Need Hardware Connection Advice

[George Wirth]

I have the following hardware:

Dell 4550 Dimension PC (2.53)
Toshiba Satellite Laptop (2.5)

FMR Audio RNP Preamp
M-Audio 2496 Audiophile Card (in the Dell)
E-mu 0404 USB 2.0
Event powered monitors
8 channel mixers

I'm using Audition 3.0, Sonar Producer 6

In the past I ran the RNP outs into the Audiophile inputs as my normal
setup. I just got the E-mu to use with the laptop and after disabling
the AC97 onboard sound it works very well. Now I'm wondering if it
might be advantageous to use the E-mu with the PC instead of the
M-Audio card since it has much better specs. The noise floor alone on
the E-mu is a good 18db lower than the 2496, -84db vs. -102db.

Since both the soundcard and E-mu use ASIO I'm limited to one
interface at a time in my software, though I tried the S/PDIF out of
the E-mu into the 2496 S/PDIF and it seems to work pretty well and
would give me four inputs. At this point I'm not sure about how to
make best use of the RNP. The E-mu uses Neutrik combination jacks that
can be used either as balanced microphone inputs, Hi-Z guitar pickup
inputs or line level inputs. I'm very happy with the RNP Preamp and
would like to find the right place for it in all this but I'm not sure
if running it into the 0404 would compromise it's abilities.

I guess what I'm asking is what would be the way to make best use out
of this hardware? How would you do it if this is what you had? Thanks.

G.

[Mike Rivers]

On Dec 10, 1:14 pm, George Wirth > wrote:

> In the past I ran the RNP outs into the Audiophile inputs as my normal
> setup. I just got the E-mu to use with the laptop and after disabling
> the AC97 onboard sound it works very well. Now I'm wondering if it
> might be advantageous to use the E-mu with the PC instead of the
> M-Audio card since it has much better specs.

Specs be damned. Does it SOUND better? You'll want to check both
recording and playback. Make a recording with the M-Audio and play it
through the M-Audio and E-Mu, then make a recording with the E-mu and
play it through the M-Audio and E-mu. You might find that one records
better than the other, one plays better than the other, or one does
both better. You gotta listen.

> Since both the soundcard and E-mu use ASIO I'm limited to one
> interface at a time in my software

That doesn't mean you can't have them both installed, you just pick
one or the other to use. If you find that the E-Mu always sounds
better than the M-Audio, you can remove the M-Audio and probably sell
it for a few bucks.

> though I tried the S/PDIF out of
> the E-mu into the 2496 S/PDIF and it seems to work pretty well and
> would give me four inputs.

Sure, but you're not using the ASIO driver for the E-Mu in that case.
But if you need four inputs and the analog and S/PDIF inputs are both
available to your DAW program, that's a perfectly reasonably way to
use them.

> At this point I'm not sure about how to
> make best use of the RNP.

Again, you have ot listen. Obviously you'll need to use it with the M-
Audio card if you want to record with microphones since that's line-in
only, but you might compare the sound of the E-Mu with a mic connected
to its mic input with the mic connected to the RNP and the RNP output
connected to the line input of the E-Mu. Again, listen. Depending on
the mics you have and what you're recording, you might like the RNP
better than the E-Mu mic preamps, but if it's too hard to tell, or if
you like the E-Mu better, then maybe the RNP might be ready for the
surplus pile (though I'd hang on to it just in case).

> I guess what I'm asking is what would be the way to make best use out
> of this hardware? How would you do it if this is what you had?

Listen to what it sounds like and use what works best as long as it
isn't too inconvenient.

[George Wirth]

Thanks for the reply. I know it comes down to how it actually sounds
but often, at least to my old ears, the differences can be pretty
subtle. I'll experiment and see what I can come up with. I've had good
results in the past with the RNP. Maybe using it into the E-mu
line-ins would work well.

G.

On Mon, 10 Dec 2007 10:26:18 -0800 (PST), Mike Rivers
> wrote:

>On Dec 10, 1:14 pm, George Wirth > wrote:
>
>> In the past I ran the RNP outs into the Audiophile inputs as my normal
>> setup. I just got the E-mu to use with the laptop and after disabling
>> the AC97 onboard sound it works very well. Now I'm wondering if it
>> might be advantageous to use the E-mu with the PC instead of the
>> M-Audio card since it has much better specs.
>
>Specs be damned. Does it SOUND better? You'll want to check both
>recording and playback. Make a recording with the M-Audio and play it
>through the M-Audio and E-Mu, then make a recording with the E-mu and
>play it through the M-Audio and E-mu. You might find that one records
>better than the other, one plays better than the other, or one does
>both better. You gotta listen.
>
>> Since both the soundcard and E-mu use ASIO I'm limited to one
>> interface at a time in my software
>
>That doesn't mean you can't have them both installed, you just pick
>one or the other to use. If you find that the E-Mu always sounds
>better than the M-Audio, you can remove the M-Audio and probably sell
>it for a few bucks.
>
>> though I tried the S/PDIF out of
>> the E-mu into the 2496 S/PDIF and it seems to work pretty well and
>> would give me four inputs.
>
>Sure, but you're not using the ASIO driver for the E-Mu in that case.
>But if you need four inputs and the analog and S/PDIF inputs are both
>available to your DAW program, that's a perfectly reasonably way to
>use them.
>
>> At this point I'm not sure about how to
>> make best use of the RNP.
>
>Again, you have ot listen. Obviously you'll need to use it with the M-
>Audio card if you want to record with microphones since that's line-in
>only, but you might compare the sound of the E-Mu with a mic connected
>to its mic input with the mic connected to the RNP and the RNP output
>connected to the line input of the E-Mu. Again, listen. Depending on
>the mics you have and what you're recording, you might like the RNP
>better than the E-Mu mic preamps, but if it's too hard to tell, or if
>you like the E-Mu better, then maybe the RNP might be ready for the
>surplus pile (though I'd hang on to it just in case).
>
>> I guess what I'm asking is what would be the way to make best use out
>> of this hardware? How would you do it if this is what you had?
>
>Listen to what it sounds like and use what works best as long as it
>isn't too inconvenient.

[Paul Stamler]

One thing to think about is the general rule of using the shortest possible
signal path. Using the Emu and RNP, you'll be taking the RNP's signal,
attenuating it down to mic level, then amplifying it again through the Emu's
preamps, and finally converting to digital. Going straight into the
M-Audio's line ins, if my memory's correct I believe you'll only go through
a single buffer amp, then straight into the A/D. All other things being
equal, that'll be cleaner.

But of course all other things aren't always equal, so ya still gotta
listen.

Peace,
Paul

[George Wirth]

On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:02:08 GMT, "Paul Stamler"
> wrote:

>One thing to think about is the general rule of using the shortest possible
>signal path. Using the Emu and RNP, you'll be taking the RNP's signal,
>attenuating it down to mic level, then amplifying it again through the Emu's
>preamps, and finally converting to digital. Going straight into the
>M-Audio's line ins, if my memory's correct I believe you'll only go through
>a single buffer amp, then straight into the A/D. All other things being
>equal, that'll be cleaner.

I was just ready to ask that question. I think the RNP outputs would
go into the Emu at line level but it's still one more step. Thanks.

G.

[Tobiah]

Paul Stamler wrote:
> One thing to think about is the general rule of using the shortest possible
> signal path.

I'm using a Tascam HD-P2 for a preamp, and going digital
into the computer. It rocks.

--
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