iMac Sound Card

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I'm thinking of buying an iMac, but I'm not sure what to go for in terms of sound card. I am a professional live jazz musician, and am planning to use the computer in the future to produce my own recordings/albums. Anyone able to recommend an excellent sound card?

― Lee JJ (JJ Len), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 20:20 (eighteen years ago)

you can't put a sound card into an imac

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 20:25 (eighteen years ago)

You will need an external sound card, with a fast interface to the iMac (Firewire is probably your best option).

Look at M-Audio's Firewire 410 for an example of the low-end of 'excellent' external sound cards (I don't necessarily recommend that model, though its cheap and its worked well for my needs). Line in, 2x cheap mic preamps, decent output, etc. Unless there are now quality USB 2.0 interfaces on the market, stay aware from USB audio interfaces...the high latency will kill your ability to overdub, and the recording quality is much worse.

― Charles Harry Augustus Mellowtongue (Jonas), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 20:40 (eighteen years ago)

First, you want to think very hard about the software you want to use for recording. Then, depending on what you decide, you should get

http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/828/images/828front.jpg

http://akmedia.digidesign.com/products/images/002R_ov_thmb_11895.jpg.

― Three hundred inches from the children. (goodbra), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 00:39 (eighteen years ago)

$$$

― george bob (george bob), Thursday, 18 January 2007 11:48 (eighteen years ago)

I am a professional live jazz musician, and am planning to use the computer in the future to produce my own recordings/albums.

One presumes this means he's willing to spend more than bedroom-hobbyist dollars.

― Three hundred inches from the children. (goodbra), Thursday, 18 January 2007 17:49 (eighteen years ago)

three months pass...

I like the look of the MOTU 828mkII - it promises the professional sound I am looking for - but I don't think I need as many inputs and outputs.

I would really appreciate it if someone could recommend a sound card for an iMac, one that's as professional, but with less inputs and outputs. I need SPDIF, jack, minijack, optical, but since I'm not going to be doing much, if any, simultaneous recording of instruments, etc, I will need only one at a time.

― Jads, Thursday, 26 April 2007 20:18 (eighteen years ago)

zoom h4

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 26 April 2007 20:22 (eighteen years ago)

optical/spdif is going to cost you more than they're worth IMO

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 26 April 2007 20:22 (eighteen years ago)

I have a second hand 828mkII and it cannot be faulted for recording or gigging. It's works pretty good as an 8 bus mixer as well as being an interface.

― Ed, Thursday, 26 April 2007 20:26 (eighteen years ago)

OMG to me this looks likte the 'Let Your Kitten Type' thread.

― Abbott, Thursday, 26 April 2007 20:29 (eighteen years ago)

Is the 828mkII a sound card or an interface?

― Jads, Friday, 27 April 2007 07:27 (eighteen years ago)

It is an interface, it has no ability to process or generate audio beyond inputting and outputting it. However that is the case with most audio cards/boxes nowadays. Computers are pretty powerful in terms of synthesis effecting an processing but they can be enhanced with extra processing boxes and boards.

― Ed, Friday, 27 April 2007 07:32 (eighteen years ago)

One last question:

Would you say, then, that were I to use the 828mkII in conjunction with my iMac's sound card, I would generally achieve and maintain a professional sound throughout the chain. I am starting up a sound effects editing business, and currently use Audigy platinum with my PC, which has worked ok for my domestic/music. Do you think the iMac set-up I'm looking at will match/be better in terms of the sound fidelity of the PC Audigy Plat set-up?

I really thank you for this, Ed!

― Jads, Friday, 27 April 2007 08:56 (eighteen years ago)

Your built in sound chip would not figure in the chain at all. All processing would be done by the processor. This is nothing to worry about. I regularly run 20 plus tracks with multiple insert plugin processors on all tracks and never bump against the limits, the CPU graph barely flickers.

If you need extra horsepower (or just go beyond cpu based plugins to the DSP) you can look at thinks like the TC electronics Powercore range, Lexicon Mx200, Focustrite liquid mix or liquid channel.

Interface wise, check out out the Digi 003 range, the MOTU traveller, M-Audio, ProjectMix I/O, Presonus stuff and focusrite. Do you really need that level of I/O, would a couple of ins and out suffice. What sequencer/editor do you need, how multitrack do you need to be, do you need midi or just audio.

BIAS, Protools, Digital Performer, Cubase, Logic, Garage Band, Soundtrack?

Would you like a control surface to mix with?

some discussion here

Sound on Sound is good for reviews and advice and e-subscription is cheap.

― Ed, Friday, 27 April 2007 09:40 (eighteen years ago)

Thanks again -- Forgive the oncoming typos, my XP is literally dying as the fan has stopped.

In terms of software I will need multi-tracking, as I will be designing atmospheres for film, layering sound effects (crickets, cars, planes, whatever). I used Pro-Tools at college, and got on with that extremely well, but it cost so much money then -- can I get a nice package for iMac do you know?

I have been using Cool edit on my PC, and an Audigy Soundblaster Platinum sound card, with a sprinkling of SPDIF, phonos, jacks, minijacks. In terms of inputs and ouputs, all I'll need are a reasonable amount, because I'm not doing any simultaneous recording of intsruments.

― Jads, Friday, 27 April 2007 10:09 (eighteen years ago)

ProTools do an LE package bundled with things like the Digi003, so if your are familiar then it would be a good place to start looking.

― Ed, Friday, 27 April 2007 10:12 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?navid=28&langid=51&

― Ed, Friday, 27 April 2007 10:15 (eighteen years ago)

I have an irrational aversion to pro-tools just because of the amount of grief that Avid put me through in my professional life.

― Ed, Friday, 27 April 2007 10:16 (eighteen years ago)

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