[[email protected]]

So I just got a M-Audio Firewire 410 for an input device, to record
drum machine and guitars, but what I'm wondering now is, do I still
need a special/better audio card for the PC? I'm just using what came
with my Dell PC. I knew I would need the M-audio for input, but I'm not
sure if a different card is needed to get a pro-quality sound for
mixing and playback, etc. I'm new to all this so I don't even know if
my question makes sense to anyone else, but I know someone here can set
me straight.

[Laurence Payne]

On 10 Jul 2006 15:58:29 -0700, wrote:

So I just got a M-Audio Firewire 410 for an input device, to record
drum machine and guitars, but what I'm wondering now is, do I still
need a special/better audio card for the PC? I'm just using what came
with my Dell PC. I knew I would need the M-audio for input, but I'm not
sure if a different card is needed to get a pro-quality sound for
mixing and playback, etc. I'm new to all this so I don't even know if
my question makes sense to anyone else, but I know someone here can set
me straight.

The 410 *is* a "soundcard". It handles input and output.

[[email protected]]

But I will only get high quality sound if I listen back through the
410, instead of the speakers that came with the PC, right?

Laurence Payne wrote:
On 10 Jul 2006 15:58:29 -0700, wrote:

So I just got a M-Audio Firewire 410 for an input device, to record
drum machine and guitars, but what I'm wondering now is, do I still
need a special/better audio card for the PC? I'm just using what came
with my Dell PC. I knew I would need the M-audio for input, but I'm not
sure if a different card is needed to get a pro-quality sound for
mixing and playback, etc. I'm new to all this so I don't even know if
my question makes sense to anyone else, but I know someone here can set
me straight.

The 410 *is* a "soundcard". It handles input and output.

[[email protected]]

They are standard cheap speakers that came with it, no name or label,
probably $10. The point being mostly that they are plugged into the
mother board audio jack as opposed to the 410 output.


Richard Crowley wrote:
Laurence Payne wrote:
The 410 *is* a "soundcard". It handles input and output.

wrote ...
But I will only get high quality sound if I listen back through the
410, instead of the speakers that came with the PC, right?

Probably. But since you know what your speakers are and
we don't, you are forcing us to guess.

[Richard Crowley]

wrote in message
ups.com...
They are standard cheap speakers that came with it, no name or label,
probably $10. The point being mostly that they are plugged into the
mother board audio jack as opposed to the 410 output.


Richard Crowley wrote:
Laurence Payne wrote:
The 410 *is* a "soundcard". It handles input and output.

wrote ...
But I will only get high quality sound if I listen back through the
410, instead of the speakers that came with the PC, right?

Probably. But since you know what your speakers are and
we don't, you are forcing us to guess.

It is highly unlikely that it will make any difference
whether you plug them into your computer, or into the
M-Audio unit. Your speakers are certainly the limiting
factor here.

[Mr.T]

wrote ...
But I will only get high quality sound if I listen back through the
410, instead of the speakers that came with the PC, right?
wrote in message
ups.com...
They are standard cheap speakers that came with it, no name or label,
probably $10. The point being mostly that they are plugged into the
mother board audio jack as opposed to the 410 output.

Let me get this straight, you are asking whether you can get "high quality
sound" from a pair of $10 no name computer speakers?

Do you *REALLY* need to ask this question?
If yes, then are you sure you are remotely capable of using the 410?

MrT.

[Laurence Payne]

On 10 Jul 2006 19:58:05 -0700, wrote:

They are standard cheap speakers that came with it, no name or label,
probably $10. The point being mostly that they are plugged into the
mother board audio jack as opposed to the 410 output.

No, the point is that they are crappy speakers! You've spent a fair
amount of money on a soundcard. Now attach a monitoring system worthy
of it.

[[email protected]]

My real point was that even if I had good speakers, would the sound
coming from the built-in MB audio be as good as from the 410.


Laurence Payne wrote:
On 10 Jul 2006 19:58:05 -0700, wrote:

They are standard cheap speakers that came with it, no name or label,
probably $10. The point being mostly that they are plugged into the
mother board audio jack as opposed to the 410 output.

No, the point is that they are crappy speakers! You've spent a fair
amount of money on a soundcard. Now attach a monitoring system worthy
of it.

