors are some Tannoys. I mostly listen to my stuff in an untreated room on rather low volume. Could be that the difference would be more obvious in a different situation.

The generation of sound in the computer is not affected by using a soundcard. When you render a file it doesn't make any difference if you have an external soundcard plugged in or not.

[grunzlaut]

consider buying a firewire soundcard. your macbook has a firewire port and only two USB. You would have only one USB port left with an USB card which could turn into a problem if you would like to add controllers (which I highliy recommend) later on.

[Angstrom]

I would just note that Firewire seems to be a technology on the wane. Apple seem to have fallen out of love with it, and most manufacturers are looking at USB3 and then onward (Thunderbolt anyone?).
If I was buying a new card now I certainly would not be looking at a firewire device that will struggle for support on newer machines.