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What I am asking is: Does the quaqlity of my sound card matter if I am using VST sounds? For example would I benifit from using an external device like an Apogee Duet?



We do not know whether your VST instruments have better than CD quality, which is at 44.1 kHz sample rate, 16-bit depth. If you want to record or play sound of greater than CD quality (typically 48 kHz, 24 bit or better), you will need a sound card to match, very good monitors to hear the difference, and a correspondingly larger hard drive to contain the larger samples.

For simple mixing and monitoring, your present sound card is probably adequate.

I STRONGLY advise you to educate yourself thoroughly before you spend ANY amount of money on outboard gear. The knowledge you gain will save you time, money, and aggravation. Mac's signature line contains a link to Audiominds.com, which contains great FAQs on basic sound and recording from which you would benefit. For a systematic intro to the practical basics of digital audio, I recommend PC Recording Studios For Dummies. This is not meant to be patronizing. I have over 30 years experience in sound and recording, but digital audio was topping me until I found this book. (The colored text is a link to the item in question.)

R.

Last edited by Ryszard; 06/15/09 01:55 PM.