[Richard Crowley]

alice wrote ...
My real point was that even if I had good speakers, would the sound
coming from the built-in MB audio be as good as from the 410.

It is highly unlikely that the built-in audio system in your computer
(or anybody's computer) is as good as an external digital audio
interface, whether it uses Firewire or USB.

[Mr.T]

wrote in message
ps.com...
My real point was that even if I had good speakers, would the sound
coming from the built-in MB audio be as good as from the 410.

Of course not, but why buy the 410 if you don't wish to use it?

MrT.

[Laurence Payne]

On 11 Jul 2006 16:26:54 -0700, wrote:

My real point was that even if I had good speakers, would the sound
coming from the built-in MB audio be as good as from the 410.

It might well be surprisingly close. But why ask us? You have the
gear. Report please?

[Mr.T]

"Laurence Payne" lpayne1NOSPAM@dslDOTpipexDOTcom wrote in message
...
My real point was that even if I had good speakers, would the sound
coming from the built-in MB audio be as good as from the 410.

It might well be surprisingly close.

I doubt it.

But why ask us? You have the
gear. Report please?

So true. Try it with RMAA. Freeware from www.audio.rightmark.org/

I'm still at a loss to know why you don't just use the 410 though.

MrT.

[[email protected]]

I guess I'm just trying to get at the question of how different is the
quality of the MB audio and the 410, and why. At the moment I don't
have the right connectors to hook up the speakers to the 410, and I
know I need better monitors as well anyway. I was noticing a lack of
sound quality and wanted to know if it really is from the MB/speakers
or something I was doing wrong.


Mr.T wrote:
"Laurence Payne" lpayne1NOSPAM@dslDOTpipexDOTcom wrote in message
...
My real point was that even if I had good speakers, would the sound
coming from the built-in MB audio be as good as from the 410.

It might well be surprisingly close.

I doubt it.

But why ask us? You have the
gear. Report please?

So true. Try it with RMAA. Freeware from www.audio.rightmark.org/

I'm still at a loss to know why you don't just use the 410 though.

MrT.

[Jeff Findley]

wrote in message
oups.com...
I guess I'm just trying to get at the question of how different is the
quality of the MB audio and the 410, and why. At the moment I don't
have the right connectors to hook up the speakers to the 410, and I
know I need better monitors as well anyway. I was noticing a lack of
sound quality and wanted to know if it really is from the MB/speakers
or something I was doing wrong.

Your cheap PC speakers are most likely the weakest link. If you have a
*good* set of headphones, try those and you may be able to hear the
difference between motherboard audio and the 410.

I'd personally invest in either a really good set of powered speakers, or go
all out and buy a good receiver or preamp and amp pair and a really good set
of monitors. At that point, you ought to be able to hear the difference
between a cheap, integrated, sound card and the 410. If you can't hear a
difference, then either your source material isn't very good, or your ears
aren't very good. ;-)

Jeff
--
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a
little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor
safety"
- B. Franklin, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (1919)

[Mr.T]

"Richard Crowley" wrote in message
...
Even if the performance of the audio on the MB matched
the quality of the 410 (which is doubtful), the audio on the
MB is handicapped with its location in a very electronically
"noisy" environment of the computer MB. This is a *major*
reason people buy external audio devices like your 410.

Since some of the very best sound adapters available are also internal, I
would say you haven't actually tested many to prove your (incorrect)
hypothesis.
Name an external device that beats the Lynx2 for example? Mind you, at that
level of performance, any differences are completely moot anyway.

MrT.

[Eeyore]

"Mr.T" wrote:

"Richard Crowley" wrote in message
...
Even if the performance of the audio on the MB matched
the quality of the 410 (which is doubtful), the audio on the
MB is handicapped with its location in a very electronically
"noisy" environment of the computer MB. This is a *major*
reason people buy external audio devices like your 410.

Since some of the very best sound adapters available are also internal, I
would say you haven't actually tested many to prove your (incorrect)
hypothesis.

Uh ?

Name an external device that beats the Lynx2 for example? Mind you, at that
level of performance, any differences are completely moot anyway.

Trivially simple. Audio professionals don't consider the subject moot.
http://www.prismsound.com/music_reco..._products.html

Not only do I know the guys who designed it - I've seen several in Mark
Knopfler's studio too - I even used to work for Prism Sound myself in fact !

Graham