THE AUDIO-BAHN

May 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Doug Eisengrein

Musicians live in a wonderland for music-making these days. What would have been a room full of gear less than a decade ago now fits inside the plastic tower of your computer. Drum machines, synthesizers, effects, samplers, turntables and more all exist virtually on the desktop. Whether you still use hardware or you're into the new software, a good soundcard or audio interface is crucial to your recording workstation. While discussing this topic, I inevitably hear, “I already have a soundcard.” To this, my answer is: “Can you use your stock soundcard for music production? Yes. Will you achieve the best possible sound? Probably not.” Soundcards are the highway on which audio travels in and out of your computer, and today's market is flooded with them. So how do you choose which road to travel on?

A TALE OF TWO INTERFACES

First, let me clarify the difference between a soundcard and an audio interface. A soundcard is literally the card that gets inserted in the back of a desktop computer, usually on a PCI bus. (In most Macs, they are built in.) An audio interface, commonly called a breakout box, is a separate hardware unit that connects to the soundcard, providing audio input and output connector jacks and other controls. Other, newer AIs connect to the computer instead via USB, FireWire or PC Card. Some soundcards don't incorporate breakout boxes; their I/O connectors are situated on the card itself.

You have several factors to think about when deciding on a soundcard, so start from the top: What computer will you be using, a Mac or a PC? Both are suitable for audio, and most professional soundcard manufacturers support both platforms, yet some specialize in one or the other. Your platform of choice will eliminate some options right away. The next consideration is whether you plan to use a desktop or a laptop. This may narrow your choices considerably, especially if you choose a laptop. Although desktop computers accept the widest variety of soundcards and AIs and are generally more powerful machines, notebooks are small, light, portable and have a wealth of audio interfaces available to them with similar attributes.

The next factor to consider is what you intend to record. This should top your list when deciding on a soundcard or AI. For example, will you record vocals and need microphone inputs? Do you already have a large MIDI setup and wish to record that gear simultaneously? How many total inputs do you need? Do you also need a MIDI interface? Do you already own a mixing board and want separate outputs from the computer to connect to different channels? Finally, does your soundcard have room for growth? These are just a few questions you should ask yourself before making a decision.

AUDIO INFORMATION HIGHWAY

Once you've decided on what you wish to connect to your computer, the next question becomes how your AI interfaces with it. What follows are some of the advantages and disadvantages of USB, FireWire and PCI-based solutions. USB interfaces have become all the rage during the past few years and for good reason: USB is a cross-platform standard, it's built into just about every computer out there, and some USB devices even function without drivers. USB AIs are generally inexpensive and portable; many are even bus-powered, eliminating the need for an external power supply. This makes them the ideal partners for laptop musicians on the go and for live performance. The main disadvantage is the inherent bandwidth limitation of USB version 1, which most AIs use. This means that, at best, the maximum number of audio tracks that can be played back or recorded simultaneously is eight at 16-bit. This drops to six or fewer in 24-bit resolution.

For the same reason, latency can be an issue, though latency also depends on the performance of the computer and the driver settings. FireWire, the other portable wonder, is plug-and-play like USB. Even the slower FireWire standard, at 40 Mbps, is 30 times faster than USB version 1, resulting in much better performance and more simultaneous tracks. The main disadvantage to FireWire AIs is unavailability. Fewer computers sport FireWire than those with USB, and only a handful of FireWire interfaces are even on the market. The ones that exist are mid- to high-priced (though I expect that to change during the next few years).

PCI cards, capable of extremely large data-transfer rates, have the huge advantage of being undoubtedly the best performers. With PCI, you are essentially limitless in the number of simultaneous tracks you can record and play back with the least latency. Many of the breakout boxes are sturdy, rackmountable units that provide a plethora of input and output options; some you can even daisy-chain together. This makes them the obvious choice for permanent studio installations. The disadvantage, of course, is that they cannot be used with laptops, making for a much less portable package. PCI soundcards that do not utilize breakout boxes also carry two unique disadvantages: One, they contain the A/D/A converters on the card itself, where noise can potentially be introduced into the signal from the hard drive; two, all cable connections are made on the back of the computer. This means crawling around your computer every time you want to plug or unplug anything.

Soundcards and AIs are available to fit everyone's needs and wallets. The past few years in particular have brought a wealth of inexpensive, high-quality options. Aside from speakers, selecting a good soundcard is perhaps the most critical choice you can make in building your project studio. Think of it in relation to your whole setup, including what you envision your studio to look like in the future. Get as much input as you can from friends, manufacturers, product reviews and user groups, as well as several stores. Be discerning: Choose a vendor with a good exchange policy and a manufacturer you trust to support the product after you buy it.

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