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Hi Someone,
I`m a working Musician and use my BIAB in a Laptop.
I understand laptop sound-cards aren`t that great. Is there something like an external Sound Card or Midi module that will improve sound quality furthermore?

Much appreciated,

Mike Cortina

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Hello Mike,
There are literally thousands. You need to post budget, and possibly size. - portability I have two, one worth about $20 and tiny and the other worth $1000 and bigger than the laptop. There is a very wide price range


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Hi Mike,

Take a look at this link and product.

http://www.presonus.com/products/AudioBox-USB


--Mac

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I can add a +1 for PreSonus gear - I use the Firestudio Mobile. Presonus have very robust gear, very low noise floors and excellent DA converters, and the mic pre's even on the lower end gear are terrific.

D

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The headphone jack is fine for playback if that's all you're doing.


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Presonus, M-Audio, Focusrite, Roland....all make good interfaces.

Be sure it's USB and uses ASIO drivers and has good audio preamps with phantom power.... then simply choose one that has the inputs and outputs you will need and fits your budget....


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Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

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no offence GH, but I would recommend against M-Audio, sorry.

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Originally Posted By: joden
no offence GH, but I would recommend against M-Audio, sorry.

Me too. I've had mine since '98 and how dare it still be working! LOL confused


John
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Well.... iffin that don't just take the cake....

huh? one likes it and one recommends against it....

So....I really don't care because I use Focusrite...and it's a firewire interface. Over 6 years old and still rocking hard like day one.

All I know is that lots of people use M-Audio with great success so I always include it in a short list.

I always recommend against the Layla line, the UNO line, and factory cards of all types. I also recommend against the gimmick stuff like mixers and interfaces combined and guitar modelers/interfaces..... and heck no.... you better not buy a USB mic.....

Aside from that, I'm pretty much OK with anything else that runs native ASIO drivers and has preamps and phantom power built in.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Yeah and you always get an anecdotal story about someone using a bit of gear - but check the M-Audio gear forums, and also the resale $'s.

Standard quality pres , flaky software and drivers, broken knobs - but hey I understand you do need to keep proving to yourself you bought the right thing wink

And if you read the post before jumping on high horses, I said recommend against, not that they were total crap...

And @GH, I never made any suggestion re any of the other interfaces mentioned (which are all very good including Focusrite, one of the best) - I too use firewire and anyone would have recognised that from the "firestudio" moniker...it is why I hang on to my laptop as there are very few now made with the firewire interface.

If using a laptop live, firewire is the best way to go imo (although that will probs bring all the "blah de blahs" about how someone or other has used USB for like , ever...with nary an issue)

I am just offering the OP some info based on my experiences, which go back a long way wink

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+1 on the Presonus AudioBox USB. Simple, small, and rugged audio/MIDI interface with separate front-panel volume controls for speakers and headphones (for live use, read: mains and monitors). I've had mine for over a year with no worries.

HTH,

Richard


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I have been on M-Audio forever (after my Soundblaster AWE32 card) and recently moved to the m-audio fast track c600, dead happy with it! For ME its simple, does the job....


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I used to care, but things have changed (Bob Dylan)

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I think he is looking for something to improve the rendered quality of the midi sounds -- like the ketron sd2 or something like that..


Now at bandcamp: Crows Say Vee-Eh @ bandcamp or soundcloud: Kevin @ soundcloud
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If I were looking to just improve sounds, and have the box always under computer control, I would look at the SD2. I have the SD4 for playing "less" tethered. The sounds are outstanding. M-Audio has provided shoddy support as of late, having spun off the Fast Track Ultra. Especially for 64-bit. The ASIO drivers I have are unusable with PG products.


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Originally Posted By: Kemmrich
I think he is looking for something to improve the rendered quality of the midi sounds -- like the ketron sd2 or something like that..

Well if he's after that I have a like new SD4 for sale.Selling it for a friend who already had an SD2. He didn't realise that the sounds in the SD4 are the same and he didn't need the extras in the SD4.


John
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Originally Posted By: joden
Yeah and you always get an anecdotal story about someone using a bit of gear - but check the M-Audio gear forums, and also the resale $'s.

Standard quality pres , flaky software and drivers, broken knobs - but hey I understand you do need to keep proving to yourself you bought the right thing wink

And if you read the post before jumping on high horses, I said recommend against, not that they were total crap...

And @GH, I never made any suggestion re any of the other interfaces mentioned (which are all very good including Focusrite, one of the best) - I too use firewire and anyone would have recognised that from the "firestudio" moniker...it is why I hang on to my laptop as there are very few now made with the firewire interface.

If using a laptop live, firewire is the best way to go imo (although that will probs bring all the "blah de blahs" about how someone or other has used USB for like , ever...with nary an issue)

I am just offering the OP some info based on my experiences, which go back a long way wink

I was just pulling your leg.I've been lucky with mine. Others have been also. Others like other cards. I think the issue is so complex that all makes/models have the potential to be problematic and wonderful. It all depends on many factors. One of which is human.
I must say though that the ONLY interface that I have used that worked right out of the box as it should, never has crashed, glitched or give me concern is my ESI GIGAPORT HD+


John
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My reason for recommending the Presonus has to do with the quality and type of Support still available, Drivers are robust and being supported for the newer Operating Systems, user reports concerning the devices are rather stellar in the majority of cases, which translates to ease of use, less problems, hassles and worries.

The M-Audio cards and such, some of them are getting to be long in the tooth, there have been problems concerning driver support in certain cases, a sound device is no better than the drivers written for it, as NEWER Operating Systems come to market some of the older solutions are not getting the kind of ongoing support as to drivers, software, etc. and that can be a problem that someone new to the game can avoid altogether by selecting a brand and model that does not exhibit those kind of problems in the first place.


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Originally Posted By: joden
I am just offering the OP some info based on my experiences, which go back a long way wink


Yup, so do a lot of others experiences.....;)


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Originally Posted By: PhillyJazz
If I were looking to just improve sounds, and have the box always under computer control, I would look at the SD2. I have the SD4 for playing "less" tethered. The sounds are outstanding. M-Audio has provided shoddy support as of late, having spun off the Fast Track Ultra. Especially for 64-bit. The ASIO drivers I have are unusable with PG products.


I've gotta chime in and agree that I too got tech support of about -1 on a scale of 1-10.

(-:

Jim

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Originally Posted By: silvertones

I was just pulling your leg.I've been lucky with mine. Others have been also. Others like other cards. I think the issue is so complex that all makes/models have the potential to be problematic and wonderful. It all depends on many factors. One of which is human.
I must say though that the ONLY interface that I have used that worked right out of the box as it should, never has crashed, glitched or give me concern is my ESI GIGAPORT HD+


Ah okay cool thx ST smile

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