I've been converting old cassette tapes and vinyl
to CD format using Music Match and AudiGrabber.
I'm wondering whether to continue using the
on-board C-Media AC 97 sound device or whether
to install and use the Crystal 4281 PCI sound
card left over from an older machine. How much
of a difference when recording old jazz??
thanks,

chuck

chuck wrote:

I've been converting old cassette tapes and vinyl
to CD format using Music Match and AudiGrabber.
I'm wondering whether to continue using the
on-board C-Media AC 97 sound device or whether
to install and use the Crystal 4281 PCI sound
card left over from an older machine. How much
of a difference when recording old jazz??
thanks,

Try it and listen. IMO - and not knowing the Crystal sound card, but I
found one listed at at budget range price - there are good chances that
your on board C-media stuff is reasonably good. Neither is beyond that,
go read up about sound cards on Arny's site, http://www.pcavtech.com -
spending a wee bit extra may have plenty mileage if done wisely.

chuck


Kind regards

Peter Larsen


--
************************************************** ***********
* My site is at: http://www.muyiovatki.dk *
************************************************** ***********

chuck wrote:

I've been converting old cassette tapes and vinyl
to CD format using Music Match and AudiGrabber.
I'm wondering whether to continue using the
on-board C-Media AC 97 sound device or whether
to install and use the Crystal 4281 PCI sound
card left over from an older machine. How much
of a difference when recording old jazz??
thanks,

Try it and listen. IMO - and not knowing the Crystal sound card, but I
found one listed at at budget range price - there are good chances that
your on board C-media stuff is reasonably good. Neither is beyond that,
go read up about sound cards on Arny's site, http://www.pcavtech.com -
spending a wee bit extra may have plenty mileage if done wisely.

chuck


Kind regards

Peter Larsen


--
************************************************** ***********
* My site is at: http://www.muyiovatki.dk *
************************************************** ***********

I think they're both on the low end - but probably still up to the task of
recording your old analog sources to WAV format. I don't think the vinyl or
cassette sources would tax the capabilities of either.

Playback signal-to-noise, on the other hand.......


Mark Z.



--
Please reply only to Group. I regret this is necessary. Viruses and spam
have rendered my regular e-mail address useless.


"chuck" wrote in message
...
I've been converting old cassette tapes and vinyl
to CD format using Music Match and AudiGrabber.
I'm wondering whether to continue using the
on-board C-Media AC 97 sound device or whether
to install and use the Crystal 4281 PCI sound
card left over from an older machine. How much
of a difference when recording old jazz??
thanks,

chuck

I think they're both on the low end - but probably still up to the task of
recording your old analog sources to WAV format. I don't think the vinyl or
cassette sources would tax the capabilities of either.

Playback signal-to-noise, on the other hand.......


Mark Z.



--
Please reply only to Group. I regret this is necessary. Viruses and spam
have rendered my regular e-mail address useless.


"chuck" wrote in message
...
I've been converting old cassette tapes and vinyl
to CD format using Music Match and AudiGrabber.
I'm wondering whether to continue using the
on-board C-Media AC 97 sound device or whether
to install and use the Crystal 4281 PCI sound
card left over from an older machine. How much
of a difference when recording old jazz??
thanks,

chuck

"chuck" wrote in message


I've been converting old cassette tapes and vinyl
to CD format using Music Match and AudiGrabber.
I'm wondering whether to continue using the
on-board C-Media AC 97 sound device or whether
to install and use the Crystal 4281 PCI sound
card left over from an older machine. How much
of a difference when recording old jazz??
thanks,

The C-Media AC-97 chip has modest SNR but really pretty good frequency
response. The Crystal 4281 has better SNR and plenty-good but maybe a little
poorer frequency response. Either one should be able to sonically
out-perform Vinyl and cassette tape if you set levels carefully.

"chuck" wrote in message


I've been converting old cassette tapes and vinyl
to CD format using Music Match and AudiGrabber.
I'm wondering whether to continue using the
on-board C-Media AC 97 sound device or whether
to install and use the Crystal 4281 PCI sound
card left over from an older machine. How much
of a difference when recording old jazz??
thanks,

The C-Media AC-97 chip has modest SNR but really pretty good frequency
response. The Crystal 4281 has better SNR and plenty-good but maybe a little
poorer frequency response. Either one should be able to sonically
out-perform Vinyl and cassette tape if you set levels carefully.

So installing an up-scale sound card isn't going
to change things much?? The extra audio quality
would not be justified for this project?

Arny Krueger wrote:
"chuck" wrote in message



I've been converting old cassette tapes and vinyl
to CD format using Music Match and AudiGrabber.
I'm wondering whether to continue using the
on-board C-Media AC 97 sound device or whether
to install and use the Crystal 4281 PCI sound
card left over from an older machine. How much
of a difference when recording old jazz??
thanks,


The C-Media AC-97 chip has modest SNR but really pretty good frequency
response. The Crystal 4281 has better SNR and plenty-good but maybe a little
poorer frequency response. Either one should be able to sonically
out-perform Vinyl and cassette tape if you set levels carefully.

So installing an up-scale sound card isn't going
to change things much?? The extra audio quality
would not be justified for this project?

Arny Krueger wrote:
"chuck" wrote in message



I've been converting old cassette tapes and vinyl
to CD format using Music Match and AudiGrabber.
I'm wondering whether to continue using the
on-board C-Media AC 97 sound device or whether
to install and use the Crystal 4281 PCI sound
card left over from an older machine. How much
of a difference when recording old jazz??
thanks,


The C-Media AC-97 chip has modest SNR but really pretty good frequency
response. The Crystal 4281 has better SNR and plenty-good but maybe a little
poorer frequency response. Either one should be able to sonically
out-perform Vinyl and cassette tape if you set levels carefully.

"chuck" wrote in message


So installing an up-scale sound card isn't going
to change things much??

Not given your starting point which is pretty good.

The extra audio quality
would not be justified for this project?

Only you can make the final determination of that. But given the sources
which are not all that exacting...



Arny Krueger wrote:
"chuck" wrote in message



I've been converting old cassette tapes and vinyl
to CD format using Music Match and AudiGrabber.
I'm wondering whether to continue using the
on-board C-Media AC 97 sound device or whether
to install and use the Crystal 4281 PCI sound
card left over from an older machine. How much
of a difference when recording old jazz??
thanks,


The C-Media AC-97 chip has modest SNR but really pretty good
frequency response. The Crystal 4281 has better SNR and plenty-good
but maybe a little poorer frequency response. Either one should be
able to sonically out-perform Vinyl and cassette tape if you set
levels carefully.

"chuck" wrote in message


So installing an up-scale sound card isn't going
to change things much??

Not given your starting point which is pretty good.

The extra audio quality
would not be justified for this project?

Only you can make the final determination of that. But given the sources
which are not all that exacting...



Arny Krueger wrote:
"chuck" wrote in message



I've been converting old cassette tapes and vinyl
to CD format using Music Match and AudiGrabber.
I'm wondering whether to continue using the
on-board C-Media AC 97 sound device or whether
to install and use the Crystal 4281 PCI sound
card left over from an older machine. How much
of a difference when recording old jazz??
thanks,


The C-Media AC-97 chip has modest SNR but really pretty good
frequency response. The Crystal 4281 has better SNR and plenty-good
but maybe a little poorer frequency response. Either one should be
able to sonically out-perform Vinyl and cassette tape if you set
levels carefully.